Global economic, political, and cultural processes are bound up with complex questions of culture and identity at the individual, familial, and community levels. Examining how differences in language, ideology, religion, race, gender, ethnicity, and sexual orientation among others impact our sense of self and other, this CULTURE and IDENTITY option considers: foundational expressions of social and cultural values; the formation and contestation of identity over time; the impacts of modernization on individual, family, and community identity; genetic manipulation and modification; and questions of colonization and colonialism on political and cultural structures.
Courses for Fall 2025
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| AFAM/HIST 152 | African American History |
| AFAM/HIST/WMNST 213Y | African American Women’s History |
| AFR 110N | Introduction to Contemporary Africa |
| AFR 150 | Africa in Cinema |
| AFR 192 | Modern African History |
| AFR 405 | African Studies Methodologies |
| AFT 202/WMNST 202 | Gender Dynamics in Africa |
| AIR 451 | National Security, Leadership Responsibilities, and Commissioning Preparation I |
| ANTH 303 | Race and Gender in the Americas: Latin America and Caribbean Cultures (cross listed with AFAM 303, WMNST 303) |
| ANTH 424 | Andean Ethnology and Archaeology |
| ANTH 45N/45Q | Cultural Diversity: A Global Perspective |
| APLNG 200 | Introduction to Language, Culture, and Social Interaction |
| APLNG 210 | Global English |
| APLNG 280N | Conducting International Comparative Research |
| ARTH 120 | Asian Art and Architecture |
| ARTH 140 | Introduction to the Art and Architecture of the Mayas, Aztecs, and Incas |
| ARTH 225 | Sexuality and Modern Visual Culture |
| ARTH 335 | African Art |
| ASIA 100 | What is Asia? |
| ASIA 104 | Introduction to Buddhism |
| ASIA 3 | Introduction to the Religions of the East |
| ASIA 403 | Food Cultures of Asia |
| ASIA 404 | Topics in Asian Literature |
| ASIA/JAPNS 430 | Japan in the World |
| ASIA/RLST 103 | Introduction to Hinduism |
| BBH 440 | Course Name TBD-see INSTD adviser for pre-approval of 440 |
| CAMS 005 | Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations |
| CAMS 020 | Egyptian Civilization |
| CAMS 025 | Greek Civilization |
| CAMS 033 | Roman Civilization |
| CAS 271N | Intercultural Communication |
| CMLIT 004 | Intro to Asian Literature |
| CMLIT 010 | World Literatures |
| CMLIT 101 | Race, Gender and Identity in World Literature |
| CMLIT 107 | Exploration, Travel, Migration, and Exile |
| CMLIT 130 | Banned Books: International and Comparative Perspectives |
| CMLIT 404 | Topics in Asian Literature |
| CMLIT 406 | Women and World Literature |
| CMLIT 435 | Cultures of Globalization |
| CMLIT 438 | Fantastic Worlds |
| CMLIT 446 | Postcolonial Literature and Culture |
| CRIM 451 | Race, Crime, and Justice |
| CRIM 453 | Women and the Criminal Justice System |
| DANCE 221 | Introduction to African Dance and Culture |
| EDTHP/SOC 410 | The Global Impact of Education |
| ENGL 225N | Sexuality and Modern Visual Culture |
| ENGL 227 | Introduction to Queer Theory |
| ENGL 245/WMNST 245 | Introduction to LGBTQ Studies |
| ENGL 404 | Mapping Identity, Difference and Place |
| ENGL 466 | African American Novel I |
| FR 430 | Contemporary French Culture |
| GER 100 | German Culture and Civilization |
| GER 245 | Vikings |
| GER/RUS 143 | The Culture of Stalinism and Nazism |
| HIST 153 | Native American History |
| HIST 471Y | Classical Islamic Civilizations |
| IT 130 | Italian Culture and Civilization |
| IT 325 | Italy's Inspiration for Your Life |
| IT 422 | Topics in the Italian Renaissance |
| IT 475 | Modern Italian Literature & Film (must have JR standing) |
| LHR 136 | Race, Gender, and Employment |
| LHR 160N | The Virtual Transformational Leadership Development Experience |
| LHR 460 | Ethics in the Workplace |
| LTNST 100 | Introduction to Latina/s Studies |
| PHIL 008 | Gender Matters |
| PHIL 009 | Race, Racism, and Diversity |
| PHIL 114 | Feminist Philosophy |
| PHIL 139 | Latino/a Philosophy |
| PHIL 208 | Contemporary Philosophy |
| PHIL 435 | Science and Religon |
| PLSC 428 | Gender and Politics |
| PLSC 443 | Ethnic Conflict in Africa |
| PLSC 454 | Government and Politics of Africa |
| PUBPL 120N | State, Society, and Public Policy |
| PUBPL 419 | Race and Public Policy |
| RLST 001 | Introduction to World Religions |
| RUS 100 | Russian Culture and Civilization |
| RUS 145 | Putin’s Russia and Its Protest Culture |
| SOC 422 | World Population Diversity |
| SOC-EPS 410 | The Global Impact of Education |
| SPAN 130 | Iberian Civilization |
| SPAN 131 | Ibero-American Civilization |
| SPAN 355 | Topics in the Cultures of Latin America |
| SPAN/LTNST 326 | Reading the Border/Lands |
| THEA 464 | History of Fashion |
| UKR 100 | Ukrainian Culture and Civilization |
| WMNST 105 | Living in a Diverse World |
| WMNST 106 | Women, Gender, and Arts |
| WMNST 117 | Women in United States History |
| WMNST 200 | Global Feminisms |
| WMNST 227 | Introduction to Queer Theory |
| WMNST 245/ENGL 245 | Introduction to LGBTQ Studies |
| WMNST 420W | Gender and International Development |
| WMNST 440W | Women in Global Cities |
Approved Courses in the Culture and Identity Pathway
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| ADTED 300 | Social Movements and Education: Global Perspectives |
| AFAM/HIST 152 | African American History |
| AFAM/HIST/WMNST 213Y | African American Women’s History |
| AFAM/SOC 103 | Racism and Sexism |
| AFR 110N | Introduction to Contemporary Africa |
| AFR 150 | Africa in Cinema |
| AFR 192 | Modern African History |
| AFR 405 | African Studies Methodologies |
| AFR/WMNST 202 | African Feminisms |
| AFT 202/WMNST 202 | Gender Dynamics in Africa |
| AIR 451 | National Security, Leadership Responsibilities, and Commissioning Preparation I |
| ANTH 303 | Race and Gender in the Americas: Latin America and Caribbean Cultures (cross listed with AFAM 303, WMNST 303) |
| ANTH 424 | Andean Ethnology and Archaeology |
| ANTH 446 | Mating and Marriage |
| ANTH 458 | Ethnographic Field Methods |
| ANTH 45N/45Q | Cultural Diversity: A Global Perspective |
| ANTH 60 | Society and Cultures in Modern Israel (cross listed with JST 60, PLSC 60, SOC 60) |
| APLNG 200 | Introduction to Language, Culture, and Social Interaction |
| APLNG 210 | Global English |
| APLNG 220 | Multilingual Lives |
| APLNG 280N | Conducting International Comparative Research |
| ARTH 120 | Asian Art and Architecture |
| ARTH 140 | Introduction to the Art and Architecture of the Mayas, Aztecs, and Incas |
| ARTH 225 | Sexuality and Modern Visual Culture |
| ARTH 326 | Art Since 1940 |
| ARTH 335 | African Art |
| ASIA 100 | What is Asia? |
| ASIA 101N | Sports in Asia |
| ASIA 102 | Asian Popular Culture |
| ASIA 104 | Introduction to Buddhism |
| ASIA 105 | War and Memory in Asia: Twentieth Century and beyond |
| ASIA 106 | Asian Traditions of Health, Medicine, and the Body |
| ASIA 120Y | South Asia: A Literary History |
| ASIA 181 | Introduction to the Religions of China and Japan |
| ASIA 197/JAPNS 122 | Gods to Godzilla: A Survey of Japanese Culture |
| ASIA 3 | Introduction to the Religions of the East |
| ASIA 400 | International Culture in East Asia |
| ASIA 401 | Technology & Society in Modern Asia |
| ASIA 402 | Language, Culture and Cognition in East Asian Context |
| ASIA 403 | Food Cultures of Asia |
| ASIA 404 | Topics in Asian Literature |
| ASIA 424 | Transnational Korean Literature |
| ASIA 425 | Global Korean Cinema |
| ASIA 430 | Japan in the World |
| ASIA 433 | Traveling Voices |
| ASIA 440 | Monuments of Asia |
| ASIA 474/JAPNS 426 | Early Modern Japan |
| ASIA/CHNS 414 | Chinese Language |
| ASIA/CHNS 415 | China Beyond China |
| ASIA/CHNS 416 | Gender and Sexuality in China |
| ASIA/CHNS 417 | The Warrior, the Courtesan and the Ghost in Classical Chinese Novels |
| ASIA/CHNS 418 | Confucius and the Great Books of China |
| ASIA/CHNS 419 | The Chinese Rhetorical Tradition |
| ASIA/HIST 174 | East Asia to 1800 |
| ASIA/HIST 175 | The History of Modern East Asia |
| ASIA/HIST 186 | The Silk Roads |
| ASIA/HIST 187 | Global Taiwan |
| ASIA/JAPNS 430 | Japan in the World |
| ASIA/JAPNS 431 | Courtly Japan |
| ASIA/JAPNS 432 | War and the Warrior in Japan |
| ASIA/JAPNS 433 | Traveling Voices |
| ASIA/JAPNS 434 | Beyond Anime |
| ASIA/RLST 103 | Introduction to Hinduism |
| BBH 440 | Course Name TBD-see INSTD adviser for pre-approval of 440 |
| CAMS 004 | Jewish and Christian Foundations |
| CAMS 005 | Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations |
| CAMS 010 | Mesopotamian Civilization |
| CAMS 020 | Egyptian Civilization |
| CAMS 025 | Greek Civilization |
| CAMS 033 | Roman Civilization |
| CAMS 105 | History of the Ancient Near East |
| CAMS 450Y | Gender and Sexuality in Ancient Greece and Rome |
| CAMS 470 | Languages and Cultures of the Ancient Near East |
| CAMS 471 | Sumerian |
| CAS 271N | Intercultural Communication |
| CAS 422 | Contemporary African American Communication |
| CAS 455 | Gender Roles in Communication |
| CHNS 421 | China Beyond China |
| CMLIT 003 | Intro to African Literature |
| CMLIT 004 | Intro to Asian Literature |
| CMLIT 005 | Literature of the Americas |
| CMLIT 007 | Introduction to Middle Eastern Literatures |
| CMLIT 010 | World Literatures |
| CMLIT 101 | Race, Gender and Identity in World Literature |
| CMLIT 107 | Exploration, Travel, Migration, and Exile |
| CMLIT 130 | Banned Books: International and Comparative Perspectives |
| CMLIT 189 | Modern Drama |
| CMLIT 403 | Latina/o Literature and Culture |
| CMLIT 404 | Topics in Asian Literature |
| CMLIT 405 | Inter-American Literature |
| CMLIT 406 | Women and World Literature |
| CMLIT 408 | Heroic Literature |
| CMLIT 410 | Literary Translation: Theory and Practice |
| CMLIT 415 | World Graphic Novels |
| CMLIT 422 | African Drama |
| CMLIT 423 | African Novel |
| CMLIT 424 (ASIA 424; KOR 424) | Transnational Korean Cinema |
| CMLIT 435 | Cultures of Globalization |
| CMLIT 438 | Fantastic Worlds |
| CMLIT 446 | Postcolonial Literature and Culture |
| CMLIT 449 | Literary Cultures of Islam |
| CMLIT 453/PORT 497 | Narrative Theory: Film and Literature/Through the Looking-Glass: Race in Brazil and the United States |
| CMLIT 455 | Ethics, Justice, and Rights in World Literature |
| CMLIT 470 | The Modern Novel |
| CMLIT 471 | Poetry and Poetics |
| CMLIT 489 | Contemporary World Fiction |
| CMLIT/ENGL 185 | The World Novel |
| CRIM 451 | Race, Crime, and Justice |
| CRIM 453 | Women and the Criminal Justice System |
| DANCE 221 | Introduction to African Dance and Culture |
| EDTHP/SOC 410 | The Global Impact of Education |
| ENGL 120 | Difference in Early Literature |
| ENGL 135 | Alternative Voices in American Literature |
| ENGL 139 | African American Literature |
| ENGL 182 | Literature and Empire |
| ENGL 185 | World Novel |
| ENGL 225N | Sexuality and Modern Visual Culture |
| ENGL 226 | Latina and Latino Border Theories |
| ENGL 227 | Introduction to Queer Theory |
| ENGL 245/WMNST 245 | Introduction to LGBTQ Studies |
| ENGL 404 | Mapping Identity, Difference and Place |
| ENGL 407 | History of the English Language (which studies English as a global language) |
| ENGL 428 | Asian American Literatures |
| ENGL 466 | African American Novel I |
| ENGL 467 | African American Novel II |
| ENGL 486 | World Novel in English |
| FR 138N | French Culture through Film |
| FR 139 | France and the Francophone World |
| FR 142 | French Fiction, Drama, and Film |
| FR 430 | Contemporary France |
| FR 430 | Contemporary French Culture |
| FR 458 | African Literature of French Expression |
| FR 470 | Race and Gender in Literature |
| FR 497 | French Protest Culture: From the French Revolution to the "Yellow Vest" Movement |
| FR 497 | Francophone Literature |
| GER 100 | German Culture and Civilization |
| GER 157N | The Amish |
| GER 189N | German Film |
| GER 190 | Twentieth-Century German Literature in English Translation |
| GER 200 | Contemporary Germany |
| GER 245 | Vikings |
| GER/RUS 143 | The Culture of Stalinism and Nazism |
| HIST 153 | Native American History |
| HIST 164 | The History of Brazil |
| HIST 165 | Introduction to Islamic Civilization |
| HIST 416/JST 416 | Zionism |
| HIST 471Y | Classical Islamic Civilizations |
| HIST 472 | The Ottoman Empire |
| HIST/ASIA 174 | The History of Traditional East Asia |
| HIST/ASIA 183 | Gender, Family, and Society in East Asia |
| HIST/ASIA 186 | The Silk Roads |
| HIST/ASIA 188 | Tibet: People, Places, and Space |
| HIST/JST 220 | The Jewish and Other Diasporas |
| IT 130 | Italian Culture and Civilization |
| IT 131 | Italian American Culture and Civilization |
| IT 320 | Intro to Italian Culture |
| IT 325 | Italy's Inspiration for Your Life |
| IT 330W | Greatest Books of Italian Literature |
| IT 415 | Dante |
| IT 422 | Topics in the Italian Renaissance |
| IT 430 | Italian Children's Literature |
| IT 450 | Nineteenth-Century Italian Literature |
| IT 460 | Twentieth-Century Italian Literature |
| IT 470 | Ghosts and Otherworldly Visions in Italy c. 1300-1600 |
| IT 475 | Modern Italian Literature & Film (must have JR standing) |
| IT 485 | Italian American Cultural Studies |
| IT 490 | Dante in Translation |
| IT/WMST 480 | Italian Women Writers |
| JST 131/CMLIT 110 | Jewish Literature: An International Perspective |
| JST/SOC/ANTH 457 | Jewish Communities: Identity, Survival, and Transformation in Unexpected Places |
| KOR 121 | Korean Popular Culture |
| LHR 136 | Race, Gender, and Employment |
| LHR 160N | The Virtual Transformational Leadership Development Experience |
| LHR 403 | International Human Resource Studies |
| LHR 460 | Ethics in the Workplace |
| LTNST 100 | Introduction to Latina/s Studies |
| LTNST 226 | Latina and Latino Border Theories |
| LTNST 300 | Latinx Gender and Sexuality Studies |
| LTNST 315N | Spanish and Spanish-speakers in the U.S |
| LTNST 479 | U.S. Latina/o Culture en Español |
| LTNST/HIST 467 | Latin America and the United States |
| OLEAD 201 | Organizational Theory and Functions for Leaders |
| OLEAD 220 | Emotional, Social, and Cultural Intelligences and the Implications for Leadership |
| OLEAD 410 | Leadership in a Global Context |
| OLEAD 411 | Women and Leadership |
| PHIL 008 | Gender Matters |
| PHIL 009 | Race, Racism, and Diversity |
| PHIL 114 | Feminist Philosophy |
| PHIL 139 | Latino/a Philosophy |
| PHIL 208 | Contemporary Philosophy |
| PHIL 408W | Seminar in Social and Political Philosophy |
| PHIL 435 | Science and Religon |
| PHIL 438 | Seminar in Feminist Philosophy |
| PHIL 460 | African American |
| PLSC 223N | Racial and Ethnic Conflict |
| PLSC 428 | Gender and Politics |
| PLSC 443 | Ethnic Conflict in Africa |
| PLSC 449 | Psychology of Terrorism |
| PLSC 454 | Government and Politics of Africa |
| PLSC 459 | Culture and World Politics |
| PLSC 485 | International Migration |
| PLSC 486 | International Culture in East Asian |
| PLSC 497 | Arab-Israeli Conflict |
| PLSC 7N | Contemporary Political Ideologies |
| PORT 473 | Luso-Brazilian Cinema |
| PORT 497 | Brazilian Jukebox |
| PSYCH 232 | Cross cultural Psychology |
| PUBPL 120N | State, Society, and Public Policy |
| PUBPL 419 | Race and Public Policy |
| RLST 001 | Introduction to World Religions |
| RLST 137/WMNST 137 | Gender, Sexuality, and Religion |
| RLST 461 | Sociology of Religion |
| RLST/ARAB 164 | Introduction to the Qur'an |
| RLST/WMNST 280 | Gendering the Divine to Culture and Identity |
| RUS 100 | Russian Culture and Civilization |
| RUS 101 | Russian Film |
| RUS 141Y | Russian Literature in English Translation: 1800-1870 |
| RUS 142Y | Russian Literature in Translation: 1870-present |
| RUS 144 | Multicultural Russia: Narratives of Race and Ethnicity in Russian Literature and Culture |
| RUS 145 | Putin’s Russia and Its Protest Culture |
| RUS 406 | Russian Film |
| RUS 420 | Senior Seminar in Russian Culture |
| SOC 208N | Visual Representations of the Middle East in the US and the Middle East |
| SOC 422 | World Population Diversity |
| SOC 451 | Health, Disease & Society |
| SOC 457 | Jewish Communities: Identity, Survival, and Transformation in Unexpected Places |
| SOC 461 | Sociology of Religion |
| SOC 60 | Societies and Cultures of Modern Israel |
| SOC-EPS 410 | The Global Impact of Education |
| SPAN 130 | Iberian Civilization |
| SPAN 131 | Ibero-American Civilization |
| SPAN 305 | Spanish for Social Services |
| SPAN 315N | Spanish and Spanish-speakers in the U.S. |
| SPAN 355 | Topics in the Cultures of Latin America |
| SPAN 356 | Topics in the Cultures of the Americas |
| SPAN 470 | Youth Cultures in Latin(a/o) America |
| SPAN 474 | Many Mexicos |
| SPAN 479 | U.S. Latina/o Culture en Español |
| SPAN/IT/PORT 210N | Multilingual and Intercultural Communication |
| SPAN/LTNST 326 | Reading the Border/Lands |
| THEA 464 | History of Fashion |
| UKR 100 | Ukrainian Culture and Civilization |
| WMNST 105 | Living in a Diverse World |
| WMNST 106 | Women, Gender, and Arts |
| WMNST 117 | Women in United States History |
| WMNST 200 | Global Feminisms |
| WMNST 227 | Introduction to Queer Theory |
| WMNST 230N | Dangerous Bodies |
| WMNST 245/ENGL 245 | Introduction to LGBTQ Studies |
| WMNST 420W | Gender and International Development |
| WMNST 440W | Women in Global Cities |
| WMSNT 207N | LGBTQ+ identity, culture, and the arts |
Courses Outside the Liberal Arts
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| AIR 451 | National Security, Leadership Responsibilities, and Commissioning Preparation I |
| ARTH 140 | Introduction to the Art and Architecture of the Mayas, Aztecs, and Incas |
| ARTH 225 | Sexuality and Modern Visual Culture |
| ARTH 326 | Art Since 1940 |
| ARTH 335 | African Art |
| DANCE 221 | Introduction to African Dance and Culture |
| SOC-EPS 410 | The Global Impact of Education |
400 Level Courses With No Prerequisites
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| ASIA 424 | Transnational Korean Literature |
| ASIA 425 | Global Korean Cinema |
| CMLIT 403 | Latina/o Literature and Culture |
| CMLIT 405 | Inter-American Literature |
| CMLIT 408 | Heroic Literature |
| CMLIT 415 | World Graphic Novels |
| CMLIT 423 | African Novel |
| CMLIT 435 | Cultures of Globalization |
| CMLIT 449 | Literary Cultures of Islam |
| CMLIT 453/PORT 497 | Narrative Theory: Film and Literature/Through the Looking-Glass: Race in Brazil and the United States |
| CMLIT 470 | The Modern Novel |
| CMLIT 489 | Contemporary World Fiction |
| HIST 416/JST 416 | Zionism |
| HIST 471Y | Classical Islamic Civilizations |
| IT 475 | Modern Italian Literature & Film (must have JR standing) |
| LTNST/HIST 467 | Latin America and the United States |
| PLSC 459 | Culture and World Politics |
Majors should select 21 credits in the Option courses.
- 15 credits of these 21 will be in a single Option concentration (no more than 6 credits towards the Option completion are to be from courses in a single department).
- 6 credits of these 21 are from other Options.
- At least 12 credits must be taken at the 400 level or higher.
