[108]
Performing Blackness.
Focuses on the revolutionary work of performance artists in the Diaspora and the ways in which they use the arts as a form of political dissent, dissidence, celebration and social change. A look at the historic interrelationship between identity, social change and the performance arts, considering artists’ creative powers as consumers, producers, critics, supporters, objects and subjects of “art” as expressed in selected examples of contemporary visual art, theatre, music, film, spoken word poetry and other texts.
(Writing-intensive.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
120F,S Introduction to Afro-Latina/o History and Cultures.
Examines Afro-Latino culture and history, developing a broad historical overview while focusing on the continuing demographic changes of the present generation in and across the Americas. A focus on important historical and cultural links between African Americans and Latinos of African descent. Exposure to a variety of historical, literary and artistic sources, and the perspectives of important scholars and theorists, permits a critical introduction to the works and ideas that have formed the core of the growing field in Afro-Latino/a studies.
(Writing-intensive.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[170]
The Mestizo Metropolis: Racialization and the American Global City.
Focuses on the strategic roles that emerging Latino/a and African communities play in urban centers like Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Miami and San Antonio. Explores how both groups establish and maintain distinctive social and cultural identities in the American metropolis. Film, literature, art, architecture and the media will examine the varying forms of cultural expression and representation of both groups.
(Writing-intensive.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
230F Black Internationalism: The Making of Black Political Culture.
An examination of the development of a vibrant black political culture that was transnational in scope and predicated on the shared experiences of people of African descent. Drawing upon the networks of communication created by the spread of ideas, news and rumor during the slave revolts in the Caribbean at the end of the 18th century, as well as writings that included novels, political tracts, speeches, newspapers and magazines in the 19th and 20th centuries.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 101 or one course in government, history or sociology.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
301S Knowledge and Method in Global African Studies.
The methods of scholars differ from the creative processes of artists, but the knowledge they produce provides disciplinary takes on the same reality. Examines exemplary works of scholarship, art, literature, music and film, and focuses on the method and/or process by which these works are made. Uses these works to unravel the nuts and bolts of scholarly writing, citing sources, internal citations and organization as students produce their own writing using at least three of the methods/approaches discussed in the class.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 220, 221 or consent of instructor.
Maximum enrollment, 12.
[303S]
Black Popular Culture.
Examines black popular culture of the African diaspora through an exploration of a series of representations, cultural practices and folk traditions. Participants will interrogate the "black experience" and its legacy in aspects of consumer culture, film, music (jazz, hip hop, blues), television, social class and gender. Considers the methodological and theoretical implications of these approaches for both anthropological inquiry and Africana studies.
(Writing-intensive.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[307S]
Pan-African Perspectives in the 21st Century.
A focus on Pan-Africanism as a philosophy, social movement and cultural phenomenon, specifically focusing on the impact of the movement and the thrust for dignity by African peoples globally. Within Pan-Africanism itself the course will seek to redefine critical aspects of Pan-Africanism in light of interventions by African feminists to end the silences relating to patriarchy and gender oppression.
(Writing-intensive.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[308F]
Reclaiming an Ancient African Past.
Examines the ancient evidence for the Afrocentric claim of the African genesis of Western civilization. Explores the modern political context of and debate around the backlash of eurocentric scholars against these claims as well as the epistemological framing of the sociology of knowledge.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Same as Classics 308.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[310F]
Black Women's Experience in the United States.
Examination of the experiences of black women in the United States from 1800-2006. Emphasis on the intellectual history of black women. Topics include the legacy of slavery, the role and influence of religion and the black church, the history of black women's education, the development of black feminism, the roles of and attitudes toward black lesbian and bisexual women, the role and impact of black women in popular culture and music.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Oral Presentations.)
Prerequisite, 101 or consent of instructor.
(Same as Women's Studies 310.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
381F Freedom: Topic for 2013-2014 - TBA.
TBA
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 220, 221 or consent of instructor.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
382S Global African Social Movements.
A broad, interdisciplinary introduction to global social and political movements in Africa and the Americas throughout a 200-year period from the revolutions at the end of the 18th century to the modern political and social movements. Addresses theories of social movements, their racial and cultural formation, the variations in type and consequence of movements, and the contexts in which they arose. Examples of movements to be studied are the anti-slavery movement, the Pan-Africanist movement, the women’s movement and the rise of modern NGOs.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 101, 220, 221 or consent of instructor.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Westmaas.
[201S]
Introduction to American Studies.
An interdisciplinary introduction to culture and society in the United States, from the colonial era through the 21st century, as revealed in literary, cinematic and historical texts.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, One 100-level course in American studies, English or history. Not open to seniors.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[205F]
Video Game Nation.
Investigates how to critically interpret and analyze video games and the roles they play in visual and popular culture, and how to test the application of these approaches to various issues in gaming and digital media culture more generally. Topics and themes include genre and aesthetics, the game industry, spectatorship, play, narrative, immersion, gender, race, militarism, violence and labor.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Same as Cinema and New Media Studies 205.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[201F]
Linguistic Theory: A Brief History.
A general examination of the nature of language. Topics include the history of ideas about language; philosophical and cognitive aspects of language; evolutionary, structural and generative approaches to the analysis of language.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Quantitative and Symbolic Reasoning.)
Prerequisite, 126, 127 or consent of instructor.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
231S Societies of the Middle East.
Exploration of Middle East societies and culture with attention to geography, ethnic groups, social divisions, gender issues, and religion, and to literature, and art and popular culture. Focus on contemporary society with consideration of the enduring presence of historical phenomena. Examination of influences producing unifying and stabilizing effects on societies of the area, particularly factors causing dislocation, discords and internal tensions. Comparative examination of social power, social change and cultural diversity in the region.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 113, 114, 115, 126, or 127, or consent of instructor.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Koukjian.
[264]
Ethnography of Literacy and Visual Language.
Theory and analysis of communication and meaning in social and cultural context with particular attention devoted to the often-neglected aspects of literate communication.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 113, 114, 115, 126, 127, or 201, or consent of instructor.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
270F,S The Ethnography of Communication.
Theory and analysis of communication and meaning in social and cultural context.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 113, 114, 115, 126, 127 or 201, or consent of instructor.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
LaDousa.
[302S]
Seminar in Linguistic Semiotics.
Focused examination of the nature of meaning as constituted through the formal structures of language (grammatical and semantic) and its pragmatic (social) functions. Strong emphasis on data-oriented analyses. Specific topics may include grammatical classification, comparative morphology, diachronic (historical and sociolinguistic) issues, the relation of discursive process to grammatical formation.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 126, 127, 201, 270 or consent of instructor.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
325F Analytic Methods in Archaeology.
A survey of analytic techniques central to archaeological and paleoecological interpretation. Laboratory performance of artifact analysis and classification, computer-aided data management and statistical analysis. Three hours of class and three hours of laboratory.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 106.
Maximum enrollment, 8.
T Jones.
358F History of Anthropological Ideas.
A consideration of major paradigms in anthropology from the 19th century to the present. The influence of various theoretical perspectives on ethnographic and archaeological description and analysis.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 106, 113, 114, 115, 126 or 127.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Goodale and Urciuoli.
[150]
Architecture in History.
A critical examination of the development of the designed and built environment from the Paleolithic Period to the Industrial Revolution, with consideration given to urban, social and landscape issues.
(Writing-intensive.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
152F,S Proseminar in Art History.
An introduction to the roles that art plays in shaping society from ancient times to the present. Discussion and writing assignments focusing on topics such as stereotypes, gender roles, propaganda, censorship, popular culture, patronage, museums and the art market.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Proseminar.)
Open to first- and second-year students only.
Maximum enrollment, 16.
McEnroe and Pokinski.
[248S]
Paths to Enlightenment: The Arts of Buddhism.
An examination of the history and meaning of the art and architecture of Buddhism within its various cultural locations: beginning in 2nd-century BCE India, through its transmission across Asia to Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Central Asia, China, Korea, Japan, Tibet, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Indonesia. Exploration of this multifaceted tradition as a profound expression of artistic and religious values.
(Writing-intensive.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
261S Art of Ancient Greece and Rome.
An examination of Mediterranean art from the Bronze Age through the Roman Empire. Special emphasis on the archaeological discovery and reshaping of ancient art by later scholars and the concept of the "classical."
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one course in art history or classics.
(Same as Classics 261.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
McEnroe.
330F Theory and Methods in Art History.
Changing interpretations of art from the Renaissance to the present: biography, connoisseurship, formalism, iconology, feminist and postmodern theory.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one 200-level course in art history.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
McEnroe.
[331]
Introduction to Museum Studies.
An introduction to the history of museums, types of museums and the definition of a museum. Explores the practical considerations and problems of museum organization, operation and administration and the proper handling and interpretation of objects, as well as the philosophical basis, professional practices and ethical ramifications of museums and their changing perceptions and obligations in our society.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one 200-level art history course.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[340S]
The Arts of Zen Buddhism.
An in-depth investigation of the rich and diverse forms of artistic practice associated with Zen Buddhism, a tradition introduced from India to China in the sixth century and transmitted to Japan at the end of the 12th and beginning of the 13th centuries. Topics include Zen history, doctrine and practice, aesthetics and theory of art, symbols and metaphors, themes and genres of painting, art of writing, architecture and gardens of Zen monasteries.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 154, 254, 258 or consent of instructor.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[350F]
Gender Issues in Art History.
Examination of the role of gender in the production and content of art in the Western tradition. Special attention to the challenges facing women artists, the role of images in constructing and reinforcing gendered identities, the impact of feminist and gender-based scholarship.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one course in art history.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
352S Contemporary Chinese Art in the Global Cultural Economy.
Examines the radical transformations in Chinese visual culture in the post-Mao era (1976-present): painting and calligraphy, sculpture and photography, installation and performance art. Topics include the impact of transnational forces of cultural and economic globalization, artistic expressions of cultural identity, historical memory, personal subjectivity and voice independent of the official government line, the rise of a Chinese avant-garde movement, art after Tiananmen, and the place of contemporary Chinese art within a global perspective .
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 154, 293 or consent of instructor.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Goldberg.
[401F]
Seminar in East Asian Art.
Selected topics in Chinese and Japanese art.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one course in Asian art history or consent of instructor.
Maximum enrollment, 12.
[490S]
Seminar: History of Design and the Decorative Arts.
Study of style and social function in the arts of design, with special emphasis on furniture and interior design. Student presentations may include such media as ceramics, glass, metalware and textiles. Visits to public and private collections.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 285 or consent of instructor.
Maximum enrollment, 12.
[491S]
Seminar in Neo-Classicism.
Art around 1800 seen as a watershed between Renaissance humanism and modernism. Topics include the reinvesting of old forms with new meanings, the reevaluation of myth and symbol, the aesthetic dilemma of industrialization, and archaeology and the romanticization of the past and future.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 285.
Maximum enrollment, 12.
240F Plant Diversity.
Evaluation of the diversity of form and function of vascular and non-vascular plants in an evolutionary context. Field exploration of the diversity of local plant communities. Laboratory and greenhouse study of external and internal structure of terrestrial plants. Three-hours class and three hours of laboratory or field exercises.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Oral Presentations.)
Prerequisite, 101 and 102, or 115, or consent of instructor.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Pfitsch.
331S Vertebrate Physiology.
Fundamentals of vertebrate physiology, emphasizing the functional and homeostatic controls that regulate nerve and muscle tissue, and the cardiovascular, respiratory, renal and endocrine systems. Three hours of class and three hours of laboratory.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 101 and 102, or 115, junior standing or consent of instructor.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Gapp.
441S Seminar in Evolutionary Biology.
Study of natural selection, behavioral evolution, genetic variability, molecular evolution, speciation and macroevolution. Discussion of readings from the literature.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 101 and 102, or 115, and junior standing.
Maximum enrollment, 12.
E Williams.
360F Organic Synthesis Toward Improved Human Health.
An investigation into the concepts of organic synthesis as applied to small molecule drug and probe development for the treatment and understanding of human disease. Emphasis will be placed on modern organic synthesis, medicinal chemistry, and chemical biology research aimed toward the realization of personalized therapeutics. The process of developing an original research proposal will be a primary mechanism to reinforce the concepts of this course.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, Chem 255 (Chem 270 or Biology 346 strongly recommended.). Three hours of lecture.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Majireck.
371F,S Research Methods in Chemistry.
Development of research skills in chemistry through a semester-long intensive laboratory project. Emphasis on laboratory work focusing on advanced synthetic techniques and spectroscopic characterization. Scientific writing, oral presentation skills and use of the chemical literature are also stressed. Six hours of laboratory and one hour of class.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Oral Presentations.)
Prerequisite, 265 or 270.
Maximum enrollment, 12.
Ning and Rosenstein (Fall); Elgren and Hershberger (Spring).
[380F]
Chemical Immunology and Immunopharmacology.
Study of immunological responses at the molecular level including an introduction to the mechanisms of immunity, methods and techniques to diagnose infections, and treatment of infections diseases with an emphasis on the design and synthesis of immunotherapeutics.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 255 (270 or Biology 346 strongly recommended).
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[100F]
Introduction to Digital Humanities.
Introduction to the concepts, tools and methods of digital humanities through readings and various projects. Examines the impact of computing and technology on society in the U.S. and abroad: social and cultural implications of computing; social networking; thinking with/about computers; gaming; virtual/3D worlds; strategies for online research; building websites and evaluating electronic resources.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Same as Africana Studies 100.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[215]
Man and Nature in the Ancient World.
Study of ancient Mediterranean conceptualizations of the Earth, the peoples who inhabited it, and the complex relationship among humans, animals and nature. Emphasis on ancient texts in translation. Topics include concepts of space, impact of environment on man and vice versa, identity and "Other," cartography and cosmology. Readings primarily from Greek and Roman sources, but including Babylonian, Hebrew, Carthaginian and
Christian texts, as well as ancient China.
(Writing-intensive.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[308]
Reclaiming an Ancient African Past.
Examines the ancient evidence for the Afrocentric claim of the African genesis of Western civilization. Also explores the modern political context of and debate around the backlash of eurocentric scholars against these claims as well as the epistemological framing of the sociology of knowledge.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Same as Africana Studies 308.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[330]
Food and Dining in the Roman World.
An introduction to ancient Roman culture and social history from the perspective of food, including what foodstuffs were common in ancient Rome, where they came from, how they were used, and what their use and availability tell us about the social status of their consumers. Readings, individual student presentations and research projects, as well as hands-on preparation of food using ancient Roman recipes.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one course in classical studies, Greek or Latin, or consent of instructor.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[335]
Trafficking in the Classics.
Investigates how, and why, ancient Greek and Roman literature and art has influenced the history of literature, art and ideas since antiquity, with special emphasis upon comparing post-classical texts, artwork and performances with their classical sources of inspiration and provocation. Topics and readings vary according to the focus of the course in a given semester.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one course in Latin, Greek or classical studies, or consent of instructor.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[340]
Women in Antiquity.
An examination of women’s roles in the ancient world through various sources: history, archaeology, law, literature and art. Covers the period from early Greece through classical Greece and down to Rome, and traces the shifts in attitudes during these periods.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one course in Latin, Greek, classical studies or women's studies.
(Same as Women's Studies 340.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[341]
Women, Gender and Power in Ancient Egypt and Greece.
An interdisciplinary study of the varying degrees and types of power available to women in ancient Egypt and Greece. Students will analyze evidence from art, archaeology, classical literature, history and sociology to interpret the social construction of race, gender, class and sexuality in these ancient societies.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one course in Latin, Greek, classical studies or women's studies.
(Same as Women's Studies 341.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
342S Women, Gender and Power in Ancient Rome and Byzantium.
An interdisciplinary study of the women of ancient Rome and Byzantium. Examines evidence from art, archaeology, classical literature, history and sociology to interpret the social construction of race, gender, class and sexuality in these ancient societies. From the empress to her freedwoman, the good wife to the prostitute, the midwife to the scholar, uncovers women's authentic voices.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one course in Latin, Greek, classical studies or women's studies.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[360]
Film and the Classics.
A critical study of films that reflect ancient Greek and Roman themes. Films include westerns (such as Unforgiven, Red River and The Searchers), works of science fiction (Star Wars and Blade Runner), and films more expicitly based on Greek and Roman sources (O Brother, Where Art Thou). Readings from ancient Greek and Roman texts juxtaposed with their film representations and readings from modern writers on film and the classics.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one course in Latin, Greek, classical studies or film.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
372S Unraveling Cleopatra.
Cleopatra was a witness to and a shaper of the history of ancient Egypt and the late Roman Republic. To posterity the historical Cleopatra is an enigma, but her image in film, literature, art and popular culture is ever present. Through authors such as Horace, Plutarch, Shakespeare and George Bernard Shaw and through cinematic treatments from the 1940s-1970s, explores how the historical figure of Cleopatra became both the signifier and embodiment of sexual and racial politics across historical periods.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one course in classical studies or Africana studies.
(Same as Women's Studies 372 and Africana Studies 372.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Haley.
374F Ancient Egypt.
A study of the history of ancient Egypt and of its interaction with other ancient African kingdoms, including Nubia, Kush and Punt. Examination of Egypt’s prehistory, language, social and gender relations, and cultural development.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 240 or Africana Studies 101.
(Same as Africana Studies 374.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Haley.
[130]
Coming of Age in America: Narratives of Difference.
An interdisciplinary analysis of what it means to come of age as an “American.” Particular attention paid to factors of culture, race, class, gender, disability and sexual orientation. Perspectives from the social sciences combined with fictional and autobiographical coming-of-age narratives.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Proseminar.)
Open to first-year students only. Group attendance at lectures, films and campus events required.
Maximum enrollment, 16.
[290S]
Seminar in Classics and Government: Cicero, Hamilton and Jefferson.
A study of the career of Cicero, the Roman lawyer and politician, and of the debates between Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson, with special attention to Greek and Roman influences on the founders of the United States. Intensive discussion of readings from Thucydides, Plato, Cicero, Plutarch and the writings of Hamilton and Jefferson.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one course in classics (classical studies, Latin or Greek) or government, or consent of instructor.
Maximum enrollment, 24.
202S Explorations in Communication.
An exploration of the fundamental questions regarding how human communication differs from the communication of other living creatures. Drawing on key readings from the communication discipline, students work collaboratively to discover what makes humans unique. Readings incorporate articles on human communication and scientific studies of birds, frogs, chimps, bees, elephants, among others.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Oral Presentations.)
(Proseminar.)
Maximum enrollment, 16.
Phelan.
[215]
Argumentation.
Explores the basic principles of argumentative discourse including concepts such as spheres of influence, presumption, burden of proof, rhetorical forms of reasoning and evidence. Emphasis is on construction and deconstruction of arguments, the role of argumentation in society, incorporation of research into argumentative structures, and argumentative and persuasive speaking. Emphasis on crafting arguments tailored to a variety of outlets including print and presentation.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Oral Presentations.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
230F Small-Group Communication.
From an individualistic perspective the study of small group processes presents three challenges. First, it is crucial to understand the significant role of groups in American society. Second, one must move beyond the interpersonal dimension to recognize the multi-faceted focus of the group. Third, the study of group process must address the complexity of cultural, political and social influences. Confronts these challenges through the study of cross-cultural perspectives, theoretical analysis and detailed hypothetical applications.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Oral Presentations.)
Prerequisite, 101, 202, 280, 222.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Dowd.
[305S]
Communication, Language and Culture.
Examines language as the primary symbolic medium through which humans record, represent and understand experience. Readings consider culture as a complex system of symbolic interactions and identify relationships among language acts, identity, social contexts and cultural meanings. Examines how language is a cultural medium that shapes perception, understanding and social interaction in order to understand the ways in which language influences thinking and behavior.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Oral Presentations.)
Prerequisite, 101, or one course in sociology or anthropology.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
380S Social History of Advertising.
An historical overview of advertising media and design in American society. Investigates the emergence of consumer culture and advertising innovations, which developed as consumerism permeated American society. Addresses the creation and manipulation of markets, the social, economic and political contexts that contributed to marketing theories, and the impact of advertising strategies from late 19th century to the present.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 101 or consent of instructor.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Casey.
142S Twentieth-Century Fiction.
Organized chronologically for the most part, and involving such issues as sexuality, colonialism and racism. Readings drawn from high art, not popular culture, and include such authors as Conrad, Kafka, Puig, Woolf, Duras and Valenzuela.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Proseminar.)
Open to first-year students only.
Maximum enrollment, 16.
N Rabinowitz.
[143F]
Literature on Trials.
Why are trials so fascinating? Our emphasis will be on the ways they clarify values, establishing borders between acceptable and unacceptable behavior, with attention to how they enforce cultural norms concerning race, gender, and sexuality. We will discuss literary and cultural representations of historical trials, such as those of Socrates, Joan of Arc, Galileo, the Salem Witches, and Oscar Wilde. Course materials to include readings from Aeschylus, Plato, Shaw, Brecht, Stendhal, Kafka, Camus, Morrison, as well as films and other primary and secondary sources.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Proseminar.)
Open to first-year students only.
Maximum enrollment, 16.
152F Literature and Ethics.
Study of literature as a vehicle for moral and political concerns and of the ways that literature shapes its readers. Special emphasis on popular literature, feminist criticism and the problems raised by censorship and pornography. Selected novels and plays by such writers as Ibsen, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Hemingway, Wright, Highsmith, Doris Lessing, Burgess and others.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Proseminar.)
Open to first-year students only.
Maximum enrollment, 16.
P Rabinowitz.
[164S]
Fantastic Worlds: Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Sci Fi and Anime.
Why do we read, write and dream about far-off lands, strange creatures and alternate realities? Why do children, adolescents and adults become absorbed in fantastic, new worlds through texts and movies? How do these worlds transcend time, space, and culture to re-create readers’ hopes, fears, dreams and nightmares? What can these texts tell us about civilization, technology and the great beyond? We will ask these questions and others as we survey 19th- and 20th-century works like Alice in Wonderland, The Hobbit and My Neighbor Tottoro.
(Writing-intensive.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[165]
Truth, Lies, and Literature.
In an age of Internet dating, conspiracy theories, and fierce politicking, the line between fact and fiction quickly blurs. Examines how and why literature manipulates “truth” to formulate a story, as well as texts in which falsity is to be believed; in which biographical details invade what is claimed to be a work of fiction; in which the reader is also a character; and in which historical or literary fact is altered or invented. Works may include those by Bierce, Butler, Calvino, Dick, Fforde, Fuentes, O’Brien, and Vonnegut.
(Writing-intensive.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
189F Introduction to Arabic Literature: Texts and Contexts.
An analysis of the emergence of Arabic literature from its mythological genesis in a cave of Mt. Hira’ in the 7th century to high literary works produced in the thriving cities of Baghdad, Damascus and Córdoba from the 8th-12th centuries. We will then move to Arabic texts
transcribed from oral works told in markets, homes and make-shift mosques in and around the Mediterranean in the 16th century. We will conclude our survey with a select
group of contemporary novels produced by writers in Egypt, Palestine and Morocco.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Same as Religious Studies 189.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
A Peck Mescall.
211F Readings in World Literature I.
Exploring the space and time continuum from 3,000 B.C. to 1700 A.D, this course will examine narrative, poetry and drama from Europe, the Near and Far East. Beginning with cave drawings and Babylonian myths of creation, we will question the ways that women and men have recorded the story of humankind through relationship with one another
and the divine across linguistic, literary, political, and spiritual divides. Special attention to marginality, violence, innovation and damnation in Plato, the Qur’an, Augustine, Ibn ’Arabi, Ibn Hazm, Dante, Rojas, Cervantes and Sor Juana, among others.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Same as Religious Studies 211.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
A Peck Mescall.
212S Readings in World Literature II.
This course presents a comparative study of representative texts in world literature from 1800 to the present, including novels, short fiction, drama, and Star Trek. Particular attention paid to the concepts of self and society, with an emphasis on how the modern self is constructed and explored through narrative technique. Readings to include works by Rushdie, Murakami, Coetzee, Kleist, Wolf, Kafka, Kantner, and Dunn.
(Writing-intensive.)
May be taken without 211.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
N Rabinowitz.
[228S]
From Different to Monstrous: Muslim (and Christian) Subversions and Coercions.
The Iberian Peninsula (now home to Spain and Portugal) was the site of over 700 years of medieval Jewish, Muslim and Christian exchanges. A look into this textual space of Iberian difference after it was officially labeled as dark, evil and monstrous by the Renaissance Catholic Church State. A consideration of marginal Muslim writers like Ibrahim de Bolfad, Muhammad Rabadan and al-Wahrani exposes so-called proponents of Catholic orthodoxy like Don Quijote de la Mancha — not as enemies, but as fellow skeptics of the Monarchy’s attempts to extinguish difference.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one course in literature.
(Same as Religious Studies 228.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[244F]
Tragedy: Then and Now.
How did Greek tragedy work in the city of Athens? Athens was a radical democracy but was based on slave labor and the exclusion of women. How is this implied contradiction displayed in the works of Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides? But tragedy also has contemporary life. How do these plays transcend their time of production? An opportunity to examine relations of gods/humans, fate/choice, as well as gender, class/ethnicity and sexuality. Readings to include works by Seneca, Racine, Sartre, O’Neill, Heaney, Fugard.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Same as Theatre 244 and Classics 244.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[307]
Splitting Personalities: Doppelgängers, Dolls, anD Illusions.
Imitation. Simulation. Artificial. Such terms are often used to distinguish an original from its copy, like Pinocchio, Frankenstein’s monster, or Rossum’s Universal Robots might be from their human archetype. Likewise, these terms invoke a certain anxiety surrounding efforts to create/locate perfection. So what does it mean to (re)produce the human aspect? To confront a subjectivity contingent on our own, which nevertheless marks a decisive split? Works may include those by Bazán, Byron, Capek, Collodi, Hawthorne, Maupassant, Poe, the Shelleys, and Tiptree, alongside Ovid, Freud, and Haraway.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, Two courses in literature.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
347S Literature and Video Games: Theorizing Play and Narrative.
This course will examine the intersections of play and narrative. We'll ask: what role does play serve in story and what purpose does narrative serve in play? To address these questions, we'll compare the imagined worlds and selves of print texts (including Alice in Wonderland, Ender's Game, and The Hunger Games) with the realms and characters of video games (including Alice, Final Fantasy VII, and Mortal Kombat). Theorists include Artistotle, Bogost, Huizinga and others. Special attention will be paid to questions of fantasy, gender, power, graphic violence, nudity, and identity.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 2 courses in literature.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
A Mescall.
216S Fourth Term Arabic.
Advanced level study with emphasis on verbal proficiency, reading and listening comprehension. Highly interactive with supplemental Language Center projects and activities. Short readings from authentic sources.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, Arabic 115, 116 and 215 or placement.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Koukjian.
[201]
History of Dance.
Study of the theatrical, social and ritual aspects of dance through cross-cultural comparisons among dance forms. Exploration and analysis of such historical issues as the evolution of dances, the struggle to preserve traditional dances and dance fusions in a global society. Lectures, discussions and films.
(Writing-intensive.)
No previous dance training required.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
250F Ballet in the Twentieth Century.
Study of the history of ballet from the Imperial Ballet of the Tsars to the present. Study of Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, the Royal Ballet of England and the Kirov and Bolshoi of Russia. Examination of aesthetic principles and their influence on the development of modern ballet. Study of dancers, choreographers, composers and visual artists associated with the ballet world.
(Writing-intensive.)
No previous dance experience required.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Wilcox.
[230]
Translation Workshop.
The work of literary translation is intensely intellectual and deeply creative. Focuses on the theory and practice of translation by developing practical translation skills (from any language, but especially Chinese) through translation exercises and individual projects. We will also read translation theory to better understand cross-cultural communication. No knowledge of Chinese required.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, competence in any non-English language.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
425F Current Issues in Contemporary China.
Presentation and analysis of different perspectives on 21st-century China, including geopolitical issues, economic reform, social changes, political situation and popular culture. Class materials includes documentaries, video/films, web sources and traditional texts. Short papers and oral presentation. Particularly designed for students who wish to improve their speaking and writing skills before working on their senior projects.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 220 or consent of instructor. Taught in Chinese. Huang.
430S Masterpieces of Chinese Literature.
Reading and discussion of the masterpieces from Chinese literature including essays during the early Qin and Han dynasties, poetry and prose from the Tang and Song dynasties, the novels from the Ming and Qing dynasties. Taught in Chinese.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, A 400-level course in Chinese or consent of instructor.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Wang.
450F Remembering the Chinese Revolution through Film.
The 20th century saw waves of revolutions shape the history of modern China. This course examines how Chinese films produced in diverse socio-economic contexts represent this century of revolution. Students will gain a broad understanding of the history of modern China, familiarize themselves with film analysis techniques and post-1949 Chinese cinema, and learn to understand film as the most powerful modern art form for constructing historical memories. Requirements for the course include group presentations, film analysis assignments, and one final paper. Taught in Chinese.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Oral Presentations.)
Prerequisite, A 400-level course in Chinese or permission of instructor.
Maximum enrollment, 16.
Wang.
465S Chinese Education in the Age of Americanization: Crises and Reforms.
Schools in the United States have seen a rapidly increasing influx of Chinese students. In China, this trend corresponds with a growing idealization of the US educational system and dissatisfaction with the Chinese one. Yet the US system has also found itself in crisis, and turned to educational methods at the center of the Chinese system in its reforms. This course will discuss the respective strengths and weaknesses of the Chinese and the American systems, the crises they are facing, and possible directions of reforms.
Presentations, weekly writing assignments, and a final paper.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, a 400 level course.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Zhuoyi Wang.
[316]
Globalization and Gender.
Analysis of globalization and its impact on the economic experience of women. Topics include the definition of globalization with particular emphasis on economic globalization; restructuring in the industrialized economies; gender-related issues in the labor markets of industrialized countries, such as occupational segregation, wage gap, feminization of the labor process; structural adjustment; and case studies of female labor participation in the Third World.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 102.
(Same as Women's Studies 316.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[320]
Social Economics.
Examines the influence of culture, norms and social interactions on the values and behaviors of economic agents. Topics include the economic determinants and effects of social capital, the influence of group membership on individual behavior, social and ethnic heterogeneity and the provision of public goods, the role of religious beliefs and practice in economic attitudes and choices, and fads and fashion.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 102.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
325S Comparative Economic Systems.
A comparative analysis of economic systems and criteria for evaluation. An examination of market, command, mixed and market socialist economies. Emphasis on problems of transition in former communist countries and Japan and Germany compared to the United States.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 102.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
D Jones.
[352S]
Political Economy of the Middle East.
An interdisciplinary study of the relationship between Islamic societies and Western economic systems from early Islam to the present. Focus on the structure and history of economic development and transformation of the Middle East in the modern period.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 102.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
365S Economic Analysis of American History.
An examination and explanation of the development of the American economy, focusing on the period from 1840 through World War II. Topics include the economics of slavery and share cropping, the rise of big business, railroads and economic growth, the development of banks and the causes of the Great Depression.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 102.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Jensen.
375F History of Economic Thought.
A survey of economic theory and methodology from the early Greeks to the present. Discussion of the ideas of major economic writers such as Smith, Marx, Marshall and Keynes, with attention paid to historical context as well as relevance to current economic debates.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 102.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Georges.
[240]
Challenges and Opportunities in Bilingual Education.
An introduction to bilingual education and practice. Working from an interdisciplinary perspective, this course will cover such topics as individual and societal concepts in minority and majority languages; childhood development perspectives; bilingual and second language classrooms; and political and multicultural perspectives on bilingual education.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Oral Presentations.)
Prerequisite, 200 or permission of instructor.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[117F]
Interpretation and Self-Knowledge: “Till this moment I never knew myself”.
We will look at texts in which characters work to interpret the world in which they live and come to some self-understanding in the process. Reading their stories, we too will face questions of interpretation as we try to make sense of the fictional worlds before us. We will read
two plays—Middleton’s The Changeling and Soyinka’s Death and the King’s Horseman; two novels—Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and Dickens’s Great Expectations; stories by writers such as Chaucer, Melville, Wharton, and Banerjee; and a selection of poems.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Proseminar.)
Open to first-year students only.
Maximum enrollment, 16.
[122F]
Literary CSI: Case Studies and Insights.
Through a forensic or close analysis and discussion of selected texts by writers such as John Donne, Shakespeare, Poe, Melville, Edna St Vincent Millay, Dylan Thomas, Toni Morrison, Sonia Sanchez and August Wilson (considered in their contexts), students will acquire the skills necessary for critical thinking and communication of their insights about literature.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Proseminar.)
Open to first-year students only.
Maximum enrollment, 16.
123S Days of a Future Past.
Reading a variety of works that may be described as fantastic or speculative and written by authors from different cultures, we shall discuss and write about these texts in order to develop and improve students' critical reading, thinking, and writing skills.
(Writing-intensive.)
Open to first-year students and sophomores only; not open to students who have taken a 100- or 200-level English course.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Odamtten.
124F The Literary Animal.
Humans have always been deeply interested in animals, and literature reflects this interest in many ways. We’ll examine the complexity of representing animals in literature by reading poetry, novels, and plays that reflect the human/animal divide, imagine being animal, or use animals as symbols. We’ll also discuss how these texts reveal philosophical and moral issues that arise from our relationships with animals. Texts include Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels, London’s Call of the Wild, and Barbara Gowdy’s The White Bone. We’ll also read a range of poetry.
(Writing-intensive.)
Open to first-year students only.
Maximum enrollment, 16.
Oerlemans.
125F Monsters.
A focus on monsters and the monstrous in literature. Readings will include Beowulf, Frankenstein, Dracula, stories by Poe and Angela Carter, a selection of poems, and the movie Aliens. Throughout the semester, we will question what makes something monstrous and how monsters function in literature and culture. We will also examine how monsters intersect with the categories of gender, race, sexuality and class.
(Writing-intensive.)
Open to first-year students and sophomores only; not open to students who have taken a 100- or 200-level English course.
Maximum enrollment, 16.
Hall.
[126F]
Children of Empire.
A look at children's literature, poetry and stories of growing up in England and its colonies in the 19th and 20th centuries in the context of Edward Said's critical views of "orientalism." Authors include Charles Dickens, Alfred Tennyson, Lewis Carroll, Olive Schreiner and Rudyard Kipling.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Proseminar.)
Open to first-year students only.
Maximum enrollment, 16.
127F,S Stages of Identity.
This course examines how a wide variety of drama, from a comedy by Shakespeare involving twins to a 21st Century play about cloning, addresses the problem of determining who we are in relation to society, our families, and our sense of what should be important in life. We’ll pay some attention to the changes over time in performance spaces and practices, but the main focus will be on analyzing character, structure, and language.
(Writing-intensive.)
Open to first-year students only.
Maximum enrollment, 16.
Strout.
[129S]
Truth and Justice, the American Way.
Truth is often a difficult thing to determine. The difficulty is compounded when the stakes of debate over the truth are high, as they are in searching for justice for individuals or communities. We will read poetry, drama, fiction and films that suggest the peculiarly American factors that shape notions of truth when justice is under debate. We will read recognized literary authors such as Hawthorne, Melville, Hellman and Baldwin, as well as writers who experienced imprisonment, including Malcolm X, Leonard Peltier and Kathy Boudin.
(Writing-intensive.)
Open to first-years and sophomores only; not open to students who have taken a 100- or 200-level English course.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
131S The Experience of Reading: Books as Stories, Books as Objects.
Consideration not only of stories in books but also the representations of readers and reading within them and about the cultural and physical experience of reading. How have attitudes toward reading changed over time? Works by Bunyan, Franklin, Blake, Austen, Alcott, Stevenson, Haddon, Creech. Workshops using Hamilton's Rare Book and Book Arts collections and manual printing press.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Proseminar.)
Open to first year students and sophomores only; not open to students who have taken a 100- or 200-level course in English.
Maximum enrollment, 16.
Thickstun.
[132S]
Shakespeare: The Plays Within the Plays.
Most Shakespeare plays have plays in them--either actual staged events, like the performance at the end of A Midsummer Night's Dream, or "staged" public events, such as trials and weddings. We will look at the plays within the plays in order to think about the plays as plays, rather than books one reads, and about the relationship between theater and ritual. Among the plays we will read are Henry IV, Part One, Much Ado About Nothing and The Winter's Tale. Students will be expected to attend showings of the plays outside of class time.
(Writing-intensive.)
Open to first-year students and sophomores only; not open to students who have taken a 100- or 200-level English course.
Maximum enrollment, 16.
[133F]
Apocalypse Now and Then.
End of days, end of empire, end of the world as they knew it -- a focus on the apocalyptic in literature. Possible authors include Mary Shelley, William Butler Yeats, Cormac McCarthy, Ian McEwan, Matthew Arnold, Margaret Atwood, P.D. James and Kazuo Ishiguro. We will examine how these writers envision the end, whether it be on a personal or pandemic scale, and how the anxieties and issues of their times influenced these visions.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Proseminar.)
Open to first-year students only.
Maximum enrollment, 16.
[134F]
Heroic Narratives.
What blend of physical prowess, spiritual strength, moral courage and intellectual power creates a heroic figure, and what sets these exemplary men and women apart from the ordinary run of humanity? In this course, we will examine heroes and heroines from medieval monster-slayers to modern Holocaust survivors, in genres ranging from epic poem to graphic novel. Readings will include Beowulf, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Spenser's Faerie Queene, novels by Charlotte Bronte, Maxine Hong Kingston, and Art Spiegelman, and the play Angels in America.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Proseminar.)
Open to first-year students only
Maximum enrollment, 16.
[136F]
Family Matters.
This course examines the ways pairs of works from different historical periods present the individual in relation to, or as separate from, the family--husband and wife, parents and children, brothers and sisters. Focus on differences of genre, structure, and imagery. Close reading of plays by such authors as Shakespeare, Eugene O'Neill, and August Wilson, and narratives, novels, and autobiographies by such writers as Edmund Spenser, Frederick Douglass, Emily Bronte, and Kamila Shamsie.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Proseminar.)
Open to first-year students only; not open to students who have taken a 100- or 200-level English course.
Maximum enrollment, 16.
138F,S Literature, Art, and Religion.
William Hazlitt described his visit the National Gallery of Art in London in the 1820s as a religious experience: “A visit to this sanctuary, this holy of holies, is like going on a pilgrimage – it is an act of devotion performed at the shrine of Art!” In this course, we will consider the ways in which British literature between 1850 and 1950 represents religious and aesthetic experience as similar, and why some of these authors recommend art or literature as replacements for religion. Authors include Arnold, Carlyle, Pater, Tennyson, Trollope, T. S. Eliot, Yeats, and Waugh.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Proseminar.)
Open to first-year students only.
Maximum enrollment, 16.
Gannon.
139F Dream/Life.
An examination of narratives about dreams, and of those that use dream-logic to present aspects of waking life. We’ll ask why and how certain stories lend themselves to dreamy forms. We will pair our analysis of literary and cinematic texts (by authors such as JL Borges, R Ellison, F Kafka, and J Kincaid, and directors like L Bunuel, T Gilliam, R Linklater, and the Wachowski Bros.) with theoretical accounts of dreaming’s form and function. We will also keep dream journals, in order actively to explore the challenges and the rewards of attempting to convey our solitary dreamscapes to others.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Proseminar.)
Open to first-year students only.
Maximum enrollment, 16.
Widiss.
140F,S Truth, Lies, and Literature.
Google “truth” today and you receive, at last count, 230 million results in return (and changing by the minute). Asking how and why literature manipulates truth to formulate a story, this course raises questions about why truth in storytelling—and in life—matters. Works may include those by Bierce, Butler, Dick, Montgomery, O’Brien, and Vonnegut.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Proseminar.)
Maximum enrollment, 16.
Schwartz.
204F,S Poetry and Poetics.
This course examines how poems work: how they are constructed, and how they produce meaning, pleasure, and cultural value. We will study poetry in terms of prosody, conventions, history, genre, and reception, with the goal of teaching the essential skills of close reading and contextual interpretation. Readings are primarily from the traditions of poetry written in English.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, For first-years, one course in literature. No prerequisite for upperclass students. Not open to senior English or Creative Writing concentrators.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
The Department.
[206]
The Study of Drama.
Drama in English from the Middle Ages to the present, with special attention to literary, social and historical influences and conventions that have defined the genre and its reception in various periods.
(Writing-intensive.)
Not open to senior concentrators in English or creative writing.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[208S]
Strange Fictions.
Examines contemporary science fiction, horror and ghost tales such as Neuromancer, Beloved, The Handmaid’s Tale, Interview with the Vampire, and the films Resident Evil and Dark City in relation to their Gothic precursors. We consider why the Gothic persists, what features have been adapted for the 20th and 21st centuries, and how the audience for the Gothic has mutated. To establish the foundations of the Gothic, we read The Castle of Otranto, Wuthering Heights and The Picture of Dorian Gray (post-1900).
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, One course in literature. Not open to senior English or creative writing concentrators.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[222F]
Chaucer: Gender and Genre.
Examines how Chaucer engages and transforms prevailing medieval ideas of gender and genre. Particular emphasis on his constructions of masculinity and femininity in relation to themes of sex, religion, social power and narrative authority. Readings include Troilus and Criseyde and The Canterbury Tales in Middle English, as well as select medieval sources and modern criticism (pre-1660).
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one course in literature. First-year students need a 4 or 5 on AP English exam.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[313F]
Ghanaian Literature: From Colony to Post-Colony.
Through a close examination of selected works by West African writers such as Kobina Sekyi, Casley-Hayford, Mabel Dove, Ayi Kwei Armah, Efua Sutherland, Ama Ata Aidoo, Kofi Awoonor, Atukwei Okai, Yaw Asare, Akosua Busia, Kofi Anyidoho and Amma Darko, students will examine how the Slave Castles, the Sankofa Bird and Ananse the Spider have shaped the manner in which Ghanaian writers portray their society (post-1900).
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one 200-level course in literature (204, 205 or 264 preferred).
Maximum enrollment, 20.
315F Literary Theory and Literary Study.
In this course we’ll work through many of the high points of twentieth-century theory, considering the varying purchases offered by structuralism, deconstruction, Marxism, and feminism, theories of race, nation, and sexuality, of materiality and the digital, and even of the resistance to theory, in the work of literary and cultural analysis.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, a 200-level course in literature. Not open to students who have taken 297.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Widiss.
[323]
Other Worlds in Middle English Literature.
From the spiritual realms of heaven and hell to the supernatural world of fairies, medieval culture was immersed in alternative and transcendent versions of reality. Explores medieval literature's frequent forays beyond ordinary experience in Middle English works by the Pearl-poet, Chaucer, Malory and Langland, as well as anonymous romance and drama. (pre-1660).
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one 200-level course in literature. Not open to first-year students.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[326S]
Women Writers in Early Modern England.
Work by women writing in English during the 17th and early 18th-centuries. Examination of how women developed individual and public voices, appropriated and adapted received literary forms, and entered into debates about the status and education of women. Attention to the tension between manuscript circulation and print culture, to the reception of these writers in their day, and to their reception in literary history. (1660-1900)
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one 200-level course in literature.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[327S]
English Renaissance Literature: 1550-1660.
Study of the ways works and writers of this period are "in conversation" with each other on such matters as love, death, religious belief, the human response to the natural world and the role of women (in society and as authors). Readings of poems and other works by such writers as Shakespeare, Spenser, Donne, Herbert and Mary Wroth (pre-1660).
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one 200-level course in literature. Not open to first-year students.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
329F "When God Shakes a Kingdom:" Literature of the Seventeenth Century.
Addresses the role of religious issues in the literary life of mid-17th century England. Attention to devotional poetry and spiritual autobiography in light of debates about prayer, meditation and church practice; literary reworkings of Scripture; debates about women's preaching and religious autonomy; and literary and historical documents envisioning the implementation of God's kingdom on earth. Texts will range from self-defenses and personal narratives to lyrics, plays and epics. Authors will include English and colonial American writers (pre-1700).
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one 200-level course in literature.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Thickstun.
330S Comedy and Tragedy, 1580-1780.
Study of tragedies and comedies from the time of Shakespeare through the end of the 18th century, with special attention to changes in the representation of masculinity and femininity before and after 1660, when women first became participants in the professional theater as actors and playwrights. Plays include Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra (c. 1606), Dryden's version of the same story in All for Love (1677), and works by such writers as Ben Jonson, Thomas Middleton, John Webster, Aphra Behn, William Congreve, and Hannah Cowley.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one 200-level course in literature.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Strout.
335F The Romantic Poets.
The Romantic Period in English literary history has long been defined by the work of six male poets: Blake, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Shelley, Keats, and Byron. We will study their poetry in the context of form, history, and politics, and investigate how their work might be seen to form an ideology or movement. We will also read work by poets such as Barbauld, Clare, Burns, and Hemans, popular in their own day, but thought of as ‘minor’ subsequently, in order to evaluate how questions of gender and literary value inform our sense of what is ‘Romantic’. (1660-1900).
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one 200-level course in literature. Not open to first-year students.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Oerlemans.
344F British Literature in Transition: The 1890s.
Consideration of the many new genres and literary experiments that marked this time of transition between the Victorian and Modern periods, including naturalism, symbolism, and aestheticism. The course investigates the ways in which fiction and poetry of the 1890s contributes to the development of modernism by transforming elements of Victorian realism. We will also discuss how authors of this period navigate the changing nature of the relationship between art and society during a time of national transition. Authors include Morris, Wilde, Gissing, Hardy, Conrad, James, Wells, and Schreiner.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one 200-level course in literature. (1660-1900)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Gannon.
[345F]
Marketing the Novel.
This seminar examines the history of publishing in the 19th and early 20th centuries, from lending libraries and the three-volume novel to the banned books of modernism. We will investigate the role of the periodical, the circulating library, editors, publishers, and readers in the writing and reception of novels during this period. We will also pay attention how structures of publishing – such as magazine serialization or the moral censorship of Mudie’s Lending Library – led to new forms of fiction. Authors will include Austen, Collins, James, Gissing, Joyce, and Woolf.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, One 200-level course in Literature. (1660-1900)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
353S Anglo-American Modernism.
Principal trends in Modernist literature written in the United States and the United Kingdom roughly from 1900-45. Examination of the contours of the primary tradition, as well as attention to counter-traditions that evolved alongside the accepted canon. Readings of poems, novels and stories by such writers as Yeats, James, Conrad, Joyce, Woolf, Eliot, Pound, Lewis, Ford, West and Loy will provide the context for understanding the larger trajectory of Modernism together with the opportunity for more detailed consideration of specific individual writers (post-1900).
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one 200-level course in literature.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Gannon.
[374S]
The Hollywood Novel.
A look at novels dealing with or set in Hollywood and at adaptations of novels to film. Students will write short screen adaptations from short fiction and work together as a team (or in teams) on digital video productions of one or more student screenplays (post-1900).
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one 200-level literature course on narrative fiction and one of the following: 215, Art 213, 313, 377 or College 300. Open to juniors and seniors only.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[376F]
Africana Literatures and Critical Discourses.
An examination of literature produced by writers of former European colonies in Africa and its Diaspora, with particular attention to literary and theoretical issues, as well as responses to such developments as Negritude, feminism and post-colonialism. Readings will include selected twentieth and twenty-first century writers. Assignments will involve both written and digital work. (Post 1900)
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one 200-level course in literature. Not open to first-year students.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
378S African American Literature Beyond the Edge.
A critical survey of literatures from multiple genres concerned with conjuration, speculation, investigation, transgression or science fiction produced by African-American writers from the 19th century to the present. Includes works by such writers as Chesnutt, Sutton Griggs, W. E. B. Du Bois, Fisher, Chester Himes, Ernest Gaines, Octavia Butler, Walter Mosley, Steve Barnes, Jewelle Gomez, Samuel Delaney, Gayle Jones, Derrick Bell, Paula Woods, Tananarive Due and Nalo Hopkinson.
(Writing-intensive.)
One 200-level course in literature.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Odamtten.
101F Fundamentals of Composition I.
Readings and writing in a variety of subject areas and disciplines to deepen understanding of Standard American English; to enhance the ability of expression in college-level writings, such as essays, examinations and research papers; to expand vocabulary and increase speed of comprehension and writing in English.
(Writing-intensive.)
Generally limited to first-year students. Upperclass students, see instructor.
Maximum enrollment, 12.
Britt-Hysell.
102S Fundamentals of Composition II.
Writing 102 generally follows the format of 101 and is open to all students whether they have taken 101 or not. Focus on American culture, particularly as seen through film.
(Writing-intensive.)
Maximum enrollment, 10.
Bartle.
[255]
Gender and Environment.
The theoretical, historical and material links between gender and the natural world. We explore how the social category of gender relates to environmental issues, but also focus on how other human differences based on race, class, sexuality and nation connect to the so-called "non-human environment.” The course begins with feminist historical and theoretical analysis of the links between gender and environment, including examinations of Ecofeminism and Deep Ecology. Building on this foundation, we then explore Health and Technology, Environmental Justice, and Global Climate Change.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Same as Women's Studies 255.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
290F Nature and Technology.
This course examines the sometimes contentious relationship between the natural world and human attempts to understand it (science) and control it (technology). We survey ethical, social, artistic and scientific distinctions between the natural world and the human-built world. Specific topics include everyday tools (e.g., hammers), food and agricultural practices (corn & chickens), modes of transportation (trains), and emerging biotechnologies (genes & humans). Readings will draw from works in philosophy of technology, environmental history, and science and technology studies.
(Writing-intensive.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Galusky.
200F,S Introduction to French Studies.
An intensive course to improve all language skills, focusing on oral and written argumentation, proper nuanced expression, grammar and vocabulary-building strategies through the analysis of contemporary literary and cultural texts. A necessary course for study abroad and French culture and literature courses. Mandatory discussion session TBA.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Oral Presentations.)
Prerequisite, 140 or placement exam. Regular class meetings plus a weekly discussion session with a teaching assistant.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
O'Neal (Fall); Guyot-Bender (Spring).
211F Introduction to French Literature I: Writing Difference.
Examines representative works of French literature around the topic of difference. Special attention is given to literary analysis and to coherent structuring of written argumentation. Texts read and movies cover different literary genres and, while working on improving the students’ skills in close reading, they lay a solid basis for strong general knowledge of French literatures. Taught in French.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Oral Presentations.)
Although not a requirement, 200 is strongly recommended; otherwise placement exam results or consent of instructor.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Mwantuali.
212S Introduction to French Literature II: The Emergence of Individualism.
Study of representative genres from the Middle Ages to 1800: the epic, romance, the lai, lyric poetry, theatre and prose fiction. Focus on problems and techniques of literary analysis. Class discussion, oral presentations and papers. Taught in French.
(Writing-intensive.)
Although not a requirement, 200 is strongly recommended.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
O'Neal.
276S Francophone Theaters.
An exploration of diverse playwriting techniques and themes in different French-speaking areas. Plays read or watched on video. Assignments include text analysis as well as dramatic readings and/or reenacting of scenes from the plays.
Authors read include: Marie Brassard (Québec), Aimé Césaire (Martinique), Maryse Condé (Guadeloupe), Mikanza Mobyem (Congo-Kinshasa), Marie Ndiaye, Sartre, Camus, Beckett, or Ionesco (France), Guillaume Oyono Mbia (Cameroun), Guy Régis Jr. (Haiti), Sony Labou Tansi (Congo-Brazzaville), and Werewere-Liking (Cameroun-Côte d’Ivoire).
(Writing-intensive.)
(Oral Presentations.)
Prerequisite, French 200 or permission of the instructor.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Joseph E Mwantuali.
[241S]
Plate Tectonics.
Study of modern plate interactions, tectonic evolution of the Earth’s crust, deep earth structure and regional tectonic analysis, with an emphasis on the contributions of geophysics to an understanding of plate tectonics.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Quantitative and Symbolic Reasoning.)
Prerequisite, Principles of Geoscience. Four hours of class.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[275]
Origins of Natural Systems.
An overview of the origin of the universe, solar system, Earth and Earth systems. Particular emphasis on the application of geochemistry and isotope systematics to understanding the origin of matter, the formation and differentiation of the Earth, the development of plate tectonics and the origin of the oceans, atmosphere and life.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Quantitative and Symbolic Reasoning.)
(Oral Presentations.)
Prerequisite, Principles of Geosciences.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[370F]
Coastal Geology and Environmental Oceanography.
Advanced study of coastal marine processes with an emphasis on environmental issues and case studies.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Quantitative and Symbolic Reasoning.)
Prerequisite, one 200-level course in geosciences. Four hours of class.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[375S]
Origins of Natural Systems.
An overview of the origin and evolution of the universe, solar system, Earth and Earth systems. Particular emphasis will be placed on the application of geochemistry and isotope systematics to understanding the origin of matter, the formation and differentiation of the Earth, the development of plate tectonics and the origin of the oceans, atmosphere and life.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Quantitative and Symbolic Reasoning.)
Prerequisite, four hours of class, two 200-level courses in geosciences or consent of instructor.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
200F Topics in Advanced Reading and Writing.
Close reading of shorter texts, advanced grammar review and extensive writing exercises. Texts focus on contemporary Germany. Designed for students who have had two years of German or equivalent. Taught in German.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 140 or consent of instructor.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Toegel.
310S From Goethe to Grass: Survey of German Literature.
Study of major writers and literary movements from the 18th century to today, including authors from Germany, Austria and the former GDR. Works will include poetry, drama and short prose. Designed as preparation for upper-level literature seminars. Taught in German.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 200 or consent of instructor. Required course for German concentrators.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Malloy.
114F,S International Relations.
Introduction to the theory and practice of world politics. Emphasis on the changing structure of the international system; the role of the nation-state and non-state actors; patterns of conflict and cooperation; the use of force, diplomacy and ideology; the interplay between politics and economics.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Proseminar.)
(Proseminar and writing-intensive in the Fall and Spring.) Open to juniors and seniors with consent of instructor only.
Maximum enrollment, 16.
Cafruny (Fall); Lee (Spring), Lehmann (Spring).
[209F]
Political Oratory.
Examines examples of American political rhetoric from historical, political and rhetorical standpoints. In addition, students will learn how to write and give their own political speeches.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Oral Presentations.)
Maximum enrollment, 12.
[280]
The Politics of Gender.
The impact of gender on politics in the United States and the value of studying politics from a gender perspective. Topics include political socialization, communication, media coverage, public opinion and voting behavior; women's movements for rights and mobilization around issues like the environment; women as public leaders; gender and electoral politics; symbolic gender politics and issues such as education and welfare reform.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 116, 117 or consent of instructor.
(Same as Women's Studies 280.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[302]
Fragile States.
What makes governments and political institutions weak or strong, stable or unstable? Examines the causes and consequences of state collapse; the possibility of re-building states; the role of the military; the causes, consequences and possible remedies of corruption using case studies from different regions of the world.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Oral Presentations.)
Prerequisite, one 200-level course in comparative politics or international relations.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
306S American Political Development.
Analyzes contemporary American politics by examining the development of political ideologies, institutions and policies throughout American history. Topics include the role of religion in American politics, the transformation of party ideologies, the dynamics of presidential power, the evolution of American foreign policy, among others
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one 200-level course in American politics or permission of instructor. Not open to students who have taken 220.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Klinkner.
308S Politics in Mexico.
Analysis of the modern Mexican political system. Topics include political parties, labor unions, congress, and the executive. Investigation of the current challenges that Mexico is facing to consolidate its democracy, and make the transition from developing to developed nation. Particular attention to an examination of organized crime, the weak rule of law, lack of political representation, and Mexico’s heavy dependence on oil revenues.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, A 200-level course in Comparative Politics or International Relations.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Huizar.
311F Transitions to Democracy.
Investigation of democracy in theory and practice through an analysis
of transitions to democracy in post-communist authoritarian regimes.
Case studies will be drawn from the countries of the former Soviet
Union and East-Central Europe. Topics include the importance of
elites in transition, the resurgence of civil society, the role of
ethnicity and nationalism, problems with democratic consolidation, and
the impact of geography.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one 200-level course in comparative politics.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
S Rivera.
[313]
The Politics of the Supreme Court.
Examines the nature and influence of the Supreme Court in American politics. The discussion focuses on how justices actually make decisions compared to how we believe they ought to be made, as well as the debates about the real-world influence of the Court. Students will examine competing views of constitutional interpretation, judicial decision-making and the role of the judiciary in democratic politics by studying several of the landmark decisions of the contemporary court.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one 200-level course in American politics.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[314S]
The Politics of Public Policy.
Analysis of the values and choices central in the democratic policy-making process with a focus on political institutions, with an emphasis on presidential leadership and how complex systems of governance actually function. Also looks at ethical and global implications of policy making to trace some of the principle tensions in democratic public policy making. Utilizes several case studies that exam the political implications of policy decisions.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one 200-level course in American politics.
(Same as Public Policy 314.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[315]
The Military in the American Political System.
Civil-military relations and the politics of supporting a standing armed force in the United States. Internal organization and governance of the military and its members including consideration of the Uniform Code of Military Justice and the Law of Armed Conflict. Justification and regulation of the role of the military in the economy from Pres. Eisenhower’s warning to the present.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 116 or 241, or History 254.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[328]
Topics: The American Presidency.
Examines the nature and influence of the executive branch in American politics, including constitutional arrangements, elections, institutional structures and political parties. Analysis of presidential leadership and decision-making in foreign and domestic policy. (Writing-intensive.) Prerequisite, one 200-level course in American politics. Maximum enrollment, 20.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one 200-level course in American politics.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
329F Authoritarian Politics.
Consideration of the origins and underpinnings of authoritarian rule. Examines variation in the formal and informal institutions of authoritarian systems as well as the conditions under which transition may take place. Emphasis on critical reading of a growing theoretical and empirical literature in order to gain an understanding the particular problems posed within and by authoritarian regimes.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one 200-level course in comparative politics or international relations.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Lee.
[330]
The Tools of Diplomacy.
Examination of the tools and techniques of U.S. policy makers to extend American influence, support our interests and achieve our objectives short of combat and/or black operations. Focus on diplomatic techniques including personal diplomacy by the President and other officials. Evaluate the effectiveness of partnerships with like-minded countries, coalitions and international institutions. Consider the uses of bilateral and multilateral assistance to support national interests. Evaluate incentives in the manipulation of trade, including sanctions; evaluate the value of public diplomacy.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one 200-level course in international relations or consent of instructor.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
335S Seminar: Criminal Law.
Review of major case law related to search and seizure, fair trial rights, self-incrimination and sanctions including the death penalty. Parallel reading in criminology and political analysis of criminal justice issues. Consideration of representative institutions in the system: juvenile courts, the jury system, the police and others.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 241.
Maximum enrollment, 12.
Anechiarico.
[338]
American Public Administration.
Analysis of the history, structure and political influence of public administration in the United States. Consideration of all levels of government with special attention to the influence of reform movements on the development of federal and local administration. Topics include budgeting, corruption and ethics regulation, public contracting and the organization of public works and public personnel policy.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one 200-level course in American politics.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[339]
East Asian International Relations.
Examination of structural, cultural ideological and organizational factors that have shaped the foreign policy of East Asian countries since World War II. Topics include the rise of Japan and the NICs (Newly Industrialized Countries), the Japan-U.S. economic conflict and cooperation, China’s open-door policy, the possibility of a Pacific Economic Community and regional security issues. Emphasis on the interaction of politics and economics, the linkages between domestic and foreign policies, and the interdependence of major powers and small states.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 209, 211, 290 or 291.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
340S Race and American Democracy.
Survey of the role of race and equality in American democracy. Special emphasis on understanding how notions of racial equality have advanced and declined throughout American history and the role of race in current American politics.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one 200-level course in American politics.
(Same as Africana Studies 340.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Klinkner.
341F Culture: Tool of diplomacy or imperialism?.
Examination of the growing body of academic and political literature on the impact of culture in foreign policy. Culture has often been the orphan of US diplomacy with few advocates or resources devoted to capitalizing on American culture. Other countries have capitalized on their indigenous culture to amplify their impact in the world. Comparative analysis of US and other countries’ efforts to use culture as diplomatic tool. Investigation of the tension between cultural diplomacy and imperialism, and possible future strategies.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 245 or 290.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Walker.
[345]
Ethics and Public Policy.
An introduction to fundamental issues of moral and political theory in public policy debates. Topics include ethical compromise on the part of public officials, individual rights versus communitarian values, distributive justice, commodification, property rights, moral duties beyond borders, moral conflict and pluralism, the collision between political and scientific values, and moral responsibilities to nature and future generations. Course materials will include both theoretical readings and policy cases.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one 200-level course in political theory or Public Policy 251.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
349F The International Politics of Oil.
Explores why oil became central to both state power and economic growth by examining how control over oil resources and markets has been used by states and corporations to achieve their often divergent objectives. Looks at how these struggles for order and advantage amidst varying degrees of state and corporate competition have affected international relations and the broader economic structure of the world economy since WWI. Examines whether the world's existing oil-based economic and security relationships is sustainable.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one 200-level course in international relations.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Lehmann.
355F The European Union in World Affairs.
Examination of the origins and development of European integration and Europe's relations with the rest of the world. Topics include theories of regional economic and political integration; evolution of EU institutions; relations between the EU and the United States; development of the European monetary system; problems of European political cooperation; the crisis of the European social model.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one 200-level course in comparative politics or international relations.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Trenkov-Wermuth.
360F The Politics and Theory of Place and Space.
How do we map out, conceptualize, inhabit and govern our spatial environment? What political challenges arise in organizing and maintaining a coherent world of places? A look at the theoretical and political dimensions of place and space through writings of geographers, political theorists, environmental thinkers, novelists and U.S. case studies, including 9/11, the debate over logging in the Pacific Northwest, the problem of sprawl, the decline and revival of old industrial cities, the future of America’s agricultural landscape, and the impact of climate change.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one 200-level course in American politics or political theory.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Cannavo.
363S Poverty and Development.
Examines debates over poverty and development issues in the "Global South." Includes discussion of the ethics of development, the debate over aid to Africa, UN Millenium Development Goals, microfinance, the "Asian miracle" and rapid rise of China, environmental problems and the effects of globalization.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 203, 211, 216, 218, 291, 302 or consent of instructor.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Orvis.
364S Israeli internal politics and US policy.
Examination of the ideology of Israel’s political parties and the nature of its parliamentary system. What is the role of personalities vs. parties? Who makes policy in Israel and what are the influences that impinge on the outcome? What is the impact of public opinion? Consider whether or not the political system has sufficient flexibility to negotiate an agreement with the Palestinians. How much influence does the US have on these decisions? Is a two state solution still possible – is it advisable? What will the impact be of economic and population growth on the parties?
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, Govt 290 or 291.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Walker.
[365]
Free Speech Theory.
Analysis of competing theories of the liberty of expression in the American context. Focuses primarily on contemporary political and legal disputes over such morally divisive issues as “hate speech,” campus speech codes, pornography, media and Internet censorship, and the proper role of free speech in a democracy. Examination of the evolution of American constitutional law concerning freedom of expression.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 229, 241, 270 or 276.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[369]
American Policy in the Middle East.
Examination of American foreign policy-making in a period of deep divisions in the Middle East and in the United States. Focus on the role of the U.S. as it seeks to deal with the problems of Iraq, Iran, the Palestinian conflict, terrorism, democracy and energy. Examination of linkages between U.S. policies and U.S. options for action including the problem of unintended consequences. Consideration of alternative policy courses to deal with existing problems in the Middle East including proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, military options, resource security and the U.S. image.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one 200-level course in international relations.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[373]
Democracy and Diversity.
Consideration of liberal democracies and internal conflict between "universal human rights" and "cultural diversity." Topics include equality and diversity in the "public realm." Questions are addressed theoretically and empirically, examining, for instance, affirmative action comparatively; the public role of Islam in France, Britain, Germany and Iraq; female genital mutilation in the Sudan, Kenya and the United States; and gay rights in the U.S. and Europe.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one 200-level course in comparative politics or American politics, or Africana Studies 101, Women's Studies 101 or College 130.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[374]
War and Politics.
Examination of competing theoretical approaches and empirical evidence concerning the sources, nature of and consequences of armed interstate conflict. Examples drawn from historical and contemporary cases.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 290 or 381.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[375]
Politics and Ideology in Public Education.
Examination of reform efforts in public education. Discussion of purpose(s) of public education in a liberal democratic society and political conflicts over education. Topics include testing, race and class achievement gaps, choice and charters, governance.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one 200-level course in American politics or political theory.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[377]
Enlightenment and Counter-Enlightenment.
Examination of the political thought of the Enlightenment, the early modern period roughly from the English Revolution to the French Revolution (1640-1800). Analysis of such theorists as Hobbes, Locke, Montesquieu, Hume, Rousseau, Burke and Kant. Topics include liberty, equality, natural law, political culture, revolution, progress and the role of tradition. Focus on the relationship between scientific reason and political power.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 232, 249, 270, 287, 365, Sophomore Seminar 216 or consent of instructor.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[378]
US-China Relations.
Examination of the development and issues of Sino-American relations in an era of rising Chinese power. Emphasis on the interaction of global environment, national attributes and leadership characteristics in the formation of the foreign policies of both countries. Topics include the historical context of normalization, political discourse regarding human rights, the role of media, trade relations, the tension over the Taiwan strait, and cultural and educational exchange between China and the United States.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 206, 211, 290, 291.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
381F Creating Palestine.
Review of the negotiating history of the Palestinian issue since 1967, some of the agreements that have been reached and the ones that failed. Focus on the role of the parties and personalities and outside influences, including U.S. policies, which have driven the process. Identify missing elements in negotiations when they failed, mistakes that were made, and, in the process, some basic principles that should be applied in future negotiations. Examine the impact of Palestinian internal politics including the split between Fatah and Hamas. Re-examine two state solution. Simulated negotiation.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, Govt 290 or 291.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Walker.
[381]
National Security Policy.
Intensive examination of issues and theories in U.S. national security policy. Topics include the defense budget, defense organization, civil-military relations, weapons procurement, industrial-base preservation, personnel policy, strategy formulation, U.S. security interests in Europe and Asia, global-arms proliferation and the use of force.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 290 or consent of instructor.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[386]
Theories of International Relations.
Survey of competing approaches to the study of international politics. Realism, transnationalism and regime analysis, and the problem of international system transformation. Some attention to research methods.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 290 or 291.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
388F The United Nations and Global Security.
Examination of the UN’s role in maintaining international peace and security. The focus is on the UN’s work on conflict prevention; conflict resolution; arms control and disarmament; sanctions; peacekeeping; peace enforcement; humanitarian intervention and the responsibility to protect; post-conflict peacebuilding; terrorism; transitional administration; and institutional reform. The course also provides a basic introduction to the UN’s organizational structure, the key functions of its main organs, and the charter articles relating to the UN’s political and security functions.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one 200-level course in comparative politics or international relations.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Trenkov-Wermuth.
392F Human Rights in Theory, Law, and Politics.
Examination of the various ways that people have struggled to pursue protection of justice, humanity, freedom, and fairness through international and transnational efforts. Focus on related theories, activisms, institutions and instruments that have become prominent in responses to contemporary political problems. Explores a series of questions critical to contemporary politics through examination of a range of human rights issues.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, One 200-level course in comparative politics or international relations.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Wang.
394F Social Movements and Political Protest.
Why do people protest sometimes but more often not? How do social movements work, and why do some succeed while others fail?Examines the origins, dynamics, and consequences of social movements and political protest, exploring both nonviolent and violent movements that have attempted to reshape politics in countries across the globe. Emphasis on critical reading of the theoretical and empirical literature in order to gain an understanding of how political differences across countries shape and are shaped by protest.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one 200-level course in comparative politics or international relations.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Sullivan.
200F,S Exploring Hispanic Texts.
Study of interdisciplinary cultural discourses — art, music, journalism, literature, film — from Latin America, Spain and the Spanish Caribbean. Focus on written and oral argumentation; introduction to the interpretation of literary texts. Advanced grammar in context and vocabulary building. Course emphasizes writing, oral presentation and the refinement of speech and pronunciation. Taught in Spanish.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Proseminar.)
Prerequisite, grade of C+ or better in Spanish 135 or 140, placement or consent of instructor. Not open to students who have taken 201.
Maximum enrollment, 16.
The Department.
[201]
Spanish for Heritage/Bilingual Speakers.
Integrated review of the grammatical structure of Spanish for bilingual students, with intense emphasis on writing. Major emphasis placed on anthropolitical linguistics; special focus on political and cultural history of U.S. Latinos/as: issues of immigration, bilingualism, English-Only. Interdisciplinary readings by Latin American, Caribbean and U.S. Latino/a authors, as well as interdisciplinary film. Group activism project targets Latino communities in Utica and surrounding areas. Intense interaction focused on discussion and oral and written argumentation.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Proseminar.)
Prerequisite, three hours of class, placement exam or consent of instructor.
Maximum enrollment, 16.
[219S]
Advanced Study of Grammar and Composition.
An intensive and detailed study of the more complex points of Spanish grammar, including rigorous study of vocabulary and composition. Each unit prepares and teaches the student to write in a certain genre (description, narration, exposition, etc.). Especially recommended for Spanish majors, minors and future teachers of Spanish.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 200, 201 or consent of instructor. Taught in Spanish.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[269]
The Art of Translation.
A study of translation theory and its applications in Spanish to English and English to Spanish. Includes a comparative study of the grammatical structure of both languages, terminology building and ample practice with translations in various fields.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 200, 201 or consent of instructor. Taught in Spanish.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[100]
Murder, Civil War, and Opera.
Ivan the Terrible murdered his heir, and left Russia to face economic collapse and mass hunger without a stable government. Then things got really bad. Did Boris Godunov murder Tsarevich Dmitri? Was the First False Dmitri for real? Only Pushkin knew for sure, but it took Modest Musorgsky to wrap it up in the greatest Russian opera of all time.
This course will explore the relationships between history, art and national identity in Russia.
(Writing-intensive.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
102S Atlantic World in the Era of the Slave Trade.
Survey of the development of the world economy from the 15th to the 19th centuries, with emphasis on the interrelations of Western Europe, Africa and the Americas. Stress on basic skills in the study of history.
(Writing-intensive.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Paquette.
104S Europe and its Empires, 1500-2000.
A survey of European exploration, imperial expansion and post-colonial society. Examines European debates over the principles and objectives of imperialism in the Americas, the Pacific and Africa. Illuminates changing views toward culture, economics, race, gender and nationality. Stress upon basic skills in the interpretation of historical texts and writing.
(Writing-intensive.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Grant.
109S Early Modern Western Europe, 1450-1800.
Survey of transformation of Western Europe from the Renaissance through the French Revolution. Focuses on social, political, economic and intellectual developments; examination of primary sources and secondary studies. Stress on basic skills in the study of history.
(Writing-intensive.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Ambrose.
117F Europe Since 1815.
A survey of European history in a global context since the Napoleonic period. Focuses on political, social, economic and cultural developments. Stress on basic skills in the study of history.
(Writing-intensive.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
A Kelly.
[132F]
Jewish Civilization from the Talmud to the Yishuv.
An introduction to Jewish history from the Geonic period (8th–11th centuries CE) to the 1930s. Focus on how Jews developed a thriving and complex religious civilization while living as minority communities scattered throughout the world. Considers religious and intellectual developments under Muslim and Christian rule, the political and social conditions of diaspora, and the impact of modernity. Stress on basic skills in the study of history.
(Writing-intensive.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
146S Christianity to 1500.
A survey of the origins and development of the Christian religion in its social, political, and cultural contexts from the first century CE to the eve of the Protestant Reformation. Special consideration will be given to questions of orthodoxy versus heresy, the cult of saints, and the impact of Christian theology on the construction of class, gender, and identity in medieval Europe. Stress on basic skills in the study of history.
(Writing-intensive.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Eldevik.
[148]
Native American History Through 1865.
Native American history involves a recognition of the presence of Indians in the early landscape, the significance of their presence and their agency in historic events. This course will address these themes through a survey of the field of North American Indian history from first contact with Europeans until the end of the Civil War. Our goals are to expose students to the best literature in the field, raise questions about Indian experiences based on regional and chronological criteria, considering in particular the interaction of Native history and a more traditional American history.
(Writing-intensive.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[149]
Nature’s Body: The Entwined Histories of Science, Gender, and Race.
People in the past explained differences in skin color and reproductive anatomy in ways that seem strange to us today. Yet our ideas that race and sex are biological and fixed at birth are equally strange – they are modern concepts deeply connected to colonialism, slavery, and the Enlightenment. This course examines how scientific ideas about immutable race and sex became dominant in “the West.” Students analyze primary sources from the classical to the modern eras written by explorers, natural and moral philosophers, botanists, social Darwinists, and birth control proponents.
(Writing-intensive.)
Stress on basic skills in the study of history.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
150F Myth and History of the Middle Ages.
Here’s the inside scoop on all those stories you’ve heard about medieval history! This course will critically examine famous battles, trials, scandals, plagues, and books that changed the course of history in the Middle Ages, and perhaps of Western Civilization itself. Or did they? From the barbarian invasions to Viking raids to the origins of the Renaissance, nothing is really as it seems when we start asking what the original sources really say and what we can really know about the past.
(Writing-intensive.)
Stress on basic skills in the study of history.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
John Eldevik.
152F The Devil’s Excrement: Oil in the Americas.
Some people call petroleum “black gold.” Others call it “the devil’s excrement,” claiming it brings only corruption and debt. Why does this natural resource have such distinct nicknames? This course addresses that question by examining the history of petroleum and its social, political, ecological, and economic effects in the oil producing countries of the Americas, particularly Mexico, Venezuela, and the United States. Primary source readings include memoirs by oil drillers, novels about foreign oil company dominance, speeches by company representatives, and manifestos by petroleum workers.
(Writing-intensive.)
Stress on basic skills in the study of history.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Rebecca Tally.
180F Exploring Culture in the Great Cities of Asia.
An interdisciplinary exploration of Asian cultures through cities in China, India and Japan from early times to the 20th century. Examines the history and geography of greater Asia; its diverse peoples and their philosophical and literary traditions; their religious and commercial practices; and their art.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Same as Asian Studies 180.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Trivedi and Wilson.
301F The Philosophy of History.
An examination of such enduring issues as causation, general laws, fact and explanation, objectivity, pattern and meaning, uniqueness and the role of the individual. Readings from classic and contemporary texts, with emphasis on the practical, historiographical implications of philosophical theories.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, two 200-level history courses or one 100-level history course and one course in philosophy.
(Same as Philosophy 301 .)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
A Kelly.
[303]
A History of Work.
How do we understand the rise of modern industrial society? Examines the narrative of industrialization in a comparative historical framework. Emphasis is placed on the history of industrialization through an examination of the rise of key industries, the formation of middle and working classes, the role of colonialism in economic development, and the relationship of class and gender in the modern world. Students read monographs, as well as a variety of primary sources including memoirs, government documents, and reformist literature.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one 200-level history course or consent of the instructor.
Maximum enrollment, 12.
[305]
Nomads, Conquerors and Trade: Central and Inner Asia.
Study of Central and Inner Asia's place among more familiar Asian cultures such as China and India. Centrally located but distant from the great empires, Central Asia has transmitted peoples, ideas and goods across the Eurasian continent. It has also been home to rich cultures that have combined Turkic, Persian, Chinese, Mongol and Russian influences. Examines dominant cultural patterns across time and place as well as the modern history of the region.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 180, or consent of instructor.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[309]
Seminar on Asian Temples in a Virtual World.
Examination of Asian religious practices in ritual, bodily, and spatial contexts. Discussion of textual and visual sources on ritual interactions with gods; use and layout of temples and altars, including offerings, music, dance, representations of deities; meditation and internal alchemy. In addition to reading conventional textual sources, students will be instructed in digital historical methods to collect and analyze materials on the web. Writing assignments include short essays and a final research project of the student's design to be presented with text and images in digital form.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 100-level History course, course on Asian history or religion, or instructor's consent.
(Same as Religious Studies 309.)
Maximum enrollment, 12.
[312F]
The History of Hamilton College.
Examination of the history of Hamilton College from its founding as the Hamilton Oneida Academy in 1793 to its bicentennial celebration in 2012. Topics include Samuel Kirkland’s mission to the Oneida, curricular reform, the College in the wider world, the rise and fall of Kirkland College, campus life and politics. Students will make extensive use of the College archives and write a research paper on some aspect of Hamilton’s history.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one 200 level U.S. history course or permission of instructor.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[314]
Nazi Germany.
Origins of the Nazi movement, Hitler and the Nazi Party, daily life in the Third Reich, origins and causes of World War II and the Holocaust.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 212, 218 or consent of instructor.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[318]
Competition and Coexistence: Exploring Inter-Religious Dynamics in South Asia.
Examination of interactions among diverse religious traditions of South Asia and of issues linked to socio-religious identities and political landscape. Analyzes interactions and dialogues among multiple religious orders including the Vedic Priests, Renouncer orders (i.e., Buddhism and Jainism), Hinduism and Islam. Investigation of strategies adopted by different religious traditions to compete, critique, borrow, modify and appropriate literary and material cultural elements from each other, examining literature, epigraphs, sacred imagery and reconfigurations of sacred landscape.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one history course.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[320]
Power and Lordship in Medieval Europe.
Examines the social and economic development of early European society, with a focus on peasant life, ecclesiastical institutions and aristocratic power in the context of contemporary medieval intellectual debates about justice, order and inequality in a Christian society.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one 200-level history course.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[325]
"The Making of American Scripture".
An intensive examination of the relation between the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution from the time of the founding to the end of the Civil War. How did the founders and framers understand the relation? What key political and legal events changes that understanding? How did leading thinkers and activists frame the ideas of liberty and equality? What role did slavery play in the debate? Did Abraham Lincoln change the meaning of the Union?
(Writing-intensive.)
First-year students can register only with permission of instructor.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[326]
Rebels, Radicals and Reformers in Pre-Modern Europe.
Tackles the problem of religious deviancy and political dissent in Europe between about 1000 and 1650 with several key questions in mind: How did people cope with the conflicting demands of authority and social justice in the world, and reconcile flawed earthly institutions with the idea of an eternal heavenly order? How can modern historians recover the intentions and thoughts of people whose ideas were often intentionally scrubbed from the historical record? Readings will consist of primary source material as well as recent scholarly literature on the subject.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one 200-level history course.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[333]
Philosophical Masters of Ancient China.
Discussion of the major religious and philosophical schools of ancient China. Readings in the Daode jing, Zhuangzi, Analects, Book of Rites, Mencius and Xunzi. Students read major writings by ancient Chinese masters and debate their virtues and shortcomings.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one 100-level history course, Asian Studies 180 or consent of instructor.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[335S]
Hunger in History.
Examines how people have understood the significance of hunger in terms of health, religion and politics. Addresses the significance of hunger at different times and in different cultural contexts. Subjects include the fasts of religious women in medieval Europe, the experience of famine, the development of nutritional science, the creation of government programs to combat hunger, and the use of hunger in both militant and non-violent political protests in the 20th century.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one 200-level course in history or consent of instructor.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
337S Seminar: Confucian Traditions.
Examination of Confucian thought and ritual practice from classical times to the early 20th century. Emphasis on reading philosophical and ritual texts in translation in order to understand the various ways that Confucians understood their place in Chinese society.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Oral Presentations.)
Prerequisite, relevant coursework in history, Asian studies or religious studies, or consent of instructor.
(Same as Philosophy 337.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Wilson.
[338]
Seminar: Heroes and Bandits in Chinese History and Fiction.
Readings from several of China’s greatest literary works (including histories, novels, opera and poetry) such as Sima Qian’s Records of the Grand Historian and The Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Reexamination of widely held assumptions about history and fiction with discussions and writing assignments on the role played by different genres as sources for knowledge about the past. Emphasis on authors’ attitudes in shaping narrative accounts of heroes, bandits, assassins, scholars, women and emperors.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 280, 285 or consent of instructor.
(Same as Comparative Literature 338.)
Maximum enrollment, 12.
[339]
Columbus's Library: Texts, Travel and the Medieval Imagination.
Examination of works of geography, natural history, travel, and exploration that informed how medieval readers imagined the wider world and its peoples as Europe embarked on an era of unprecedented expansion and growth. Special attention to texts read by Columbus in preparation for what he thought would be a voyage to East Asia, such as Pliny's Natural History, Travels of Marco Polo, and Travels of Sir John Mandeville, but other traditions, such as Alexander Romance, the legend of Prester John, apocalyptic theology, Crusader histories, and Arab travel literature will also be considered.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, One course in history or Asian studies.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[340S]
World War I.
Explores the origins, process and results of World War I, focusing principally on Europe.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one 200-level course in European history or consent of instructor.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
341F Studies in American Colonial History: Revolt and Rebellion in Late Seventeenth Century America.
In 1676 North American colonial life shattered. Bacon’s Rebellion changed the face of the Chesapeake. In Massachusetts King Philip's War was the bloodiest conflict in American history. In New Mexico the Pueblo Revolt pushed the Spanish out. This class will explore the three conflicts and the forces that relate and distinguish them.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 241 or consent of instructor.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Ragosta.
[342]
The Minds of the Old South: Southern Intellectual History, 1700-1877.
Investigation of the intellectual and cultural history of white and black southern Americans from 1700 through Reconstruction. Topics include religious beliefs and practices, literary production and consumption, political and social thought, and relation of southern thought to national and transatlantic developments.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one 200-level history course or consent of instructor.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[345]
The Soviet Union as a Multi-National State.
The USSR claimed to be a revolutionary political form: a state based on the voluntary union of workers from over 100 different nationalities. The Bolsheviks intended to lead Russian peasants, Kyrgyz nomads and Chechen mountaineers together into the bright Communist future. What they actually achieved is another question. Explores the concepts of nation, empire and modernization in the Soviet context.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 221, 222 or consent of instructor.
(Same as Russian Studies 345.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[350]
Slavery and the Civil War.
A study of the causes and consequences of the Civil War, with emphasis on antebellum society, sectional tensions, Abraham Lincoln and military strategy.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 251, Africana Studies 101 or consent of instructor.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[351]
Seminar: Race and Popular Culture in the United States.
Examination of how theater, music, movies, television and sports have reflected and shaped racial politics in the United States. Includes analysis of stereotypes and their political implications for both racial segregation and civil rights. Further considers the agency of African-American performers and athletes.
(Writing-intensive.)
Maximum enrollment, 12.
[353]
Seminar on the Sixties.
Examination of a critical period in recent U.S. history, with special attention to the Civil Rights Movement, the Vietnam War, campus protest and the origins of the women’s movement.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one 200-level course in American history.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
359S The Early Republic, 1787 to 1815: From Philadelphia to New Orleans.
An intensive examination of the early history of the great American experiment in republican government from the Constitutional Convention to the Battle of New Orleans. Focus on the origin and ratification of the Constitution, rise of the first party system, slavery and its expansion, foreign relations, Jefferson's presidency, and War of 1812. The Federalist to be read in its entirety.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one 100-level history course.
Maximum enrollment, 12.
Paquette.
[360F]
Mythical Histories in China and Japan.
Examination of how history is used to legitimate or critique institutions such as the Japanese emperor, philosophical regimes such as Confucian orthodoxy, social practices such as women’s duties in an extended Chinese family or Marxist revolution. Emphasis on scrutiny of primary Chinese and Japanese texts in translation based on recent cultural theories such as deconstruction.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 270, 272, 280, 285 or consent of instructor.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[363]
Seminar: Colonial Encounters in Asia.
Examines encounters between Asian and Western peoples from Marco Polo to the present. Consideration of problems of orientalism/occidentalism and reassessment of the myth of the Western “impact” on Asia by learning how Asian peoples understood the West and the ways that Europe, too, was affected by these encounters.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, consent of instructor. No knowledge of Asian history required.
Maximum enrollment, 12.
[374]
Making the Constitution.
The U.S. Constitution is the oldest operating written constitution in the world and has achieved the status of a “sacred” text in the American polity. This course will explore the forces and concerns that led to the Philadelphia Convention, the progress of the Convention itself, ratification, and, briefly, the modern debate on originalism. In doing so, it will discuss in some detail the provisions of the Constitution and their historical origin and significance.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, One 200-level history course, or consent of instructor.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
375S Gandhi: His Life and Times.
An examination of primary sources written by Mohandes K. Gandhi and his associates, as well as Gandhi’s autobiography and other scholarly works. Emphasis will be placed on different approaches to understanding and capturing Gandhi’s philosophy, his significance and his legacies in India, South Africa and the larger world. Topics include non-violence, the role of the individual in history and nationalist historiography.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one 200-level history course, or consent of instructor.
Maximum enrollment, 12.
Trivedi.
[378F]
Topics in American Biography.
Previous topic -- Founders and Their Progeny: American Political and Social Thought, 1750-1865. Examination of biographical studies of and writings by individuals who shaped and challenged American political and social thought from the era of the Revolution to the Civil War. Emphasis on author's interpretation of subject's relation to historical context, varieties of biographical methods and close analysis of subjects' writings.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one 200-level course in American history.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
381F Comparative Fascism: Japan and Beyond.
Examination of the idea of “fascism” as a framework to analyze society. Taking Japan as a point of departure, the course investigates “fascism” in relation to political economy, intellectual production, and mass culture in the Axis powers in the first half of the 20th century. Particular attention devoted to the cross-regional interactions in developing ideas of bureaucracy and national mobilization, race and ethnicity, and systems of political participation.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, One 200-level history course.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
John Person.
383F Topic: The Early-Modern English Empire.
This course examines two dynamic features of the early-modern English empire. It examines the slow transformation of the Atlantic Archipelago from disparate, multicultural kingdoms and chiefdoms into a connected political entity that became known as the British Isles. Second, it examines the expansion of English overseas trade and the development of England into a dominant maritime power. The general objective of the course is to evaluate how historians have attempted to combine these simultaneous processes of consolidation at home and expansion abroad into a single historical narrative.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one 200-level history course, or consent of the instructor.
Maximum enrollment, 12.
Grant.
[385]
The Asia-Pacific War: Regarding the Pain of Others.
This seminar explores the development of the Asia-Pacific War by focusing on Japanese involvement on several fronts: Japanese expansion into China, the creation of the puppet state of Manchuria, the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and the subsequent confrontations in the Pacific and Southeast Asian theaters. From the experiences of kamikaze, comfort women (sex slaves for military), student corps, and of the Japanese and colonial subjects, we will explore the experience of war from a variety of perspectives.
(Writing-intensive.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[386]
Latin American Environmental History.
Latin America’s natural environment is an important element of its cultural, social, economic, and political history. Climate, flora, and fauna helped construct racial identities; ecological change facilitated Spanish colonization; monoculture and deforestation undermined local autonomy. In recent years, the natural environment has become an important framework of analysis, bringing a fresh perspective to various historical issues. The course surveys this interdisciplinary body of literature; writing assignments emphasize both historiographical analysis and topical research.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, Any 200-level history course or consent of the instructor.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[387F]
The American South in the Twentieth Century.
What is the South? Americans have long considered the South to be the most distinctive region in the country. Explores southern history from the Civil War to the present using social, political and cultural history considering the rise and fall of segregation, the emergence of the Sunbelt as an economic, political and social force, and the varieties of Southern culture. Also considers the vitality of regionalism and regional studies. In an era of mass markets, mass media, suburban homogenization and globalization, do regions still matter?
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one 200-level course in American history or consent of the instructor.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
388F Re-opened veins: economic history of Latin America.
Examines intellectual trends and recent literature in Latin American economic history. Topics include the theory of unequal exchange, import substitution, dependency theory, modernization theory, and neoliberalism. The course examines the impact of these trends on policy formation and economic development, as well as their role in revolutionary movements, identity formation, and anti-imperialism evident in non-fiction and fictional texts such as Open Veins of Latin America and One Hundred Years of Solitude.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, Any 200-level history course.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Rebecca Tally.
[389F]
Seminar: African-American Intellectual History.
Examination of the black intellectual tradition in African-American history, from its 18th-century roots to its presence in contemporary American life. Critically engages the various strategies African-American intellectuals have employed to address the condition of people of African descent in the United States. Explores how the black intellectual has been defined throughout African-American history, how such definitions have been legitimated and the place of class, gender and location in the legacy of African-American intellectual thought.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one 200-level American history course.
(Same as Africana Studies 389.)
Maximum enrollment, 12.
[393]
The Mexican Revolution in History and Memory.
Between 1910 and 1920, Mexico experienced the first social revolution of the 20th century. It left a paradoxical legacy. It brought popular mobilization, sweeping social and political reform, and cultural upheaval, but it also led to a remarkably durable authoritarian regime that lasted for most of the 20th century. A look at the causes, processes and long aftermath of the revolution. Themes include peasant politics, state formation, nationalism, memory, gender, ethnicity, labor and class identities, political violence and U.S.-Mexican relations.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one course in history or government.
(Same as Government 393.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
394F Topics in American Religious History.
Topic for 2013: “Religious Communal Societies in America, 1620-1950.” Utilizing the valuable holdings of Burke Library’s Communal Societies Collection, this seminar will focus on the various religious communal experiments, especially the Shakers, and their role in American religious history. All students will conduct research in the Communal Societies Collection.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one 200-level history course or consent of instructor.
(Same as Religious Studies 394.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Ambrose.
[396]
Seminar: History of Gods.
A comparative study of how gods have been conceived and venerated in early Mediterranean and Asian societies, principally Greece, Rome, India, China, Korea and Japan. Students read liturgical texts, hymns and myths to consider the variety of conceptions of gods and the range of ritual forms used to venerate them across the Euro-Asian continent. Draws from theoretical readings to consider such problems as polytheism and monotheism; myth and ritual; sacrifice; ritual performance; shamanism; cult; and devotion.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, consent of instructor or relevant coursework in Asian studies, classics, history or religious studies.
(Same as Religious Studies 396.)
Maximum enrollment, 16.
[397]
Lives Against Apartheid.
Examines the experiences and objectives of protest against the apartheid regime in South Africa through the autobiographies and memoirs of leading participants in the anti-apartheid movement. Illuminates the different aspects of resistance to apartheid and demonstrates how autobiographies now contest the politics of protest and the legitimacy of authority in the post-apartheid, “non-racial” South African democracy.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one 200-level history course or consent of instructor. 278 strongly recommended, though not required.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[398]
The Great Medieval Boom.
Known as the “High Middle Ages,” the period between the years 1000 and 1300 in Europe were marked by expansion in an amazing variety of areas: agricultural, economic, demographic, spiritual, technological. In many ways, the period laid the foundation for modernity, as Europe emerged from centuries of isolation and poverty. Examines in a seminar setting a number of perspectives on why this extraordinary shift took place.
(Writing-intensive.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
401F Research Seminar in History.
Critical evaluation of scholarship on a selected topic, culminating in a historiographical essay, or primary research on a selected topic, culminating in an original, interpretive essay.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, concentration in history or consent of instructor. Open only to seniors.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Keller and Wilson.
224F,S Linear Algebra.
An introduction to linear algebra: matrices and determinants, vector spaces, linear transformations, linear systems and eigenvalues; mathematical and physical applications.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Quantitative and Symbolic Reasoning.)
Prerequisite, 114 or 215 or consent of instructor.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
The Department.
314F,S Real Analysis.
An introduction to analysis. Topics include sequences, series, continuity and metric spaces.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 114 or 215, and 224.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Kantrowitz (fall), Cockburn (spring).
325F,S Modern Algebra.
An introduction to the three fundamental structures of abstract algebra: groups, rings and fields.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 224.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Redfield (fall), Boutin (spring).
[104]
Masterpieces of Western Music.
A listening course based on the study of selected masterpieces of Western music in their historical context. Emphasis on listening skills and the evaluation of cultural and musical meanings. Includes instrumental and vocal works by Monteverdi, Handel, Mozart, Beethoven, Verdi and Stravinsky. No ability to read music is assumed or required. Not open to seniors or students who have taken 258.
(Writing-intensive.)
Next offered 2014-15.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
108F From Words to Song.
An exploration of the relationship between words and music — of the many and different ways in which the meanings and emotions of the words have (and have not) been expressed through music in the last millennium.
(Writing-intensive.)
No previous knowledge of music required. Not open to seniors.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
G Kolb.
251F Music in Europe Before 1600.
A study and analysis of major developments in style of Western music to 1600, including early music theory, the rise of notation and polyphony, the relationship between music and text, and problems of performance practice. Consideration of the influence of political, economic, technological and cultural environments upon the development of musical styles.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 109.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Hamessley.
100F Critical Thinking.
An introduction to informal methods of evaluating claims and arguments in everyday life. Emphasis on the recognition of bad reasoning, nonrational persuasion, and the evaluation of explanations and arguments. Includes lecture, discussion and small group interaction.
(Writing-intensive.)
Open to first-year students only.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Doran.
110F Introduction to Philosophy.
An introductory examination of a number of perennial philosophical questions and their treatments by both classical thinkers and more contemporary philosophers. Topics to be discussed may include the existence of God, the possibility of knowledge, the problem of induction, identity and material constitution, the nature of mind, the nature of the good, and the relationship between the individual and the state.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Oral Presentations.)
Open to first-year students only.
Maximum enrollment, 16.
Marcus.
[111F]
Contemporary Moral Issues.
Introduction to moral reasoning. Discussion of contemporary moral problems, such as racism, environmental ethics, euthanasia, abortion, terrorism and war. Explores issues especially prominent for college students, including gender and sexuality, and political correctness. Extensive use of films outside of class.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Oral Presentations.)
(Proseminar.)
Proseminar. Open to first-year students only.
Maximum enrollment, 16.
112F Telling Right from Wrong.
Philosophical inquiry into whether or not any of our moral beliefs can be justified and intensive examination of specific moral theories, including theories of justice, equality and rights.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Proseminar.)
Open only to first-years.
Maximum enrollment, 16.
Simon.
115F Existentialism.
An introduction to various theories and expressions of 19th- and 20th-century existential thought. Readings include works by Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Sartre, Camus, deBeauvoir, Wright.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Oral Presentations.)
(Proseminar.)
Section 1 open to first-year students; section 2 open to sophomores and juniors.
Maximum enrollment, 16.
Franklin.
222F Race, Gender and Culture.
A critical philosophical examination of the normative categories of race, gender and culture. Topics include the origin, character and function of racial, gender and social identities. Analysis will focus on questions concerning the malleability of these identities, as well as questions concerning their psychological and social significance.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, One course in philosophy, Africana studies or women’s studies.
(Same as Women's Studies 222 and Africana Studies 222.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Franklin.
242S The Black Self: Identity and Consciousness.
A philosophical exploration of a variety of historical and contemporary works that illuminate and influence the phenomenological experience of being black.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, One course in philosophy or Africana studies, or consent of instructor.
(Same as Africana Studies 242.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Franklin.
355F Contemporary Philosophy.
Survey of some central questions in contemporary analytic philosophy and their 20th-century origins. Among the questions we may explore are: What is the relation of language to the world? How are we to understand truth? Does philosophy have its own method, or is it an extension of science? What is the nature of consciousness? What are the limits of philosophy?
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 203 or consent of instructor. Open to sophomores, juniors and seniors.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Doran.
390S Research Seminar.
A series of research projects stressing the integration of theory and experiment. Emphasis on scientific writing, formal oral presentations, use of the current physics literature.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Quantitative and Symbolic Reasoning.)
(Oral Presentations.)
Prerequisite, 290.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Collett.
[310]
Attention and Performance.
The selection and transformation of information from sensation and memory as they affect perception, learning, cognition and motor performance. Laboratory exercises and experiments selected from these and related areas.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Quantitative and Symbolic Reasoning.)
(Oral Presentations.)
Prerequisite, 280/201. Three hours of class and three hours of laboratory.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
311F The Self in Social Psychology.
Theoretical and methodological understanding of the study of the self in social psychology. Topics include organization of self-concept and its effect on information processing; self-awareness; self-esteem maintenance processes; cultural influences; stigmas; and self-regulation. Class time devoted to discussion of research articles. Laboratory component involves conducting two research projects. Data collection, statistical analysis, papers based on findings, oral and poster presentations. Three hours of class and two hours of laboratory.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Oral Presentations.)
Prerequisite, 280/201. Not open to students who have taken 337 or 361.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Borton.
[313]
Visual Perception.
An examination of theoretical and methodological issues in examining visual perception. Focus on understanding how the visual world is constructed from simple features into complex objects. Topics will include perceptual organization, visual attention, object recognition, face perception and consciousness. Current literature about these topics and ongoing debates in vision science research. Laboratory component will involve generating original empirical projects. Three hours of class and three hours of laboratory.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Oral Presentations.)
Prerequisite, 280/201. Not open to students who have taken 333.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
315F Cognitive Psychology.
Theoretical and methodological aspects of basic mental processes in attention, perception, memory, language and problem-solving. Emphasis on development of original empirical projects. Three hours of class and three hours of laboratory.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 280/201.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Yee.
[319]
Social Cognition.
An examination of cognitive processes involved in how we think about ourselves, other people and social groups. Special emphasis will be placed on the influence and measurement of unconscious cognitive processes. Topics include stereotyping, attitudes, knowledge of self, affect and control. Students will design and conduct original research projects related to topics discussed in class. Three hours of class and three hours of laboratory.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Oral Presentations.)
Prerequisite, 280/201.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[325]
Applied Developmental Psychology.
Focuses on how basic developmental science can be applied to the "real world" to further the well-being of children, youth and families. Topics will include distinctions between basic and applied research methods, obesity, childcare, schools, adolescents being tried as adults in court and the influence of media (including TV, videogames and computers) on development. Laboratory component will include several projects conducted in an applied setting. Three hours of class and three hours of lab.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Oral Presentations.)
Prerequisite, 280/201. Not open to students who have taken 365.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
382S Topics in Public Policy.
The application of theories and methods of evaluation, design and implementation in an intensive study of a significant problem of public policy. Emphasis on skills of analysis, writing and group problem-solving. Coursework may be supplemented by field work as well as participation by scholars and practitioners sponsored by the Arthur Levitt Public Affairs Center.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 251.
(Same as Government 382.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Milstein.
107F Borderland Religion.
An examination of expressions of religion and spiritual politics on and around the Mexican / US frontier. Topics include the Spanish conquest and expansion north; pre-Columbian and Catholic elements in Mexican and Mexican-American religion; folk healing; the ethos of New Mexico; and Chicano ideology and art. Some theoretical attention to boundaries, border crossing, and inner and outer frontiers.
(Writing-intensive.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Seager.
111F Ancient Jewish Wisdom: Introduction to the Bible.
Exploration of major themes in the Jewish Bible (Old Testament).
(Writing-intensive.)
(Oral Presentations.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Ravven.
115F Parables.
Cross-cultural comparison of the parable. Emphasis given to parable as a form of religious speech. Includes selections from Jesus, Zen masters, Borges and Galeano.
(Writing-intensive.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Humphries-Brooks.
[128]
Peoples of the Book: Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
Explores the historical, philosophical and aesthetic dimensions of the three Western monotheistic traditions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Continuity, adaptation and borrowing is stressed between the traditions. We examine a history of "The Book," including technological developments in printing and bookbinding, and how these material aspects influence beliefs and practices.
(Writing-intensive.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
144S Indian Buddhism.
The course explores Indian Buddhism by studying essential beliefs, doctrines, institutions, and popular practices. The origins and establishment of Buddhism in ancient India, traditional interpretations of the Buddha’s teachings (Dharma), growth and development of the Buddhist community (Sangha), Buddhist practices and transmission in different areas of South Asia, and the revival of Buddhism are among the topics. Participants engage with analysis and discussion of readings from secondary textbooks as well as original literary, epigraphic, and archaeological sources.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Same as History 144.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Abhishek Amar.
155F Religion in the Wild.
Jesus, Moses, Siddharta, and Mohammed all had significant experiences in the wilderness. These experiences shaped their lives and the religious traditions that they helped found. We will read from and about philosophers, mystics, and spiritual seekers who have gone to untamed spaces for inspiration. We will then turn toward the modern world, and its ongoing spiritual/secular impact, reading works by H.D. Thoreau, John Muir, Aldo Leopold, Gary Snyder, Sara Maitland, and Jonathan Franzen, and look at films including Into the Wild and The Straight Story.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Oral Presentations.)
Instructor's Permission Only.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
S Brent Rodriguez-Plate.
[200/300F]
Modern Jewish Thought: Politics and Religion.
Examination of the rise of pluralism and democracy as Jews became full citizens of the modern Western state.
(Writing-intensive.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
203S The Politics of the Bible.
Close reading of selections from the Bible (Old Testament) that address the nature of political leadership, of the political community, of justice and the best form of government. Comparison with works from other cultures that focus on justice, the political life, or offer biographies of political leaders.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Oral Presentations.)
Not open to students who have taken RELST 242W: Rise and Fall of David.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Ravven.
218S The Word and the Spirit.
Poetry in translation from China, Japan, India, and Persia. What are the essential spiritual problems that humans face and what answers to them do these poets discover? What can we learn about the Sacred from these ancient and medieval writers? (Same as CompLit 218.)
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, One course in Religious Studies or Comparative Literature.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
J Williams.
[237F]
Sensual Religion: Seeing Gods, Hearing Drums, Touching Stones, Dancing Bodies.
Playing drums, performing stories, touching stones, creating wildly colorful altars, dancing, eating and drinking special substances, are all basic religious activities. Religions are deeply, stubbornly physical and sensual. This class aims to re-imagine approaches to religion by grounding them in physical encounters between human bodies and sensual objects. Examples will range across Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, Christian, and Jewish rituals and symbols, and readings will cross from art history to cultural anthropology to cognitive science, as well as religious studies.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Oral Presentations.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
242F The Rise and Fall of David.
A literary reading of the biblical Book of Samuel as historical and political fiction. Comparison with other great works of literature on political themes.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Oral Presentations.)
(Proseminar.)
Maximum enrollment, 16.
Ravven.
248F Death and Dying in Indian Religions.
How does religion make sense of death? Can we conceptualize death? How has death been understood from cultural, social, philosophical and medical perspectives? Along with these questions, this course will examine the variety of ways in which Indian religions approach death, dying, and death related issues. The course will primarily look at historical attitudes toward death, disposal of the dead/rituals, memorialization and remembrance through a study of religious literature and archaeological materials.
(Writing-intensive.)
Not open to those who have taken RelSt 119 or 326
(Same as History 248.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
A Amar.
257S The New Testament.
A critical introduction to the literature and history of New Testament Christianity.
(Writing-intensive.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Humphries-Brooks.
281S Philosophy as Spiritual Quest.
Exploration of the spiritual power attributed to philosophy by religious philosophers from classical Greece to modern times through readings from Greek, Jewish, Islamic and/or Christian philosophical works.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Oral Presentations.)
Prerequisite, One course in philosophy and/or religious studies.
(Same as Philosophy 281.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Ravven.
[290]
Methods and Theories in the Study of Religion.
Critically examines, through primary readings and case studies, representative methods from the history of the academic study of religion. Special attention to the theories that inform each method.
(Writing-intensive.)
Preference given to religious studies majors.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
317F Jesus and the Gospels.
A comprehensive introduction to the four Gospels, with special emphasis on the nature of early Christian views of Jesus.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one course in religious studies.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Humphries-Brooks.
225F Madness, Murder and Mayhem: Nineteenth-Century Russian Literature.
Readings of representative works with emphasis on major literary movements, cultural history, and basic literary devices. Primary texts by Pushkin, Gogol, Turgenev, Dostoevsky and Tolstoy, as well as some critical materials.
(Writing-intensive.)
No knowledge of Russian required.
(Same as Comparative Literature 225.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Bartle.
[270]
Heaven, Hell and the Space in Between: Devils and Deities in Russian Literature and Art.
Examination of the portrayals of the cosmic conflict: Good vs. Evil, Heaven vs. Hell, God vs. Satan. The second half of the semester will be dedicated to a close reading and analysis of Fyodor Dostoevsky's Brothers Karamazov.
(Writing-intensive.)
No knowledge of Russian required.
(Same as Comparative Literature 270.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
295S Bloodsucking as Metaphor: Vampires, Werewolves and the Living-Dead in Myth, Literature and Film.
Exploration of vampire and werewolf myths in Russia and Eastern Europe, the cult of ancestors in Slavic ritual, folk beliefs and rituals associated with the dead and the so-called “living-dead,” and the tradition of “dying-reviving” gods. Transformation of the myths and folklore into the popular cult phenomenon of Dracula in West-European and American literature and film. Particular attention paid to bloodsucking and shape-shifting as political, sexual and medical metaphors.
(Writing-intensive.)
No knowledge of Russian required.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Sciacca.
[258]
Poverty, Law and the Welfare State.
An examination of the laws regulating and protecting the unemployed, disabled, aged and children in families unable to support them. Welfare policy as expressed in civil and criminal law, including colonial settlement laws, 19th-century reforms, the New Deal Social Security Act and New York’s Article XVII in the 1930s, the War on Poverty of the 1960s and the restructuring of the welfare system in the 1990s. Readings from court opinions, historical accounts and other materials.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one course in sociology or government.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[288F]
Sociology of Religion.
Introduces the primary theories and concepts of the sociology of religion. In particular the course will emphasize how sociologists explain the organization and experience of lived religion largely in the context of North America. Topics include secularization and sacralization; the restructuring of American religion; religion and popular culture; gender, sexuality and power; race; ethnicity and immigration; and religion in the public sphere.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Same as Religious Studies 288.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
301F Sociological Theory.
Examination of classic and contemporary sociological concepts and perspectives. The theorists covered include Marx, Weber, Durkheim, Freud, Mead, Berger and Luckmann, and Foucault.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, two sociology courses.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Gilbert.
[327]
Race and the Law.
An examination of how social constructions of race influence the construction of race as a legal category, and how race as a legal concept helps shape the social experience of race in America. Explores these questions through a theoretically driven and rigorous analysis of topics such as: racial disparities in education, housing, employment and the criminal justice system; “hate crimes”; civil rights law; environmental racism; “anti-miscegenation” statutes; segregation practices; and the welfare state.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one course in sociology or consent of instructor.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
362F Seminar on Mexico.
Long-term processes of social change and political upheaval in Mexico. Topics include the formation of Mexican society, class structure, poverty, population trends, ethnic conflict, religion, popular culture, political elites, democratization, international migration, development strategies and globalization.
(Writing-intensive.)
Not open to first-years, except with consent of instructor.
(Same as Government 362.)
Maximum enrollment, 12.
Gilbert.
[420]
Advanced Topics in Contemporary Sociology.
Critical examination of key works of contemporary sociological theory and research. Topics include current issues in sociological theory as well as new directions in principal substantive areas of the discipline.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, consent of instructor.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
549F Senior Seminar.
For concentrators preparing to write a thesis. Includes exploration of the range of sociological topics, lectures by departmental faculty on research areas and techniques and workshops on bibliographic methods, site selection and access, and writing of research results. Culminates in presentation of a detailed thesis proposal.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Oral Presentations.)
Open to senior concentrators only.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Ellingson.
101F,S Introduction to Women’s Studies.
An interdisciplinary investigation of past and present views of women and their roles, treatment and experiences in institutions such as the family, the state, the work force, language and sexuality. The diversity of women’s experiences across age, class, ethnic, sexual, racial and national lines introduced, and theories of feminism and of women’s studies discussed.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Oral Presentations.)
(Proseminar.)
Maximum enrollment, 16.
Adair, Barry and Lacsamana.
201S Introduction to Feminist Thought.
An interdisciplinary examination of the history and contemporary practice of feminist thought. Topics include the history of feminist thought in Western culture, the broadening and complication of that canon to include examinations of race, class, gender, sexuality, ableism and ageism, and the implications of global feminist thought.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 101 or consent of instructor.
(Same as Government 201 and Government 201.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Lacsamana.
[210S]
Twentieth-Century Sexuality: Literature and Film.
Examination of the emergence, normalization and regulation of heterosexuality and homosexuality as categories of identity through the literature and film of the 20th century. Literature will include literary "classics," pulp fiction, picaresque novels, feminist fiction and postmodern narratives. Feminist as well as closeted and homophobic films will be included.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, one course in women's studies or consent of instructor.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[225S]
Women, Law, Public Policy and Activism in the Contemporary United States.
An examination of feminist analysis of legislation and legal theory; public, educational and social policy; and legal/policy activism in the U.S. Opportunity for law or public policy research and/or internship in area.
(Writing-intensive.)
Maximum enrollment, 20.
301F Feminist Methodological Perspectives.
An interdisciplinary exploration of feminist methods of social analysis. Emphasis on how feminist inquiry has transformed how we think about and study gender in the sciences, social sciences, arts and humanities.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, 101 or consent of instructor.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Barry.
343S Seminar: Women Writing Against the Grain.
A comparative investigation of U.S. women writing their own stories through the genre of autobiography in the 19th and 20th centuries. Attention to theoretical and practical questions of ideology, genre, language, audience and reception. Particular focus on women's self-representation as hegemonic transgression at the intersections of race, class, gender, sexuality, nationality and ableism.
(Writing-intensive.)
Prerequisite, One course in Women's Studies and some coursework in comparative literature or literary theory or consent of the instructor.
(Same as English and Creative Writing 343.)
Maximum enrollment, 12.
Vivyan Adair.
110F Writing about the Environment.
Students will develop their ability to analyze and compose written argument about current environmental issues, including climate change, alternative energy sources and resource conservation. Readings are drawn from current and classic writing about the environment; writing assignments include essays, persuasive letters and a short research paper.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Proseminar.)
Open to first-year students only. Students may take only one 100-level course in Writing.
Maximum enrollment, 16.
S Williams.
111F Adventure Writing.
Students will learn the basics of good writing through writing about their own outdoor experiences and writing about the history of exploration and mountaineering. Readings will range from the 1804-06 journals of the Lewis and Clark expedition to books about contemporary Himalayan mountaineering. Students are required to take two class trips to the Adirondacks on Saturdays during the semester: a one-day canoe trip in September, and a one day climbing trip in October. (Writing-intensive.) (Proseminar.)
(Writing-intensive.)
(Proseminar.)
Open to first-year students only. Students may take only one 100-level course in Writing.
Maximum enrollment, 16.
Isserman.
112F Writing Arguments.
Students will develop their ability to analyze and conduct arguments by reading arguments about such diverse topics as what makes good writing, what creates excellent Olympic swimmers, and what scientific research can tell us about what it means to be human. Readings are drawn from a variety of disciplines and from magazines, such as "The New Yorker" and "Natural History," as well as from classic texts such as Plato's "Apology" and King's "Letter from a Birmingham Jail."
(Writing-intensive.)
(Proseminar.)
Open to first-year students only. Students may take only one 100-level course in Writing.
Maximum enrollment, 16.
Thickstun.
[310S]
Seminar in Expository Writing.
Designed for students from any concentration who wish to improve their writing. Offers constant practice in composing a variety of essays. Drafts of essays are discussed in frequent peer tutorials. Other class meetings take up such matters as grammar, mechanics, audience, tone and style.
(Writing-intensive.)
Open to sophomores, juniors and seniors. May not be counted toward the concentration or minor in any department or program.
Maximum enrollment, 12.