Cities of Hope and Despair Why have some cities outlasted empires and nation states while others exist on the edge of marginality and loss? In this course, we will use historical and contemporary examples to explore the rise and fall of urban centers around the world. What is the meaning of urbanity across cultures? What different purposes do cities serve? What challenges confront them, from climate change to gang warfare to new forms of human precarity? In this course we will also investigate how processes like colonialism, imperialism, and global migration shape the evolution of cities and how they exist in our imaginaries.

Education and Social Policy School choice programs like charter and magnet schools are dramatically altering the educational landscape in the United States. In this course we will examine the premise that we can overcome the challenges of children living in poor neighborhoods by severing the traditional link between neighborhoods and schools and by providing access to extralocal high-quality schools. But who gets to exercise such choice? Does school choice result in better educational outcomes? We will also explore the relationship between school and neighborhood inequality. How do these two contexts work together to reproduce, intensify, or ameliorate spatial and educational inequities?

The Causes, Dynamics, and Consequences of International Migration Whether they are asylum seekers, undocumented or legal migrants, large-scale movements of people across international borders raises important questions about human rights, nationality, and place. This global flow also presents unique challenges to both newcomers and residents of the receiving society as both sides contend with issues of loyalty, belonging, and identity. In this course we will examine these important issues using the United States as the primary (though not exclusive) context. Drawing upon historical and contemporary material, we will also discuss the social, cultural, political, and economic consequences of global migration.

International and Cross Cultural Education Who gets to own knowledge?  Who can acquire it?  How do we construct advantage and disadvantage?  Comparative and international education examines the intersection of culture and education and the ways they are inextricably related through history, politics, and literature. In this course we will explore major concepts, trends, and methodologies across disciplines, focusing on the effects of globalization, the maintenance and dissolution of borders, the commodification of knowledge, the social creation of meaning, and the consequences of those constructions. We will examine global educational traditions and realities on the ground in case studies of Western and developing nations.

School Lunches In this course we will chew through critical analysis on the production and consumption of school lunches. We will examine how diverse actors—state and national governments, big corporations, food service companies, celebrity chefs, community activists, and concerned parents—battle over what lands on the cafeteria tray. Using readings from the social sciences as well as food documentaries, we will explore how initiatives like school gardens and cooking classes shape child development and socialization. The laboratory component of this class will look beyond the U.S. context by making and eating meals served up to students around the world. Food preparation and consumption practices will be adjusted, as necessary, to comply with COVID restriction guidelines.

Schools and Inequality In this course we will explore fundamental questions about the relationship between schools and society. What should be the normative goals of education? How do we explain educational disparities? We will look at theories on race, class, disability, gender, and sexuality to examine the role that schools play in reproducing or circumventing inequality in society. Drawing upon both domestic and international contexts, we will incorporate theories and methods from across the social sciences.

Trinh Tran

Reviews and ratings for Trinh Tran at Middlebury College.Trinh Tran teaches Cities of Hope and Despair, Education and Social Policy, Global Migration and more.  Explore top rated instructors and find the best for you.Is Trinh Tran good ? Find out on MiddCourses.

Professor Tran is truly an angel. This semester has been so hard for so many reasons and she was so accommodating and understanding. The content was interesting and most people in the class weren't actually Anthropology majors/minors but still really enjoyed themselves. Definitely recommend as a pretty easy class- as long as you do the readings which can sometimes be a little time consuming. 

I really enjoyed this class with Professor Tran. She obviously cares a lot about the material and wants her students to succeed. Professor Tran was very accommodating when the semester got difficult. I am not an anthropology major, but this class gave me a really solid understanding about migration. There are a lot of readings, but they are worth doing.

I love the class. The Professor created a great environment. Everyone participates, and the class is extremely productive. It is an 8 am class, but this is the first time I've ever enjoyed one at this time. If she teaches another 8 am class, I'd gladly take it. If you actually want to learn about migration, I highly recommend this class. 