Global Studies

Global Studies, a freshman-year requirement, was the perfect introduction to higher-level thinking and an analytic mindset. The course objectives for this class are humanities skill-building, note-taking and organization, reading comprehension, written and verbal analytical thinking and expression, primary and secondary source evaluation, global and regional geographical knowledge, global citizenship, understanding the influence of history on current events and upon specific cultures, and awareness of diversity and richness of a variety of cultures. All of these objectives played a major role in my development as a student. I learned how to approach a situation with an unbiased and global perspective. This class allowed me to develop a mindset where I can acknowledge my privilege and learn about global perspectives and situations. The course objectives inform the themes of the class: collective security, sovereignty, cultural imperialism, globalization, human rights, protests, censorship, representation, social Darwinism, colonialism, and imperialism. All of these themes were examined under the lens of interactions between governments, people, and global organizations which were seen with the modules of this course: United Nations - Challenges and Change, Modern China and Hong Kong - Society and Protest, Middle East and modern Terrorism - Freedom and Security, Colonization and Independence in Africa, South Africa and Apartheid. Each of these class themes, and the modules, allowed me to understand how our modern political and social landscape developed and how current dynamics have been informed by historical context. 

Global Studies developed my ability to approach situations with an analytical mindset and understanding. I developed an understanding of how to learn about the historical context of a situation and then make inferences to possible solutions and/or how the historical context informs modern-day dynamics within the situation at hand. This class prepared me for writing lengthy, descriptive, and well-researched papers that discuss the relevance of historical events within modern-day climates. Additionally, this class allowed me to prepare for formal presentations where I am expected to demonstrate and defend my understanding of the information I accumulated. 

As I completed my final paper for GSD, I reflected on how I could use techniques used in Global Studies to understand the impact of colonialism and historical context on the modern climate in Tanzania. The module Colonization and Independence in Africa, gave me a foundation to learn how European colonial influence established cash crop systems, discouraged and prevented indigenous culture, and left lasting impacts on the political climate of many countries in Africa. Although there is no explicit colonial rule in Africa currently, external influences still support systems in African countries. In addition to understanding the complex dynamics within Africa, mainly resulting from enduring impacts of colonization, the role of the UN also informed my project. Africa continues to seek support from external influences because of unstable economic, political, and healthcare services. Global Studies informed me of the impact of the UN in providing resources to countries in need. Historical context allowed me to make inferences about my project. There was not a lot of information pertaining to developmental disabilities and healthcare accessibility but this class set me up to understand how to research and make connections between various sources.