College-wide CW Courses
Courses offered in the past four years.
▲ indicates offered in the current term
▹ indicates offered in the upcoming term[s]
AMST 0105 - Intro to Disability Studies
Introduction to Disability Studies
In this course we will explore the varied and evolving meanings of disability-as condition, lived experience, and analytical framework. Dominant issues -including representation, education, employment, bioethics, institutions, community, and policies and rights will serve as touchstones for research, analysis, and learning. Rigorous attention to the links between disability and other significant social categories, such as race, ethnicity, socioeconomic class, sexual orientation and identification, gender, and age define disability studies and this course. Films, on-line exhibits, music, advertising, popular media, and the material world reflect the wide range of sources on which this course draws. While the United States is highlighted in this class, transnational and global components figure significantly as well. 3 hrs. sem.
Fall 2010
AMST 0203 - Media, Sports, & Identity ▲
Media, Sports, & Identity
In this course we will examine the relationship between media, sports, and the formulation of one’s identity. We will examine issues pertaining to gender identification, violence, and hero worship. Reading critical essays on the subject, studying media coverage of sporting events, and writing short analytical essays will enable us to determine key elements concerning how sports are contextualized in American culture. Student essays will form the basis of a more in-depth inquiry that each student will then present, using media, at the end of the course. (Not open to students who have taken WRPR 1002)
Spring 2010, Winter 2011, Fall 2011, Fall 2013
AMST 0205 - Tobacco in American Culture
AMST 0218 - Cultural Geography ▹
Cultural Geography
What do landscapes mean? How are places created and invested with significance? Why do people struggle to control public and private space? In this course we will examine these and similar questions. The main goals are to illuminate the wealth of meanings embodied in the built environment and our metaphorical understandings of landscape, place, space, and geographical identity, and to teach skills for interpreting and representing those meanings. Lectures, course readings, small-group projects, and papers will draw on social theory and empirical approaches, with a regional emphasis on North America. 3 hrs. lect.
Spring 2010, Spring 2011, Spring 2014
AMST 0219 - Historical Geog of N. America
Historical Geography of North America
North American society and landscape have been shaped by powerful forces over the last 500 years: conquest, disease, war, migration, the railroad and the farmer's plow, urban growth, and industrial transformation. In the process, new regional cultures formed while older societies were profoundly changed. In this course we will examine the geography of historical change in the United States and Canada, focusing on the themes of territorial control, human settlement, the inscribing of cultural and economic systems on the land, and North Americans' attitudes toward the places they inhabit. Limited spaces available to fulfill college writing requirement 3 hrs. lect.
Fall 2009, Fall 2010
AMST 0231 - Tourism in American Culture ▲
See the U.S.A.: The History of Tourism in American Culture
In this course, we will explore the history and evolution of American tourism, beginning in the 1820s, when middle-class tourists first journeyed up the Hudson River valley, and ending with our contemporary and continuing obsession with iconic destinations such as Graceland, Gettysburg, and the Grand Canyon. We will explore how the growth of national transportation systems, the development of advertising, and the rise of a middle class with money and time to spend on leisure shaped the evolution of tourism. Along the way, we will study various types of tourism (such as historical, cultural, ethnic, eco-, and 'disaster' tourism) and look at the creative processes by which places are transformed into 'destinations'. Our texts will come from visual art, travel literature, material culture, and film and television. We will consider their cultural meaning and reflect on our own motivations and responses as tourists, and by so doing contemplate why tourism was-and still is-such an important part of American life. 3 hrs. lect.
Fall 2013
AMST 1003 - Cultural Studies of Sports
Cultural Studies of Sports
Sports operate as a central cultural institution in communities throughout the world. In this course we will offer a critical investigation into the social and cultural roles of sports in the contemporary United States and beyond. We will analyze the role of sports in shaping cultural meanings by asking the following questions: What constitutes a sport? How should sports be defined? What role do sports play in people’s everyday lives? How do sports reflect and reproduce social differences? Students will be expected to write about sports informed by their own fieldwork observations.
Winter 2010, Winter 2013
ARBC 0210 - Arabia: A Literary Approach ▹
Arabia: A Literary Approach (in English)
In this course we will examine the Arabian Peninsula as a literary topos that has beguiled representation in both Eastern and Western literature. Whether it is depicted as a glittering spectacle of petro-dollars, the haunt of Bedouin tribesmen or as a sacred focal point, Arabia is an open canvas on which successive societies have sketched their anxieties and aspirations Simultaneously, Arabia has its own rich legacy of self-representation that has been shaped by its harsh environment and unique resources. We will sift through these representations in texts that range among pre-Islamic poetry, the accounts of foreign explorers, novels by modern Arab authors, and contemporary Bedouin oral poetry. All readings will be in English and no previous knowledge of Arabic is required. 3 hrs. sem.
Fall 2009, Fall 2012, Spring 2014
BIOL 0304 - Aquatic Ecology
Aquatic Ecology
This field course will introduce students to the freshwater aquatic ecosystems of the northeastern U.S., including lakes, streams, rivers, and wetlands. We will explore the ecological processes that dominate these systems, the organisms that inhabit them, and the ecological techniques central to their study. Field exercises will include trips to many aquatic ecosystems in the region; experience with sampling techniques for measurement of physical, chemical, and biological features; and experimental design for answering questions about the relationships among species and between species and their environment. (BIOL 0140) 3 hrs. lect./3 hrs. lab.
Fall 2009, Fall 2010, Fall 2011, Fall 2012
CRWR 0218 - Playwriting I: Beginning ▹
Playwriting I: Beginning
The purpose of the course is to gain a theoretical and practical understanding of writing for the stage. Students will read, watch, and analyze published plays, as well as work by their peers, but the focus throughout will remain on the writing and development of original work. (Formerly THEA/ENAM 0218) 2 1/2 hrs. lect./individual labs
Fall 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014
CRWR 0318 - Playwriting II: Advanced ▲
Playwriting II: Advanced
For students with experience writing short scripts or stories, this workshop will provide a support structure in which to write a full-length stage play. We will begin with extended free and guided writing exercises intended to help students write spontaneously and with commitment. Class discussions will explore scene construction, story structure, and the development of character arc. (ENAM 0170 or THEA 0218 or ENAM/THEA 0240; by approval) (Formerly THEA/ENAM 0318) 2 1/2 hrs. lect./individual labs
Fall 2013
CRWR 0386 - Writing the Journey ▹
Writing the Journey
In this course we will write personal journey narratives that fuse objective observation and exposition with strong narrative and subjective experience. Readings will include works of literary travel writing including The Song Lines and The Snow Leopard, as well as the picaresque novel On the Road. We will also practice the travel article. For the final project students must write about a journey they plan and take during the semester, preferably during Spring Break. (ENAM/CRWR 0170) ( or aApproval from instructorrequired; please apply online at http://www.middlebury.edu/academics/enam/resources/forms or at the Department office) (Formerly ENAM 0386) 3 hrs. sem.
Spring 2013, Spring 2014
CRWR 1001 - Reporting From Life
Reporting from Life
In this course we will discuss and practice methods and standards of current reporting techniques in journalism, creative non-fiction, fiction and even fields such as ethnography and acting. We will devote significant time off-campus collecting and recording first-hand information, and organizing it into stories for the reader’s edification and entertainment rather than for self-expression. We will then write and workshop a story a week, culminating in a 10-15 page final paper. (Approval required; ENAM 0170 or 0300-level writing course).
Winter 2013
DANC 0277 - Body & Earth ▲ ▹
Body and Earth
This course has been designed for students with an interest in the dialogue between the science of body and the science of place. Its goals are to enhance movement efficiency through experiential anatomy and to heighten participants' sensitivity to natural processes and forms in the Vermont bioregion. Weekly movement sessions, essays by nature writers, and writing assignments about place encourage synthesis of personal experience with factual information. Beyond the exams and formal writing assignments, members of the class will present a final research project and maintain an exploratory journal. 3 hrs. lect. 1 hr. lab.
Spring 2010, Fall 2010, Spring 2011, Fall 2011, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Spring 2014
ECON 0224 - Econ History of Latin America
Economic History of Latin America
Latin America is a region rich in resources, yet it has long struggled to achieve sustainable development. When, why, and how did Latin America fall behind other regions? In this course we will study the evolution of the Latin American economies from colonial times to the present. We will consider the role of natural resources, institutions, and international markets in shaping the region’s trajectory. Using applied economic analysis, we will explore the challenges, opportunities, and constraints the region faced across history. (ECON 0150) 3 hrs. lect.
Fall 2011, Spring 2013
ECON 0335 - European Economic Integration
European Economic Integration: Lessons and Perspectives
This course introduces students to the European integration process and its beneficial and adverse effects. Specifically, we will ask: What is the role of Europe in the global economic system? What are the policy implications of an economic integration? Can integration only work when countries are at a similar stage of development? If not, what are the implications? We will also discuss economic integration in various parts of the world with particular reference to North America and Southeast Asia. (ECON 0150 and ECON 0155) 3 hrs. lect.
Fall 2009
EDST 0225 - Scenarios for Teaching Writing
Scenarios for Teaching Writing
The purpose of this course is for students to understand how composition, reflective practice, and inquiry-based learning come together in K-12 education in both the classroom and online. Theoretical approaches to the teaching of writing will be put into practice in lesson plans. Students will serve as peer tutors-mentors for Media & Communications High School, in Washington Heights, NY. Readings will include Cross-Talk in Comp Theory, Composing a Teaching Life, The Art of Teaching Writing, Scenarios for Teaching Writing, and Life-Affirming Acts. (Approval Required)
Spring 2010, Spring 2011, Spring 2012, Winter 2013
ENAM 0103 - Reading Literature ▲ ▹
Reading Literature
This course seeks to develop skills for the close reading of literature through discussion of and writing about selected poems, plays, and short stories. A basic vocabulary of literary terms and an introductory palette of critical methods will also be covered, and the course's ultimate goal will be to enable students to attain the literary-critical sensibility vital to further course work in the major. At the instructor's discretion, the texts employed in this class may share a particular thematic concern or historical kinship. 3 hrs. lect./disc.
Spring 2009, Fall 2009, Winter 2010, Spring 2010, Fall 2010, Winter 2011, Spring 2011, Fall 2011, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014
ENAM 0104 - Nature Writing
Nature Writing
In this course we will both study American nature writing in the tradition of Henry David Thoreau and pursue our own journal-based writing practice. Nature writing is a genre centered on personal, narrative essays-informed by an appreciative awareness of science and at the same time open to the spiritual, emotional, and aesthetic significance of the natural world. Among the authors to be read will by Edward Abbey, Annie Dillard, Barry Lopez, and Terry Tempest Williams. Field trips will allow us to explore the environment around Middlebury.
Spring 2010
ENAM 0106 - Screenwriting Workshop I
Writing for the Screen I
This course will introduce the fundamental elements of dramatic narrative as they relate to visual storytelling. Special emphasis will be placed on the process of generating original story material and learning the craft of screenwriting-including (but not limited to) topics such as treatments, step-outlines, act structure, beat sheets, character biographies, back-story, formatting standards, and narrative strategies. Students will be required to write both short scripts and to author the first half of an original feature-length screenplay. Required readings in theory and practice will inform and accompany close study of selected screenplays and films. (FMMC 0101 OR ENAM 0170 or approval of instructor) 3 hrs. sem./3 hrs. screen.
Fall 2009, Fall 2010, Fall 2011
ENAM 0218 - Playwriting I
Playwriting I: Beginning
The purpose of the course is to gain a theoretical and practical understanding of writing for the stage. Students will read, watch, and analyze published plays, as well as work by their peers, but the focus throughout will remain on the writing and development of original work. (Formerly THEA/ENGL 0218) 2 1/2 hrs. lect./individual labs
Fall 2009, Spring 2010, Spring 2011, Fall 2011
ENAM 0318 - Playwriting II: Advanced
Playwriting II: Advanced
For students with experience writing short scripts or stories, this workshop will provide a support structure in which to write a full-length stage play. We will begin with extended free and guided writing exercises intended to help students write spontaneously and with commitment. Class discussions will explore scene construction, story structure, and the development of character arc. (ENAM 0170 or THEA 0218 or ENAM/THEA 0240; by approval) (Formerly THEA/ENGL 0318) 2 1/2 hrs. lect./individual labs
Spring 2012
ENAM 0386 - Writing the Journey
Writing the Journey
In this course we will write personal journey narratives that fuse objective observation and exposition with strong narrative and subjective experience. Readings will include works of literary travel writing including The Song Lines and The Snow Leopard, as well as the picaresque novel On the Road. We will also practice the travel article. For the final project students must write about a journey they plan and take during the semester, preferably during Spring Break. (ENAM 0170 or approval from instructor)
Spring 2010, Spring 2011, Spring 2012
ENAM 1020 - Performing Others: Solo Show
Performing Others: Writing and Staging the Solo Show
Theatre artists such as Anna Deavere Smith, Danny Hoch and Sarah Jones make a habit of writing and performing roles they were not born to play. Jumping over barriers of race, religion, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, these soloists are committed to embodying “the other.” In addition to analyzing professional works, students in Performing Others will create and develop a variety of monologues featuring characters that may be fictional, biographical, or based upon interviews. Together we will form an ensemble for developing new material and for processing issues that necessarily arise when we dare to imagine ourselves as others.
Winter 2010, Winter 2011, Winter 2013
ENVS 0104 - Nature Writing
Nature Writing
In this course we will both study American nature writing in the tradition of Henry David Thoreau and pursue our own journal-based writing practice. Nature writing is a genre centered on personal, narrative essays-informed by an appreciative awareness of science and at the same time open to the spiritual, emotional, and aesthetic significance of the natural world. Among the authors to be read will by Edward Abbey, Annie Dillard, Barry Lopez, and Terry Tempest Williams. Field trips will allow us to explore the environment around Middlebury.
Spring 2010
ENVS 0277 - Body & Earth ▲ ▹
Body and Earth
This course has been designed for students with an interest in the dialogue between the science of body and the science of place. Its goals are to enhance movement efficiency through experiential anatomy and to heighten participants' sensitivity to natural processes and forms in the Vermont bioregion. Weekly movement sessions, essays by nature writers, and writing assignments about place encourage synthesis of personal experience with factual information. Beyond the exams and formal writing assignments, members of the class will present a final research project and maintain an exploratory journal. 3 hrs. lect. 1 hr. lab.
Spring 2011, Fall 2011, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Spring 2014
ENVS 1014 - Class and the Environment
Class and the Environment: The Struggle for Ecological Democracy
In this course we will explore how and why, in a world being divided into consumer markets, sources of cheap labor and raw materials, and ecological sacrifice zones, the most vulnerable are disenfranchised into communities of poor and working class people. We will examine the future of the environment and “free" market economy and the prospectus of radical green and democratic movements. Through reading, writing, and discussion we will investigate such texts as The Struggle for Environmental Justice to learn how communities face the task of linking protest strategies to the building of positive alternatives.
Winter 2010
FMMC 0358 - Theories of Spectatorship
Theories of Spectatorship, Audience, and Fandom
In this course we will explore a range of theoretical approaches to the study of spectatorship and media audiences. How has the viewer been theorized throughout the history of film, television, and digital media? How have theoretical understandings of the relationship between viewer and media changed in the digital age? How have gender, class, and race informed cultural notions of media audiences from silent cinema to today? We will consider key theoretical readings and approaches to studying spectators, viewers, audiences, fans, and anti-fans across the history of the moving image. (FMMC 0101 or FMMC 0102 or FMMC 0104 or FMMC 0254) 3 hrs. lect./disc./3 hrs. screen.
Spring 2013
FMMC 1010 - Creating an Original TV Series
Creating an Original Television Series
In this course, students will learn the fundamental mechanics of conceiving and designing an original television series. We will begin with a case study presentation of several recent television series: one-hour drama, thirty-minute sitcom, cable long-form, etc. Treatments, show "bibles," and shooting scripts will be examined along with corresponding screenings. Each student will create his or her own television series and will present a pitch, treatment, character breakdown document, and one-year (season-long) overview of story and character arc (for each main character). Students will have a choice of working with a partner, as part of a team, or individually. At term's end, students will submit a show "bible" and first draft of the premiere episode. (FMMC/AMST 0104 or FMMC/ENAM 0106)
Winter 2010, Winter 2011
GEOG 0218 - Cultural Geography ▹
Cultural Geography
What do landscapes mean? How are places created and invested with significance? Why do people struggle to control public and private space? In this course we will examine these and similar questions. The main goals are to illuminate the wealth of meanings embodied in the built environment and our metaphorical understandings of landscape, place, space, and geographical identity, and to teach skills for interpreting and representing those meanings. Lectures, course readings, small-group projects, and papers will draw on social theory and empirical approaches, with a regional emphasis on North America. 3 hrs. lect.
Spring 2009, Spring 2010, Spring 2011, Spring 2014
GEOL 0201 - Bedrock Geology of Vermont
Bedrock Geology of Vermont
This course explores the fascinating geology of Vermont. Students learn the geology through six field problems, involving extended trips around western Vermont. Lectures on the meaning of rocks support the fieldwork. The last few indoor labs are devoted to understanding the geologic map of Vermont. Emphasis is on descriptive writing and on use of data to interpret origin of rocks. Culminates in a written report on the geologic and plate tectonic evolution of Vermont. (One geology course) 3 hrs. lect., 3 hrs. lab/field trips
Fall 2009, Fall 2010, Fall 2011, Fall 2012
GEOL 0281 - Structural Geology ▲
Structural Geology
Plate tectonics and mountain building processes result in deformation of the Earth's crust. Structural geology is the study of this deformation, and this course will examine the many types of structures found in crustal rocks (folds, faults, etc.) and explore the forces responsible for their formation. Laboratory exercises will emphasize the hands-on description and analysis of structures in the field, as well as the practical aspects of map interpretation and computer analysis of structural data. (A geology course or by waiver) 3 hrs. lect., 3 hrs. lab/field trips
Fall 2009, Fall 2010, Fall 2011, Fall 2013
HARC 0262 - Stieglitz and Camera Work
Alfred Stieglitz and the Camera Work Era
In 1902, Alfred Stieglitz published the first issue of the magazine Camera Work, a landmark in the history of photography. Featuring hand-pulled photogravures, articles about pictorialist aesthetics, and reviews of books and exhibitions, the journal was, in Stieglitz's words, "the best and most sumptuous of photographic publications." Over the last two decades, the Middlebury College Museum of Art has amassed a fine collection of original photogravures from Camera Work. In this course, we will curate an exhibition of these photographs, placing them in the context of pictorialism and modernism in early 20th century American art and culture.
Spring 2011
HARC 0301 - Ways of Seeing ▲
Ways of Seeing
In this course we will focus on the various methods and theories that can enrich and deepen our understanding of art, architecture, and visual culture. In this course students will hone their analytical skills, both verbal and written, often with recourse to objects from the College Museum and the campus at large. In general, this seminar will develop students’ awareness of objects of culture broadly construed, and sharpen their understanding of the scope and intellectual history of the field. To be taken during the sophomore or junior year as a prerequisite for HARC 0710 and HARC 0711. 3 hrs. sem
Spring 2012, Winter 2013, Fall 2013
HARC 0332 - Buildings in Context ▲
Buildings in Context
In this course we will focus on the various methods and theories that enrich and deepen our understanding of architecture and the built environment. This seminar will help students hone their analytical skills, both verbal and written, and provide them with the tools to probe the relationship of the built environment to professional practices and larger cultural forces. In general, students will gain an awareness of objects of culture broadly construed, and will sharpen their understanding of the scope and intellectual history of architecture. It is strongly encouraged that students majoring in Architectural Studies take this course in their second or third year. 3 hrs. sem.
Spring 2009, Spring 2011, Fall 2013
HARC 1013 - Writing About Florence
Writing About Florence
This course will offer a close examination of the great building projects of Medieval and Renaissance Florence -- from the Baptistery and Cathedral to the Uffizi, Laurentian Library, and Pitti Palace – with focus on their historic context, patrons (including the Medici and Rucellai), artists (including Brunelleschi, Alberti, and Michelangelo), history, and significance. In the process, we will explore various genres of art-historical writing, involving description, comparison, biography, historical narrative, and scholarly argument. This course counts as elective credit towards the History of Art & Architecture major.
Winter 2012
HIST 1002 - Heresy and Inquisition
The Burning Times: Heresy & Inquisition
Burning at the stake was the ultimate punishment for heretics and witches in the European Middle Ages. In this college writing class we will examine the repression of heresy and witchcraft, concentrating on the fascinating but controversial primary sources that are our chief source of knowledge. What was heresy? Who was a heretic and why did inquisitors persecute them? In addition to writing about heresy and inquisition, we also examine the use of the medium of film to portray historical subjects. Students will also pursue short research projects regarding one aspect of medieval heresy and inquisition.
Winter 2010
HIST 1009 - East India Company
East India Company
This course is an introduction to the English East India Company from the 17th-century until its dissolution in 1858. Much of our focus will be on the Company’s presence in India, and we will pay particular attention to its transformation from a maritime trading company into a territorial colonial state. Numerous topics will be covered including the rise of the Company as a trading concern, its aggressive competition with other European trading monopolies and South Asian kingdoms, and the importance of opium in its dealings with China. We will end with a discussion of the Indian rebellion of 1857.
Winter 2010
HIST 1018 - African Consumers
African Consumers
In this course we will explore how Africans variously situated across the continent have acted throughout history as cultural and economic consumers. Readings, discussions, and film screenings will touch on such diverse topics as Africans’ use of second-hand clothing from the West, the marketing and consumption of soap and hygiene products, the trade and consumption of food, the production and reception of popular videos and photography, and young peoples’ interactions with the global circulation of music and communications technology.
Winter 2011
INTD 1041 - Persuasive Legal Writing
Persuasive Legal Writing
In this intensive reading and writing course, students will practice writing persuasive arguments while analyzing contemporary legal issues. Readings will include state and/or federal court opinions governing the selected issues. Classroom discussion will focus on discussion of the readings and on the mechanics of clear and persuasive writing. Students will work together extensively, editing and revising one another's work, both in and out of class. Students will write (and rewrite) three papers, each written from a different perspective (e.g., prosecutor, plaintiff, or defendant). Students will also acquire a basic understanding of the way disputes are resolved within the U.S. legal system.
Winter 2011
INTD 1101 - World of Winston Churchill
World of Winston Churchill
In this course we will examine the making of the modern world through the life of Winston Churchill, one of the architects of Post-WWII Europe and the contemporary Middle East. As a parliamentarian, champion of the British Empire, war-time leader, international negotiator, and unparalleled orator, Churchill’s impact is extraordinary. Major course themes will include British parliamentary life, colonial empire, World War I, state formation in the Middle East, the rise of Nazism, World War II, the United Nations, and the early Cold War. Course materials will include historical and political analysis, as well as Churchill’s speeches and film screenings.
Winter 2011
INTD 1129 - Writing First Person
Writing First Person
Why do we write? Because we love language? Because we love sharing? Because we have something to say? We will look at first-person essays, short stories, and the first pages of favorite books, and discuss voice, character, dialogue, structure, style, plot, and audience. Students will hand in regular 250-word assignments and also follow prompts for writing in class. We will do a lot of supportive critiquing. While we will talk about agents, editors, and how to submit work, the focus will be on writing well -- and then revising until the work shines.
Winter 2013
JAPN 0198 - Japanese Poetry (in English)
Japanese Poetry (in English)
This course examines the tradition of Japanese poetry. Beginning with the earliest recorded poems of the seventh century, we continue through to the modern period. We will examine the forms and aesthetics of poetry and its uses within fiction, diaries, and drama. All works will be read in English translation. 3 hrs. lect./disc.
Spring 2012, Fall 2012
LITP 0101 - Intro to World Literature
This course is an introduction to the critical analysis of imaginative literature of the world, the dissemination of themes and myths, and the role of translation as the medium for reaching different cultures. Through the careful reading of selected classic texts from a range of Western and non-Western cultures, students will deepen their understanding and appreciation of the particular texts under consideration, while developing a critical vocabulary with which to discuss and write about these texts, both as unique artistic achievements of individual and empathetic imagination and as works affected by, but also transcending their historical periods. 3 hrs. lect./disc.
CMP CW LITSpring 2009, Spring 2010, Spring 2011
MUSC 1017 - Beethoven
Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was perhaps the most influential figure in the history of Western music. In this course we will explore Beethoven’s life and work in the context of European political, social, and musical currents in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Through intensive listening, reading, and discussion, we will pursue three related goals: the development of critical listening skills; an examination of the relationship between an artist’s biography and creative work; and the critique of how and whether social and political events shape the development of music and vice versa. No previous musical experience is required.
Winter 2011
PHIL 0207 - Philosophy of Human Rights ▹
The Philosophy of Human Rights
What is a human right? If there are human rights, what moral obligations, if any, follow from them, and who bears those obligations? In this course, we will investigate the philosophical origins and development of the concept of human rights. We will critically analyze both historical and contemporary moral perspectives concerning the existence and nature of human rights. What does it mean to say one possesses a human right? We will also take a close look at the issue of human rights as they relate to world poverty and humanitarian intervention. Authors will include Hobbes, Bentham, Rorty, Nickel, and Pogge. (Not open to students who have taken FYSE 1317).
Spring 2014
PHIL 0232 - Philosophy of Religion
Philosophy of Religion
In the first part of this course we will focus on philosophical reflections on the existence of God, the relation between religion and morality, the existence of evil, arguments for and against religious belief, and religious experience. We will read texts by Pascal, Hume, Kant, Kierkegaard, William James, and Freud. In the second part we will focus on the place of religion in society, considering what it means to live in a secular society, the relation between secularism and modernity, and the resulting modern forms of religious experience and practice. 3 hrs. lect.
Fall 2010, Fall 2012
PHIL 0302 - Philosophy of Plato
Philosophy of Plato
In this class, we will explore the significance, influence, and development of Plato's thought, paying special attention to the form of the dramatic dialogue and topics such as Platonic love, rhetoric and politics, learning and recollection, and the theory of forms. We will begin with the early period (dialogues such as the Meno and the Apology) focused on the historical figure of Socrates, continue to the middle period (Symposium, Republic), in which Plato develops his own distinctive views; and conclude with the later period (Philebus, Parmenides) in which Plato suggests a critique of Socrates and his own earlier positions. (Previous course in philosophy or waiver)
Spring 2009, Spring 2012
PHIL 0303 - Aristotle
Philosophy of Aristotle
In this class we will explore both the original breadth and the contemporary relevance of Aristotle's thought. We will read a diverse selection of his writings, beginning with ethical and political works, continuing to works on art and poetry, the soul, and nature, and concluding with logical and ontological works. We will ask why Aristotelian virtue ethics in particular has enjoyed a recent renaissance and generated special interest in Aristotle's ideas about the ethical role of friendship, the perceptive power of the emotions, and the different kinds of intelligence. (Previous course in philosophy or waiver.) 3 hrs. sem.
Spring 2011, Spring 2013
PHYS 0321 - Experimental Physics ▲
Experimental Techniques in Physics
This course will cover the design and execution of experiments, and the analysis and presentation of data, at an advanced level. Laboratory experiments will be chosen to illustrate the use of electronic, mechanical, and optical instruments to investigate fundamental physical phenomena, such as the properties of atoms and nuclei and the nature of radiation. Skills in computer-based data analysis and presentation will be developed and emphasized. This course satisfies the College writing requirement. (PHYS 0201 and PHYS 0202 and PHYS 0212; MATH 0200 recommended) 3 hrs. lect., 3 hrs. lab.
Fall 2009, Fall 2010, Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013
PSCI 0260 - Pol Economy Drug Trafficking ▹
The Political Economy of Drug Trafficking
This course examines the political economy of drug trafficking in the Western Hemisphere. How have transnational drug markets evolved, and why? What effects has narco-trafficking had on the political, economic, legal, financial, and social systems of producer, consumer, and transshipment countries? What policy responses are available to combat it? How should we weigh alternative policy options? Examination of these issues centers on source countries in Latin America's Andean region, the chief transshipment country (Mexico), and the principal consumer country (the US). Attention also is devoted to the drug trade's effects on American society and criminal justice system. 3 hrs. lect./disc.
(International Relations and Foreign Policy)/
Spring 2009, Spring 2010, Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014
PSCI 0307 - Politics of Virtual Realities ▲
The Politics of Virtual Realities
How has technology changed our politics? Are those changes all for the good? In this course we will explore the political, legal, and normative implications of the Internet for liberal democracy. We start with the US Constitution and explore arguments that it cannot by itself prevent the Internet from becoming a domain of manipulation rather than of freedom. How can we uphold the ideals of liberty and equality? And, since cyberspace has no country, whose laws should govern it? Cases will include President Obama's campaign and governance strategies, Google's activities abroad, cybersecurity, virtual war, and the WikiLeaks controversy. 3 hrs. lect./disc. (International Relations and Foreign Policy)/
Spring 2011, Spring 2012, Fall 2013
PSCI 1020 - American Power: Use and Abuse
American Power: Use and Abuse
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have raised many important questions about how the United States chooses to use its power on behalf of its national interests. In this course we will survey historical, institutional, and theoretical factors as a prelude to consideration of how the United States has used its power since the 2nd World War, with a special focus on the post-Cold War period. Based on selected case studies, including Korea, Vietnam, Bosnia/Kosovo, Iraq (1+2), Afghanistan, and Libya, we will examine pro and con arguments for different approaches to the use of power with extensive class debate and discussion. This course counts as elective credit towards the Political Science major. (International Relations and Foreign Policy)/
Winter 2010, Winter 2012
PSCI 1056 - Amer Citizenship/Face of War
American Citizenship and the Second Face of War
In this course we will examine the domestic political impact of major American wars, from the Civil War through the war on terror. Among the underlying questions driving the course are: How has war affected the concept and content of US citizenship? Of political rights? Must a democracy permit free speech (dissent) and association in times of war? Can it do so safely? Can it afford not to? Can wars fought to protect political liberties and values sometimes actually threaten them? To address these questions the course draws on the founding documents, political history, biographies, Supreme Court cases, and videos. The format includes lectures, student discussion, and writing assignments. This course counts as elective credit towards the Political Science major. (American Politics)/
Winter 2012
PSYC 0202 - Research Methods in Psychology ▲ ▹
Research Methods in Psychology
This course will provide students with an understanding of the research methodology used by psychologists. Students will learn to read psychological studies and other related research as informed consumers. Students will collect, analyze, and interpret data during lab assignments. They will also design an empirical study, review the related literature, and write a formal APA-style research proposal. (PSYC 0105 and PSYC 0201; not open to first-year students; open to psychology and neuroscience majors) 3 hrs. lect./1.5 hr. lab
Spring 2009, Fall 2009, Spring 2010, Fall 2010, Spring 2011, Fall 2011, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014
SPAN 0320 - Hispanic Creative Writing ▹
Hispanic Creative Writing
In this course we will focus on creative writing as a way to develop a deeper understanding of the Spanish language. We will achieve this goal by using the language and our imagination to tell stories. This course will also provide the opportunity to read and discuss literary works of important Hispano-American authors including Onneti, Borges, Rulfo, Cortázar, and Méndez. We will also read theoretical texts by Francisco Guzmán Burgos, Pablo Fernández, Alex Grijelmo, Ricardo Piglia, Jorge Luis Borges, among others. (SPAN 0220 or placement exam). 3 hrs. lect./disc.
Winter 2010, Spring 2010, Fall 2011, Spring 2013, Spring 2014
THEA 0218 - Playwriting I: Beginning ▹
Playwriting I: Beginning
The purpose of the course is to gain a theoretical and practical understanding of writing for the stage. Students will read, watch, and analyze published plays, as well as work by their peers, but the focus throughout will remain on the writing and development of original work. (Formerly THEA/ENAM 0218) 2 1/2 hrs. lect./individual labs
Fall 2009, Spring 2010, Spring 2011, Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014
THEA 0318 - Playwriting II: Advanced ▲
Playwriting II: Advanced
For students with experience writing short scripts or stories, this workshop will provide a support structure in which to write a full-length stage play. We will begin with extended free and guided writing exercises intended to help students write spontaneously and with commitment. Class discussions will explore scene construction, story structure, and the development of character arc. (ENAM 0170 or THEA 0218 or ENAM/THEA 0240; by approval) (Formerly THEA/ENAM 0318) 2 1/2 hrs. lect./individual labs
Spring 2009, Fall 2010, Spring 2012, Fall 2013
THEA 1016 - Writing American Theatre
Writing American Theatre
We craft plays in time and space. This course shows how. Students will read scenes from select plays by living American playwrights, including A.R. Gurney, Katori Hall, David Ives, Theresa Rebeck, and David Henry Hwang. We’ll focus on when and why drama works. Students will write their own short plays, perform them in class, and rework them according to what they learn. This course is not for the faint of heart, but students will come away appreciating dramatic technique, and knowing a lot more about how to use it.
Winter 2013
THEA 1020 - Performing Others: Solo Show
Performing Others: Writing and Staging the Solo Show
Theatre artists such as Anna Deavere Smith, Danny Hoch and Sarah Jones make a habit of writing and performing roles they were not born to play. Jumping over barriers of race, religion, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, these soloists are committed to embodying “the other.” In addition to analyzing professional works, students in Performing Others will create and develop a variety of monologues featuring characters that may be fictional, biographical, or based upon interviews. Together we will form an ensemble for developing new material and for processing issues that necessarily arise when we dare to imagine ourselves as others.
Winter 2010, Winter 2011, Winter 2013
WAGS 0201 - Writing for Social Change
Writing for Social Change
This course explores the many choices we face as speakers and writers when communicating across race, gender, sexuality, religion, culture, class and ability. Drawing on works by W. E. B. Dubois, James Baldwin, Beverly Tatum, Paulo Freire, Dorothy Allison, Arundhati Roy, Amy Tan, Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Desmund Tutu, and others, the class explores a range of genres and voices and examines patterns of domination and subordination in diverse cultural contexts. Students will learn strategies for both creative and critical writing and respond to formal and informal writing assignments. The class will hold occasional writing workshops, and final projects will provide opportunities for collaboration.
Spring 2009, Winter 2010, Spring 2011, Fall 2011, Spring 2013
WAGS 0358 - Theories of Spectatorship
Theories of Spectatorship, Audience, and Fandom
In this course we will explore a range of theoretical approaches to the study of spectatorship and media audiences. How has the viewer been theorized throughout the history of film, television, and digital media? How have theoretical understandings of the relationship between viewer and media changed in the digital age? How have gender, class, and race informed cultural notions of media audiences from silent cinema to today? We will consider key theoretical readings and approaches to studying spectators, viewers, audiences, fans, and anti-fans across the history of the moving image. (FMMC 0101 or FMMC 0102 or FMMC 0104 or FMMC 0254) 3 hrs. lect./disc./3 hrs. screen.
Spring 2013
WRPR 0201 - Writing for Social Change
Writing for Social Change
This course explores the many choices we face as speakers and writers when communicating across race, gender, sexuality, religion, culture, class and ability. Drawing on works by W. E. B. Dubois, James Baldwin, Beverly Tatum, Paulo Freire, Dorothy Allison, Arundhati Roy, Amy Tan, Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Desmund Tutu, and others, the class explores a range of genres and voices and examines patterns of domination and subordination in diverse cultural contexts. Students will learn strategies for both creative and critical writing and respond to formal and informal writing assignments. The class will hold occasional writing workshops, and final projects will provide opportunities for collaboration.
Spring 2009, Winter 2010, Spring 2011, Fall 2011, Spring 2013
WRPR 0202 - Writing To Heal ▹
This writing-intensive course examines writing as a catalyst for healing after loss or grief. In a workshop focused on student writing, we will analyze the fiction, drama, poetry and creative nonfiction of Arthur Miller, Jane Austen, Frank McCourt, C.S. Lewis, Sharon Olds, William Wordsworth, Christopher Noel, Madeleine Blais, Susan Minot. Reading James W. Pennebaker's Opening Up and Louise DeSalvo's Writing As A Way of Healing will create a theoretical underpinning for our discussions. Assignments for this course will include formal analytical essays, creative work (published online), as well as electronic journals and oral presentations.
CW LITSpring 2009, Spring 2011, Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014
WRPR 0203 - Media, Sports, & Identity ▲
Media, Sports, & Identity
In this course we will examine the relationship between media, sports, and the formulation of one’s identity. We will examine issues pertaining to gender identification, violence, and hero worship. Reading critical essays on the subject, studying media coverage of sporting events, and writing short analytical essays will enable us to determine key elements concerning how sports are contextualized in American culture. Student essays will form the basis of a more in-depth inquiry that each student will then present, using media, at the end of the course. (Not open to students who have taken WRPR 1002)
Spring 2010, Winter 2011, Fall 2011, Fall 2013
WRPR 0204 - Writing on Nature and Ecology
WRPR 1014 - Class and the Environment
Class and the Environment: The Struggle for Ecological Democracy
In this course we will explore how and why, in a world being divided into consumer markets, sources of cheap labor and raw materials, and ecological sacrifice zones, the most vulnerable are disenfranchised into communities of poor and working class people. We will examine the future of the environment and “free" market economy and the prospectus of radical green and democratic movements. Through reading, writing, and discussion we will investigate such texts as The Struggle for Environmental Justice to learn how communities face the task of linking protest strategies to the building of positive alternatives.
Winter 2010
WRPR 1813 - Mystique of Pride & Prejudice
Mystique of Pride and Prejudice
Almost 200 years after its publication, Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice continues not only to be read, but its iconic characters have been reproduced on film in settings as diverse as Salt Lake City and Punjab. Professional and amateur authors in print and on internet sites continue to rewrite this novel in both modern and regency setting. Why? In this course we will analyze the reasons for the continued popularity of Pride and Prejudice by an intensive reading of the novel, viewing at least five adaptations of the novel, reading recent adaptations, and by recreating the characters ourselves.
Winter 2012