Course Descriptions - Global and Cultural Studies

This course is an introduction to and interdisciplinary exploration of Japanese culture. Through the study of Japanese humanities and fine arts, people and the environment, students will identify what makes Japanese Culture so unique and how the Japanese Mind/Spirit (nihon no kokoro) and their connection to the environment and other non-human species has shaped Japanese society from days of old to the present.

This American Indian cultural course will provide students with an overview, past and present, of the cultures of Indigenous Peoples of Minnesota, including music, dance, art, the oral story telling tradition and the American Indian connection with the environment and other non-human species. Students will also analyze how these vibrant cultures have survived oppression and genocide, and continue to thrive.Through exploring this living culture, students will gain understanding of Indigenous Peoples strong connection with, and stewardship of, the environment, learn about an important aspect of human and global diversity, and our interconnectedness with each other and our environment.

Join in an interdisciplinary exploration of the Japanese martial art Aikido through mental and physical practice. Realize how Aikidos unique history, philosophy, and technique can be integrated into everyday living to strengthen mind and body, appreciate nature, respect others, build positive relations, and contribute to society. Definition: Aikido is a traditional Japanese martial art. Its system includes hand-to-hand, sword, and staff techniques. Aikido principles are based on harmonizing mind and body with a partners attack. People of all ages, sizes, and abilities can practice it. There are no tournaments or competitions. Its purpose is to build health, respect and responsibility through mental and physical discipline.Note: Aikido is a hands-on martial art and will be instructed and conducted authentically; therefore, bowing, physical contact, and training with the opposite gender are absolute requirements of this course. Additionally, this course is an elective course in Interdisciplinary Studies fulfilling the MnTC Goal Areas 8 & 9. It will not count toward any HEALTH OR PE requirements.

This course is a continuation of the interdisciplinary exploration of the Japanese martial art Aikido through mental and physical practice. It will include further study of Aikidos unique history, philosophy, and the next level of techniques, integrating what is learned into everyday living to strengthen mind and body, appreciate nature, respect others, build positive relations, and contribute to society. Definition: Aikido is a traditional Japanese martial art. Its system includes hand-to-hand, sword, and staff techniques. Aikido principles are based on harmonizing mind and body with a partners attack. People of all ages, sizes, and abilities can practice it. There are no tournaments or competitions. Its purpose is to build health, respect and responsibility through mental and physical discipline.Note: Aikido is a hands-on martial art and will be instructed and conducted authentically; therefore, bowing, physical contact, and training with the opposite gender are absolute requirements of this course. Additionally, this course is an elective course in Interdisciplinary Studies fulfilling the MnTC Goal Areas 8 & 9. It will not count toward any HEALTH OR PE requirements.

This course is a continuation of the interdisciplinary exploration of the Japanese martial art Aikido through mental and physical practice. It will include further study of Aikidos unique history, philosophy, and the next level of technique, integrating what is learned into everyday living to strengthen mind and body, appreciate nature, respect others, build positive relations, and contribute to society. Definition: Aikido is a traditional Japanese martial art. Its system includes hand-to-hand, sword, and staff techniques. Aikido principles are based on harmonizing mind and body with a partners attack. People of all ages, sizes, and abilities can practice it. There are no tournaments or competitions. Its purpose is to build sincere people through mental and physical discipline.Note: Aikido is a hands-on martial art and will be instructed and conducted authentically; therefore, bowing, physical contact, and training with the opposite gender are absolute requirements of this course. Additionally, this course is an elective course in Interdisciplinary Studies fulfilling the MnTC Goal Areas 8 & 9. It will not count toward any HEALTH OR PE requirements.

This course uses Traditional Aikido (a Japanese martial art) in order to help the student gain skills both on and off the mat, applying them to his or her profession and daily life. The student will research, study, and practice real-life scenarios and situations of de-escalation, protection, compliance, and restraint- maximizing safety, focus, awareness, and control. Aikido is a life-giving tool. This class appeals to the beginner and experienced Aikido student. It is ideal for Criminal Justice, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Military, and Security jobs as well as other service professions. *Note: This course is an elective course in Global and Cultural Studies fulfilling the MnTC Goal Areas 7 & 8. It will not count toward any HEALTH OR PE requirements.

This introductory course in Ethnic Studies will examine race and ethnicity in the United States. We will analyze racism and whiteness. We will question the ways that our concepts of different races have been influenced by family, the media, and education. Focus will be on the ways our ideas and beliefs about ethnicity have been shaped by issues such as slavery, colonization, occupation, migration, and immigration.

The focus of this course will be developing leadership skills through community organizing and empowering students to make lasting changes at the college, in their own communities and the world.Students will examine past and present social movements with a special focus on organizing in communities of color. This course will also explore the contemporary meanings of community in the United States. Students will learn to identify the leader within by examining the relationship between community and citizenship. This course will also focus on issues of diversity and sustainable communities with the practical application of active leadership techniques and creative organizing on our campus.This could include aspects of the annual Earth Week Program such as Marketing, PR, Event Planning, Budgeting, Community Partnerships, Cross Campus and Cross cultural collaborations, and curriculum integration.

This course focuses on immigration and its relations to the society with a U.S. focus. We will learn about human migration and immigrant adaptation. We will discuss the history and the current state of immigration in the United States. We will analyze how immigration is connected to politics, the economy, and the other dimensions of society, including race and ethnicity. This course will not substitute for the PLEG 1610 (Immigration Law elective in the Paralegal A.S./Certificate.)

This course exposes students to the genre of personal storytelling. It is designed to help students tell their own stories for personal empowerment. It will introduce students to key academic storytelling frameworks and storytelling methodologies. The course uses the self as the source material, creating and developing stories based on personal memories, culture and family background in order to tell effective personal stories. In addition, students will have the opportunity to engage in self-exploration and self-reflection through the development and telling of their own cultural and personal stories, and through listening to others.

This course will focus on the American Indian Civil Rights Movement and the communitys efforts to protect, preserve and assert tribal sovereignty, language, culture, identity and treaty rights with a particular focus on the behaviors, actions and interactions between indigenous and non-indigenous individuals, groups, institutions, and nations. This course is designed to provide an up-close immersive experience of some of the events, places, peoples and systems throughout American Indian Country that have helped shape and define contemporary Indigenous theories. The course challenges participants to utilize and address issues such as sovereignty, colonization, treaty rights, political power, racism, activism, language revitalization, our relationship with this land, and traditional lifeways. This course includes in-class participation and an off campus expedition to American Indian Nations.

What is the social construction of race? When did it start? What is racism? What is racial justice? This course introduces students to the core concepts of Racial Justice by examining the social construction of race and systems of oppression. Systems examined may include, but is not limited to education, healthcare, housing, etc. From a justice and advocacy perspective, we will explore how the social construction of race has led to oppression of various identity groups and how individuals and groups in society can strive to be anti-racists.

This course will focus on the African American culture and the Civil Rights Movement through four themes: fragmentation, exclusion, resistance, and community. Particular attention will be given to the diversity of African diasporas within the United States. The African American Civil Rights Immersion Experience is designed to provide an up-close immersive experience of some of the events, places, people and systems throughout the United States that have helped shape and define contemporary African American theories. This course will be framed within the civil rights movement, including its social organization, customs and traditions, religion, and its arts and literature. The course challenges students to utilize and address issues such as political power, economic systems, racism, and activism. This course includes in-class participation and an off campus expedition to historical civil rights sites in the United States.

This course, a collaborative partnership with YMCA Camp Northern Lights, will focus on environmental justice and equity, access, and inclusion in nature and outdoor spaces movements in Minnesota, the US, and beyond. Students will explore these communities efforts to protect and preserve our natural spaces for current and future generations, while also breaking down barriers to ensure equitable access, participation, and inclusion of all cultural and ethnic groups. The course will have a particular focus on contemporary environmental justice issues, such as water quality, proposed pipelines through Minnesota tribal lands, food insecurity, and access for BIPOC and other marginalized groups to nature and outdoor spaces. This course is designed to provide a hands-on immersive experience that will expose students to the events, places, peoples, systems and organizations throughout Minnesota that have helped shape current environmental justice policies, action, and activism, as well as connections with national and international environmental justice organizations, such as Wild Path Farm, the Sierra Club, Honor the Earth, the Sierra Leone Foundation for a New Democracy, Friends of the Boundary Waters, MN350, and the Three Rivers Park District. The course challenges participants to assess and critique issues such as political power, racism, colonization and segregation, activism, access to resources, and our relationship with this land through diverse cultural lenses. Students will be encouraged to explore these issues through their own cultural heritage, while being exposed to the beliefs, traditions, and value systems of others. This course includes 8 weeks of in-class participation and an off-campus expedition to YMCA Camp Northern Lights, a wilderness camp in Northern Minnesota, where students will be immersed in nature for 5 days.

This American Indian Cultural Expression course will expose students to the broad range of fine arts within the American Indian community. This course will engage students to understand the connections between past events and their influence in American Indian art forms through critical analysis and aesthetic evaluation. Through exploring how art has impacted these living cultures how these vibrant cultures have survived oppression and genocide, and continue to thrive students will gain understanding of Indigenous Peoples strong connection with the fine arts. Students will also learn to articulate the meaning of different Indigenous nations creative expression and interpretive processes, which have been handed down for generations. Students will also explore the art of activism and resistance to colonialism as well as the connections between American Indian artists and the land.

This course will provide flexibility in offering an in-depth review of topics of immediate importance and topical interest. These topics will go beyond the introductory courses in examining specific aspects of the subject matter.

This course introduces students to the complexity of race and ethnicity as both conceptual terms and lived experiences. We will look at multiple definitions of race and ethnicity that have been developed over time, and we will also explore how race intersects with other forms of identity (cultural affiliation, gender, class, and sexuality). This course places a particular emphasis on power, structures, and ideas of cultural superiority, inequality, and racism, as well as how these ideas continue to marginalize significant portions of the population. Students will learn about the connections between race, ethnicity, labor, and power structures, such as colonial, economic, state bureaucracy, and legal systems. Students will learn about the unique contributions and social and cultural developments of ethnic groups in the United States. The course will also introduce students to key academic frameworks and critical race theories.

This is an experiential course for studying Diversity Equity & Inclusion individualized study programs, or study geared toward a DEI certificate. It includes practical, on-the-job training in business infusion of DEI principles.

This internship course is part of the Outdoor and Environmental Leadership program, allowing students to gain personal and practical experience in various areas of the environmental education field. The course is for students studying Outdoor and Environmental Leadership and seeking internship and outdoor leadership experience with an outdoor organization. The course includes hands-on experience and training with local outdoor organizations such as Three Rivers, YMCA of the North, Wilderness Inquiry, the DNR, the International Wolf Center, Friends of the Boundary Waters, and tribal organizations.

The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion class is designed for participants to increase their knowledge and skills necessary to apply strategies for enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in their professional practices and personal lives. The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Curriculum will address foundational concepts such as social determinants of health, education and introduction to the penal system. Strategies for recognizing unconscious bias, cultural competency, intersectionality, and gender equality will be explored. Upon completion of the class, learners should be able to apply strategies to counteract racism within education and business, create an affirming environment, implement a diversity, equity, and inclusion strategic plan.

This course introduces students to Japanese literature in translation. The reading may be organized either by historic periods or topically. The selected texts may come from various time periods. The reading may include oral traditions, mythology, spiritual texts, historical documents, poetry, song lyrics, theatrical plays, novels, short stories, or manga. This course may address issues of historical context, gender, class, and race as a way of understanding Japanese literature.

Building on the foundational local work of GCST 1320, this project and research based course will focus on further developing leadership skills and community connections at a local, national and global level to create student change agents. This course provides essential information for grassroots organizing and coalition building, and incorporates research on successful models locally and globally that have supported oppressed populations to create social and environmental change. Students will understand the importance of power theory and dynamics and then identify a local or global issue, creating strategies for collective action and developing and implementing these strategies into practice. Formerly: Community Organizing IIThrough analysis of media, culture, government policies, social movements, systemic racism and marginalization of groups, and participating in practical social change activities, students will learn to explore and synthesize multiple points of view and individual and collective responsibilities to create a more just, ethical and sustainable future. Activities could include research projects on campus, with City of Brooklyn Park, and other area, national and international organizations, data collection and analysis, research papers, presentations, creation of documentaries

This course will introduce students to the genres, traditions, and themes that characterize Latinx literatures. Emphasis will be placed on the distinctions and similarities that have shaped the experiences and the cultural imagination among different Latinx communities in the U.S. and throughout Latin America. Genres include, but are not limited to, poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and film.

Building on the foundational work of GCST 1970, this project-based course, a collaboration with YMCA Camp Northern Lights, focuses on developing culturally relevant facilitation and leadership skills through participation and engagement in an outdoor, nature-based experiential learning program. This 5-day outdoor, experiential program will take place at YMCA Camp Northern Lights, Baker Reserve, or a similar outdoor learning facility. Students will explore and critique both the theory and application of experiential learning models through an indigenous lens, such as Kolbs learning cycle, and outdoor program principles such as Challenge by Choice, Leave No Trace and Zero Waste, as they plan, organize and implement all aspects of the GCST 1970 immersion program, including relationship-building with student participants, community partners and community members, including local tribal nations such as Bois Forte, developing their relationship with and connection to outdoor spaces, exploring environmental justice issues through diverse cultural lenses and indigenous world views, marketing and PR for the program and program-related events, culturally relevant and appropriate outdoor programming, and the grant-writing and reporting process. Students will understand the power dynamics that have created the outdoor adventure gap for BIPOC people in Minnesota and beyond and, through real-world problem-solving, project-based research and hands-on learning, will design and implement strategies for eliminating this gap.