FYSE 1149 Neural Disorders (Spring)
Amazing progress has been made recently in understanding and treating neural disorders like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson's, Lou Gehrig's disease, multiple sclerosis, and others. In this seminar we will examine how these advances were made, and their biological, psychological, and sociological implications. By studying recent research, case histories, and new approaches to treatment, we will examine how such disorders are caused, how they progress, and what psychological effects they have on patients, family, friends, and society. Students will read recent literature, write reviews and position papers, engage in daily discussions, and present on topics of their choosing. 3 hr. sem. SCI SOC (T. Root)
FYSE 1292 The Cultural Politics of the 1980s (Spring)
In this seminar, we will investigate cultural formations in the United States during the 1980s through a critical examination of fiction, music, television, art, and film. We will connect texts produced during and about the period with social, political, and economic transformations that began with the so-called “Reagan Revolution.” We will analyze social issues concerning race, class, gender, and sexuality through a variety of topics, including the Culture Wars, globalization and outsourcing, the ascendance of Wall Street, the rise of AIDS, attacks on the welfare state, the emergence of hip hop, and the Drug Wars. 3 hrs. sem. SOC NOR (R. Joo)
FYSE 1293 Biographies of Great Scientists (Spring)
What makes great scientists? After reading biographies of some of histories most distinguished scientists, including Marie Curie, Richard Feynman, James Watson, Rita Levi-Montalcini, Linus Pauling, and Kary Mullis, you will agree that scientists, far from being boring nerds who only care about measurement and numbers, are more like fun-loving creative artists. We will closely examine their great discoveries from both their fundamental principles to their applications to benefit humanity. (S. Choi)
FYSE 1294 Making History (Spring)
History is ‘made’ as much by those who write about events as by those who cause and experience them. The Titanic, the Boxer Rebellion, and Alexander the Great share a power to generate historical meaning in multiple time periods. In this seminar we will look at the ways people make past events meaningful for themselves in their own historical circumstances. Using recent books about the Titanic disaster and the Boxer Rebellion as case studies, we will focus on the narratives of Curtius Rufus and Arrian to study how Greeks and Romans explained and emulated Alexander. 3 hrs. sem. LIT HIS EUR (J. Chaplin)
FYSE 1295 Visions of Mortality (Spring)
In this seminar we will examine the nature, meaning, and implications of our mortality. We will begin by examining historical and contemporary philosophical views on death and by considering questions such as: Can an understanding of death tell us anything about what makes life good? How should the fact of our mortality influence the lives we lead? We will then address contemporary biomedical issues regarding death, considering questions such as: How does technology influence our conception of death? What attitude ought we to embrace regarding increasing advances in life-extending medical treatments? Readings will likely include works by Tolstoy, Lucretius, Nagel, Camus, and Callahan. In addition, students will participate in a community-based research project. 3 hrs. sem. PHL (L. Besser-Jones)
FYSE 1296 America's Constitutional Democracy (Spring)
America’s constitutional democracy rests on a foundation of political theory, constitutional law, and historical experience. By examining the writings of John Locke, James Madison, Alexis de Tocqueville, Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, Susan B. Anthony and by reading a series of key Supreme Court rulings, we will explore how Americans have grappled with key questions involving liberty, equality, representation, and commerce. 3 hrs. sem. SOC NOR (B. Johnson)
FYSE 1297 Introduction to the African Diasporas in the Americas (Spring)
In this seminar we will focus on the impact of the African diasporas on American societies. We will begin by comparing and contrasting historical and demographic trends across the Americas, using as a point of reference specific examples of the African legacy in Haiti, Cuba, Brazil, and the United States. With the help of readings, films, musical texts, and independent research, we will spend the remainder of the semester studying three major themes: (1) trans-national movements such as Pan-Africanism, Negritude, and Black Power; (2) African diasporic religions such as Voudun, Santeria, and Candomblé; and (3) the role of “blackness” in the creation of musical styles from jazz and reggae to tango and samba. 3 hrs. sem. HIS SOC CMP AAL (D. Davis)
FYSE 1298 Not On Stage/Out on Stage: US Gay and Lesbian Drama (Spring)
From Lillian Hellman's The Children's Hour to Tony Kushner's Angels in America, U.S. playwrights have given us a powerful testament to the struggles of homosexuals. In this seminar we will learn how to analyze American gay and lesbian plays from the conceptual, structural, and emotional perspectives of both director and actor. Secondary readings will locate the texts within the evolution of the construction and representation of homosexuality throughout the twentieth century: from closetedness, through Stonewall and the consolidation of gay and lesbian identities, and finally to the expansion of sexual diversity through “queerness.” In addition to discussions, we will stage scenes and watch cinematic renderings of scripts when available. 3 hrs. sem. LIT ART NOR (C. Medeiros)