Culture/Language Course

Class Description 

Following my first education abroad program in Nicaragua, I picked up an International Studies – Development Studies minor within the College of Arts and Sciences. Not including the study abroad credit I had received, I took two classes to complete the minor. The first class was INTSTDS 2500: Introduction to Development Studies. In this class, I learned what “development” actually meant and about issues, such as poverty and inequality, that surrounded this topic. The second class I took was GEOG 5802: Globalization and the Environment. This class allowed for me to understand global environmental issues and topics, such as environmental racism.

Class Reflection

These classes allowed for me to understand many issues that I am already familiar from a more global perspective. In particular, certain themes of environmental issues I found to be repeated in different regions and on different scales. One issue that I became especially interested in is biological invasions. As the world has become more globalized and global transport and trade has increased, animal, plant, and microbe ranges have expanded as species have been intentionally or unintentionally transported. Some of these species have incredible ecological and economic consequences as they reduce biodiversity and hurt native species.

Mustela erminea, or the stoat, was introduced to New Zealand by European settlers. Stoats, along with other non-native invasive, such as possums and rats, are the cause for the decline and in some cases, extinction, of many native bird species that define this island nation, such as the kiwi.

A common theme in these classes was the question, “Is globalization good or bad?” Not long after hearing this question for the first time did I realize that there is no simple answer to this simple question. From an ecological standpoint, one could argue that globalization is the center of climate change and biological invasions and other incredibly serious issues. However, there is much to be said about the cultural knowledge that one gains after trying to understand the mindsets of those who are different from them. I have been able to survive Calculus III and Organic Chemistry but the completion the classes I took for my minor are what left me more confused than ever.