COR 4880 Capital Connections: Power, People, and Place in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C. is at once a national capital, a global city, and an urban fabric of interconnected neighborhoods. In keeping with the theme of “Capital Connections,” this core capstone seminar explores “the District” as a place where politics and policy meet culture, economy, and community. Drawing on perspectives from sociology, geography, political science, history, economics, journalism, museum studies, and environmental studies, we will examine how power, culture, economy, and identity intersect in the nation’s capital. We will also investigate how citizenship is practiced in national and local contexts. In this course, D.C. will not serve merely as a backdrop to learning; we will work to experience Washington as an ecosystem of institutions and actors, a stage for politics and culture, an historical archive, and a home to the city’s residents. The course integrates classroom learning and direct engagement with Washington D.C.’s institutions, cultural sites, and neighborhoods. Students will complete a Capstone Project that examines a contemporary public issue that can be located or situated in D.C. The project will integrate academic research with professional and personal experience of the city. Open to students in the third or fourth year of study. This course is writing intensive.
Prerequisite
COR 1100 or COR 0011. Open to students in the third or fourth year of study.
Course Types
Core Integrative Seminar