Course Descriptions (Fall)

Anthropology 295.01 "Special Topic: Anthropology & Representations of Mixed-Race." This course will examine anthropology's contribution to representations and cultural meanings attributed to interracial intimacy. We will examine how the topic of mixing and miscegenation was examined by anthropologists, judges, film-makers and people raced as "mixed." Primary, but not exclusive, attention will be given to ideas about mixing in the United States. Prerequisites: Anthropology 104 or Sociology 111 or permission of instructor. 4 + 2 credits.
Anthropology 295.02 "Special Topic: Anthropology of Tourism." In this course, we will explore tourism and its role in acculturation, modernization, and economic development. Topics will include, but are not limited to: tourism and cultural change, tourism and sustainable development, globalization and tourism, tourism and cultural revitalization, AIDS and sex tourism, gender and tourism, tourism and terrorism, the commodification of culture, tourism and ethnic identity, and the socioeconomic roles of the hosts, guests and mediators of tourism. Prerequisites: Anthropology 104 or permission of instructor. 4 + 2 credits.
Anthropology 395.01 "Advanced Special Topics: Human Ethology." In this course we will explore 1) the evolutionary bases for human behavior, 2) how to observe, record, and study human behavior and 3) the benefits and shortcomings of an ethological approach through both readings and hands-on projects. Each student will design and conduct a short ethological study of human behavior. This course will be research-centered. Prerequisites: Anthropology 104, 280 or permission of the instructor. 4 credits.
Art 295.01 "Special Topic: Museum Studies: The Art Museum." What is an art museum? How are objects used in an art museum? What is the function of the building? The staff? The patrons? How does an exhibition shape what we see? What is the role of the art museum in contemporary culture and in the academy? This course will introduce students to the history of museums, explore how different museums operate, and examine a number of the philosophical and intellectual issues raised by the contemporary art museum. Among the topics covered will be blockbusters, changing views of functional objects as art, museum ethics, corporate and government support and control, and intellectual freedom. The course will focus on art museums but many of the topics will pertain to history, ethnographic, science, and other types of museums. Prerequisites: Art 103 or permission of instructor. 4 credits.
Biology 150.01 "Introduction to Biological Inquiry: Prairie Restoration." As a way to explore how biologists ask questions and develop answers to them, this class will focus on the biological problems involved in the restoration of tallgrass prairies. It will be taught in "workshop" format at Grinnell College's Conard Environmental Research Area (CERA), where we will use the college's prairie and savanna restorations as our laboratory. Students will be required to formulate research questions based on readings of the scientific literature, design experimental or observational studies to test these hypotheses, and communicate the results of these studies after the conventions of professional biologists. Papers resulting from a substantial independent project will be published in the class journal, Tillers. Prerequisites: none. 4 credits
Biology 150.02 "Introduction to Biological Inquiry: What Does It Mean to Be a Plant?" Many people regard plants simply as 'green animals'. While there are many important similarities between plants and animals at the cellular and sub-cellular levels, there are profound differences as well, differences shaped by the migration of plants from the oceans onto dry land. This migration required a variety of evolutionary adaptations, anatomical, physiological and developmental, in order to survive in this new, harsher environment. Students will explore these adaptations by asking questions about the structures, physiological functions and developmental strategies plants have evolved to meet this challenge. They will design experiments, analyze data and communicate their results in the form of scientific papers, posters and oral presentations as they endeavor to understand what it means to be a plant. Prerequisites: none. 4 credits.
Biology 150.03 "Introduction to Biological Inquiry: Biological Responses to Stress." In this course, we will investigate ways that biologists seek to understand how organisms can interact with their environment and change in response to varying environmental conditions. Since microbes are excellent model systems for biological inquiry, their response to stressful environments will be emphasized. Students will formulate hypotheses regarding stress responses, design and conduct experiments to test their hypotheses, and communicate the results of their experiments. The class will have three, one hour and fifty-minute meetings per week that combine lab, lecture, and discussion. Prerequisites: none. 4 credits.
Biology 150.04 "Introduction to Biological Inquiry: The Effects of Climate Change on Organisms." We will examine the effects of predicted changes in temperature, moisture and carbon dioxide levels on organismal and ecosystem function through experimental investigation. We will focus on the effects of such changes on the physiology and metabolic functioning of soil and aquatic organisms, as well as on biogeochemical processes of ecosystems, including respiration, decomposition and nutrient-cycling. This course will be taught in a workshop format, meeting twice a week for three hours. Class time will be devoted primarily to discussions and lab work examining theoretical aspects of organismal and ecosystem functioning, design and implementation of lab-based experiments, and the interpretation of our results in the context of extensive ongoing climate change research. Prerequisites: none. 4 credits
Chemistry 390.01 "Mechanistic Studies of a Metalloenzyme." In this course, we will learn aspects of both inorganic and biological chemistry as we study how one determines the mechanism of a metalloenzyme-catalyzed reaction. Our focus will be on methane monooxygenase, an iron-dependent enzyme that turns methane into methanol. We will examine in detail the chemistry of each step in the enzyme-catalyzed reaction and the evidence for reaction intermediates. The course will be in a seminar/discussion format with readings from the recent literature, primarily papers authored by our Fall 2004 Danforth Lecturer, Dr. Stephen Lippard of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The culmination of the course will be a class discussion with Dr. Lippard during his visit in October 2004. Prerequisites: Chemistry 222 or permission of instructor, Biological Chemistry 262 recommended. 2 credits.
Chinese 295.01 (Also History) "Special Topic: Self and Society in Chinese History, 1500-1990." See History 295.01.
Education 342.01, 343.01 & 344.01 "Research and Methods in Teaching and Learning." Each discipline specific course will examine the theory on student learning and effective instruction in the designated discipline. Students will have a short field experience and will be expected to complete a research project related to teaching and learning. Prerequisites: Education 101 and 221 and senior standing or permission of instructor. 4 credits.
English 120.01 & 02 "Literary Analysis." An introduction to the lyric poem: to the pleasure of words and sounds and the problems of determining meaning. Prerequisite: none. 4 credits.
English 120.03 "Literary Analysis." No course description available.
English 120.03 "Literary Analysis." No course description available.
English 295.01 "Special Topic: Constructing Identity: the Case of South African Culture." In this course, students will examine issues surrounding identity as a pivotal issue in South African politics and society. The policy of apartheid has constructed firm social boundaries with severe implications for the identity and mobility of people. With the onset of the post-apartheid period, writers and cultural producers interpreted, and most often re-interpreted, their enforced social identities. Through experiencing and reading South African popular culture and literary texts, the nature of these identities and the extent of changes in identity will be explored. The texts for this course will include a selection of television, advertising, musical and cinematic texts; a selection of texts (in translation) by Afrikaans authors Andre Brink, Etienne van Heerden, Karel Schoeman, AHM Scholtz, Marita van der Vyver; a selection of texts in English by Nadine Gordimer, JM Coetzee, Antjie Krog, Njabulo Ndebele, Zuba ida Jaffer, Sello Duiker, Rayda Jacobs, Zoe Wicomb; and a selection from the Xhosa, Afrikaans, Zulu and Sotho oral traditions. Prerequisites: none. 4 credits.
English 327.01 "The Romantics: The Transatlantic 1790s." This course will cover the British and American literature of the decade following the French Revolution. This period saw the beginnings of British Romanticism in the writings of Blake, Coleridge and Wordsworth; the birth of the American novel; a newly intense interest in gothic fiction; a growing abolitionist movement; and a rethinking of gender conventions through Mary Wollstonecraft's response to the Revolution. Course readings will lead us to consider these developments and others, and we will pay special attention to portrayals of Americans by British writers and vice versa. Assignments will include responses, a mid-semester paper, an annotated bibliography, and a term paper. Prerequisite: English 224. 4 + 2 credits.
English 328.01 "Studies in American Poetry." No description available.
English 329.01 "Studies in African American Literature: Toni Morrison." This seminar will focus on Toni Morrison's fiction and literary essays. When Toni Morrison won the 1993 Nobel Prize in Literature, the Swedish Academy referred to her as one "who, in novels characterized by visionary force and poetic import, gives life to an essential aspect of American reality." In our discussion of Morrison's novels from The Bluest Eye (1970) to her most recent Love (2003) we will explore the "visionary force" and the "poetic import" that have become Morrison's signatures in almost every novel she has produced. We will also examine the techniques by which Morrison gives "life to an essential aspect of American reality." Special attention will be given to Morrison's use of extended metaphor, lyricism, blusified prose, and magic realism. In terms of requirements, there will be short papers as responses to the novels, several oral presentations, and a research paper. Prerequisites: one of the following cou rses: English 225, 227, 228 or 229. 4 + 2 credits.
English 330.01 "Studies in American Prose I: "Passing Fancies, Vested Interests: Impersonation in American Literature, 1820-1930." This course will focus on various ways in which authors utilize different forms of "passing." One of our primary concerns will be to discuss the ways in which critiques of identity interact with narrative technique--from romance to modernism--as literary characters attempt to resist or stabilize vested interests of race, gender, sexuality, class and religion. We'll read works by James Fenimore Cooper, Herman Melville, Lydia Maria Child, William Wells Brown, Yellow Bird (John Rollin Ridge), Charles Chesnutt, Willa Cather, Nella Larsen, and F.Scott Fitzgerald, as well as critical essays by Marjorie Garber, Judith Butler, Walter Benn Michaels, Toni Morrison and others. Prerequisites: English 227 or 228. 4 credits.
English 345.01 "Studies in Modern Poetry." An intensive study of the poetry (and some of the prose) of Elizabeth Bishop, Philip Larkin, and Seamus Heaney. Prerequisites: English 224, 227 or 228. 4 + 2 credits.
French 330.01 "Innovation and Transgression in French From 1870 to 1945." Conducted in French. Explores the evolution of literature and the rise of cinema between 1870 and 1945; examines notions such as moral and esthetic transgression and innovation. Topics to be studied may include: collage, montage, memory, war, autobiography, and sexuality in authors such as Rimbaud, Rachilde, Colette, M‚liŠs, Jarry, Proust, Gide, C‚line, and Cocteau. Prerequisites: French 312 or 313 or permission of instructor. 4 credits.
General Literary Studies 279.01(Also Japanese ) "Modern Japanese Fiction and Film." See Japanese 279.01.
General Literary Studies 295.01 (Also Global Development Studies and Humanities) "Special Topic: Modern Arabic Literature." See Humanities 295.01.
General Literary Studies 353.01(Also Russian) "Major Russian Writers: Dostoevsky." See Russian 353.01.
Global Development Studies 295.01 (Also General Literary Studies and Humanities) "Special Topic: Modern Arabic Literature." See Humanities 295.01.
History 295.01 (Also Chinese) "Special Topic: Self and Society in Chinese History, 1500-1990." In this course we shall explore variations on a theme, the relationships between the individual and society, with reference to Chinese history since the fifteenth century. On the one hand, we shall examine various individuals, and on the other hand we shall analyze the social context in which they lived. With "Self and Society" as our focus, we shall read extensively in search of information and insights that help us to pursue this theme. Prerequisites: Second year standing. 4 credits.
History 295.02 "Special Topic: Women and the Emperor in Modern Japan." Japan emerged as a modern state in 1868, under the modern Emperor system. For the first time in Japan's history, the right to succession was legally denied women in the imperial family. Additionally, polygamy remained in the imperial family. The imperial family system placed Japanese women under a deep shadow. On the surface, it appeared that modern Japan, with a constitutional government and parliamentary system under the emperor, entered the modern era as the first modern state in Asia. But in imperial Japan, women remained without any political or other human rights. In this course, we will examine the relationship between women and the emperor, and look at how Japanese women struggled against the modern Emperor system, which was used to oppress women in modern Japanese society. We will examine the following topics: 1) Karayuki-san, women who crossed the sea-particularly in the context of Colonialism and prostitution; 2) the licensed prostitution system and monogamy; 3) Kaneko Fumiko, the High Treason Court, and Korea; 4) military sexual slavery for Japanese and American soldiers; and 5) the Women's International War Crimes Tribunal for the Trial of Japan's Military Sexual Slavery. Dates: September 21 to October 14. Short course deadlines apply. Prerequisites: None. 1or 2 credits.
History 295.03 "Special Topics: Central African History." This mini course on Central African history will be a survey of developments in the late 19th and 20th centuries. Focus will be on three broad themes: political, economics and socio-cultural. Under political developments, attention will be paid to: conquest and colonial subjugation (resistances, as well), colonial systems, de-colonization and liberation movements, and the tumults since independence. Lectures on evolution will focus on the growth of production and exchange systems. The subject matter will include: traditional (subsistence) economies, colonial economies, and post-colonial developments. The socio-cultural lectures will address developments affecting the various socio-cultural institutions: family systems, gender and social organization, traditional and modern governments, religious experiences, the palace and the market-place as socio-cultural centers, and occupation and social status. The approach will be a mixture of l ectures, discussion and question-and-answer. Dates: September 13 to October 1. Short course deadlines apply. Prerequisites: none. 1 credit.
History 316.01 "The Civil Rights Crusade: Its Achievements, Limitations, and Historical Legacy." This seminar will examine the emergence, development, and demise of the civil rights movement from the founding of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) in 1942 to the assassination of Martin Luther King in 1968 and its aftermath. The texts, documents, documentaries, and Hollywood films will focus on leaders such as James Farmer, Jo Ann Robinson, King, Fannie Lou Hamer, Malcolm X, and Fred Shuttlesworth, but they will also explore the civil rights crusade as a mass movement that mobilized unprecedented numbers of black Americans at the local, regional, state, and national levels. The emphasis in the course will be on the movement itself and the perceptions and agitation of African Americans, but the national climate of opinion, the legacy of racial prejudice, and the response of the federal government to the movement will also receive attention. Besides looking at the mainstream movement and leaders, stude nts will be encouraged to examine the lives and times of previously neglected or secondary figures in the racial revolution of the 1950s and 1960s Jackie Robinson, Lena Home, Harry Belafonte, Maya Angelou, Sidney Poitier, Muhammad Ali, Shirley Chisholm, and Dick Gregory. Each student will lead at least one class discussion and will prepare a research paper based mainly on primary source research. The class will first focus on common readings and discussions, then shift to individual research and class reports. Prerequisite: History 112, 227, or permission of the instructor. 4 credits.
History 326.01 "History of Nineteenth-Century American Popular Culture." Students in this seminar will examine the creation and expansion of American popular culture in the nineteenth century as they focus on diverse cultural forms: dime novels, newspapers, music, sports, cartoons, material culture, theater, minstrel shows, magazines, etc. The seminar will focus particularly on how ideas and structures of race, class, and gender were changed and reinforced by American popular culture, and students will consider the questions from a variety of theoretical approaches. Research papers will analyze popular culture in a historical context to consider how popular culture created or changed power dynamics in American society. Prerequisites: History 111 and any 200-level American History course or permission of instructor. 4 credits.
History 330.01 "Seminar in Medieval and Early Modern Europe." No course description available.
History 339.01 "Dictatorship and Democracy in Modern Germany." Our common readings will investigate the failure of Germany's first experiment with democracy in the Weimar Republic, the mentality of the founders of the Nazi Party, the reasons for that party's rise to popularity, the governing institutions of the Third Reich, the Nazis' campaign to transform German society and gender roles, the experience of the Second World War and the Holocaust, and the reasons why democracy succeeded so much better in Germany after the Second World War than after the First. Students will then choose one of these topics for investigation in a substantial term paper that relates debates between historians to a body of primary sources. A reading knowledge of German is useful but not required, since many primary sources on Nazism and the Third Reich have been translated into English. Prerequisite: History 238 or 239; if you have only taken History 101, please consult with Professor Patch about whether you would be well pr epared for this seminar. 4 credits.
History 342.01 "Stalinism." This seminar will concentrate upon the major historiographical divide over Stalinist Russia and evaluate the evidentiary bases that sustain these interpretations. Traditional historiography of this era has concentrated upon the "totalitarian" model, and has depended upon official documents, as well as the memoirs and public statements of major figures and ‚migr‚s. More recent interpretations have sought to complicate the story, and give voice to more ordinary historical actors-as preserved in the archives of the secret police, in private diaries, and in the collections of unprinted denunciations and letters to the editors of Soviet publications and Soviet leaders. Through scrupulous reading of some major representatives of these views, as well as through careful consideration of representative examples of the various sources, participants in the seminar will develop a better understanding of the historiographical issues and the way that these issues inform historical researc h. The first part of the seminar will depend upon our common reading, but students will also select a project of their own on which to work the entire semester, culminating in a written paper and oral presentation to the seminar. Prerequisite: History 242 or its equivalent. 4 credits.
Humanities 295.01 (Also General Literary Studies and Global Development Studies) "Special Topic: Modern Arabic Literature." Modern Arabic Literature is a survey of modern Arabic fiction, poetry, plays, and essays. The course will cover major writers from Egypt, Iraq, the Sudan, Palestine, Morocco, Lebanon, and Syria. The focus of the course will be primarily on modernism and modernity, colonial- and post-colonialism, feminism, and other cultural issues such as subjectivity and tyranny. This course will also consider the ethnic and religious diversity in the Arab world by including writings by Muslim, Christian, Jewish, and Mendaian writers. Students are expected to read at least 8 novels, several short stories, one play, two personal essays and several poems. In addition, students will write several short papers. Prerequisites: English 120, Humanities 101, Humanities 102 or permission of instructor. 4 credits.
Humanities 295.02 "Special Topic: Civic Values in the Ancient Greek World." This interdisciplinary course examines the moral and political values which regulated daily life for the Greeks in the period 750-350 BCE. In particular, it explores the values which governed the citizen's behavior, his relationship with the gods, and his military, religious, and political obligations. The coexistence of women, foreigners, and slaves with the male citizenry will also be considered. Prerequisites: Humanities 101 or permissions of instructor. 4 credits.
Humanities 395.01: "Advanced Special Topic: Feminist Scholarship Today." This course will be organized around four distinct three-week modules offered by distinguished visiting feminist scholars Kristin Ross (French and Comparative Literature), Susan Bordo (English and Women's Studies), Amy Hollywood (History of Christianity and Theology), and Rosi Braidotti (Women's Studies and Philosophy). The topics of the modules will be, respectively, "Feminism and French Culture," "'Girl Culture' 2004: Is Ophelia Drowning or Surfing the Third Wave?" "Feminism, Mourning, and Melancholia," and "Feminist Philosophies of the Subject: A Critical Overview." Full details of the course can be found at http//web.grinnell.edu/centhumanities/studentsem/studsemf04/. Prerequisites: One of the following courses: Anthropology 344; Art 210; Economics 218; English 273 or 327; French 305, 312, 341, or 342; Gender and Women's Studies 111 or 249; History 222, 318; Philosophy 235, 265, 268, or 295.02 "Special Topic: French Femi nism and Psychoanalysis." (2003 Fall); Psychology 314 or 333; Religious Studies 216, or 313; or Sociology 320 or 395.02 "Advanced Special Topic: Women's Transnational Movements in Africa." (Fall 2003). 4 credits.
Japanese 279.01(Also General Literary Studies) "Modern Japanese Fiction and Film." This course considers Japanese fiction and film that depict Japan from the mid-19th century through the present day. The work of some major authors and film directors will be introduced to examine Japanese culture and society as well as the characteristics that are unique to Japanese fiction and film. Readings and discussions in English. Prerequisites: none. 4 credits.
Japanese 331.01 "Advanced Japanese I." This course is for those students who have finished Intermediate Japanese II or an equivalent course. An integrated approach will be taken by the instructor so that the students will be able to develop both their speaking and writing skills in Japanese. Prerequisites: Japanese 222 or equivalent. 4 credits.
Japanese 395.01 "Advanced Special Topic: Seminar in Japanese." This course is designed to enable students in their fourth year of study of Japanese to achieve competency and fluency in contemporary Japanese. Students will be introduced to a wide variety of written and audio-visual sources, ranging from current Japanese newspaper articles, essays in magazines and periodicals, and various genres of fiction, to TV news, TV dramas, and contemporary Japanese films. Students will be expected to bring their knowledge of kanji (Chinese characters used in Japanese) up to the level required for such competency . In addition to extensive practice in writing different types of composition, emphasis will be placed upon development of oral skills in discussion and debate. Prerequisites: Japanese 332 or permission of the instructor. 4 credits.
Philosophy 394.01 "Advanced Studies in Theories of Value: Habermas." This class will be devoted to the critical consideration of the discourse theory of the most important contemporary theorist of the Frankfurt school, Jrgen Habermas. Beginning with his earliest essay on Hannah Arendt and his book on the political significance of the public sphere, we will move to his middle period where he fully develops the communicative theory of ethics and will conclude with a consideration of his recent work on law and issues raised under the rubric of universalism and multiculturalism. Prerequisites: Philosophy 234, 235, 267, 268, 295.01 "Special Topic: Encounters with the Other" (Fall 2003), 295.02 "Special Topic: French Feminism and Psychoanalysis" (Fall 2003) or permission of the instructor. 4 credits.
Political Science 295.01 " Special Topic: Political Economy of the EU." This course examines the history and development of the European Union (EU), its institutions and the mechanics of the decision-making process, a number of its more important policy areas, and its future outlook, both with respect to the composition of Member States and with respect to the future form of its institutions. Particular attention will be paid to the development of the EU's institutional decision-making structure and to the political economy of some of its more important policy areas. The course will focus above all on the themes of the decision-making architecture, economic and market integration, agricultural policy, the features of the EU's redistributive mechanisms, social policy, the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), and the Enlargement debate. In addition to the economic aspects of enlargement, particular attention will be paid to the redesign of the EU's institutional structure and the multiple suggestions a bout the future composition of European Government currently being raised within the context of the Fischer debate. Prerequisites: Political Science 101. 4 + 2 credits.
Physics 131.01"General Physics I." This course is the first part of a year-long, calculus-based introductory physics sequence, focusing on the application of physical principles, logical reasoning, and mathematical analysis to understand a broad range of natural phenomena related to force and motion. Topics include Newtonian mechanics, conservation principles, gravity, and oscillation. This course meets for six hours each week and involves both classroom and laboratory work. Prerequisites: none. 4 credits.
Religious Studies 295.01 "Special Topic: Christian Classics: Discipline and Desire." We read together several classic works (in translation) of the Christian theological tradition. We will work to locate each text in relation to the religious practices of discipline and desire that have helped to shape its meaning in historical and contemporary context. Readings by Origen, Athanasius, Gregory of Nyssa, Augustine of Hippo, Anselm of Canterbury, Julian of Norwich, Gertrude of Helfta. Prerequisites: Religious Studies 111, 115 or 213. 4 credits.
Religious Studies 295.02 "Special Topic: Religion and Society in America." An introduction to the religious history of the American colonies and the United States. Focusing on the issue of religious authority, the course covers the Puritan experiment in New England and then explores religious or religiocultural communities whose conceptions of authority challenge or bypasses those of the Anglo-Protestant churches: Native Americans, Southern Baptists, African American churches, Mormonism, Catholics, and Jews. We will also consider topics such as religion and social reform, non-institutionalized "spirituality," and religious fundamentalism. Prerequisites: Religious Studies 111, 115 or permission of the instructor. 4 credits.
Russian 353.01 (Also General Literary Studies) "Major Russian Writers: Dostoevsky." This course examines Dostoevsky's artistic growth from early short works to major novels; philosophical development within the context and structure of the literary works, including The Double, Notes from Underground, Crime and Punsihment, The Brothers Karamazov. Conducted in English. Prerequisites: none. 4 credits.
Sociology 295.01 "Special Topic: Immigration and Transnationalism." This course provides a comparative multi-disciplinary perspective on international migration and immigrant settlement strategies, with a focus on Western Europe and the United States. Key questions include: how does the host society react socially and politically to increasing numbers of immigrants? How do immigrants attempt to maintain social relations and cultural links with their home countries? How is immigration a "gendered" experience? How do restrictive immigration and border control policies affect the social rights of immigrants? Course topics cover main theoretical debates within the field of international migration: the formation of transnational communities; the role of networks of immigrant support; the segmentation of the job market across gender, class and ethnicity; the informal economy; the adaptation process of second-generation immigrants; and "welfare-dependence" discourses. We will address such hotly debated issues as to whether or not undocumented immigrants to California should be able to obtain driver's licenses, whether headscarves should or should not be banned from public schools in France, and whether undocumented immigrants to Spain should be held in detention centers at airports. Readings will include ethnographies as well as theoretical, analytical, and descriptive papers. Prerequisites: Sociology 111. 4 credits.
Sociology 390.01 "Advanced Studies in Sociology: Comparative Welfare Systems." An examination of systems of human services and public welfare in the United States and other economically developed countries. Traces the growth and decline of the "Welfare State," from the invention of social insurance in the late 1800s to the welfare-reform controversies of the of recent decades, with particular attention to events in the United States and Great Britain. Compares current policies for income support, health care provision, housing, and education in Europe and North America. Considers welfare policies in the context of structural inequalities of class, race, and gender. Also examines the changing roles of social workers and other human-services professionals. Prerequisites: any 200-level Sociology course and third year standing or permission of instructor. 4 credits.
Sociology 390.02 "Advanced Studies in Sociology: Global Feminism." This course explores a range of contemporary women's issues from the perspective of transnational feminism. Through the lens of sociology, we will examine women's human rights, gendered law, cultural differences, religious fundamentalism, economic globalization, women's role in the military, and the legacies of colonialism. Topics to be addressed include the ways that feminisms have emerged, the issues that have galvanized women across national and regional borders, the politics of generalizing across-culturally about women's interest and demands, the ways that feminism has related historically to nationalism and imperialism, and the role that feminist agendas might play in addressing current global concerns. Course materials to be drawn from five regions of feminist experience: American, European, African, South American and Asian. Students will be challenged to analyze current events in terms of emergent theories of gender develo pment within women's transnational space around the world and to formulate new approaches to feminist interpretation and activism. Prerequisites: any 200-level Sociology course and third year standing or permission on instructor. 4 credits.
Spanish 395.01 "Special Topic: Recent Spanish Cinema." A survey of significant trends in Spanish film production with emphasis on the cinema made after 1990. This course will require attendance to film screenings a least once a week in addition to regular class meeting times (screening schedule to be announced). Conducted in Spanish. NOTE: This course does not fulfill the major requirement to take either 385 or 386. Prerequisite: Spanish 285 or permission of instructor. 4 + 2 credits.
Theatre 101.01"Introduction to Contemporary Dance." Note new title. A survey of approaches to contemporary dance making and performance practices. Studio-based exercises in basic modern dance technique, improvisation and composition provide a physical and conceptual understanding of dance as a performing art form. Additionally, readings, video viewings and lecture/discussion on current dance practices and scholarship in Europe and the United States will examine how dance operates within specified historical, political and cultural contexts. Prerequisites: none. 4 credits.