Regions: Merrimack Valley

The ways people produce, distribute, and consume the world's resources profoundly influence the problems we experience in this and other regions of the world. Problems occur most particularly in the areas of work, community, and environment. The goal of this interdisciplinary course is to explore such regional problems and possible solutions within national and global contexts, as well as historical. In the area of work, we will discuss what is necessary to create good jobs, characterized by decent pay and benefits, worker involvement in decision making, and healthy workplaces free from discrimination. In the area of community, we will address such things as patterns of immigration and the interactions between community stability and institutions such as education, family, political leadership, and religion. In the area of environment, we will explore issues surrounding the reduction of pollution that infects our communities and living spaces (e.g., the tradeoff between environmental improvement and economic growth). The course will stress experiential learning (via field trips and small group activities) and will include films as well as readings and presentations from various disciplines. (General Education Course (BS))