International Human Relations

The goal of this course will be to familiarize you with significant international issues relevant to human relations. We will explore the meaning of being a Human Relations professional in an increasingly globalized world, including the role of human relations in addressing issues such as warfare, terrorism, gender discrimination, international issues affecting children, and definitions of and the protection of human rights. This is an online class; hence students will be expected to log on to the relevant Canvas page on a regular basis in order to complete assignments and to check for relevant updates and information. Various formats will be used to meet the learning objectives of the course, including discussion forums, papers, notes, video clips, etc.

Student materials are available at the OU Bookstore Website at https://ou.textbookx.com/institutional/index.php. The website has book selling, renting, buying, returning, and order tracking capabilities. If you need help with an order, or if you have any questions contact the toll-free phone at 1-(855)-790-6637, agents are available from 9a – 5p (EST) Monday – Friday. Text prices are available online. 

Materials posted on the OU Canvas learning management system: Access Canvas at https://canvas.ou.edu, enter your OU NetID and password, and select course o access material. If you require assistance with Canvas, please click on the Help icon. You can search the Canvas guides, chat with Canvas support, or contact OU IT.

Please consult the Purdue University OWL website for information regarding APA format and general writing style: http://owl.english.purdue.edu. The OU Writing Center is also available to you at http://www.ou.edu/writingcenter.

It is expected that you will not only become familiar with the topics we cover in class, but that you will also develop the skills necessary to think critically about the various dimensions that impact the human experience across various international settings. These include, but are not limited to, gender, nation of origin, culture, etc. Finally, it is anticipated that you will begin to develop the skills necessary to work towards the resolution of significant international concerns such as poverty, terrorism, child labor, etc. The problems that impact the international community change over time. Hence, it is important for you to develop the capacity to think critically about international social problems in general. This includes evaluating current efforts at resolution and the ability to think of novel approaches to solving these problems.

In addition to class attendance, you will be responsible for various in-class and individual projects. All assignments will be outlined below. On the first day of class, time will also be dedicated to an overview and discussion of all assignments. All due dates and times are local time. Please contact the professor with specific questions.

Reaction Paper:

On the first day of class, each student will be asked to select a paper from either textbook for their reaction paper and presentation. You may want to review the available papers prior to the first day of class in order to make a decision about the papers that are of most interest to you. This will facilitate the selection process.

Your reaction paper should be three to four double-spaced pages long, and you should consider the following questions: How are the issues the author raises relevant to international human relations? Do you agree with the author’s perspective? Why or why not? What are your reactions to the paper you selected? This paper should be informal yet written in scholarly language.

The goal of this assignment is to provide you with an opportunity to respond to the course material and to hone your critical thinking skills.

Your paper should be typed using 12-point font and conventional margins and should be spell and grammar checked. You are not expected to refer to outside sources for this paper, but rather, should provide your perspective on and reactions to the paper. All papers will receive a grade out of 100, with papers showing the most critical thinking receiving the highest grades.

Unless prior arrangements have been made with the professor, or you experience a documented personal emergency, all later papers will be subject to a point deduction. Following the due date, ten points will be deducted for each day your paper is late.

Reaction Paper due via Canvas: Sunday, July 31, Midnight

Presentations:

Students will be expected to provide a brief overview of the chapter that they selected for their reaction paper on the Friday and Saturday of class. Your presentation should be 10 to 15 minutes long and should provide a concise overview of the paper to which you picked. You should additionally address the questions that you have been asked to respond to in your reaction paper. You are not required to use visual aids, but you are welcome to use any aids that you find helpful in your presentation.

You will receive a grade out of 100. You will be graded on the completeness of the overview that you provide as well as the thoroughness of your responses to the assigned questions. Unless prior arrangements have been made with the professor, or you experience a documented personal emergency that prevents you from attending class on the date of your presentation, no extension will be given for presentations.

Book Review Paper:

You will be expected to complete a book review relevant to this class. You may select a book from the list below, or you can select your own text. Any text that is not the list below needs to be approved by the instructor first (this can be done via email). You should read your selected text before the start of class.

Book list (not provided by Extended Campus/Advanced Programs):

1. Blood and earth: Modern slavery, ecocide, and the secret to saving the world, K. Bales, 2016

2. A long way gone: Memoirs of a boy soldier, I. Bea, 2007

3. Night, E. Wiesel, 2006

4. No good men among the living: America, the Taliban, and the war through Afghan war, A. Gopal, 2015

5. The underground girls of Kabul: In search of hidden resistance in Afghanistan, J. Nordberg, 2015

6. Poor Economics, Banerjee, A.V. & Duflo, E., 2012

You will be expected to complete a written review of your chosen book. The book review should be three to five double-spaced pages long and should include your critical analysis of the book (this should include your substantive and substantiated reflections and thoughts on the material presented, the author’s perspective, and your own reactions to the book). In addition to your perspectives on the materials presented by the authors, I would like you to relate the material to what we have learned in class. Any outside sources should be cited appropriately using correct APA formatting.

The books available for this assignment all illustrate particular international problems and expand upon the material that we will be discussing in class. The book review paper thus provides you with an opportunity to engage more deeply with a topic. It allows you to apply the material we are covering in class to your analysis of the book. This contributes to your capacity to think critically about key international problems.

Your paper should be typed using 12-point font and conventional margins should be proofread and spell and grammar checked and should be formatted using APA stylistic guidelines. All papers should be submitted via Canvas. Your paper will receive a grade out of 100 and will be graded using the following criteria: 20% for using appropriate formatting, etc.; 30% for critical thinking (i.e., the degree to which you provide a thoughtful analysis of the book); and 50% for the content of your paper (i.e., the degree to which you meet the requirements of the assignment).

Unless prior arrangements have been made with the professor, or you experience a documented personal emergency, all late papers will be subjected to a grade deduction. Following the due date, ten points will be deducted for each day that your paper is late.

We will additionally dedicate class time to a discussion of each selected text. On the first day of class, we will ascertain who read which books. On Thursday, those students who read the same book will be expected to share with the class an overview of their book, their perspective on the material presented by

the author(s), and their perception of how the material relates to the class – this will include small group and larger class discussion.

You will receive a grade out of 100 for participating in the book review discussion based upon your selected text. Your grade will be based upon the degree of your participation as evidenced by your sharing of your thoughts and your participation in the larger discussion. In addition, you will be graded based upon the degree of critical thinking and independent thought you demonstrate during the discussion.

Please do not hesitate to contact the professor if you have any questions about this assignment.

Book Review paper due via Canvas: Sunday, August 7, Midnight CST

Final Paper:

For your final paper, you will be expected to select an issue relevant to international human relations to analyze. On the first day of class, we will discuss the criteria for selecting your topics. Students will be expected to have their topics selected by the Thursday of class (students who are having a hard time selecting a topic should contact the instructor for assistance). On Thursday, each student will have an opportunity to present their topic to the class in order to get feedback and assistance. This will give you an opportunity to refine your topic and to bounce ideas around.

For your final paper, you should provide a thorough analysis of the issue that you have selected. You should not only discuss the reasons why this issue is relevant to international human relations, but you should additionally discuss potential solutions to this problem (including evaluating solutions already attempted). As such, your paper should provide a thoughtful analysis of the issue that you choose to address. Your final paper provides you with a forum to practice your analytic skills when it comes to your chosen international problem as well as its potential solutions.

You should use at least ten outside sources in your analysis, of which at least six should be scholarly books and/or journal articles. The other four sources may be websites of non-governmental organizations or agencies, newspaper articles, and/or reports published by international organizations such as Amnesty International, etc.

Your paper should be ten to fifteen double-spaced pages long, should be typed using 12-point font and conventional margins, should be proofread and spell and grammar checked, and should be formatted using APA stylistic guidelines. All papers should be submitted via Canvas.

Your paper will receive a grade out of 100 and will be graded using the following criteria: 20% for using appropriate formatting, etc.; 30% for critical thinking (i.e., the degree to which you provide a thoughtful analysis of the issue that you have selected); and 50% for the content of your paper (i.e., the degree to which you meet the requirements of the assignment).

Unless prior arrangements have been made with the professor, or you experience a documented personal emergency, all late papers will be subjected to a grade deduction. Following the due date, ten points will be deducted for each day that your paper is late.

Please do not hesitate to contact the professor if you have any questions about this assignment.

Final Paper Due via Canvas: Sunday, August 14, Midnight

In addition to interaction via Canvas and email contact, students are required to contact the instructor via email or telephone before the beginning of the course term for an initial briefing. Although physical class meetings are not part of this course, participation in all interactive, learning activities is required.

Student assignments and student/instructor communications will be conducted via Canvas, although students may contact the instructor via telephone, postal mail, email, or fax as needed.

Please contact the professor regarding his/her policy for late work.

A grade of “I” is not automatically assigned, but rather must be requested by the student by submitting to the instructor a “Petition for and Work to Remove an Incompleted Grade” form. An “I” can never be used in lieu of an “F” nor can an “I” be assigned because of excessive failure to participate in class activities.

Attendance/Grade Policy

Attendance and participation in interaction, individual assignments, group exercises, simulations, role playing, etc. are valuable aspects of any course because much of the learning comes from discussions in class with other students. It is expected that you attend all classes and be on time except for excused emergencies.

Excused absences are given for professor mandated activities or legally required activities such as emergencies or military assignments. It is the policy of the University to excuse absences of students that result from religious observances and to provide without penalty for the rescheduling of examinations and additional required class work that may fall on religious holidays. Unavoidable personal emergencies, including (but not limited to) serious illness; delays in getting to class because of accidents, etc.; deaths and funerals, and hazardous road conditions will be excused.

If you are obtaining financial assistance (TA, STAP, FA, VA, Scholarship, etc.) to pay all or part of your tuition cost, you must follow your funding agency/institution’s policy regarding “I” (Incomplete) grades unless the timeline is longer than what the University policy allows then you must adhere to the University policy. Students who receive Financial Aid must resolve/complete any “I” (Incomplete) grades by the end of the term or he/she may be placed on “financial aid probation.” If the “I” grade is not resolved/completed by the end of the following term, the student’s Financial Aid may be suspended make the student ineligible for further Financial Aid.

Students are responsible for meeting the guidelines of Tuition Assistance and Veterans Assistance. See the education counselor at your local education center for a complete description of your TA or VA requirements.

OU faculty will submit grades online through ONE not later than 30 days after the course end date. Course end dates are approximately one calendar month after the final seminar date on this syllabus and are provided on the official scheduling website for reference.

Academic Integrity and Student Conduct 

Academic integrity means honesty and responsibility in scholarship. Academic assignments exist to help students learn; grades exist to show how fully this goal is attained. Therefore all work and all grades should result from the student's own understanding and effort.

Academic misconduct is any act which improperly affects the evaluation of a student’s academic performance or achievement. Misconduct occurs when the student either knows or reasonably should know that the act constitutes misconduct. Academic misconduct includes: cheating and using unauthorized materials on examinations and other assignments; improper collaboration, submitting the same assignment for different classes (self-plagiarism); fabrication, forgery, alteration of documents, lying, etc…in order to obtain an academic advantage; assisting others in academic misconduct; attempting to commit academic misconduct; destruction of property, hacking, etc…; intimidation and interference with integrity process; and plagiarism. All students should review the Student’s Guide to Academic Integrity at http://integrity.ou.edu/students_guide.html 

Students and faculty each have responsibility for maintaining an appropriate learning environment. All students should review policies regarding student conduct at http://studentconduct.ou.edu/ 

Accommodation Statement

The University of Oklahoma is committed to making its activities as accessible as possible. For accommodations on the basis of disability, please contact your local OU Site Director.

Adjustment for Pregnancy/Childbirth-Related Issues

Should you need modifications or adjustments to your course requirements because of documented pregnancy-related or childbirth-related issues, please contact the professor as soon as possible to discuss. Generally, modifications will be made where medically necessary and similar in scope to accommodations based on temporary disability. Please see http://www.ou.edu/content/eoo/faqs/pregnancy-faqs.html. 

Title IX Resources

For any concerns regarding gender-based discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, stalking, or intimate partner violence, the University offers a variety of resources, including advocates on-call 24/7, counseling services, mutual no-contact orders, scheduling adjustments, and disciplinary sanctions against the perpetrator. Please contact the Sexual Misconduct Office at smo@ou.edu or (405) 325-2215 (8-5), or the Sexual Assault Response Team at (405) 615 -0013 (24/7) to report an incident. To learn more about Title IX, please visit the Institutional Equity Office’s website at http://www.ou.edu/content/eoo.html 

Course Policies

Extended Campus (also and formerly known as Advanced Programs) policy is to order books in paperback if available. Courses, dates, and professors are subject to change. Please check with your OU Site Director. Students should retain a copy of any assignments that are e/mailed to the professor for the course. Neither duplicating services nor office supplies are provided.

Any and all course materials, syllabus, lessons, lectures, etc. are the property of professor teaching the course and the Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma and are protected under applicable copyright.

For more information about OU Extended Campus, visit our website at: http://www.goou.ou.edu/

Statement on Respect

The classroom should provide a safe learning environment where students can express their views without fear of reprisal. That freedom of expression must be balanced by demonstrated respect for other’s viewpoints and appropriate and reasonable sensitivity, especially within the context of scholarly disagreement.  Disrespectful or uncivil dialogue (including, but not limited to, personal attacks, insults, or harassment) will not be tolerated.

Recording Devices/Phones/Computers

It is important for students to be fully present during class to fully benefit from lectures, discussions, and experiential assignments. Class sessions may not be tape-recorded. All telephones and pagers should be turned off or placed on silent mode. Computers may not be used during class. Students who require an exception to this policy should discuss exceptional circumstances with the professor.

Zermarie Deacon

Education

• 2007 Ph.D., Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan Department of Psychology. Cognate: Gender and International Development. Dissertation: An examination of factors influencing Mozambican women’s attainment of post-war well-being.
• 2003 M.A., Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan Department of Psychology. Thesis: The well-being of Muslim refugee women in resettlement: A needs assessment
• 1997 B.A. (Honours) Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa, Department of Politics; Major: Political Philosophy
• 1996 B.A., Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa, Major: Politics; Major: Philosophy

Current Positions

• 2007 - 2013 Department of Human Relations, University of Oklahoma, Assistant Professor
• 2007 – Present Affiliate Faculty, School of International and Area Studies
• 2008 - Present Women’s Studies Program, University of Oklahoma, Adjunct Professor
• 2012 – Present Women’s and Gender Studies Program Center for Social Justice, University of Oklahoma, Affiliate Faculty
• 2013 – Present Department of Human Relations, University of Oklahoma, Associate Professor

Frequently Taught Advanced Programs Courses

• International Human Relations
• Current Problems in Human Relations

Major Areas of Teaching and Research Interest

• In addition to Current Problems in Human Relations I also teach International Human Relations and Strategies for Social Change at the graduate level. At the undergraduate level I teach a class entitled Gender and War as well as International Human Relations and Social Change Processes.
• My primary research interests are in cross-cultural definitions of health and wellbeing and factors that facilitate individuals’ attainment of wellbeing across different ecological contexts.

Representative Publications and Presentations

Refereed Publications:

• Miller, C., Deacon, Z., Smith, A., Brady, S. R (2021). Visions of health: The Girl Power Photovoice project. Journal for Social Action in Counseling and Psychology, 13(1), 43-56.
• Deacon, Z. (2017). Review of: Stop global street harassment: Growing activism around the world. [Review of the book Stop global street harassment: Growing activism around the world, by H. Kearl]. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 41(1), 132.
• Sykes, B., Pendley, J., & Deacon, Z. (2017). Transformative learning, citizenship, and cultural restoration: A case study of Native American service-learning at a research university. Gateways: International Journal of Community Research and Engagement, 10, 204-228.
• Miller, C., Deacon, Z., Smith, A., & Abernathy, P. (in press). Visions of health: The Girl Power Photovoice project in D. Moxley, J. Bishop, & J. Miller-Cribs (Eds), Photovoice methods in social work: Using visual and narrative techniques in participatory research and practice.
• Moxley, D. P., Thompson, V., & Deacon, Z. (2017). Donor involvement in Community-Based Action Research: A typology for advancing reflexive decision-making to protect essential participatory values in L. Rowell, C. D. Bruce, J. M. Sosh, & M. M. Riel (Eds), The Palgrave international handbook of action research, 563-578. New York, NY: Pelgrave Macmillan US.
• Miller, C., Deacon, Z., & Fitzgerald, K. (2015). Visions of collaboration: The Girl Power Photovoice project. Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship, 8(1), 98-105.
• Moxley, D., Deacon, Z., & Thompson, V. (2013, July). Action research and development for intrinsic innovation in social service administration: Prototyping and proof of concept in small scale start-ups. Action Learning and Action Research Journal, 18(2), 37-68.
• Miller, C., Deacon, Z., & Fitzgerald, K. (2015). Visions of collaboration: The Girl Power Photovoice project. Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship.
• Moxley, D., Deacon, Z., & Thompson, V. (2013, July). Action research and development for intrinsic innovation in social service administration: Prototyping and proof of concept in small scale start-ups. Action Learning and Action Research Journal, 18(2), 37-68.
• Deacon, Z. & Moxley, D. (2012). Donors as stakeholders in Participatory Research: Praxis as typology in assessing and framing their roles. Action Learning, Action Research Association Inc. Monograph Series. (No. 3).
• Deacon, Z. Pendley, J., Hinson, W., & Hinson, J. (2011). Chokka-chaffa' kilimpi', Chikashshiyaakni' kilimpi': Strong family, strong nation. American Indian and Alaskan Natives Mental Health Research: The Journal of the National Center, 18(2), 41-63.
• Deacon, Z. & Bert, S. (2010). Teaching diversity: A reflection on the impact of identity on our work as educators. Free Inquiry in Creative Sociology, 38(1), 35-45.
• Deacon, Z. (2010). Mozambique: The gendered impact of warfare. In T. Falola & H. ter Haar (Eds). Narrating wars and peace in Africa (pp.141-154). Rochester, NY: University of Rochester Press.
• Deacon, Z. & Sullivan, C. (2010). An ecological examination of rural Mozambican women’s attainment of post-war well-being. Journal of Community Psychology, 38(1), 115-330.
• Deacon, Z. & Sullivan, C. (2009). Responding to the complex and gendered needs of refugee women. Affilia: Journal of Women and Social Work.

Presentations:

• Deacon,, Nhkata, D., & Acar, H. (2021, June). Understanding intersectional inequalities in postsecondary education: Retention, connectedness, Black Women, and STEM. Poster presented at the 18^th Biennial Conference of the Society for Community Research and Action, online.
• Miller, C., Noyori-Corbett, C., Deacon, (2019, May). GirlPower Photovoice Project. Paper presented at the The Asian Conference on the Social Sciences, Tokyo, Japan.
• Deacon, Z. & Miller, C. R. (2018, October). Decolonizing service learning. Poster presented at the7th Annual International Conference of Community Psychology,
• Santiago, Chile.
• Moxley, D., Thompson, V., & Deacon, Z. (2016, April). Donor Influence in Community- Based Action Research: A Typology for Advancing Reflexive Decision-Making to Protect Essential Participatory Values. In L. Rowell (Chair), International Action Research: Sharing Public Scholarship in Diverse Global Educational Contexts. Symposium presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association.
• Deacon, Z. (2015, June). Conducting effective, ethical, and collaborative cross-cultural and social change oriented research under complex circumstances. Roundtable conducted at the 15th biennial conference of the Society for Community Research and Action, Lowell, Massachusetts.
• Deacon, Z. & Miller, C. (2015, June). Effective and transformative service learning. Roundtable conducted at the 15th biennial conference of the Society for Community Research and Action, Lowell, Massachusetts.
• Miller-Cribs, J., Miller, G., Miller, C. R., Deacon, Z., & Moxley, D. (2014, January). Using Photovoice in Social Work practice research to enhance community-university partnership. Workshop conducted at the Society for Social Work and Research annual conference, San Antonio, Texas.
• Miller, C. R. & Deacon, Z. (2013, October/November). Photovoice as group work. Roundtable presented at the 59th annual program meeting of the Council of Social Work Education, Washington, D.C.
• Lien, A., Darlston-Jones, D., Dworkin, D., Grohe, H., Barlow, J., Ronayne, M., Thai, N., Belyaev-Glantsman, O, Rowley, R., Long, S., & Deacon, Z. (2013, June). Social justice in the classroom: Teaching controversial topics. Roundtable Presentation held at the Biennial Conference of the Society for Research and Action, Miami, Florida.
• Deacon, Z. & Pendley, J. (2013, May). Using Photovoice to generate change in one American Indian tribe. Paper presented at the 9th international Congress of Qualitative Inquiry, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois.
• Miller, C., Deacon, Z., Smith, A. (2012, November). The GirlPower Photovoice Project: A vision of partnership. Poster presented at the 58th annual program meeting of the Council of Social Work Education, Washington, D.C.
• Miller-Cribbs, J., Miller, C., Deacon, Z., Miller, G. (2012, November). Using Photovoice in Social Work practice research to enhance community-university partnerships. Paper presented at the 58th annual program meeting of the Council of Social Work Education, Washington, D.C.
• Chapple, C., Bones, P., Worthen, M., & Deacon, Z. (2012, November). Ecological correlates of sex trafficking in Oklahoma. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Criminology, Chicago, Illinois.
• Simons-Rudolph, J. M., Zimmerman, L., Deacon, Z., Olson, B. (2011, August). Examining the future of international community psychology to address global needs. (Paavola, E. & Amer, M. M., Chairs). Conversation hour held at the 119th Convention of the American Psychological Association, Washington, D.C.
• Deacon, Z. & Bert, S. (2010, October). Teaching diversity: The impact of race and gender on our experiences as instructors. Structured discussion held at the Institute for the Study and Promotion of Race and Culture’s annual Diversity Challenge, Boston, Massachusetts.
• Deacon, Z. (2010, June). Indigenous approaching to post-war recovery amongst Mozambican women. In Katie Thomas (Chair), Traditions for tomorrow: Indigenous and lived wisdoms. Symposium presented at the 3rd International Conference on Community Psychology, Puebla, Mexico.
• Deacon, Z. (2010, June). Resolving challenges inherent in forming campus-community partnerships with indigenous communities. Paper presented at the 3rd International Conference on Community Psychology, Puebla, Mexico.

Representative Honors and Awards Received

• PI: Deacon; Co-PI: Acar; Co-PI: Nkhata - Understanding intersectional inequalities in postsecondary education: Education, retention, connectedness, black women, and STEM. Inequities in the Academic Research and Creative Activity Enterprise Rapid Response Seed Grant Opportunity.
• 2011 PI: Deacon; Co-PI: Pendley (Center for Applied Social Research, OU); Co- PI: Jervis (Center for Applied Social Research, OU) – CHRs as facilitators of health for Chickasaw elders. OU Center for Research Program Development and Enrichment, Faculty Research Challenge Grant Program; $44,225
• 2011 University of Oklahoma, College of Arts and Sciences, Junior Faculty Summer Fellowship
• 2011 University of Oklahoma, College of Arts and Sciences, Faculty Enrichment Grant
• 2011 PI: Miller; Co-PI: Deacon; Co-PI: Wedel; Co-PI: Fitzgerald – Norman Center for Children and Families Photovoice Project/Girl Power Photovoice. Seed grant awarded by the OU-TULSA Program in Community Health Research; $38,477
• 2010 University of Oklahoma, College of Arts and Sciences, Faculty Enrichment Grant