UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM IN GLOBAL CULTURES

150 Humanities Instructional Building; (949) 824-8119
E-mail: globalcultures@uci.edu
Armin Schwegler, Director

Core Faculty

Sharon B. Block, Ph.D. Princeton University, Associate Professor of History

James Fujii, Ph.D. University of Chicago, Associate Professor of Japanese and Comparative Literature

David Theo Goldberg, Ph.D. City University of New York Graduate School and Center, Director of the UC Humanities Research Institute and Professor of Comparative Literature and of Criminology, Law and Society

Douglas M. Haynes, Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley, Director of the ADVANCE Program for Faculty Equity and Diversity and Associate Professor of History

Laura H. Y. Kang, Ph.D. University of California, Santa Cruz, Associate Professor of Women's Studies, Comparative Literature, and English

Ketu H. Katrak, Ph.D. Bryn Mawr College, Professor of Asian American Studies, English, and Comparative Literature

Keith L. Nelson, Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley, Professor Emeritus of History

Jane O. Newman, Ph.D. Princeton University, Director of European Studies and Professor of Comparative Literature

Mark S. Poster, Ph.D. New York University, Department Chair and Professor of Film and Media Studies, and Professor of History and Comparative Literature

Brook Thomas, Ph.D. University of California, Santa Barbara, UCI Chancellor's Professor of English

Armin Schwegler, Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley, Director of Global Cultures and Professor of Spanish

Jacobo Sefamí, Ph.D. University of Texas at Austin, Acting Department Chair of Spanish and Portuguese and Professor of Spanish

Bert Winther-Tamaki, Ph.D. Institute of Fine Arts, New York University, Associate Professor of Art History

The Global Cultures major provides students with a humanistic framework for understanding the problems and processes of globalization in relationship to change across time and space, the formation and contestation of identity, and theoretical and discursive practices that shape philosophical speculation and belief. The major thus provides students with an opportunity to explore the stimulating ways in which local and global processes are intertwined.

The Global Cultures major prepares students particularly well for careers in all fields in which analysis, judgment, argument, and wide (global) rather than narrow perspective are important. The Global Cultures major equips students with a knowledge that is critical to understanding the complexities of the diverse world in which we live.

EMPHASES

To major in Global Cultures, students typically choose one of the seven emphases below. They may also design their own emphasis in consultation with a program advisor and with the approval of the Global Cultures Committee.

Atlantic Rim: Explores the movement of people and cultures in relationship to the historical and contemporary experience of societies that are adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean, including, among others, west Africa, the Americas, the Caribbean, and western and northern Europe, as well as the British archipelago.

Hispanic, U.S. Latino/Latina, and Luso-Brazilian Cultures: Examines the historical, political, and cultural formations of regions where Spanish and Portuguese are spoken, including Spain, Portugal, Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries in the Western Hemisphere, and the Latino/Latina population in the United States.

Locating Africas (Nation, Culture, and Diaspora): Examines Africa as a diverse geographical and political expression, including its historical, political, and cultural formation locally, regionally, and globally.

Locating Asias (Nation, Culture, and Diaspora): Examines Asia as a diverse geographical and political expression, including its historical and cultural formation locally, regionally, and globally.

Locating Europes and European Colonies: Examines Europe as a diverse geographical and political expression, including its historical and cultural formation locally, regionally, and globally.

Pacific Rim: Explores the movement of people and cultures in relationship to the historical and contemporary experience of societies that are adjacent to the Pacific Ocean, including, among others, India, China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, the United States, Central and South America, and Malaysia.

Inter-Area Studies: Includes comparative studies of the geographical regions outlined in the above six emphases, for instance, the analysis of Africans in Asia, or the cultural, historical, and political connections between the Atlantic and the Pacific Rim.

Because there are so many emphasis options within the major, students will be assigned for academic advising to a member of the Global Cultures Committee or a Core faculty member and are required to consult with their advisor on a quarterly basis.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

Students majoring in Global Cultures are exceptionally well prepared for careers in all fields in which analysis, judgment, and argument are important. The following careers are especially well suited for Global Cultures majors: business (national as well as international), law, management, education (primary and secondary teaching), politics, public policy, academia, print media, television, foreign service, tourism, travel industry, and graduate studies in a wide variety of fields (business, law, education, public policy, and others).

The UCI Career Center provides services to students and alumni including career counseling, information about job opportunities, a career library, and workshops on resume preparation, job search, and interview techniques. See the Career Center section for additional information.

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE BACHELOR'S DEGREE

University Requirements: See pages 57-62.