K-pop and K-drama have become more popular these days. For example, BTS, a seven-boy K-pop group, has become the biggest K-pop icon (75 million views for their new song) with their Army, a globally networked fan club with millions of those who do not share the same culture and language with the group. How is […]
Author: rcomfort
Meaningful Connections
This course is about the complex terrain of close relationships, specifically friendships and romantic relationships. What drives our desire to connect with others? Why do some connections last and others do not? What are some of the common problems in relationships? What do our relationships reveal about who we are? We will examine the biological […]
Becoming Sentient Scholars
The rich intricacies of modern life have supersaturated our senses in a manner that has set our authentic selves afloat while obfuscating the bases for rational thought and civic discourse. While this obstacle has been generated by the senses, it ironically has been the neglect of the sensory perspective that has created this complex problem. […]
International Law: Fact or Fiction?
This course will consider crucial questions about the potential extension of the rule of law, which has brought a degree of peace to many domestic societies, to the global arena to make the international system more stable. Through lectures, guest speakers, and site visits, this course will encourage students to consider and engage diverse perspectives […]
Desire. What’s love got to do with it?
In this course we will investigate the idea of sexual desire and why it occurs. We will begin with the idea that desire is an evolutionary strategy that promotes successful reproduction and see how that lines up with what we learn about the patterns of modern human sexuality. We will explore ideas such as whether […]
Identity and Intergroup Conflict
This course explores the dynamic and complex relationship between identity and post-modern intra-state and international conflict with the emphasis on the role of different forms of identities both in the emergence of conflicts and in processes of conflict resolution and transformation. For example, ethnic groups participate in civil wars more than any other types of […]
Big Data, Bias, and Justice for All
“How do you identify, analyze, critique and respond to biased outcomes from the Big Data systems in your life and the lives of others? Big data algorithms have a dark side – instead of eliminating the effects of human bias, naive algorithms, empowered by Big Data, can perpetuate and accentuate them. Big data often hides […]
Capital Sustainability
Washington, DC is in a unique position to be a role model as a modern sustainable national capital. In this course, we will ask what a sustainable DC could look like and how to pursue those visions. Our topics will include human development, equitability, and environmental sustainability including both conservation and climate change. Recent city […]
Presidential Scandals
“Watergate. Iran-Contra. The Clinton impeachment and the Trump impeachment. Major scandals have been a recurring feature of several modern American presidencies, and studying them as a group can provide insight into the following key questions: how do we define a presidential scandal? How have presidents used the powers of their office to respond to them? […]
The South Got Sumn To Shake
“Often devalued for being too simplistic and focused on dance, southern hip hop is criticized as making a mockery of “real” hip hop, or lacking “lyricism”—calling into question the authenticity and intelligence of southern hip hop artists. Its defenders, however, promote southern hip hop as a deeply complex subgenre that both touches on relevant social […]