“You have such a warm friendly face and smile”

Students from the Sociology Club held a poster exhibit with the theme of Gandhi.  The thesis of their presentation is that Gandhi’s philosophy is still relevant today.  The major themes the posters were:

1. How the education system is too expensive for everyone to attend them.  Also, that education needs to shift as learning does not only take place in a classroom.
2. The health system is becoming less personal and western; therefore there is over prescription of medicine, which simply addresses the symptoms and does not provide a cure.  Also, the use of medicinal herbs is decreasing, because individuals are using pills to fix their problems without thinking about the side-effects.  Traditional medicine focuses on finding inner peace and balance, which I think is phenomenal because I truly believe in “mind over matter.”  Nevertheless, I think western medicine is great but it has its drawbacks as well.
3. Recycling and repurposing objects to build infrastructure.
4. The need for organic farming for the betterment of health and the environment.
5. CORPORATE GREED – which is sort of what I am writing my thesis on – we had a great discussion about OCCUPY!!!!

They also showed us a 5 minute movie clip, which raised awareness about how corporate greed leads to the exploitation of individuals and to the degradation of natural resources. 

It was amazing.  I enjoyed having a though provoking conversation with Indian students.  It was phenomenal to hear their perspectives.  They were also very sweet.  I got all their numbers and look forward to hanging out with them soon when I am not swamped with school work. 

Also, one of the girls, came up to me after the presentation and told me “You have such a warm friendly face and smile.”  This made my day.  I LOVE INDIA!!!!!!

Classes

The classes I am taking here are:

1.    SOCI 360: Contemporary India (3 credits). 

I will learn about the political, historical, and social survey of post-Independence India.  I will learn about India’s cultural, linguistic, ethnic and religious diversity.  I will learn about: colonialism, nationalism, and independence; Gandhi, social activism and the 1960s; gender and caste; formative literary, religious and philosophical movements, and recent history from 1990 to the present. 

2.    INTS 380: Internship (3 credits)

I will work with an NGO!!!!!!!!!!! I am so excited about this!!! I get to make a difference.  I will need to do research, go to regular meetings with a faculty guide, weekly journals, and a final research paper or project with my accompanying presentation.

3.    ESEI 380: Environmental Issues (3 credits) 

India’s ongoing population explosion, along with its steady march toward urbanization and industrialization, has placed significant pressure on its land and natural resources.  Deforestation, soil erosion, water and air pollution, and land degradation are critical environmental issues.  I will learn about environmental issues both from an Indian and global perspective, exploring the natural, social, economic and political facets of these complex yet pressing concerns.  

4.    HSPH 300: Public Health (elective - 3 credits)

Public health is a crucial component of a nation’s development and infrastructure, comprising everything from delivery of basic medical services to the protection and support of human rights.   The lack of basic medical care in many parts of India, with widespread malnutrition and high infant mortality rates, HIV/AIDS on the rise, looming threats of infectious disease and epidemics are all daunting challenges.   At the same time, India is in many cases on the cutting edge of finding creative, innovative solutions to these large-scale public health issues that are of increasing global concern and significance. This course will take a multidisciplinary approach to public health in India, incorporating policy development, gender issues, social justice, health economics, epidemiology, behavioral sciences, and health services management.  I will get to question how social, political, and economic factors facilitate or mitigate the production and transmission of disease, and to evaluate ethical and practical consequences of policy and scientific initiatives.

5.    PSED 390: Issues in Political Economy and Development (elective - 3 credits)

I will learn about the distribution of power and wealth all over the world, with a focus on India.  I will try to understand the obstacles the market and the economy face. The main questions addressed by the course are: How do we define development and who is development for? What are the political and economic factors shaping development? How does the struggle for power and wealth affect issues of poverty, equality, and justice?