The Division of Civic and Global Engagement invites first-year and new transfer students to participate in Preview 2022, which will be offered with planned field study travel to select international and domestic locations. These innovative 2-credit courses will connect you with people and places in the U.S. and around the world as well as strengthen your ties to campus classmates and instructors.
Edinburgh, Scotland
Course: Hard Men: Deconstructing Scottish Masculinity
Faculty: Daniel Pieczkolon and Celeste Walker
Time: Friday 2:45-4:45pm
For decades Sociologists have been reminding us that “gender is a social construct,” but how do different societies construct gender differently? How do factors like geography, economics, cultural history & representation, and so many more combine to inform our (mis)understanding of gender? This course provides students the opportunity to examine the cultural stereotype of the “Scottish Hardman” in contemporary Scottish fiction in an attempt to understand its root causes & material effects. To help us better understand the fiction, we will use academic essays, short films, personal reflection/refraction, classroom discussion, and experiential learning (in Edinburgh and Glasgow) to explore how masculinity reproduces itself—often to the detriment of other genders, society at large, and even those who benefit from it in some capacity.
Dublin, Ireland
Course: Wherever Green is Worn: Modern Ireland Through History and Tradition
Faculty: Thomas Kelley and Timothy Barton
Time: Friday 2:45-4:45pm
Ireland is often represented in popular culture as green fields and stone walls, St. Patrick and the land of saints and scholars, and aloof people with the gift of the gab, but are these representations accurate or stereotypical? Ireland has changed dramatically during the last one hundred years while holding onto the unique traits that have shaped its people for centuries. This course will examine the Irish today and how this may differ from the Irish-American perspective we often encounter in our daily lives. Focusing on the history, literature, and sociology of Modern Ireland, the course will explore the current social and political tensions on the island. We will trace the development of Ireland from its Celtic past to modern times while addressing questions like why 80 million people around the world look to this island as their ancestral home. Students will participate in firsthand experiences in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, including walking tours of Dublin, lectures on Modern Irish history, a visit to a coastal village, a working tour of the Irish parliament, a visit to Derry, and a tour of an important Celtic archeological site.
London, UK
Course: Behind the Music Biz: Exploring the Urban Music Scene and Gentrification in London and Philadelphia
Faculty: Bruce Campbell
Time: Monday 4:00-6:00pm
This course provides an in depth comparative experience in both the London and Philadelphia music scenes. In the classes before the travel component, we begin by discussing the history and types of music that are found in the urban music scenes in London and Philadelphia. In recent session of this course, gentrification has naturally come up. I see this as an important part of the context of this course and have worked to incorporate gentrification’s impact on the music scene in both cities. In groups, students research an aspect of the music scene (artists, recording, production, distribution, touring and shows, and technology). Students attend a live show in the Philadelphia area and present in groups on the aspect of the music scene as well as their experiences at the show. We use technology to locate and assign web content (e.g., music, video, blogs) as readings for the course. Guest speakers who have roots in the Philadelphia music scene discuss with the class the history and current music scene in Philadelphia. During their time in London, students again attend a music show and visit a variety of places related to the music scene (e.g., radio stations, recording studios, etc). Students make a comparison between their experiences in Philadelphia and London. Their comparisons form the basis for their final product.
Dublin, Ireland
Course: Dark Dublin: Exploring Ghost Criminology and Dark Tourism in Dublin
Faculty: Favian Martin and Kevin Revier
Time: Friday 2:45-4:45pm
Dublin is a city ripe with paranormal stories. In recent years, dark tourism has increased in Dublin, these tours offer visitors an opportunity to travel to historical places that are associated with death and tragedy. Drawing on the theoretical framework of Ghost Criminology, dark tourism and Irish literature, students will explore and deconstruct the meanings of these macabre stories. In this course, students will understand the role of telling of these tales. Topics that will be covered include the following: trafficking of cadavers in 19th century Dublin, the Easter Rising of 1916, and Darkey Kelly (Ireland’s first convicted female serial killer and alleged witch) and other topics. In this class, students will be exposed to elements of criminology and sociology, and the history of Ireland to understand the factors that contribute to these stories. To fully deconstruct supernatural stories and immerse themselves in the Irish culture, students will travel to Dublin and visit the following places: Kilmainham Gaol, Glasnevin Cemetery, the vaults of St. Michan’s Church, GPO (General Post Office) Museum, and the Dublin Castle. Lastly, students will participate on a ghost tour of Dublin.
London, UK
Course: London: Behind the Palace Gates- Investigating the truth about Royalty and other Presumptions about British Society
Faculty: Breann Donnelly and Alisha Divis
Time: Friday 2:45-4:45pm
What scandals lurk behind the polished image of the British royalty? Are the wives of Henry VIII more scandalous than the contemporary wives of Windsor? Together we’ll uncover the truths behind some of the greatest royal smear campaigns. In a country where image is everything, can you trust anything they tell you? Join us as we deconstruct the image of the mighty empire in order to define what it truly means to be be British. In country, we’ll discover the real city of London outside of the square mile to learn the very different story that neighborhoods tell about history, identity, and the mirage of the crown.
More About Preview
First-year and new transfer students who are eligible to apply for Preview will receive an email invitation with a personalized application link in mid-September. If you think you’re eligible for Preview and do not have this email after 9/15, please contact Cheryl Lewis.
