Syllabus for World Regions and Cultures: Diversity and Interconnections

Course Syllabus

World Regions and Cultures: Diversity and Interconnections

Global Society

0867, 701, CRN 26676

Fall 2025
Instructor: Dr. Marina Mikhaylova

Online + Thursday 3:30 – 4:50 required Zoom meeting

The course syllabus will provide you with the course schedule, course objectives, explanations of assignments and assessments, grading policies, and instructor contact information. Please read it carefully. You should have a deep familiarity with the schedule and process of the course.

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Basic Course Information

General Education

This course fulfills the General Education area of Global Society.

Meeting Time and Location

Online + Thursday 3:30 – 4:50 required Zoom meeting

Emergency Meetings

In the event that we are unable to meet on Zoom, such as instructor’s illness, expect a Canvas announcement.

Students are to register for the TUAlert System to be made aware of University closures due to weather or other emergency situations and follow all additional university-wide emergency instructions. Students can register for this system on the Campus Safety Services website.Links to an external site.

Please note that online classes are generally not affected by campus closures.

Instructor Information

My Name: Dr. Marina Mikhaylova

My pronouns are She/Her or They/Them

Instructor Biography

Professor Mikhaylova has a BA in Political Science and Economics from Rutgers University. She has an MA in International Relations from Yale University and a Ph.D. in Socio-Cultural Anthropology from the University of Chicago. She was a postdoctoral fellow at Columbia University before joining Temple University’s Anthropology Department. She is originally from Vilnius, Lithuania. Her previous research focused on youth organizations in the European Union and World Cup in Russia. Her current project examines language politics in the Baltic Studies.

I am happy to welcome you to the course and look forward to discussing various global issues with you!

My Contact Information

Please reach out to me at any time for assistance with the course or just to chat about the field or navigating university life. The best way to reach me is to send me a message through the Canvas inbox or email me at marina@temple.edu. I will generally respond within 24 hours, Monday through Friday. Please do not send a follow-up email before 24 hours have passed.

My Office

GLFTR 624 + Zoom Office Hours Wednesday 12 pm and by appointment

Student Drop-In Hours*

Seeking out individual assistance from the instructor is a normal part of the learning process. I set aside 12 to 1 pm on Wednesdays for you to come to drop by Zoom Office Hours without an appointment. We can discuss the course content, your progress on the assessments, your future in the field, or anything else you need to talk about. If my regular Drop-In Hours don’t fit your schedule, please email me to make an appointment. I look forward to seeing you during my in-person or Zoom office hours.

Purpose of the Course

Overall Purpose

This General Education Global Society course expands the breadth of your knowledge and skills, adding to the depth acquired in your major. This course emphasizes the critical competencies of critical thinking, oral/written communication, and information literacy while delving into historical and contemporary global issues.

Overview of the Course

What is globalization? Are we now all citizens of a global capitalist economic and truly international political order? Or do we still live mostly under the economic constraints and governmental policies of the nation states of which we are citizens? How do different regions of the world experience and negotiate cultural continuity and change in different ways due to their distinctive historical and political-economic experiences? Focusing on different regions of the world, we will investigate how cultures and societies are connected to each other, how they relate to each other, and how they compare or contrast with each other. In particular, we will examine topics such as economic development, urbanization, immigration, labor, neoliberalism, citizenship, religion, gender, democracy and human rights.

In addition to exploring broad global themes, we will consider ethnographic case studies from Haiti, Russia, Mexico, and Nepal.

Students will learn to apply anthropological comparative framework to think critically about their own and other cultures and societies. The course will also provide students with theoretical tools to analyze global processes and contemporary issues from an anthropological perspective. Teaching methods in this course include lecture, the use of various media, including power point, video clips, and films, as well as online and Zoom discussion. Online participation is key to this course.

3 Credit Hours

Prerequisites/Corequisites

No prerequisites.

Learning Goals

Upon successful completion of this General Education course, you will be able to…

Course Learning Goals & Related Assessments
	Course Learning Goals	Corresponding Assessments to Measure Goal Achievement
1.	Collect and organize information about a global issue in order to analyze local effects of social and cultural processes. Program Competencies : VII; Area Goals: B	Information Literacy Assignment
2.	Read interdisciplinary texts about global issues critically and explain and assess the authors’ arguments. Program Competencies : I, III; Area Goals: D	Midterm, final exam, reading responses, blogs
3.	Understand and evaluate a variety of social phenomena related to globalization, including the effects of colonialism, migration patterns, cultural differences, nationalism, transnational institutions, environmental issues, and local resistance. Program Competencies : I, II; Area Goals: A	Midterm, final exam, reding responses, blogs
4.	Identify and analyze connections between different regions and global economic, social, political, and cultural processes. Program Competencies : II; Area Goals: A, B	Midterm, final exam, blogs
5.	Formulate oral and written arguments using evidence to explain social, environmental, political, health, and cultural challenges in a globalized world. Program Competencies : I, IV; Area Goals: C, D, E	Midterm, final exam, blogs, reading responses
6.	Evaluate and synthesize multiple interdisciplinary academic and media sources in order to understand and explain political, economic, social, and cultural aspects of global processes. Program Competencies: III, VII; Area Goals: A, C	Information literacy assignment, midterm, final exam, blogs

General Education Competencies and Area Learning Goals

General Education Program Competencies:

Critical thinking
Contextualized learning
Interdisciplinary Thinking
Communication skills
Scientific & Quantitative reasoning
Civic Engagement
Information literacy
Lifelong learning

Global/World Society Area Goals:

Understand the influences (e.g., political, social, historical, cultural, artistic, literary, geographic, economic) on world societies or processes (e.g., globalization) linking world societies
Access and analyze materials related to world societies and cultures
Develop observations and conclusions about selected themes in world societies and cultures
Construct interpretations using evidence and critical analysis
Communicate and defend interpretations

The Learning Environment

How Class Will Be Conducted

This is an online course with a set meeting time.

The course is organized into weekly modules, each containing a combination of readings, multimedia content, and assignments. You can expect a mix of video lectures, VoiceThread presentations, and interactive activities designed to reinforce the material. You are expected to complete weekly readings, videos, or assignments, as well as a short blog response, before coming to class in order to ensure that we can all engage in an informed dialogue.

I will post weekly announcements to keep you on track and informed, and I will check discussion boards regularly to engage with student posts and answer questions. Written or video feedback on assignments is typically provided within ten days of the submission deadline. I aim to be present and responsive throughout the course, and you are encouraged to reach out with any questions or concerns at any time.

Classroom Civility

It is important to foster a respectful and productive learning environment that includes all students in our diverse community of learners. Our differences, some of which are outlined in the University's nondiscrimination statement, will add richness to this learning experience. Therefore, all opinions and experiences, no matter how different or controversial they may be perceived, must be respected in the tolerant spirit of academic discourse.

Treat your classmates and instructor with respect in all communication, class activities, and meetings. You are encouraged to comment, question, or critique an idea, but you are not to attack an individual. Please consider that sarcasm, humor, and slang can be misconstrued in online interactions and generate unintended disruptions. Profanity should be avoided as should the use of all capital letters when composing responses in discussion threads, which can be construed as “shouting” online. Remember to be careful with your own and others' privacy. In general, have your behavior mirror how you would like to be treated by others.

Materials

Links to required readings, videos, etc., will be supplied electronically in Canvas in the appropriate module. These items will be provided to you at no additional cost.

For this course, the cost range, including all books, online access fees, expenses, and other materials, is approximately 0.

Software or Other Supplies

If you need access to basic software for creating documents, slideshows, or spreadsheets, you have free accessLinks to an external site. to Microsoft 365.

Whether you use a paper or digital tool, you should have a calendar for managing your schedule. Similarly, I expect you to take notes while reading course materials and during lectures, but the choice is yours whether to use software or paper.

Accessibility

Please reach out to me if you have any issues with accessing the materials.

Any student who has a need for accommodations based on the impact of a documented disability or medical condition should contact Disability Resources and Services (DRS) located in the Howard Gittis Student Center South, 4th Floor at drs@temple.edu or 215-204-1280 to request accommodations and learn more about the resources available to you. If you have a DRS accommodation letter to share with me, or you would like to discuss your accommodations, please contact me as soon as practical. I will work with you and with DRS to coordinate reasonable accommodations for all students with documented disabilities. All discussions related to your accommodations will be confidential. Students can learn more about the accommodation process and pre-register on the DRS websiteLinks to an external site.. Students may register at any time during the semester, but accommodations are not active until you register, so I recommend doing so as early in the semester as possible.

Information regarding accessibility for additional technologies is provided below

Resources and Support

Sometimes the biggest factors impacting student success are things happening beyond the scope of the individual classroom. Temple provides a wide array of resources both to help you overcome academic challenges and those not directly related to the educational challenges of the course. Please reach out to me if you need help deciding which resources might be right for you.

Student Success CenterLinks to an external site.

University LibrariesLinks to an external site.

Undergraduate Research SupportLinks to an external site.

Career CenterLinks to an external site.

Tuttleman Counseling ServicesLinks to an external site.

Disability Resources and ServicesLinks to an external site.

Wellness Resource CenterLinks to an external site.

Student Health ServicesLinks to an external site.

If you are experiencing food insecurity or financial struggles, Temple provides resources and support. Notably, the Temple University Cherry PantryLinks to an external site. is in operation, as well as a variety of resources from the Division of Student AffairsLinks to an external site..

Library Resources

Some of the readings and videos will be accessible through Temple University Library database.

Temple University Libraries provide resources to assist Temple students with their class projects and research needs. Visit the Libraries’ websiteLinks to an external site. to find millions of articles, books, video, and other resources, both in print and online.

The site also provides tutorialsLinks to an external site. to help you start your research, as well as subject and course research guidesLinks to an external site. to help you identify resources that may be particularly useful for this class.

Contact the library at any stage of the research process. You can chat with a librarian 24/7Links to an external site. or make an appointment with your subject librarianLinks to an external site., who can help you explore a topic, craft a research question, and identify and cite sources.

Course Schedule

Week-to-Week Schedule

Usually, the readings for the next week will be posted by Friday morning; the rest of the materials (lectures, blogs, websites, videos, assignments) will be posted by Sunday morning. Weekly blogs are due Wednesday, 9 pm; weekly required Zoom discussions on Thursdays, 3:30 pm – 4:50 pm.

I. Capitalism, Colonialism, and Nationalism in the Global Realm

Week 1: Globalization and Anthropology

Monday, August 23 – Thursday, August 28

This Week’s Reading:

Steger, Manfred. Globalization: A Very Short Introduction. 1-16. Oxford. 2003.

Blog is due Wednesday, 9pm

Zoom Class Thursday, 3:30 pm to 4:50 pm.

Week 2: Debates about Global History

Monday, September 1 – Labor Day

Tuesday, September 2 – Thursday, September 4

Friedman, Thomas. “The Groundswell.” Lexus and the Olive Tree. 2000.

Barber, Benjamin. “Jihad vs. McWorld.” Pp. 268-273

Huntington, Samuel. “The Clash of Civilizations.” Foreign Affairs. 1993.

Said, Edward. “The Clash of Ignorance.” The Nation. October 22, 2001.

Blog due Wednesday, 9 pm.

Zoom Discussion, Thursday, 3:30 pm – 4:50 pm.

Week 3: Construction of Race and Colonialism

Monday, September 8 – Thursday, September 11

Readings for Thursday:

AAA “Official Statement on ‘Race’” (1997). In Podolefsky and Brown eds. Applying Cultural Anthropology

Gandhi, Mohandas. “The Doctrine of the Sword.”

Fanon, Frantz. “Concerning Violence.” In Bronner, Stephen, ed. Twentieth Century Political Theory.

Blog due Wednesday, 9 pm

Zoom, Thursday, 3:30 pm – 4:50 pm

Week 4: Cultural Difference and Colonial Legacies

Monday, September 15 – Thursday, September 18

Said, Edward. “Introduction.” Orientalism. 1978.

Abu-Lughod, Lila. “Do Muslim Women Really Need Saving? Anthropological Reflections on Cultural Relativism and Its Others” (2002)

Blog is due Wednesday, 9 pm

Zoom, Thursday, 3:30 pm – 4:50 pm

Week 5: Social Construction of Nationalism

Monday, September 22 – Thursday, September 25

Connor, Walker. “When is the Nation?” Pp. 154-159. In Smith, ed. Nationalism.

Anderson, Benedict. “Census, Map, Museum” In Imagined Communities

Blog due Wednesday, 9 pm

Zoom, Thursday, 3:30 pm – 4:50 pm

II. Symptoms of Globalization

Week 6: Migration and Global Networks

Monday, September 29 – Thursday, October 2

Ratha, Dilip. “Understanding the Importance of Remittances.” 2004. Migration Policy Institute. http://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/understanding-importance-remittances

Hochshild, Arlie. “Global Care Chains and Emotional Surplus Value.” 2000.

Midterm is posted on Monday

Midterm is due on Friday, October 3, at 11:59 PM.

Week 7: Transnational Politics and the EU

Monday, October 6 – Thursday, October 9

Shore, Cris. Building Europe: The Cultural Politics of European Integration. pp. 1-40.

Blog is due Wednesday, 9 pm

Zoom, October 9, Thursday 3:30 pm - 4:50 pm

Week 8: Transnational Criminal Networks

Monday, October 13 – Thursday, October 16

Farah, Douglas and Braun, Stephen. “The Merchant of Death.” In Foreign Policy. 2006.

Papachristos, Andrew. “Gang World” (pp. 48-55). In Foreign Policy. 147. 2005.

Blog due Wednesday, 9 pm

Zoom Thursday, October 16, 3:30 pm – 4:50 pm

Friday, October 17, Fall Wellness Day

Week 9: Managing Urban Populations

Monday, October 20 – Friday, October 24

Sassen, Saskia. Cities in a World Economy. Thousand Oaks, California: Pine Forge Press. 2006. “Global Cities and Global Survival Circuits” (177-189).

Davis, Mike. Planet of Slums. “Urban Involution and the Informal Proletariat.”

No blog due

Zoom Thursday at 3:30 pm

Information Literacy Assignment is due Friday, 11:59 PM

Week 10: Dilemmas of Development

Monday, October 27 – Thursday, October 30

Moyo, Dambisa. The Dead Aid. Selections.

Film “Black Gold”

Blog is due Wednesday, 9 pm

Zoom Thursday 3:30

III. Case Studies: Local Effects of Global Processes

Week 11: Mexico: Gender, Health and Inequality

Monday, November 3 – Friday, November 7

Muehlmann, Shaylih. When I Wear My Alligator Boots. Berkeley: University of California Press. 2014. Selections.

No blog this week.

Zoom Thursday 3:30 pm

Reading Response is due Friday, 11:59 PM

Week 12: Haiti: Development, Environment and Globalization

Monday, November 10 – Thursday, November 13

Schuller, Mark. Killing with Kindness. Selection.

Schuller, Mark. “The Tremors Felt Round the World”: Haiti’s Earthquake as Global Imagined Community” in Contextualizing Disaster.

Blog is due Wednesday

Zoom Thursday 3:30 pm

Week 13: Russia: Socialism, Capitalism, and Popular Culture

Monday, November 17 – Thursday, November 20

Yurchak, Alexei. “True Colors of Communism: King Crimson, Deep Purple, Pink Floyd” in Everything Was Forever Until It Was No More: The Last Soviet Generation. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. 2006. (Pp. 158-207).

Etkind, Alexander. Russia against Modernity. “Petrostate.” 2023.

Blog is due Wednesday, 9 pm

Zoom Class, Thursday 3:30 pm (AAA Conference)

BREAK – Monday, November 24 – Friday, November 28

Week 14: Nepal: Local Consumption of Global Goods

Monday, December 1 – Thursday, December 4

Liechty, Mark. Suitably Modern. Chapter 3 and 4

Blog due Wednesday, 9 Pm

Zoom Class Thursday, 3:30 pm

Week 15: Class Summary and Review

Monday, December 8

Video Final Review is posted

Take-Home Exam questions are posted online

Last day to withdraw from a Full Term 16-week course

Take-Home Exam is due Friday, December 12, 11:59 PM.

Grading & Assessment Guidelines

Grading Scale

Table 2 - Grade Percentage Breakdown
Percentage	Letter Grade
93-100	A
90-92	A-
87-89	B+
83-86	B
80-82	B-
77-79	C+
73-76	C
70-72	C-
67-69	D+
63-66	D
60-62	D-
0-59	F

Course Minimum Grade

A grade of “C-” or better is required in all GenEd courses for you to satisfy a General Education requirement.

You should reach out to me if you become worried about not achieving the minimum needed grade.

Assessment Summary

The assessments in this course have been created for two reasons: (1) For you to demonstrate your progress towards the learning goals for the course and receive useful feedback. (2) For you to practice skills and develop ways of thinking that will be of use to you in the future.

Table 3 - Final Grade Calculation
Grading Item	Due Date	Percentage
Midterm	October	20%
Final	December	20%
Assignments: Information Literacy Assignment; Reading Response	October; November	20% (10% each)
Weekly Zoom Attendance and Participation	Weekly on Thursdays; 3:30 pm	30%
Weekly questions/comments	Due Wednesdays, 9 pm	10%

Late Submissions/Missed Exams & Quizzes

Usually late assignments are not accepted. If you may miss a deadline because of illness or another emergency, please email me before the deadline to ask for an extension (this also applies if you have DRS accommodations).

Class Attendance & Participation

Your attendance and participation are expected at all our Zoom class meetings. The classroom is an inherently social environment where we are all mutually responsible for each other’s learning. Please make sure you read and watch all this week’s materials before our meeting. You are allowed one unexcused Zoom absence per semester. Notify me before if you have to miss class because of an illness or an emergency.

School-Life Conflict

Many unpredictable things can happen over the course of a semester. If you find yourself struggling to balance your education and your other commitments, please reach out to me immediately so that we can work together to build a plan for your success. Some of the resources in the next section may also be of use to you.

Attendance and Your Health

To achieve course learning goals, students must attend and participate in classes, according to the course requirements. However, if you have tested positive for or are experiencing symptoms of a contagious illness, you should not come to campus or attend in-person classes or activities. It is your responsibility to contact me to create a plan for participation and engagement in the course as soon as you can, and to make a plan to complete all assignments in a timely fashion.

Religious Holidays

It is your right to observe religious holidays without impacting your opportunity to learn and succeed in this course. Please reach out to me at the start of the semester so that deadlines can be reviewed in advance of your religious observations. You will still be held responsible for course content and any assignments, but you will not lose points for attendance and participation on days important to your faith.

Caregiver Responsibilities

I have great respect for students who are pursuing their education while responsible for the care of children or other family members. Please contact me if you encounter challenges that require you to miss a class session or if your caregiving responsibilities are interfering with your success in the course. Together, we may be able to find some flexibility to support your learning.

Withdrawal

If you are considering withdrawing from the course after the add/drop date, please don’t make that decision alone! Withdrawing from the course without talking to me first eliminates the possibility of finding a path to success for you. Furthermore, it is extremely important that you consult your academic advisor before withdrawing. They will be able to walk you through how the withdrawal would impact your progress towards your degree and your graduation date.

Please check the academic calendarLinks to an external site. for the last day to withdraw from a course.

Incomplete

A student will be eligible for a grade of “Incomplete” only if the student: 1) has completed at least 51% of the work at a passing level, 2) is unable to complete the work for a serious reason beyond their control, and 3) files a signed agreement with the instructor outlining the work to be completed and the time frame in which that work will be completed. The student is responsible for initiating this process, and all incomplete forms must be sent to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs prior to the start of study days in that semester.

Please refer to the following for further details: Temple University’s Incomplete Policy. (Policy #02.10.13).

Technology Guidelines

Technology Requirements

To participate in this course, you will need the equipment, software, and internet access necessary to reliably use Zoom and Canvas, as well as “productivity tools” like word processors and slide show creators.

Limited resources are available for students who do not have the technology they need for class. Students with educational technology needs, including no computer or camera or insufficient Wifi access, should submit a Student Technology Assistance Application located in TUPortal and linked from the Dean of Students Support and ResourcesLinks to an external site.. The University will endeavor to meet needs, such as with a long-term loan of a laptop or Mifi device, a refurbished computer, or subsidized internet access.

Note that there are technology resources available for students, including on-campus computers available for student use, the Tech CenterLinks to an external site. computer labs and free laptop and battery borrowingLinks to an external site. at Charles Library, software that is available for free download and other specialty software that may be available for remote access through ITS.

Technical Support

For a listing of technical support services available to Temple University students, see the Tech Support pageLinks to an external site..

Live Chat or Request Help: help.temple.edu Links to an external site.

Phone: 215-204-8000

Email: help@temple.edu

Website: its.temple.eduLinks to an external site.

Location: The TECH Center, Room 106

Technology Usage

To avoid distracting yourself or others, please only use your laptop, phone, or other device for activities relevant to the course.

Class Recording

Individuals are not permitted to record, copy, publish, or redistribute audio or video recordings of any portion of the session to individuals who are not associated with the University without the express permission of the host/faculty member and of any other meeting participants who are recorded.

Distribution without permission could be a violation of various privacy laws, including FERPALinks to an external site., as well as the Pennsylvania Wiretapping and Electronic Surveillance Control Act, and possibly copyright law.

Attending Zoom meetings using an AI proxy is not allowed.

Privacy and Data Protection

Please see the links below to become familiar with the privacy policies for each of the following:

AI Policies

The use of generative AI tools (such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Microsoft CoPilot, etc.) are not permitted in this class; therefore, any use of AI tools for work in this class may be considered a violation of Temple University’s Academic HonestyLinks to an external site. policy and Student Conduct CodeLinks to an external site., since the work is not your own. The use of unauthorized AI tools will result in a failing grade for the assignment.

Academic Guidelines

Academic Freedom

Freedom to teach and freedom to learn are inseparable facets of academic freedom. I have the freedom and responsibility to design and facilitate our learning environment to best achieve the promise of the course as outlined in its official description. You have the responsibility to engage with the course in good faith and freedom from mistreatment when your opinion differs from mine. Note that it is not an abuse of this freedom for me to require that you support relevant opinions with clear argumentation and solid evidence. For more on academic freedom, consult the official Temple policyLinks to an external site. on the matter.

Academic Integrity

Temple University believes strongly in academic honesty and integrity. Plagiarism and academic cheating are, therefore, prohibited. All work you submit for assessment should be your own efforts. For more on this topic, consult the relevant portions of Temple BulletinLinks to an external site. and the Student Conduct CodeLinks to an external site.