Spring 2015

Please consult ConnectCarolina (through MyUNC) for the most up-to-date information about FYS offerings and availability.

For more information about a specific instructor, please click on the instructor name, if highlighted.

American Studies (AMST)
Anthropology (ANTH)
Art History (ARTH)
Studio Art (ARTS)
Asian Studies (ASIA)
City and Regional Planning (PLAN)
Classics (CLAS)
Communication Studies (COMM)
Computer Science (COMP)
Dramatic Art (DRAM)
Economics (ECON)
English (ENGL)
Geography (GEOG)
Geology (GEOL)
German Languages and Literatures (GERM)
History (HIST)
Interdisciplinary Studies (IDST)
Information and Library Science (INLS)
Latin American Studies (LTAM)
Marine Sciences (MASC)
Mathematics (MATH)
Music (MUSC)
Philosophy (PHIL)
Physics and Astronomy (PHYS)
Political Science (POLI)
Psychology (PSYC)
Public Policy (PLCY)
Religious Studies (RELI)
Romance Languages and Literatures (ROML)
Sociology (SOCI)
Statistics and Operations Research (STOR)
Special One-Time Opportunities

American Studies

AMST 53H.001 The Family and Social Change in America
HS, CI, NA
W, 3:35 PM – 6:25 PM
Robert C. Allen

Inspired by successful television program, “Who Do You Think You Are?” and the popularity of such online genealogical resources as Ancestry.com and Family Search, millions of people are taking advantage of billions of digitized public records and publications (census enumerations, city directories, newspapers, military records, etc.) to become online historical detectives. Some are also becoming 21st century family “kinkeepers”: combining digital resources with local archival resources (including the Southern Historical Collection and North Carolina Collection at UNC and State Archives in Raleigh), family memorabilia from “the bottom drawer of grandma’s dresser” and recordings of family stories to create multimedia family archives, which can be shared with far-flung extended family members and passed down to future generations. This course unfolds the process and materials of genealogical research to larger historical issues and contexts; explores how family history can personalize and localize social, cultural, political, and economic history; and asks how the question “Who do you think you are?” can become the basis for examining “Who do we think we are?” as a diverse national culture. Participants will research and document the history of (at least!) the last four generations of their biological/cultural families; gather (and preserve) family history materials from living family members; and explore the complexities of family history in relation to gender, race, and ethnicity. In addition to learning more about your own and your family’s history, we will use the tools and resources that have revolutionized genealogy and family history to ask new questions about the social and cultural history of “ordinary” people in North Carolina over the past 150 years. In the process, participants will also gain valuable experience in using digital technologies to gather and represent historical data; using public records and other primary documents; conducting oral history interviews; and constructing historical narratives. This course benefits from and is designed as an introduction to the work of the UNC Digital Innovation Lab, a campus-wide interdisciplinary center for project-based work in the digital humanities, based in the American Studies Department.

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AMST 61.001 Navigating the World Through American Eyes
GL
MW, 11:15 AM – 12:30 PM
The Spring 2015 offering is supported by the Johnston Scholars Program. Contact Holley_Nichols@unc.edu or Rachel.Willis@unc.edu for more information and priority registration no later than noon on Friday, Nov. 14.
Rachel A. Willis

This first year seminar is designed to better prepare students for future international travel, research, service, and work opportunities while understanding the implications of national identity and action in a global environment. Using group projects, collaborative field study, and individual proposal writing, we will explore a wide range of issues. Differences in geography, politics, religion, culture, gender roles, and more will be considered as students intensely develop individual plans for foreign travel, study, and work using readings, class exercises, documentary video and photography, and interviews. There will be a special focus on transportation systems and other forms of infrastructure that impact navigating places, people, and information. In addition, the class will have specialized access to professional resources to help identify funding sources for travel. Students will be individually guided through the fellowship application process of researching international travel opportunities and writing a competitive travel proposal and budget.

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AMST 89.001 Introduction to Digital Humanities
HS, US, CI
TTH, 2:00 PM – 3:15 PM
Seth Kotch

This course uses interdisciplinary approaches and methods in combination with digital humanities tools to explore American identity through the lens of rural America. It combines seminar-style readings and discussions with collaborative, lab-based digital work on a project that illuminates the cultures, politics, and histories of the rural South.

Americans rely deeply on their rural environments, whether as wilderness sites for busy urbanites to unwind; as providers of the food we eat and export; as fodder for politicians’ image crafting and for truck commercials. The significance of rural spaces as symbols can obscure the fact that that people live, work, and die there, and thus they have been important sites of social and cultural change. This course seeks to shift our understanding of rural America from that of an evocative place that lives in the urban imagination to a real set of places that are changeable and changing, influential, and historic.

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ANTHROPOLOGY

ANTH 63.001 The Lives of Others: Exploring Ethnography
SS
TTH, 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM
Townsend Middleton

Can we truly access, understand, and represent the lives of others? In this class, we will take on this question by taking up the practice of ethnography: a research method consisting of entering into a community, interacting with its members, observing social life, asking questions, and writing about our findings. Turning to anthropology and the growing number of disciplines using ethnography today, we will examine the ways ethnographers work to understand the people they work with. Over the semester, we will explore the method by becoming ethnographers ourselves. You, the student, will accordingly venture into the social world to conduct research on a topic and with a community of your choosing–thereby giving you first-hand knowledge of what it means to translate their worlds into your words. These are skills of social understanding that should serve students across their academic careers and beyond.

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ANTH 77.001 Windows of Mystery and Wonder: Exploring Self-Taught Art
VP
TTH, 9:30 AM – 10:45 AM
Glenn Hinson

Who has the right to define what counts as “art”? Both the market and the academy readily claim this prerogative, offering themselves as artistic gatekeepers who hold the rights of definition. Meanwhile, countless folk artists with neither formal training nor affiliation follow their own visions, creating works grounded more in the everyday aesthetics of their communities—and in the wonders of their imaginations—than in the traditions of mainstream art. The market is quick to label these artists “outsiders,” crafting biographies that highlight their presumed eccentricity and oddness. This seminar will turn the tables on this act of imposed definition, exploring the worlds of self-taught artistry by engaging the artists directly, asking questions about meaning, tradition, and the role of creativity in everyday life. It will also explore the manipulations of the market, investigating how stereotypes of race, class, and region affect the commercial valuing of vernacular art. Students in this seminar will work in groups to conduct fieldwork with a self-taught (or “folk”) artist, whom they will interview and photograph over the course of the semester. We will also host artists in class, and visit some in their homes.

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ANTH 89.067 Emerging Human Diseases
TTH, 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM
SS
Mark Sorensen

In this seminar we will examine how changing cultural, historical and ecological processes shape patterns of emerging disease. We will pay particular attention to the way human activities modify ecosystems and create new environments. Through in-depth reading, discussions, and class projects we will examine how ecosystems are shaped by disease, how disease shapes ecosystems, and how cultural processes (e.g., population movements, transportation networks, economic shifts, landscape modifications and other built environments) contribute to emerging and reemerging diseases worldwide. Through focus on particular, diseases, outbreaks, and epidemics, we will study pathogen-host coevolution, virulence and pathogen evolution, host immunity, spatial and temporal trends in global health and disease, epidemiologic transition theory, and emerging diseases.

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ANTH 89.087 Gender, Travel, and Tourism
SS, GL
TTH, 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM
Florence Babb

This first-year seminar considers how gender, global travel, and tourism come together in the contemporary world. We will examine gender differences (as well as differences of race, class, sexual orientation, national origin) in the experiences of travelers as well as of those who work in the service industries that accommodate travelers’ needs. We will also examine the gendered and racialized ways in which travel destinations are represented and marketed. Among the questions we will ask are the following: How are “exotic” locations portrayed as feminine? How are men and women treated differently as they participate in transnational currents of tourism? When and where are gender and sexual identities turned into commodities through tourism? How are power relations negotiated and what prospects are there for communities of women and men in the global South to actively construct the terms of their engagement with travelers from the global North?

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ANTH 60H.001 Crisis & Resilience: Past & Future of Human Societies (Honors)
HS, BN, CI
TTH, 9:30 AM – 10:45 AM
Patricia A. McAnany

The goal of this FYS is to encourage you to adopt a long view of human societies and examine responses to crises engendered by political, economic, and environmental forces over the longue durée. Perspectives on societal change – both apocalyptic and transformational – are critically examined in this seminar in light of a suite of case studies that reach back to Mesopotamia (3rd millennium B.C.), Classic Maya and U.S. Pueblo dwellers of the first millennium A.D. and also include contemporary situations such as the Rwandan genocide, nations such as Haiti that are alleged to be “failed” states, and the global crisis of environmental sustainability. You will gain familiarity with evaluating archaeological, historical, and environmental information that is pertinent to social change. The aim of the seminar is to foster critical thinking and the ability to evaluate narratives (in both scholarly and popular media) about societal crises and human resilience.

Seminar research materials include books, journal articles, films, and student-run interviews. Class meetings generally consist of a short, introductory lecture followed by discussion headed by class discussion leaders who develop and circulate “talking points” before each class meeting based upon reading material for that day’s seminar. Additionally, each student will select a topic or a case study to research in depth, develop a short class presentation (10 minutes), and write a final research paper.

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ART HISTORY

ARTH 89.001 Islamic Art and Science
HS, BN, CI
MWF, 1:25 PM – 2:15 PM
Glaire D. Anderson

This course explores the intersection of science and Islamic visual arts (art, architecture and material culture) over time, from the medieval period to the present day. Topics will include the visual arts as related to astronomy, mechanics, geography, medicine and magic, and mathematics. We will experiment with processes of making (an astrolabe, geometries of architectural decoration), reflecting on what these processes may reveal about the objects and their makers and users. We will read primary texts (in translation) that help us understand the connections between art, science, and Islamic civilizations. Finally, we will consider how art, objects, and architecture express meaning and illuminate the social history of Islamic civilizations.

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STUDIO ART

ARTS 50.001 The Artistic Temperament
VP
TTH, 9:30 AM – 10:45 AM
Jim Hirschfield

This seminar – meant for students who have an interest in the arts no matter the form -– examines the daunting yet important questions of how to advance and sustain one’s artistic production. We focus not only on what it means to be an artist, but also examine the importance of creativity and hard work in any successful venture. While looking at the work and lives of musicians (Hector Berlioz to the Beatles), playwrights (Shakespeare to Arthur Miller), film makers (Luis Brunuel to Werner Herzog), visual artists (Michelangelo to Alberto Giacometti), and even a tight-rope walker (Philippe Petit), we will grapple with what it means to be in the business of self-expression. The seminar is meant to help students understand who they are, and how in the words of Joseph Campbell they can “follow their bliss.” As we consider career options, two important questions will emerge: “What does it means to be an artist?” and “What lies before me?” Ultimately, the key to success in the arts is finding the physical and spiritual nourishment to continue, sustain, and move an artistic activity forward. We will focus not on the road to success per say, but also on driving down that road and learning to avoid the pot holes and muddy patches that can throw us off the road. Student projects will include written papers, interviewing artists, and a chance to create a self-portrait through any artistic form.

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ASIAN STUDIES

ASIA 61.001 India through the Lens of Master Filmmakers
VP, BN, CI
MWF, 12:20 PM – 1:10 PM
Pamela Lothspeich

Many people know that India is famous for its extravagant Bollywood musicals with elaborate song-and-dance routines. But less people know that there is also a tradition of art films in India. In this course students will have the opportunity to experience some of the great films by directors like Satyajit Ray, Guru Dutt, Ismail Merchant/James Ivory, and Deepa Mehta. Students will also be introduced to important themes in South Asian culture and history over the past 200 years, as well as some of the formal elements of filmmaking to help them better ‘read’ and appreciate the text of film. There will be weekly film screenings and reading assignments on Indian cinema, South Asian culture, and film theory. Some of the topics to be considered in the course include British colonialism, Mughal culture, gender issues, language issues, village life, Indian traditions and modernity, terrorism, and communalism.

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ASIA 63.001 Japanese Tea Culture
HS, BN
TTH, 2:00 PM – 3:15 PM
Morgan Pitelka

This seminar will explore the history of tea culture in Japan with particular attention to the emergence in the 16th-17th centuries of the ritualized practice often referred to in English as the “tea ceremony” (chanoyu). Merchants, Buddhist monks, warlords, European Jesuits, and specialized “tea masters” all participated in this cultural practice, which remarkably has survived to the present day as a cornerstone of Japanese tradition. Students will investigate some of the following questions inside and outside of class: Where did the distinctive aesthetic principles of tea culture come from? What literary and historical sources are available for the study of tea? And how can we use extant art objects in institutions such as the Ackland Art Museum to understand the history of tea culture?

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ASIA 89.001 Israeli Popular Culture: The Case of Music
VP, BN, CI
MWF, 12:20 PM – 1:10 PM
Ana Laura Sprintzik

This seminar is an introduction to the field of Israeli Popular Culture and is oriented toward students who are interested in learning about Israeli popular culture in a transnational and interdisciplinary frame. Focusing mainly on Israeli popular music, students will make a journey through different genres and styles that represent the cultural richness developed since early Zionism, going through deep social and cultural changes during the last two centuries. In addition, along the way students will engage with interdisciplinary cultural productions such as literature, film, television, and dance through their interaction with different musical styles helping students ultimately develop a broad and knowledgeable understating of social and cultural processes in the Israeli society.

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CITY AND REGIONAL PLANNING

PLAN 57.001 What Is a Good City?
SS
TTH, 3:30 PM – 4:45 PM
Andrew Whittemore

This course will examine the reasons for urbanization since the industrial revolution and the myriad social challenges made manifest in the urban landscape since that era. These challenges have included concentrated poverty, gender inequality, public health hazards, racial and class segregation, labor strife, traffic congestion, environmental pollution, overcrowding, inadequacy and unequal distribution of public services, ugliness, and social isolation. The class will survey the reactions to these challenges from urban historians, planners, architects, social scientists, social critics, utopians and futurists, and see how their perspectives made their way into public and private policy and to what ends.

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PLAN 89.001 Urban Growth, Structure and the Response to Economic Crises
SS
TTH, 12:30 PM – 1:45 PM
Bill Lester

Since the start of the Great Recession in 2007, the US economy has lost nearly 8 million jobs. While the impact is of national concern, these job losses have been concentrated inside metropolitan areas where 87 percent of the US population now lives. As a result, urban policy makers face a host of problems, including fiscal distress and high unemployment while simultaneously facing unique urban issues such as intense concentration of poverty and sprawl. This seminar will study trends in both economic change and urbanization and how they overlap in order to shed light on how planners and policy makers can offer solutions to solve the economic crisis in their communities. This seminar is organized around three themes. The first asks, Why do cities exist, and How do they grow? Next, we will turn our attention on the issues of urban industrial decline and suburbanization and examine how these processes impact the spatial structure of US metropolitan areas and define the ‘problems of economic development’ that policy makers seek to address. Lastly, we will introduce and critique the policy “toolbox” that urban leaders use to address employment decline, including business recruitment, industrial retention, and regionalism. We will conclude by evaluating the merits the most recent and often citied policy solution to the contemporary economic crisis—growing a so-called green economy. This seminar introduces students to the issues of urban economic development, spatial structure, and the policy responses aimed at increasing and improving economic opportunities. While this seminar focuses on a diverse and rigorous reading list, it includes several hands-on assignments that ask students to engage the themes of the course by studying their own home towns. The seminar will be a launching point for students interested in sociology, economics, political science, and geography. However, there are no pre-requisites and due to its structure and the critical thinking and writing skills attained through this course, PLAN 089 will be useful to students from a variety of academic disciplines.

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CLASSICS

CLAS 55H.001 Three Greek and Roman Epics (Honors)
LA, NA, WB
MWF, 1:25 PM – 2:15 PM
William Race

The course will involve a very close reading of Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey and Vergil’s Aeneid, the three epics that formulated the bases of Greco-Roman civilization and provided the models of heroism and human values for the Western Tradition—and also raised fundamental questions about the individual’s relationship to society. In addition, we will read Book 3 of Apollonius Rhodius’ Argonautica, which forms a bridge between Greek and Roman epic.

The students will discuss questions that arise in the assigned readings, prepare brief in-class analyses, and write three papers. There will also be a comprehensive final examination.

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CLAS 56.001 Women and Men in Euripides
LA, NA, WB
MWF, 9:05 AM – 9:55 AM
Owen Goslin

No other ancient writer explored the relationship between the sexes as acutely as the tragedian Euripides, and none has inspired such visceral reaction from ancient and modern audiences. How did Euripides shape the Greek mythological tradition to interrogate contemporary conceptions of gender? Why did this writer, working within a society as patriarchal as ancient Athens, create such socially transgressive heroines as Medea and Phaedra? And why have critics, from ancient Athens to today, reached such divergent judgments about the tragedian, with some labeling him a ‘misogynist’ and others a ‘proto-feminist’? This seminar will discuss these and related questions through a close reading of nine Euripidean plays that have had a profound influence on drama and literature for over two millenia. In the final weeks of the seminar we will also watch and discuss some modern adaptations – by the filmmakers Cacoyannis, Pasolini, and Lars von Trier – in order to consider Euripides’ relevance to today’s gender concerns. Since scenes of verbal contest are characteristic of Euripidean tragedy, assignments will include short oral presentations in the form of a debate about the choices made by the various characters. Written assignments will consist of three short papers and a final comprehensive examination.

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COMMUNICATION STUDIES

COMM 53.001 Collective Leadership Models for Community Change
SS, EE
M, 4:40 PM – 7:30 PM
Patricia Parker

In this seminar we explore the possibilities for collective leadership involving youth and adults in vulnerable communities. Course readings, guest speakers, and class field trips will provide exemplars of collaborative leadership models that engage people across traditional divides of culture, race, economics, and age. Students will work in teams to research, design, and implement community-based change projects focusing on three key strategies that engage youth as leaders and stakeholders in communities: youth media arts, youth organizing, and youth participatory action research. Students will present their projects (orally and through multi-media documentation) in class, and may be selected to present their work at the biennial leadership conference first convened in 2009 and organized by participants in the inaugural class of this seminar. Throughout the semester, each seminar participant will write a series of short essays reflecting on the collective leadership models and their own community engagement.

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COMM 73.001 Understanding Place through Rhetoric
TTH, 3:30 PM – 4:45 PM
Bill Balthrop

Every moment of our lives is spent in some “place.” We live in various places; we work in places; we play in places; we remember and sanctify certain places. This seminar will explore how it is that we come to understand what and how these places are meaningful in our lives. In doing so, we will look at such places “rhetorically”—that is, how were they designed to persuade those of us who inhabit them, how we actually experience them, and how we make sense of them in terms of our individual lives as members of families, communities, and as citizens of the nation. We will seek to understand these places through readings from different disciplines, field trips to a number of sites (including the Carolina campus, Franklin Street, shopping malls, commemorative sites, and others), class discussion, short reaction papers and reports, and a group research report at the end of the semester.

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COMM 85.001 Think, Speak, Argue
CI
TTH, 9:30 AM – 10:45 AM
Christian Lundberg

This seminar helps students learn to think more critically, speak more persuasively, and argue more effectively by focusing on practical skill development in reasoning and debate. Students at Carolina learn to sharpen their thinking, speaking, and argument skills in the course of their normal classwork, but this happens more or less indirectly. This seminar will focus directly on improving each of these skills. Students will learn to think more critically by reflecting on the work of philosophers who deal with reasoning and informal logic, to speak with conviction and clarity through hands-on learning about the tradition of rhetoric, and to argue more effectively by debating the pressing issues of our day. The skills that we hone in on in this course will help students become more effective in the classroom, in their chosen vocation, and as citizens in an increasingly complex global public sphere.

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COMM 89.001 Technologies of Popular Cultures
HS, CI
MWF, 11:15 AM – 12:05 PM
Michael Palm

This seminar takes an historical approach to the relationship between popular culture and technological change, focusing on how artists and other workers in the film, TV and especially music industries have incorporated new technology into the production, distribution and consumption of popular cultural products and experiences. From vinyl records to CDs to mp3s, we will track pivotal format ‘upgrades’ and analyze their aesthetic, economic, legal and political ramifications. Controversies such as sampling and piracy will be debated in class, and influential companies including Apple and Amazon will be subject to our collective research. Students’ own expertise and investments in pop culture will inform discussions and, ideally, research projects culminating in individual terms papers and group presentations.

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COMPUTER SCIENCE

COMP 80H.001 Enabling Technology (Honors)
EE, US
TTH, 12:30 PM – 1:45 PM
Gary Bishop

Nearly one in seven Americans has a significant disability; should they be exceptions? Through readings, guest lectures, videos, and projects we will explore the legal, moral, cultural, and technical issues and opportunities raised by this “minority you can join at any time”. Ideas originated in this class have been successfully used by people worldwide. This is an approved Apples Service Learning course.

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DRAMATIC ART

DRAM 80.001 Psychology of Clothes: Motivations for Dressing Up and Dressing Down
VP, CI
TTH, 12:30 PM – 1:45 PM
Jade Bettin

Through traditional and innovative teaching methods, this seminar will help students find ways to articulate their own motivations for dress and then apply the ideas they have discovered to the ways in which individuality as well as group attitudes are expressed through clothing. The semester begins with the familiar – observation and analysis of clothing forms on UNC’s campus. Small groups will present their findings to the class with an emphasis placed on not only what the subjects are wearing, but why. Throughout the semester the class will meet “on location” wherever clothing is worn in throughout the community. In the classroom, students will discuss readings from basic texts to create a shared vocabulary. They will also discover common (and occasionally uncommon) motivations for dress, not only in our own culture, but also in others in the world today as well as during selected historical periods.

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DRAM 83.001 Spectacle in the Theatre
VP
TTH, 9:30 AM – 10:45 AM
David Navalinsky

This seminar will explore the artists, art and technology involved in creating the world of the play. It is intended as an overview for students who want to learn about theatrical design. Students will create their own designs in the areas of scenery, costumes, and lighting for three plays throughout the semester. These plays will be placed outside of their traditional setting while still maintaining the story and themes. Students have placed Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream in a trailer park and a daycare center for example. Careful historical research, close reading and analysis, text and source material, and collaboration will be the focus of the student projects. In addition, the seminar will look at theatrical technology and how spectacle has evolved from the Greeks to Cirque du Soleil.

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DRAM 85H.001 Documentary Theatre (Honors)
VP, NA, EE
TTH, 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM
Kathryn Hunter Williams

This seminar explores the political and social ramifications of documentary theatre in the U.S. from the 1990s to the present. We will spend the first half of the semester studying interview techniques and reading examples of documentary theatre by playwrights such as Anna Deavere Smith, Heather Raffo, and Moisés Kaufman and the Tectonic Theatre Project. In the second half of the semester, the students will investigate a local community of their choosing and create an interview-based performance as a final project. The class will perform this play for an invited audience at the end of the semester.

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ECONOMICS

ECON 53.001 The Costs and Benefits of the Drug War
SS
TTH, 2:00 PM – 3:15 PM
Arthur Benavie

The basic question examined in this seminar will be the costs and benefits of the U.S policy of drug prohibition. Does drug prohibition decrease drug abuse? Affect violence in our society? Aid terrorism? Diminish our civil liberties? Affect the public’s health? Corrupt public officials? Should drugs be decriminalized or legalized and if so, how? Should different illicit drugs be treated differently? What is the evidence in the United States and in other countries on decriminalization or legalization? Students will write a paper and present it in class, and prepare an interview with individuals who are on the frontline of the drug war, such as police or attorneys. As a seminar, classroom activity will consist of discussions and debates.

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ECON 57H.001 Engines of Innovation: the Entrepreneurial University in the 21st Century (Honors)
SS, CI
TTH, 12:30 PM – 1:45 PM
Buck Goldstein

Build-Measure-Learn: Constructing Your Own Start-Up. This class will combine some basic principles of entrepreneurship with the newly emerging lean startup methodology. Students will be given background on entrepreneurial thinking and a hands-on workshop involving the latest thinking in executing a successful new venture. They will then be provided with a small grant to execute their idea over the course of the semester. They will Interact intensively with the instructor, outside advisors, and guest speakers, and it is hoped that some or all of the projects will become viable by the end of the course.

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ECON 89.001 History of Financial Crisis, 1637-2013
HS, NA
MWF, 10:00 AM – 10:50 AM
John Komlos

Would you like to find out about the financial crisis of 2008? This seminar will discuss the reasons why the crisis happened, examine critically how the government responded to the crisis, and why it has been difficult for the economy to regain its pre-crisis momentum. We will also discuss the similarities between the Meltdown and other historical financial crisis. Students will gain a broader understanding of the global economy in which we live and work. In addition, the historical perspective will enable students to gain a more thorough appreciation of the challenges that lie ahead for their generation. The aim of the seminar is not to concentrate on facts but rather to comprehend the big picture of economic processes in their social and political context in a very long-run perspective. Lots of discussion, lots of audio visual material will make this an exciting way to start your college career.

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EDUCATION

EDUC 65.001 School Daze: What’s School Got to do with Getting an Education?
TTH, 2:00 PM – 3:15 PM
Suzanne Allen Gulledge

What does it mean to be an educated person? What function do schools serve? This seminar builds on the experiences of schooling that students bring to the university. It invites them to re-consider and de-construct what they know about education and schools as a result of those experiences. The seminar considers traditional schooling along with non-traditional and international approaches to educating youngsters. Included are provocative readings, discussions and invitations to brainstorm schooling as it relates to education. Students will be challenged to re-consider their experiences and notions about school and to examine alternatives. Students’ first-hand knowledge and experiences combined with a critical perspective will encourage innovative thinking about ways and places of learning with the aim of generating proposals for new or reformed schools and new forms of public education for the future.

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ENGLISH

ENGL 52.001 Computers and English Studies
LA, CI
TTH, 9:30 AM – 10:45 PM
Daniel Anderson

This seminar explores ways that technology reshapes the study of literature and the ways writers compose. It emphasizes lessons in how to read and write about literary works, exploring how definitions of literature change as we consider not only fiction, poetry, and drama, but also music, art, and film. We also look at what it means to compose in the twenty first century, exploring blogging, podcasts, playlists, collages, videos, as well as familiar written forms. Class activities will feature some lecture, more discussion, and lots of project-based work.

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ENGL 57.001 Future Perfect: Science Fictions and Social Form
LA
MWF, 8:00 AM – 8:50 AM
Tyler Curtain

Will humans go extinct? If so, how? What are the ethical questions involved in human disappearance? How do humans themselves contribute to the possibilities, and what can be done to postpone the inevitable? This seminar will tackle some sobering (and, quite frankly, exciting and interesting) questions by reading cultural and scientific works that address human disappearance. We will read both science and fiction to think about the core concerns of the class. Our texts will include works ranging from Alien to the classic 1950s tale A Canticle for Leibowitz, from Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later to Cormac McCarthy’s The Road. We will ask some fundamental questions about what it means to be human, how we imagine our societies and cultures to work (and not work), and what these texts and questions might tell us about how we are to live now. Students will read novels and short stories, watch movies and TV shows, and read scientific and philosophical papers that deal with human extinction. Students will also be required to write a paper and complete an original research project at the end of term that they will share with the rest of the class.

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ENGL 63.001 Banned Books
LA, US
MWF, 1:25 PM – 2:15 PM
Laura Halperin

In this seminar, we will read Latina/o texts that have been banned in the United States; we will examine the rhetoric surrounding such censorship attempts; and we will focus on the relationship between the banning of the books and the constructions of race, ethnicity, class, gender, and sexuality within the works. We will pay close attention to the themes and language within the targeted books. Indeed, the bulk of the course will consist of literary analysis. Given that some of the most commonly cited reasons for censorship attempts revolve around concerns about “excessive” or “inappropriate” portrayals of violence, sexuality, or the occult, the course will be structured around these particular polemics. In the course, we will look to the contexts surrounding the censorship of the Latina/o texts that we will read and discuss. Considering that Latinas/os now comprise the largest minority population in this country, we will ask what the relationship might be between the attempts to remove Latina/o texts from grade school libraries and classrooms and the shifting demographics in the places where these books have been removed. Students will be evaluated based on a combination of written and oral work. The seminar will be organized as a discussion course in which active participation will be key. The class will have large group and small group discussions and debates. Students will write essays during the semester, and, at the end of the semester, they will have the option of writing a research paper or putting together a creative project.

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ENGL 86.001 The Cities of Modernism
LA, CI
MWF, 11:15 AM – 12:05 PM
Rebecka Rutledge Fisher

The Cities of Modernism is a cross-cultural and inter-medial exploration of representations of the “Great City” in High Modernist works of literature, art, and film. Our choice of cities is necessarily restricted by the time allotted for the course, and so we will limit our examination to Harlem/New York, Paris, St. Petersburg (Russia), Chicago, and London. Materials may include texts by Andrei Bely, W.E.B. Du Bois, T.S. Eliot, Jean Toomer, and Virginia Woolf, paintings by cubists, dadaists, futurists, German expressionists, and artists of the Harlem Renaissance, and the films “Metropolis,” by Fritz Lang and “Modern Times,” by Charlie Chaplin. Discussions may include reference to contemporary theoretical essays on the modern city by Walter Benjamin, W.E.B. Du Bois, James Weldon Johnson, Georg Simmel, and Oswald Spengler. Students will also be exposed to the historical contexts that surround our primary readings. In the past, a Study Gallery, where original modernist art works related to our course materials are exhibited in a space reserved for our class at UNC’s Ackland Art Museum, has been curated for this course by the professor. If possible, a Study Gallery will be dedicated to this class for five weeks during Fall 2011. Teaching methodology for this course emphasizes active learning, and is therefore discussion-based. Close readings of the texts, where students are asked to comment upon, analyze, and interpret specific passages, will be undertaken each class period.

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ENGL 87H.001 Jane Austen, Then and Now (Honors)
VP
TTH, 12:30 PM – 1:45 PM
Jeanne Moskal

Pride and Prejudice, often cited as the best-loved novel in English, is the focus of this semester’s course in Austen and present-day responses to her oeuvre. We will begin with in-depth reading of Austen’s 1813 novel, with attention to its form (genre and narrative style) and to its historical and biographical contexts; we will examine recent re-workings, in fiction and in film, in light of present-day concerns and the students’ interests. Several film adaptations will be considered as part of our research into Austen’s current influence. First-time readers of Austen are welcome in the course, as are those deeply familiar with Austen’s oeuvre. Interested students are welcome to contact the instructor in advance of registration with any questions or concerns.

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GEOGRAPHY

GEOG 56.001 Local Places in a Globalizing World
SS, GL
MWF, 1:25 PM – 2:15 PM
John Pickles

His research and teaching focus primarily on issues of geographical and social change, particularly in regions that are undergoing major ruptures in socio-economic life and under conditions of economic — and often physical — violence. These concerns have their roots in questions of geographical uneven development, whether in post-war Britain, colonial and post-colonial Africa, the unraveling of state socialism in Central Europe, the building of the new Europe, or the operation and effects of global apparel production networks. Each is heavily inflected through his reading of critical theory, hermeneutic phenomenology, cultural studies, and post-structural social theory.

Globalization is a word we hear every day, but what does it mean for us in local places? Specifically, what can an understanding of globalization tell us about Carolina and nearby places? This seminar weaves together perspectives on globalization with hands-on exploration of Carolina and its place in today’s global “knowledge economy,” and the University’s founding in relation to the globalizing forces of that day. Our focus will shift back and forth between the global and the local, even to the microscale of our campus. We will learn through a variety of experiences and approaches, including fieldwork, old documents, and some introductory GIS (geographic information systems) exercises in addition to readings, class discussion, and group work. By the end of the seminar, students will not only have an understanding of globalization and the very real connections between the global and the local, but also a unique perspective on our university.

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GEOLOGY

GEOL 76.001 Energy Resources for a Hungry Planet
PL
MWF, 11:15 AM – 12:05 PM
José Rial

The seminar first describes today’s fundamental sources of energy: oil, natural gas and coal, how and where to find them, and the latest statistics on how long the present reserves will last. We will then explore alternative energy resources and why it is so important for society to understand that fossil fuel reserves are finite, and will be depleted in 40 years (cheap oil) or in 200 years (coal). The course stimulates student participation through class debates (e.g., Can nuclear energy become a viable and safe substitute for coal?, Is the current US energy policy a threat to national security?).

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GERMANIC LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES

GERM 68.001 Intensity, Vitality, Ecstasy: Affects in Literature, Film, and Philosophy
LA, NA
MWF, 3:35 PM – 4:25 PM
Gabriel Trop

What cultural and intellectual resources do we have to increase the intensity of our inner lives, to feel more vitally plugged into the world, and to be attracted to extraordinary modes of perception? We will read shorter texts by famous philosophers, mystics, and poets in order to help us answer these questions. Assignments will explore creative and alternative forms of writing (rather than the standard academic essay): dialogues, meditations, and free writing, among others. Authors include: Plato, Marcus Aurelius, Hildegard von Bingen, Mechthild von Magdeburg, Goethe, Musil, and Rilke, among others.

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HISTORY

HIST 53.001 Traveling to European Cities: American Writers/Cultural Identities, 1830-1930
HS, NA
TTH, 2:00 PM – 3:15 PM
Lloyd Kramer

This seminar examines two key themes in modern cultural and intellectual history: the importance of travel in the lives and cultural identities of American writers and the important role of European cities in the evolution of modern American cultural identities. We shall focus on a historical era in which American writers were especially drawn to Europe as an alternative to the social and cultural life in the United States; and we’ll discuss how the encounter with Europe influenced these writers as they defined their national identities as well as their views of politics, social relations, gender identities, literature, art, and Western cultural traditions. The seminar is based on the assumption that travel has become one of the most influential personal experiences in modern times. In short, we shall explore the connection between travel, writing, and personal identities. This is a class for people who like to read about personal experiences and are intrigued by foreign travel. The assigned texts include works by women and men such as Margaret Fuller, Mark Twain, Henry James, Edith Wharton, Gertrude Stein, and Ernest Hemingway; and the cities we’ll discuss include Paris, London, Rome, Venice, and Athens.

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HIST 66.001 Film and History in Europe and the United States, 1908-1968
HS, GL, NA
TTH, 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM
Louise McReynolds

History teachers often assign novels that capture the essence of the era. When they show movies, however, they tend to prefer filmic recreations on an historical event, and class discussion centers around “accuracy” and “objectivity.” This course takes a different approach, and treats films as primacy sources for studying the historical context in which they were made. Beginning with the development of narrative film in 1908, it will trace change by looking sequentially at those nationally specific genres that had repercussions beyond national borders. The primary historical themes will be the repercussions of two world wars in the United States and its European allies and enemies. Both wars played a pivotal role in the critique liberal democracies that consistently proved unable to fulfill their utopian aspirations, as analyzed so perceptively in the assigned book by Mark Mazower. The rise of socialism, which includes National Socialism, as an alternative to liberalism also played itself out on the Silver Screen.

A course such as this is especially important in our age of mass media, when people must be familiar with film as well as literature to be considered “culturally literate.” One cannot become learned, however, simply by viewing these films. Critics and audiences alike have been influenced by these movies for a wide variety of reasons, and this course will integrate a series of films into the dominant social, political, and economic environments that produced them. In the process, we will see how the motion picture industry has ignited controversial debates that move well beyond the courtyards of the old movie palaces. Students will also learn how to watch movies, that is, how to integrate the effects of a film’s formal aesthetics into its social and political contents.

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HIST 82.001 The Search for Modern Jewish Identity
HS, NA
MWF, 1:25 PM – 2:15 PM
Karen Auerbach

This course will explore diverse experiences of modernity among Jewish populations from the mid-eighteenth century to the contemporary period. Drawing on memoirs, diaries, film and literature, we will trace transformations and continuities in Jewish life and identities under the influence of political, cultural and socioeconomic changes in surrounding societies. Through our study of Jewish communities in Western, Central and Eastern Europe; the Ottoman Empire; North Africa; Israel; and the United States, we will challenge portrayals of a monolithic experience of the Jewish encounter with modernity across geographic borders. Lectures, readings and class discussions will focus on Jewish intellectual and political developments as well as religious, cultural and social history, including emancipation, family life, education, childhood, gender, relations between Jews and non-Jews, the Holocaust and Jewish life after the Second World War. Discussions will challenge students to develop their own analyses while becoming familiar with a range of arguments among scholars of Jewish life. Assignments will include research in local archives related to Jewish history in Durham, Chapel Hill and elsewhere.

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INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES

IDST 89.001 Risky Business
SS, CI
TTH, 12:30 PM – 1:45 PM
Sarah George, Maya Nadimpalli, Kashika Sahay, David Pfennig

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INFORMATION AND LIBRARY SCIENCE

INLS 89.001 Social Media & New Movements
SS
MW, 10:10 AM – 11:25 AM
Zeynep Tufekci

Movements ranging from uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt and beyond to “Occupy” protests in the United States have been using new media technologies to coordinate, organize, and intervene in the public sphere as well as to document, share, and shape their own stories. Using a range of tools from Facebook to Twitter, from satellite modems to landlines to ad-hoc mesh networks, these movements have made their mark in history. The objective of this seminar is to enhance our conceptual and empirical understanding of the interaction between the new media ecology and social change. We will explore various approaches to studying social movements and social change and look at specific cases. Governments and powerful institutions are also responding to the challenge posed by the emergence of the Internet as a mundane and global technology. From increased surveillance and filtering capacity, to delivering propaganda over the Internet to their own, governments around the world are broadening their repertoire of social, technical, and legal tools for control and suppression of—and through—the Internet. We will explore the integration of new media tools within these movements as well governmental and institutional responses to these developments. Materials for this class will include readings, videos (not to be viewed in class but as material to be viewed), and a variety of visiting speakers (both in person and via Skype).

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INLS 89.002 Smart Cities
TTH, 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM
GL
Arcot Rajasekar

A smart city is one where the needs of a populace meet the needs of environmental sustainability. The balance between the social and environmental issues is governed by Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) that power a smart city infrastructure. In this course, we learn about the influence of urban networks, smart city urban planning, energy as a catalyst of sustainable development, smart city infrastructure, sustainable transportation, flow of information and communications, smart grids, digital infrastructure and the role of data and information technology. We will discuss criteria for measuring the smartness of a city, including quality of life, citizen governance, and discuss issues that go towards the making of a future smart city. Several case studies will be presented with guest lecturers invited to present on critical thinking and practices in smart city development.

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LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES

LTAM 89.001 Cuban Revolution, Latin America, and US
HS, GL
T, 3:30 PM – 6:15 PM
Louis Perez

LTAM 89 will explore multiple facets of the Cuban revolution and its impact in Latin America and the United States. Under the auspices of la revolución, Cubans embarked upon one of the most ambitious revolutionary projects of the twentieth century. Virtually all previously existing national institutions were abolished, modified, or otherwise adjusted in the service of an egalitarian project inscribed into the claim of national sovereignty and self-determination.

But the impact of the Cuban revolution reached far beyond the island. The experience of a Third World country seeking to transform a social system, which required at the same time the need to eliminate the privileged presence of the United States, resonated in Latin America. Cuban policies–the very “model” of Cuba–posed a direct challenge to U.S. interests in the Western Hemisphere, a challenge that assumed particular urgency–at the height of the Cold War–when the Cuban leadership proclaimed the Marxist-Leninist nature of the revolution and allied itself with the Soviet Union.

The example of Cuba and the “romance” of revolution as a means of social change resonated in Latin America. The Cuban revolution also posed a challenge to the status quo in Latin America, and appeared to offer a way to address historic conditions of inequality, injustice, and indigence. Within months after the triumph of the Cuban revolution, guerrilla movements developed across Latin America.

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MARINE SCIENCES

MASC 59.001 Extreme Microorganisms: Pushing the Limits of Life on Earth and Beyond
PL
TTH 12:30-1:45 PM
Andreas Teske

We will expand our horizons in biology by learning about some of the most extreme microorganisms on the planet – microorganisms that thrive without oxygen, under high temperatures (e.g., in pressurized water above the boiling point), and under chemical stress factors that were once thought to be incompatible with life. Numerous representatives of these microorganisms can be cultured in the laboratory; others have been observed in nature but have so far resisted being tamed. We will look into the unusual habitats where these organisms are found, for example hot springs and volcanic areas on land (Yellowstone) and in the ocean (deep-sea hydrothermal vents). We will also study their evolution during Earth’s early history, and learn about the potential of extreme microorganisms as model cases and analogs for life elsewhere in the universe.

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MATHEMATICS

MATH 58.001 Math, Art, and the Human Experience
QI
TTH, 2:00 PM – 3:15 PM
Mark McCombs

This seminar is designed to engage students in an exploration of the relevance of mathematical ideas to fields typically perceived as “non-mathematical” (e.g., art, music, film, literature). Equally important will be an exploration of how these “non-mathematical” fields influence mathematical thought. Course activities and assignments have been designed to illuminate the fact that even the most complex mathematical concepts grow out of real people’s attempts to understand their world. By the end of the seminar, students should be able to

• Identify and assess how mathematical ideas influence and are influenced by ideas expressed through art, music, literature, religion, etc.
• Compare and contrast different philosophies concerning the nature of mathematics
• Articulate their own well-reasoned ideas concerning the nature of mathematics
• Discuss the evolution of fundamental mathematical concepts in a historical as well as a cultural context
• Discuss the work and lives of important mathematicians in relation to the “non-mathematical” work of their contemporaries
• Identify and assess how their own understanding of mathematical ideas influences the way they interact with the world

Course assignments and activities will include weekly readings and short homework writing assignments (2–3 paragraphs), quizzes, and a portfolio of mathematical art (e.g., painting, origami, poetry, music). No prerequisite is required.

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MATH 62H.001 Combinatorics (Honors)
QI
TTH, 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM
Ivan Cherednik

A leading expert in Modern Combinatorics wants to share his vision of the subject with the students. The seminar is a perfect background for future specialists in mathematics, physics, computer science, biology, economics, for those who are curious what statistical physics is about, what is cryptography, and how stock market works, and for everyone who likes mathematics.

The course will be organized around the following topics:

1) Puzzles: dimer covering, magic squares, 36 officers
2) Combinations: from coin tossing to dice and poker
3) Fibonacci numbers: rabbits, population growth, etc.
4) Arithmetic: designs, cyphers, intro to finite fields
5) Catalan numbers: from playing roulette to stock market

The students will learn about the history of Combinatorics, its connections with the theory of numbers, its fundamental role in the natural sciences and various applications.  It is an advanced research course; all students are expected to participate in projects under the supervision of I.Ch. and the Graduate Research Consultant (the GRC Program). This seminar is partially supported by the UNC Honors Program.  The grades will be based on the exam, bi-weekly home assignments and the participation in the projects. The course requires focus and effort, but, generally, the students are quite satisfied with the progress they make (and their grades too).  From the Course Evaluation: “A difficult but wholly worthwhile course: I feel more competent for having taken it”, “I would recommend this FYS to others ONLY if they have a VERY strong affinity for and ability in Algebra (I thought I did, but I was wrong)”.

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MATH 89.001 Visualizing Data: Big and Small
QI
MWF, 10:10 AM – 11:00 AM
David Adalsteinsson

There is a tremendous effort in almost every scientific discipline to better understand and process the vast amount of data gathered through various sources, commonly referred to as “Big Data”. Data comes from images, video, automatic measuring devices, transactions, computational models etc.

Working with this data is often challenging and tools like Excel very quickly come up short. This class focuses on how to analyze and visualize various data sets, including tabular data, spatial data and three dimensional data. How to use graphics, animation and interactive manipulation to understand data, compute statistics and quantify results.

The class will challenge students to rethink what is data and make them better prepared for working with big and small data in physical, medical, biological and social sciences.

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MUSIC

MUSC 62H.001 Vienna: City of Dreams (Honors)
HS, CI
TTH, 12:30 PM – 1:45 PM
Stefan Litwin

Turn of the twentieth century Vienna was a crucible for much of modern life as we know it today. We will explore a wide gamut of music, art, architecture, literature, philosophy and political texts from this fascinating social period, including the eroticism pervading paintings of Klimt, Freud’s writings on the roots of human behavior in the subconscious, Karl Kraus’ critical social commentary in “Die Fackel”, as well as the roots of Zionism and the Nazi party in Austrian politics. Above all, we will listen to music of Brahms, Johann Strauss, Jr., Gustav Mahler, Richard Strauss, Arnold Schoenberg, Alban Berg and Anton Webern. Class projects will include reports on various historical figures or composers, discussions of texts, and group listening to music.

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MUSC 65.001 Music and Culture: Understanding the World through Music
VP, NA
TTH, 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM
Emil Kang and James Moeser

This seminar will focus on the incredibly wide variety of performances presented by Carolina Performing Arts. Through research on and attendance at performances, including opportunities to meet the artists, students will explore questions such as: How does music reflect culture? What makes great music? What is the role of music in other genres? What are the obligations of the performer to the composer? What goes into the preparation of a performance? What is the impact of the audience on the performer? How much improvisation takes place in a live performance? What makes a particular performance outstanding, or by contrast, unsuccessful? We will also examine the ideas of virtuosity, curiosity, and re-invention. Students will be provided tickets and will be expected to attend all performances listed below. Musical ability and training is not a requirement for this seminar, although students with musical experiences are welcome. Program and dates are subject to change.

Students will attend these performances:

The Marinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev, Conductor, Sunday, Feb. 1
Kronos Quartet, Thursday, Thursday, Feb 12
Shantala Shivalingappa, (South Indian Dance),Wednesday, Feb. 18
Brian Blade and the Fellowship Band, Friday, Feb. 20
Lecture by Yo Yo Ma and Members of the Silk Road Ensemble, Thursday, Feb. 26
The Silk Road Ensemble, Friday, Feb. 27
Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem, Thursday, Mar 5,
Pierre-Laurent Aimard and Tamara Stefanovich, Piano Duo, Wednesday, Mar 18
Sanam Marvi—Sounds from the Land of Five Rivers, Friday, Mar. 20
Brooklyn Rider String Quartet, Saturday, Mar. 28
Monteverdi Choir, Monteverdi Vespers of 1610, Sunday , April 19.

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PHILOSOPHY

PHIL 57.001 Race and Affirmative Action
US
TTH, 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM
Bernard Boxil

The goal of the course is to get a mature and correct understanding of race, racism, and affirmative action.

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PHIL 66.001 Ethics: Theoretical and Practical
PH
TTH, 12:30 PM – 1:45 PM
Thomas Hill

This seminar aims to encourage students to think seriously and clearly about ethical problems by means of class discussion, group research projects, and examination of philosophical and literary works. Theoretical issues to be considered include relativism, utilitarianism, deontological ethics, and virtue ethics. Practical issues may include abortion, substance abuse, treatment of animals and the environment, and sex, love, and marriage.

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PHYSICS

PHYS 53.001 Handcrafting in the Nanoworld: Building Models and Manipulating Molecules
PL
TTH, 9:30 AM – 10:45 AM
Michael R. Falvo

The nanoworld is a strange and captivating place. It is a world of molecules vibrating trillions of times a second, quantum dots emitting rainbow colors, DNA encoding information in molecular bonds, and protein motors driving the complex machinery of the cell. At this scale, nature has unique rules and behaviors, some of which are amazing and unexpected. We are still uncovering these rules, and are only beginning to apply this new knowledge to technology. Can we build molecular machines that cure disease or clean up the environment? Can we make computers using single molecule transistors? How do viruses and other bio systems “assemble” themselves? In this seminar, we dive into the basic physics, chemistry and biology that describe the nanometer scale world. We will also try to distinguish the true promise of nanoscience from the hype. Students will engage in class discussions informed by their weekly reading of selected scientific literature. They will also participate in small group projects building physical models of nanoscale objects and phenomena, and perform calculations to gain a quantitative understanding of the physics underlying the nanoworld. No prerequisite is required for this course, but a spirit of adventure is.

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PUBLIC POLICY

PLCY 55.001 Higher Education Policy
SS
M, 2:30 PM – 5:30 PM
Melinda Manning

Higher education is undergoing rapid transformation that may dramatically change the undergraduate college experience. This course will examine a variety of urgent questions facing American colleges and universities. Is higher education preparing students for the jobs of the future? How should students pay for school? What should be the role of college athletics? What effects do current state and federal regulations have on colleges and universities? What role will technology have on learning? Students will explore topics further through position papers, oral presentations, and the opportunity to create their own model college of the future.

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PLCY 61H.001 Policy Entrepreneurship (Honors)
TTH, 5:00 PM – 6:15 PM
Robert J. Bach and Asher Hildebrand

This seminar will explore what it means to be a “policy entrepreneur” in American society and identify successful strategies for achieving change and innovation in the public policy process. The seminar will examine the work of “public-spirited” entrepreneurs within government, the private sector, and non-profit advocacy and research organizations, drawing on real-world case studies and hosting in-class discussions with leaders of each type of organization.

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PLCY 80.001 Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Growth
MW, 4:40 PM – 5:55 PM
Jason Marc Cros

This seminar provides an introduction to entrepreneurship and innovation, and considers their relationship to economic growth. The focus is on historical examples of entrepreneurs who created enduring innovations, emphasizing the context that set the stage, the strategy employed by the entrepreneur, and the public policies that supported the opportunity and the growth of the enterprise. The objective is to recognize the potential of new technologies, changes in consumer taste and shifts in the external environment as economic opportunities. The course emphasizes entrepreneurs as part of a larger societal system that both determines what is possible and also changes in response to entrepreneurial actions. The role of public policy in providing incentives for entrepreneurship and innovation and setting social priorities is discussed.

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PLCY 85.001 Reforming America’s High Schools (cancelled, 12/9/2014)

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POLITICAL SCIENCE

POLI 54.001 The American Worker: Sociology, Politics, and History of Labor in the United States
NA
TTH, 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM
Michele M. Hoyman

The face of the American worker is changing and the challenges American workers face are ever evolving. In the wake of recent events like the Occupy Wall Street protests, the public in general is becoming more aware of issues like income inequality, living wages, and the role of unions in the workplace. This seminar will explore the American worker from a legal, economic, and social justice perspective. Additionally, the legal framework Americans operate within in respect to labor law will be compared and contrasted with international standards and labor rights. The seminar will also feature an analysis of the American worker through classic film and fictional literature.

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POLI 61.001 The United States and Cuba: Making Sense of United States Foreign Policy
SS, CI, GL
TTH, 12:30 PM – 1:45 PM
Lars Schoultz

This seminar examines the current issues of United States policy toward Latin America, viewed from a historical perspective that emphasizes two centuries of continuous change. Each issue is paired with a country or region of Latin America, including immigration policy with Central America, economic integration with Mexico, drug trafficking with the Andean countries, and great-power hegemony with Cuba. Tying these issues together is an ongoing theme of cultural identity or, more specifically, of the strongly entrenched view that Latin America is socially, politically, and economically “underdeveloped.” The general goal is to explore the various ways in which Latin America and the United States are now merging.

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POLI 63.001 Social Movements and Political Protest and Violence
SS, NA
TTH, 9:30 AM – 10:45 AM
Pamela Conover

This seminar focuses on explaining and understanding social movements and the collective political behaviors that they promote (e.g. demonstrations, riots, strikes, and eco-terrorism). Our theoretical focus will be interdisciplinary, drawing on research in political behavior, social psychology, sociology, political theory, and the law. We will discuss when and why collective action occurs, who participates, what forms it takes, and how governments respond. Substantively, we will study a variety of movements including: the Tea Party movement, the Environmental movement, the Animal Rights movement, the America Militia movement, the White Nationalist movement, and the Occupy Wall Street movement. We will use a variety of approaches and resources: class discussions, films, wiki writing, online discussions, novels, and texts. Grades will be based on class participation, a writing project, and several group wiki papers.

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POLI 73H.001 Politics and Animal Life (Honors)
PH
TTH, 12:30 PM – 1:45 PM
Hollie Sue Mann

Humans and non-human animals have lived together since time immemorial, with our relationships exhibiting a range of qualities, including interdependence, hostility, indifference, and care. Despite the fact that human life is always lived in close proximity to the non-human animal world, we tend to think of non-human animals as existing outside the boundaries of political life; indeed, animal life has been, at best, a marginal topic in the field of political science. Yet increasingly, political thinkers are challenging commonly held beliefs about the political and ethical standing of animals, and they are attempting to illuminate the ways in which animal life actually animates much of political theory and politics today. In the spirit of these emerging debates, this seminar will shed light on the ways in which non-human animals have been central to the construction of meaning in the history of political thought and to our own self-understandings. Once we get this picture in clearer view, questions concerning our relationships and interactions with animals today will be pressed upon us, and together we will reconsider the view that non-human animals can be legitimately excluded from political life and thought. More specifically, we will explore the implications of including them in political life and thought and how that fact might be brought to bear on particular problems concerning our relationships with animals in late modernity.

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POLI 89.001 Friendship in Political Thought
PH, NA, CI
TTH, 12:30 PM – 1:45 PM
Susan Bickford

From Facebook friends to BFFs, friendship is a crucial part of our lives; friendship has also been a crucial concern in the history of political thought. In this class, we will investigate what relationships have been designated “friendship” in the past, and investigate why are they of such concern to political and ethical philosophers. What is the work that “friendship” does in the political and ethical thought of ancient thinkers like Plato, Aristotle, Cicero? How – and why – do Montaigne and Emerson write about it? Where do we find the most provocative and insightful contemporary writing about friendship? Above all: what is friendship’s relation to politics and to ethical life?

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POLI 89.002 Ideological Roots of Contemporary Political Commentary
PH, NA
TTH, 3:30 PM – 4:45 PM
Justin H. Gross

Listening to cable news commentary and talk radio, or reading political blogs and opinion columns, it sometimes feels like American opinion leaders spend all their time bad-mouthing political parties and policies without rhyme or reason. Listen more closely, however, and you will find even the most loud-mouthed critics dwell on favorite themes, and many of the values and beliefs they express can be traced to long-existing concerns of public intellectuals and political philosophers. We will attempt to understand contemporary American ideologies as expressing different sets of (sometimes overlapping) preoccupations, and analyze the different meanings attributed to key concepts such as liberty, justice, fairness, and security, placing them in the context of broader intellectual history in the U.S. The seminar is discussion oriented, placing special emphasis on thoughtful and respectful class participation. Prompt completion of weekly reading assignments is required and students should expect to improve written and verbal communication skills.

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PSYCHOLOGY

PSYC 58H.001 The Psychology of Mental States and Language Use (Honors)
SS
TTH, 9:30 AM – 10:45 AM
Jennifer Arnold

As adults we constantly make judgments about other people’s beliefs, desires, goals, knowledge, and intentions from evidence like eye gaze and inferences from their words and actions. These judgments together can be called mindreading, or theory of mind (where “theory” refers to the theory someone might hold about another’s mental state, not a scientific theory). This information is known to guide some aspects of language use — for example, you wouldn’t ask someone to hand you “that book” if they don’t know it exists. But sometimes you might ignore what someone else does or does not know – for instance asking someone for “the red book” when that person is sitting in front of two red books. This course examines how children, adults, and individuals with autism infer other people’s mental states, and how they use it to guide decisions during speaking and understanding. This seminar will follow a discussion format.

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PSYC 61.001 Drug Addiction: Fact and Fiction
PL, CI
MWF, 10:10 AM – 11:00 AM
Kathryn (Kate) Reissner

Illicit and legal drugs make the user feel good but also promote the development of dependence and long-lasting changes in brain physiology. In this biological psychology seminar, we will take a multi-disciplinary approach to learn about the neurobiology of drug addiction with a focus on the following questions: How do we define addiction? Are media depictions of drug addiction accurate? What are the beneficial and harmful psychological effects of abused drugs? What has scientific research revealed about the neurobiology of the “brain on drugs”? Do most users become addicts? We will tackle these questions through classroom discussions/debates, lectures, movies, and writing assignments. In this communication intensive seminar, critical analysis of information about the neurobiology of addiction will be used to separate fact from fiction.

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PSYC 66.001 Eating Disorders and Body Image
SS
TTH, 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM
Anna Bardone-Cone

We all have bodies, we all eat; some people have a healthy relationship with both and do not give much thought to either. For some, however, intense body dissatisfaction and disordered eating infiltrate their lives and can lead to an eating disorder. In this seminar we will learn about the eating disorders of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, and explore factors related to these disorders from a psychosocial perspective. Some of the questions we will examine include: What messages do we get from the media about our bodies and eating, and who is most susceptible to these? What role can family and peers play in contributing to risk for eating disorders and in helping an individual out of an eating disorder? What do we know about how women of different racial/ethnic backgrounds and men experience body image and disordered eating? Can we prevent eating disorders? What treatments work? We will explore these issues though class discussion, readings, videos, guest speakers, experiential assignments, and writing assignments. Both male and female students are encouraged to enroll.

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RELIGIOUS STUDIES

RELI 64.001 Reintroducing Islam
PH, BN, GL
TTH, 12:30 PM – 1:45 PM
Carl Ernst

This seminar is an introduction to the Islamic faith tradition, focusing on religious thought and practice in both their historical and contemporary dimensions. We will approach the study of Islam thematically and with several core questions in mind: what is the role of scripture and interpretation in Islam, how is religious authority constituted, and how has Islam been studied? The course aims to engage with popular and media representations of Islam and Muslims, and to think critically about their dynamics, politics, and utility, thus students will be “re-introduced” to the Islamic tradition in its varying and changing contexts. Major themes include religious practice, ethics and Islamic law, beliefs, artistic expressions, intellectual production, and politics.

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RELI 77.001 Martyrs and Warriors: Religion and the Problem of Violence
PH, GL
TTH, 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM
Brandon Bayne

Information forthcoming

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ROMANCE LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES

ROML 56.001 Italians in Search of Harmony
LA
TTH, 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM
Ennio Rao

This seminar explores the concept of harmony in selected Italian writers, from Dante to contemporary writers. In the 14th century, Dante dreamed of a universal empire that would assure peace on earth, thus allowing mankind to pursue knowledge and wisdom and to achieve the ultimate harmony in the next world: the natural reunion of creature and creator. Dante himself directs his readers to interpret the journey of the pilgrim in the Divine Comedy as Everyman’s quest for transcendental harmony with God. This quest for harmony is characteristic of many Italian writers, from Petrarch to Leopardi, to many contemporary poets, novelists, and film directors. Students will be reading and discussing works by Dante, Petrarch, Leopardi, Pirandello, Vittorini and Moravia, and will view films by Antonioni and Bertolucci. They will also be divided into groups and invited to produce an original work (theatrical, cinematic, literary, artistic, etc.) that illustrates the concept of harmony.

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ROML 58.001 Mexican Women across Borders and Genres
LA
TTH, 12:30 PM – 1:45 PM
Oswaldo Estrada

This seminar explores various narratives by which Mexican women expect and are expected to live. Participants read letters, stories, and short novels by Mexican women of the twentieth century whose writing transgresses several genres and challenges traditional notions of gender and marginality. Taking into account the negative impact that religion, colonialism, nationalism and modernization have had on the representation of Mexican women, the course addresses, among other themes and topics, the role of memory and discourse; the inevitable formation of otherness; identity construction; gender ambiguities; moral subversions and inversions; textual experimentation and performance; and the long-lasting effects of gender violence and its portrayal as a psychological trauma. We will read in English or in English translation works by Elena Poniatowska, Sandra Cisneros, Cristina Rivera Garza, Ana Clavel, Margo Glantz, and Ángeles Mastretta, among others.

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SOCIOLOGY

SOCI 70.001 Difficult Dialogues (cancelled, 11/21/2014)

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SOCI 71.001 The Pursuit of Happiness
SS
TTH, 3:30 PM – 4:45 PM
Arne Kalleberg

Despite being elusive for many people, happiness remains a fundamental goal in most societies. In recent years, social scientists have become increasingly interested in the subject of happiness and its causes and consequences. This course will examine the interplay between individual and social happiness by exploring the nature and meaning of happiness in the contemporary United States as well as in other countries. We will seek to answer questions such as: What is happiness? Can we measure happiness, and if so, how? Does money buy happiness? Does happiness vary among diverse groups (racial, ethnic, religious, gender, age, social class)? How does happiness differ among cultures and nations? What is (and should be) the role of happiness in formulating public policies? We will address these and other questions by: reading books and articles; class discussions and debates; viewing films; and collecting information using the internet and other sources.

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STATISTICS AND OPERATIONS RESEARCH

STOR 64.001 A Random Walk down Wall Street
QI
TTH, 2:00 PM – 3:15 PM
Chuanshu Ji

The ups and downs of many stocks, bonds, and mutual funds in the past few years have made a significant impact on our society. Accordingly, a good understanding of financial markets becomes a necessary part of our education. This seminar is intended to provide students with a multimedia platform on which they can learn some basic concepts in finance and economics, useful tools for collecting and summarizing financial data, and simple probability models for quantification of the market uncertainty. Students will actively participate in the seminar’s organization. A number of small projects will be assigned to students, supervised by the instructor. The projects include data analysis using Excel, experimentation of simple investment strategies and portfolios through “virtual trading,” discussions on the performance of those portfolios and related probability calculation. Students will present what they conduct in the assigned projects. Grades will be based on students’ performance in their homework, projects, and presentations.

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STOR 89.002 Risk and Uncertainty in the Real World
MWF, 9:05 AM – 9:55 AM
QI
Sreekalyani Bhamidi

In the early 1900’s the great writer H.G.Wells said “Statistical thinking will one day be as necessary for efficient citizenship as the ability to read and write.” We see this every day as society becomes more and more complex and we are faced with a barrage of data and the pressure of making “optimal” decision about our life and our future in the light of this uncertainty. Yet we are ill-equipped both from an evolutionary perspective to make such decisions. The aim of this class is to study the role of uncertainty in our daily lives, to explore the cognitive biases that impair us and to understand how one uses quantitative models to make decision under uncertainty in a variety of fields and the connections of such questions to an array of scientific disciplines including psychology, financial modeling, evolution, sociology, law, economics, medicine and rare events and coincidences.

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SCIENCE SEMINARS: SPECIAL ONE-TIME OPPORTUNITIES

MATH 190.001 Introductory Mathematics for Complex Networks
QI
TuTh, 2:00 – 3:15pm
Dane Taylor

Who is your most influential social acquaintance? Which airports are most crucial to air travel? Which genes are most likely to be successful drug targets? And finally, what do these questions have in common? They all aim at finding important “nodes” in a network of interactions. Networks are remarkably frequent in nature, making their study an interdisciplinary pursuit. Interestingly, generic network properties, even those as simple as the number of connections a node has, can yield surprisingly powerful insights into the system of interest. We will survey research fields relying on network theory and explore introductory mathematics. Besides participating in discussions based on popular networks literature, students will be required to develop a research proposal on a networks topic of their choice.

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PSYC 190.001 “The Science of Emotion”
SS
MWF, 2:30pm – 3:20pm
Jennifer MacCormack

This course is a science seminar designed for students interested in exploring affective science or the science of human emotion, with special emphasis on research methods and scientific philosophy. Emotions are complex, emergent phenomena that involve our bodies, minds, and environments. Because emotion is entangled with both “mental” and “physical” processes, it impacts virtually every sphere of our lives. This course examines emotions as they relate to social behavior, health, self-regulation, development, physiology, neuroscience, culture, and embodiment. More broadly, this class will scaffold students’ ability to read empirical literature and understand the many research methods used in affective science.

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