For academic year 2024-2025.
Globalization is a term with which we are all familiar, though its definition is constantly evolving in order to designate a complex, dynamic phenomenon. As a whole, the Global Society Cluster explores the changing meanings of globalization from multiple perspectives. What does globalization mean for individuals in a given time or place, for instance in Worcester today? How do individual experiences intersect with much broader forces? Together, through various approaches across disciplines, we will examine how individuals have navigated cultural differences, and how communities around the globe experience personal, political and social change. Whose voices and stories often prevail? Whose have often been buried? In what ways do we find the past in the present? Our seminars will incorporate works by artists and scholars from a range of geographical regions throughout and beyond the United States. Cluster co-curricular activities will encourage building community and new perspectives through dialogue and active listening, as we reflect on our shared responsibilities as global citizens. Students in the cluster will also have opportunities to explore local cultural institutions and organizations in and around Worcester as we consider the city’s global reach.