Penn State Penn State: College of the Liberal Arts

Global and International Studies

/
/
/
Culture and Identity

Culture and Identity

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 2023

Course Number
Course Title
AFR 110N
Introduction to Contemporary Africa
AFR 192
Modern African History
AIR 451
National Security, Leadership Responsibilities, and Commissioning Preparation I
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 140
Introduction to the Art and Architecture of the Mayas, Aztecs, and Incas
ARTH 335
African Art
ASIA 101N
Sports in Asia
ASIA 105
War and Memory in Asia: Twentieth Century and beyond
ASIA 120Y
South Asia: A Literary History
ASIA 3
Introduction to the Religions of the East
ASIA 401
Technology & Society in Modern Asia
ASIA 474/JAPNS 426
Early Modern Japan
ASIA/CHNS 414
Chinese Language
ASIA/CHNS 415
China Beyond China
ASIA/RLST 103
Introduction to Hinduism
CAMS 010
Mesopotamian Civilization
CAMS 020
Egyptian Civilization
CAMS 025
Greek Civilization
CAMS 033
Roman Civilization
CAMS 450Y
Gender and Sexuality in Ancient Greece and Rome
CAMS 5
Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations
CAS 271N
Intercultural Communication
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 404
Topics in Asian Literature
CMLIT 406
Women and World Literature
CMLIT 408
Heroic Literature
CMLIT 446
Postcolonial Literature and Culture
DANCE 221
Introduction to African Dance and Culture
EDTHP/SOC 410
The Global Impact of Education
ENGL 135
Alternative Voices in American Literature
ENGL 139
African American Literature
ENGL 227
Introduction to Queer Theory
ENGL 404
Mapping Identity, Difference and Place
FR 430
Contemporary France
FR 458
African Literature of French Expression
GER 157N
The Amish
GER 189N
German Film
GER/RUS 143
The Culture of Stalinism and Nazism
HIST 153
Native American History
HIST 471Y
Classical Islamic Civilizations
HIST/ASIA 186
The Silk Roads
HIST/ASIA 188
Tibet: People, Places, and Space
IT 130
Italian Culture and Civilization
IT 430
Italian Children's Literature
IT 475
Modern Italian Literature & Film (must have JR standing)
LTNST 100
Introduction to Latina/s Studies
LTNST 300
Latinx Gender and Sexuality Studies
PHIL 009
Race, Racism, and Diversity
PHIL 114
Feminist Philosophy
PHIL 139
Latino/a Philosophy
PHIL 208
Contemporary Philosophy
PHIL 438
Seminar in Feminist Philosophy
PHIL 460
African American
PLSC 428
Gender and Politics
PLSC 459
Culture and World Politics
PLSC 497
Arab-Israeli Conflict
PUBPL 120N
State, Society, and Public Policy
RLST 001
Introduction to World Religions
RUS 100
Russian Culture and Civilization
SOC 422
World Population Diversity
SOC 451
Health, Disease & Society
SPAN 130
Iberian Civilization
SPAN 131
Ibero-American Civilization
SPAN 305
Spanish for Social Services
SPAN 355
Topics in the Cultures of Latin America
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

Approved Courses in the Culture and Identity Pathway

Course Number
Course Title
ADTED 300
Social Movements and Education: Global Perspectives
AFAM/SOC 103
Racism and Sexism
AFR 110N
Introduction to Contemporary Africa
AFR 192
Modern African History
AFR 405
African Studies Methodologies
AFR/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 122/JAPNS 122
Gods to Godzilla: A Survey of Japanese Culture
ASIA 181
Introduction to the Religions of China and Japan
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 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
CAMS 004
Jewish and Christian Foundations
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
CAMS 5
Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations
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 435
Cultures of Globalization
CMLIT 438
Fantastic Worlds
CMLIT 446
Postcolonial Literature and Culture
CMLIT 449
Literary Cultures of Islam
CMLIT 453
Narrative Theory: Film and Literature
CMLIT 455
Ethics, Justice, and Rights in World Literature
CMLIT 470
The Modern Novel
CMLIT 489
Contemporary World Fiction
CMLIT/ENGL 185
The World Novel
DANCE 221
Introduction to African Dance and Culture
EDTHP/SOC 410
The Global Impact of Education
ENGL 135
Alternative Voices in American Literature
ENGL 139
African American Literature
ENGL 182
Literature and Empire
ENGL 185
World Novel
ENGL 226
Latina and Latino Border Theories
ENGL 227
Introduction to Queer Theory
ENGL 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 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
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
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 430
Italian Children's Literature
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 riters
JST 131/CMLIT 110
Jewish Literature: An International Perspective
JST/SOC/ANTH 457
Jewish Communities: Identity, Survival, and Transformation in Unexpected Places
LER 136
Race, Gender, and Employment
LER 403
International Human Resource Studies
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
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 438
Seminar in Feminist Philosophy
PHIL 460
African American
PLSC 428
Gender and Politics
PLSC 459
Culture and World Politics
PLSC 497
Arab-Israeli Conflict
PORT 473
Luso-Brazilian Cinema
PSYCH 232
Cross cultural Psychology
PUBPL 120N
State, Society, and Public Policy
RLST 001
Introduction to World Religions
RLST 461
Sociology of Religion
RLST/ARAB 164
Introduction to the Qur'an
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
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
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/LTNST 326
Reading the Border/Lands
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 137
Gender, Sexuality, and Religion
WMNST 200
Global Feminisms
WMNST 202
Gender Dynamics in Africa

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

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
Narrative Theory: Film and Literature
CMLIT 470
The Modern Novel
CMLIT 489
Contemporary World Fiction
HIST 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.