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.

For families on the road to the Ivy League, the extracurricular activities of elementary school children shape parenting strategies. After-school activities, such as soccer, dance, and chess teach lifelong lessons about internalized winning, bouncing back from loss, and performance under pressure. As a highly desired trait in the university system, competitiveness demonstrates a student's ambition and ability to adapt. This class looks at the contemporary effects of after-school activities and their connection to parenting, gender and social inequality in American families.

For families on the road to the Ivy League, the extracurricular activities of elementary school children shape parenting strategies. After-school activities, such as soccer, dance, and chess teach lifelong lessons about internalized winning, bouncing back from loss, and performance under pressure. As a highly desired trait in the university system, competitiveness demonstrates a student's ambition and ability to adapt. This class looks at the contemporary effects of after-school activities and their connection to parenting, gender and social inequality in American families.

In recent years, public institutions and community organizations have come to rely less on the State for support, and more on the philanthropic donations of corporations and wealthy individuals. Schools, nonprofits and aid organizations, thus, are often beholden to the vision and mission of their funders. This course will focus on the contradictions between intentions and outcomes in corporate and individual charitable giving. Through readings in anthropology, political science and business, we will explore the ways in which philanthropy might serve to maintain class, race and gender inequality and inhibit democracy. In reading, writing and class discussions, we will ask: Does the marketing of people?s need to funders depend on narratives that perpetuate poverty, inequality and hardship? Are powerful corporations and individuals capable of being socially responsible? This course will improve students? skills in research, critical reasoning and academic writing.

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.

For many, art IS politics. Whether in the service of the state during the Cold War, expressions of resistance during the Civil Rights, anti-war, and peace movements, or banners for queer, environmental and anti-globalization protest, art can be a high stakes enterprise. Art matters to artists and arts enthusiasts as well as to a variety of disciplines, including art history, cultural studies, philosophy, sociology, and urban studies. This course will focus upon American art in American contexts, exploring the scholarship on American political and public art from the 1940s to the present. Guided by Claudia Mesch?s _Art and Politics: A Small History of Art for Social Change since 1945_, we will explore how art performs within sociological, political, and cultural contexts.

For many, art IS politics. Whether in the service of the state during the Cold War, expressions of resistance during the Civil Rights, anti-war, and peace movements, or banners for queer, environmental and anti-globalization protest, art can be a high stakes enterprise. Art matters to artists and arts enthusiasts as well as to a variety of disciplines, including art history, cultural studies, philosophy, sociology, and urban studies. This course will focus upon American art in American contexts, exploring the scholarship on American political and public art from the 1940s to the present. Guided by Claudia Mesch?s _Art and Politics: A Small History of Art for Social Change since 1945_, we will explore how art performs within sociological, political, and cultural contexts.

For centuries, scientists and philosophers have grappled with the desire to understand the basis of our human behaviors. Are we biological machines, whose ?brains made us do it?? Or do we have full choice over our actions? Recent findings from the field of neuroscience have provided important insights on this dilemma. Through this course we will examine the relationship between the mind and the brain, keeping in mind its relevance to individual responsibility. We will investigate the underlying ?hardwiring? of the human brain that leads to inherent reflexes as well as shared perceptions and actions. Conversely, we will also see how our human behaviors do not happen in an isolated vacuum, and our interactions with other people, the environment, and our own personal sense of responsibility play a crucial role in our actions. These findings have important implications in the examination of legal responsibility as well as in our ability to understand our own behavior. Throughout this course, we will advance our understanding of the biological basis of free will through reading, researching, and writing about the topic.

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.

From filmstrips to Netflix series, from daguerreotypes to iPhone selfies, the camera has been a tool for self-representation and documentation. Cameras promise to show us the `truth,? allowing us to create, or contest, collective and individual narratives. The documentary tradition builds on older practices of portraiture, cultural exhibition, and historical documentation, and includes not only historical documentaries, but also newsreels, propaganda films, film memoirs, and reality television. American filmmakers in particular have used documentaries both to shape the national narrative and to point out its limits and failures. In this course, we will examine the visual and verbal rhetoric of these documentaries: How does the popular, documentary version of the `truth? compare with its scholarly counterpart? How do these stories shape identities? We will also work on constructing our own new scholarly and personal narratives, through a variety of writing genres.

We have all heard that elephants never forget. But how many of us know that they also weep? Or that captive orcas can learn to "speak dolphin?" Scholars from areas as diverse as philosophy, biology, social justice, and the arts are currently formulating a new field: animal studies. These scholars are exploring how animals think, what they feel, and in some cases working with animal rights activists to question our laws and personal behaviors in light of these discoveries. In this course we will add to the conversation by looking at how popular culture - especially films like Blackfish and the Cove - reflect and shape our understanding of non-human animals.

From filmstrips to Netflix series, from daguerreotypes to iPhone selfies, the camera has been a tool for self-representation and documentation. Cameras promise to show us the `truth,? allowing us to create, or contest, collective and individual narratives. The documentary tradition builds on older practices of portraiture, cultural exhibition, and historical documentation, and includes not only historical documentaries, but also newsreels, propaganda films, film memoirs, and reality television. American filmmakers in particular have used documentaries both to shape the national narrative and to point out its limits and failures. In this course, we will examine the visual and verbal rhetoric of these documentaries: How does the popular, documentary version of the `truth? compare with its scholarly counterpart? How do these stories shape identities? We will also work on constructing our own new scholarly and personal narratives, through a variety of writing genres.

Boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back?sound familiar? Romantic comedies may offer few surprises in the way of plot, but they never fail to please, as their blockbuster status attests. This course will investigate why we can?t resist these ?chick flicks,? and what, beyond the guaranteed happy ending, we can gain from these movies. Are these films?starring women, for women, and sometimes even by women?feminist? What do they tell us about gender? Genre? About politics and race? About consumerism or careerism? In this course, we will analyze and research both the production and the reception of several ?new millennial? ?rom coms,? such as Enchanted, Maid in Manhattan, and The Proposal. We will learn to read, write, and watch critically in order to better understand the various ideologies at play in the film industry and contemporary culture as a whole. All genders very welcome, but purse-sized pooches need special permit.

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.

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.

From Zeus and Europa to Pan and Prometheus, the myths of ancient Greece and Rome seem to exert a timeless power over us. But what do these myths represent, and why are they so enduringly fascinating? In this seminar, we will explore the rich history and diverse interpretations of classical mythology. Examining how myths are used and understood in both high art and popular culture, we will travel from the ruins of Pompeii to the skyscrapers in New York and find classical myths in a variety of unexpected places: from arabic poetry and Hollywood films to psychoanalysis, the bible and New Age spiritualism.

From Zeus and Europa to Pan and Prometheus, the myths of ancient Greece and Rome seem to exert a timeless power over us. But what do these myths represent, and why are they so enduringly fascinating? In this seminar, we will explore the rich history and diverse interpretations of classical mythology. Examining how myths are used and understood in both high art and popular culture, we will travel from the ruins of Pompeii to the skyscrapers in New York and find classical myths in a variety of unexpected places: from arabic poetry and Hollywood films to psychoanalysis, the bible and New Age spiritualism.

Monsters are everywhere: they appear in novels, museums, movies, newspapers, the Bible, comic books, video games, our daily speech, and even on public buildings. What are monsters and why do we fear them? Why has the human imagination, from ancient times until the present, conjured up fantastical beasts or machines that terrify us? And why do they fascinate us despite their fearsome qualities? In this course, we will explore these questions by looking at representations of monsters from ancient to contemporary times. We will consider beasts, witches, demons, and giants. And we will look at depictions of monsters in myths, science, artwork, movies, religious texts, and the media. To facilitate our examination of monsters and humans? fear and fascination of them, we will make use of Stephen Asma?s recent book, On Monsters: An Unnatural History of our Worst Fears.

How do you rig races so your team wins, make your neighbors' crops fail while yours flourish, compel that shopkeeper?s daughter to love you? The ancient Greeks and Romans had spells, amulets and charms for all these purposes, and many more. In this class we will explore the place and practice of magic in the ancient world. What were the Greeks and Romans reaching out to in their efforts to control the world around them, and how did they imagine it worked? The magician?s art was a source of tensions and controversies that gives us a glimpse into the hopes and fears of Classical antiquity. Studying how magic was portrayed in the literary sources as well as the spells and tablets themselves, we will think about magic?s relationship to the religious, political and social contexts in which it was used.

How do you rig races so your team wins, make your neighbors' crops fail while yours flourish, compel that shopkeeper?s daughter to love you? The ancient Greeks and Romans had spells, amulets and charms for all these purposes, and many more. In this class we will explore the place and practice of magic in the ancient world. What were the Greeks and Romans reaching out to in their efforts to control the world around them, and how did they imagine it worked? The magician?s art was a source of tensions and controversies that gives us a glimpse into the hopes and fears of Classical antiquity. Studying how magic was portrayed in the literary sources as well as the spells and tablets themselves, we will think about magic?s relationship to the religious, political and social contexts in which it was used.

The discovery of extraterrestrial life has long been a staple of science fiction films. From the lovable Ewoks of Star Wars to the tentacled creatures seeking to exterminate the human race in Independence Day, aliens assume a range of forms, reflecting our hopes, fears, and prejudices. This course will examine how science fiction films use aliens to question our assumptions about what it means to be human, with a particular emphasis on the role of gender. Through close study of the Alien film franchise, we will consider such questions as: how does the evolution of the films? protagonist, Lt. Ellen Ripley, reflect evolving definitions of gender and identity? How do we map our ideas about gender onto alien beings? How do these films disrupt the typical boundary between human and alien? And how does science fiction as a genre grapple with female heroes?

Celebrities arguably make up the royalty of the United States. Today?s celebrities are not only those who are talented in sports or the performing arts, they are also our politicians and intellectuals. We even question the validity of some of our celebrities, particularly those starring in reality TV shows. This course examines celebrity culture, and in particular, the role of media and new media technologies in celebrity culture in the US. We will consider how contemporary celebrities are constructed, and will question how media industries and celebrity culture even impact our understandings of democracy. We will also look at how celebrity industries and new media technologies shape communication methods and media institutions.

Celebrities arguably make up the royalty of the United States. Today?s celebrities are not only those who are talented in sports or the performing arts, they are also our politicians and intellectuals. We even question the validity of some of our celebrities, particularly those starring in reality TV shows. This course examines celebrity culture, and in particular, the role of media and new media technologies in celebrity culture in the US. We will consider how contemporary celebrities are constructed, and will question how media industries and celebrity culture even impact our understandings of democracy. We will also look at how celebrity industries and new media technologies shape communication methods and media institutions.

From Facebook pages read by a few hundred ?friends? to YouTube videos with over a billion views, digital media have created opportunities for its users to reach a far-flung and potentially massive following. By allowing, at least in theory, anyone with a laptop, an internet connection, and the necessary degree of digital literacy to access the kind of audience that was previously available only to institutions like television stations or movie studios, digital tools have changed our relationship to media production and consumption. At the same time, they have created new challenges, including the need to manage one?s online image and the inability to predict who will be in one?s audience. In this class, we will consider the power and the contradictions of online audiences, exploring such topics as Twitter etiquette, online memes, and the rise of a so-called sharing economy. In so doing, we will deepen and complicate our understanding of one of the oldest relationships in the study of rhetoric and writing, that between the author and the audience.

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.

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.

Through no fault of their own, former 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 parodies, gain legitimacy among the political elite? Why are they increasingly cited as primary news sources by Americans under 30? We will examine the unique satire of these insurrectionary `newsmen,? as well as that of HBO's John Oliver and TBS's Samantha Bee, among others, and what it says about us as a culture. Or, as Colbert puts it, ?I am America, and so can you!?

Through no fault of their own, former 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 parodies, gain legitimacy among the political elite? Why are they increasingly cited as primary news sources by Americans under 30? We will examine the unique satire of these insurrectionary `newsmen,? as well as that of HBO's John Oliver and TBS's Samantha Bee, among others, and what it says about us as a culture. Or, as Colbert puts it, ?I am America, and so can you!?

Few of us stop to consider how we learned to fulfill our very basic need for food. Yet historians, nutritionists, psychologists, and anthropologists tell us that there is nothing about the way we eat that is not conditioned by our culture. In this class, we will explore the fascinating topic of why we eat what we do, and why our tastes dispose us towards certain foods rather than others. Sweet, salty, spicy?how do we learn to appreciate certain flavors, and why do why do we reject others? Bee Wilson?s book First Bite will form the centerpiece of our explorations, but everything from picky childhood eaters (chicken nuggets, anyone?) to the cultural differences that distinguish ?Mediterranean? from ?Asian? or ?Southern? cuisine will be open to investigation. While this class focuses on a topic of relevance to us all and will touch on research from several different academic disciplines, the emphasis throughout will be on analysis, synthesis, and research.

Fairy tales are fantastical stories that endure through generations and convey and reinforce cultural values within the community. While there are nearly infinite variations of style and story, fairy tales are immediately recognizable. In this class, we will focus on the elements of the fairy tale as a genre: who is the intended audience and who the teller? why are they told, and why do they retain their social impact? Reading a critical study of fairy tales as well as analyzing some examples of the genre will give us the opportunity to reflect not only on the specific form, but more broadly on concepts of story and audience, as well as different ways of making meaning in particular social contexts.

Suzanne Collins?s Hunger Games trilogy has sold millions of copies worldwide, been translated into dozens of languages, and spawned a successful Hollywood film franchise. More recently, critics and scholars have also turned their attention to Collins?s work, recognizing its importance as both literary production and cultural artifact. This interdisciplinary course will introduce students to some of the fundamental strategies of literary and cultural criticism as we approach the Hunger Games trilogy from various perspectives, including (but not limited to) those of literary studies, gender studies, media studies, peace and conflict studies, history, and psychology. Class discussions and assignments will assume that students have read the entire trilogy and/or seen all films released to date.

Suzanne Collins?s Hunger Games trilogy has sold millions of copies worldwide, been translated into dozens of languages, and spawned a successful Hollywood film franchise. More recently, critics and scholars have also turned their attention to Collins?s work, recognizing its importance as both literary production and cultural artifact. This interdisciplinary course will introduce students to some of the fundamental strategies of literary and cultural criticism as we approach the Hunger Games trilogy from various perspectives, including (but not limited to) those of literary studies, gender studies, media studies, peace and conflict studies, history, and psychology. Class discussions and assignments will assume that students have read the entire trilogy and/or seen all films released to date.

In 2000, world leaders and experts declared the eradication of hunger to be an urgent and attainable goal. Since then, the rise in commodity food prices has been linked to both a widening global gap between the rich and the poor, and to political unrest from the Arab Spring to Latin America. With the right-wing focused on private sector solutions and the left-wing dedicated to the use of public money, new forms of technocratic philanthropy have promised a humanitarian relief model capable of transcending traditional political categories. Speaking to G20 leaders in 2011, Bill Gates argued that ?people who are pessimistic about the future tend to extrapolate from the present in a straight line.? The Gates Foundation would break that straight line. Yet, can a philanthrocapitalism that David Rieff recently described as ?irreducibly undemocratic? live up to its big promises? This seminar examines controversies of global food security and the troubled new solutions for extra food production.

Reality TV has been dubbed the ?end? of scripted television, the guiltiest of guilty pleasures, and yet this media phenomenon continues to proliferate, leading to what some scholars have considered a fascinating, new ?inter-generic space? with the power to redefine concepts of audience and authenticity, performance and voyeurism. Drawing on sociology, media studies, and cultural politics, will consider the range of recent reality TV productions, both in the U.S. and abroad, from talent competitions like American Idol to sports entertainment, such as wrestling, with stops at every reviled and revered Kardashian and Big Brother contestant in between. As we become cannier, more critical viewers, we will also sharpen our research and writing skills by analyzing and practicing a variety of ?real world? genres, such as cover letters, abstracts, and op-eds.

Reality TV has been dubbed the ?end? of scripted television, the guiltiest of guilty pleasures, and yet this media phenomenon continues to proliferate, leading to what some scholars have considered a fascinating, new ?inter-generic space? with the power to redefine concepts of audience and authenticity, performance and voyeurism. Drawing on sociology, media studies, and cultural politics, will consider the range of recent reality TV productions, both in the U.S. and abroad, from talent competitions like American Idol to sports entertainment, such as wrestling, with stops at every reviled and revered Kardashian and Big Brother contestant in between. As we become cannier, more critical viewers, we will also sharpen our research and writing skills by analyzing and practicing a variety of ?real world? genres, such as cover letters, abstracts, and op-eds.

This class will explore what Michael Bishop in The Good Life calls "a network theory of well-being," which, instead of focusing on one aspect that correlates with happiness (for example, gratitude), proposes that people in a "groove" have created a web of positive emotions, attitudes, traits and accomplishments that lead to a self-perpetuating cycle of well-being. We will begin with findings from psychology and philosophy, as well as our own research in the class, to examine not only why some people are better able to position themselves for well-being than others, but also how researchers from different fields--including medicine, economics, business, the sciences, neuroscience, psychology, and philosophy--are helping to solve the puzzle of how and why some of us are able to put ourselves, or get stuck in, a positive web of well-being.

This class will explore what Michael Bishop in The Good Life calls "a network theory of well-being," which, instead of focusing on one aspect that correlates with happiness (for example, gratitude), proposes that people in a "groove" have created a web of positive emotions, attitudes, traits and accomplishments that lead to a self-perpetuating cycle of well-being. We will begin with findings from psychology and philosophy, as well as our own research in the class, to examine not only why some people are better able to position themselves for well-being than others, but also how researchers from different fields--including medicine, economics, business, the sciences, neuroscience, psychology, and philosophy--are helping to solve the puzzle of how and why some of us are able to put ourselves, or get stuck in, a positive web of well-being.

This class will explore what Michael Bishop in The Good Life calls "a network theory of well-being," which, instead of focusing on one aspect that correlates with happiness (for example, gratitude), proposes that people in a "groove" have created a web of positive emotions, attitudes, traits and accomplishments that lead to a self-perpetuating cycle of well-being. We will begin with findings from psychology and philosophy, as well as our own research in the class, to examine not only why some people are better able to position themselves for well-being than others, but also how researchers from different fields--including medicine, economics, business, the sciences, neuroscience, psychology, and philosophy--are helping to solve the puzzle of how and why some of us are able to put ourselves, or get stuck in, a positive web of well-being.

This class will explore what Michael Bishop in The Good Life calls "a network theory of well-being," which, instead of focusing on one aspect that correlates with happiness (for example, gratitude), proposes that people in a "groove" have created a web of positive emotions, attitudes, traits and accomplishments that lead to a self-perpetuating cycle of well-being. We will begin with findings from psychology and philosophy, as well as our own research in the class, to examine not only why some people are better able to position themselves for well-being than others, but also how researchers from different fields--including medicine, economics, business, the sciences, neuroscience, psychology, and philosophy--are helping to solve the puzzle of how and why some of us are able to put ourselves, or get stuck in, a positive web of well-being.

This class will explore what Michael Bishop in The Good Life calls "a network theory of well-being," which, instead of focusing on one aspect that correlates with happiness (for example, gratitude), proposes that people in a "groove" have created a web of positive emotions, attitudes, traits and accomplishments that lead to a self-perpetuating cycle of well-being. We will begin with findings from psychology and philosophy, as well as our own research in the class, to examine not only why some people are better able to position themselves for well-being than others, but also how researchers from different fields--including medicine, economics, business, the sciences, neuroscience, psychology, and philosophy--are helping to solve the puzzle of how and why some of us are able to put ourselves, or get stuck in, a positive web of well-being.

This class will explore what Michael Bishop in The Good Life calls "a network theory of well-being," which, instead of focusing on one aspect that correlates with happiness (for example, gratitude), proposes that people in a "groove" have created a web of positive emotions, attitudes, traits and accomplishments that lead to a self-perpetuating cycle of well-being. We will begin with findings from psychology and philosophy, as well as our own research in the class, to examine not only why some people are better able to position themselves for well-being than others, but also how researchers from different fields--including medicine, economics, business, the sciences, neuroscience, psychology, and philosophy--are helping to solve the puzzle of how and why some of us are able to put ourselves, or get stuck in, a positive web of well-being.

This class will explore what Michael Bishop in The Good Life calls "a network theory of well-being," which, instead of focusing on one aspect that correlates with happiness (for example, gratitude), proposes that people in a "groove" have created a web of positive emotions, attitudes, traits and accomplishments that lead to a self-perpetuating cycle of well-being. We will begin with findings from psychology and philosophy, as well as our own research in the class, to examine not only why some people are better able to position themselves for well-being than others, but also how researchers from different fields--including medicine, economics, business, the sciences, neuroscience, psychology, and philosophy--are helping to solve the puzzle of how and why some of us are able to put ourselves, or get stuck in, a positive web of well-being.

This class will explore what Michael Bishop in The Good Life calls "a network theory of well-being," which, instead of focusing on one aspect that correlates with happiness (for example, gratitude), proposes that people in a "groove" have created a web of positive emotions, attitudes, traits and accomplishments that lead to a self-perpetuating cycle of well-being. We will begin with findings from psychology and philosophy, as well as our own research in the class, to examine not only why some people are better able to position themselves for well-being than others, but also how researchers from different fields--including medicine, economics, business, the sciences, neuroscience, psychology, and philosophy--are helping to solve the puzzle of how and why some of us are able to put ourselves, or get stuck in, a positive web of well-being.

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)

Public schools are frequently touted as the best means for creating a more free and democratic society. However, American education policy has changed rapidly over the past twenty-five years, resulting in substantial shifts in the shape and form of public schooling?particularly affecting the urban U.S.A. This writing seminar examines how education policies surrounding charter schools, standardized testing and school curriculum have recently altered American education policy. We will ask: How has schooling changed in the U.S.A. over the past twenty-five years? How do students, teachers and schools experience the results of these changes? How do these changes align with America?s democratic principles and ideals?

Public schools are frequently touted as the best means for creating a more free and democratic society. However, American education policy has changed rapidly over the past twenty-five years, resulting in substantial shifts in the shape and form of public schooling?particularly affecting the urban U.S.A. This writing seminar examines how education policies surrounding charter schools, standardized testing and school curriculum have recently altered American education policy. We will ask: How has schooling changed in the U.S.A. over the past twenty-five years? How do students, teachers and schools experience the results of these changes? How do these changes align with America?s democratic principles and ideals?

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.

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.

After the atomic bomb drop in 1945, scientists experienced a cultural dominance as their work was featured on the radio and in newspapers. The popularity of "Scientific American" magazine made many poets wonder if there remained a need and place for poetry in this scientific America. Once Americans saw that science could tell us what the world was made of as well as how life worked, what would poetry do? In this course we will think about the place of poetry in a scientific America. We will look at how poets, since the drop of the Atom Bomb, use scientific methods in their work. We will encounter poets that challenge our understanding of what science can do and scientists that expand how we can read poetry. What does it mean for a poem to transmit the unknown? Why would a poem reach towards potential instead of reflecting the actual? We will ask how poetry and the sciences can define and redefine our sense of self, how poetry can perform valuable research, and how these disciplines and their practitioners have been and continue to be in dialogue.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, published by L. Frank Baum in 1900, tells a story that has been revised and retold countless times since. The primary goal of this course will be to provide historical context for Baum?s original story with an emphasis on its most notable adaptation, MGM?s 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz. Arguably, the film has replaced the book as the most influential version to which adaptations have since responded. In thinking through the film?s cultural impact, we will look at subsequent takes on the story including The Wiz (1978), featuring Diana Ross as Dorothy and Michael Jackson as the Scarecrow; the Broadway Musical Wicked (2003) based on the novel by Gregory Maguire; and the Sci Fi Channel miniseries Tin Man (2007). To aid us in reassembling historical contexts for these adaptations, we will also read Alissa Burger?s The Wizard of Oz as American Myth: A Critical Study of Six Versions of the Story, 1900-2007.

This writing seminar considers how law shapes and influences our environments. Focused on the roles of government and industry, as well as the citizenry, the course examines legal and political solutions for addressing some of the world?s most pressing environmental concerns. For example, how does the evolving use of social media have the potential to transform environmental politics? Analyzing American laws and institutions, this seminar approaches environmental issues using comparative legal frameworks, examining how countries around the world are seeking to address environmental concerns. 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 are drawn from the fields of environmental studies, law, geography, and political science.

In this writing seminar we will trace the primary ways that Africa has been portrayed in the West from ancient times to the present. Much of our focus will be on popular mistakes about the continent, the most salient of which is, of course, that Africa is not an enormous continent, but rather a singular country. Troubling popular ideas about the continent and its peoples, we will begin to understand how mistaken notions helped construct modern Africa. We will probe the lasting effects of racism, including images of the naive native and contemporary renditions of the so-called doomed continent. Much of our focus will be on acts of critical thinking and of writing, from researching and writing to editing and revising genre-based assignments. In this setting, students will grapple with questions surrounding how and why the western world imagines Africa.

The ebb and flow of the market has caused global financial panics, ousted presidents, started wars, and put millions on the dole. At the center of every panic in American history has been consumer debt?and the failure to repay debt?leading some to dub the U.S. ?a nation of deadbeats.? From Congressional fistfights over the gold standard to gunboat diplomacy in Peru, the history of financial panics is as enthralling as it is important. In this course, we?ll look at history?s losers as well as its winners, and we'll explore the following questions: What is the relationship between risk, doubt and debt? How does a crisis on Wall Street become a crisis on Main Street? What can financial panics tell us about contemporary America?

The ebb and flow of the market has caused global financial panics, ousted presidents, started wars, and put millions on the dole. At the center of every panic in American history has been consumer debt?and the failure to repay debt?leading some to dub the U.S. ?a nation of deadbeats.? From Congressional fistfights over the gold standard to gunboat diplomacy in Peru, the history of financial panics is as enthralling as it is important. In this course, we?ll look at history?s losers as well as its winners, and we'll explore the following questions: What is the relationship between risk, doubt and debt? How does a crisis on Wall Street become a crisis on Main Street? What can financial panics tell us about contemporary America?

Today, we think little when we hear that something is `genetic?. Conversations about specific genetic conditions (such as tay-sachs and down?s syndrome) have blended in everyday discourse with a looser understanding of what is attributable to the omnipresent and omnipotential `gene?. However, the idea of genetics and the ease with which we talk about this topic is relatively new. Before the 1950s, neither doctors nor the public spoke in terms of genes- illnesses could have a host of sources, many shrouded in mystery and attributed to a host of mythical or mystical causes. The rise of biomedicine, and the acceptance made genetics more wipe spread in the medical community, but the acceptance of genetics into everyday medical discourse took much longer. Between 1950 and the present, genetic medicine went from a relatively young field to a commonplace way of understanding human disease and wellness. This class explores the history and current status of `medical genetics?

Today, we think little when we hear that something is `genetic?. Conversations about specific genetic conditions (such as tay-sachs and down?s syndrome) have blended in everyday discourse with a looser understanding of what is attributable to the omnipresent and omnipotential `gene?. However, the idea of genetics and the ease with which we talk about this topic is relatively new. Before the 1950s, neither doctors nor the public spoke in terms of genes- illnesses could have a host of sources, many shrouded in mystery and attributed to a host of mythical or mystical causes. The rise of biomedicine, and the acceptance made genetics more wipe spread in the medical community, but the acceptance of genetics into everyday medical discourse took much longer. Between 1950 and the present, genetic medicine went from a relatively young field to a commonplace way of understanding human disease and wellness. This class explores the history and current status of `medical genetics?

Psychological research suggests that we are born with some moral understanding, such as the ability to distinguish between kindness and cruelty. When given the opportunity, one-year-olds will punish a ?bad? puppet, and even three-month-olds show a preference for helpful cartoon characters over unhelpful ones. Other aspects of morality, it is argued, develop during one?s lifetime. In this class, we will consider various facets of morality, such as the feelings of empathy and compassion, understanding of fairness and punishment, in-groups and out-groups, and even disgust. We will examine the evidence of these moral faculties in babies, and the nature of the moral sense in adults.

Psychological research suggests that we are born with some moral understanding, such as the ability to distinguish between kindness and cruelty. When given the opportunity, one-year-olds will punish a ?bad? puppet, and even three-month-olds show a preference for helpful cartoon characters over unhelpful ones. Other aspects of morality, it is argued, develop during one?s lifetime. In this class, we will consider various facets of morality, such as the feelings of empathy and compassion, understanding of fairness and punishment, in-groups and out-groups, and even disgust. We will examine the evidence of these moral faculties in babies, and the nature of the moral sense in adults.

Sports at every level are haunted by controversies, but none are more hotly debated than those at the college and professional levels. During the Rio Olympics, for example, the media focused more on Russia?s doping scandals and on the testing of female athletes for ?sex verification? purposes than on medal counts. Indeed, in the last two years we have seen debates over: the "Deflategate" saga; the FIFA corruption scandal; the name of Washington DC?s football team; whether fantasy sports qualify as gambling; how concussion prevention strategies should fit into football regulations; questionable recruiting practices by college teams and boosters; and how professional athletes? private lives should be governed by their employers when it comes it issues like assault. Using as our course text Testing for Athlete Citizenship by Kathryn E. Henne, in this writing seminar you will develop your rhetorical and logical reasoning skills by exploring debates at the intersections of elite sports, ethics, controversial rules and regulations, the media, and the language we use when we talk about the athletes at the heart of these scandals.

Occupy Wall Street, #BlackLivesMatter, LGBTQ rights, immigration rights?these are just a few of the recent social movements capturing America?s attention. At core, social movements involve a radical re-imagining of who we are and what we could be, both as individuals and as a nation. But, what does it mean to fight for ?social justice? and what exactly is a ?social movement?? Why do movements see grassroots action and political protest as the best means for triggering social, economic and political change? Drawing upon popular and Sociological texts, this seminar will examine how activists see the purpose of social movements, and why they choose the actions that they do when striving to effect social and political change.

Racial tensions have become everyday news in the United States, most recently with the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement. In this seminar, students will learn to critically examine and write about race and racism by analyzing contemporary sociological theories. The seminar will draw from the foundational text, Racism without Racists: Color-blind Racism and the Persistence of Racial Inequality in America, by Eduardo Bonilla-Silva. Throughout the course, we will address questions such as: Why do we continue to see racial disparities in housing, education, incarceration, and wealth, despite the purported successes of the Civil Rights Era? And, how are racial categories formed and transformed over time? Students will also examine the concept of color-blindness, the Obama presidency, race and xenophobia, and the intersections of race, class, and gender.

What happens when you put the brightest minds in Silicon Valley in charge of alleviating global poverty? An Apple Watch that monitors the health of children in poverty? A Samsung tablet that teaches farmers innovative farming techniques? An Uber that supplies day laborers for every economic need? We turn to technology as the savior of our modern ills, yet are these ills technical in nature, or do they require something else? In this interdisciplinary seminar, we explore the promises and pitfalls of technical solutions to our most complex issues. Drawing on research in economics, IT, global health, cognitive psychology, and management science, we will interrogate the outcomes of initiatives like One Laptop per Child, uncover the Messianic stature of technology in our thinking, and identify whether some problems are fundamentally "human problems" at heart.

What happens when you put the brightest minds in Silicon Valley in charge of alleviating global poverty? An Apple Watch that monitors the health of children in poverty? A Samsung tablet that teaches farmers innovative farming techniques? An Uber that supplies day laborers for every economic need? We turn to technology as the savior of our modern ills, yet are these ills technical in nature, or do they require something else? In this interdisciplinary seminar, we explore the promises and pitfalls of technical solutions to our most complex issues. Drawing on research in economics, IT, global health, cognitive psychology, and management science, we will interrogate the outcomes of initiatives like One Laptop per Child, uncover the Messianic stature of technology in our thinking, and identify whether some problems are fundamentally "human problems" at heart.

Video games are big business. Be it studio blockbusters like Mass Effect, free-to-play apps like Candy Crush, or even the ever humble Pong, video games have infiltrated almost every aspect of our culture. Could it be that they have also infiltrated our brains? In this seminar, we will explore the psychology and economic theory of video games. With a multidisciplinary toolkit of cognitive science, marketing research, and a splash of humor, we will answer perennial questions, such as, "Why do people cheat with strategy guides?"; "Why do we keep getting excited about new loot?"; "Is it a problem that we like violence in video games?"; and, of course, "Do video games make you smarter?" This course is open to non-gamers, newbies, and eSports champs alike. No gaming console or Steam account required.

For the first time in human history, more than half of all the people on earth now live in cities. From bursting megacities like Rio de Janeiro and Mumbai, to rising city-states like Dubai and Singapore, to financial powerhouses like London, New York, and Tokyo, the world?s economy, politics, and ecological future depend, increasingly, on what happens in cities. In this class, we will investigate this new reality in depth: What makes cities grow and thrive, and what makes them fail? What is causing the world-wide growth of slums, and what, if anything, can be done about it? Will growing cities be an ecological disaster, or a green opportunity? And ultimately, we will ask whether this new wave of urbanization means for humanity?s future. Students will improve their analytic and narrative writing abilities, use case studies of individual cities, and focused writing assignments to develop and articulate well-informed opinions about a complex, real-world topic without cut-and-dry answers.