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| Fall 2008 |
|
| CVA2414 |
AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDIES(AMS) |
3.00 credits |
| |
CVA2414
African American Studies
(Intermediate Liberal Arts)
The aim of this course is to explore what W. E. B. Du Bois called "the strange meaning of being black" in the United States. In doing so, we will also inquire about the meaning of being "American." We will attend to the specificity and to the heterogeneity of African Americans' experiences, noting how they have shaped and been shaped by American experiences as a whole. Among the questions we will ask and attempt to answer are the following: Who is an African American? What unites the women and men identified as African Americans? What divides them? What is their relationship to Africa? What is race? What is racism? We will raise these questions by examining how African Americans have survived extraordinary hardship and how they have transformed their history into a rich variety of cultural expression. After addressing the central themes of the course through our reading and discussion of Du Bois's The Souls of Black Folk, we will organize our course around three major themes: race and racism, the question of gender, and the cultural life of African Americans. Our goal will be to understand how African Americans have given voice to their experiences in literature, in religion, in music, in film, and in politics. Because the authors we will encounter are not only novelists and poets and historians but also social critics, we will pay special attention to their demands that American society live up to the ideals of freedom and equality it professes. Their work will push us to consider what would be required to make the dream of multi-racial democracy possible.
Prerequisites: RHT and Foundation H&S and A&H
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| CVA2418 |
THE MIDDLE EAST:PEOPLE & CULTURE |
3.00 credits |
| |
CVA2418
The Middle East: Peoples and Cultures
(Intermediate LiberalArts)
This course will give you basic geographic and cultural literacy about the complex and importantregion called the Middle East. Common overgeneralizations and stereotypes will be replaced with knowledge and perspective. In the first half of the course we will master the physical and political map, the nation-states and major ethnic, linguistic and religious groups. In the second half of the course, using a variety of different kinds of resources including ethnography, fiction, music, film, food and guest speakers, we will pursue an in depth study of two specific societies in the Middle East. We will explore how the dynamics of gender, family, religion, politics and economics impact the real lives of real people in the Middle East in dramatically different ways. By the end of the course, you will be able to understand current events in the Middle East in a more sophisticated way and you will also have the tools of inquiry to become geographically and culturally literate about other regions of the world.
Prerequisites: RHT and Foundation H&S and A&H
|
| CVA2459 |
MEDIA & CULTURE |
3.00 credits |
| |
CVA2459 Media and Culture
Intermediate Liberal Arts
This course will use specific topics within media studies to
interrogate media as it affects cultural identities, and, inversely, culture as it affects media. We will analyze numerous examples of media from various times and places.
Prerequisites: RHT & Foundation A&H and H&S
|
| HIS3686 |
BEIJING: EMPERORS TO OLYMPICS |
2.00 credits |
| |
This course will meet on the following Fridays:
Sept. 5, 12, 19, 26, Oct. 3, 10
HIS3686 BEIJING: EMPERORS TO OLYMPICS
2 Credit Advanced Liberal Arts
This advanced history course will focus on the city of Beijing to assess the history of late imperial China (Ming and Qing dynasties) through the beginnings of the 21st century. Some topics we will analyze are The Forbidden City as political center and home to emperors and as art and architecture, the effects of imperialism and nationalism, the rural poor in Beijing pre-1949 and today, Beijing culture, Tiananmen and student protests, and Beijing as an Olympic city.
Prerequisites: 3 Intermediate Liberal Arts courses (HSS, LVA, CVA)
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| HIS3687 |
CONTEMPORARY CHINA |
2.00 credits |
| |
This course will meet on the following Fridays:
Oct. 17, 24, 31, Nov 7, Nov 14, Dec 5.
HIS3687 CONTEMPORARY CHINA
2 Credit Advanced Liberal Arts
This advanced history course analyzes the impact of the Chinese Communist Revolution on the state and culture of the Peoples' Republic of China (P.R.C.) from 1949 to the present. We will focus on attempts during the Mao period to transform China through campaigns of social mobilization, industrialization, rural collectivization, and cultural policies. The second half of the course examines the Economic Reform Era, including the rise of consumer culture, development of a modern legal system, and increased tension between the majority Han Chinese and minorities, particularly in Tibet and Xinjiang.
Prerequisites: 3 Intermediate Liberal Arts courses (HSS, LVA, CVA)
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| HSF1300 |
H&S FOUNDATION |
3.00 credits |
| |
HSF1300
Crises in Community and Citizenship
(Fall Semester)
(Foundation Liberal Arts)
That the United States is a "nation of immigrants" is a truism ingrained in American culture and public disclosure. To it we might add another: Americans are people "on the move". If such characterizations are commonplace, however, unpacking them is anything but simple. This course endeavors to unpack these ideas, introducing students to college-level work in the Liberal Arts through an explorations of the construction of "American" identity in the 20th century.
Prerequisites: NONE
HSF1300
Memories, Stories, Histories: Constructing Self in the 20th Century
(Spring Semester)
(Foundation Liberal Arts)
This first-year History and Society course features the social and psychological construction, destruction, and reconstruction of identity set in the context of major 20th century international, national, and social conflicts. These include imperialism, World War I, the Holocaust, the Vietnam War, and the lingering conflicts of race, class, and gender inequality in America.
Prerequisites: NONE
|
| HSF1311 |
HNRS H&S FOUNDATION |
3.00 credits |
| |
HSF1311
H&S Honors Foundation
Bodies in Motion: Meaning of Migration in the 20th Century United States
(Fall Semester)
(Foundation Liberal Arts)
That the United States is a "nation of immigrants" is a truism ingrained in American culture and public disclosure. To it we might add another: Americans are people "on the move". If such characterizations are commonplace, however, unpacking them is anything but simple. This course endeavors to unpack these ideas, introducing students to college-level work in the Liberal Arts through an explorations of the construction of "American" identity in the 20th century.
HSF1311
H&S Honors Foundation
Memories, Stories, Histories: Constructing Self in the 20th Century
(Spring Semester)
(Foundation Liberal Arts)
This first-year History and Society course features the social and psychological construction, destruction, and reconstruction of identity set in the context of major 20th century international, national, and social conflicts. These include imperialism, World War I, the Holocaust, the Vietnam War, and the lingering conflicts of race, class, and gender inequality in America.
Prerequisites: NONE
|
| HSS2401 |
INTRO TO PSYCHOLOGY (PSY) |
3.00 credits |
| |
HSS2401
Introduction to Psychology
(Intermediate Liberal Arts)
This course offers a survey of psychology, the scientific study of human thought, feeling, motivation, and behavior. Among the subtopics to be explored are: perception, learning memory, emotion, stress & coping, social influence, personality (normal and abnormal), and psychotherapy. This is primarily a lecture course, with class time occasionally devoted to in-class demonstrations discussion, and films. Final grades are based on frequent (around 6) objective tests, an analytic paper, and a comprehensive final examination. The course addresses competencies such as: understanding the individual and the relationship between individual and social realities; understanding and critically appreciating and weighing quantitative and qualitative information from scientific sources; and applying these types of information to the task of reflecting on oneself and others.
Prerequisites: RHT and Foundation H&S and A&H
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| HSS2403 |
LATIN AMERICAN HISTORY(HIS) |
3.00 credits |
| |
HSS2403
Latin American History
(Intermediate Liberal Arts)
This course will be an introduction to the main themes, actors, and ideas in Latin American history. The central focus will be on Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean, with an attempt to develop a comparative understanding of the Latin America's diversity, as well as common patterns, from pre-Columbian times to the present. In other words, this course is not an exhaustive history of Latin America; rather, it intends to develop familiarity with key concepts, developments, and issues in the region's history.
Prerequisites: RHT and Foundation H&S and A&H
This course is typically offered in the following semester: FALL
|
| HSS2411 |
AMERICAN POLITICS(POL) |
3.00 credits |
| |
HSS2411 American Politics
(Intermediate Liberal Arts)
This course provides an introduction to American politics and the American political system. Throughout the course the principles and institutions of American politics will be critically approached, with a view to such concerns as the relationship between liberty and obligation, politics and culture, and democracy and governance. Since the US Presidential and Congressional elections occur during the Fall 2008 semester, the events, developments, campaigns, issues and candidates of these elections will form a backdrop and consistent theme of the course. As we assess and learn about the process and politics of the Fall 2008 elections, we will work towards understanding the foundations, functions, and ideological bases and practices of American politics. In this way, this course will help inform and be informed by our active assessment of the political events in the United States as they occur. Upon this basis we will then have substantial discussions about some of the more controversial domestic and foreign policy issues of our time, including the so-called culture war, the war in Iraq, the role of interest groups and money in politics, the role of race, ethnicity and gender in American politics, and so on. Along with the required texts and on-line readings for the course, all students must read the newspaper on a daily basis to stay up to date on current events relevant to our discussions and debates about American politics.
Prerequisites: RHT and Foundation H&S and A&H
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| HSS2418 |
INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY(SOC) |
3.00 credits |
| |
HSS2418
Introduction to Sociology
(Intermediate Liberal Arts)
Sociology explains human behavior in terms of group activities. The solidarity of a social group allows group members to work cooperatively towards common goals. But the dark side of group solidarity is that it often leads members to feel hostility towards individuals who are not a part of the group and for non-members to experience feelings of resentment towards the group and its members. How is solidarity achieved? How is the formation of social identity affected by group solidarity? How do groups competing for scarce resources construct a view of their group's needs, hopes, and desires? Where are group members and nonmembers situated in this view of social life? This course examines the relationship between group solidarity, resource scarcity, and the formation of social identity in everyday life.
Prerequisites: RHT and Foundation H&S and A&H
This course is typically offered in the following semesters: Spring and Summer I
|
| HSS2420 |
MEDIA STUDIES (MDS) |
3.00 credits |
| |
HSS2420
Media Studies
(Intermediate Liberal Arts)
This course explores the structure and functions of the mass media in contemporary society, looking at social, cultural, economic and political issues relevant to television, film, radio, recorded music, books, newspapers, magazines, internet and new communication technologies. Exploration of relationships between media and individual, media structure, media policy, law and ethics, and globalization of communications media is emphasized.
Prerequisites: RHT and Foundation H&S and A&H
|
| HSS2433 |
COMPARATIVE POLITICS(POL) |
3.00 credits |
| |
HSS24333
Comparative Politics
(Intermediate Liberal Arts)
This course will use comparative methods to explore a variety of issues at the heart of modern politics. Through investigating the politics, economics, and societies in a wide variety of countries, including Britain, Russia, China, Iran, and Brazil, the course will examine the impacts of different political institutional structures, the relationship between capitalism and democracy, causes of revolutions, the role of ideas in politics, and how strong communal identity can strengthen or weaken states as well as other related topics.
Prerequisites: Foundation Program
|
| POL3610 |
ETHNO-POLITICAL CONFLICT |
4.00 credits |
| |
POL3610
Ethno-Political Conflict
(Advanced Liberal Arts)
Students who have taken HSS2432 cannot take this course.
After beginning with theories of communal identity, this class will explore the origins, dynamics, and settlement of ethno-political conflict. Cases such as Northern Ireland, former Yugoslavia, Rwanda, and Islamic communities in Europe will be used to examine the role of socio-economic factors and political institutions, conceptions of justice, and actions by international actors in determining when and why ethnic violence occurs. The course will conclude with a focus on current developments in Iraq.
Prerequisites: 3 Intermediate Liberal Arts courses (LVA, CVA, HSS)
|
| POL3677 |
THE AMERICAN PRESIDENCY |
4.00 credits |
| |
POL3677 American Presidency
(Advanced Lib Arts)
In this course we will examine the origins, development, and political power of the US presidency, the institutional context in which presidential leadership takes place, and the role of the president as a symbolic figure. The Constitutional basis of the American Presidency is the same today as it was in George Washington's time, but the role the president plays today is very different than it was in 1789. We will look at the success of presidents from Washington to George W. Bush in meeting the country's leadership expectations and will analyze why some presidents have been more successful than others. The accomplishments of different presidents will be reviewed and the contributions they made to the development of the office evaluated. Given that that the Presidential campaign will be taking place during this semester, with the election in early November, we will pay close attention to the campaign as it occurs, including assessing the status of the race, the major issues, and the complicated politics and strategies pursued by the major candidates in 2008. This class will expose students to a variety of perspectives and methods that can be employed to analyze the institution of the Presidency, the decision-making process of its occupants, and the effectiveness of specific presidential administrations. Among the questions we will explore are the following: How did the founders conceive the role of the presidency, and how has that role changed over time? How does the institutional context expand or constrain presidential power and influence? How does presidential rhetoric shape national priorities? By what standard do we measure any particular presidency to have been great, near-great, unsuccessful, or a failure? In particular, what assessment might we make of the Presidency of George W. Bush now that we have almost two terms of his administration to analyze?
Prerequisites: 3 Intermediate Liberal Arts Courses (CVA, LVA, HSS)
|
| SOC3610 |
MINORITY VOICES IN ENTREPRSHP |
4.00 credits |
| |
SOC3610 Minority Voices in Entrepreneurship: The Democratization of Resources and Influence
(Advanced Liberal Arts)
Though entrepreneurship is ordinarily situated in a business context, in this advanced Sociology class we examine the ways in which businesses, products, services and monetary exchanges are contextualized in a matrix of self-identity and societal values. Therefore, we investigate entrepreneurship within and outside of the realm of economic exchange. The postmodern, democratic emphasis on the inclusion of a multiplicity of perspectives resonates with entrepreneurship: each provides an opportunity for the valuation of minority voices encourages and relies upon, diverse, even subversive, views. Entrepreneurship can be understood not only as accessing the economy, but also as promoting self-expression and the representation of group values as they are communicated in philosophies, analyses, cultural understandings, practices, products, and services. Entrepreneurial visions reflect subjective, but not individual, ways of interpreting and imagining the world. These visions are informed by a range of group identities and by various configurations of minority and majority perspectives. Through the collaborative processes of peer review and class discussion, we will work to create an understanding of entrepreneurship as a way of thinking, responding and interacting that can be applied within enterprise development and beyond - to the construction of personal identity and to approaches in relationships, community involvement and political activism.
Prerequisites: 3 Intermediate Liberal Arts Courses (CVA, LVA, HSS)
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|
| Summer II 2008 |
|
| CVA2457 |
IMAGING SUSTAINABILITY |
3.00 credits |
| |
CVA2457 Imaging Sustainability: Nature, Humanity, Business and the End of Sorrow
(Intermediate Liberal Arts)
Meeting Dates: July 14, 15, 17, 21, 22, 24, 28, 29, 31 August 4, 5, 7, 11 Final exam Aug 13 or 14
The primary focus of this course is on the exploration of the concept of sustainability as a juncture of both environmental and social concerns. Historically, the fields of environmental justice and social justice have been at odds, the former charged with championing the environment at the expense of humanity and economic growth, and the latter accused of myopic definitions of what constitutes both "social" and "justice," since it ignores the very real and intensifying environmental pressures both on disenfranchised communities and their members (human and nonhuman) and, by extension, on the human economy itself. With the rapid expansion of globalization, and the attenuating environmental and social crises that accompany it, the contested terrain between these two ideologies begs for reexamination, in the interests of all. Future business and public policy leaders, therefore, will be at the vanguard in determining how best to effect the union of these two heretofore incommensurable approaches to structuring and/or understanding our world. To that end, this course will examine a variety of sources in the consideration both of what constitutes sustainability and what prohibits it--from business case study to philosophical analysis to literary memoir--in an attempt to begin a reconciliatory dialogue between those approaches. Within this context, students will be invited to examine what we mean when we talk about "justice," "ethics," and "profit," and to envision how the concepts of individual and communal responsibility might be revisited and redefined in the effort to create a world which offers sustainable economic opportunity for all, ensured within a commitment to environmental stewardship.
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|
| Summer I 2008 |
|
| ANT3611 |
WORLD RELIGIONS IN EVERYDAY LIFE |
4.00 credits |
| |
ANT3611
World Religions in Everyday Life
(Advanced Liberal Arts)
The focus of this course will be on the lived experience and worldviews of diverse religions vital in the world today. By looking at world religions in specific cultural contexts, we will gain an understanding of the diversities within a religion as well as among them. Among the kinds of questions we will address are: How do particular religions influence ideas and practices concerning gender, marriage, family, child rearing and aging? How do they influence health practices and the symbolic presentation of the body? How do they impact career, workplace and economic practices? How do particular religions in different cultural contexts interact with political structures and ideologies? In addition to using fiction and non-fiction, film, music, visual arts and architecture to explore contemporary religious expression, we will also do field research in the many world religions represented in the greater Boston area.
Prerequisites: 3 Intermediate Liberal Arts courses (CVA, LVA, HSS)
|
| CVA2409 |
EAST ASIAN CULTURES (HIS) |
3.00 credits |
| |
CVA2409
East Asian Cultures
(Intermediate Liberal Arts)
Welcome to Cultures and Values 2409, an intermediate level Liberal Arts course which will introduce you to the cultures of East Asia. This course builds on the themes and techniques in the H&S and A&H Foundation courses to analyze our subject using the materials and methodology of history pursued in an interdisciplinary manner. We will focus on the cultures of East Asia, China, Japan, and Korea; with thematic examples from ancient, medieval and modern periods. East Asia is integrated due to location and the influence that China had on the cultures of Japan and Korea. We will begin our study with the major ways of thinking in ancient China-Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism, with some consideration of Legalism, and Militarism. The ethical structures, ideas, concepts and vocabulary in part one will inform and be assumed in our study of Japan and Korea. We will next study the uses of Chinese Ethics in Japan and Korea, Shinto in Japan, and Shamanism in Korea. Although these three cultures have elements in common, Japan and Korea developed in unique ways and in no way should be seen as pale imitations of Chinese culture. We begin our study analyzing written (Chinese) classical texts, which became classics throughout East Asia. These are elite cultural documents, but we will also consider their impact on popular culture. The fourth section of the course will consider East Asia as a cultural unit. We will interrogate the cultural constructions of identity and meaning in these cultures and the political and social contexts in which these were found. We will consider the impact of modernization and globalization, and the change and continuity within East Asian cultures. Some attention will be given to the cultural impact from and on the West. We approach this course through readings in philosophy, religion, anthropology, art, literature, film, and music.
Prerequisites:RHT and Foundation H&S and A&H
|
| EXP3650 |
RUSSIAN BUSINESS & CULTURE IN TRANSITION |
4.00 credits |
| |
EXP3550 RUSSIAN BUSINESS AND CUTURE IN TRANSITION
(4 credit, General Credit)
This course will provide you the opportunity to learn about Russian business and culture as Russia continues her transition from Communism to Capitalism and struggles to build new political, economic, and social institutions.
The course will begin with a series of pre-departure meetings at Babson in February and April followed by two weeks in St. Petersburg, hosted by the International Relations Faculty at St. Petersburg State University (SPSU).
The pre-departure sessions will provide students with the historical background needed to understand how Russians are coping with the transition to a new business environment and a new political, sociological, and economic system.
While in St. Petersburg, you will visit many of the famous cultural and historic sites in the city (including The Hermitage and Peterhof), the Mayor's office, and the regional headquarters of the largest bank in Russia. You will break into industry groups so that you can more intensively learn about that industry. Examples of previous industry groups have been arts management, marketing, entrepreneurship, import/export, tourism, banking, high tech, and telecommunications. Companies visited in the industry groups were big and small, foreign companies and Russian companies that are either brand-new or Soviet-era companies that needed to adapt to the new economic climate, and owned by Russians or with participation of foreign investment. Students were able to see how Russian companies are run and what opportunities and obstacles for growth and development exist.
Focusing on the 20th century backdrop, the liberal arts component of the course will address the cultural and historical aspects of this transition.
However the most unique aspect of the course is the work you will do with students from SPSU. The SPSU students will be your interpreters, your tour guides, your restaurant and menu consultants, your friends, and they will teach you about Russian life better than any professor ever could.
This course will count as EITHER 4 credits of general management -or- 4 credits of advanced liberal arts, dependent upon the topic of your final paper. The GPA requirement for this course is 2.5. Applications with lower GPAs will be considered on a case-by-base basis.
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| HSS2459 |
THE HISTORY OF BOSTON |
3.00 credits |
| |
HSS2459 The History of Boston
(Intermediate Liberal Arts)
In this intermediate course, students will explore Boston's history, from the seventeenth century to the present, and consider how the city's religious values, economic leadership, and intellectual traditions shaped American identity. Selected topics for the class include the city's Puritan heritage, its place in the American Revolution, Boston's intellectual and social movements, the creation of its museums and civic institutions, and the city's struggles with immigration and race. As part of the course, students will make field trips to some of Boston's most hallowed sites.
Prerequisites: RHT and Foundation H&S and A&H
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|
| Spring 2008 |
|
| AMS3672 |
WRKNG IN AMER:LABOR IN US SINCE 1892 |
4.00 credits |
| |
AMS 3672 Working in America: Labor in the US since 1892
(Advanced Lib Arts)
How has blue, white, and pink collar work changed in the U.S. across the past century? This course focuses on the historical experiences of American workers, beginning with the Massachusetts mills of early industrialization and ending with the global corporations and big box chain stores of the contemporary U.S. We will study workers' unions, and also look at how workplaces have changed with the liberation movements of women, people of color, and gay and lesbian workers. We will use histories, autobiographies, films and paintings to look at the impact of industrialization and globalization, and we will conclude the semester with a unit on college students and their role in shaping the new economies of labor.
Prerequisites: 3 Intermediate Liberal Arts Courses (CVA, LVA, HSS)
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| AMS3675 |
9/11 CULTURE:AMER ARTS AFTER THE FALL |
4.00 credits |
| |
AMS3675
9/11 Culture: American Arts after the Fall
(Advanced Liberal Arts)
This course will examine the many ways that American popular artists (musicians, filmmakers, comedians, writers, and others) have responded to the 9/11 attacks. From the angry patriotism of country singer Toby Keith, to the complex grief articulated by Native American writer Sherman Alexie, the range of artistic expressions has been broad and challenging. In this class students will be asked to examine these specific contributions as well as more general questions about cultural trauma and recovery.
Prerequisites: 3 Intermediate Liberal Arts Courses (CVA, LVA, HSS)
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| CVA2454 |
INTRODUCTION TO CONSUMER SOCIETY (SOC) |
3.00 credits |
| |
CVA2454 Introduction to Consumer Society
Intermediate Liberal Arts
This course addresses long-standing debates about consumer society: How does advertising work? Are consumers manipulated by marketing? Why are consumer choices so important in the constitution of identity? How is consumption affecting the environment? How is consumer culture going global? Special attention will be paid to the ways in which consumer culture structures division by class, gender, and race. Readings by Adorno and Horkheimer, Galbraith, Friedan, Bourdieu, Veblen, Baudrillard, hooks, Bordo, and others.
Prerequisites: RHT and Foundation A&H and H&S
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| CVA2455 |
PEOPLES & CULTURE OF AMERICA (HIS) |
3.00 credits |
| |
CVA2455 Peoples and Cultures of the Americas (formerly HIS3671)
Intermediate Liberal Arts
This course examines U.S. relations with Latin America since U.S. Independence. We will investigate this broad issue from the parameters of diplomatic, political, and economic history, and we especially will focus on an array of accompanying cultural questions. Diplomatically, United States policy toward Latin America has gone through distinct phases, from neglect in some periods, to alliance and cooperation in others, to military conflict and intervention in still other eras. The Latin American response to the numerous U.S. activities in the region also has varied. Overt and covert political goals (often based on domestic developments), powerful economic agendas, and deeply rooted cultural perceptions and stereotypes, all have contributed significantly to intra-hemispheric policies and conduct.
Scholars have posited various interpretations over the years, each emphasizing one set of motivations as being paramount. The role of the United States in Latin America has not always been clear nor is there unanimous agreement on its impact. Yet, there are a number of common themes that characterize the relationship between the "colossus to the north" and its neighbors to the south. This course seeks to identify these common themes and to provide a basis for understanding contemporary and future cultural, political, and economic relations in the Americas.
Prerequisites: RHT & A&H & H&S Foundation
|
| CVA2456 |
MAKING ETHNIC SELVES (AMS) |
3.00 credits |
| |
CVA 2456 Making Ethnic Selves: The Stories of American Immigrants and Their Children (AMS)
Intermediate Liberal Arts
In this course we will explore the many ways that immigrants to America (and their children) have explained themselves to other Americans and to each other. Exploring multiple forms of expression--including films, journalism, novels, popular songs, graphic novels, literature for children, graffiti, and so on--we will make an effort to do justice to the innovative ways that the newest Americans have engaged in public acts of self-creation. The aim is to understand, ultimately, how immigrant and ethnic narratives have acted as central players in the formation of a wider American identity.
Prerequisite: RHT & Foundation A&H and H&S
|
| EXP3661 |
UGANDA: CULTURE, SOC & EPS IN DEVL ECNMY |
4.00 credits |
| |
|
| GDR3610 |
WOMEN'S STUDIES |
4.00 credits |
| |
GDR3610
Topics in Women's Studies
(Advanced Liberal Arts)
This course provides a forum to examine and discuss contemporary womens and girls roles and positions. The course will address the following topics: first and second waves of feminism, sexuality, psycho-social influences on gender construction, paid work and structures of inequality, women and social protest and family configurations. At the beginning of the course, we will read some historic documents as background to the womens movement in the United States. Although the main focus will be on women and girls in the United States, we will also discuss womens positions in other countries as well. Because femininity and images of women are balanced, and often countered, by masculinity and images of men, we will spend time discussing men in relation to women. Integral to this course is recognition of how race, class, ethnicity and sexuality converge to influence how women negotiate their political, social and cultural roles. Finally, we will attempt to become enlightened witnesses to the social construction of femininity and masculinity, and use our understanding to notice stereotypical portrayals as well as new, liberating images of women and men.
Prerequisites: 3 Intermediate Liberal Arts Courses (CVA, LVA, HSS)
|
| HIS3606 |
HISTORY AND CULTURE OF AMERICAN BUSINESS |
4.00 credits |
| |
HIS3606 The History and Culture of American Business
Advanced Liberal Arts
How have generations of Americans used business to define their ambitions and identities? How has commerce influenced the nation's mythology and ideals? What are the social and personal costs of the U.S.'s veneration of the marketplace? In this advanced-level history course, students will examine how business has shaped American culture and society. Selected subjects for the class include the rise of the corporation, the icons of American business, the power and politics of consumption, ethnic and immigrant entrepreneurship, and the role of the marketplace in the nation's economic and cultural development.
Prerequisites: 3 Intermediate Liberal Arts (CVA, LVA & HSS)
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| HIS3665 |
REV & TER IN MODERN LATIN AM |
4.00 credits |
| |
HIS3665
Revolution and Terror In Modern Latin America
(Advanced Liberal Arts)
This course enables students to gain an understanding of historical events in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean through an examination of revolutions. Topics include such events as the Mexican, Cuban, and Nicaraguan Revolutions, and the role of the United States in the region. In addition to addressing theoretical issues concerning the definition and nature of revolutions, the course covers the historical causes and results of specific upheavals. Because the class is a seminar, the amount of reading is substantial, discussion is prevalent, and students are required to offer individual presentations and papers about specific revolutions. Moreover, we will attempt, with theoretical models as our guideposts, to make connections among the various historic events in order to see how these revolutions are part of a larger historical process in the Caribbean and Latin America as a whole.
Prerequisites: 3 Intermediate Liberal Arts Courses (CVA, LVA, HSS)
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| HSF1300 |
H&S FOUNDATION |
3.00 credits |
| |
HSF1300
Crises in Community and Citizenship
(Fall Semester)
(Foundation Liberal Arts)
That the United States is a "nation of immigrants" is a truism ingrained in American culture and public disclosure. To it we might add another: Americans are people "on the move". If such characterizations are commonplace, however, unpacking them is anything but simple. This course endeavors to unpack these ideas, introducing students to college-level work in the Liberal Arts through an explorations of the construction of "American" identity in the 20th century.
Prerequisites: NONE
HSF1300
HUMAN AGENCY AND COMMUNITY IN A GLOBALIZING WORLD
(Spring Semester)
(Foundation Liberal Arts)
Over the past century human societies have changed at an unprecedented rate and with an unprecedented scope. These changes have been often traumatic, sometimes revolutionary and nearly always unpredictable. This course examines the impact of a number of different kinds of upheavals and transformations on individuals, communities and nations, as well as transnational formations. The course will focus on periods of dramatic change in different parts of the world. As we move from one historical and geographic context to another, we will address the following set of related questions. What are the different ways that individuals can "belong" to a society? How is social identity constructed and deconstructed? How do individuals exercise human agency in the face of institutional oppression? What are the possibilities for individual and communal healing from historical trauma? What is the relationship of memory to history? What does citizenship mean in a globalizing world?
Prerequisite: NONE
|
| HSF1311 |
HNRS H&S FOUNDATION |
3.00 credits |
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HSF1311
Crises in Community and Citizenship
(Fall Semester)
(Foundation Liberal Arts)
That the United States is a "nation of immigrants" is a truism ingrained in American culture and public disclosure. To it we might add another: Americans are people "on the move". If such characterizations are commonplace, however, unpacking them is anything but simple. This course endeavors to unpack these ideas, introducing students to college-level work in the Liberal Arts through an explorations of the construction of "American" identity in the 20th century.
Prerequisites: NONE
HSF1311
HUMAN AGENCY AND COMMUNITY IN A GLOBALIZING WORLD
(Spring Semester)
(Foundation Liberal Arts)
Over the past century human societies have changed at an unprecedented rate and with an unprecedented scope. These changes have been often traumatic, sometimes revolutionary and nearly always unpredictable. This course examines the impact of a number of different kinds of upheavals and transformations on individuals, communities and nations, as well as transnational formations. The course will focus on periods of dramatic change in different parts of the world. As we move from one historical and geographic context to another, we will address the following set of related questions. What are the different ways that individuals can "belong" to a society? How is social identity constructed and deconstructed? How do individuals exercise human agency in the face of institutional oppression? What are the possibilities for individual and communal healing from historical trauma? What is the relationship of memory to history? What does citizenship mean in a globalizing world?
Prerequisite: NONE
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| HSS2400 |
MAKING OF MODERN AMERICA(HIS) |
3.00 credits |
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HSS2400 MAKING OF MODERN AMERICA(HIS)
The Making of Modern America: The 1920s
(Intermediate Liberal Arts)
The decade of the 1920s witnessed the birth of much of that we consider "modern" in the United States. Students in this course will examine this decade closely, focusing on several key moments and developments: anti-immigrant hysteria and the Braintree, Massachusetts trial of Sacco and Vanzetti; the Navy investigations of Newport, Rhode Island and the rise of queer communities; competing visions of Black Liberation and the art of the Harlem Renaissance; the rise of big business, the decline of small town America, and the mass appeal of the Ku Klux Klan; women and men and their roles in the new economies of sex and work. We will use historical sources, among them film and fiction, to explore the currents of the twenties and draw connections to the social and political debates of the contemporary U.S.
Prerequisites: RHT and Foundation H&S and A&H
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| HSS2401 |
INTRO TO PSYCHOLOGY (PSY) |
3.00 credits |
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HSS2401
Introduction to Psychology
(Intermediate Liberal Arts)
This course offers a survey of psychology, the scientific study of human thought, feeling, motivation, and behavior. Among the subtopics to be explored are: perception, learning memory, emotion, stress & coping, social influence, personality (normal and abnormal), and psychotherapy. This is primarily a lecture course, with class time occasionally devoted to in-class demonstrations discussion, and films. Final grades are based on frequent (around 6) objective tests, an analytic paper, and a comprehensive final examination. The course addresses competencies such as: understanding the individual and the relationship between individual and social realities; understanding and critically appreciating and weighing quantitative and qualitative information from scientific sources; and applying these types of information to the task of reflecting on oneself and others.
Prerequisites: RHT and Foundation H&S and A&H
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| HSS2411 |
AMERICAN POLITICS(POL) |
3.00 credits |
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HSS2411 Introduction to American Politics (POL)
Intermediate Liberal Arts
This course provides an introduction to American politics and the American political system. Throughout the course the principles and institutions of American politics will be critically approached, with a view to such concerns as the relationship between liberty and obligation, politics and culture, and democracy and governance. Since this is a Presidential Election year, we will begin with the primary process, focusing on the Democratic and Republican primaries that begin prior to our first class and continue throughout the semester. We will follow the primaries throughout, and by the end of the semester will likely know who will be the nominees of the Democratic and Republican parties in November, 2008. So, we start the semester with some basic questions: What is the primary process? How does it work? Who are these candidates and what are their positions on various issues? With the primary process and impending Presidential election as the consistent background for our semester, we will work towards understanding the foundations, processes, and cultural basis of American politics. From this basis we can have an informed debate about some of the more controversial domestic and foreign policy issues of our time. Along with the required texts and on-line readings for the course, all students must read the newspaper on a daily basis to stay up to date on current events relevant to our discussions and debates about American politics.
Prerequisites: RHT and Foundation H&S and A&H
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| HSS2418 |
INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY(SOC) |
3.00 credits |
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HSS2418
Introduction to Sociology
(Intermediate Liberal Arts)
Sociology explains human behavior in terms of group activities. The solidarity of a social group allows group members to work cooperatively towards common goals. But the dark side of group solidarity is that it often leads members to feel hostility towards individuals who are not a part of the group and for non-members to experience feelings of resentment towards the group and its members. How is solidarity achieved? How is the formation of social identity affected by group solidarity? How do groups competing for scarce resources construct a view of their group's needs, hopes, and desires? Where are group members and nonmembers situated in this view of social life? This course examines the relationship between group solidarity, resource scarcity, and the formation of social identity in everyday life.
Prerequisites: RHT and Foundation H&S and A&H
This course is typically offered in the following semesters: Spring and Summer I
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| HSS2423 |
ANTHROPOLOGY OF EUROPE(ANT) |
3.00 credits |
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HSS2423
Anthropology of Europe
(Intermediate Liberal Arts)
This course seeks to familiarize students with the societies and cultures of Europe from an anthropological perspective. Historical material provides for the understanding of current cultural, linguistic, religious and ethnic variation. Major emphasis is placed on the analysis of a range of contemporary communities from peasant to urban, East to West, and from North to South.
Prerequisites: RHT and Foundation H&S and A&H
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| HSS2458 |
THE MODERN AMERICAN CITY |
3.00 credits |
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HSS 2458 The Modern American City (HIS)
Intermediate Liberal Arts
In this intermediate course, students will analyze how urban centers such as Boston, Chicago, New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles have served as catalysts for major developments in nineteenth and twentieth-century American history. The course will consider how these cities have spurred the nation's economy, politics, and culture, and have shaped American identity by welcoming millions of immigrants, artists, intellectuals, and bohemians. Selected subjects include Boston's institutions of culture, Chicago's factory system, the popular amusements of Coney Island, the architecture and music of "Jazz Age" New York, the development of public housing, the counterculture in San Francisco, and the urban crisis in Los Angeles.
Prerequisites: RHT and Foundation A&H and H&S
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| MDS3600 |
MEDIA & IDENTITY IN POSTCOL INDIA |
4.00 credits |
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MDS3600 PRODUCING 'INDIA': MEDIA AND NATIONAL IDENTITY IN POSTCOLONIAL INDIAN SOCIETY
This advanced undergraduate course will examine the impact of the media in shaping understandings of national identity in postcolonial India. Following independence from colonial rule in 1947, the media have played a central role in representing and refashioning ideas of what it means to be Indian. From popular cinema to online communities, from political cartoons to televised productions of Indian epics, the products of postcolonial Indian media are sites of competing and complementary visions of Indian modernity. They reflect profound contestations over ideas of self and society and individual and community, dynamics of class, caste, gender, and ethnic relations, and logics of national and global belonging in the eras of Nehruvian socialism and global capitalism.
Drawing on this conceptual framework, we will critically evaluate the role of print media, television, film, and the internet in contributing to the complex negotiations over postcolonial Indian identity. Course materials will be drawn from a range of disciplines, genres, and media, and will cover print media, cinema, television programs, calendar art, and websites. We will also examine the assumptions underlying various disciplinary and interdisciplinary modes of media analysis.
Prerequisites: 3 Intermediate Liberal Arts Courses (CVA, LVA, HSS)
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| POL3675 |
JUSTICE, REVENGE & DEFEAT |
4.00 credits |
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POL3675
Justice, Revenge and Defeat
(Advanced Liberal Arts)
This political theory course examines the intricate connections between three important political concepts; justice, revenge and defeat. Most examination of political and cross-cultural histories center on the victor, and to a smaller extent resistance. The experience of defeat or domination, however, scarcely elicits examination, in spite of its prevalence. In this course, we are interested not only in the factors contributing to defeat in political and social relations, but also in how it is interpreted in terms of new or reconfigured ideas of justice, and how the widely observed desire for revenge is based on a conception of defeat as a violation of justice. By addressing these issues, we will be able to grapple with the complex political matter of how defeated or dominated people conceptualize and practice resistance, if they can at all. The course examines these concepts and concerns in terms of their immense presence in political and social history, and with regards to how they function in our time. We will make this theoretical journey through texts such as Tzvetan Todorovs The Conquest of America, Friedrich Nietszches On the Genealogy of Morals, Carols Frieres Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Aeschyluss The Oresteia, Rigoberta Menchus I, Rigoberta Menchu: An Indian Woman in Guatemala, Taiaiake Alfreds Peace, Power and Righteousness: An Indigenous Manifesto and James Scotts The Weapons of the Weak.
Prerequisites: 3 Intermediate Liberal Arts Courses (CVA, LVA, HSS)
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| PSY3605 |
PSYCHOLOGY OF PERSONALITY |
4.00 credits |
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PSY3605 Psychology of Personality
Advanced Liberal Arts
This course will examine major theoretical and empirical approaches to the study of personality within the different domains of psychology. Classic theories of personality (e.g., psychoanalytic, behavioral, trait, humanistic, cognitive, and social roles) are explored and evaluated through lectures, readings, case materials, and films. Lectures will expand upon ideas and concepts presented in the text.
Prerequisite: 3 Intermediate Liberal Arts Courses (CVA, LVA, HSS)
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| Winter 2008 |
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| AMS3691 |
9/11 CULTURE: THE RESPONSE ON FILM |
2.00 credits |
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This course will meet from 8:00 AM to 11: 30 AM on the following dates:
January 3,4,7,9,10,14 - Final on January 18th
AMS3691 9/11 Culture: The Response on Film
"In this course we will examine the many attitudes and strategies that American filmmakers have brought to the question of how to respond to the events of 9/11. From the high seriousness of Steven Spielberg to the high comedy of Team America, students in this course will be exposed to a range of ways that 9/11 has entered the American film vocabulary. The class will require some out of class viewing, as well as a number of research-oriented essays. Other films to be studies might include Spike Lee's 25th Hour, Oliver Stone's World Trade Center, and the Showtime miniseries Sleeper Cell
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| HIS3677 |
HISTORY,CULTR&ECN OF MODERN MEXICO |
4.00 credits |
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HIS3677
The History, Culture and Economy of Modern Mexico
Advanced Liberal Arts
Prerequisites: 3 Intermediate Liberal Arts courses (CVA, LVA, HSS)
or Instructor Permission
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