College courses at the 100-level are available only to entering first-year students. These courses are interdisciplinary, fall outside the continuing curriculum of any department or program, and focus on active engagement and interaction. Students in small, individual sections interact extensively with each other, with the instructor and with a student teaching assistant. The different sections of the course often meet together for larger group discussions or events. Instructors encourage the students to become active participants in their own education and to challenge one another's preconceptions. Because of their interdisciplinary nature, these courses give first-year students a good introduction to the various areas of the curriculum at Hamilton.
130F 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.
Barry, Haley, Irons, Kanipe, Orvis.
[202S]
Infinity and Then Some.
Infinity and related mathematical concepts not only play a role in science and mathematics, but also serve as both thematic concerns and organizing principles for works of art, including literature, music, painting and film. Explores the interactions between mathematics and the arts, with special attention to issues of consciousness. Included will be works by such writers as Gödel, Rucker, Hofstadter, Borges, Gombrowicz and Robbe-Grillet; music by Bach, Berg, Xenakis and Cage; paintings by Escher; and a variety of films. Prerequisite, one course in calculus, Math 123, Math 224, Symbolic Logic or Computer Science 210; one course in literature or music; or consent of instructors.
Maximum enrollment, 24.
[205S]
Classics of Modern Social Thought.
Reading and discussion of major thinkers in the development of modern Western social thought. Authors include Machiavelli, Rousseau, Burke, Marx, Darwin, Weber, Freud, Mannheim and de Beauvoir. Emphasis on class presentations, debates, book notes and class protocols. Works examined from historical, sociological, psychological and philosophical perspectives. Prerequisite, one 100-level course in history or sociology. May count toward a concentration in either history or sociology.
Maximum enrollment, 24.
[218S]
Space: Its Light, Its Shape.
Mobius strips and Klein bottles are examples of unusual mathematical spaces that differ significantly from the world as we experience it. Mathematicians study these spaces for their abstract beauty alone. However, such spaces may be accurate models for our own universe. Current observations of the Big Bang's echo — the cosmic microwave background — offer ways to test models of our universe. Explores possible abstract spaces from a mathematical perspective and delves into the physics of both the cosmic microwave background and cosmological models. Prerequisite, one year of high school calculus or one semester of college calculus.
Maximum enrollment, 24.
220F,S Forever Wild: The Cultural and Natural Histories of the Adirondack Park.
Study of America's largest inhabited wilderness. Survey of natural and cultural histories of the park and examination of ecological, political and social issues. Study of literary, scientific, historical and political texts. Exploration of environmental issues such as acid rain, development and land-use, predator re-introduction and population controls. Prerequisite, one course in literature, biology, geology or environmental studies. Maximum enrollment, 16. May count toward a concentration in environmental studies. Field trip required. Open to sophomores and juniors. Oral Presentations (Fall); Writing-intensive (Spring).
(Same as Environmental Studies 220.)
Maximum enrollment, 16.
Oerlemans (Fall); E Williams (Spring).
[221S]
Global Warming: Is The Day After Tomorrow Sooner than We Think?.
Investigates the historical/geographic context for our hydrocarbon economy, the scientific and economic debate behind global warming, the social and ecological consequences of action or inaction regarding greenhouse gas emissions and the role of public policy and international relations in global environmental change. Prerequisite, One semester of science. Not open to students who have taken Sophomore Seminar 221. May count toward a concentration in environmental studies. Enrollment limit applies to each section.
(Same as Geosciences 221 and and and Environmental Studies 221.)
Maximum enrollment, 12.
[224S]
Art and Physics of the Image.
Why and how do artists and scientists make images? Explores the science and art of photographic image-making. Topics include the physics of light, laws of electromagnetism, geometric and physical optics, quantization, the camera apparatus, fundamentals of black-and-white film processing and experimental image making. Significant experimental work in the laboratory and studio. Workshop setting. Studio projects will include holography and digital photography as well as conventional darkroom processing. Prerequisite, one course in physics, chemistry or studio art.
Maximum enrollment, 24.
[225S]
Nature, Art or Mathematics?.
How do humans perceive or impose patterns onto the natural world and onto their lives? What is really out there and how do we describe it? An examination of chaos theory, fractal geometry, landscape architecture and theories of tragedy in relation to Tom Stoppard's play Arcadia. Prerequisite, one course in literature, mathematics or theatre.
Maximum enrollment, 12.
229S The American Founding: Ideals and Reality.
An intensive analysis of the philosophical ideals of the Founding Era (1763-1800) and their uneven realization. Social histories of various races, genders and classes will help illuminate the inherent ambiguities, weaknesses, strengths and legacies of the social and political philosophies of late 18th-century America. Prerequisite, Government 117, Philosophy 117 or a 100-level course in history. May count toward a concentration in either history or government. (Same as History 229 and Government 229. Not open to students who have taken College/History 216.)
(Same as History 229 and Government 229.)
Maximum enrollment, 24.
Ambrose and Martin.
235S Food for Thought: The Science, Culture and Politics of Food.
An interdisciplinary exploration of food. Topics include: why we eat what we eat; where our dinner comes from; the politics of food; the cultural history of cookbooks; diet fads; food and disease; food and sex. Tastings, films, and field trips. Course project: research on early 19th-century New York State foodways, harvesting "The 1812 Garden," preserving and "putting up" vegetables, preparing the garden for winter slumber.
Maximum enrollment, 12.
Gapp.
245S The Borderlands.
This course, an overview of the complex cultural, historical, political, and economic issues about the United States/Mexico border, will be taught by professors from many departments (Africana Studies, Comparative Literature, Economics, Government, History, Sociology, Women’s Studies). Readings will be multidisciplinary, theoretical and practical. The seminar is inspired and informed by last spring's week-long student trip to Arizona to provide humanitarian aid with No More Deaths. Prerequisite, One course in any department listed above.
Maximum enrollment, 16.
Lopez, NRabinowitz.
[258S]
Opera.
Study of literary and musical dimensions of operas by major composers from Monteverdi and Mozart to the present. Emphasis on the transformation of independent texts into librettos and the effects of music as it reflects language and dramatic action. Includes such works as Orfeo, The Marriage of Figaro, Otello, The Turn of the Screw and Candide. Prerequisite, two courses in literature or two in music or one in each field, or consent of instructors.
Maximum enrollment, 12.
[280S]
The Historical and Intellectual Foundations of Property and Its Relationship to Freedom in Modern States.
No society in history has existed without the concept of property. But how the world’s peoples have defined property has varied widely in time and place. Examines cross culturally the history of property as both an idea and an institution, with emphasis on the development in the Western tradition of private property and its historical connection with slavery, freedom, economic growth and the rise of modern states. Examination of how the particular definition of property rights adopted by a society affects the kinds of markets that emerge. Open to sophomores, juniors and seniors. Not open to students who have taken Sophomore Seminar 280.
Maximum enrollment, 24.
[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.
[322]
Cultural Simulation Seminar.
Construction of a “working model” of a mission to establish a “settlement” in Near Space, recording the process, then producing finished documentation and a major summary paper for dissemination. Prerequisite, consent of instructor.
Maximum enrollment, 12.
[377F]
Electronic Arts Workshop.
Emphasis on collaborative work among computer musicians, digital photographers and videographers in the creation of visual/musical works. Other projects will include transmedia installations or performance art pieces. Prerequisite, Art 302 with consent of instructors, Art 313 or Music 277. Same as Art 377 and Music 377.
Maximum enrollment, 8.
395F,S Hamilton in New York City: Special Topic.
Topic changes each term to reflect the discipline of the director of the Program in New York City. For a more specific description, see www.hamilton.edu/academics/programs_abroad/nyc/. May count toward the concentration in the department or program of the director. Open only to Program participants.
Maximum enrollment, 16.
The Faculty.
396F,S Hamilton in New York City: Independent Research.
An independent study supervised by the director of the Program in New York City and based on an internship and additional research. For a more specific description, see www.hamilton.edu/academics/programs_abroad/nyc/. May count toward the concentration in the department or program of the director. Open only to program participants.
Maximum enrollment, 16.
The Faculty.
397F,S Hamilton in New York City: Internship.
Internship with firm, organization, agency or advocacy group appropriate to the theme of the semester. For more information, see www.hamilton.edu/academics/programs_abroad/nyc/.Does not count toward concentration credit. Open only to program participants.
Maximum enrollment, 16.
The Faculty.
398F,S Hamilton In New York City: Seminar in Global Processes.
Foundational course of the Program in New York City. Perspectives on the influence of global markets, transnational culture and political forces on contemporary life. Organized around readings, student debates, guest discussion leaders and field trips within New York City.For more information, see
www.hamilton.edu/academics/programs_abroad/nyc/. Does not count toward concentration credit. Open only to program participants.
Maximum enrollment, 16.
The Faculty.
