Pillar I

WHAT IS A JUST SOCIETY? (THEORY)

This list of courses seeks to explore what the most ideal and just society is, and whether or not there even is such a thing. These classes discussed what human nature is, how to achieve a fair society, and how far we currently are from that ideal.

PSCI 252: Politics and Development [completed in Spring 2018]

  • This course debated the concept of development and what countries are considered to be developed, as well as how certain countries become developed compared to others that do not. Much of the course discussed the Western lens of development, and how this lens is damaging to countries in the Global South. The class included class presentations, group work, and an independent research paper on a country of choice in the Global South and its current development projects.
  • The material in this course introduced the idea of international relations and comparative politics on a global scale. It gave me a better idea of the processes countries and cities go through to become “developed,” as well as the obstacles that prohibit certain areas from advancing economically, politically, and socially. 
  • Final Research Paper: Malaysia and Its Working Women

PSCI 260: History of Modern Political Thought [completed in Spring 2017]

  • This course was a highly theoretical look at society and justice and how those ideas have changed over time. Through examining philosophers such as Hobbes, Locke, Nietzsche, and Marx, we assessed what it means to exist among other beings, and the extent to which violence is perpetuated. Class projects included a podcast, small argumentative essays, and an oral discussion final.
  • Along with going hand-in-hand with my Great Con curriculum, this course gave me a theoretical basis to which I could study humans and their behavior towards one another. Our discussions about the definition of violence led to fascinating questions about systemic racism, hegemonic masculinity, and mass incarceration/the prison industrial complex. I continue to use these theories in my current classes and the hands-on experiences I have. 
  • Essay on Violence: Racism and Mass Incarceration in America

GCON 218: Dissenters and Defenders [completed in Spring 2018]

  • This semester of the Great Conversation program delved into philosophers and scholars like Karl Marx and Cornel West who questioned the organization of society and whether the socioeconomic systems of the time were just. We had many heated debates about the effects of religion, art, slavery, colonization, and philosophy on human civilization from the 19th century to the present.
  • The entirety of the Great Conversation program forced us to question our previously held morals and ideas, but this particular semester was when it all culminated into an environment where we could freely express our beliefs and confusions with society. Great Con taught me the art of using textual evidence to support my own stance, as well as how to have a productive, respectful, and provoking conversation with someone who comes from an entirely different background from mine. 
  • Synthetic Research Paper: The Intricate Mind of an Imprisoned Spirit