{"673378":{"#nid":"673378","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Textbook and Course Explore UN Goals Through the Global Humanities","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EBringing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to fruition will require engineering prowess, scientific expertise, and \u2014 as students in a new class in the School of Modern Languages are learning \u2014 the power of storytelling to make us reconsider, reflect, and take action.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EStudents in Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/kelly-comfort\u0022\u003EKelly Comfort\u003C\/a\u003E\u2019s pilot section of ML 2500: \u201cIntroduction to Cross-Cultural Studies\u201d are learning about the SDGs by exploring 12 works of literature, photography, and film from all over the world. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cLanguage and culture education go hand in hand with education for sustainable development,\u201d said Comfort, the course\u2019s lead instructor and a professor in the School of Modern Languages. \u201cGlobal challenges can\u2019t be addressed with one-size-fits-all solutions. You need a locally rooted, place-based approach.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe works covered in Comfort\u2019s class bring into sharp, local focus the abstract, global problems that necessitated the creation of the SDGs. Some spotlight the human faces of poverty, oppression, hunger, and unequal access to basic resources. Others tell the story of indigenous and underserved populations whose lives have been affected by pollution, deforestation, and other unsustainable practices.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EIn classroom discussions, essays, and projects, students analyze and evaluate each work, coming face to face with difficult realities and asking critical questions about the SDGs and the concept of sustainability. They also reflect on their own sustainable practices and behaviors.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cThe authors, artists, and directors of each of these works are historically positioned to reflect on why we need the Sustainable Development Goals, as well as how they have been successful and where they have failed,\u201d said Comfort. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThis kind of humanistic inquiry is challenging, both on an individual and an existential level. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EStudent Harisri Yerramsetti, who is pursuing a B.S. in Computer Science, says the hard work is worth it.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cOne of the most effective ways of persuading people to engage in sustainable practices is to showcase the stories of those who are affected by overconsumption,\u201d said Yerramsetti. \u201cI believe these stories are much more effective at reaching people than statistics.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Different Kind of (Global) Humanities Textbook\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EComfort is also the editor and one of 13 Georgia Tech-affiliated authors of the course textbook, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.routledge.com\/A-Global-Humanities-Approach-to-the-United-Nations-Sustainable-Development\/Comfort\/p\/book\/9781032484013\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EA Global Humanities Approach to the United Nations\u2019 Sustainable Development Goals: Understanding People, Planet, and Prosperity\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. The book, intended for classroom use, devotes a chapter to each of the works covered in the course.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EComfort\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4324\/9781003388869\u0022\u003Eintroduction\u003C\/a\u003E highlights the worldwide scope of works represented, including pieces by photographers, authors, and directors from Argentina, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Costa Rica, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, and the United States, whose \u201cworks take us to many of these homelands and to additional nations such as Australia, Ecuador, Greenland, Haiti, Kiribati, Mongolia, Peru, Rwanda, Senegal, and Tanzania.\u201d \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe textbook\u2019s scope is global, but its strategy is local. The beginning of each chapter guides students through a deep-dive study of the cultural and geographical context of each work\u2019s creation, as well as an exploration of its interpretations, themes, and ideas. Questions and assignments that follow the work encourage students to reflect on its themes and tie these to Sustainable Development Goals in meaningful ways. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cThis book draws on the incredible breadth, depth, and diversity of expertise in the School of Modern Languages,\u201d said Comfort. \u201cEach of the contributing scholars has deep insight into the specific geographic, linguistic, and cultural traditions from which these pieces emerge.\u201d \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe pilot course will include guest lectures by 10 of Comfort\u2019s co-authors, each of whom will teach their chapter in the text.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EApplying a Humanistic Lens to the SDGs\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EComfort said early conversations with co-author Jennifer Hirsch, senior director of the Center for Sustainable Communities Research \u0026amp; Education, were instrumental in the book\u2019s organization, which is informed by the United Nations\u2019 \u201cfive P\u2019s\u201d of the Sustainable Development Goals: People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace, and Partnership.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201c[Hirsch] helped me to think about the different ways the SDGs are grouped, as opposed to being just a list of 17. The goals are interrelated, and more than one applies to every work we\u2019re discussing,\u201d said Comfort.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cOne of the questions we ask about every work is whether it reinforces and illuminates the principles underpinning the SDGs, or if it questions any inherent presuppositions, biases, shortcomings, flaws, or gaps,\u201d said Comfort.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ERebecca Watts Hull, assistant director of Faculty Development for Sustainability Education Initiatives in Georgia Tech\u2019s Center for Teaching and Learning, said that study at the crossroads of the global humanities and the SDGs is key to the development of Georgia Tech students.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cTransformative sustainability teaching and learning includes\u0026nbsp;experiences that lead students to challenge and reframe attitudes, assumptions and perspectives in ways that empower them to advance solutions effectively. Global humanities perspectives are essential to this process,\u201d said Hull. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cGeorgia Tech\u2019s commitment to teach the SDGs across the curriculum reflects our understanding that students need to explore complex societal challenges from multiple disciplinary perspectives to develop the skills needed to collaborate with diverse others on solutions.\u201d \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat\u2019s Next?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EComfort would like to expand the course into an asynchronous format, with modules on each of the global humanities texts. She would also like to include interviews with the artists, authors, and directors.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cThe idea is to keep building up the course modules so that we could have larger audiences of students and reach more people,\u201d said Comfort.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.routledge.com\/A-Global-Humanities-Approach-to-the-United-Nations-Sustainable-Development\/Comfort\/p\/book\/9781032484013\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EA Global Humanities Approach to the United Nations\u2019 Sustainable Development Goals: Understanding People, Planet, and Prosperity\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E was published by Routledge in 2023.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe book was made possible by grants from the School of Modern Languages, the Atlanta Global Studies Center, the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, the Office of International Education, Global Student Experiences, and Sustainability Next.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe team-taught pilot course was made possible by a 2023-2024\u0026nbsp;Undergraduate Sustainability Education Innovation Grant and additional support from the School of Modern Languages,\u0026nbsp;Global Student Experiences, and Sustainability Next.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch3\u003EChapter Authors and Works\u003C\/h3\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cul\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EAssociate Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/modlangs.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/amanda-weiss\u0022\u003EAmanda Weiss\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 Aya Hanabusa\u2019s \u003Cem\u003EHoly Island\u003C\/em\u003E: Nuclear Power and Political Resistance in Iwaishima, Japan\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EAssociate Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/britta-kallin\u0022\u003EBritta Kallin\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 Barbara Dombrowski\u2019s \u003Cem\u003ETropic Ice\u003C\/em\u003E: Dialog Between Places Affected by Climate Change \u2014 Photographs and Art Installations of People and Landscapes\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EProfessor Kelly Comfort \u2013 Fabrice Monteiro\u2019s \u003Cem\u003EThe Prophecy\u003C\/em\u003E: Trash Art Photography Protests Trashing the Planet\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EAssociate Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/natalie-khazaal\u0022\u003ENatalie Khazaal\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 Kip Andersen and Keegan Kuhn\u2019s \u003Cem\u003ECowspiracy\u003C\/em\u003E: Animal Agriculture and the \u201cSustainability Secret\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EAssistant Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/modlangs.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/2f2b30a4-9a3c-52cb-ba29-16efb29fd617\u0022\u003EMiguel Rosas Buend\u00eda\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 Fernando Contreras Castro\u2019s \u003Cem\u003E\u00danica Looking at the Sea\u003C\/em\u003E: Marginalization, Community, and Politics from a Garbage Dump\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EProfessor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/stephanie-boulard\u0022\u003ESt\u00e9phanie Boulard\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 Agn\u00e8s Varda\u2019s \u003Cem\u003EThe Gleaners and I\u003C\/em\u003E: From Waste to Wonder\u2014A Cinematic Odyssey on Food Loss and Gleaning\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/modlangs.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/fd138ae5-623c-5041-97fd-ba50815e03b8\u0022\u003EMirla Gonzalez\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant director of Undergraduate Studies, Online and Professional Education \u2013 Agustina Bazterrica\u2019s \u003Cem\u003ETender Is the Flesh\u003C\/em\u003E: Devouring Each Other in Consumerist Society\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ELecturer \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/modlangs.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/7afd7c7c-7d0f-5d84-9028-5958ae492b8c\u0022\u003ESeung-Eun Chang\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 Kief Davidson and Pedro Kos\u2019s \u003Cem\u003EBending the Arc\u003C\/em\u003E: Public Health Pioneers Fight for Universal Health Equity and Global Justice\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003ELecturer\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/smita-daftardar-209b2a39\/\u0022\u003ESmita Daftardar\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 Aravind Adiga\u2019s \u003Cem\u003EThe White Tiger\u003C\/em\u003E: Stagnation or Social Mobility in Modern India\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EProfessor Emerita \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/vicki-galloway\u0022\u003EVicki Galloway\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 Ivan Sanjin\u00e9s, Nicol\u00e1s Ipamo, and Alejandro Noza\u2019s \u003Cem\u003ECry of the Forest\u003C\/em\u003E: Sustainable Development and the Indigenous Communities of Bolivia\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EAssistant Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/modlangs.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/luliugatech\u0022\u003ELu Liu\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 Hao Jingfang\u2019s \u201cFolding Beijing\u201d: Unequal Time and Space in a Dystopian City\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EAssociate Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/jin-liu\u0022\u003EJin Liu\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 Wang Jiuliang\u2019s \u003Cem\u003EPlastic China\u003C\/em\u003E: Unveiling the Fa\u00e7ade of Prosperity\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EKelly Comfort and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/jennifer-hirsch\u0022\u003EJennifer Hirsch\u003C\/a\u003E, senior director, Center for Sustainable Communities Research \u0026amp; Education \u2013 Conclusion \u2014 Think Global, Act Local: Partnerships and Projects\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe authors will celebrate on Thursday, Mar. 28, from 1 to 2 p.m. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/events\/item\/673063\/virtual-book-launch-global-humanities-approach-united-nations-sustainable\u0022\u003ESee the website to register\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThis spring, a group of Georgia Tech students in a pilot course are learning about the UN Sustainable Development Goals through the lens of literature, photography, and film from all over the world.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"This spring, a group of Georgia Tech students in a pilot course are learning about the UN Sustainable Development Goals through the lens of literature, photography, and film from all over the world."}],"uid":"35777","created_gmt":"2024-03-06 18:22:35","changed_gmt":"2024-03-06 20:06:17","author":"Stephanie Kadel","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2024-03-06T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2024-03-06T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"673323":{"id":"673323","type":"image","title":"March 4-8 is SDG Action and Awareness Week","body":null,"created":"1709749256","gmt_created":"2024-03-06 18:20:56","changed":"1709749294","gmt_changed":"2024-03-06 18:21:34","alt":"Earth surrounded by the SDG icons","file":{"fid":"256705","name":"Stephanie\u0027s Sandbox (1).png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/03\/06\/Stephanie%27s%20Sandbox%20%281%29.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/03\/06\/Stephanie%27s%20Sandbox%20%281%29.png","mime":"image\/png","size":1900918,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/03\/06\/Stephanie%27s%20Sandbox%20%281%29.png?itok=_UEbqqFT"}}},"media_ids":["673323"],"groups":[{"id":"1281","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"},{"id":"1284","name":"School of Modern Languages"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"193514","name":"#SDGWeek2024"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:stephanie.kadel@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EStephanie N. Kadel\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nIvan Allen College of Liberal Arts\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["stephanie.kadel@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}