This class is taught in English.

I hold a Bachelor's of Science in Political Science from Suffolk University and was an InterFuture Research Scholar. This course draws from my academic training and field research experiences in United States, Northern Ireland, and South Africa. For both Northern Ireland and South Africa, I was a participant-observer. In Belfast, I worked with the Northern Ireland Women's Coalition, a political party consisting of both Catholic and Protestant women, during the negotiations that led to the Good Friday Agreement. In South Africa, I worked with the National Democratic Institute to build a stronger political culture during the post-apartheid era. I interviewed members of all relevant political parties and factions in order to write my dissertation on these conflicts. 

I was advised by Professor Padraig O'Malley, UMASS/Boston, Professor Tom Lodge, then at the University of the Witwatersrand, and Professor Monica McWilliams, then co-leader of the Northern Ireland Women's Coalition. 

This course also reflects training with a teachers' institute hosted by Auburn University on civil rights and US Supreme Court cases. I was chosen to participate in this institute in the Summer of 2021 and worked with professors of education, political science, and history, and other secondary-level teachers in planning this curriculum.  

Between classes, students will read two short texts and various articles and interviews. The specific schedule of the these assignment will be placed on our Classroom page. Students will be expected to spend at least one hour per week on reading and their own projects. The emphasis is on quality of learning, rather than quantity.  

Students will receive substantial qualitative feedback for their written (or unwritten) projects. Traditional letter grades are available on request. 

55 minutes per week in class, and an estimated 1 - 2 hours per week outside of class.

All material for the course comes from academic writing, public-facing perspectives and journalism, and the official documents of political parties and movements. Students will use my website and research archives as relevant to the course. Students are also encouraged to discuss these topics in a mature and academically appropriate manner. 

Texts: 
"Mandela: A Critical Life" by Tom Lodge 
"Gomillion versus Lightfoot: The Right to Vote in Apartheid Alabama" by Bernard Taper
"Northern Ireland and South Africa: Hope and History at a Crossroads" by Padraig O'Malley 

Websites:
spacesandsociety.wordpress.com - Research and Writing of Stephanie L. Carta
justice.gov.za - South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission 
tjrc.org - Truth, Justice, and Reconciliation, US project
irishtimes.com - The Irish Times 
oyez.org - US Supreme Court Archives