Page 59 - SYU Prospectus

General Education

happiness in life.

GEC 203 Global Consumption and Culture of Coffee
1 Term; 3 Credits
Although coffee shops have existed for nearly 500 years, in the past few decades they
have experienced a dramatic global expansion. Coffee shops and coffee consumption have
become a global phenomenon. This course aims to examine the diverse expressions and
ramifications of “coffee culture,” from farmers who see it as their life, to traders who make a
living out of it, to the drinkers who cannot imagine life without coffee. This course will have an
overview on the historical roots of coffee production and trade, its modern implications for
business and environmental change, and development of global coffee culture. The course will
encourage students to appreciate and compare the coffee culture of various countries through
experiencing coffee with different tastes and brewing methods. Some controversial practices,
such as fair trade, environmental sustainability, and caffeine for health, will also be discussed.

GEC 204 Understanding Environmentalism through World Cinema
1 Term; 3 Credits
The interactions between visual culture and environmental discourse have been receiving
increasing attention in recent years. This course attempts to introduce the major concepts of
environmentalism by focusing on visualization of catastrophes on a global scale. Students will
gain a deeper understanding of environmental issues as represented in selected visual texts
and will learn to appreciate environmental cultures through cinema of different regions in the
world. In the end, students with sharpened critical awareness are strongly encouraged to reflect
on their identity and responsibility as a global citizen in connection with the changing
environment.

GEC 205 Visual Representation of Animal Rights and Human-animal Relationship
1 Term; 3 Credits
What is the link between the development of image technology and humans’ evolving
correlation with nature, especially with non-human animals? How do the discourses of non-
human animals’ visual representation and critical practices of animal studies work? While
animal abuse and protection law-making have been hot issues, examining the visual depictions
of animals can help us reconsider not only other possibilities of human-animal relationships,
but also the role of humans in the posthuman world (i.e. one that admits fallibility of human
intelligence and values heterogeneous perspectives). It is hoped that through scrutinizing the
portrayal of non-human animals and human-animal relationships in visual media, the course
will introduce to students an expanded sense of humanity in the posthuman era.

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