Interrogating the Information Ecosystem

Catalog description

We are surrounded—even bombarded—by information. And like a biological ecosystem, there are many interconnecting components and places in our information ecosystem. In this course, students will survey some of the different types of information. The course will explore how to find, evaluate, and contextualize information, as well as how to use it in research. Students will interrogate the power structure of information classification systems, the practice of libraries and archives, and the privileging of some kinds of knowledge—and knowledge makers—over others. The course will combine theory and practice and will be applicable across all information types and fields of inquiry. The full description of this related course may be found under the appropriate discipline. Feeling Medieval: Passion, Body, and Soul in the Middle Ages (p. 102), Joseph Romano Literature INTERNATIONAL STUDIES What kind of global society will evolve in the 21st century? Linked by worldwide organizations and communications, yet divided by histories and ethnic identities, people everywhere are involved in the process of reevaluation and self-definition. To help students better understand the complex forces that will determine the shape of the 21st century, Sarah Lawrence College offers an interdisciplinary approach to international studies. Broadly defined, international studies include the dynamics of interstate relations; the interplay of cultural, ideological, economic, and religious factors; and the multifaceted structures of Asian, African, Latin American, Middle Eastern, and European societies. A variety of programs abroad further extends students’ curricular options in international studies. The experience of overseas learning, valuable in itself, also encourages more vivid cultural insight and integration of different scholarly perspectives. The courses offered in international studies…