Interdisciplinary Courses
Courses INTD
320 NARRATIVE EYE: TOPICS IN HISPANIC FILM AND STORY - 3 hours
Introduction to the critical study of films and literature about topics from the Spanish-speaking world. Course includes short fiction, films and analysis of the two genres. Prerequisites: junior or senior standing. C-5CC.
324 FEMINIST THEORY - 3 hours
Interdisciplinary examination of the theoretical and methodological questions that arise when women are placed at the center of study. Focus is on significant works and perspectives in feminist theory and on their contributions to understanding human experience. Prerequisite: junior or senior standing. Spring, odd years. C-5CC.
330 ETHNOBOTANY - 3 hours
Use of plants by indigenous peoples for food, construction material, medicines, drugs and other purposes; examples from a variety of world cultures. Conservation and use of biodiversity. Origins of agriculture. Lab work and a field trip included. Prerequisites: junior or senior standing. C-5CC.
341 RETHINKING GOD: THE REALITY OF THE VIRTUAL - 3 hours
This course will explore the relationship between religion, psychoanalysis, ideology, and the question of God. Students will gain exposure to the writings of Sigmund Freud, Jacques Lacan, Karl Marx, the films of Alfred Hitchcock, and one of the most influential contemporary philosophers, Slavoj Žižek. Students will engage in the debate between theists, atheists, and atheists that assert the importance of religious belief. Beyond the question of God, students will explore and articulate their own theories of the Self, Subjectivity, and Love. Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing. C-5CC
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345 RELIGION AND IDEOLOGICAL POWER - 3 hours
This course will introduce students to the relationship between religion and ideology. Students will explore ways in which religion has been incorporated into fascist, Stalinist, monarchical, anarchist, liberal-democratic capitalist, conservative capitalist, and fundamentalist ideological systems, amongst others. The course will also analyze the way secular political and economic discourse remains saturated with religious concepts and how they relate to the exercise of power and authority. Questions of value, human nature, justice, and the like, will be critically compared in their respective contexts. Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing. C-5CC.
401 ARTS AND IDEAS - 3 hours
Integration of fine arts within the larger context of the humanities. This course surveys cultural developments from ancient Greece to the 20th century. Prequisites: Junior or senior standing. C-5CC.
405 LIFE AND DEATH - 3 hours
Exploration of how knowledge of our finitude inspires us to create, to contemplate, to give life meaning, and how we respond to life’s uncertainties. Course content will include many areas of the humanities, especially literature, philosophy and music. Assumes basic introduction to the arts, philosophy and literature. Prerequisites: junior or senior standing. C-5CC.
407 MEDIA AND RELIGION - 3 hours
This course helps students develop knowledge of theoretical, technological, and cultural issues at the intersection of media and religion. Course readings, case studies, and projects emphasize historical and contemporary issues, and help students develop both religious and media literacy. A wide variety of religious traditions and media technologies are discussed. Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing. C-5CC.
410 CINEMA FOR SOCIAL CHANGE - 3 hours
This course explores cinema as a vehicle for social change and conflict. In the class, students acquire a vocabulary for cinematic analysis; screen representative movies in film history; and use film as a window to broader ideological, ethical, peace-and-justice issues. While diverse in theme, origin, and technique, the film screenings share one mark: they embody revolutions in either form or content. This is a film studies course, not a filmmaking course. Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing. C-5CC.
413 THE FASHION POLICE: UNDERSTANDING THE CLOTHES ON OUR BACKS - 3 hours
Do clothes make the man—and the woman? Where are those clothes made, and by whom? This class explores the various representations of clothing in our culture, from the Paris runways to the local mall; from fiction to non-fiction; from textiles to paintings. We will analyze how clothing constructs meaning by confirming, complicating, or challenging social conventions. And we will study the rise of consumer culture through both the development of the department store as well as the global expansion of the garment industry. Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing. C-5CC.
417 DISPELLING THE MYTHS OF THE WILD WEST - 3 hours
Westward expansion in the 19th and 20th centuries brought with it rapid development of communities in the United States. These communities developed unique cultures often impacted by those who held the land before them, European explorers, geographic location, and self-perception. This course will explore the various viewpoints of those living in the Wild West, focusing on cowboys, gunslingers, missionaries, Native Americans, and Mexicans. Emphasis will be placed on stereotypes of the Native American, particularly in film and stories associated with the Wild West. A critical analysis of the devastating impact of westward expansion and the belief of Manifest Destiny will be explored. Throughout the course, students will delve into the misperceptions of the Wild West perpetuated by popular culture. Attention will be given to 19th and 20th century travel literature, captivity narratives, dime novels, television shows, and films. Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing. C-5CC.
421 QUEEN ELIZABETH I - 3 hours
This course focuses on the life and influence of Elizabeth I, the self-proclaimed “Virgin Queen” who ruled England from 1558-1603. Throughout the semester, we will examine Elizabeth’s powerful roles in key political, religious, and cultural events (including the Spanish Armada, the ongoing establishment of the Church of England, and the literary “renaissance”). We will read texts from a variety of genres – sonnets and epic poetry, drama and masques, political tracts, sermons, speeches, private letters, and diaries – and also study the visual representation of the monarch in progresses, court celebrations, and official portraits. The end of the course will move beyond the context of Tudor England to American and British pop culture; ultimately, we will consider why Elizabeth remains a fascinating figure for critics, royal watchers, and filmmakers more than four centuries after her death. Prerequisite: Junior or Senior standing. C-5CC.
425 ENVIRONMENTAL PHILOSOPHY - 3 hours
A study of: (1) competing theories of distributive justice and their implications for various environmental issues (land use, famine relief, population control, pollution abatement, etc., (2) animal liberation and animal rights, (3) the possibility of a “land ethic,” and (4) the relation between one’s religious beliefs and one’s attitudes toward nature. Prerequisites: one course in philosophy or consent of instructor; junior or senior standing. C-5CC. Spring, even years.
427 INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S RIGHTS - 3 hours
This course examines the place of women and their rights in the debate on universalism vs. cultural relativism. It analyzes this debate and its consequences for women through a focus on practices such as female genital cutting, sati, honor killings, female infanticide, and others. The course will also consider the prospects that feminist intervention in the debate holds for safeguarding women’s rights as it attempts to transcend the limitations of both universalism and cultural relativism. Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing. C-5CC.
430 EVOLUTION: HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE - 3 hours
Historical development of biological evolution; impact of evolutionary thought on modern culture; current controversies. Prerequisites: junior or senior standing. C-5CC.
435 BIOLOGY AND SOCIETY - 3 hours
An examination of the societal impact and responsibilities of the scientific community. Emphasis will be on the changing public awareness of complex situations associated with rapidly emerging biological technologies. Legal, ethical, economic, political and scientific issues will be analyzed through discussions, panels and directed essays. Prerequisite: junior or senior class standing. C-5CC.
437 SCIENCE & ARCHAEOLOGY OF ANCIENT GREECE - 3 hours
A survey and analysis of the history and development of scientific thought with particular focus on Ancient Greece including the works of Democritus, Aristotle, Plato, and Socrates. Additionally the use of current scientific methods to analyze archaeological finds will be discussed. Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing. C-5CC.
441 GLOBALIZATION - 3 hours
An exploration of the sources and consequences of globalization. Is globalization a new phenomenon? Is globalization inevitable and irreversible? Who is in charge of globalization? Does globalization benefit everyone? Does globalization promote or undermine democracy, peace, and social safety nets? What are the effects of globalization on inequality, social justice, and relations between developed and developing countries? These are some of the key issues that will be addressed. Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing. C-5CC.
443 HISTORY OF AMERICAN MEDICINE - 3 hours
This course will explore the evolving nature of medical understanding and medical practice. It will include a wide range of topics from the heroic medicine of leeches and purging to epidemics, penicillin, and public health. It will also look at the institutions associated with medical education and medical care like medical schools, nursing schools, public health departments, hospitals, and nursing/convalescent homes. Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing. C-5CC.
445 DEVELOPMENT OF MODERN SCIENTIFIC THOUGHT IN GREAT BRITAIN - 3 hours
This course examines the contributions of British scientists to the development of modern scientific theory. By visiting museums and historical sites in Great Britain, the lives and works of many scientists will be explored. The influences of the environment in which these scientists lived will be examined from the perspective of history, politics, social structure, and religion. The period of scientific achievement and discovery to be examined begins in the 17th century and the effects on culture and society then, and now, will be addressed. Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing. C-5CC.
447 MEDIEVAL FOUNDATIONS OF MODERN SOCIETY - 3 hours
An advanced study of the European Middle Ages, exploring the impact of medieval European social, political and economic institutions on modern Western society. Examines the creation of western commerical, political, legal and educational systems, the formation of western ideas about gender and class relations, and the relationship of the medieval West to non-Western socieities of the time, particularly encounters with the world of Islam. Prequisite: HIST 104 or 105 or 121 or 123; Junior or senior standing. C-5CC
450 ADVANCED STUDIES IN GERONTOLOGY - 3 hours
In-depth study and analysis of aging, including the following areas: development changes, life circumstances, social policies, service programs, and research approaches and findings. Course goals also include development or refinement of specific skills and techniques for studying or working with older adults. Prerequisites: SOC/SOWK 220 and junior or senior class standing. C-5CC. Spring.