Spring 2016 * Core Courses * Level I and II
GLS 388GH Global Studies: Definitions of Womanhood (Honors) Parrado-Ortiz, Makant,
McComb, Wright
Have you ever had a question about the changing role of women and the problem of misogyny in
the Christian tradition? Or about the ways patriarchal societies that are androcentric shape the
image of women? Have you ever considered the complexities of global feminism and the ways
feminism in the Western world affect women in developing countries? Do you know of any
contributions of Hispanic/Latina women in the USA? This course uses these questions and
others to explore definitions of womanhood through multiple scholarly perspectives.
HSB 188.01 Paradoxes of Sport in our Society
Smith
HSB 188G.02 Intercultural Communication in Contexts Dobson
This course will bring international and US American students together to explore intercultural
communication in a specific set of contexts, including the academic environment, day to day
social interactions; family structures; national political scenes; the business world, etc .
HSB 188H.03 Privilege: Rhetorical Power of Social Norms (Honors) Hamilton
Have you ever wondered why certain demographics are more or less likely to succeed? Have you
ever wanted to be more aware of the factors that create our identities? These questions and more
will be addressed as we engage the sociological concept of privilege. We will engage topics like
racism, sexism, able-ism, ethnocentrism, sexual orientation, the gender binary, and more! If you
would like to know more about being socially aware, then this is the class for you.
HSB 388.01 Social Cognition Frye
We live in a social world. Understanding of prejudices, stereotypes, biases, and ourselves is
essential for navigating that world. Social Cognition addresses those issues and other ways in
which we think about the world around us. We will examine research and theories relating to the
social attitudes we encounter in daily life.
HSB 388.02 American Culture of Violence Wright
An American Culture of Violence is a course being taught from a sociological perspective and
thus employs the methods of social scientific research and concepts and assumptions from
Sociology. It is well documented that Americans have more gun deaths per year than the next 22
industrialized countries combined. We are experiencing more and more violence in our schools
in the form of bullying and gun violence. Women who are murdered are likely to have been
murdered by their male significant others. If culture is all the ways of living that typify or
represent a society of people, then we have a violent culture. In this course we will ask “big”
questions such as “what is violence”? “Who gets to define violence”? “What functions does
violence serve in our society”? “How is violence manifested in our daily lives?”, and “what are
the effects of living in a violent society”?
HSB 388.03 Popular Culture in East Asia Brooks
The economies of East Asia are among the world’s greatest beneficiaries of
globalization. Popular culture includes martial arts, food culture, lifestyle, music, film, television
drama, commercial products, manga and anime has been affecting local societies, individual
identities, and has worked its way into American popular culture. This course critically
examines and analyzes the development, growth, and influence of the contemporary popular
culture in Japan, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Korea.
HSB 388.50 Genetics and Environment Beatty
Heraclitus, a pre-Socatric philosopher, wrote, “Our own nature hides from us; but wants to be
found.” Does biology—genes and/or neurological development—dictate human behavior? Does
environment—our parents, our neighborhoods, and our friends—dictate human behavior? Or do
genes and environment (nature and nurture) interact together resulting in the vast majority of our
behaviors? These are the questions at the core of this highly interactive course. Students will
explore many of today’s social problems and social issues by looking at what drives human
behaviors in our society.
HSB 388G.70 Global Social Problems Burwell
The goal of the course is to help students identify and understand some of the most important
issues and problems that are affecting our world today. We will examine causes of and
responses to social problems in different world regions with a focus on the dimensions and
impacts of globalization. During the course we will examine problems related to wealth and
poverty; as well as: work, trade, gender, family, education, crime, war, democracy, human rights,
population, health, ethnicity, religion, urbanization, energy consumption and the environment.
The lenses through which we will examine these problems include the basic theoretical
perspectives found in sociology.
HUM 188.01 Public History
Hager
HUM 388.01 Rhetoric of Economic Crisis Sperry
From the Great Depression to the Great Recession, several basic comparisons have been made to
help citizens understand the functions of an economy in crisis. Comparing the economy to
human bodies, flowing water, mechanical pumps, and viral contagions affects not only the way
citizens imagine economic functions but also impacts the support for government intervention
during the crises. Students will examine the way the language used to describe economic crises
has developed between the Depression and Recession and the way these changes in language
impact political policies. During the course, students will research historical accounts, read
journalistic reports, and interrogate cultural responses to the economic crises. Students will think
critically about the increasing interconnectedness of the global economic system and the way
language reflects and supports political perspectives.
HUM 388.03 The World Afire: World War II Goldsmith
HUM 388.05 The Life and Death of the Samurai Goldsmith
HUM 388G.04 Weimar Germany and the US Today Weinberger
The problems America faces today are unprecedented, right? Maybe not. In this class we will
explore together a historic precedent of the difficult situation we are struggling with right now:
Germany as it stood at the end of World War I. The country went into a deep financial crisis and,
following the Wall Street market crash, was hit by the international effects of America’s Great
Depression. Germany (known then as Weimar Germany) underwent tumultuous changes: it
flourished culturally (in the Roaring Twenties), saw devastating poverty, and was brought to the
brink of revolution. This democracy was polarized and fragmented to the point where it elected a
charismatic leader: Adolf Hitler. We will study historic Weimar and its ties to the development
in the U.S. in the 1920s and 30s (recovery from the Great Depression and historic and present
day solutions).
HUM 388.70 Star Wars: Examining the Epic Sturgis
As anyone who has ever staged a mock lightsaber duel or made an imaginary jump to lightspeed
knows, Star Wars is a shared language that unites multiple generations across the planet. What
traditions and ideas inspired that galaxy a long time ago and far, far away? How has the Star
Wars universe expanded and evolved since its debut in 1977? What can we expect from its future
incarnations? In this course, students will examine the fabric of the Star Wars story and its
participatory fan culture to discover the lasting meaning behind the epic and appreciate its
unprecedented impact on film, fiction, and popular culture. Students will explore Star Warsrelated events and concerns –from Flash Gordon to the Vietnam conflict, from the ethics of
human cloning to the problems of imperialism – and they will research a related subject of their
own choosing (either historical or contemporary) in consultation with the professor.
NAT 188H.01 Mysteries of the Universe Cooke
NAT 388.01 Natural World
Stiff
NAT 388.02 Natural World Brzorad
In this section of NAT 388 you will be exploring the ways that people influence the environment
and ways that we are influenced by the environment. You will be introduced to
environmentalism by conservationist, scientist (and some would say, poet), Aldo Leopold. His
book; A Sand County Almanac, is considered one of the founding books of the environmental
movement. In class we will come to understand our life support systems in modern society. We
will learn about energy, matter, and the sources of our water and food. This will be embedded in
the concepts of ecosystems, communities and populations. Global connections between all of
these systems, and universal principles will be stressed.
NAT 388.03, 04, and 05 Natural World Holder
Natural World is a study of the environment and how we as humans interact with it. Throughout
the course we will emphasize practical applications of environmental principles and development
of an ecological worldview based on factual information. We will frame our discussions in the
larger picture, considering the social, economic and ethical consequences of action and
inaction. As a level 2 course you will be expected to engage in critical thinking, applying
numeric analysis to the understanding and solution of problems associated with the natural
world. Your final project (study, paper, experiment) will be designed with the potential to serve
as your level 2 capstone project.
NAT 388.06 Natural World Schaefer
Natural World is a 3 credit hour course, which investigates the environment and how we as
humans interact with it.
● We will begin with an overview of environmental issues and relationships, and
examine some of the scientific principles that underlie them.
● We will then look at some natural ecosystems using a case study approach. In
that way we will see how human population growth affects each of these areas,
and the pros and cons of development and preservation.
● We will follow up with an examination of air and water resources and pollution,
and examine how population, soils and the food supply are interrelated.
● We will look at energy production and consumption, with an emphasis on
patterns of human behavior and how they affect our energy usage and it’s climatic
effects.
● Throughout the course we will emphasize practical applications of environmental
principles and development of an ecological worldview.
NAT 388.50 Natural World Johnson