Add courses on local issues

A number of centers and departments—including the Center for Documentary Studies—currently offer courses that encourage students to explore Durham. Ideally, the proposed course additions would build on the successes of current course offerings. Many of these courses include a service-learning component, and while service-learning is valuable, the time required to participate in these classes can sometimes repel students who are interested in Durham but overburdened by other commitments. The proposed courses would not include a service-learning element and may, as a result, allow students to study Durham without having to negotiate the time constraints imposed by classes focused on service.

The DSG representatives behind the new initiative have circulated a petition to gauge student interest in Durham-centric courses. In general, students seem keen on classes that tackle local issues. Not only are Durham-based service-learning courses very popular, but students are also signing up for classes that dive deep into local politics. Steve Milder, a visiting professor in the history department, is teaching a class next semester on human rights and social movements that focuses primarily on events like last summer’s Moral Monday protests. The class, which can accommodate 30 students, is already full—suggesting perhaps that students see Durham’s contested political terrain as rich soil in which to explore broader questions of social justice and human rights. If the popularity of this course is indicative of a general interest in local affairs, then it would make sense for departments to offer more courses of this kind.

Durham’s historical record is shot through with issues that students care about. Urban planning, race relations, economic theory and many other topics compose the story of Durham’s growth and metamorphosis, and all of these issues intersect with students’ varied academic interests.

In general, making local affairs the subject of greater academic inquiry promises to benefit both Duke students and the City of Durham. If structured correctly, courses about Durham will not imbue students with some vague desire to “make Durham a better place.” Rather, they will help students understand how to approach Durham on its own terms, appreciate its history and traditions and work with the community in a way that respect residents’ autonomy.

We often tout the benefits of cross-cultural learning, and Duke shells out big bucks to send students across the world to learn about cultures and societies different from our own. But Durham also has much to teach us. Even if our stay here is short, knowing the history of this city adds depth and richness to our experience of it. We support more opportunities to learn about Durham and the region.