EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY

Spring 2001

Seodial Deena                                                                                         

Classroom: GCB 2001                                                                                                                            T 6:30-9:30

Office: GCB  2130                                     Tel.  328-6683                                           Email: Deenas@mail.ecu.edu 

Office hours: MW 9:30-10:30, 1:30-2:30, T 5:30-6:15and by appointment.  Scheduled conferences with students.

 

Course Description:

This course is designed to assist students in synthesizing the key themes from the MAIS courses and the students’ individual field experiences and to prepare them for professional practice in an international context.  An emphasis will be on interpreting the field experience and its application to future work.  The multidisciplinary perspective will be employed throughout the course in a variety of ways.  Guest speakers will be invited to explain the approaches of their disciplines.

 

Students will be expected both to participate in and to lead class discussions.  The “Learning through Discussion” method (described below) should be followed for preparation for class discussions.

 

Required Readings:

I.   Glen Fisher:             Mindsets: The Role of Culture and Perception in International Relations, 2^nd Edition.

 

II.  Jean L. Briggs:        Never in Anger: Portrait of an Eskimo Family (“Introduction,” Chapters

1 and 6 required, other chapters recommended)           

 

Additional assigned readings will be found on reserve in the Joyner Library.  These materials are noted below marked by an asterisk (*).  The guest speakers also may request that students read specific materials prior to their presentations to the class.

 

Course Requirements:

I.   Discussion and Participation (20%)

 

“Learning through Discussion.”  The assigned readings noted below will form the basis for class discussion.   In preparation for class discussion, you should write brief journal entries that will form the basis for learning the material.   (From time to time I will collect the entries, and therefore I suggest that you use a loose-leaf binder for your notes, so that, you won’t have to tear them from a notebook and then have to put your notebook back together.)  You will find that, tedious as it may seem, the following method will not only help you learn the material more easily, but will be of help in subsequent writing.  

 

Each entry should include the following items, in this order:

 

Terms and Concepts:  For purposes of class discussion, note any words, concepts, and ideas which, at the completion of your reading assignment, you find to be important to understanding the text.  I suggest that you also write down any words that were unfamiliar to you or whose meaning was not clear.

 

 

The Author’s Conclusion: You can assume that any author will be trying to convince you of something, of some point of view or interpretation.  Summarize it briefly in your own words.  A short paragraph is usually called for.

 

The Author’s Argument:  In this section you should trace the argument the author makes in coming to a conclusion.  It is more specific than simply identifying the “main points” in a piece of writing.  Consider the following:

_    What assumptions underlie the author’s point of view?

_    What evidence does she/he give?

_    What is the logic of the presentation?

You are not to evaluate the argument here, but merely outline it as the author has presented it.  This section may take several brief paragraphs.  It is useful to note page numbers from the original text here.  If you want to refer the class back to the article in your discussion or writing, it will save you time.

 

Place in Course Content:  How does this reading relate to the other materials (lectures, prior readings, discussions) you have dealt with in this course?  Where are the agreements, the disagreements?  How close does this material come to describing anything you experienced or are experiencing?

 

 

PLEASE NOTE: It is not required that you follow the above method for dealing with any material assigned as background reading by any of the guest speakers.  However, you might find it useful to do so.

 

 

II.  Written Assignments

 

1.  A “Critical Incident” paper (20%)

 

You will be asked to write one critical incident.   See written description and guidelines.

 

2.  A grant proposal (40%)

 

The “major” written paper for this course will be in the form of a grant proposal.  A format and guidance will be given.  The “substance” of the proposal should form the basis for the oral presentation to be given during the last two class meetings.

 

3.  A Project Contribution (20%)

 

Select–in consultation with the instructor–a country or region, and collect “cultural sensitivities” that can pose complications for foreigners–especially North Americans–in the areas of business, politics, religion, and/or education.  We will try to arrange and place this information in a book project.  Sources of information must be documented.

 

WEEK                        DATE             TOPIC

1                      Jan. 9  Introduction to the course, preliminary discussion of field experiences,

student interests.