In our courses, Cross-Cultural Studies means comparing and contrasting two or more cultures in order to identify phenomena that are more universal or more culturally specific, as well as examining outcomes when two or more culturally different groups interface, communicate, and/or interact.

In the minor, we engage in both transcultural and intercultural work through a blend of personal experience, reflection, theory, and analysis.

The minor consists of a minimum of 36 credits, at least 12 of which are at the 200 level, distributed across the following categories (with no courses applied to more than one category):

A.  Seeing and Being Cross-Cultural (minimum of 6 credits): 

  • AMST 115: Introduction to American Studies
  • CCST 100: Cross Cultural Perspectives on Israeli and Palestinian Identity
  • CCST 100: Growing up Cross-Culturally
  • RELG 100: Christianity and Colonialism
  • RELG 110: Understanding Religion
  • SOAN 110: Introduction to Anthropology
  • SOAN 111: Introduction to Sociology

B. Reflecting on Cross-Cultural Experience (minimum of 4 credits):

  • CCST 208: International Coffee and News
  • CCST 270: Creative Travel Writing Workshop · not offered in 2023-24
  • CCST 275: I’m A Stranger Here Myself
  • IDSC 103: Student Conversations about Diversity and Community · not offered in 2023-24
  • IDSC 203: Talking about Diversity

(Certain OCS program courses may also apply to this category. CCST 208 can be retaken once, for a total of four credits).

C. Principles of Cross-Cultural Analysis (minimum of 12 credits, no more than 6 from any one program):

  • CCST 180: Crossing Borders: Global Contexts of Migration and Immigration · not offered in 2023-24
  • CCST 233: The Art of Translation in the Age of the Machine
  • CCST 245: Meaning and Power: Introduction to Analytical Approaches in the Humanities
  • CCST 275: I’m A Stranger Here Myself
  • GWSS 398: Race, Gender, and Sexuality in Popular Culture · not offered in 2023-24
  • LCST 245: Meaning and Power: Introduction to Analytical Approaches in the Humanities · not offered in 2023-24
  • POSC 120: Democracy and Dictatorship
  • POSC 215: Comparative Political Communication: News Coverage of Elections · not offered in 2023-24
  • POSC 247: Comparative Nationalism · not offered in 2023-24
  • POSC 358: Comparative Social Movements · not offered in 2023-24
  • PSYC 248: Cross-Cultural Psychology
  • PSYC 358: Cross-Cultural Psychology Seminar in Prague: Cross-Cultural Psychopathology · not offered in 2023-24
  • RELG 300: Theories and Methods in the Study of Religion
  • SOAN 330: Sociological Thought and Theory
  • SOAN 331: Anthropological Thought and Theory

D. Cross-Cultural Encounters (minimum of 12 credits): Can include, with approval of director, any course dealing substantively with the intersection of two or more cultures including but not limited to:

  • ASLN 111: Writing Systems · not offered in 2023-24
  • CAMS 218: Contemporary Global Cinemas · not offered in 2023-24
  • ENGL 238: African Literature in English
  • ENGL 250: Indian Fiction 1880-1980 · not offered in 2023-24
  • ENGL 251: Contemporary Indian Fiction
  • ENGL 252: Caribbean Fiction · not offered in 2023-24
  • ENGL 350: The Postcolonial Novel: Forms and Contexts · not offered in 2023-24
  • FREN 206: Contemporary French and Francophone Culture
  • FREN 243: Food in French Fiction
  • FREN 244: Contemporary France and Humor
  • FREN 245: Francophone Literature of Africa and the Caribbean · not offered in 2023-24
  • FREN 255: French and Francophone Studies in Paris Program: Islam in France: Historical Approaches and Current Debates
  • FREN 259: French and Francophone Studies in Paris Program: Hybrid Paris
  • FREN 350: Middle East and French Connection · not offered in 2023-24
  • FREN 359: French and Francophone Studies in Paris Program: Hybrid Paris
  • FREN 360: The Algerian War of Liberation and Its Representations
  • HIST 141: Europe in the Twentieth Century · not offered in 2023-24
  • HIST 165: A Cultural History of the Modern Middle East
  • HIST 184: Colonial West Africa · not offered in 2023-24
  • HIST 232: Renaissance Worlds in France and Italy · not offered in 2023-24
  • HIST 260: The Making of the Modern Middle East
  • HIST 264: A History of India Through Food
  • HIST 266: History of Islam in South Asia · not offered in 2023-24
  • HIST 267: Muslims and Modernity · not offered in 2023-24
  • HIST 270: Nuclear Nations: India and Pakistan as Rival Siblings · not offered in 2023-24
  • HIST 281: War in Modern Africa · not offered in 2023-24
  • HIST 360: Muslims and Modernity · not offered in 2023-24
  • MELA 230: Jewish Collective Memory · not offered in 2023-24
  • POSC 215: Comparative Political Communication: News Coverage of Elections · not offered in 2023-24
  • POSC 238: Sport and Globalization in London and Seville Program: Globalization and Development: Lessons from Int’l Football
  • POSC 247: Comparative Nationalism · not offered in 2023-24
  • POSC 265: Public Policy and Global Capitalism
  • POSC 268: Global Environmental Politics and Policy
  • POSC 294: Central and Eastern European Politics Program: Perceptions of Otherness in Modern Eastern and Central Europe · not offered in 2023-24
  • POSC 295: Central and Eastern European Politics Program: Nation-Building in Central and Eastern Europe between Politics and Art · not offered in 2023-24
  • POSC 296: Central and Eastern European Politics Program: Challenges to the Nation-State in Eastern and Central Europe: Immigrants and Minorities · not offered in 2023-24
  • POSC 348: Strangers, Foreigners and Exiles · not offered in 2023-24
  • POSC 358: Comparative Social Movements · not offered in 2023-24
  • POSC 378: Political Economy & Ecology of Southeast Asia: Social Changes in Southeast Asia · not offered in 2023-24
  • POSC 379: Political Economy and Ecology of S.E. Asia: Diversity of Social Ecological Systems in Southeast Asia · not offered in 2023-24
  • RELG 100: Christianity and Colonialism
  • RELG 110: Understanding Religion
  • RELG 155: Hinduism: An Introduction · not offered in 2023-24
  • RELG 213: Religion, Medicine, and Healing · not offered in 2023-24
  • RELG 222: Trauma, Loss, Memory: Holocaust and Genocide
  • RELG 227: Liberation Theologies · not offered in 2023-24
  • RELG 234: Angels, Demons, and Evil
  • RELG 237: Yoga: Religion, History, Practice
  • RELG 287: Many Marys · not offered in 2023-24
  • RELG 289: Global Religions in Minnesota
  • RUSS 205: Russian in Cultural Contexts · not offered in 2023-24
  • RUSS 228: Russian at a Cultural Crossroad Program: Dialogues in the Russophone World · not offered in 2023-24
  • RUSS 261: Lolita · not offered in 2023-24
  • RUSS 293: Advanced Russian Skill Development · not offered in 2023-24
  • SOAN 108: In & Out of Africa: How Transnational Black Lives Matter · not offered in 2023-24
  • SOAN 256: Africa: Representation and Conflict · not offered in 2023-24
  • SPAN 209: Radio and News in Spanish · not offered in 2023-24
  • SPAN 242: Introduction to Latin American Literature · not offered in 2023-24
  • SPAN 345: Culture, Capitalism and the Commons · not offered in 2023-24

E. Capstone (2 credits):

  • CCST 398: Cross-Cultural Panorama: A Capstone Workshop. After participating in selected co-curricular activities, students will curate work from their CCST courses and experiences in an instructor-guided e-portfolio, including a reflective essay. (Other capstone options may be approved by director.)

Participation in at least one OCS program, while not required, is strongly encouraged. Courses from OCS programs may be applied to categories A through E, with approval of the director (and subject to rules of the Registrar).