Synthesis Course Descriptions

A-D

Aging in America
What is it like to grow old in America? What are the issues facing the elderly? Are you prepared to deal with the psychological, social, economic, and health concerns of the aging American population? Students will have the opportunity to develop an appreciation for what it is like to age in American society and confront issues facing the elderly. Through service learning activities, class readings, reflections, and other in-class activities, students enrolled in Aging in America will confront issues that older persons face. Typical Readings: Cozic, An Aging Population; McGowin, Living in the Labyrinth; selected reprinted articles, governmental publications, websites pertinent to the field of gerontology.

Appalachian Culture
What are Appalachia and Appalachian culture? How does the way we think of Appalachia affect the way we respond to it? This course allows us to address these questions from the perspectives of American literature and history, music, geography, sociology and political science; we will also view excerpts from films and television shows. You will be expected to participate and read actively. Evaluations based on (1) synthesis journal responses to materials and discussions [20%]; (2) team presentations of course readings [25%]; (3) a collaborative synthesis project exploring some aspect of Appalachia [30%]; and (4) a final synthesizing review [25%]. Typical Readings: Mason, Clear Springs: A Memoir; Caudill, Night Comes to the Cumberlands; Rosengarten, All God's Dangers: The Life of Nate Shaw; Bradley, The Chaneysville Incident; Raitz and Ulack, Appalachia: A Regional Geography; Cantwell, Bluegrass Breakdown; Billings, et al, Confronting Appalachian Stereotypes. Photocopied materials of articles and essays from nineteenth-century popular magazines, selected books and journal, popular films/television shows, and bluegrass/old time music. 

Asian American Culture
In this course you'll learn there's more to Asian-American culture than Charlie Chan and scholastic overachievers. You'll discover that Asian Americans have a cultural heritage distinct from Asia as well as America. You'll learn why and when Asians came to America; what kind of problems they've had--and are having--concerning assimilation; and how they've been characterized in literature, film, and the media. And depending upon your major, you can explore other areas of interest in Asian American culture. In addition to readings and films, class work and assignments include oral reports, written responses to the readings, one long essay and one short one, and a research project. Typical Readings: Okada, No-No Boy; Wong, Fifth Chinese Daughter; Kingston, China Men; Tan, Joy Luck Club; xerox packet of non-fiction material.

The Atomic Bomb and Its Impact
In terms that everyone can understand, we will explore the revolutionary new physics that predicted nuclear power, and we will follow the story of the scientific and technological miracle at Los Alamos where the first bomb was made. Then we will discuss the decision to drop the bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and study the bombing's biological, social, and political consequences. We will also look at how literature was influenced by and influenced the atomic age. Assignments: (1) journal for taking notes and recording thoughts [15%], (2) oral reports on subtopics of your choice using the perspective of your major [20%], (3) short, informal essays on reading assignments [30%], and (4) a synthetic essay written and revised based on group discussions and instructor's comments. Typical Readings: Feynman, Surely You Are Joking, Mr. Feynman; Anderson and Beason, The Trinity Paradox; Smith, Stallion Gate. Other selections from Rhodes, The Making of the Atomic Bomb; Fogelman, Hiroshima: The Decision to Use the Bomb; and Hiroshima and Nagasaki--The Physical, Medical, and Social Effects of the Atomic Bombing.

The Battle for Perfection
Note: Students may not enroll in this course if they have taken the corresponding elective FDNT 475
Why do many people, especially women, think that they're too fat and embark on a never-ending quest to lose weight? Is being fat really a health risk? What about being too thin? How do societal norms dictate our eating behaviors? Where do eating disorders come from, and how do they differ from disordered eating? How can you help a friend who has an eating disorder? This course explores these and other issues with readings, class discussions, videos, and guest speakers. Students will present articles and book reviews from a wide variety of professional and popular literature and will develop course projects relevant to their chosen field of study. Typical Readings: Berg, Afraid to Eat: Children and Teens in Weight Crisis; Dixon, Love the Body You Were Born With; Piper, Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls; Gaesser, Big Fat Lies: The Truth about Your Weight and Your Health; Tribole & Resch, Intuitive Eating: A Recovery Book for the Chronic Dieter.

Biology and Society
This course will use the concept of evolution to explore a fascinating new approach to the study of human social life known as sociobiology. Sociobiologists attempt to determine the extent to which the various features of human society are shaped by human biology. It is an approach that has been applied to such diverse social phenomena as human sexuality, gender roles, family patterns, crime, mental disorder, violence (including war), social inequality, the biochemistry of the human brain, and human morality and ethics. Included among the adherents and practitioners of sociobiology are sociologists, anthropologists, psychologists, and other social scientists, so it is very interdisciplinary. The class will start with four weeks of background lectures and then give way to student presentations and discussion. Students will take two exams, give one oral presentation, and write one paper. Typical Readings: Mayr, One Long Argument: Charles Darwin and the Genesis of Modern Evolutionary Thought; Dawkins, The Blind Watchmaker; one general work on sociobiology yet to be determined.

Birth and Parenting: A Biocultural View
How do mothers and fathers adapt to the unique event of birth? Since childbirth is both a biological and cultural event, it is important to investigate parental adaptation from a multi-disciplinary perspective. Using research from biology, psychology, and anthropology, this course will discuss theories related to specific topics such as pregnancy, postpartum depression, the transition to fatherhood, domestic violence and childbearing, perinatal substance abuse, gender differences in child rearing, and extremes of parental age. The course will promote synthesis thinking skills to understand and solve problems linked to parental adaptation. Typical Readings: Thevenin, Mothering and Fathering: Gender Differences in Child Rearing; Lederman, Psychosocial Adaptation in Pregnancy; articles from the Journal of Nurse Midwifery; and others.

The Blues in American Culture
Undergoing renaissance, the Blues longtime played a major role in American life. This course studies the Blues in social and cultural history by extensive listening to diverse forms--from mississippi Delta to Urban Blues--and by wide reading of memoirs, histories, criticism, and fiction about blues. The fertile ground of African-American experience and expression in tension and negotiation with white popular culture industries, the Blues raise important questions of race, gender, and culture in America. Special attention is given to major female blues vocalists; Black diaspora; the roots of Rock n' roll, Jazz, and Folk; and music business. Participants need no music training, but must want to read deeply, listen carefully, and discuss and write about this vibrant expressive tradition. Typical Readings: Dixon, I am the Blues: The Willie Dixon Story; Holiday, Lady Sings the Blues; Jones, Blues People; and others.

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Building 3D Models for the Web
Prerequisites: basic computer literacy (word processing and email)
Combine forces with creative students from other disciplines to build your own virtual worlds. Learn the basics of three-dimensional (3D) computer multimedia and use Virtual Reality Modeling Language to publish interactive 3D models on the Web. Possible multidisciplinary projects are: theater set designs, fly-through sculptures, manufacturing process designs, walk-through urban environments, virtual tours of living organisms, reconstructed archaeological sites, restaurant and other commercial interiors, and animated molecular models. Students from a variety of majors are encouraged to enroll so that diverse viewpoints can be applied to the projects. See http://www.ma.iup.edu/courses/ls499/

Christianity in America Today
When judged by certain standard indicators, the United States appears "more religious" than any other large, modern nation. What does this mean? What are the implications for our personal and public behavior? You will explore these and other questions by focussing on how the various denominational and cultural forms of Christianity, our nation's most widespread religion, affect the way Americans think and live. Assignments: personal journal recording your reflections; oral reports; various short, informal papers on readings; and a synthetic essay which you will write and revise. Typical Readings: Wills, Under God: Religion and American Politics; Wuthnow, The Struggle for America's Soul: Evangelicals, Liebrals, & Secularism; Ruether, Mary: The Feminine Face of the Church; Kennedy, Tomorrow's Catholics, Yesterday's Church; plus various xeroxed packets and films.

Civilization in Crisis: Arts and Society in the Early Twentieth Century
Our culture is in the midst of a sweeping (some would say dangerous) transition. Can we begin to understand where we are going by understanding where we have come from? What is happening to our civilization? How does its crisis affect us as individuals and how should we respond? We will explore these questions through the mirror of artistic and philosophical thought in the early twentieth century, particularly the period including the two world wars. Class activities: discussions of readings, videos, concerts, and theater. Assignments: short written and oral reports relating your own major or interest to our topic and a final synthetic essay based on your personal experience of cultural change. Typical Readings: Oppenheimer, The Birth of the Modern Mind; Jung, Man and His Symbols and Synchronicity; Alley, Portrait of a Primitive: The Art of Henri Rousseau; Menuhin, Man and His Music.

Classicism and Romanticism: Two Ways of Looking at the World through the Arts
The Classic and Romantic: two timeless and widely applicable perspectives from which we may view the arts and our world in general. We will begin with an historical/cultural overview of the 18th and 19th centuries, Greek and Roman civilizations, and the Middle Ages for the purpose of giving meaning and substance to our idea of the Classic and Romantic. Next, we will examine briefly the world of late 18th century (Classical) and 19th century (Romantic) art music. Then students will choose other topics to explore and further illuminate the Classic/Romantic dichotomy. Among the possibilities are art, literature, architecture, politics, philosophy, science, and others limited only by the creativity and interests of the class. Typical Readings: Sporre, The Creative Impulse, plus recorded musical examples, slides, general articles on selected topics.

Contemporary Social and Political Revolutions
Lenin accurately predicted that the 20th century would be a century of wars and revolutions. This shows no sign of abating as revolutions in the late 20th century continue to re-shape the politics, social structures, economies, and cultures of various nations around the world. Why do people rebel? What are the psychological, social, and political causes of revolutions? Is the women's movement a "revolution"? What are the moral bases and limits of a "right to rebellion", the right claimed by the American colonists over 200 years ago? This course examines rival approaches for analyzing contemporary social and political revolutions such as the revolutions in eastern and central Europe, various revolutions in the Third World, and equal rights movements of women and ethnic minorities. Typical Readings: Callinicos, The Revenge of History; Ash, The Magic Lantern; Malraux, Man's Fate; Tong, Feminist Thought.

The Contemporary University: Its Place in Society
We will examine the contemporary university as an institution effected by historical processes which cause constant refocusing and restructuring. Your higher education "home" will gain new meaning as we consider current issues as the impact of racism, gender equity, sexual harassment, the consequences of national, state, and institutional funding decisions on the university community, and so on. Assignments: 1) introductory essay (5%); 2) journal recording your unfolding thoughts and reflections (15%); 3) topical essays on course themes (40%); and 4) revised synthesis essay (40%). Typical Readings: Henderson, Higher Education in American Society, Riesman, Academic Values and Mass Education; Veblen, The Higher Learning in America; plus other readings in a copy-packet or on library reserve.

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Couscous, Coca-cola, and Escargots: Cultures of France Today
Couscous: A popular North African dish now widely available in France; Coca-cola: An icon of American culture recognized around the world; Escargots: Snails in garlic sauce, a symbol of Frenchness. This course will address questions of identity: What is Frenchness? To what extent is France a melting pot? Does the popularity of Coca-cola in France jeopardize the consumption of French wine? Is it fair that the French government imposes quotas on American films? Does the presence of Arabic-speaking immigrants in France pose a threat to the French language? In short, what is the identity of France today? Typical Readings: Gaspard, A Small City in France; Kuisel, Seducing the French: The Dilemma of Americanization; selected articles from French Today; examples from film, music, television commercials.

Creation Myths: Cross-Cultural Explorations in Origins and Existence
A creation myth at once reflects and determines a people's experience of reality and possibility in the world. It's not merely told and heard but enacted on many levels: the social, psychic, physical, and spiritual planes of existence. In this class we will explore several myths of creation from a number of cultures and across a huge span of time. In discussion and class presentation, students will interpret these primal myths both within the culturally conditioned works of the narratives and in reference to contemporary life, while employing the methods of many disciplines including, religion, philosophy, psychology, history, and anthropology. Typical Readings: Long, Alpha; Sproul, Primal Myths; Brown, The Spiritual Legacy of the American Indian; Christ, Womanspirit Rising; Dundes, Sacred Narrative; Ricoeur, The Symbolism of Evil.

Cross-Cultural Communication with Asia
If you are interested in other cultures, or can imagine yourself traveling to Asia, this course is an opportunity. Taught by an American professor who lived in Thailand, China, and Japan for ten years, it will compare North American and East/Southeast Asian cultures--their ways of communicating, living, and thinking. How can we improve communication between our cultures? How can we better understand ourselves and others as cultural human beings? Assignments: Six take-home essay style reaction papers to course content and in-class cross-cultural activities. Typical Readings: Fieg, Thais and North Americans; Finkelstein et al., Transcending Stereotypes: Discovering Japanese Culture and Education as well as photocopied packet plus films/documentaries, guest lectures, simulation activities, and demonstrations. [Will also fulfill Non-Western Culture requirement, if needed.]

Performance Architecture as Social Metaphor
How do places affect your behavior? How can a place be designed to influence your attitudes toward others, yourself, or even life? How can that same place also be designed to determine what you will do while you are in it and even possibly after you leave? These, as well other relevant questions, will be addressed in the context of public architecture, such as churches, arenas, theaters and other public places from ancient times until today. The disciplines of mythology, iconography, design, performance, and history provide a context for discussion. The course is very visually oriented, making use of many videos and slide demonstrations. Evaluation is based on three exams and a research paper. There will be weekly assignments from reading material kept on reserve at the library; class will consist mainly of analyzing visual materials. Typical Readings: Hellman, Architecture for Beginners; Yarwood, The Architecture of Europe.

Perspectives on Evolution and Creation
This course is an investigation of the creation/evolution controversy in contemporary American society. What is this controversy about and why has it been so commonly raised in the U.S.? First we will study what is being said by creationists and evolutionary scientists. Second, we will look at the  history of the controversy. Third, we will focus on the sociocultural aspects of contemporary creationism. Students will write a series of  papers on the readings and a final synthetic paper. Typical Readings: Futuyma, Science on Trial: The Case for Evolution; Larson, Trial and Error: The American Controversy over Creation and Evolution;  Numbers, The Creationists: The Evolution of Scientific Creationism; and Toumey, God's Own Scientists: Creationists in a Secular World.  

Philosophy-Fine Arts: Human Awareness United
This course seeks to overcome "the ancient war of philosophy and poetry." Its fundamental assumption is that human awareness functions synthetically. Disciplinary differences are political and unreal because humans engage the world multiperspectivally--in more than one way at once. Human experience is not limited to the intellectual or cognitive; it includes the emotive and affective, intuition and insight, critical awareness and scientific exploration. Intellect, science, myth, and language unite in a global awareness. We will explore the cultural evidences for this, particularly those in philosophy, literature, and the fine arts; we will also try to understand its implications for our lives. Typical Readings: Selections from authors like John Cage, John of the Cross, Shakespeare, Joyce, Wallace Stevens, Whitman, Hegel, Freud, and W. H. Auden, plus films, slides, recordings and the TV series The Shock of the New.

Pittsburgh: A City and Its People
Pittsburgh during its two hundred year history was an incubator of modern industrial society. The growth of an incredibly productive, innovative manufacturing center and its subsequent decline provides a rich subject for a variety of approaches and perspectives. History, economics, technology, political science, religion, literature, art, music, and architecture provide windows on aspects of the story. The challenge is to grasp the underlying unity of the evolution of a great city through facets revealed by specific disciplines. This course will be particularly useful to anyone teaching, working, or living in Western Pennsylvania. Typical Readings: Students choose one book in each of three periods (18th, 19th, 20th centuries). Choices include Wright and Corbett, Pioneer Life in Western Pennsylvania; Bell, Out of this Furnace; Butler, Women and the Trades; Fitch, The Steel Workers; Wallace, Indians of Pennsylvania; Weber, Don't Call Me Boss and others.

Poetry and Song
What is a song? What happens when words and music come together? Find out from a professional singer of wide experience how a new creation emerges from the meshing of different artistic media. While a song is brief, it is nonetheless a complete work of art for voice and piano (guitar, lute, etc.). Poetic and musical creations of western and non-western cultures will be analyzed and discussed by the teacher and students--and occasionally performed during class by the teacher and guests. No ability to read music or to understand foreign languages is required. Typical Readings: Philip Miller, The Ring of Words, and selected articles from the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians.

Politics and the Global Economy
In today's increasingly interdependent global system, politics and economics are inescapably connected. One recent illustration is how Japanese auto exports can swing votes in an American presidential election. Conversely, America's international political influence can be affected by the strength of its domestic economy. These are only two examples. We will look at North-South relations, foreign aid and the debt crisis, oil cartels, the international monetary system, multinational corporations, and the future of the global economy. Class discussions of current issues and assigned readings are very important. Evaluation: class participation (15%), two position papers (each 25%), and a comprehensive, take-home final (35%). Typical Readings: Spero, The Politics of International Economic Relations; Blake and Walter, The Politics of Global Economic Relations; Crane and Amawi, The Theoretical Evolution of International Political Economy; national newspapers and magazines such as New York Times, Newsweek, or Time.

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Pornography: Critical, Behavioral and Legal Approaches
Consideration of various definitions of pornography. Analysis of its content from the perspective of critical theories of the ideologies it expresses. Examination of the results of social scientific research on the effects of pornography on the behavior and attitudes of consumers and their implications for social policy. Study of the First Amendment, the history of freedom of speech in America, and the current status of the pornography debate. Opportunity to clarify your own attitudes and values toward pornography and censorship. Students with a variety of opinions about pornography are welcome. You should be willing to examine and discuss texts and videos considered to be pornographic. Typical Readings: Donnerstein, et al., The Question of Pornography; Dwyer, ed., The Problem of Pornography.

Poverty in America
Our study of the poor and the processes which cause poverty will include consideration of the status of women, minorities, and children as well as the forces of overt and institutional discrimination. The course will also attempt to increase your awareness of social problems caused by poverty, including hunger, poor health, homelessness, illiteracy, low expectations, substance abuse, and crime. We will also examine policy options to alleviate poverty and the problems caused by poverty. Typical Readings: Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings; Kotlowitz, There Are No Children Here: The Story of Two Boys Growing Up in the Other America; Steinbeck, Grapes of Wrath; plus photocopied packet, videos, and portions of Erickson and Wilheim, Housing the Homeless; Schiller, The Economics of Poverty and Discrimination; Levitan and Shapiro, Working But Poor; Rodgers, Poor Women, Poor Families.

The Power of Words
Why do men and women so often misunderstand each other? How can a moment's silence or a single word end a long and happy friendship? How do corporations manage to persuade millions that their product is indispensable, or to command them to "hurry" into a purchase they may not need? How does language make or break political leaders? How can a verb tense or an eye movement make the difference between acquittal and conviction for an accused murderer? This course explores these and many other issues, using multiple perspectives to analyze the power of language in everyday situations. Typical Readings: Lakoff, Talking Power: The Politics of Language in Our Lives; Farb, Word Play: What Happens When People Talk; Eschholz, Rosa, Clark (ed.), Language Awareness, a collection of articles.

Problem Posing and Problem Solving
During your educational career, you have often been asked to learn facts and procedures and to answer other people's questions. However, most problems usually cannot be solved by just repeating what you learned in textbooks. This course will look at a variety of strategies for solving problems and for posing new problems. You will be asked to find out what the underlying problems and methods of solution are in your major. After thinking together about these approaches, we will then look at various other strategies, including some from non-traditional perspectives on solving and posing problems. Typical Readings: Ascher, "A River-Crossing Problem in Cross-Cultural Perspective"; Brown, Art of Problem Posing; Gilligan, In a Different Voice: Psychological Theory and Women's Development; Zaslavsky, Africa Counts: Number and Pattern in African Culture.

The Quest for Peace
You will study the quest for peace through the themes of "Non-violence," "War and the Warrior," and "From Self to Society," that is, from individual to societal responsibility in addressing war and peace. These themes will be considered from literary, historical, and religious perspectives, taught by three professors, each specializing in one of the perspective areas. The recurrence of the three themes, the writing assignments, and large group activities will synthesize the course into a whole. Typical Readings: Gandhi, My Experiments with Truth; Aristophanes, Lysistrata; Heller, Catch 22; Berrigan, The Trial of the Cantonsville Nine; plus other literary, historical and religious readings in a copy-packet or on library reserve.

Questions of Identity in Horror Films
Horror films are almost as old as the motion pictures themselves. Yet, throughout their history, they have changed considerably as artists have used this genre both to entertain new audiences and to express their concerns. Films such as Georges Melies' A Trip to the Moon (1902), Robert Wiene's The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1919), James Whales's Frankenstein (1931), Don Siegel's Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956), and John Carpenter's Halloween (1978) provide critical mirrors of the times and cultures in which they were produced and deserve our serious attention. Therefore, in this course, we will study these films and others to learn more of what they are telling us about our world and ourselves while we are being entertained. Typical Readings: Paul, Laughing, Screaming: Modern Horror and Comedy; films including those mentioned above; Browning's Dracula; Kubrick's The Shining; and others.

Questions of Identity in Horror Literature
What does horror literature say about us and our culture? Whether it be "classic"--like Mary Shelley's Frankenstein--or "popular"--like Stephen King's The Shining--horror literature can be viewed as reflecting and magnifying fears and desires that are key elements in identity. This class will focus on three of those elements--the spiritual, the psychological, and the social--by drawing upon approaches from a variety of disciplines, including literary and film studies (we will be collaborating, in fact, with Professor Tom Slater's "companion" film class), history, philosophy, and the behavioral sciences. You will be reading widely and participating in class discussions. Typical Readings: Shelley, Frankenstein; Stoker, Dracula; King, The Shining, Danse Macabre; and others.

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Rock and Roll and Society
This course focuses on a cross-disciplinary assessment of the influence of rock and roll on the American society. Using three theoretical frameworks, agenda setting, gratification and Marshall McLuhan’s thesis on popular culture and cultural studies, students will examine the influence of rock and roll on society from popular cultural, racial, gender, political, and economic perspectives. Typical Readings: Berger, Narratives in Popular Culture, Media and Everyday Life; Carney, Fast Food, Stock Cars, and Rock ‘n’ Roll: Place and Space in American Pop Culture; Friedlander, Rock and Roll: A Social History; Negus, Producing Pop: Culture and Conflict in the Popular Music Industry.

S-Z

Safe Living: A Challenge in Modern Societies
How safe are our homes, foods, water, automobiles, airplanes, hobbies, and personal habits? We will use historical, social, religious, and behavioral perspectives to examine risks to safe and healthful living, and to assess the implications of safety for our economy and overall quality of life. Class discussions will be based on readings and your anecdotal observations. Assignments: journal recording your reflections and analysis (15%), oral report using the perspective of your major (20%), several short essays on assigned readings (30%), and a synthetic essay which you will write and revise (35%). Typical Readings: Compes, Safety--If Only for Economic Reasons; Cralley, et al., Health and Safety Beyond the Workplace; Thomas, Safety, Work, and Life: An International View; Stack and Elkow, Education for Safe Living; National Safety Council, Accident Facts-1991.

Saving Our Planet Earth
Our purpose is to explore methods that may help solve the crisis facing our planet. What is the relationship between humans and the environment? How do the workings of the private market affect the environment? What is an appropriate basis for government intervention and what alternative policies are available? How do the technical, physical, biological, and economic aspects link together? How are environmental issues related to population and economic growth? Finally, what does the future hold, and what can we, as individuals, do to help? Resources include scholarly references, the press, children's books, videos (The Barefoot Economist and Love, Women, and Flowers), and computer simulations such as SimEarth, EcoQuest, or Fish Banks, Ltd. Typical Readings: Selections from environmental magazines Audubon and Sierra; Commoner, The Closing Circle; Schumacher, "Buddhist Economics"; Schelling, Micromotives and Macrobehavior: and State of the World: A Worldwatch Institute Report on Progress Toward a Sustainable World, and the World Wide Web.

Science and Science Fiction
Prerequisite: 8 sh of introductory natural science courses
Does science fiction violate the laws of science? Is science inspired by the visions of science fiction? This course will explore the ways in which science fiction can predict scientific discoveries (such as satellites and virtual reality), while also directly contradicting scientific facts. We will examine how science fiction books and films portray science to the public, and discuss recent advances in science that have made some current science fiction writing obsolete. Class activities include panel discussion, movie viewing, visits to local science museums, and visits by research scientists and science fiction writers. Typical Readings: Atwood, The Handmaid's Tale; Bova, Mars; Brin, Earth; Butler, Dawn; Cherryh, Merchanters Luck; Forward, Flight of the Dragonfly; Gibson, Neuromancer; Stephanson, Snow Crash; LeGuin, The Left Hand of Darkness; Asimov, The Caves of Steel.

Science, Technology, and Public Policy
In the twentieth century, and especially since World War II, America has been a world leader in science and technology. How has government policy contributed to this leadership? How has it shaped the direction of innovation? How have science and technology, in turn, affected economic growth, trade policies, and environmental regulations? What policies do we need now to retain leadership in a global marketplace? How do our values affect science policy? Emphasis will be on public issues, not science content. Grading: (1) participation in class discussion of regular reading assignments, (2) short essays, and (3) synthesis essay explaining your thoughts and reflections on U.S. science policy in relation to your major. Typical Readings: Articles from current magazines plus selections from Lowrance, Modern Science and Human Values; Smith, U.S. Science Policy Since World War II.

So, Who's Perfect?
At your age you are more likely to become disabled than you are to die. If you were disabled, would you be the same person? How would your career change? Who would help you? The population of people with disabilities is growing at a rapid rate. Where does the moral responsibility of one person to help another begin and end? How many sacrifices in other needed programs and services will a community be willing to make in order to comply with federal regulations about accessibility for people with disabilities? You will go into the community to talk with people with disabilities. The class will look at cases studies, explore different options, and utilize synthetic thinking to derive possible ways to integrate all people into communities. Typical Readings: Condeluci, Interdependence: The Route to Community; personal accounts--Cassie, So Who's Perfect!; Wagner, How Do You Kiss a Blind Girl?; other books and articles.

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Social Change: Making It Happen
Are you interested and/or involved in a social cause? Have you wondered about what it takes to bring about social change successfully? Whether your concern is violence in America, homelessness, illiteracy, or teen pregnancy, this course brings to focus the relationships between marketing techniques and current efforts to create social change. Part of this process involves an understanding of how change occurs in the individual. This knowledge of change in individual beliefs, attitudes and behavior will be used to develop the strategies for social change in the social marketing plan. Typical Readings: Ferguson, The Aquarian Conspiracy; McMahon, Coping With Life's Stressors and The Portable Therapist.

The Spirit of Africa in Art and Literature
What are the spiritual and aesthetic essences of traditional African art and literature? What parallels exist between visual art, literature, music and dance in Africa? How have African arts influenced twentieth century European, American, and African-American cultures? How have individuals of African origin, including women, struggled for human dignity and self expression through the arts? Focused through the lens of the arts, but embracing aspects of other disciplines, this course examines these and related questions synthetically. Evaluation will be through class participation, journals, two group presentations and a synthetic project. Typical Readings: Chanda, African Arts and Culture; Shostak, Nisa: The Life and Words of a !Kung Woman; Rozelle (Ed.), Black Art: Ancestral Legacy: The African Impulse in African-American Art; Achebe, Things Fall Apart; Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.

Sport and Exercise: Issues of Gender and Race
Sport is one of the most popular cultural practices in American society. It is woven into the patterns of all the major social institutions--politics, economics, education, mass media. We will examine the many facets of the sport's "phenomenon" and use a feminist framework with which to provoke careful and critical thinking about both American society and American sport. We will incorporate a comprehensive, multidisciplinary analysis of sport and exercise in the American culture with specific focus on issues associated with gender, race, class, and sexuality. Emphasis on historical, sociocultural influences. Typical Readings: Sample Readings: Messner & Sabo, Sex, Violence and Power in Sports; Nelson, The Stronger Women Get, the More Men Love Football. 

Technocracy: Crisis, Challenge, and Celebration
Technology is reshaping our culture and our lives. We live in a world typified by grocery store scanners, voice mail and fax machines, computerized workplaces, and hi-tech homes. Some writers use the word "technocracy" to describe our technologically dominated culture. Not everyone agrees that the changes have been beneficial. While some celebrate the advantages of technology, others see a culture challenged, even in crisis. We will explore these issues, looking especially at the power of computer technology in various dimensions of our lives. Class activities include readings, discussions, videos, outside speakers, group projects, and debates. Evaluation will be based on written essays, project performance, journal reports, and class participation. Typical Readings: Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology; Boyell and Cohn, Workplace 2000: The Revolution Reshaping American Business; Toffler, Power Shift: Knowledge, Wealth, and Violence at the Edge of the 21st Century; and Computerization and Controversy: Value Conflicts and Social Choices. 

U.S. Hispanic Minority Studies
Prerequisite: Spanish 102 or equivalent
Did you know that the Hispanic minority is the fastest growing minority group in the U.S.? In this course, you will come to understand the impact Mexican-Americans are making on American culture. You will also begin to sense what it feels like to be alienated through language, customs, and values. For these informal classes you will read sociological studies as well as literary art of Mexican-Americans, and be prepared to contribute to class discussions. Assignments: Brief essays on readings (30%), oral report using expertise from your major (20%), mid-term essay (20%), and final synthetic essay which you will write and revise (30%) Typical Readings: Duran, Chicano Studies: A Reader; Anaya, Bless Me, Ultima; Chavez, Shadowed Lives: Undocumented Workers in American Society; Galarza, Barrio Boy; Gonzales, I am Joaquin/Yo soy Joaquin.

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Values and Education in a Pluralistic American Society
The USA is among the very first nations to be truly pluralistic, to understand itself as pluralistic, and to address the challenges and to take pride in that pluralism of ethnicity, race, religion, and physical/mental ability. What are the skills and values needed by an educated person to live in such a nation? What is your role as an individual? These issues will be addressed by the disciplines of literature, philosophy, education, and religious studies. Evaluation: active class participation, three four-page reports, and one synthetic essay. Typical Readings: Wurzel, Toward Multiculturalism; Maslow, Toward a Psychology of Being; Coward, Pluralism: Challenge to World Religions.

Wilderness in American Culture
This course explores the dynamics of civilization and wilderness in American history and culture. From the Puritans to the Earth First Movement, the American wilderness has animated and aroused American communities; rarely has it been merely a neutral terrain. Through history, film, literature, anthropology, and biography we will explore the values attached to wildness and wilderness. We will look at the various wildernesses Americans met, and more importantly, imagined—those of the white man, the Native American, and women pioneers, for example, all of whom helped to define the values we today associate with wilderness. You will do one major project and a number of smaller ones, selected according to your interests and curiosity about wilderness. Typical Readings: Nash, Wilderness and the American Mind; Turner, Rediscovering American: John Muir in His Time and Ours; Kroeber, Ishi in Two Worlds: A Biography of the Last Wild Indian in North America; Snyder, The Practice of the Wild; Erhlich, The Solace of Open Spaces.

Wisdom: Way and Goal
Both individuals and cultures value wisdom and look for advice to those who are considered wise. This course will examine wisdom from a wide variety of viewpoints. Among the topics it will examine are the wisdom literature of the Old Testament, ancient Egyptian wisdom, eastern and African wisdom, the wisdom of a conqueror who became a benevolent ruler, the pseudo-wisdom that masks the horrors of war, folly masquerading as wisdom, racism, sexism, and wisdom on survival in debilitating culture. The course will also use drama, art, film and music. Assignments will not include traditional examinations, but a variety of novel written assignments and discussions. The course does not seek to define wisdom, but to explore its mysteries and possibilities. It is designed for the adventurous and curious—the student who wishes to be enriched by the openness and infinitude of the topic. Typical Readings: Job; Twain's The War Prayer; The Edicts of Asoka; Bhagavad Gita; Lao-Tzu;  Rilke; Auden; Wollstonecraft; African poems and proverbs.

Women in Science
Find out why you hate and/or love science! Many students are disaffected by science--what it has meant to them, how science is taught--by the time they reach university. In our increasingly technological age, it is imperative that we all understand how scientists know what they know and how they use that knowledge. Specifically, this course studies how women scientists have been included or excluded by the scientific community which is dominantly male (and white). Students will actively participate in this course by understanding how society/culture/history shape science and how science is collaborative and multidisciplinary like this course. Typical Readings: Bleier, Science and Gender; Sayre, Rosalind Franklin and DNA; Manning, Black Apollo of Science: The life of Ernest Everett Just; Keller, A Feeling for the Organism.

Women in the Future
What will women's lives be like in the future? Women are absent from most projections and depictions of the future. We will attempt to expand those portraits of the future to include women. Projections generated from the perspectives of sociology, anthropology, history and demography will be critiqued for gender inclusiveness and for gender implications. We will discuss how literary and film depictions of the future portray women and gender relations. Students will be encouraged to develop their own visions of the future, and to explore how what we do today affects tomorrow. Typical Readings: Atwood, The Handmaid's Tale; Butler, The Parable of the Sower; Boneparth and Stoper, Women, Power and Policy: Toward the Year 2000; Piercy, Woman on the Edge of Time; McCorduck, The Futures of Women; Starhawke, The Fifth Sacred Thing.

Women Who Compose: Past and Present Contexts
Few students can list even a handful of women composers and even less have heard their works in the concert hall. Most can easily identify Bach and Beethoven, but this course will bring to light names like Elizabeth Jacquet de la Guerre, Ethel Smyth, Francesca Caccini, Ruth Crawford, Cecille Chaminade, and Mary Lou Williams. Topics will focus on women's contributions in music from Kassia in ancient Greece to the present, including music in Europe, the Americas, non-western music, and the creativity of African-American women. Student projects will include interviews with women composers and will focus on synthesizing their musical practices from various perspectives including aspects of texts, programs, social/cultural contexts, aesthetic concerns, related arts, and activities in other disciplines. Typical Readings: Pendle, Women and Music: A History; Jezic, Women Composers: The Lost Tradition Found; Faludi, Backlash: The Undeclared War Against Women; Heller, Women Artists; and others.

Work Without Choice: Forced Labor Across Cultures Through History
Many of our ancestors worked without being able to choose either the hours or conditions of their work. Some were slaves, others were indentured, while others were compelled to work without choice due to taxation by an oppressive state. "Work Without Choice" presents techniques used through history to extract labor without the full consent of the laborer. To provide a contrast for analysis, theories defining the economics of free labor are explored. Students then apply theories of coercion and exploitation to specific cases of forced labor using role playing, simulation, case study methods, and panel presentations. Typical Readings: Most readings will be included in a packet of photocopies. Current copyrighted material will be on reserve in the library.

Working Together Using Information Technology
Prerequisite: Some past successes at using computers, but no specific knowledge required. (You don't even have to LIKE computers.)
When there is an important decision to be made in an organization or an important task to be done, a group is likely to be assigned to it. No one works completely independently. This takes its toll in scheduling problems, communication costs and errors, political conflict, and meetings that are inefficient or counterproductive. Can technology help us work together? It offers promising alternatives to phone calls and face-to-face meetings, but these alternatives require difficult choices. We will experiment with group tasks using different forms of information technology, evaluate the pros and cons of these group processes, and seek guidelines for matching people, tasks, methods and technology. Typical Readings: Baecker, Groupware and Computer-Supported Cooperative Work: Assisting Human-Human Collaboration; plus supplementary readings from psychology, business, sociology, computing, and science fiction; videotapes and selected scenes from current films and television.

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