EGEE 120 - Oil: International Evolution

The course has three goals:

1. First, it seeks to introduce students to the historical development of the oil industry and how oil has impacted every aspect of mankind since its discovery.
2. Second, it attempts to develop critical reading and thinking skills through weekly readings and discussion of those readings.
3. Third, it aims to help students improve their skills in analysis and communication of the socio-economic, political, technological and cultural impact of oil as a commodity through the regular writing, project work, and topical discussion assignments.

For the General Education US and International Culture (US or IL) domain, the course will help students to:

• see nations and cultures not in isolation, but in relation to each other;
• cultivate awareness of the diversity within international cultures;
• convey consideration for different cultural values, traditions, beliefs, and customs;
• increase knowledge about the range of cultural achievements and human conditions through time;
• be more sophisticated in understanding the nature of stereotypes and biases;
• be able to interact successfully with representatives of other nations & persons of different social groups;
• increase the ability to locate and evaluate information, and to gain knowledge, about other peoples of the world.

For the General Education Social and Behavioral (GS) knowledge domain, the course will help students achieve the following:

• broadly survey the existing knowledge in the discipline;
• develop the students' understanding of the scientific methodologies of social and behavioral sciences;
• develop an understanding of the multiple nature of causality in social settings;
• relate to other social and behavioral sciences;
• integrate empirical knowledge and theoretical views of the social world.

By the end of the semester, students will have a broad understanding of oil and its pervasive impact on society over the years, better writing ability, and improve critical reading and thinking skills. This general education course will provide a multi-disciplinary approach to understanding how oil affects international relations and commerce. The relationships between oil technology, social and political institutions and the unique cultures in oil-producing regions will be investigated.