This course examines how medicine is practiced cross-culturally, with particular emphasis on Western biomedicine. Students analyze medical practice as a cultural system, focusing on the human, as opposed to the biological, side of things. Also considered is how people in different cultures think of disease, health, body, and mind.

This course examines the growing importance of medicine in culture, economics and politics. It uses an historical approach to examine the changing patterns of disease, the causes of morbidity and mortality, the evolution of medical theory and practice, the development of hospitals and the medical profession, the rise of the biomedical research industry, and the ethics of health care in America.

An 8 Week Course to Develop Information Literacy Influencers

Short Description:
This course was developed as part of a grant project aimed at addressing the disinformation that contributes to extremist beliefs and the deterioration of our democracy. It is intended to help adult learners understand the complexities underlying the problem, and develop the skills needed to act as information literacy influencers in their communities.

Word Count: 8229

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Diversity and Multiculturalism

Short Description:
In this course in addition to culture, we will learn about norms, values, systems of beliefs, social interaction, verbal and non-verbal communication, race and ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation and gender, technology and culture, cultural universalism and relativism and how these affect our shared or distinct day to day cultural practices and social interaction in our various communities. Students will share their day-to-day social interactions, travels, and cross - cultural experiences in and around New York City.

Long Description:
The fundamental knowledge of understanding culture and teaching from diverse backgrounds. Examination of the nature and function of culture, development of individual and group cultural identity, definitions and implications of diversity, and the influences of culture on learning, development, and pedagogy. This course has a required field experience component – an ethnographic survey of diverse cultures and groups in New York City.

At the end of this course, students will work on an assignment on eliminating biases, prejudice, racism, discrimination on gender, sexual, cultural, religious, disabilities, and aging. They will provide recommendations, suggestions and solutions on how to promote diversity, inclusion, equity, cross-cultural understanding and include anti – racist activities in schools and in our communities. The assignment will be based on student experiences or observations as a minority or majority living in the US. In addition, students will provide critical thinking analysis on case study scenarios on issues in cultural diversity and multi -culturalism as they relate to the individual and society.

This course has been designated as an OER / COIL / ZTC . The instructor will provide the learning materials and will collaborate with a faculty at the Institute for Cultural Studies at the Obafemi Awolowo University [OAU], Nigeria in providing additional learning resources on “living in complex societies”. A list of recommended texts have been provided for students wishing to obtain them for their personal libraries and research.

Please see the Note/Disclaimer page for book content info.

Word Count: 140711

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This is a course about how research knowledge and other types of knowledge come to be actionable and influential in the world — or not. The course explores ways to make research knowledge more accessible, credible, and useful in the realm of public policy and practice, a project in which the course faculty collectively bring decades of professional experience, in both academic and non-academic roles.
The course addresses the politics of the policymaking process, the power of framing and agenda-setting, fads and paradigms in the design professions and society in general, how knowledge diffuses along knowledge and influence networks, and how varied types of knowledge (rational, craft, other) and deliberation shape decision-making and action. The course engages a number of guests to present case studies of research in use (and abuse) in varied fields, highlighting rich areas for potential research contributions, along with major conflicts in public values, political interests, ethical obligations, and more. The resulting dilemmas confront scholars, policymakers, practitioners, and others as they look to research — sometimes — for useful guidance, influence, or both.

"EPDF and EPUB available Open Access under CC-BY-NC-ND licence. Human service work is performed in many places – hospitals, shelters, households – and is characterised by a complex mixture of organising principles, relations and rules. Using ethnographic methods, researchers can investigate these site-specific complexities, providing multi-dimensional and compelling analyses. Bringing together both theoretical and practical material, this book shows researchers how ethnography can be carried out within human service settings. It provides an invaluable guide on how to apply ethnographic creativeness and offers a more humanistic and context-sensitive approach in the field of health and social care to generating valid knowledge about today’s service work."

Short Description:
“Domestic Violence in Immigrant Communities: Case Studies” is a freely accessible eCampus Ontario Pressbook containing case studies of immigrant women experiencing domestic violence to be used as educational materials. The book highlights the complexity of domestic violence cases in immigrant communities and the different legal processes that these women encounter in seeking justice and the challenges they face in relation to re-establishing their own lives and the lives of their children. The book contains questions for reflection; a description of legal processes involved in DV cases, and a glossary of the terms used throughout the case studies.

Long Description:
“Domestic Violence in Immigrant Communities: Case Studies” is a freely accessible eCampus Ontario Pressbook containing case studies of immigrant women experiencing domestic violence to be used as educational materials. The contents were created by analysing closed legal case files of 15 immigrant women living in Ontario who experienced domestic violence. The comprehensive case studies that emerge from this research present domestic violence experienced by immigrant women in all its complexity, highlighting their unique vulnerability at the intersections of race, gender and immigration status. The book also highlights the different legal processes that these women encounter in seeking justice and the challenges they face in relation to re-establishing their own lives and the lives of their children. In addition to the cases, the book contains questions for reflection; a description of legal processes involved in DV cases, and a glossary of the terms used throughout the case studies. This interactive Pressbook is an ideal resource for social work and legal practitioners, including students in social service work, social work and law programs, in order to increase their understanding about the complexity of domestic violence cases in immigrant families and develop strategies for culturally informed interventions.

Word Count: 42082

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This course focuses on the origins, functions, and implications of downtown management organizations (DMOs), such as business improvement districts, in a variety of national contexts including the United States, Canada, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. It critically examines how a range of urban theories provide a rationale for the establishment and design of DMOs; the evolution and transnational transfer of DMO policy; and the spatial and political externalities associated with the local proliferation of DMOs. Particular emphasis is given to the role of DMOs in securing public space.

Short Description:
This book introduces topics about identity, dress, and the body. Through the content, readers explore how individuals and communities use dress as a way to communicate (i.e. “negotiate” in fashion studies) their various identities. There is heightened attention to social justice, power, privilege, and oppression. That is, the content focuses on the experiences of historically marginalized communities and the ways they navigate dress and dressing their bodies in different contexts. In the first part of the book, readers are introduced to concepts and theories related to fashion, clothing, dress, and/or accessories. In the second part, readers examine the role that fashion, clothing, dress, and/or accessories play in identity development for individuals in marginalized communities in the United States.

Long Description:
This book introduces topics about identity, dress, and the body. Through the content, readers explore how individuals and communities use dress as a way to communicate (i.e. “negotiate” in fashion studies) their various identities. There is heightened attention to social justice, power, privilege, and oppression. That is, the content focuses on the experiences of historically marginalized communities and the ways they navigate dress and dressing their bodies in different contexts. In the first part of the book, readers are introduced to concepts and theories related to fashion, clothing, dress, and/or accessories. In the second part, readers examine the role that fashion, clothing, dress, and/or accessories play in identity development for individuals in marginalized communities in the United States.

Word Count: 33371

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This class examines the relationship between a number of mind-altering substances and cultural processes. We look at the relationship between drugs and such phenomena as poverty, religion, technology, inter-generational conflict, colonialism, and global capitalism. We read about the physiological and psychological effects of these substances – ranging from alcohol to LSD, cocaine and ecstasy – and ask why different societies prohibit and sanction different drugs. We examine the use of mind-altering substances in a number of “traditional” societies, and follow the development of a global trade in such substances as sugar, coffee, tea, nicotine, cocaine, and marijuana concurrent with the evolution of global capitalism. We look at the use of LSD as a mind-control substance by the CIA and as a mind-altering substance in the 1960’s counter-culture, and we look at the rise of Prozac® and Viagra® as popular, if controversial, pharmaceutical products in recent years. Finally, we evaluate America’s current drug laws.

The unifying theme of this course is best captured by the title of our main reference book: “Recursive Methods in Economic Dynamics”. We start by covering deterministic and stochastic dynamic optimization using dynamic programming analysis. We then study the properties of the resulting dynamic systems. Finally, we will go over a recursive method for repeated games that has proven useful in contract theory and macroeconomics. We shall stress applications and examples of all these techniques throughout the course.

This course focuses on dynamic optimization methods, both in discrete and in continuous time. We approach these problems from a dynamic programming and optimal control perspective. We also study the dynamic systems that come from the solutions to these problems. The course will illustrate how these techniques are useful in various applications, drawing on many economic examples. However, the focus will remain on gaining a general command of the tools so that they can be applied later in other classes.

Dynamics of Group Communication offers a practical introduction to the theory and practice of group communication, with an emphasis on real world applications to develop an awareness, understanding, and skills to effectively participate as a productive group member. Through a clear and concise approach to group decision-making and dynamics in teams and leadership, students are presented with the tools needed to create plans, find solutions to problems, produce goods or deliver services, and evaluate their performance through self and peer assessments.

This book was primarily compiled from resources archived by authors of previous OER online publications around group communication. I revised and added to these resources as I saw fit in order to adapt this book for use in our curriculum.

Word Count: 108172

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Dynamics of Interpersonal Relations I, is an exploration of the small-group process through participation, interpretation, and study. A major focus is on the class itself as an interacting group providing for personal, interpersonal, and intellectual challenges. The modules are designed for undergraduate students to become familiar with group dynamics. This resource has a syllabus, OpenStax text chapters, TedTalks, and group activities. Thank you to Jennifer Burns for sharing this resource.

Dynamics of Interpersonal Relations I, is an exploration of the small-group process through participation, interpretation and study. Major focus is on the class itself as an interacting group providing for personal, interpersonal, and intellectual challenge. The modules are designed for undergraduate students to become familiar with group dynamics. This resource has OpenStax text chapters, TedTalks and group activities. Thank you to Jennifer Burns for sharing this resource.

Études culturelles africaines

Short Description:
Comment lire et comprendre les pratiques culturelles africaines? Comment mobiliser les savoirs sur l’Afrique, ses arts et ses cultures sans verser dans la réification ou le folklorisme? Profondément novateur, cet ouvrage collectif mobilise les outils théoriques des cultural studies pour proposer un généreux panorama de l’étude de la culture en Afrique. Il rassemble des textes d’auteurs et d’autrices d’Afrique de l'Ouest, théoriques ou descriptifs, qui mettent en lumière la réévaluation passionnante des modes d’appréhension des pratiques et objets en contexte africain que proposent les études culturelles africaines. L’épilogue qui clôt le livre n’est donc point fermeture, mais plutôt ouverture sur les enjeux relatifs à ce nouveau champ d’études, plein de promesses pour rendre compte de l’extraordinaire créativité des cultures africaines.

Long Description:
Comment lire et comprendre les pratiques culturelles africaines? Comment mobiliser les savoirs sur l’Afrique, ses arts et ses cultures sans verser dans la réification ou le folklorisme? Profondément novateur, cet ouvrage collectif mobilise les outils théoriques des cultural studies pour proposer un généreux panorama de l’étude de la culture en Afrique. Il rassemble des textes d’auteurs et d’autrices d’Afrique de l’ouest, théoriques ou descriptifs, qui mettent en lumière la réévaluation passionnante des modes d’appréhension des pratiques et objets en contexte africain que proposent les études culturelles africaines. L’épilogue qui clôt le livre n’est donc point fermeture, mais plutôt ouverture sur les enjeux relatifs à ce nouveau champ d’études, plein de promesses pour rendre compte de l’extraordinaire créativité des cultures africaines.

Word Count: 78460

ISBN: 978-2-924661-82-6

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This course introduces the theory of relative prices in a market system, consumer choice, marginal analysis, and the allocation of productive resources among alternative uses in a market economy. Other topics may include market power and price discrimination, public finance, the labor market and environmental policy.

Course Outcomes:
1. Discuss the role scarcity plays in defining economic choices and how individuals, companies and nations resolve these issues.
2. Describe and apply marginal principle, principle of opportunity cost, principle of diminishing returns, comparative advantage, and elasticity.
3. Analyze the relationships between production costs and cost curves.
4. Explain the mechanics of supply and demand and apply the supply and demand model to evaluate markets.
5. Discuss the efficiency and equity of both competitive and noncompetitive markets and how both are impacted by government intervention.
6. Explain, compare and contrast, and apply in context each of the basic market structures - i.e. perfect competition, monopoly, oligopoly and monopolistic competition.

This course introduces the determination of levels of national income, employment and prices, and the basic causes of fluctuations in the business cycle, the banking system, monetary policy and financial intermediation. Other topics may include international trade and international finance.

Course Outcomes:
1. Discuss the role scarcity plays in defining economic choices and how individuals, companies and nations resolve these issues.
2. Describe and use economic data to evaluate the three basic macroeconomic problems: recession, unemployment, and inflation.
3. Discuss and apply the concepts of economic growth and business cycles to the macro economy.
4. Demonstrate how Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Real GDP are calculated and explain the uses and limits of both.
5. Discuss and apply the aggregate-demand and aggregate-supply model to analyze short run and long run national economic conditions and the effectiveness of macroeconomic policy.
6. Apply the concepts of comparative and absolute advantage to explain the benefits of trade.

Created for ECE GDEV 2028

Word Count: 42112

ISBN: 978-1-998755-73-8

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Short Description:
Today, First Nations peoples living in Yukon, Canada are reviving and practicing their cultural traditions in exciting ways. At the same time, there has been an influx of newcomers to the territory who want to learn more about Yukon's Indigenous peoples and their cultures. With hundreds of references for those wanting to delve deeper into particular topics, ECHO is a handbook that provides the most current research pertaining to Yukon First Nations peoples. Topics include archaeology, ethnology, and lifeways, relationships with newcomers (in the past and currently), the arts, and modern-day land claims. The volume also includes interviews with research collaborators who discuss the importance of community-based research. Castillo, Schreyer, and Southwick's solidly researched handbook serves as an important tool, both for teachers and students, seeking accurate information pertaining to the Indigenous cultures of Yukon.

Long Description:
Recently, Yukon, Canada has experienced huge growth in First Nations cultural revival as well as an influx of newcomers brought on by the growth of the education, industrial and tourism sectors, who are also interested in learning about Yukon First Nations peoples and their cultures. The need for academic teaching materials that can educate adult learners about Indigenous peoples of the Yukon has resulted in the publication of this handbook. ECHO is meant as a teaching tool that provides the most current research pertaining to Yukon First Nations peoples on topics such as archaeology, ethnology and traditional lifeways, and relationships with newcomers (in the past and currently), as well as the arts. With a focus on topics that are relevant to students learning about Yukon Indigenous peoples history and culture, such as collaborative research with anthropologists, the history of the Yukon, and, most importantly, an overview of the modern-day land claims movement. Although generalized material on Yukon First Nations is provided within other publications, these are primarily out-of-date and out-of-print books. Castillo, Schreyer, and Southwick’s solidly researched ECHO: Ethnographic, Cultural, and Historical Overview of Yukon’s First Peoples will serve as an important tool, both for teachers and students, seeking accurate information pertaining to Indigenous cultures of the Yukon.

Word Count: 62227

ISBN: 978-1-988804-32-3

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