FALL 2014 STV Course Offerings
STV20245 Medical Ethics
CRN 12855
M W – 10:30A- 11:20A
Solomon, William
An exploration from the point of view of ethical theory of a number of ethical problems in contemporary biomedicine.
Topics discussed will include euthanasia, abortion, the allocation of scarce medical resources, truth telling in the
doctor-patient relationship, the right to medical care and informed consent and human experimentation.
STV20304 Energy and Society
CRN 19660
T R – 3:30P-4:45P
Couder, Manoel
A course developing the basic ideas of energy and power and their applications from a quantitative and qualitative
viewpoint. The fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas) are studied together with their societal limitations (pollution, global
warming, diminishing supply). Nuclear power is similarly studied in the context of the societal concerns that arise
(radiation, reactor accidents, nuclear weapons proliferation, high-level waste disposal). The opportunities as well as
the risks presented by alternative energy resources, in particular solar energy, wind, geothermal and hydropower,
together with various aspects of energy conservation, are developed and discussed. This course is designed for the
non-specialist.
STV20310 Health, Medicine, and Society
CRN 15816
T R – 3:30P-4:45P
Faeges, Russell
This course is a comprehensive introduction to the sociology of health and of medicine. First we will examine how
sociological variables affect people's health. Research is rapidly accumulating which shows that sociological variables
have a huge impact on people's susceptibility to various illnesses, on their access to health care, and on their
compliance with medical advice. Such variables include people's neighborhoods, occupations, and lifestyles; their
social class, education, race, ethnicity, and gender - and the density of "social networks", whose importance for
health was predicted by one of sociology's founders over 100 years ago. Second we will examine medicine, both the
practice of medicine by individual health care professionals, viewed sociologically, and the operation of the
increasingly large and bureaucratic medical institutions in which health care professionals must work. In addition, we
will examine sociological issues that overlap "medicine", such as radically long shifts; the rapid increase in the
proportion of female doctors; and increasing concern with work/family balance among practitioners. Third, we will
examine health and medicine in relation to other dimensions of society, such as the modern economy, the media,
law, the internet, government and politics. Health and medicine are intrinsically social and they cannot be isolated
from the effects of the rest of society, many of which run counter to strictly "medical" considerations. Finally, we will
examine health and medicine globally. We will compare health and medicine in a number of societies to see and
explain how they are similar and how they differ - for example, how different societies pay for medical care. And we
will examine global trends with implications for health and medicine that require cooperation among societies, such
as the way in which global air travel both increases the danger of global pandemics and makes possible "medical
tourism."
STV20331 Introduction to Criminology
CRN 15817
M W F – 11:30A-12:20P
Thomas, Mim
As in introduction to the topic of criminology, this course examines crime as a social problem within American society.
Particular attention is given to the nature and function of law in society, theoretical perspectives on crime, victimology,
sources of crime data, the social meaning of criminological data and the various societal responses to crime. These
topics are addressed through specialized readings, discussion, and analysis.
STV20431 Philosophy & Cosmology: A Revolution
CRN 19661
T R- 12:30P-1:45P
Brading, Katherine
In the 17th century there was a revolution in our view of the cosmos and of our own place in it. Most vivid, perhaps
was the change from believing that the Earth is at the center of everything to believing that the Earth is just one
planet among many, orbiting the sun. This course will consider how and why these changes took place.
STV20461 Nuclear Warfare
CRN 17730
T R -3:30P-4:45P
Bardayan, Daniel
Nuclear phenomena; nuclear fission and fusion. Nuclear weapons. Effects of blast, shock, thermal radiation, prompt
and delayed nuclear radiation. Fire, fallout, ozone-layer depletion, electromagnetic pulse, "nuclear winter." Medical
consequences, physical damage, effects on the individual and on society. Defensive measures and their feasibility.
Scenarios for war and peace, proliferation of nuclear weapons material, recent diplomatic history. US Bishops'
Pastoral Letter. The course counts for science majors as a general elective credit.
STV20556 Science, Technology, & Society
CRN 11914
M W – 12:50P-1:40P
Jurkowitz, Edward
This course introduces the interdisciplinary field of science and technology studies. We will examine science and
technology and medicine as social and historical phenomena, shaped by human beings embedded in specific
historical, as well as contemporary cultures. We shall examine the diverse roots and aims of contemporary science,
technology, and medicine – that by considering topics including how scientific knowledge has changed through time,
especially how modern conceptions of “objective” knowledge have evolved, whether medical and psychiatric
researchers can define ‘normal’ human psyches independent of the pharmacological agents they use to alter them,
how genetics and genomics are reshaping our understandings of human health, and how cybernetic and cyborg
technologies are leading people to rethink the boundaries of human existence. Reflecting our focus on how science
and technology intersect with and reflect aspects of wider society, we will also consider and how society should
mediate or moderate scientific and technological development.
PLEASE NOTE: All students taking STV 20556 MUST sign up for a DISCUSSION SESSION, STV 22556:
STV22556- 01 SciTech & Soc Discusion
CRN 12548
F – 12:50P-1:40P
STV22556- 02 SciTech & Soc Discusion
CRN 14644
F – 2:00-2:50P
STV24117 Philosophy of Science
CRN 20568
T R- 12:30P-1:45P
Climenhaga, Nevin
This course will examine the kind of reasoning that scientists engage in, and what it means for scientific hypotheses
to be confirmed or disconfirmed. Our primary focus will be on probabilistic, or Bayesian, theories of scientific
reasoning and confirmation. Students will learn the basic concepts and mathematics of probability theory. Then we
will examine case studies of scientific reasoning and confirmation to see how they can be reconstructed and
interpreted using probability theory. We will also discuss arguments for and against Bayesian interpretations of
scientific reasoning, alternatives to Bayesian approaches, and open questions within Bayesian theories. This course
does not presuppose any acquaintance with probability theory in particular, but it does presuppose some comfort with
high school algebra and a willingness to learn the mathematical tools of probability theory. Course assignments and
tests will involve both written reflection on the conceptual and philosophical issues we'll be discussing and
mathematical proofs and calculations demonstrating facility with the probability calculus.
STV27997 Biology and Society in the Modern Era
Please note: This is a FOUNDATIONAL COURSE (within the STV Minor program)
CRN 20569
M W- 9:30A-10:45P
Hamlin, Christopher
This course examines major changes in the life sciences since 1800, when “biology” as a distinct enterprise was first
conceived: it will be concerned both with changes in scientific knowledge and with the cultural contexts which
biological science both reflects and helps to create. The broad theme will be aspects of human biology, from the
origins and distinctiveness of the human species (issues associated with the achievements of Charles Darwin), to
matters of the relations of humans to other species (issues associated with the emergence of an ecological
perspective), and to biotic concepts of the self (issues associated with physiology, psychology, and neuroscience).
Readings include both scientific and literary texts. Requirements include short essays, a mid-term and final
examinations, and a review essay on a classic text.
STV30161 History of Television
CRN 13862
M W - 11:00A - 12:15P
Becker, Christine
This course analyzes the history of television, spanning from its roots in radio broadcasting to the latest
developments in digital television. In assessing the many changes across this span, the course will cover such topics
as why the American television industry developed as a commercial medium in contrast to most other national
television industries; how television programming has both reflected and influenced cultural ideologies through the
decades; and how historical patterns of television consumption have shifted due to new technologies and social
changes. Through studying the historical development of television programs and assessing the industrial,
technological, and cultural systems out of which they emerged, the course will piece together the catalysts
responsible for shaping this highly influential medium.
STV30174 American Wilderness
CRN 17223
M W - 9:30A - 10:45A
Coleman, Anne
How is a national park different from a national wilderness area, a city park, the lakes at Notre Dame, or your back
yard? Why are some considered more wild than others, and why is wilderness such an attractive idea? Writers,
historians, painters, photographers, and politicians have described American landscapes as wild to great effect, in
concert with identities of gender, class, race, and nation. This class will explore how the idea of wilderness - and the
places associated with that idea - have developed during the 19th and 20th centuries. We will examine how
wilderness has supported the growth of a national identity but largely failed to recognize the diversity of the American
people. Course themes include: 1) developing the wilderness idea; 2) national parks and the problem of wilderness;
3) wilderness experience and politics; and 4) wilderness narratives. Readings will range from Henry David Thoreau
and John Muir to Edward Abbey and Jon Krakauer, and there will be a strong visual culture component. For their final
project students will choose a wild place of their own to interpret.
STV30201 Intro to Clinical Ethics
CRN 15959
M W - 2:00P - 3:15
Foster, James
The focus of the course will be an examination of the advances in medicine over the last 30 years that have
challenged traditional values and ethical norms, and the institutional processes and procedures in place that facilitate
decision-making in the health care setting. It will include a sketch of the most recent advances in the various fields of
medicine, followed by an examination of the clinical and ethical questions they raise and how they have affected the
physician-patient relationship. Note: This course counts as a general elective - Fall and Spring.
STV30203 Compassionate Care and the Medical Professions
CRN 20654
T R - 2:00P - 3:15P
Vachon, Dominic
This course is designed to provide the theoretical and practical foundation to providing compassionate care in the
medical professions. It will provide an introduction to the field of Caring Science and provide the behavioral and
attitudinal components to providing effective patient care as well as teaching how practitioners can be balanced in
providing patient care. Topics include Caring Science theory, clinician burnout, compassion fatigue, maintaining
caring in the encounter with suffering, and physician self-care. While designed specifically for the future medical
professional, the course is open as enrollment allows to students in allied helping professions. Class material will
include research from medical, psychological, caring science, business, and spiritual sources.
STV30225 People, Environment, Justice
CRN 19662
M W - 11:00A - 12:15P
Smith, Vania
What is our environment? What is our role within our surroundings? How do our actions affect ecological landscapes,
and people's livelihoods across the globe? How does our reliance of fossil fuels lead to catastrophes such as
Hurricane Katrina? What - if anything - does it mean to be "green?" This course will address these and other
questions through the use of critically applied anthropology. We will explore the interaction of local peoples and
cultures with natural and man-made ecosystems. We will focus equally on traditional environmental knowledge held
by small-scale communities as on the usage of the environment by the industrial world. This course will focus on
theory and major environmental questions, problems, and possible solutions illustrated by various case studies from
different parts of the world. Topics to be discussed include intellectual property rights, poverty and environmental
health and justice, economic development, health and emerging disease, and ethno- and eco-tourism. Through
readings, films, discussions, and independent research students will be able to critically understand the complexity
surrounding humans' place within the environment.
STV30900-01 Foundations Sociological Theory
CRN 15818
T R - 12:30P - 1:45P
Konieczny, Mary Ellen
Sociological theory is the foundation of sociology. Students in this course will learn two things: first, what theorists do
and why and, second, how to use fundamental theoretic concepts - such as exploitation and alienation, social
structure and solidarity, bureaucracy and charisma - to analyze and explain contemporary society.
STV 30900-02 Foundations Sociological Theory
CRN 20204
T R - 2:00P - 3:15P
Fishman, Robert
Sociological theory is the foundation of sociology. Students in this course will learn two things: first, what theorists do
and why and, second, how to use fundamental theoretic concepts - such as exploitation and alienation, social
structure and solidarity, bureaucracy and charisma - to analyze and explain contemporary society.
STV 31161 History of Television Lab
CRN 13863
T - 6:30P - 8:30P
Kackman, Michael
During the lab times, certain television shows will be viewed for further discussion in class.
STV 33401 Animal Welfare & Human-Animal Bond: Community Based Learning Seminar
CRN 12905
W - 5:00P - 6:30P
Whaley, Michelle & Stewart, Kay
Consider the fact that in six short years, one female dog and her offspring can give birth to 67,000 puppies. In seven
years, one cat and her young can produce 420,000 kittens. Three to four million dogs and cats are euthanized each
year. It is estimated that there are 60 million feral cats in the US. In a society that considers pets as part of their
family, watches Animal Planet, and spends millions of dollars on pet products, it is imperative that we acknowledge
and educate ourselves on the issues of over population of pet animals in our society. What is our responsibility to
these animals, and how can we solve these pressing problems? The focus of this course will be on animal behavior
from an evolutionary perspective. The students will learn to recognize both desirable and undesirable behaviors in pet
animals. They will learn how to use evolutionary behavior training methods to alter detrimental behaviors and
reinforce those that are advantageous. This course will also cover animal welfare issues, and will intimately and
meaningfully connect the state of humans, to that of animals. The students will carry out community research projects
of their choice and will immerse themselves in an important issue and generate a product that can help the plight of
animals (and therefore humans) in our community.
STV 40130 Crime, Heredity, and Insanity in American History
CRN 20205
M W - 2:00P - 3:15P
Przybyszewski, Linda
The 19th century witnessed a transformation in the understanding of the origins of criminal behavior in the United
States. For many, a religious emphasis on humankind as sinful gave way to a belief in its inherent goodness. But if
humans were naturally good, how could their evil actions be explained? Drawing on studies done here and abroad,
American doctors, preachers, and lawyers debated whether environment, heredity, or free will determined the actions
of the criminal. By the early 20th century, lawyers and doctors had largely succeeded in medicalizing criminality.
Psychiatrists treated criminals as patients; judges invoked hereditary eugenics in sentencing criminals. Science, not
sin, had apparently become the preferred mode of explanation for the origins of crime. But was this a better
explanation than what had come before?
STV 40216 Bio-Medical Ethics, Scientific Evidence and Public Health Risk
M - 3:30P - 6:15P
Shrader-Frechette, Kristin
An analysis of the ethical theories provided by contemporary philosophers to guide research and practice in
biomedicine. The course will focus on analysis of contemporary public health problems created by
environmental/technological pollution and will address classic cases of biomedical ethics problems. Students who are
not pre-med, engineering, or science majors need the professor's permission to take this course
STV 40319 Self, Society and Environment
CRN 15819
T R - 12:30P - 1:45P
Weigert, Andrew
This course introduces students to social psychological aspects of the natural environment. Issues considered
include interacting with different environments, symbolic transformations of environments, competing accounts, and
claims concerning environments. With an overview of basic information, these issues are discussed from the
perspectives of individual self and sociocultural institutions. The course touches on alternative ways of envisioning,
interacting, and valuing human-environment relations with an eye toward individual and collective change.
STV 40455 Water, Disease & Global Health
CRN 20206
M W - 2:00P - 3:15P
Shrout, Joshua & Severson, David
The main emphasis of the course will be to study the diseases important to both the developed and developing world.
Basic principles of public health, epidemiology, infectious disease microbiology, immunology, and engineering
application will be learned utilizing both local and global examples. Particular emphasis will be given to diseases
transmitted by water. As a complement to environmental engineering design classes, this class will focus upon the
disease agents removed in properly designed municipal water and waste systems.
STV 43119 Sciences of the Mind
Please note: This is a FOUNDATIONAL COURSE (within the STV Minor program)
CRN 20570
W - 3:30P - 6:15P
Bordogna, Francesca
This seminar explores the history of the sciences and technologies of the human mind and self in Western culture,
focusing chiefly, though not exclusively, on the early modern period and the period from the late 19th century to
today. We will study how philosophers, physicians, mystics, psychologists, psychiatrists, and neuroscientists thought
about the traditional mental faculties (e.g. memory) and offered new ways of thinking about mind, self, and personal
identity, including, for example, late 19th-century conceptions of the “divided self” and current models of the selfemerging from psychopharmacology and from the synthesis of evolutionary biology and the neurosciences.)We will
also track the “soul’s economy” (Jeff Sklansky) as well as the gender, class, and “bio”-politics of the self, and ask
historical and methodological questions, such as: How did the geography of the mind change through history? When
did the self become a scientific object? How do practices of the self and technologies of the mind (e.g. disciplines of
attention and techniques of introspection, inscription, and visualization, especially MRI and PET scans) circulate
across scientific, philosophical, and religious cultures? What are their ramifications for political and legal practices?
How can one best write a history of the self? In addressing these questions we will engage recent methodologies in
the history, philosophy, sociology, and anthropology of science. Primary sources will include works by Aristotle,
Descartes, Teresa of Avila, John Locke, William James, Sigmund Freud, Michael Gazzaniga, Antonio Damasio, and
Christoph Koch. Secondary sources will include texts by Jan Goldstein, Joseph Dumit, Andrew Lakoff, Roger Smith,
and Nickolas Rose.
[Please note that this course is a smaller, advanced course, based solely on seminar discussion, with a mix of
students that will include some grad students. Undergraduates will read less and are graded on a separate
undergraduate scale. You will learn a lot, but will also be pushed a little in this course. If you have any questions
email the professor: fbordog1@nd.edu ]
STV 43120 Humans and Other Apes: a Modern Historical Survey from Scaliger to Peter Singer
CRN 20207
T R - 11:00A - 12:15P
Fernandez-Armesto, Felipe
A Modern Historical Survey from Scaliger to Peter Singer: One way to improve our understanding of ourselves is to
compare ourselves with the animals who most resemble us, in informative, challenging and disturbing ways. In this
course, we’ll focus on the relationship that has done most to change human self-perceptions. With a focus on
Western texts and experiences, but with reference to many other cultures, we’ll focus on the problems of how and
why human attitudes to other apes have changed since the Middle Ages, and how they have influenced thinking in
science, religion, politics, sociology, literature, and ethics.
STV 43302 Population Dynamics
CRN 20208
M W - 11:00A - 12:15P
Williams, Richard
Demography, the science of population, is concerned with virtually everything that influences, or can be influenced
by, population size, distribution, processes, structure, or characteristics. This course pays particular attention to the
causes and consequences of population change. Changes in fertility, migration, mortality, technology, lifestyle and
culture have dramatically affected the United States and other nations of the world. These changes have implications
for a number of areas: hunger, the spread of illness and disease, environmental degradation, health services,
household formation, the labor force, marriage and divorce, care for the elderly, birth control, poverty, urbanization,
business marketing strategies, and political power. An understanding of these is important as business, government
and individuals attempt to deal with the demands of a changing population.
STV 43396 Environmental Justice
CRN 15820
T - 3:30P - 6:15P
Shrader-Frechette, Kristin
This course will survey environmental impact assessment (EIA), ecological risk assessment (ERA), and humanhealth risk assessment (HHRA); ethical and methodological issues related to these techniques; then apply these
techniques to contemporary assessments for which state and federal governments are seeking comments by
scientists and citizens. The course is hands-on, will have no tests, but will be project-based, with students working on
actual assessments that they choose (about 2,500 are done in US each year). The goal will be to teach students EIA,
ERA, and HHRA and how to evaluate draft analyses, particularly those used to site facilities or make environmentrelated decisions in which poor people, minorities, and other stakeholders are themselves unable to provide
comments. Course will cover flaws in scientific method and flaws in ethics that typically appear in these assessments.
Students who are not pre-med, engineering, or science majors need the professor's permission to take this course.