Global Arc

Familiarity with all grammatical aspects of Modern Turkish. Reading text of moderate difficulty; developing communicative skills; ability to comprehend and engage in daily discourse; ability to write short compositions.

Extensive exposure to current news, authentic multimedia sources; in-depth review of grammar. Introduction to modern Turkish literature, with close reading of selected prose and poetry. Development of all language skills and cultural understanding is emphasized.

To enable students to communicate in Modern Turkish, and to read Turkish (current events, editorials, literature and academic writings) with some speed and accuracy.

This course introduces a wide variety of reading material (newspaper, memoir, letter, short story, diary etc.) to strengthen students' abilities in understanding and evaluating modern Turkish texts. Information on selected authors and their works will provide a general view on the Ottoman/Turkish cultural, literary and historical panorama. The analysis and discussions of the texts in class will serve to build fluency.

This course introduces a wide variety of topics in contemporary Turkish media, cinema and documentaries. It will develop students' skills in listening and understanding colloquial Turkish, as well as in evaluating social, political and cultural issues covered by the media (including BBC, TRT, VOA). Viewing a selection of Turkish documentaries and films will serve to build fluency through in-depth classroom analysis and discussions. Weekly written assignments will help to develop students' proficiency in literary Turkish.

Introduces students to social scientific thinking on cities and urbanism and then builds on this base to consider and evaluate various approaches to urban policy.

This course will examine different crises confronting cities in the 21st century. Topics will range from immigration, to terrorism, shrinking population, traffic congestion, pollution, energy crisis, housing needs, water wars, race riots, extreme weather conditions, war and urban operations. The range of cities will include Los Angles, New Orleans, Paris, Logos, Caracas, Havana, New York, Hong Kong, and Baghdad among others.

This seminar uses film to explore the social and political issues facing the post-industrial American city and examines how films employ different documentary methodologies. Students will apply these techniques hands-on, collaborating on short explorations of housing issues in Trenton. They will learn how to establish a relationship with a subject, gather observational footage, conduct interviews, and weave narrative in a visual medium. The goal of the course is to give students not only a greater understanding of urban history and the challenges cities face today but also a foundation in the practical and theoretical issues of documentary.

This interdisciplinary seminar introduces research methods in urban studies. We will focus on some of the ways in which researchers make sense of cities, including various aspects of urban experience, culture, history, theory, form, and policy. Students will use the analytical frameworks covered in the course to develop their own research projects with the goal of developing more dynamic junior papers and senior theses.

This course considers theories and practices of reinterpreting landscape through the lenses of indigeneity, transnational feminism, and decoloniality. We will explore alternative ways of knowing and relating to places--thinking across space and time, built structures and material absences, borders and networks of relation--with a focus on the Americas. Discussions will engage spatial perspectives in geography, anthropology, and decolonial thought along with creative writing and multimedia work. Students will apply critical spatial practices by designing a digital project using textual, sonic, and visual modes to remap a selected site.