Course descriptions

In most of the world, multiple therapeutic traditions co-exist, sometimes symbiotically and at others competitively. Many societies have radically different ideas and practices concerning health, the body and disease than in the US. And these ideas and practices are contested both within these societies and between different societies in an emerging global world. In this writing seminar, we will examine several contested topics within the field of medical anthropology in Haiti, Ghana, Eastern Europe, Japan, India, Southern Africa and the US: holistic versus ontological approaches towards disease, the politics of suffering, religious healing and contestation, the meaning(s) of organ donation, biomedicine under conditions of poverty, female circumcision, the ethics of clinical trials in the developing world, and finally, HIV/AIDS. This course is designed to improve students? writing skills via peer review, multiple drafts and revisions of essays, and midterm and final portfolios.

English has emerged as a global language, shared by billions of native and non-native speakers across a range of contexts from international politics to popular culture. But is this, as some have claimed, a form of linguistic imperialism or does this world language attempt to realize the perennial dream of a universal language, universal understanding? Additionally, who controls English? How do multilingual speakers negotiate and contribute to English? And should we speak perhaps, more properly, of Englishes? This course will engage in dialogue with the history, legacy, and experience of the English language itself as we sharpen our rhetorical skills and practice of American English college writing and research. We will examine what constitutes a global language, how English attained its current standing, and whether this will?or should?continue.

Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg famously told an interviewer in 2010 that privacy was a social norm that had ?evolved.? Nevertheless, scholars, pundits, technologists, and policymakers continue to ponder issues of privacy in an online era. As our lives are increasingly mediated through online applications that share our personal information, questions about what we are and are not willing to reveal emerge almost daily. And while concerns about media and privacy are nothing new, social network sites, search engines, and online commerce mean that new threats to exposure are often, at least in part, the results of our own behavior. How much privacy can we expect or should we demand? In this class our goal will be to sift through the sensationalism and hype to write critically about new media and privacy. Working with scholarship in internet studies, this course is to help you develop as a writer by improving your knowledge of rhetoric, reasoning, research, and synthesis.

Writers, teachers, and pundits often question the impact of digital technologies on our language and literacy skills. Pessimists go online and see the decline of the written word, a gradual weakening of standards that threatens the knowledge and understanding produced through written exchange. Optimistic observers suggest we are witnessing the emergence of new kinds of literacy and knowledge production: collaborative writing and crowdsourcing supplant single authorship and expert opinion, reputation systems and ?likes? usurp the role of publishers and peer reviewers. In this class, we will explore the cultural impact of digital technology as our uses of the written word evolve and change. Are text messages and status updates writing? Have our definitions of authorship and credibility changed? Is it still possible, or even desirable, to ?own our words,? or has the notion been forever altered by a world of tweets, wikis, downloads, and the <FWD> button?

Home: at its simplest, home is the physical space of residence, the place we return to regularly, and where our belongings are stored. More broadly, though, home is the feeling of familiarity, comfort, and belonging. It is both something we are born into and something we have to create for ourselves. In this class, we will think about the idea of home as the site of identity creation as well as how the concept of home overlaps with political entities like city, state, and, nation. By studying selected essays and poems as well as the film The Wizard of Oz, and guided by Jan Duyvendak's sociological study on home, this class will encourage students to explore the different meanings of home and think about the politics of identity.

The 21st century has witnessed an explosive growth in the presence of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) on the world scene, in particular, their role in the ?development industry.? Yet ?development? has consistently failed to deliver on promises of poverty reduction and social justice. In this course we will explore the politics of the NGO world through an investigation of the causes of failure and success in development and humanitarian aid programs. We will question popular buzzwords such as ?participation? and ?empowerment? and consider how an anthropological perspective can contribute to improving development interventions and outcomes. Students will become familiar with how scholars in anthropology utilize various forms of evidence to construct effective arguments and in so doing will learn to identify weaknesses in their own. Students will leave this course with the critical thinking and writing skills necessary to work across disciplines and to follow their own interests wherever they may lead.

Humanitarian relief NGOs (non-governmental organizations), such as Doctors without Borders or Oxfam, are increasingly called upon to fill in the gaps left by government cuts to public services. Although viewed as a more democratic and effective approach to alleviating poverty and solving social injustice on a global scale, humanitarian relief interventions often reproduce the very inequality they seek to challenge. This course will explore the politics of humanitarian relief through an investigation of the inner workings of several NGOs trying to develop ?the good project.? We will consider questions such as, what does it mean to help others? What does it mean to be ?in need?? And why are some causes deemed more worthy of aid than others? Students will learn how scholars utilize various forms of evidence to construct effective arguments and will leave this course with the critical thinking and writing skills necessary to work across disciplines and to follow their own interests.

How does archaeology support or refute the historical narratives found in the Old Testament of the Bible and contemporary texts? For example, does the available material evidence support a united kingdom of Israel ruled by Saul, David, and Solomon? Was monotheism the really dominant religious practice during the Iron Age, as the Book of Kings indicates? Underlying these specific questions is the larger debate between history and archaeology. That is, do historical sources ?speak? more about the past than material objects, or do material remains present a more ?objective? perspective? Although these questions drive the content of the course, emphasis will be placed upon the development of critical reading and writing skills through drafting, peer review, and synthesis. Students will compose several exercises in reasoning and produce a short research paper in stages.

In most of the world, multiple therapeutic traditions co-exist, sometimes symbiotically and at others competitively. Many societies have radically different ideas and practices concerning health, the body and disease than in the US. And these ideas and practices are contested both within these societies and between different societies in an emerging global world. In this writing seminar, we will examine several contested topics within the field of medical anthropology in Haiti, Ghana, Eastern Europe, Japan, India, Southern Africa and the US: holistic versus ontological approaches towards disease, the politics of suffering, religious healing and contestation, the meaning(s) of organ donation, biomedicine under conditions of poverty, female circumcision, the ethics of clinical trials in the developing world, and finally, HIV/AIDS. This course is designed to improve students? writing skills via peer review, multiple drafts and revisions of essays, and midterm and final portfolios.

The 21st century has witnessed an explosive growth in the presence of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) on the world scene, in particular, their role in the ?development industry.? Yet ?development? has consistently failed to deliver on promises of poverty reduction and social justice. In this course we will explore the politics of the NGO world through an investigation of the causes of failure and success in development and humanitarian aid programs. We will question popular buzzwords such as ?participation? and ?empowerment? and consider how an anthropological perspective can contribute to improving development interventions and outcomes. Students will become familiar with how scholars in anthropology utilize various forms of evidence to construct effective arguments and in so doing will learn to identify weaknesses in their own. Students will leave this course with the critical thinking and writing skills necessary to work across disciplines and to follow their own interests wherever they may lead.

History is a list of societies that have risen to great heights, only to fall unexpectedly. Why do civilizations collapse? Even Jared Diamond, author of the bestseller *Guns, Germs, and Steel,* has recently weighed in on the question, in his popular science book, *Collapse.* This course will take an archaeological perspective, tracing the rise and fall of ancient societies, including Han and Chou China, the Roman Empire, and the Classical Maya. We will explore the most common theories about the ends of these civilizations and generalize to understand the phenomenon of collapse as a whole. Most important, we will look to the future and ask ourselves, is America the next Roman Empire?

Atlantis, the curse of the pharaohs, aliens building Stonehenge, and the legend of the crystal skulls all have two things in common: there is no scientific evidence to show they were ever real, but people still believe in them. Popular archaeology is more filled with fantasies than scientific theories. In this class, we will explore archaeological hoaxes, cult theories, and outright forgeries. The goal of our examination, however, will not be merely to list popular fantasies, but rather to understand why some people perpetrate them and why others are willing and eager to fall for them. By studying the history of famous archaeological forgeries, we will discuss the strengths and limitations of archaeology in a dishonest world. We will examine why archaeology is susceptible to bias and how it has been used as propaganda in support of nationalism, racism, and religious fanaticism. Finally, we will show how scientific archaeology can reject fantasies and reveal truths about the past.

In response to industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie?s philosophies of capitalism and philanthropy, liberal theologian William Jewett Tucker stated, ?I can conceive of no greater mistake, more disastrous in the end to religion if not society, than that of trying to make charity do the work of justice.? This course will focus on the contemporary possibilities of corporate philanthropy to solve social problems. Through readings in social science, economics, and political economy we will explore how concepts of risk and humanitarianism define and construct people, communities and organizations. We will engage questions such as: Who is deemed as ?needy? and ?deserving," and who is entrusted with the responsibility to ?help?? Can ?compassionate consumption? save the world? Can competition and the drive for profit inspire innovation and social equity? This course will improve students? skills in reasoning and research writing.

In her bestselling book Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead, Sheryl Sandburg argues that as ?women must be more empowered at work, men must be more empowered at home.? While many liberal-minded adults tend to agree with this logic, the issue of how to create more ethical spaces in the workplace for women, and men, is a much more difficult and complex task. In this course, we will consider such issues of gender disparity in the workforce and in the home. We know gender roles determine social and cultural expectations about what is acceptable postnatal behavior when it comes to time away from work. However labor practices and policies also determine decisions that working parents negotiate between work and family. How are such expectations and policies constructed? How have they changed over time? Does the American workplace produce gender? How is American politics implicated in society?s orientation toward work, family, and gender? In this course, students will develop a deeper understanding of scholarship on gender roles, parental obligations, and labor. Together we will discuss the relevance of this dialogue to our past childhood lives and future adult lives. This course and its assignments will improve students? skills in reasoning and research writing.

In response to industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie?s philosophies of capitalism and philanthropy, liberal theologian William Jewett Tucker stated, ?I can conceive of no greater mistake, more disastrous in the end to religion if not society, than that of trying to make charity do the work of justice.? This course will focus on the contemporary possibilities of corporate philanthropy to solve social problems. Through readings in social science, economics, and political economy we will explore how concepts of risk and humanitarianism define and construct people, communities and organizations. We will engage questions such as: Who is deemed as ?needy? and ?deserving," and who is entrusted with the responsibility to ?help?? Can ?compassionate consumption? save the world? Can competition and the drive for profit inspire innovation and social equity? This course will improve students? skills in reasoning and research writing.

This course looks at the role that aerial views and aerial photography have played in shaping the modern city. Although the approach will be mostly interdisciplinary, students will encounter the subject mainly through readings from architectural and urban history. The chief text is Jeanne Haffner?s The View from Above: The Science of Social Space (MIT Press, 2013), a book that looks at aerial photography and its role in postwar urban planning in France. Other materials will consider: cameras and other technologies of aerial viewing, aerial surveys, military photography and cartography, photogrammetry, views of planet Earth from outer space, and Google Earth.

This course looks at the role that aerial views and aerial photography have played in shaping the modern city. Although the approach will be mostly interdisciplinary, students will encounter the subject mainly through readings from architectural and urban history. The chief text is Jeanne Haffner?s The View from Above: The Science of Social Space (MIT Press, 2013), a book that looks at aerial photography and its role in postwar urban planning in France. Other materials will consider: cameras and other technologies of aerial viewing, aerial surveys, military photography and cartography, photogrammetry, views of planet Earth from outer space, and Google Earth.

What do hippie communes, underwater laboratories, and space stations have in common? This writing-intensive course looks at moments in post-World War II architectural culture when designers, artists, scientists, and engineers imagined and communicated the importance of environmental, ecological, and political concerns through experimental building types and urban plans. The chief text will be Peder Anker?s From Bauhaus to Eco-House: A History of Ecological Design (2010), a book that looks at modern architecture?s role in maintaining an ecological conscience in a world with threatened natural resources. Other materials will consider: early histories of architecture and environment from antiquity to the 19th century, land art and environmental degradation, and the design and construction of spacesuits.

What do Beyonce?s song ?Flawless,? Andy Warhol?s painting Marilyn Diptych, and a mash-up on the television show Glee have in common? Each samples ? or borrows ? from existing works of art to make something new. Sampling structures the way we make and consume fine art and popular culture. We watch parody versions of Miley Cyrus?s ?Wrecking Ball,? remix movies and television shows to make YouTube videos, and listen to music that samples from dozens of existing songs. Sampling raises key questions about scholarship and creativity: Who owns ideas? What does it mean to be original? How do artists and scholars balance old and new? In this class, we will develop our own scholarly voices as we engage in ongoing discourse about the very nature of learning and creating. We will see how citation and borrowing inform rhetorical strategies, and develop the rhetorical and research skills needed to enter the conversation.

What do Beyonce?s song ?Flawless,? Andy Warhol?s painting Marilyn Diptych, and a mash-up on the television show Glee have in common? Each samples ? or borrows ? from existing works of art to make something new. Sampling structures the way we make and consume fine art and popular culture. We watch parody versions of Miley Cyrus?s ?Wrecking Ball,? remix movies and television shows to make YouTube videos, and listen to music that samples from dozens of existing songs. Sampling raises key questions about scholarship and creativity: Who owns ideas? What does it mean to be original? How do artists and scholars balance old and new? In this class, we will develop our own scholarly voices as we engage in ongoing discourse about the very nature of learning and creating. We will see how citation and borrowing inform rhetorical strategies, and develop the rhetorical and research skills needed to enter the conversation.

From Charlie Chan to Jet Li, blackface to Black Power, popular film has recorded our changing ideas about and obsessions with "others." By examining films across a spectrum of genres and from a range of time periods, we will explore how visual media has reflected, influenced, or constructed categories of race, nationality, gender, and sexuality. Students will draft a series of short critical essays, engage in peer review and class workshops, and work on progressive revision. This course will culminate in a research project addressing cinema and identity.

Celebrated at its release and frequently voted the best British film of all time, The Third Man figures among the most iconic and influential movies in cinema history. An early espionage thriller, it anticipates a modern genre of anti-heroic spy films that runs from The Spy Who Came in From the Cold to The Bourne Identity. Set in the rubble of postwar Vienna, the film is about its location as much as its plot and raises fascinating questions about what roles cities play in contemporary cinema ? from backdrop to action, agent in the action, or actual film subject. But The Third Man occupies an equally striking place in political history. Because of its postwar occupied Vienna setting and its American character who tries to ?do the right thing,? the film is a standard in American foreign policy courses. In this writing seminar, we will explore some of the many interpretations of The Third Man, together with the remarkable role played by the film in cinema history.

It is rare that a film truly changes American cinema, but Alfred Hitchcock?s Psycho did. Before Psycho, Hollywood cinema was a secret ad for the American dream--a wide blue sky, a Western hero, American global power, and a happy end. After Psycho, audiences--and Hollywood--knew the dream was over. With the Hitchcock film as its center, this course explores the extraordinary impact of Psycho on popular film and culture, from its release to the present. Hollywood recognized that a film about killing could make a killing at the box office, but Psycho is also among the most studied film in cinema history. Is there a bigger blockbuster on the academic balance sheets? Students will also have an opportunity to analyze, discuss, and write about how film theory--feminism, formalism, and psychoanalysis--has taken up residence at the Bates Motel.

With films such as Toy Story, Finding Nemo, and WALL-E, Pixar Animation Studios has gained remarkable critical and commercial success. Although many would claim that their movies contain a positive message, a disproportionate number of these films feature male protagonists and tend to promote outdated notions of masculinity. How do these works reflect and reinforce dominant ideas about manhood? What might these films tell us about gender, conformity, and social hierarchy? How do these films present a particular vision of what it means to ?be a man?? In order to answer these and other questions, we will identify, analyze, and interrogate representations of men and boys in Pixar films by viewing them through a variety of critical lenses. Through guided writings and class discussions, we will seek to understand the ways in which films by Pixar define masculinity, and how they can offer powerful insights into contemporary culture and society.

The ?chick flick? is, by now, a bonafide blockbuster phenomenon, with the capacity to generate vast amounts of literal and cultural capital. Bend and snap! But what can we gain from these movies, beyond the (typically) happy ending? Are these films?starring women, for women, and sometimes even by women?feminist? What do they tell us about gender? About race and ethnicity? About consumerism or careerism? In this course, we will analyze and research both the production and the reception of several key components of the ?girly film? canon, from Pretty Woman to Sex and the City: The Movie. We will learn to read, write, and watch critically in order to better understand the various feminine and feminist ideologies at play in the film industry and contemporary culture as a whole. All genders very welcome, but purse-sized pooches need special permit.

By now we all know that the devil wears Prada--a canny move, and one probably suggested by his stylist. The fact that the devil's designer has become common knowledge testifies to the long and complicated relationship shared between fashion and film. In this seminar, we will look at several aspects of that relationship: haute couture in film, fashion and the construction of visible identities, and disguise through dress. Students should expect regular writing in the form of rhetorical exercises, blog posts, and peer reviews, film viewing assignments, as well as a longer, final research project.

Before the lewd photos of ?Carlos Danger? crushed Anthony Weiner?s mayoral run and a rumored six-digit line of credit at Tiffany?s brought Newt Gingrich?s fiscal conservatism under fire, ancient Romans of the upper class were accusing one another of similar depravity and decadence both in their public and private lives. This class looks at the politics of immorality from the perspective of Ancient Rome?not how depraved deeds actually happened, but how they were described and criticized in our written sources. By focusing on the ancient literature, political and court speeches, and moral discourses, we will analyze how immorality can define a culture in antiquity and today. We will also read a work of scholarship (Catharine Edwards, The Politics of Immorality) to provide us with a theoretical framework for understanding not only how the Romans indulged in immoral acts, but also why they were simultaneously preoccupied with criticizing these same immoral acts.

The emperor Vespasian, founder of Imperial Rome?s second dynasty, is widely considered to have been a successful emperor. His principate, along with those of his two sons, set a model for what the Roman emperor did and his relationship with the Senate, the Empire and the broader world. In this course, we will use the example of Vespasian to explore the role and functions of the Emperor. How far did the Emperor?s power extend? How could the Emperor affect society? How could he improve, restore or reform the Empire?

TBA

The site of bloody popular entertainments such as gladiatorial combats, wild beast hunts, and public executions, the Roman arena has become an integral part of our own cultural lexicon, as films like Spartacus, Gladiator, and the Hunger Games trilogy all can attest. But in spite of our enduring fascination with this iconic institution, scholarly debate still rages over many aspects of the Roman games, including their political and psychological function, the experience of the crowd, and the social status of performers. In this seminar, we will test-drive several of the most influential critical approaches applied to the Roman games over the last 25 years. Along the way, we will grapple with the crucial question of whether or not modern social theory can help us understand the ancient world, and whether that understanding can, in turn, illuminate aspects of our own culture and civilization.

Cicero was an influential politician and thinker, and undoubtedly the most influential writer in the last generation of the Roman Republic. Seneca the Younger, living about a century later under the Empire, was the most important thinker of his generation and served as tutor and later as advisor to the emperor Nero. Both men left large collections of letters. In this course we will explore how Cicero and Seneca used their letters as a social tool to build and exploit networks of friendship and influence, and as a philosophical tool to question and examine those networks.

If every age gets the hero it deserves, then twenty-first century America is apparently in need of plenty?The Dark Knight, Iron Man, Spider Man, Superman, Captain America, X-Men, Hellboy?from 2002-2012, over fifty high-profile Hollywood films featuring superheroes were made. Obsessively returning to events such as terrorism, war, and financial crisis, but also the concerns of what an American hero or antihero should look like, these films sit uncomfortably at the intersection of private and public fantasies. What can these stories tell us about politics, particularly in an era where political rhetoric (such as Bush?s ?you?re either with us or against us?) sounds like the script of a film, and the Terminator was the Governor of California? What can they tell us about the expectations, desires, fears, and anxieties that constitute everyday life in contemporary America? Looking at selections from films, TV shows, graphic novels, and literature, this writing seminar will use the lens of the superhero franchise to consider the post-9/11 landscape of the United States, exploring questions of class, inequality, neoliberalism, imperialism, race, gender, and sexuality.

Since the 20th Century, the tourism industry has shaped US economies, city development projects, and ideas of what constitutes leisure. While we love the idea of the vacation, how do we choose where to go? How do media products help us make decisions about what constitutes a holiday? How is the business of tourism part of our everyday lives? Tourism media products, such as magazines and travelogues, connect US Americans to the rest of the country and the world. Focusing on the mid-20th Century, this seminar examines the relationship between the travel magazine industry, market research, and American culture.

Since the 20th Century, the tourism industry has shaped US economies, city development projects, and ideas of what constitutes leisure. While we love the idea of the vacation, how do we choose where to go? How do media products help us make decisions about what constitutes a holiday? How is the business of tourism part of our everyday lives? Tourism media products, such as magazines and travelogues, connect US Americans to the rest of the country and the world. Focusing on the mid-20th Century, this seminar examines the relationship between the travel magazine industry, market research, and American culture.

Social media platforms, such as Facebook, Tinder, and Snapchat, are part of many current North American debates about identity, privacy, marketing, and social etiquette. These platforms are also part of everyday life for many North Americans. This seminar looks at the ?concerns? about social media in a scholarly context by examining their use by teenagers. We will also discuss why understanding a particular demographic matters in business and in society. Rather than ask whether social media platforms are good or bad, this seminar questions how social media change our culture and how we understand the aforementioned issues.

Through the work of Leonardo da Vinci--artist, inventor, engineer, scientist--we will examine the relationship between art and science. Da Vinci embodied the Renaissance man whose genius is not limited to a single subject. In the first half of the semester, you will read and write about about Leonardo's life, work, and historical context. We will focus in particular on his impact on art and science, as we explore the forgotten links between these disciplines. In the second half of the course, you will immerse yourself in a research project focused on an assigned book about da Vinci. Throughout, we will be considering the elements that make up the genius of this fascinating and important historical figure.

Home: at its simplest, home is the physical space of residence, the place we return to regularly, and where our belongings are stored. More broadly, though, home is the feeling of familiarity, comfort, and belonging. It is both something we are born into and something we have to create for ourselves. In this class, we will think about the idea of home as the site of identity creation as well as how the concept of home overlaps with political entities like city, state, and, nation. By studying selected essays and poems as well as the film The Wizard of Oz, and guided by Jan Duyvendak's sociological study on home, this class will encourage students to explore the different meanings of home and think about the politics of identity.

Fulfills the Writing Requirement The late 1800s-early 1900s was a rich period of time both in science and the arts. New ideas and discoveries were flooding the cultural environment in ways that inspired both artists and scientists. Although Einstein and Picasso never met or knew of each other's work, the social, scientific and intellectual milieus in which they lived led each to ideas in science and art which forced us to dramatically reconsider the very nature of reality. This course will explore the cultural and intellectual environments of the late 1800s, the lives of two revolutionary thinkers and the nature of their creativity, and how and why the revolutionary concepts E=mc2 and Cubism came within two years of each other in the early 1900s.

Once outside the province of the art world, street art has emerged as a central genre in contemporary 21st century art, meaning what was once relegated to the streets has now gained value in art auctions and private collection -- American Jean-Michel Basquiat?s meteoric rise to art-world fame, as well as the more recent celebrity of the UK graffiti artist Bansky, are but two examples. In this course, we will examine commercial and art historical distinctions about street art and high art. We will explore how street art resonates for artists, collectors, and scholars. We will discuss individual works by artists and artist collectives, learn about how street art has developed, and explore the ways scholars investigate the changing relationship of street art with various communities, within the art world, and global politics. Students will develop critical reading and writing skills through several exercises in reasoning and synthesis.

Through no fault of their own, Comedy Central late-night hosts Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert have become media messiahs to a whole generation. How did Stewart?s `Daily Show? and Colbert?s `Colbert Report,? both created as faux-news shows, gain legitimacy among the political elite? Why are they increasingly cited as primary news sources by Americans under 30? We will examine the unique humor and growing influence of these insurrectionary `newsmen,? and what is says about us as a culture. Or, as Colbert puts it, ?I am America, and so can you!?

Through no fault of their own, Comedy Central late-night hosts Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert have become media messiahs to a whole generation. How did Stewart?s `Daily Show? and Colbert?s `Colbert Report,? both created as faux-news shows, gain legitimacy among the political elite? Why are they increasingly cited as primary news sources by Americans under 30? We will examine the unique humor and growing influence of these insurrectionary `newsmen,? and what is says about us as a culture. Or, as Colbert puts it, ?I am America, and so can you!?

Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg famously told an interviewer in 2010 that privacy was a social norm that had ?evolved.? Nevertheless, scholars, pundits, technologists, and policymakers continue to ponder issues of privacy in an online era. As our lives are increasingly mediated through online applications that share our personal information, questions about what we are and are not willing to reveal emerge almost daily. And while concerns about media and privacy are nothing new, social network sites, search engines, and online commerce mean that new threats to exposure are often, at least in part, the results of our own behavior. How much privacy can we expect or should we demand? In this class our goal will be to sift through the sensationalism and hype to write critically about new media and privacy. Working with scholarship in internet studies, this course is to help you develop as a writer by improving your knowledge of rhetoric, reasoning, research, and synthesis.

Athletes try to enter "the zone," a state where the game slows down, they become totally immersed in the action, and they can't miss. Musicians present virtuoso performances when they stop thinking and just play, becoming one with the music. In college, you've been researching and brainstorming. Suddenly everything clicks. You know what you want to say and how you're going to say it. The paragraphs flow from your pen onto the page. Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi takes the idea of being "in the flow," an idea that everyone is familiar with, and submits it to academic scrutiny. What conditions promote being in a state of flow? How does it feel when the body or mind is in flow? Investigating these questions, Csikszentmihalyi argues that being in flow is essential to happiness. Examining the research of Csikszentmihalyi and others, the goal of this course is to help you develop as a writer by improving your knowledge of rhetoric, reasoning, research, and synthesis.

Athletes try to enter "the zone," a state where the game slows down, they become totally immersed in the action, and they can't miss. Musicians present virtuoso performances when they stop thinking and just play, becoming one with the music. In college, you've been researching and brainstorming. Suddenly everything clicks. You know what you want to say and how you're going to say it. The paragraphs flow from your pen onto the page. Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi takes the idea of being "in the flow," an idea that everyone is familiar with, and submits it to academic scrutiny. What conditions promote being in a state of flow? How does it feel when the body or mind is in flow? Investigating these questions, Csikszentmihalyi argues that being in flow is essential to happiness. Examining the research of Csikszentmihalyi and others, the goal of this course is to help you develop as a writer by improving your knowledge of rhetoric, reasoning, research, and synthesis.

Athletes try to enter "the zone," a state where the game slows down, they become totally immersed in the action, and they can't miss. Musicians present virtuoso performances when they stop thinking and just play, becoming one with the music. In college, you've been researching and brainstorming. Suddenly everything clicks. You know what you want to say and how you're going to say it. The paragraphs flow from your pen onto the page. Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi takes the idea of being "in the flow," an idea that everyone is familiar with, and submits it to academic scrutiny. What conditions promote being in a state of flow? How does it feel when the body or mind is in flow? Investigating these questions, Csikszentmihalyi argues that being in flow is essential to happiness. Examining the research of Csikszentmihalyi and others, the goal of this course is to help you develop as a writer by improving your knowledge of rhetoric, reasoning, research, and synthesis.

Athletes try to enter "the zone," a state where the game slows down, they become totally immersed in the action, and they can't miss. Musicians present virtuoso performances when they stop thinking and just play, becoming one with the music. In college, you've been researching and brainstorming. Suddenly everything clicks. You know what you want to say and how you're going to say it. The paragraphs flow from your pen onto the page. Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi takes the idea of being "in the flow," an idea that everyone is familiar with, and submits it to academic scrutiny. What conditions promote being in a state of flow? How does it feel when the body or mind is in flow? Investigating these questions, Csikszentmihalyi argues that being in flow is essential to happiness. Examining the research of Csikszentmihalyi and others, the goal of this course is to help you develop as a writer by improving your knowledge of rhetoric, reasoning, research, and synthesis.

Athletes try to enter "the zone," a state where the game slows down, they become totally immersed in the action, and they can't miss. Musicians present virtuoso performances when they stop thinking and just play, becoming one with the music. In college, you've been researching and brainstorming. Suddenly everything clicks. You know what you want to say and how you're going to say it. The paragraphs flow from your pen onto the page. Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi takes the idea of being "in the flow," an idea that everyone is familiar with, and submits it to academic scrutiny. What conditions promote being in a state of flow? How does it feel when the body or mind is in flow? Investigating these questions, Csikszentmihalyi argues that being in flow is essential to happiness. Examining the research of Csikszentmihalyi and others, the goal of this course is to help you develop as a writer by improving your knowledge of rhetoric, reasoning, research, and synthesis.

Athletes try to enter "the zone," a state where the game slows down, they become totally immersed in the action, and they can't miss. Musicians present virtuoso performances when they stop thinking and just play, becoming one with the music. In college, you've been researching and brainstorming. Suddenly everything clicks. You know what you want to say and how you're going to say it. The paragraphs flow from your pen onto the page. Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi takes the idea of being "in the flow," an idea that everyone is familiar with, and submits it to academic scrutiny. What conditions promote being in a state of flow? How does it feel when the body or mind is in flow? Investigating these questions, Csikszentmihalyi argues that being in flow is essential to happiness. Examining the research of Csikszentmihalyi and others, the goal of this course is to help you develop as a writer by improving your knowledge of rhetoric, reasoning, research, and synthesis.

Athletes try to enter "the zone," a state where the game slows down, they become totally immersed in the action, and they can't miss. Musicians present virtuoso performances when they stop thinking and just play, becoming one with the music. In college, you've been researching and brainstorming. Suddenly everything clicks. You know what you want to say and how you're going to say it. The paragraphs flow from your pen onto the page. Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi takes the idea of being "in the flow," an idea that everyone is familiar with, and submits it to academic scrutiny. What conditions promote being in a state of flow? How does it feel when the body or mind is in flow? Investigating these questions, Csikszentmihalyi argues that being in flow is essential to happiness. Examining the research of Csikszentmihalyi and others, the goal of this course is to help you develop as a writer by improving your knowledge of rhetoric, reasoning, research, and synthesis.

Athletes try to enter "the zone," a state where the game slows down, they become totally immersed in the action, and they can't miss. Musicians present virtuoso performances when they stop thinking and just play, becoming one with the music. In college, you've been researching and brainstorming. Suddenly everything clicks. You know what you want to say and how you're going to say it. The paragraphs flow from your pen onto the page. Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi takes the idea of being "in the flow," an idea that everyone is familiar with, and submits it to academic scrutiny. What conditions promote being in a state of flow? How does it feel when the body or mind is in flow? Investigating these questions, Csikszentmihalyi argues that being in flow is essential to happiness. Examining the research of Csikszentmihalyi and others, the goal of this course is to help you develop as a writer by improving your knowledge of rhetoric, reasoning, research, and synthesis.

This discipline and topic-based course will focus on the fundamentals of academic and professional writing with the goal of sharpening students? reasoning and providing them with strategies for its effective expression. Through a series of short formal exercises, revisions, peer reviews, and timed writings, students will practice generating and expressing their own ideas in response to readings, collaborative exercises, and discussions about the course topic. Focus will be on the basics of critical writing: formulating and supporting propositions; reasoning and evidence; explanatory as well as justificatory reasoning. With an emphasis on rhetoric, students will learn how to write and revise for the various audiences they will encounter at Penn and beyond. Attention will also be paid to mechanics, usage, and style, as well as an introduction to citing and documenting sources. All elements of the seminar include guidance from an experienced instructor and feedback from fellow students to provide writers with the challenge of addressing diverse readers. The emphasis throughout is on creative thinking precisely expressed. (Part 1 of 2 part Critical Writing Sequence for LPS BA candidates)

This discipline and topic-based course will focus on the fundamentals of academic and professional writing with the goal of sharpening students? reasoning and providing them with strategies for its effective expression. Through a series of short formal exercises, revisions, peer reviews, and timed writings, students will practice generating and expressing their own ideas in response to readings, collaborative exercises, and discussions about the course topic. Focus will be on the basics of critical writing: formulating and supporting propositions; reasoning and evidence; explanatory as well as justificatory reasoning. With an emphasis on rhetoric, students will learn how to write and revise for the various audiences they will encounter at Penn and beyond. Attention will also be paid to mechanics, usage, and style, as well as an introduction to citing and documenting sources. All elements of the seminar include guidance from an experienced instructor and feedback from fellow students to provide writers with the challenge of addressing diverse readers. The emphasis throughout is on creative thinking precisely expressed. (Part 1 of 2 part Critical Writing Sequence for LPS BA candidates)

This discipline and topic-based course will focus on the fundamentals of academic and professional writing with the goal of sharpening students? reasoning and providing them with strategies for its effective expression. Through a series of short formal exercises, revisions, peer reviews, and timed writings, students will practice generating and expressing their own ideas in response to readings, collaborative exercises, and discussions about the course topic. Focus will be on the basics of critical writing: formulating and supporting propositions; reasoning and evidence; explanatory as well as justificatory reasoning. With an emphasis on rhetoric, students will learn how to write and revise for the various audiences they will encounter at Penn and beyond. Attention will also be paid to mechanics, usage, and style, as well as an introduction to citing and documenting sources. All elements of the seminar include guidance from an experienced instructor and feedback from fellow students to provide writers with the challenge of addressing diverse readers. The emphasis throughout is on creative thinking precisely expressed. (Part 1 of 2 part Critical Writing Sequence for LPS BA candidates)

While the study of engineering involves performing calculations and solving equations, what does the practice of engineering involve, and how has this changed over time? Guided by Eugene Ferguson?s Engineering and the Mind?s Eye, we will consider the concept of engineering knowledge and how it has been developed and disseminated through the centuries. From moving the Vatican Obelisk in the 16th century to launching satellites into orbit in the 21st century, visual and communication skills have been critical to the successful completion of engineering projects, even though they may be more arts than sciences. Taught by a licensed Professional Engineer, this seminar will lead students through an exploration of engineering as a multifaceted endeavor and it will encourage students to enrich their understanding of the breadth of skills that successful participation in the field encompasses.

The term "Comic Art" today encompasses many types of expression with one thing in common: words and pictures working together to tell a story. Originating, some say, hundreds of years ago, but taking off in modern form in the early twentieth century, comic art has been used to tell jokes, weave tales of fantasy and adventure, make political and social commentary, and much more. And in the last two or three decades, the study of Comic Art has blossomed into a lively academic discipline. This seminar is an inquiry into what defines Comic Art, how it functions, and what modern audiences can derive from it. We will read examples of the art, from comic strips to graphical novels and anime, spanning more than a hundred years, and we?ll also read scholarly literature on the subject. Students will write and revise several short essays, participate in numerous workgroup writing exercises, produce a research-based writing sequence, and prepare midterm and final portfolios of their work.

The term "Comic Art" today encompasses many types of expression with one thing in common: words and pictures working together to tell a story. Originating, some say, hundreds of years ago, but taking off in modern form in the early twentieth century, comic art has been used to tell jokes, weave tales of fantasy and adventure, make political and social commentary, and much more. And in the last two or three decades, the study of Comic Art has blossomed into a lively academic discipline. This Seminar is an inquiry into what defines Comic Art, how it functions, and what modern audiences can derive from it. We will read examples of the art, from comic strips to graphical novels and anime, spanning more than a hundred years, and we?ll also read scholarly literature on the subject. Students will write and revise several short essays, participate in numerous workgroup writing exercises, produce a research-based writing sequence, and prepare midterm and final portfolios of their work.

F. Scott Fitzgerald?s 1925 masterpiece is widely regarded as the paradigmatic American novel of the twentieth century. This distinction seems only fitting for a work that deals so masterfully with such themes as social mobility, consumer culture, alienation, and xenophobia?central concerns preoccupying the American mind in the ?Roaring Twenties.? The staggering success of Baz Luhrmann?s recent adaptation of this classic title makes now the ideal moment to revisit it. In this course, we?ll study the novel alongside interpretations both scholarly and mainstream, including the film. And we'd be remiss not to consider, along the way, Lana Del Rey?s role in all of this.

The Communist Manifesto has a complicated reputation. It has been hailed as a milestone in the struggle for human freedom, demonized as dangerous propaganda, and dismissed as a relic of the nineteenth century. It has inspired revolutions as well as witch-hunts, but despite all the attention it has received, the Manifesto is rarely approached as a work of literature. In this course, we will use the tools of literary analysis to explore what makes the Manifesto tick. In addition to these matters of rhetoric and style, we will consider how scholars have both critiqued Marx?s ideas and sought to apply them to questions of gender, race, and the environment. While honing students' skills in critical reasoning, we?ll explore the reasons (literary, philosophical, and political) why the Communist Manifesto might still be of interest today.

After hearing Allen Ginsberg read ?Howl? for the first time, City Lights publisher Lawrence Ferlinghetti remarked that he had ?never seen a world like that before.? Fifty years later, ?Howl? (?I have seen the best minds of my generation destroyed my madness, starving, hysterical, naked?) has sold over 1 million copies, and its author and his lines, are embedded in both the literary cannon and popular culture. Though many poems are celebrated by writers and taken to task by critics, ?Howl? was also put on trial for obscenity by the San Fransisco Juvenile Department in 1957. Using Jason Schinder?s ?The Poem That Changed America: Howl 50 Years Later? and ?Howl on Trial: The Battle for Free Expression? as our guides, we?ll take up questions of obscenity, expression, and cultural capital. We will ask how and why a poem might, as Schinder writes, enact a "loosening of breath," which influences individuals, a public, and, the nation.

In this course, we will learn about contemporary writers who do not separate the humanities from the sciences; the left brain from the right brain; or inspiration, creativity and expression, from data, logic, and rules. Writers experimenting at the intersections of creative writing and mathematics will help us examine how, and why, these two fields of inquiry are so often divided--and what can happen when we bring them together. Do you find yourself obsessing over your next move in Words with Friends? Do you like palindromes ("was it a cat I saw", "now I won," rotator, sagas, civic) and anagrams (dormitory, dirty room)? If so, you are probably already engaged in the practice of ?Writing by the Numb3rs," and in this class you will be in good company.

In this course, we will learn about contemporary writers who do not separate the humanities from the sciences; the left brain from the right brain; or inspiration, creativity and expression, from data, logic, and rules. Writers experimenting at the intersections of creative writing and mathematics will help us examine how, and why, these two fields of inquiry are so often divided--and what can happen when we bring them together. Do you find yourself obsessing over your next move in Words with Friends? Do you like palindromes ("was it a cat I saw", "now I won," rotator, sagas, civic) and anagrams (dormitory, dirty room)? If so, you are probably already engaged in the practice of ?Writing by the Numb3rs," and in this class you will be in good company.

F. Scott Fitzgerald?s 1925 masterpiece is widely regarded as the paradigmatic American novel of the twentieth century. This distinction seems only fitting for a work that deals so masterfully with such themes as social mobility, consumer culture, alienation, and xenophobia?central concerns preoccupying the American mind in the ?Roaring Twenties.? The staggering success of Baz Luhrmann?s recent adaptation of this classic title makes now the ideal moment to revisit it. In this course, we?ll study the novel alongside interpretations both scholarly and mainstream, including the film. And we'd be remiss not to consider, along the way, Lana Del Rey?s role in all of this.

This writing seminar will consider how law shapes and influences some of the most basic facets of human life: how we define ourselves, where we live, and how we interact with our environments. For example, what impact does the Americans with Disabilities Act have on our notions of civil rights, free access, and mobility? How has our freedom of speech and assembly been altered by the transformation of the town square into an enclosed shopping mall? How does the law mediate between competing claims for land and resources, and how do our physical environments reflect important differences in power that lawmakers may need to address? Readings will be drawn from the fields of law, geography, political science, education and cultural studies. Assignments include a series of reasoning and synthesis exercises, as well as peer review and midterm and final portfolios.

Released in 1994 to wide acclaim, Disney?s The Lion King brought an animated and anthropomorphized Africa to American audiences. Though rooted in biblical and Shakespearean stories, The Lion King also echoes the ancient epic of Sundiata, the so-called ?lion king? of 13th century Mali. As such, the movie is both about Africa and a about how the West imagines the continent to be. This course uses The Lion King as a window onto questions of how the West views and uses Africa in popular culture. As a writing seminar, these questions will become fodder for multiple short writing exercises as well as a longer research paper. Students will learn to think, read, and write critically in an atmosphere centered on collaborative learning.

The 1970s are often remembered as the decade of disco, shag rugs, polyester leisure suits, and Soul Train. Some have described it as an ?interregnum? between the Civil Rights era and the ?Age of Reagan??in other words, a period when not much happened. However, in recent years, scholars and observers have become increasingly interested in the 1970s, arguing that we can locate the origins of our current political and economic predicament in this decade. In this course, we will look at the major political, cultural and economic shifts of this decade, including changing working-class politics, emerging neoliberalism, fiscal crises, feminism and evolution of sexual politics, deindustrialization, and the rise of the New Right.

The 1970s are often remembered as the decade of disco, shag rugs, polyester leisure suits, and Soul Train. Some have described it as an ?interregnum? between the Civil Rights era and the ?Age of Reagan??in other words, a period when not much happened. However, in recent years, scholars and observers have become increasingly interested in the 1970s, arguing that we can locate the origins of our current political and economic predicament in this decade. In this course, we will look at the major political, cultural and economic shifts of this decade, including changing working-class politics, emerging neoliberalism, fiscal crises, feminism and evolution of sexual politics, deindustrialization, and the rise of the New Right.

Today, the retail giant Wal-mart is the largest private employer in the world. In terms of the American economy, the rise of Wal-mart and similar corporate retail chains illustrates a historic shift from manufacturing and agriculture to a service economy. In this course, we will explore the origins, development, and implications of this historic change. What does it mean that a company from Bentonville, Arkansas now ranks as the world's largest public corporation, and does it indicate a change in the power balance between regions within the U.S economy? We will explore the history of how this process occurred, including its connections to the rise of evangelical Christianity and the ethos of free enterprise. In addition, we will examine the emergence of the service economy within the context of globalization, the race and gender politics of labor in the service economy, and the changing relationship between politics and economic policy in the US.

Witches abounded in the early Atlantic world. Tens of thousands of them perished at the urging of their accusers and often with the support of courts and clergy in locales as diverse and distant as Germany, Central Africa, and Massachusetts. What, however, encouraged these prosecutors to see witches in their midst? Did witches exist? Were accusers delusional? Or does the reality lie somewhere in between? By analyzing both the trial proceedings of the infamous Salem Witch Trials and works that explore Salem's peoples and cultures, we will consider the roles of belief, fear, hysteria?even drugs, disease, and the economy?in motivating accusers. Through research, written assignments, and discussion of Salem in an Atlantic context, you will investigate the worlds of witches and their hunters in order to discover the ways in which witchcraft belief shaped?and sometimes destroyed?lives.

Talk of ?identity? has a great deal of currency in contemporary political and moral discussion. We believe, on one hand, that we should respect people?s social identities, both in our institutions and in our everyday dealings with one another. On the other hand, we also tend to believe that no one?s freedom to shape her own individuality should be constrained by the social identities she was born into (or has otherwise been assigned). In this course, we?ll ask what it means to have an identity, in both its personal and social aspects, and we'll explore the tensions that arise between identity and individuality. We?ll share the conversation with thinkers like Erik Erikson, Charles Taylor, Kwame Anthony Appiah, and Amy Gutmann.

What makes America a democracy? In the early 19th century, the French scholar, Alexis de Tocqueville came to America to study its new form of government ? democracy ? in order to understand what makes a democratic society different from an aristocratic, tyrannical or colonial one. Tocqueville observed that democracy requires a particular set of civic instititions as well as ideas and habits that foster participation and debate among citizens. In the 21st century, both the bureaucratic might of the federal government as well as the influence of large corporate interests in politics far exceed what existed in Tocqueville's time. In this course, we will read Tocqueville's classic text, Democracy in America, as a guide to interpreting contemporary American society. Students will be expected to read current scholarship on the state of American democracy.

What makes America a democracy? In the early 19th century, the French scholar, Alexis de Tocqueville came to America to study its new form of government ? democracy ? in order to understand what makes a democratic society different from an aristocratic, tyrannical or colonial one. Tocqueville observed that democracy requires a particular set of civic instititions as well as ideas and habits that foster participation and debate among citizens. In the 21st century, both the bureaucratic might of the federal government as well as the influence of large corporate interests in politics far exceed what existed in Tocqueville's time. In this course, we will read Tocqueville's classic text, Democracy in America, as a guide to interpreting contemporary American society. Students will be expected to read current scholarship on the state of American democracy.

Imagine if you could completely re-think what a city should look like, from the ground up. The modern era is littered with proposals for new, rational, and better ways to live together: cities without poverty, garden cities, geometric cities, even anarchist cities. Those designs were more than just idle dreams: many of them are still influential today, if you know how to look for them. In this class, we will learn about the ideas and the idealists behind these modern utopias, and we will study the messy and surprising business of what happened when their ideas were put into practice. Students in this course will learn to recognize, and develop well-informed opinions about, proposals for how to make a city great. The course focuses on developing understanding through writing exercises, which will include critical analysis, collaborative writing, and students' own analyses of what makes for the best possible city.

From public services to second-hand sports tickets, markets have come to structure many aspect of quotidian life over the past thirty years; intervening even where the state had previously been the reliable authority. Has this expansion corroded values such as trust and reciprocity or led to valuable efficiency gains? Do markets reduce incentives for active participation in our communities? This course will explore the implications of the proliferation of markets in realms such as educational achievement, public service provision, and environmental politics. We will use Michael Sandel's "The Moral Limits of Markets" to explore these themes in greater depth. We will anchor the debate in contemporary topics in American and international politics. Through critical analysis of Sandel's book and the debates it has stimulated, seminar participants will bring their own perspectives into dialogue with existing critiques, preparing themselves for more active engagement in their own communities.

Imagine if you could completely re-think what a city should look like, from the ground up. The modern era is littered with proposals for new, rational, and better ways to live together: cities without poverty, garden cities, geometric cities, even anarchist cities. Those designs were more than just idle dreams: many of them are still influential today, if you know how to look for them. In this class, we will learn about the ideas and the idealists behind these modern utopias, and we will study the messy and surprising business of what happened when their ideas were put into practice. Students in this course will learn to recognize, and develop well-informed opinions about, proposals for how to make a city great. The course focuses on developing understanding through writing exercises, which will include critical analysis, collaborative writing, and students' own analyses of what makes for the best possible city.

What makes a city sustainable? Why are some cities more environmentally-friendly than others? How can you tell the difference between environmental policies that make a difference, and well-meaning (or not-so-well-meaning) hype? What does sustainability really mean, anyway? By studying examples from cities around the world, this class will address all of these questions. Students will gain an understanding of the core issues at stake in discussions of "green urbanism," and to ask clear, knowledgeable questions about exactly what sustainability initiatives do and do not accomplish. Through writing assignments that focus on real-world policies and outcomes, students will improve their explanatory and persuasive writing abilities, and develop their own well-informed opinions about what can be done to sustain the world in which we all live.

Humans are a uniquely violent species. We cheer when the movie hero kills the villain. We applaud athletes when they tackle an opponent. And at the extreme, we are capable of atrocities such as war and mass murder. This course examines the basis of violent behavior from the perspective of our brain?s biology. We will examine the biological root of violent behavior from the context of evolution. Using our modern understanding of genetics and brain imaging, we will investigate the neurotransmitters, hormones, and brain regions involved in the expression of aggression. We will explore this violent response through two alternate extremes?impulsive acts of aggression and the cold, calculating behavior of psychopaths. This biological understanding of violence will provide a basis for considering ethical issues regarding violence prevention and the treatment of violent individuals. Students will practice persuasive writing and produce a synthesis of research for their final writing portfolio.

Memories form an integral component of our personal identity. However, an understanding of how memories are created as well as enhanced, destroyed, or modified is the topic of extensive debate. This seminar explores the biological basis of memory, the importance of memory within society, and the various ways in which memory can be affected. We will examine different types of memory and discuss the role of memory in defining our identity. We will compare and contrast current theories of how our brain forms, stores, and modifies memories. We will encounter examples of how memory can play a role in different diseases including amnesia, Alzheimer?s disease and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). And we will consider memory reconstruction and distortion, which suggest how this integral part of our self-identity can be easily altered. Students will practice persuasive writing and produce a synthesis of research for their final writing portfolio.

Picasso, Einstein, Steve Jobs -- three of the individuals, among many others, who have been proclaimed to be "creative" geniuses. In this course, we will examine how we define creativity and the factors that make a person more or less creative. As we explore the scientific study of creativity, we will consider its relationship to personality, motivation, and intelligence. We will ask whether creativity has a dark side. We will discuss emerging psychological theories of creativity, learn about research in this developing field, and explore the ways researchers have used the methods of science to answer questions about creativity.

Memories form an integral component of our personal identity. However, an understanding of how memories are created as well as enhanced, destroyed, or modified is the topic of extensive debate. This seminar explores the biological basis of memory, the importance of memory within society, and the various ways in which memory can be affected. We will examine different types of memory and discuss the role of memory in defining our identity. We will compare and contrast current theories of how our brain forms, stores, and modifies memories. We will encounter examples of how memory can play a role in different diseases including amnesia, Alzheimer?s disease and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). And we will consider memory reconstruction and distortion, which suggest how this integral part of our self-identity can be easily altered. Students will practice persuasive writing and produce a synthesis of research for their final writing portfolio.

What is evil? How do different religious traditions and cultures speak about evil and explain its origins? For millennia, people have asked these questions about the nature and origins of evil. From the seductions of a serpent to the opening of Pandora?s box, sages, scribes, and storytellers have used narrative to explain human suffering. But what are the social effects of naming and locating evil within particular people, places, or historical moments? In this course, we will explore these and other questions related to the origins of evil through analysis of sacred and secular stories as found in ancient texts, films, and graphic novels. This course will improve students? skills in reasoning, critical reading, and research writing through peer review, multiple drafts and revisions of essays, and midterm and final portfolios.

The United States has the largest prison population in the world, a population made disproportionately of African American men. While criminologists and policy makers have debated over the causes of mass incarceration, sociologists have examined the role of mass incarceration in the reproduction of social inequality across race and class lines. This course will focus on two prominent sociological monographs. The first will be Bruce Western?s comprehensive account of mass incarceration, Punishment and Inequality in America. The second will be Devah Pager?s Marked: Race, Crime, and Finding work in an Era of Mass Incarceration. Pager?s audit study of entry level labor market finds, among other things, that it is likelier for a white person with a criminal record to get a callback for an interview than a black person without one. Beyond urban America, this course will consider consequences of mass incarceration including electoral outcomes, labor statistics, and health insurance.

Humans rely upon the marine environment as a source of travel, food, raw material, and leisure. While this relationship stretches back thousands of years, humanity?s impact upon the ocean has often been denied. The vision of the ?unchanging sea? has obscured the role humans play in shaping the underwater realm. However, recent changes in the ocean landscape, including rising waters, acidification, and fisheries stock depletion, have prompted historians to begin tracing the history of human-ocean interactions in order to better understand the causes of the current crisis. Through the study of marine environmental history, we can trace man?s historical interactions with the sea and view the impact these interactions have had on that environment. This course will introduce students to recent marine environmental history literature. Readings draw on information from biology, ecology, history, anthropology, and geography to create an expansive understanding of the history of human-marine interactions. Students will be asked to apply this wide range of historical knowledge to ongoing debates, including pollution, climate change, and fisheries depletion.

Humans rely upon the marine environment as a source of travel, food, raw material, and leisure. While this relationship stretches back thousands of years, humanity?s impact upon the ocean has often been denied. The vision of the ?unchanging sea? has obscured the role humans play in shaping the underwater realm. However, recent changes in the ocean landscape, including rising waters, acidification, and fisheries stock depletion, have prompted historians to begin tracing the history of human-ocean interactions in order to better understand the causes of the current crisis. Through the study of marine environmental history, we can trace man?s historical interactions with the sea and view the impact these interactions have had on that environment. This course will introduce students to recent marine environmental history literature. Readings draw on information from biology, ecology, history, anthropology, and geography to create an expansive understanding of the history of human-marine interactions. Students will be asked to apply this wide range of historical knowledge to ongoing debates, including pollution, climate change, and fisheries depletion.

Each month, magazines oriented toward human females feature articles and tips on how to find ?Mr. Right.? Similar male-oriented magazines tell men how to construct themselves in order to attract women. These magazines reflect a cultural understanding that the human male displays and the human female selects her mate based upon this display. But where does this understanding come from and why is it so ubiquitous in modern society? This class examines the history of research on female sexual selection from Darwin to the present. Researchers interested in human mate selection have explored the issue through a variety of approaches and have subsequently arrived at a wide range of theories. While some of these theories have been quickly overturned, others continue to be upheld and explored by the scientific community. Students will develop an understanding of the historical development of this research and its impact on our current beliefs in human sexual selection.

This discipline and topic-based course will build upon the knowledge and skills of writing reasoned discourse that are introduced in the introductory course. Students in the research writing seminar will acquire a substantial knowledge of a specialized topic in the designated discipline as they engage in individual guided research projects organized around the course topic and readings. The course will teach students how to engage in complex synthesis, building upon other?s ideas. A series of short research writing assignments will teach students how to develop keywords, write abstracts, literature overviews, explanations and arguments, as well as give them additional practice in writing clearly and concisely. Throughout students will learn how to formulate and stage a research paper, emulating techniques used by scholars and professionals. Continuing their instruction on rhetorical analysis, students will be introduced to reading and writing like a rhetorician, attending to specific audiences and how these are persuaded, from the word choice to the order, selection, and handling of evidence and documentation. Through a semester-long partnership and hands-on workshop with a library subject specialist, students will be given an introduction, immersion, and guided instruction in how, for example, to conduct stack searches, locate subject-specific databases, and engage in Boolean searches. By the end of the semester, students will be fluent in the basics of library research and writing, and will also have acquired, along the way, a substantial depth of knowledge about their course and research topic. As with Introduction to Critical Writing, emphasis throughout is on creative thinking precisely expressed. (Part 2 of 2 part Critical Writing Sequence for LPS BA candidates)

This discipline and topic-based course will build upon the knowledge and skills of writing reasoned discourse that are introduced in the introductory course. Students in the research writing seminar will acquire a substantial knowledge of a specialized topic in the designated discipline as they engage in individual guided research projects organized around the course topic and readings. The course will teach students how to engage in complex synthesis, building upon other?s ideas. A series of short research writing assignments will teach students how to develop keywords, write abstracts, literature overviews, explanations and arguments, as well as give them additional practice in writing clearly and concisely. Throughout students will learn how to formulate and stage a research paper, emulating techniques used by scholars and professionals. Continuing their instruction on rhetorical analysis, students will be introduced to reading and writing like a rhetorician, attending to specific audiences and how these are persuaded, from the word choice to the order, selection, and handling of evidence and documentation. Through a semester-long partnership and hands-on workshop with a library subject specialist, students will be given an introduction, immersion, and guided instruction in how, for example, to conduct stack searches, locate subject-specific databases, and engage in Boolean searches. By the end of the semester, students will be fluent in the basics of library research and writing, and will also have acquired, along the way, a substantial depth of knowledge about their course and research topic. As with Introduction to Critical Writing, emphasis throughout is on creative thinking precisely expressed. (Part 2 of 2 part Critical Writing Sequence for LPS BA candidates)