ʻATENISI INSTITUTE

HUMANITIES

E.L. 102 – Writing Laboratory

Hands-on supervision of written expression in the English language, focusing on clarity, concision, coherence, organization, vocabulary, grammar, and – as the student advances – elegance and captivation.

E.L. 105 – U.S. Literature

Group reading of a celebrated U.S. novel from the mid-19th to mid-20th century, penned by Mark Twain, Henry James, Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, or William Faulkner. The seminar notes the deployment of setting, characterisation, conflict, and plot development.

E.L. 115 – German Literature: Hesse

An in-depth study of two key novels of 20th century author Herman Hesse: Siddhartha and Steppenwolf. Siddhartha evaluates religious ritual, controlling parenting, asceticism, cult prescription, and commercialism, as well as hedonism untethered to spirituality; it finally endorses a universal acceptance of human endeavour as a means of progressing an unknown cosmic agenda. Steppenwolf discovers a therapeutic model for the alienated intellectual: i.e., immersion in popular culture, mass participation, iconoclastic humour, the performing arts, and exploratory sexuality, whilst retaining a veneration for 18th century genius.

FREN 100 – Elementary French

Introduction to French as a foreign language – pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar. Development of communicative skills through the practice of communicative functions, including reading, writing, and dialogue.

HST 210 – Global History

Global history not only traces the development of ancient Mediterranean empires but ancient Middle Eastern, North African, sub-Saharan African, Indian, Chinese, and native American civilisation as well. Within the ancient world, the Sumerian and Semitic-speaking civilisations of the Tigris/Euphrates Rivers, the Nile River, and the Levant are contrasted with the Indo-European speaking civilisations of Persia, Greece, and Rome, with the tension between tyranny, oligarchy and populism examined in the latter two. Medieval Islamic and Indian cultures are credited with preserving classical interest in philosophy and mathematics, enabling the European Renaissance. The hegemony of Anglophone capital and liberalism in the late second millennium is detailed whilst the various challenges to liberalism – intermittently by Spain, France, Germany, Japan, Russia, and Islamism – are also considered.

PHIL 380 – Simulation Theory

A comprehensive treatment of the cosmic hypothesis of Swedish philosopher, Nick Bostrom, who proposed in 2003 that the universe is a contrivance of advanced intelligence. The seminar speculates about the sundry motives such intelligence might retain in undertaking simulation. Finally, the theory is compared to the theological construct of intelligent design.

SPAN 100 – Conversational Spanish

Introduction to Spanish as a foreign language – pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar. Development of communicative skills through the practice of communicative functions, including reading, writing, and dialogue.

SOCIAL SCIENCE

GEOG 100 – World Geography

A survey of the world’s 20 leading nations, with emphasis on each economy’s historical events, demography, lingual and religious affiliations, production, export/import profile, trading partners, and income distribution, as well as the topography, climate, fauna, and flora of its territory.

PAC. STUD. 125 – Politics of the South Pacific

A comparative survey of the politics of the Anglophone-Pacific and ongoing colonialism of the Francophone-Pacific. Within the Francophone sector, Kanak and Tahitian insurgency in New Caledonia and French Polynesia is measured against support for continued French affiliation. Within the Anglophone sector, the authoritarian nationalism of Fiji is contrasted with both Samoan localism and Tonga’s transition towards national democracy.

POL ST. 120 – Diplomatic Communication

A concise history of diplomacy, ministries of foreign affairs, and foreign embassies, covering the missions of war and treaty, enforcement of international law and human rights, environmental regulation, commercial agreements, and both the procurement and donation of foreign assistance. The course next treats effective negotiation strategies for key political cultures in today’s world, including European, North American, South African, South Asian, and Pacific democracies; East Asian democracies; Latin American social democracies; authoritarian and democratic Islamic cultures; and authoritarian Russian and Chinese cultures.