Peace Studies Program:
Electives Requirement
Brief Explanation
As explained in the full proposal, the Peace Studies program will require a minimum of two
electives involving a minimum of 6 credit hours. Electives would require approval of the
Director of Peace Studies. While Peace 201 will provide students a general background on a
broad array of areas for study and methods of inquiry, the electives will be geared towards
allowing the students to focus on particular areas of emphasis that best meet their interests.
These particular areas of emphasis will then be brought back into the Peace Studies framework
in the capstone course (Peace 410). Peace Studies Electives are selected from existing courses in
the University catalog and reflect both different departments and colleges. They are grouped into
four Focus areas, including:
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Focus Area I: Peacebuilding. Addresses systems and infrastructure needed to create
more peaceful societies.
Focus Area II: Peacemaking. Addresses leadership skills, skills for resolving and
transforming conflict.
Focus Area III: Promoting Understanding, Cooperation, and Development. Addresses
cross cultural issues, international organizations, economic and social development.
Focus Area IV: Addressing Global and Regional Pressures. Addresses problems of
population, scarcity, trade, sustainability, ecosystems, climate, and immigration.
Below we provide a list of current courses at UK that would be applicable to the Peace Studies
Certificate. We recognize that not all courses listed are offered frequently, and some might not
have been offered for quite some time. We also recognize that many future course offerings will
likely be beneficial to Peace Studies students. Some courses among the Peace Studies electives
might also require prerequisites in their respective departments. Their listing as electives in
Peace Studies does not presume such prerequisites are not applicable, but recognizes the
relevance of these courses to the broad range of Peace Studies. In sum, the list below was
generated to simply give the reader a reasonable idea of how Peace Studies could be integrated
with current UK courses.
FOCUS AREA I - PEACEBUILDING
I.A. Leadership and Organization
CLD 302 LEADERSHIP STUDIES. (3)
From an overview of theories of leadership, leadership styles, and leader-follower relationships,
the course moves to a consideration of other factors influencing contemporary leadership and
management (e.g., conflict resolution, ethical decision-making, group processes). Readings, case
study analyses, interviews with community and business leaders, and self-diagnostic inventories
help students develop both conceptual and reality-based understandings of contemporary
leadership.
CLD 340 COMMUNITY INTERACTION. (3)
Examines community effects on group and individual behavior from the perspective of
sociological social psychology. By focusing on individuals, individuals in groups, and groups,
special emphasis is given to how community context shapes the attitudes, beliefs, and actions of
individuals as well as their interactions with others.
CLD 420 SOCIOLOGY OF COMMUNITIES. (3)
A sociological study of issues relevant to communities. Topics may include: conceptual
approaches to community; organizational and institutional linkages within and beyond the
community; social inequality and social processes within communities such as social networks,
social capital, power and decision-making, and social change.
CLD 440 COMMUNITY PROCESSES AND COMMUNICATION. (3)
This course examines the relationship between community organization and change and the
media. Special emphasis is given to the place of media organizations in community structure, the
effects of media on community processes, and how community members use the media.
ANT 532 ANTHROPOLOGY OF THE STATE. (3)
This course offers an anthropological examination of the state in historical, cross-cultural
perspective. We will cover such topics as modern state and imperial practices and institutions,
state and non-state actors, resistance, citizenship and globalization.
I.B. Human Rights and Economic Justice
ECO 450G THE ECONOMICS OF POVERTY AND WELFARE PROGRAMS. (3)
Examines the economic conditions of the poor in the U.S., theories of poverty, and major
redistribution programs in the U.S. The course will study the economic impacts of such programs
as Social Security, Medicare, Aid to Families with Dependent Children, Food Stamps, Medicaid,
and child care subsidies.
ECO 477 LABOR ECONOMICS. (3)
Application of economic principles to analyze the operation of labor markets. Topics covered
include: theories of labor movements, comparative analysis of unionism in different economies,
labor supply, labor demand, human capital, collective bargaining, public policy and the operation
of labor markets. In addition, selected topics such as female and minority employment, social
security, and industrial conflict will be covered.
SW 523 SOCIAL PERSPECTIVES ON RACISM AND ETHNIC PREJUDICES IN
AMERICA. (2-3)
The course is designed to provide the knowledge needed in understanding the dynamics of
institutional racism from a broader perspective of five specific ethnic minorities in rural and
urban America. Particular emphasis is placed upon planned community change and strategies
pertinent to minority group communities. Students who wish to make a special, in-depth study of
one of the specified content areas may take this course for one additional credit.
SW 606 SEMINAR IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROCESSES. (2)
Criminal justice processes are studied and evaluated emphasizing system aims, theories of
criminality and societal reaction, the consequences and costs to offenders and to society of
current policies to control and prevent crime. Traditional and innovative community and
institutional programs for adult and juvenile offenders will be examined.
HIS 582 IMMIGRATION AND AMERICAN HISTORY, 1815 TO THE PRESENT. (3)
A study of the role of the immigrant in American history, emphasizing the impact of large scale
immigration upon the receiving society and changes effected by the migration upon the new
arrivals themselves, in the century after 1815, and the consequences of restriction in the decades
since World War I.
HIS 587 THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT IN THE U.S. SINCE 1930. (3)
This course will focus on the struggle for African American equality in the U.S. during the mid
twentieth century. It will examine key civil rights issues, events, strategies, leaders and
organizations on both the local and national levels. Using historical documents and documentary
film presentations this course will discuss the status of race relations in America over the past
fifty years.
PS 461G CIVIL LIBERTIES. (3)
A study of the philosophy and development of civil liberties in the U.S. Major concentration on
the interpretation of constitutional guarantees by the Supreme Court.
PS 463G JUDICIAL POLITICS. (3)
A survey of how politics influences, and in turn is influenced by, the behavior of judicial
institutions and the judges who staff them. Draws heavily on the social science literature
studying judicial behavior, the structure of the court system, and the implementation of legal
rulings.
PS 471 RACE, ETHNICITY AND POLITICS. (3)
An examination of the role that race and ethnicity play in the political arena. Students will
explore the nature of race, racism, and ethnocentrism, as well as their impact on political
institutions and public policy. Particular attention will be given to elections, public opinion, mass
media and social movements in the United States.
SOC 235 INEQUALITIES IN SOCIETY. (3)
Analysis of the social origins, development, and persistence of inequality in various societies.
SOC 339 INTRODUCTION TO CRIME, LAW AND DEVIANCE. (3)
A sociological study of the extent and nature of crime, delinquency, and more general deviant
behavior. Topics may include the relationship between crime, deviance and law; measurement of
crime and deviance; sociological theories of crime and deviance; and crime/ deviance typologies.
SOC 343 POLITICAL SOCIOLOGY. (3)
A sociological study of the causes and consequences of the distribution of power in society.
Topics may include the means by which social movements challenge power; the political
institutions in which power is exercised; and the relationship of the political arena to other social
institutions and policies.
SOC 435 TOPICS IN SOCIAL INEQUALITIES (Subtitle required). (3)
A sociological study of topics relevant to social inequalities and stratification. May be repeated
under different subtitles to a maximum of six credits.
SW 222 DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE. (3)
Study of the cultural traditions, value orientations, and political and economic forces which have
contributed to the emergence of present social welfare policies and systems in the United States.
SW 430 SOCIAL WELFARE POLICY: THEORY AND IMPLEMENTATION. (3)
The study and demonstration of different analytic models utilized in analysis of social welfare
policy. The course also introduces content in the areas of organizational theory, management
tools necessary to the understanding of implementation and evaluation of social welfare policy.
I.C. Gender, Peace, and Society
GEO 240 GEOGRAPHY AND GENDER. (3)
Adopts a geographic approach to the study of gender relations. The role of space and place in
shaping the diversity of gender relations throughout the world will be considered. Through case
studies the importance of gender relations in understanding a variety of issues will be stressed.
Such issues include: the design and use of urban and rural environments; “Third World”
development; regional economic restructuring; changing political geographies; and migration.
AIS 338 WOMEN AND ISLAM. (3)
A survey of women’s issues related to Islam and contemporary Muslim culture including the
perception of women in Islam, the role and rights of women in Islam, female circumcision, honor
killing women’s dress. The course will discuss the viewpoints of the Muslim traditionalists,
modernists, western feminists and the emerging Islamic feminists.
ANT 401 GENDER ROLES IN CROSS-CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE. (3)
Explores the theoretical and substantive basis for contemporary thinking about gender from an
anthropological perspective. Gender content is explored in several cultures representing all levels
of sociocultural complexity.
GWS 340 HISTORY OF FEMINIST THOUGHT TO 1975. (3)
This course is designed to provide students with an historical overview of the cultural diversity,
creative and theoretical expression, and defining moments in the development of feminist
thought up to 1975. Texts will include works, such as that of Hypatia, Christine De Pizan, Sor
Juana Ines de la Cruz, and Mary Astell, that pre-date the term “feminist” but that are pioneering
statements in the struggle for gender equality. “Thought” will include political manifestos,
poetry, and short stories, as well as classic works of feminist theory and cultural criticism.
GWS 350 INTRODUCTION TO FEMINIST THEORIZING. (3)
An interdisciplinary course that acquaints undergraduate students with the central issues and
texts in contemporary feminist theories. It will examine what feminist and womanist theories are
and the ways in which they analyze and explain the workings of our social world. The course
will clarify basic concepts in feminist thought such as gender, difference, patriarchy, and post-
colonialism and will provide students with tools to analyze these theories and explore
contemporary applications.
HIS 405 U.S. WOMEN’S HISTORY SINCE 1900. (3)
U.S. women’s lives and experiences across cultures and regions from 1900 to the present.
Addresses current debates and scholarship in the field.
SOC 335 SOCIOLOGY OF GENDER. (3)
A sociological study of gender as a socially and culturally constructed phenomenon. Topics shall
include the intersection of gender and race/ethnicity and class; sexualities; gender and social
movements; sociological theories concerning gender; feminist theory; and research on the
relevance of gender to various subfields of sociology.
I.D. International Politics and Organizations
PS 212 CULTURE AND POLITICS IN THE THIRD WORLD. (3)
This course analyzes the politics of selected states in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Various
bases of political cleavage and cooperation will be examined: ethnicity, language, social class
and ideology. Cultural differences between Africa, Asia and Latin America will be identified and
their political implications explored, as well as differences within geo-cultural areas.
PS 235 WORLD POLITICS. (3)
A study of the most significant problems of world politics, including the fundamental factors
governing international relations, the techniques and instruments of power politics, and the
conflicting interests in organizing world peace.
PS 417G SURVEY OF SUB-SAHARAN POLITICS. (3)
A survey of sub-Saharan government and politics intended to give the student broad knowledge
about the setting of African politics, precolonial African political systems, the political legacies
of major European colonial powers, and problems of political development.
PS 419G THE GOVERNMENTS AND POLITICS OF EASTERN ASIA. (3)
A comparative analysis of the modern political experiences of China and Japan, exploring their
responses to the West, the development of differing political elites in each country, and
contemporary problems of the Chinese Communist and Japanese politics.
PS 420G GOVERNMENTS AND POLITICS OF SOUTH ASIA. (3)
A comparative analysis of contemporary political development in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh
and Sri Lanka, with emphasis on political cultures, participation, institutions and the capabilities
of these political systems.
PS 427G EAST EUROPEAN POLITICS. (3)
This course is meant to provide an opportunity for advanced undergraduates and graduate
students to (1) understand the historical, socioeconomic and philosophical context of the
communist party states in Eastern Europe, (2) to learn who governs in Eastern Europe
and the structures through which they rule, (3) to assess the “dynamics” of communist politics,
i.e., factors contributing to political change vis-a-vis political continuity.
PS 428G LATIN AMERICAN GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS. (3)
A study of contemporary Latin American political institutions and of the dynamics of the Latin
American political process.
PS 429G GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS IN RUSSIA AND THE POST-SOVIET STATES.
(3)
Analysis of political development in the Soviet Union with emphasis on party-government
relations, Communist ideology, and major approaches to the study of Soviet politics.
PS 433G POLITICS OF INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC RELATIONS. (3)
The course examines contending theoretical approaches to global political economy. These
approaches are used to analyze various issues of global political economy, such as the
international monetary system, multinational corporations, foreign aid, and trade.
PS 436G INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION. (3)
A study of the evolution of international organizations in the 20th Century. Examination of the
increasing size, complexity, and diversity of contemporary global and regional international
organizations. The role of international organizations in future world order.
PS 437G DYNAMICS OF INTERNATIONAL LAW. (3)
An examination of the politics of the development of international law and its operation in a
multicultural world. Legal principles and international political processes are discussed through
illustrative issue areas: management of conflict; distribution of territorial resources;
environmental problems; and human rights.
SW 320 GLOBAL POVERTY: RESPONSES ACROSS CULTURES. (3)
An examination of poverty in various non-Western cultures. The course will cover the nature,
scope, and distribution of poverty, definitions of poverty, common characteristics of the poor, as
well as cultural traditions and folkways which contribute to the problem. Social welfare
responses and humanitarian efforts which address the problem are examined.
FOCUS AREA II. – PEACEMAKING
II.A. Conflict Resolution, Security, Violence, Non-violence
HIS 121 WAR AND SOCIETY, 1914-1945. (3)
“Total war” in the 20th century exerted a profound impact on social relations in a great many
ways. This course provides you with the opportunity to think long and hard about the social
impact of “total” warfare, from a transnational perspective. We will explore a number of social
and cultural themes as they relate to the two World Wars, such as: the impact of total war on
gender relations; military technology and ethics; the demonization of the enemy; war-time
propaganda; the roots of the welfare state within the warfare state; and the postwar efforts to
come to terms with the atrocities of total war.
HIS 320 ADVANCED STUDIES IN AMERICAN MILITARY HISTORY. (3)
This course will furnish upper level UK ROTC Cadets, and qualified History majors or minors
with the methodological tools and materials needed to gain a more detailed understanding of
American Military History and to put together a major research paper. AMS/ HIS 320 will
emphasize basic research skills: understanding historiographical debates within a military
framework, developing effective note taking, outlining techniques, picking a feasible research
topic, finding useful primary sources and drawing inferences from them, examining American
military campaigns and leaders in order to complete a battle analysis, and short research
assignments.
HIS 464 CIVIL WAR AND RECONSTRUCTION, 1860 TO 1877. (3)
A study of events immediately preceding the outbreak of conflict, of the military campaigns, and
of the social, economic, and political developments during the periods of war and reconstruction
HIS 323 THE HOLOCAUST. (3)
This course will attempt to help students understand the events that resulted in the virtual
destruction of Europe’s Jews during the Second World War. Topics will include the history of
anti-semitism, the ways in which Nazi policy against the Jews was implemented, Jewish
resistance, response of non-Jews and other governments to the Holocaust.
SW 511 GENOCIDE: INTERVENTION WITH SURVIVORS AND GLOBAL PREVENTION.
(3)
This course will examine the psychological, cultural, and societal roots of human cruelty, mass
violence, and genocide. It explores what enables individuals collectively, and individually to
perpetrate mass cruelty/genocide or to stand by and watch such horrors. The course will cover
key concepts, perpetrator psychology, biopsychosocial effects on and intervention with
survivors.
PS 431G NATIONAL SECURITY POLICY. (3)
The organization and formulation of military policy; the theory and practice of deterrence; and
the problems of disarmament and arms control.
II.B. Conflict Resolution and Diplomacy
HIS 551 FOREIGN POLICIES OF MIDDLE-EAST STATES. (3)
This course focuses on the foreign policies of Turkey, Iran, Israel, and the major Arab countries:
Egypt, Iraq, Syria and Saudi Arabia. It will also examine the foreign policies of the smaller Arab
countries such as Lebanon, Yemen and the UAE. The emphasis is on the major trends of the
foreign policies of these countries since WWII.
HIS 575 THE DIPLOMACY AND FOREIGN POLICY OF THE UNITED STATES SINCE
1919. (3)
A continuation of HIS 574. Foreign policy after the United States became a world power.
PS 430G THE CONDUCT OF AMERICAN FOREIGN RELATIONS. (3)
The formulation of American foreign policy from several analytic perspectives, with somewhat
more emphasis on inputs and process than on substantive outputs.
PS 538 CONFLICT AND COOPERATION IN LATIN AMERICAN RELATIONS. (3)
An examination of (1) national development strategies as determinants of Latin American
foreign policies, (2) the origins and political consequences of economic nationalism, (3)
historical patterns of U.S. response to reformist and/or revolutionary change, (4) the role of
extra-continental contenders for influence in the Americas, and (5) at least one contemporary
foreign policy issue in inter-American relations.
PS 731 INTERNATIONAL SECURITY/CONFLICT ANALYSIS. (3)
The seminar examines international security affairs, with an emphasis on the sources and nature
of conflict, and methods of conflict, the patterns of conflict, and methods of conflict resolution
and regulation, both within states and among them.
FOCUS AREA III. PROMOTING UNDERSTANDING AND DEVELOPMENT
CROSS CULTURAL AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
III.A. Development
GEO 260 THIRD WORLD DEVELOPMENT. (3)
The course focuses on characteristics of developing countries as well as solution strategies to
development problems and conditions. Cultural distinctions, traditions, and institutions are
recognized as keys to development condition and progress. Selected theories show how cultural
variations in language and religion may be used to explain development. Numerous case studies
are discussed, including Indonesia, China, India, Brazil, Kenya, and Zimbabwe.
CLD 380 GLOBALIZATION: A CROSS-CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE. (3)
A sociological study of how globalization processes affect development in various countries and
world regions. Topics shall include development theory; comparative development processes and
outcomes; and development policy options.
ANT 311 GLOBAL DREAMS AND LOCAL REALITIES IN A “FLAT” WORLD. (3)
This course explores the ways in which differences in factors such as nationality, ethnicity, age,
gender, class and occupation shape experiences of globalization. We will analyze and interpret
rapidly changing patterns of global production, consumption, politics, resistance, adaptation, and
identity construction around the world.
ANT 340 DEVELOPMENT AND CHANGE IN THE THIRD WORLD. (3)
This course introduces the student to how anthropologists approach the study and practice of
economic development. It explores crossculturally how local populations have responded to
development; the different topics of development anthropology, such as agriculture and rural
development; and the ways anthropological knowledge is applied in addressing development
problems.
ANT 338 ECONOMIC ANTHROPOLOGY. (3)
A comparative ethnographic, theoretical, and historical exploration of the socio-cultural
constitution of economic practices. Students will examine different approaches to questions of
human nature, choice, values and morality. The course explores power and social life in diverse
cultures through a topical focus on peasants, markets, gifts, commodities, consumption and
systems of production. The course provides a foundation for applying anthropological
knowledge to real-world situations and the material is readily applied to archaeology,
international business and social science.
ANT 340 DEVELOPMENT AND CHANGE IN THE THIRD WORLD. (3)
This course introduces the student to how anthropologists approach the study and practice of
economic development. It explores crossculturally how local populations have responded to
development; the different topics of development anthropology, such as agriculture and rural
development; and the ways anthropological knowledge is applied in addressing development
problems.
ECO 473G ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. (3)
A comparative study of economic progress in selected countries; growth patterns, theories of
development and capital formation, interaction of social and economic change.
GEO 455 ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY. (3)
An examination of the geography of the capitalist global economy as it has developed unevenly.
Emphasis will be placed on contemporary issues (such as industrial restructuring), and specific
regions (such as Kentucky). Competing theories (classical, neoclassical, and marxian) aimed at
explaining these patterns and processes are discussed and applied.
A sociological study of how globalization processes affect development in various countries and
world regions. Topics shall include development theory; comparative development processes and
outcomes; and development policy options.
III.B. Cross-cultural understanding
ANT 220 INTRODUCTION TO CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY. (3)
The study of the lifeways and beliefs of different peoples. The objectives of the course are to
foster an appreciation for the variety of cultural traditions found throughout the world, and to
introduce students to anthropological concepts and methods of inquiry.
PSY 314 SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY AND CULTURAL PROCESSES. (3)
A selective survey of classic and contemporary theories and research in social psychology from a
multicultural perspective. Topics will include social perception, the self, attitudes, aggression,
prejudice, and group processes.
ANT 324 CONTEMPORARY LATIN AMERICAN CULTURES. (3)
This course is a detailed survey of societies and cultures of contemporary Latin America,
utilizing contributions from anthropological research.
ANT 327 CULTURE AND SOCIETIES OF INDIA. (3)
Considers the content and interrelationships between India’s religious and philosophical tradition
and the structure and organization of rural village life in historic, demographic and geographic
context.
ANT 431G CULTURES AND SOCIETIES OF SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA. (3)
A survey of indigenous societies and cultures of Africa south of the Sahara, with special
attention to their adaptation of colonialism and post-colonial national development.
AIS 328 ISLAMIC CIVILIZATION I. (3)
The rise of Islam and its classical development.
AIS 330 ISLAMIC CIVILIZATION II. (3)
The Islamic world’s response to westernization and the resultant reassertion of its cultural role in
the modern world.
AIS 340 FUNDAMENTALISM AND REFORM IN ISLAM. (3)
This course focuses on the revival of Islam in the 20th century and the various responses of
Islam to modernism and western political and intellectual domination. Particular attention will be
given to the rise of militant Islam and the terrorist attacks of 9/11. The original writings of major
thinkers will be read and discussed.
CHI 331 INTRODUCTION TO CHINESE CULTURE, 1840 TO PRESENT. (3)
This course introduces students to modern Chinese history, society, and culture from 1840 to the
present, with a special focus on developments in the twentieth century. We will investigate three
sets of major problems: (1) China is often seen as an ethnically and culturally homogenous
society, but what is China and (Han) Chinese? (2) How did China transition from a multi-ethnic
empire to a modern nation state? (3) What does modernity mean in the Chinese context? Aside
from these specific objectives, this course will also teach students to analyze written and visual
texts found in various genres. No prior knowledge of Chinese history, culture, or language
required.
CHI 430 POPULAR CULTURE IN MODERN CHINA. (3)
This course provides a critical examination of modern Chinese popular culture and its global
cultural significance in the contemporary world. From film to literature, from music to theatre,
this course will probe modern Chinese popular culture as it has manifested itself, and trace its
sociopolitical, aesthetic, and affective impact on the contemporary world.
FR 350 CULTURAL PROFILES OF FRANCE (Subtitle required). (3)
This course explores significant figures, movements, trends, and issues in the cultural history of
France in relation to the major political, economic, educational, and cultural institutions of
France such as the monarchy, the Republics, the Church, the university, religious and secular
schooling, architecture, music, and the plastic arts.
GER 263 THE GERMAN CULTURAL TRADITION I. (3)
An introduction to the social, intellectual and aesthetic traditions of German-speaking cultures
from the Germanic past to the Enlightenment. Texts in English translation. Films with English
subtitles to be viewed outside of regular class time.
GER 264 THE GERMAN CULTURAL TRADITION II. (3)
An introduction to the social, intellectual and aesthetic tradition of German-speaking cultures
from the Enlightenment to the present. Texts in English translation. Films with English subtitles
to be viewed outside of regular class time.
GER 317 HISTORY OF GERMAN CULTURE. (3)
An introduction to German culture with emphasis on the epochs important to the development of
modern German-speaking countries. Readings in German from philosophy, the sciences, the arts,
history, politics and literature. Visual materials documenting high culture and everyday life.
Taught in German.
GER 319 CONTEMPORARY GERMAN LITERATURE AND CULTURE. (3)
Selected works of contemporary German literature by Austrian, German, and Swiss authors are
read relative to the economic, social, political, artistic and ideological developments in the three
countries of the German-speaking world. Taught in German.
JPN 321 INTRODUCTION TO JAPANESE CULTURE, MEIJI (1868) TO PRESENT. (3)
General introduction to Japanese culture from Meiji Restoration (1868) to the present, focusing
mainly on the literary arts, but also including film, architecture and the fine arts.
JPN 334 ENVIRONMENT, SOCIETY AND ECONOMY OF JAPAN. (3)
This course examines some of the major aspects of the society, culture, and economy of Japan. It
discusses Japan’s human and natural environments; natural hazards and disasters; cultural history
and geography; economic and technological developments, their prospects and potentials;
challenges to the management of environment and its resources; and Japan’s role in global
economy.
JPN 430G SELF AND OTHER: THE POLITICS OF CULTURE IN JAPAN-U.S.
RELATIONSHIP. (3)
This course explores changing images and ideas that America (the West) and Japan (the East)
have had of one another during the modern century (roughly 1850s - 1980s) and in the more
recent period of post-modernity (1990s - present) of their interactions. It examines the cultural
politics of representations – images, ideas, and discourses – between Self and Other by viewing
mutual constructions of “America” and “Japan” as its paradigmatic example.
JPN 451G SOCIAL MOVEMENTS IN MODERN JAPAN. (3)
This course will explore selected movements within Japan that have arisen in the last one
hundred and fifty years. This course will ask questions about the specific nature of these
movements, the context of these movements within Japan, and within the context of other
movements around the world, whether contemporary in time or theme.
RUS 271 RUSSIAN CULTURE 1900-PRESENT. (3)
An introduction to and survey of Russian culture since 1900 that acquaints students with the
development of Russian and Soviet culture as manifested in the arts, architecture, music,
folklore, religion, and everyday life. Taught in English.
RUS 400G RUSSIAN CULTURAL STUDIES (Subtitle required). (3)
An in-depth exploration of a particular literary, cultural, cinematic topic in Russian cultural
history. There will be a session for Russian speakers who will be expected to conduct part of
their research using Russian materials.
SPA 300 CONTACT ZONES: CULTIVATING INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE. (3)
This course aims to help students acquire skills and knowledge needed to promote understanding
of individuals/groups from diverse backgrounds, without reinforcing stereotypes in the name of
“cultural difference.” Toward this end, this course will (1) utilize, as a guide/lead, the concept of
“contact zones,” zones of exchange that divide but simultaneously connect “us” and “them”; and
(2) have each student conduct a semester-long ethnographic project concerning the contact zone.
SPA 312 CIVILIZATION OF SPAIN. (3)
This course is designed to acquaint students with Spain’s intellectual, cultural and historical
development.
SPA 314 CIVILIZATION OF SPANISH AMERICA. (3)
This course is designed to acquaint students with Spanish America’s intellectual, cultural and
historical development.
SPA 438G LITERATURE OF SOCIAL PROTEST IN SPANISH AMERICA. (3)
Analysis and study of the use of sociopolitical elements in selected works by Spanish-American
poets, novelists and dramatists.
HIS 535 RUSSIA IN THE 20TH CENTURY. (3)
This course examines the social, political and cultural history of 20th century Russia in depth,
focusing on the social conditions that caused the Revolution, the formation of the Soviet Union
and its decline.
HIS 537 INTELLECTUAL AND CULTURAL HISTORY OF RUSSIA FROM 1800 TO THE
PRESENT. (3)
A study of Russian culture from 1800 to the present emphasizing the conservative as well as the
revolutionary tradition, the Russian avant-garde, Stalinist culture, and the Dissident Movement.
HIS 549 HISTORY OF THE MIDDLE EAST: 1952 TO THE PRESENT. (3)
A continuation of HIS 548. Emphasis is on the politics of Middle Eastern nationalism, PanArabism and its demise, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the politics of oil and nuclear weapons, the
Islamic revolution in Iran, and the development of the Islamic movement since 1967.
FOCUS AREA IV – ADDRESSING GLOBAL AND REGIONAL PRESSURES
ENVIRONMENT, POPULATION, RESOURCES, SUSTAINABILTY
IV.A. Food and Water
AEC 532 AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD POLICY. (3)
This course surveys a variety of current public policies that influence the agricultural and rural
economies. Students are exposed to the conflicting views of those concerned with food and
agricultural policy issues in an international economy. Economic principles are used to evaluate
alternatives in terms of the general welfare of society.
FOR 460G FOREST WATERSHED MANAGEMENT. (3)
Principles and techniques involved in forest watershed management as related to the water
resource. The influence of forestry practices on water movement into and through the watershed;
water storage; water loss, vegetation and water yields; water quality.
ANT 245 FOOD CULTURE AND SOCIETY. (3)
This course is designed for students in anthropology, food and nutrition, agriculture and
environmental studies. It explores food in terms of human food systems. Human food systems
include the knowledge, values, and practices used to produce, distribute, process, exchange and
consume food. These are embedded in culture and operate within societies. Thus, why we eat,
what we eat, when, where and with whom we eat, how and where we obtain our food, how we
prepare it, and distribute it in specific ways may vary as a function of the culture in which we
live, our place of residence and our location within society. We will explore these issues through
the lectures, readings, videos and discussions to gain a better understanding of the complexity of
food-related behaviors among people around the world.
GLY 385 HYDROLOGY AND WATER RESOURCES. (3)
The occurrence, movement, and quality of fresh water in the water cycle, including
environmental problems and possible solutions. Case studies are explored through readings,
videos, and required field trips.
IV.B. Trade Resources and Economics
AEC 445G INTRODUCTION TO RESOURCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICS. (3)
Economic analysis of the problems of assuring resource availability and environmental quality.
Theoretical concepts and empirical tools for evaluating resource and environmental policy.
AEC 471 INTERNATIONAL TRADE. (3)
This is advanced economic course in international trade. The first part of the course covers the
basics of why countries trade, what explains the pattern of trade that we observe and what are the
effects of trade on welfare and the distribution of income. The second part of the course covers
issues concerning trade policy and looks at the positive and normative effects of trade policy and
trade agreements as well as investigating topics of current interest. While the focus of the course
is on theory, students will also be exposed to many applications of the theory as a means of both
explaining the economic intuition and encouraging students to analyze the world around them
from an economic perspective.
AEC 545 RESOURCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICS. (3)
This course builds on the principles of economics to analyze the problems in achieving an
efficient allocation of resources. It provides the theoretical concepts for evaluating environmental
policies and the tools necessary in the application of benefit/cost analysis.
PS 733 INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL ECONOMY. (3)
The course examines the contending theoretical perspectives and substantive functional issues
underlying the politics of international economic relations. Special attention is paid to
international trade and money, the politics of North-South relations, and comparative foreign
economic policies.
IV.C. Climate Change, Eco-systems, and Sustainability
GEO 331 GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE. (3)
This course focuses on environmental processes (in the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere
and biosphere) and the effects of historic and long-term environmental changes. Climatic change
and natural system adjustments will be discussed, but the course will concentrate on humaninduced environmental changes.
CLD 360 ENVIRONMENTAL SOCIOLOGY. (3)
A sociological study of the emergence of the environment as a social issue in contemporary
societies. Topics may include the social, cultural and economic factors associated with the
perception of environmental issues; risk perception; and the mobilization of publics around
environmental issues.
FOR 230 CONSERVATION BIOLOGY. (3)
The basic history and principles of conservation biology, including diversity, extinction,
evolution, and fragmentation. Students will learn the applications of conservation biology to such
topics as forest management and wetland management and study the ethical perspectives related
to conservation biology, including environmental ethics, deep ecology, and the land ethic.
FOR 240 FORESTRY AND NATURAL RESOURCE ETHICS. (2)
A study of the key ethical concepts of conservation, preservation, deep ecology, land ethic,
spiritualism/religion, and multiple value systems as applied to forestry and natural resource
issues. Students will gain an understanding of the ethical dilemmas faced by natural resource
professionals, and will be able to identify ways of handling these dilemmas, including
application of professional associations’ codes of ethics.
NRC 380 ANALYSIS OF NATURAL RESOURCE SYSTEMS. (3)
An intermediate course that teaches the analysis of complex natural resource systems through
case studies, with emphasis on the scientific basis of such systems, but including interactions
with social factors.
HES 400 CONCEPTS IN HUMAN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES: INTEGRATION AND
APPLICATION. (2)
Interdisciplinary approach to the solution of family and individual problems. Application of
concepts from the developmental, relational, managerial, nutritional, and environmental studies
within the college and support disciplines.
ANT 375 ECOLOGY AND SOCIAL PRACTICE. (3)
This course provides a broad survey of theoretical and historical issues in the link between
humans and their environment. Throughout the semester, students will read about and discuss the
many ways humans interact with their physical surroundings. Students will examine human
cultural adaptation to different ecological settings, with an overall concern of finding general
principles that apply to the many human lifestyles on the planet.
GLY 210 HABITABLE PLANET: EVOLUTION OF THE EARTH SYSTEM. (3)
Earth is a 4.55-billion-year-old planet undergoing continuous evolution. We will explore aspects
of Earth’s evolutionary changes that have affected both climate and life through time. The
chemical and physical interactions between the solid Earth, the atmosphere, the hydrosphere, and
the biosphere are investigated, providing the basis for understanding how Earth behaves as a
self-regulating system that controls the global environment. The effect of human activity on
modern Global Change will also be emphasized.
GEO 230 WEATHER AND CLIMATE. (3)
A survey of the atmospheric controls associated with local, regional, and global weather and
climate variability. Includes fundamental coverage of the physics and chemistry of energy,
gasses, pressure and moisture, with a goal of promoting understanding of general weather
analysis and forecasting, severe storms, atmospheric pollution, descriptive climatology, and
global climate change.
GEO 231 ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT. (3)
This course explores the intertwining of environment, development and sustainability. It
analyzes the political economy of environmental destruction (at macro and micro levels) to
understand its origins and strategies to prevent it.
IV.D. Population and Resources
ANT 225 CULTURE, ENVIRONMENT AND GLOBAL ISSUES. (3)
A fundamental part of human experience is interacting with our physical surroundings, but in the
globalized ecosystem of our planet, our interactions with the physical world increasingly include
distant places rather than just the surroundings we see from our door step. This course aims to
develop students’ awareness, knowledge and ability to reflect on how human behavior intersects
with global environments. To do so, it applies an anthropological interpretive framework to
topics that link human lifestyles, the environment and global issues.
ANT 435 CULTURES AND POLITICS OF REPRODUCTION. (3)
This course takes a cross-cultural approach to understanding the ways reproduction and
associated phenomena (such as family formations and the social use of technologies) comprise
arenas where social relations become created and challenged. Ethnographic case studies will
explore cross-cultural constructions of the body (sexuality, anatomy and physiology),
parenthood, and kinship relations; and students will examine the ways the state, social
movements, legal/medical experts, and lay persons struggle to appropriate reproductive
potentials for their own needs.
IV.E. Environment and Policy
AEC 424 PRINCIPLES OF ENVIRONMENTAL LAW. (3)
Provides a basic knowledge of the principles of United States environmental law. Addresses the
framework of the American Legal system as it applies to environmental regulation. Covers the
sources of environmental law and reviews major federal environmental statutes and judicial
decisions addressing specific issues.
AEC 479 PUBLIC ECONOMICS. (3)
An application of economic analysis to the study of the role of government. Emphasis is on the
reasons for and the effects of government intervention in the economy. Topics covered include:
market failure, public goods and externalities, welfare policy, voting and public choice, taxation,
public debt and cost-benefit analysis.
NRC 381 NATURAL RESOURCE POLICY ANALYSIS. (3)
An examination of historical policy development and the policy process. Overview of basic
theoretical and analytical tools necessary to evaluate the performance of natural resource
policies, including case studies of specific resource and environmental policies.
GEO 235 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT AND POLICY. (3)
An introduction to environmental systems such as weather and climate, vegetation, land forms
and soils, and how the quality of these systems is modified by human use. Resource issues
discussed include: atmospheric pollution and global warming; groundwater, flooding, and flood
plain management; volcanic activity and earthquakes; and biospheric processes associated with
deforestation and lake eutrophication. Case studies based upon important environmental
problems illustrate how human activity and environmental systems interrelate.
GEO 431 POLITICAL ECOLOGY. (3)
This course examines the relationship between political economics and the biophysical
environment and seeks to understand the challenges of development, agriculture, gendered
divisions of labor, and the representation of nature in the context of the globalization of
economic relations.
GEO 485G URBAN PLANNING AND SUSTAINABILITY. (3)
An analysis of urban and regional planning with emphasis on the contemporary urban and
regional planning activities.