Spring 2009 RJ Designated Courses

AAS 101. Introduction to African American Studies
This course will provide an introduction to the interdisciplinary study of major themes and topics in African American experience. It will familiarize students with some of the central debates and problems within the field: Is there such a thing as a “Black” experience? How African is African American culture? What kinds of theories can we advance to explain the relationship between race and a range of social and economic indicators? How have scholars traditionally understood the connections between Africa, the Caribbean, and the Americas? How do issues of gender affect issues of race? What new insights do postmodern and postcolonial theories offer on all these subjects? In addition, AAS 101 will draw on the instructor’s scholarly orientations? topics of study will include African American economic, political, and social institutions and their developments over time? artistic, intellectual, and social movements and their contributions to African American cultural history? and issues of identity in relation to changing social and cultural structures. Students will read major interdisciplinary works in historical and cultural studies and critical race theory. Students will explore influential theories and research methods in African American studies as well as the basic methods of interdisciplinary analysis and interpretation. Meets general academic requirement D.

ATH 111. Human Evolution
This course introduces students to the scientific concepts, principles, methods, and research pertaining to human biological evolution. The course begins with a discussion of evolutionary theory and then applies evolutionary theory to examine: (1) contemporary human biological diversity, (2) the biological and behavioral similarities and differences among humans and nonhuman primates, and (3) the fossil evidence for human evolution. Meets general academic requirement S.

ATH 112. Cultural Anthropology
This course introduces students to the concepts, principles, and methods used by cultural anthropologists to understand and explain the diversity of human societies throughout the world. It combines a crosscultural analysis of different social institutions with the systematic examination of the behavior of individual societies in order to promote a rational understanding of human social and cultural diversity. Meets general academic requirement D.

BIO 251. Genetics
Genetics includes coverage of the four main branches of modern genetic study: classical genetics, molecular genetics, population genetics, and genomics. Experimental approaches, human genetics, and model systems are emphasized. Topics include mutations, gene interactions, chromosomes, quantitative and evolutionary genetics, gene mapping, gene cloning, genetic engineering, and applications of genetics to the study of development, cancer, and behavior. Three class hours and three laboratory hours per week.  Prerequisite: BIO 152 Principles of Biology III: Molecules & Cells.

BUS 365.  Leadership
We examine theories of leadership, including schools of thought that argue it is a trait, a style, a behavior, or a function of context. Consideration is given to what is best for leading individuals, groups, or organizations. The question of whether leadership is needed at all, whether gender makes a difference, or whether it is nothing more than “having a vision”, will be explored. Prerequisite: (BUS 233 or 234 Operations & Information Systems) and (BUS 235 or 236 Management) and (BUS 239 or 240 Marketing) and (FIN 237 or 238 Corporation Finance); limited to juniors or seniors. 

 

COM 201. Media and Society
Examines influences of mass media on participatory democracy and its cultural forms. Introduces students to social science approaches to the study of communication phenomena, including the logic of inquiry, standards of evidence, and grounds for making claims about communicative behaviors. Explores landmark studies within the discipline. Topics may include media effects, persuasion, cultivation theory, agenda-setting, and opinion leadership. Meets general academic requirement B.

DNC 150. African Dance and Culture
This course is designed to introduce the student to African and African-derived dance forms. The cultural contexts of secular and religious dance forms are emphasized. Students are involved in physical training, the perfection of style, integration of music and dance, and an appreciation of the diverse values that are embodied in movement. The course includes lecture, video presentations, discussion, singing, drumming, and dancing. Meets general academic requirement D.

EDU 370.  Urban Ethnography
The focus of this interdisciplinary course is on the relevance of the qualitative research method of Ethnography for exploring issues pertaining to youth in urban contexts. We will explore the complex relationships among schooling, social structure, and culture through research projects conducted by course participants. Students will be taught methods of data collection and analysis, including how to examine research subjectivities, “gain entry” in the field, manage data, frame assertions, seek confirming and disconfirming evidence, consider diverse audiences for reporting, and try out various narrative styles and voices in their interpretive writing. This course has been relevant to students interested in youth and urban issues across a variety of majors, including Art, Theatre, Dance, Media and Communication, English, Sociology, Psychology, Spanish, and American Studies. Prerequisite: Formal admission to the Education Certification Program. Meets general academic requirement W.

EST 350.  Environmental and Cultural Conservation in Latin America
In this interdisciplinary course, students will explore real solutions to the delicate problem of environmental and cultural conservation in developing Latin American countries. Each year a particular country (Costa Rica, Guatemala, Ecuador, or Honduras) will serve as a model and ultimate destination for study. Students will meet regularly during the spring semester to develop projects and prepare for the two-week intensive, travel-study program that will take place in early summer. This preparation will include study of the area’s ecological diversity, political and cultural history, and relevant Spanish vocabulary and conversation skills. In the Latin American country, students will explore a variety of habitats, live in and interact with members of a small community, work with conservation professionals, and conduct independent research projects. The objective of this course is to show that if we are to develop lasting solutions, we must consider the environment in relation to the people who live in it.  Prerequisite: successful completion of the language requirement in Spanish and instructor permission. Meets general academic requirement D or S.

HST 106.  The American Dream
This course explores the concept of the American Dream. Students will read a combination of speeches, literature, and scholarly works that illuminate the belief in and pursuit of the American Dream. Selections will range from the seventeenth century through the twentieth century to show interpretations over time. Readings will pay attention to those who have been denied access to the American Dream and those who have become disenchanted with its promise, as well as those who achieved the American Dream. Issues of race, class, and gender will be highlighted.  Meets general academic requirement H.

HST 130.  America’s Consumer Nation
Modern America is a nation of consumers. Not only do we purchase products to use, but we also define our political, social, and personal identity through the consumption of goods and services. This course explores the evolution of America’s consumer ethos from the early ideal of thrift and industry to the current “I need to buy it now” mentality. U.S. consumer history has been shaped by wars, the frontier experience, depressions, the growth of downtowns and shopping malls, industrialization and deindustrialization, the evolution of advertising and credit, the global economy, as well as by gender, race and class. In this course, we will analyze the history of America through the eyes of our buying habits.  Meets general academic requirement H.

 

PSC 254. Globalization and Social Justice
Interdependence and globalization have brought the world closer to American citizens. As their lives become more inter-connected with the dynamics of international market and political forces, the traditional distinctions between local and global concerns begin to fade. The events of September 11th, wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the cycles of anti-globalization social mobilization have made us acutely aware that national security or national economic prosperity can no longer be conceived apart from the international context. As issues concerning Americans become more “intermestic”, the avenues and scope for affecting socioeconomic and political transformation also change. The course aims to further student understanding of the complex phenomenon of globalization and its impacts. We will analyze how citizens, as social actors, respond to the new challenges posed by globalization. Students will look at how issues of global socioeconomic and political justice are addressed by various citizen groups, social movements, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in areas as diverse as human rights, environmental concerns, cultural diversity, and economic welfare. Meets academic general requirement B.

PSC 304. Gender, Politics and Policy
Gender both shapes and is shaped by politics. This course explores this fundamental proposition in the context of several primary themes, including feminist political activism in historical perspective; women in American electoral politics (both mass politics and as political elites); globalization and gender equity; and gender and public policy. A major portion of the course is devoted to considering contemporary public policy issues through the lens of gender – as it intersects with race, class, and other social divisions – focusing on policies such as welfare, sexual harassment, reproduction and women’s health, and gender discrimination in sports, education, and the military. Prerequisite: PSC 101 Introduction to American National Government, or WST 101 Introduction to Women’s Studies, or permission of instructor. Meets general academic requirement B and W.

REL 181. Monotheism and Creating God
“O sole God, like whom is no other!” The idea of one God was first expressed by the pharaoh Akhenaten who lived between 1352-1336 b.c.e. Over 3000 years later, three major religions are still struggling to understand and incorporate this seemingly simple concept of monotheism. In this course we will explore some of the issues that surround monotheism, and examine how the idea of one God has shaped the development of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam individually and in relation to each other. In doing so we will attempt to gain a better understanding of the nature, role and meaning of the ideas of God in western consciousness and culture. Meets general academic requirement R.