2001-2002 UAF Catalog

Course Descriptions


Degrees and Programs Index


Cross-Cultural Studies

CCS 601 (3 Credits) Fall
Documenting Indigenous Knowledge (3+0)
A thorough grounding in the research methodologies and issues associated with documenting and conveying the depth and breadth of indigenous knowledge systems and their epistemological structures. Includes a survey of oral and literate data gathering techniques, a review of various modes of analysis and presentation, and a practical experience in a real-life setting. (Prerequisites: graduate standing or approval of the instructor.)


CCS 602 (3 Credits) Spring
Cultural and Intellectual Property Rights (3+0)
Examines issues associated with recognizing and respecting cultural and intellectual property rights with respect to the documentation, publication and display of knowledge, practices, beliefs and artifacts of cultural traditions. Appropriate research principles, ethical guidelines and legal protections will be reviewed for their application to cross-cultural studies. (Prerequisites: graduate standing or approval of the instructor.)


CCS 603 (3 Credits) Spring
Field Study Research Methods (3+0)
(Cross-listed with ED 603)
Intensive focus on considerations and techniques for conducting field research in a cross-cultural setting, with particular attention to participatory approaches and naturalistic research designs. Research proposals for students' projects will be developed and completed in this course. (Prerequisite: Graduate standing or permission of instructor.)


CCS 608 (3 Credits) Fall
Indigenous Knowledge Systems (3+0)
A comparative survey and analysis of the epistemological properties, world views and modes of transmission associated with various indigenous knowledge systems. Emphasis on knowledge systems practiced in Alaska. (Prerequisites: graduate standing or approval of the instructor.)


CCS 610 (3 Credits) Fall, Summer, As Demand Warrants
Education and Cultural Processes (3+0)
(Cross-listed with ED 610)
Advanced study of the function of education as a cultural process and its relation to other aspects of a cultural system. Students will be required to prepare a study in which they examine some aspect of education in a particular cultural context. (Prerequisite: Graduate standing or permission of instructor.)


CCS 611 (3 Credits) Fall
Culture, Cognition and Knowledge Acquisition (3+0)
(Cross-listed with ED 611)
An examination of the relationship between learning, thinking and perception in multicultural contexts. Particular emphasis will be on the implications of these relationships for schooling. Content will focus on cultural influences on perception, conceptual processes, learning, memory and problem solving. Content will also reflect concern for practical teaching problems. (Prerequisite: Graduate standing in education, ED 610 recommended.)


CCS 612 (3 Credits) Spring
Traditional Ecological Knowledge (3+0)
Examines the acquisition and utilization of knowledge associated with the long-term inhabitation of particular ecological systems and the adaptations that arise from the accumulation of such knowledge. Attention will be given to the contemporary significance of traditional ecological knowledge as a complement to academic disciplinary fields of study. (Prerequisites: graduate standing or approval of the instructor.)


CCS 613 (3 Credits) As Demand Warrants
Alaska Standards for Culturally Responsive Schools (3+0)
(Cross-listed with ED 613)
Guidelines, rationale and resources for adapting educational policies, programs and practices to better address the cultural well-being of the students and communities they serve. Content will be grounded in the "Alaska Standards for Culturally Responsive Schools" including standards for students, teachers, curriculum, schools and communities. (Prerequisite: Graduate standing or approval of the instructor.)


CCS 690 (3 Credits) Spring, Summer, As Demand Warrants
Seminar in Cross-Cultural Studies (3+0)
(Cross-listed with ED 690)
Investigation of current issues in cross-cultural contexts. Opportunity for students to synthesize their prior graduate studies and research. Seminar is taken near the terminus of a graduate program. (Prerequisites: Advancement to candidacy, permission of student's graduate committee.)