2017-2018 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Courses
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PHYS 1020 - Introductory Physics II This course is a continuation of PHYS 1010. Topics include: Electricity, Magnetism, Optics and a brief account of modern physics. The PHYS 1010-1020 sequence is designed to fulfill most of the science perspective of the usual entrance exam requirements for medical and dental schools. Calculus is not required, but elements of algebra and trigonometry are reviewed and utilized. Labs are integrated within the course frame work, and will be conducted at the same classroom where lectures are held. Computer simulations will be utilized to enhance students’ understanding of course topics. Students will be charged a $100 Lab Fee.
Prerequisites: Introduction to Physics I.
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: SP (summer only)
Anticipated Terms Offered: varies
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PSCI 015 - The European Union: Historical, Political, and Legal Perspectives Course Description: The European Union: Historical, Political, and Legal Perspectives
After World War II, in order to help prevent another major war in Europe, several countries including France, Germany, Italy, and the three Benelux countries joined together in what would eventually become the European Union. This political science course will examine the European Union experiment from historical, political, and legal points of view. Today the European Union has 28 countries, with others hoping to join. Some of the countries have a common currency (the Euro), citizens of all of the E.U. countries have the right to live and work in any of the E.U. member states, and European law has been superimposed over national laws. We will look at how and why the number of member states in the E.U. expanded over time, as well as looking at why voters in the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union in what is known as Brexit. We will examine how the Treaties of the E.U. have become constitutionalized. The course will also examine how the European Union manages the tricky politics among the 28 member states and the voters across Europe. We will also look at current issues like the Greek debt crisis and the refugee crisis in Europe.
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: HP
Anticipated Terms Offered: For the May Term 2018
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PSCI 070 - Introduction to Comparative Politics The study of comparative politics is based upon the premise that we can better understand domestic political dynamics and political phenomena in general, by comparing political conditions across and within (subnational units) countries. Specifically, comparative politics investigates the following types of questions: In what ways do groups and individuals participate in politics? Why have some countries developed stable democratic political systems, while others remain authoritarian or experience frequent changes in government? What relationship does a country’s political organization have with its economic performance, social stability and relations with other countries? In exploring these questions, we will compare both developed and developing countries in terms of political institutions (constitutions, executives, legislatures, courts and political parties), political behavior (voting and collective action), political culture and political economy. (CP)
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: GP
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every semester
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PSCI 079 - Model United Nations I The Model United Nations program is a realistic simulation of the activities of ambassadors and representatives of different member nations who serve in various agencies of the United Nations. Students assume the role of ambassadors or special U.N. representatives. They participate in live simulations of the U.N. Security Council, Economic Social and Cultural Council, and Special Middle East Summit. Students participate in the Harvard Model U.N. Conference every year. During this conference, Clark students known as delegates enter the world of diplomacy, negotiation and high politics as they grapple with complex realities of peace and security, human rights, women’s rights and economic development, and they pit their skills against delegates from other universities representing different countries. Delegates prepare by thoroughly researching policy positions of countries they are representing and contribute to a lively exchange of ideas and simulate an authentic environment that parallels U.N. meetings. This active-learning experience complements classroom learning and prepares Clark students to enter a professional career in government, international organizations or the academe. Repeat registration allowed.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every year
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PSCI 080 - Model United Nations II The Model United Nations program is a realistic simulation of the activities of ambassadors and representatives of different member nations who serve in various agencies of the United Nations. Students assume the role of ambassadors or special U.N. representatives. They participate in live simulations of the U.N. Security Council, Economic Social and Cultural Council, and Special Middle East Summit. Students participate in the Harvard Model U.N. Conference every year. During this conference, Clark students known as delegates enter the world of diplomacy, negotiation and high politics as they grapple with complex realities of peace and security, human rights, women’s rights and economic development, and they pit their skills against delegates from other universities representing different countries. Delegates prepare by thoroughly researching policy positions of countries they are representing and contribute to a lively exchange of ideas and simulate an authentic environment that parallels U.N. meetings. This active-learning experience complements classroom learning and prepares Clark students to enter a professional career in government, international organizations or the academe. Repeat registration allowed.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every year
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PSCI 094 - Dictators and Revolutionaries in Latin America This first-year seminar studies the stereotype of the Latin American military dictator or the leftist revolutionary which has become commonplace in contemporary culture. Whether it is the right-wing autocrat clad in Prussian-style military dress - General Augusto Pinochet of Chile or Alfredo Stroessner of Paraguay, for example, or leftist revolutionaries such as Fidel Castro and Ché Guevarra, bearded and combat ready in military fatigues, these stereotypical images convey to us in shorthand form understandings about Latin American society. They convey or reinforce the image of a militaristic and violent society, politically passionate and ideologically polarized. They convey the image of a society where the use of force trumps the rule of law. As with all stereotypes, there is more than a grain of truth in these characterizations but also much insight or understanding that they foreclose. In particular, such stereotyping begs the question as to why Latin America’s modern political history is rife with examples of political violence and extremism emanating from both ends of the political spectrum. This course seeks to enable students to answer this question. More broadly, it seeks to help students to develop their analytical skills and theoretical understandings of reactionary and revolutionary political movements. While the regional focus will be on Latin America, the skills development will be global in its applicability. Ultimately, the skills that students develop in this course should enhance their ability to think critically about contemporary incidents of political violence and inform their actions as concerned citizens.
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: GP
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
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PSCI 096 - Just and Unjust Wars
This first-year seminar examines significant questions such as - why states and societies go to war, whether doing so is ever justified, and what (if anything) might make it so. Students will be afforded the opportunity to explore a range of historical and contemporary armed conflicts through the lens of the political, moral, ethical, and legal criteria which constitute the basis of the ‘laws of war’ as well as the international conventions and norms derived from them. Particular attention will be paid to the dilemmas associated with the decision to go to war, conduct during war, and war’s aftermath. Students will engage with these and related dilemmas through consideration of specific examples including (but not limited to) preemptive war, wars of self-defense, humanitarian intervention, peacekeeping and peace operations, terrorism and wars of national liberation, the status of non-combatants and non-state actors, and the rebuilding of post-conflict societies.
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: VP
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
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PSCI 097 - The International Relations of Sports
Political Scientists spend considerable time researching and interpreting the relationships between nation-states, primarily international conflict and cooperation. Sports are one way to demonstrate those relationships between states. One need only think of the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup, for example, to reflect how players and spectators interpret sports within the context of national identities and international rivalries. Moreover, the international relations of sports is also gendered. With its focus on physical strength, camaraderie and competition, sports have long been understood as a benchmark for masculinity. This course will explore and examine several facets that connect the Political Science subfield/discipline of international relations with sports: globalization, diplomacy, war/conflict, identity and place, and the intersectionality of race, ethnicity, and gender.
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: GP
Anticipated Terms Offered: PERIODICALLY
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PSCI 102 - Political Science Fiction First-year seminar/Science fiction enables us to study the contemporary political world from a distance-to shed light on its problems and its weaknesses, and to be imaginative about alternatives, both hope-filled and deeply disturbing. This course will explore important questions and concepts in the study of politics through various works of science fiction, including novels, short stories, and films. Through science fiction, we will consider ideas like power, authority, legitimacy, and identity. We will also take up works of science fiction that examine and critique political systems, including democracy and dictatorship. We will read works that explore issues of racism and sexism through utopian and dystopian visions of society, and will consider the meaning and value of equality, as well as other controversial issues. Fulfills the Global Perspective requirement.
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: GP
Anticipated Terms Offered: First-Year Seminar
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PSCI 104 - Politics of Ethnicity and Identity This course explores the ways in which ethnic and other political identities both shape and are shaped by historical processes and political narratives. In particular, we will examine the formation of racial, ethnic, and national identities from a range of theoretical perspectives. We will also look at how these identities are mobilized for political purposes and discuss the origins of and possible solutions to the phenomenon of ethnic conflict. (CP)
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: GP, DI
Anticipated Terms Offered: Every other year
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PSCI 117 - Revolution and Political Violence Analyzes the concept, the causes and process of revolution. Is revolution inevitable? How does it differ from terrorism, guerrilla warfare or coups? This course examines the Russian and Chinese revolutions as 20th-century prototypes; comparisons are then drawn to more recent revolutions in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Latin America and South Africa.
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: GP
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every year
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PSCI 121 - State Government and Politics
In this introduction to the study of state government and politics in the United States, we will explore the how state governments impact a wide array of aspects of peoples’ lives, from driving a car, to marriage and family, to protecting the environment, and many others. What is the relationship between the politics of the fifty states and the politics of the nation as a whole? Do innovations in public policy flow from the states to Washington, from Washington to the states, or some of each? Who are the people who run for state elective office, and what motivates them to run and to serve? What role do money, media, and citizen activism play in influencing state laws and policies, and does this differ from state to state? The class will include both lectures and class discussions. (US)
Anticipated Terms Offered: Bi-annually
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PSCI 173 - Latin-American Politics As an introduction to the study of Latin-American politics, this course demands no prerequisites except a basic curiosity about the region and a desire to learn about its development over the past century. In an effort to understand contemporary politics in the region, we consider alternative theoretical explanations for patterns of development as well as analyze the historical role played by influential political actors, including the Church, the military, economic elites, workers and peasants. Some of the fundamental questions we will be asking include: What is the relationship between a country’s social and economic conditions and its political system? Why have so many Latin-American nations alternated between democratic and authoritarian regimes? What is the relationship between Latin America and the so-called “First World,” particularly the United States? In attempts to answer these questions, the course will examine the political systems of countries such as Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico and Guatemala. (CP)
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: GP
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every year
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PSCI 177 - Transitions to Democracy How can a dictatorship become a democracy? What challenges face countries emerging from repressive rule? Using firsthand accounts, historical analyses and contemporary films, this course explores the role of grassroots movements, elites and the international context in struggles to create and sustain democracy. The focus will be on transitions from totalitarian and authoritarian regimes in Europe and military dictatorships in Latin America.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every other year
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PSCI 179 - Asian Politics This class is an introduction to the complex history and dynamic politics of Asian countries. The countries of Asia are highly diverse, so this introductory course will necessarily be broad rather than deep, and will focus primarily on the major powers in Asia. The course will focus on the history and politics of selected states, including China, Japan, and South Korea, with a particular emphasis on their political-economic choices and efforts (successful or otherwise) to democratize.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Once a year
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PSCI 180 - International Organizations International Organizations (IOs) have grown in size, number, and institutional capacity since the end of the Second World War to address various policy matters in the area of economics, trade, taxation, finance, intellectual property rights, environment, human rights, international security, and humanitarian intervention. The increasing complexity of the global political economy has made policy coordination and harmonization through international organizations absolutely necessary because of the absence of a centralized governing authority at the international level. As the demand for IOs have increased, they have also become more controversial and divisive with supporters seeking to strengthen them, while detractors are attempting to modulate their influence. This course will explore the complex roles international organizations play in navigating international politics and mediating transnational policy issues by concentrating on a select set of international organizations that are central to the day-to-day functioning of the global political economy.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
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PSCI 209 - Minority Political Behavior This is a course for students interested in how minority group identity influences political behavior. While this course could be taught through the black/white binary, we will explore minority group identity broadly, covering race, ethnicity, immigrant status, religion, gender, and sexual orientation. This course is meant to examine the history and contemporary role of minority groups in the U.S. political system. We will focus on political relationships between several minority groups and their relationship to political participation, party affiliation, voting coalitions, and public opinion, in addition to other groups. Throughout American history, the United States passed laws to restrict the rights of racial and ethnic minorities to purposely keep them outside the political system. In recent years, there has been a growing trend by political parties and politicians to court minority voters and promote diversity. During this semester, we will take up this debate and explore the current state of racial and ethnic politics in the U.S. (US)
Anticipated Terms Offered: Bi-annually
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PSCI 214 - Mass Murder and Genocide Under Communism Is communism inherently genocidal? Do communism and mass murder necessarily go hand in hand? This course explores the origins, motivations and consequences of the brutal and deadly policies adopted in three very different communist regimes (the Soviet Union, China and Cambodia). We will also consider potential ways to avert mass killing and genocide.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every year
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PSCI 216 - Comparative Environmental Politics Over the course of the past several decades environmental degradation and sustainability have assumed major significance as public-policy issues, both within nations and internationally. However, given the transnational nature of many environmental problems, addressing such problems has proven to be particularly complex and difficult. This course examines the complex nature of environmental policy from both an international and comparative perspective. We will examine the specific challenges that the international nature of environmental problems poses for policy makers. We will also compare different national experiences and strategies for addressing environmental issues with an eye toward identifying the factors, which impede or facilitate success in promoting effective environmental policy.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every other year
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PSCI 218 - Punishment and Crime This class examines theories that seek to justify criminal punishment and then analyzes those theories in a series of case studies. We will explore retributive theory (punishment because it is “deserved”), utilitarian theory (punishment because of the consequences that it will produce), and expressive theory (punishment that expresses social values). Thereafter we will take up a number of specific case studies: homicide, conspiracy, attempt, the law of self-defense, hate crimes, and the death penalty. Our goal throughout the course will be to consider the ways in which criminal law enforcement allows us to better understand our society and its values.
Prerequisites: first year with permission only.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Every other year
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PSCI 229 - Arab-Israeli Conflict This course (formerly PSCI 176) will introduce students to the domestic and regional dynamics of the Arab-Israeli conflict. We will explore the origins of the conflict, including the narratives embraced by all of the parties involved, as well as its consequences for the state and non-state actors who are parties to the conflict. We will also conduct model peace negotiations and discuss the possibilities for resolution of the conflict in the future.
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PSCI 252 - Political Parties and Interest Groups This course examines the development, maintenance, and goals of interest groups and political parties in the United States. Topics include the history of groups and parties in American politics, group and party classification methods, characteristics of group or party members and activists, regulations governing group and party activities, and selected contemporary issues of relevance. (US)
Anticipated Terms Offered: periodically
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PSCI 256 - Russian Politics: From Dictatorship to Democracy and Back Again In this introduction to the study of Russian politics, we will explore how a single political party has come to dominate the national stage, while opposition politicians are jailed, human rights are violated, and journalists fall victim to assassins’ bullets. In many ways, Russia appears to be turning back into a dictatorship only 15 years after throwing off seven decades of repressive communist party rule. Why and how has this happened? Through lectures, discussions, and films, we will examine contemporary Russia’s politics, economics, and culture. The course will touch on Russia’s history from 1917 to 1991, but our main focus will be on the contemporary period. (CP)
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: GP
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every other year
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PSCI 266 - International Law This course provides an introduction to the basic concepts, principles, institutions, and debates that characterize international law in a globalized world. Focusing on a number of key issue-areas this course investigates the origins and development of international law; particularly, it seeks to examine how international law influences the subjectivities, competences and responsibilities of the participant member states, and their consequent impact on state sovereignty, use of force, humanitarian intervention, international criminal tribunals, and other transnational legal mechanisms. The overall purpose of this course is to introduce and lay the foundation for an informed analysis on the limits and possibilities of international law in world affairs.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every other year.
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PSCI 281 - Civil Wars in Comparative Perspective This seminar will offer students the chance to explore the causes and consequences of civil war through a comparative approach by looking at evidence from civil wars around the world. We will also explore other issues related to the conduct of civil war, including violence against civilians, the use of child soldiers, and the problem of refugees. Finally, we will evaluate some of the competing arguments for and against negotiated settlement, partition, or other means of ending civil wars and moving toward post-conflict reconstruction. (CP)
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every other year
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PSCI 287 - Refugees, Migrants, and the Politics of Displacement Refugees, Migrants, and the Politics of Displacement: CAPSTONE
In recent years, the number of forcibly displaced persons around the world has steadily grown. This seminar explores the causes and consequences of the global increase in forced migration, including the political and economic origins of refugee crises, their impact on the states that host refugees, the different dimensions of displacement as experienced by refugees and internally displaced persons, and possible solutions to crises of displacement. We will examine different cases studies of forced migration as a means of understanding the ways in which the various dimensions of the problem fit together.
Prerequisites: P = PSCI 070 OR PERM; JR/SR ONLY - CAPSTONE
Anticipated Terms Offered: EVERY OTHER YEAR
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PSCI 288 - Immigration, Identity, and Diversity Politics in the US Today, one in ten residents of the U.S. was born outside the United States. Yet, debates over immigration continue to permeate American life, from attempts to ban Muslim immigrants from entering the U.S. to questions about the status of undocumented immigrants to state and local proposals that would limit immigrants’ rights. This course addresses these and many other issues, exploring the political and historical roots of contemporary US immigration policy as well as how immigration and immigrant groups have changed over time. We will also examine the integration of immigrants into the U.S., including the ways in which different groups are distinctive in their political attitudes and behaviors. Additionally, we will study the varying ways in which immigrant communities and immigration policy continue to influence political debate in the U.S.
Prerequisites: PSCI 050
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: DI
Anticipated Terms Offered: Bi-annually
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PSCI 293 - Special Topics in Political Theory This course addresses current or timely topics in political theory, that are in a pilot phase or that are known to be one time offerings. Special Topics can vary from semester to semester.
Fall 2013 Topic: Politics and Literature
This course will follow the political themes of power, religion, and community through readings of novels, plays, and poetry along with relevant secondary theoretical literature. Each literary work will be paired with either an explanatory theoretical text that deals directly with the literature itself or a contemporaneous writing engaging with the same themes as the fictional work.
Anticipated Terms Offered: varied
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PSCI 294 - Peer Learning Assistant Peer Learning Assistants (PLAs) are undergraduate students who are selected by a faculty member to facilitate teaching and learning activities. These activities may include: providing feedback on drafts of writing assignments, leading small group discussions, working with individual students who are having difficulty, and facilitating group project work (in or out of class & online).
Registration is by instructor permission only
Anticipated Terms Offered: Fall & Spring
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PSCI 296 - Special Topics in American Politics: Capstone Seminar Focus changes with each offering, depending on faculty interest. A past topic was “Politics of Rich and Poor.” Open to juniors and seniors only or by Permission. May be repeated for credit twice (topics must be different).
Spring 2015 Topic:American Constitutional Development
This seminar is a chance to think critically about American constitutions in state and nation. The United States was the first country to draft a written constitution as the fundamental law, and we take it for granted that there is a foundational document containing the structure of the government and protections of our individual rights. State constitutions have also played an essential role in shifting ideas about democracy and in changing political conditions. Together we will critically examine American constitutional development and its effects over time on the contours of our political ideas and institutions.
(US)
Anticipated Terms Offered: PERIODICALLY
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PSCI 297 - Honors Thesis Students receive variable credit for advanced research and readings in the honors program. Applications are due in March of junior year. Approval of department honors committee required.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Fall/Spring
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PSCI 298 - Internship Academic experience taking place in the field with an opportunity to earn credit. Application must be submitted to Career Services for their approval. Student needs to find a faculty member sponsor.
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PSCI 299 - Directed Study Undergraduates, typically juniors and seniors, construct an independent study course on a topic approved and directed by a faculty member. Students should contact faculty member directly. Offered for variable credit.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Fall and Spring
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PSTD 101 - Introduction to Peace Studies How can we transform conflicts in our personal lives, our society, and our world so that they generate development and justice rather than oppression and destruction? We will examine the roots of interpersonal and collective violence and attempts to reduce and abolish it. When is nonviolent struggle effective? When is violence justified? Students will investigate these questions and develop skills to wage peace.
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: VP
Anticipated Terms Offered: Spring
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PSTD 289 - Advanced Topics in Peace Studies:Peace Building, Mediation, and Conflict Resolution The purpose of this capstone course is to provide an opportunity for students to synthesize and reflect on theoretical and practical aspects of peace building, mediation and conflict resolution. These aspects are explored at interpersonal, local and international levels. The course involves lectures, visits, and closely working with organizations involved in peace building related activities. It will provide an opportunity to conduct independent research on a Peace Studies theme and area selected by the student so that s/he integrates the linkages between the themes, areas, and disciplinary foci of study. The specific focuses and format of the course will vary according to interests of the faculty and availability of field resources. May be repeatable for credit.
Spring 2015 Topic: The Abolition of Violence.
Is it possible to abolish violence? For centuries, activists have worked to abolish many forms of violence, including dueling, slavery, prostitution, and war. In this seminar, we will study the theories and methods used by historical and contemporary movements to abolish different types of oppression and violence. How do activists go about transforming conflicts and building peace at the interpersonal, local, regional, and transnational levels? What skills do peacebuilders need in order to be effective? What kinds of ethical dilemmas do we face? In addition to examining historical case studies, each student will interview practitioners in order to conduct research on an existing anti-violence movement.
Prerequisites: PSTD 101
Anticipated Terms Offered: Annually
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PSTD 298 - Peace Studies Internship An Academic internship is a practical work experience with an academic component that enables a student to gain knowledge and skills within an organization, industry, or functional area that reflects the student’s academic and professional interests while earning credit. Maybe repeatable for credit.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Every Semester
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PSTD 299 - Peace Studies Directed Study Undergraduates, typically juniors and seniors, construct an independent study course on a topic approved and directed by a faculty member. Offered for variable credit. May be repeatable for credit.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Every Semester
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PSYC 020 - Topics in Men and Emotion One of the most pervasive gender stereotypes in Western societies is the belief that men “aren’t emotional.” In this inquiry-based seminar we will look at available scientific theory and research to determine just how accurate this stereotype is. Do men actually experience and express emotions differently than women? Is this true for all emotions or just some more than others? How can an enhanced understanding of the gendered nature of men’s emotional experiences help us in promoting human well-being for both men and women? In addition to immersing ourselves in existing research, we will also carry out a new research study on masculine gender socialization and emotion. Students will be responsible for collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data focused on a research question that we will formulate early in the semester. Fulfills the Values perspective. First year students only.
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: VP
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically.
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PSYC 030 - Twentysomething in the 21st Century First-year students are not only beginning their college careers, they are entering a new life stage. They leave behind adolescence, which entailed going through puberty, reaching sexual maturity, completing secondary school, and enter emerging adulthood, a life stage distinguished by instability, feelings of being incompletely adult, a sense of wide-open possibilities, and the beginning of moving toward enduring choices in love and work. This course will focus on development from age 18 to 29 in early 21st century American society. Students will learn how the typical experience of 18-29 year-old Americans today differs from past eras in American society, as well as the variations in emerging adulthood today, within American society and around the world. An important part of the course will be that students will learn to reflect on their own lives in historical and cultural contexts.
Fulfills the Historical Perspective requirement
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: HP
Anticipated Terms Offered: Periodically
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PSYC 040 - Topics in Discourse Through class exercises and small group work, students will learn fundamental principles, generalizations, and theories in a new area of knowledge pertaining to issues of language/discourse. The topics in discourse will vary each semester based on current and relevant issues. Fulfills the Language and Culture Perspective requirement (LP).
Fall 2017: Friendship
How do we talk about ourselves and others as friends - and friendship in general? How do we tell friendship stories? Why don’t we “fall-in-friendship” as we “fall-in-love?” Are friendship-stories the same as love-stories - just without sex and the institutionalization in marriage? In this FYI we follow up on questions like this through the Language and Culture Perspective. It is expected that students will acquire the basic linguistic skills necessary for in-depth analysis of language, i.e., the analysis of language/talk. Students will be expected to commit themselves to a high-level academic atmosphere and a challenging workload that will result in stimulating class discussions. Must register for discussion section; participation in Weekend session is required.
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: LP
Anticipated Terms Offered: Fall
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PSYC 050 - The Psychology of Prejudice Psychology of Prejudice
Why does prejudice exist? How does it affect ourselves, our relationships, and our society? In this first-year intensive, we we will explore these questions by turning to the scientific literature. Students will explore a variety of topics in the psychology of prejudice, including cognitive processing (e.g., categorization, activation, application), content and structure, expression, sociostructural causes and consequences (e.g.,power, status, threat), and their reduction or elimination (e.g., prejudice reduction, intergroup interactions, social change). Throughout the seminar, we will discuss a variety of different prejudices, including prejudice against racial minorities, sexual minorities, women and marginalized genders, and other social groups. The goals of this course are to (1) provide students with an in-depth understanding of prejudice and how they affect social and political reality, (2) critically examine theory and metatheory guiding research on stereotypes and prejudice, and (3) learn how researchers study stereotypes and prejudice.
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: GP
Anticipated Terms Offered: Biennially
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PSYC 060 - Education and Effective Practice What is the best form and structure for education in these times? How do we best improve the quality and intellectual aims of education? To what extent are our current educational institutions utilizing the growing knowledge base about how people learn? Is education a right and does it equitably deliver on the promise of providing a well-balanced citizenship for democracy? These and other questions will be the focus of this First Year Intensive seminar. The course will consider what we currently know about human learning in formal and informal settings and map that onto the educational institutions of our times, with special focus on secondary and college environments. This course is designed to deepen students’ ability to read analytically and communicate with others about one of the most enduring issues of our times. Simultaneously, the course aims to improve first year students’ ability to reflect on the differences in their learning contexts as they transition from high school to college.
Prerequisites: VE Placement
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: VE
Anticipated Terms Offered: Bi-annually
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PSYC 101 - General Psychology Introduction to the principles of human behavior and to the various sub-disciplines of Psychology. Students are required to either participate in a psychology study or to read an empirical article and write a short paper. No prerequisite. Unless otherwise noted, this course is a prerequisite to all other psychology offerings. Discussion attendance required.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every semester
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PSYC 105 - Statistics Introduction to descriptive and inferential statistics for the social sciences. Discussion attendance required. Not recommended for first-year students in their first semester.
Prerequisites for this course require a grade of C- or better.
Students must score 50% on Part 1 of the Math placement prior to enrollment, and may take this placement exam a maximum of two times.
Students scoring under 50% will be required to take a refresher math course and pass with at least a “C” grade before being able to enroll in PSYC 105.
(Contact the Psychology Department for a list of eligible courses)
The math placement test can be found on Moodle under “My Courses” then “Placement Tests.”
Prerequisites:
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: FA
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every semester
Placement Guidelines Students must score 50% on Part 1 of the Math placement prior to enrollment, and may take this placement exam a maximum of two times.
Students scoring under 50% will be required to take a refresher math course and pass with at least a “C” grade before being able to enroll in PSYC 105.
(Contact the Psychology Department for a list of eligible courses)
The math placement test can be found on Moodle under “My Courses” then “Placement Tests.”
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PSYC 142 - Sensation and Perception Sensation, perception and cognition work together to give us meaningful information about the world. This course examines how information is picked up from the environment and then coded, transformed and integrated by the sensory systems. Special emphasis is placed on the importance of pain and touch to our survival and well-being. For each of the six senses, we will consider not only what kind of information it provides about the world, but also how it can be impaired, and how some impairments can be remedied. We will also explore some of the relations between perception and clinical, developmental, social, and cultural psychology.
Not recommended for first year students.
Prerequisites for this course require a grade of C- or better
Fulfills the Basic Processes requirement of the Psychology major.
Prerequisites:
Anticipated Terms Offered: Periodically
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PSYC 144 - Interpersonal Psychology
In this course students will learn about the science of interpersonal relationships. The course will focus specifically on what psychologists have learned about attraction and what people look for in a long-term partner, the experience of love and intimacy, communication in intimate relationships, the role of personality and personal history in relationship satisfaction, interpersonal conflict and problem solving, parenting and co-parenting, and therapies designed to improve and strengthen relationship health.
Prerequisites for this course require a grade of C- or better
This course fulfills the Basic Processes requirement of the Psychology major.
Prerequisites:
Anticipated Terms Offered: Annually
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PSYC 193 - Discourse, Identity, and the Critique of Romance This FYI explores how people make sense of themselves by what they say and how they say it (‘discourse’) - with a focus on the construction of a ‘modern identity’ and the sense of who we are in ‘Late Modernity’. This particular semester we will focus on how the search for a unique sense of self that is ‘recognized’ by others is something that has resulted in modern times in more distant and ‘cool’ relationships vis-à-vis ‘the other’-especially in romantic relationships. Since this course carries the Language and Culture Perspective, it is expected that students will acquire the basic skills in linguistics necessary for the acquisition of some basic Maori, and some in-depth analyses of discourse. Students will be expected to commit themselves to a high-level academic atmosphere and to a challenging workload that will result in stimulating class discussions. Participation in Weekend Seminar required.
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: LP
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
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