Global Cities

This course will introduce contemporary Italy’s major issues (immigration, acceptance of diversity, relationships with politics, and racism) through recently released films. Students will analyze 20 films from the late 1990s to the present day; develop an understanding of contemporary Italian society through the image that some of the most valuable Italian filmmakers of the youngest generation have given of the cultural, political, and working environment they live in; and explore the ways in which contemporary Italian cinema has followed, mirrored, and sometimes even anticipated, cultural and social transformations in Italian society.

This course will explore the field of cross-cultural psychology through a focus on Italy and its inhabitants. Students will discuss aspects of cross-cultural analysis from the field of cross-cultural psychology, including cultural influence on human behavior, attitude, values, communication, and societal organization; examine topics of ethnocentrism, individual vs. collective societies, plural societies, cultural views on mental health, and intercultural communication; and investigate methodical issues of cross-cultural research, with the opportunity to be participant-observers of their own experiences in Italy, including through field work.

This course will explore the complexities of cultural identity and migration, and the impact they have on intercultural conflict and cooperation. There will be a particular focus on migration in Italy and on the marginalized communities of contemporary Italy, such as migrants, their Italian-born non-citizen children, and the Roma. We will examine the fluidity of cultural boundaries across time and space, and how ingroup and outgroup dynamics contribute to the manufacturing of fear and prejudice among populations. During their semester abroad, students will reflect on the various elements that define a culture while gaining an increased understanding of how culture shapes individuals and how our cultural identities interact in shared social spaces such as the piazze of Florence. 

This course will explore key economic issues in the global business environment. Students will develop an understanding of how global businesses are impacted by real world developments in economics, politics, and finance; critically examine the global economic landscape with an emphasis on the interaction between international economics and business through discussions of current economic and political development; and explore topics such as globalization, country differences, cross-border trade and investment, the global monetary system, and competing in a global marketplace.

This course will introduce a broad range of painting, sculpture, and architecture in Florence from the great projects of the Middle Ages that defined the religious and political centers of the city, with a special focus on major monuments of the Renaissance period. Students will examine issues of social, political, and economic context, as well their function, which was integral to artistic production of the period; conduct related scholarly research; deepen their appreciation of Renaissance civilization; and analyze the interrelationship between people’s creative achievements and their society.

This course will introduce the impact of globalization on London, one of the world's most significant global cities, in comparative context. Students will examine London’s changing identity as a world city with a particular emphasis on comparing the city's imperial, postcolonial, and transatlantic connections, and the ways in which past and present, local and global intertwine in the capital. Students will combine classroom work with experiential learning, centred on field studies to areas such as Brixton, Spitalfields, Southbank, and the Olympic sites in East London.

This interdisciplinary course with a sociological focus will present a unique opportunity in which students will become directly involved in the realities of community engagement and grassroots politics through community service placements. Students will engage in critical thought and reflection on urban inequalities in London while examining the historical, sociological, and political context of community service and social, economic, and political exclusion in the UK. Students will explore three key interrelated themes: urban life, super-diversity, and welfare and exclusion. This course is 6 credits.

This course will explore the topics of advertising and marketing in Britain. Students will develop an understanding of the ways in which advertising is effectively planned to achieve the objectives set in the overall marketing plan, with reference to London as a global center for creative and production excellence; and conduct a comparative analysis of British advertising methods and styles. A complete syllabus will be available soon.

This intensive seminar provides a multi-disciplinary introduction to human rights, a topic central to today’s global politics. Students will explore the theoretical foundations and history of human rights concepts and issues from global, local, and regional perspectives, and the philosophies underpinning them; develop an understanding of the frameworks of human rights law; critically examine the politics of human rights, their contentious nature, and uneven global implementation; analyze a variety of case studies and related practical issues; and evaluate key debates about the politics and morality of human rights.

This intensive seminar will focus on practical issues surrounding human rights. Students will examine politics and morality of human rights; analyze the theoretical foundations and development of human rights concepts, and the philosophies underpinning them; investigate frameworks of international human rights law; and explore London as a global centre for human rights advocacy, practice, and activism. Topics will include human rights and international relations; humanitarian intervention and the responsibility to protect; postcolonial and feminist critiques of human rights; the intersection of human rights with gender, sexuality, ethnicity, and class; the relationship between human and civil rights; women’s, children’s and indigenous peoples’ rights; and the practical implementation and enforcement of human rights.

This course will explore the topic of international finance and the fact that, in a globally integrated world, it has become imperative to trade, invest, and conduct business operations internationally. Students will analyze opportunities and risks associated with international finance; acquire knowledge of theoretical concepts of finance and their adaptation to the international context; develop an understanding of historical perspectives and foundations of international finance, foreign exchange markets, exposure management, and financial management of a multinational firm; and investigate the impact of current economic and political developments on international finance.

This course will explore terms, concepts, and theories of marketing in the international context, as well as its scope and challenges. Students will examine the ways in which global dimensions technology, research, capital, investment, and production impact marketing, distribution, and communication networks; gain insight into the increasingly interdependent global economic and physical environment and its impact on international marketing; analyze current international marketing issues and their implications; and develop an understanding of how companies develop strategic plans that are competitive to survive and succeed in global markets.

This course will focus on issues within operations of relevance in a firm’s ability to remain competitive in a global economy. Students will analyze examples of companies collaborating across the globe; develop an understanding of the operational and tactical aspects of managing a network of multiple facilities; investigate their strategic implications; consider legal, ethical, operational, venture risk, and reliability factors; and examine such topics as outsourcing and offshoring, information technology in operations, designing and managing global supply chains, managing inventory and global logistics, and sustainability.

This course will explore theories of popular culture from the British Isles, from 1945 through to the present day. Students will compare British and American experiences of popular culture, the differences, similarities, and cross-influences; examine countercultures and subcultures in Britain; explore their connections to music and political movements; develop an understanding of cultures that are based on ethnicity and sexuality, as well as concerns around diversity and related hate crime; and visit urban environments that will help contextualize these subcultures both historically and politically.

This course is available both as a semester and a four-week summer intensive. Please note that the syllabus is for the full semester program. The syllabus for the four-week summer intensive is currently under development and will be available soon.

pending school of record approval

pending school of record approval