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Topics Courses
The following descriptions provide information for courses which are not fully detailed in the departmental section of the Catalogue. These are courses with variable content which may change from year to year, or they are courses which are experimental and may be offered only once or twice before gaining approval to be listed along with other departmental or program courses. B.A. distribution requirements satisfied by these courses are shown at the end of each description.
ART
2-274. Topic: The Ancient Greco-Roman World
The course examines sculpture, painting, pottery, and architecture from the ancient Mediterranean with a focus on comparing works from Greek and Roman cultures. A basic knowledge of classical mythology is encouraged. (Humanities) McOMBER [AH]
4-276. Topic: Art of Mexico
A survey of Mexican art beginning with Mesoamerican traditions and ending with Mexican modernism. The first part of the class focuses on the art of the Olmecs, West Mexicans, Mayans and Aztecs. The second half of the course explores the colonial period and concludes with a look at the Mexican revolution and its effect on the work of Mexican modernists such as Posada, Kahlo, Izquierdo, and the Mexican muralists. The class focuses on portraiture, and politics, economics, religion, gender and social and ethnic identity as prominent themes. (Humanities) CLUNIS [AH]
9-277. Topic: The Duchamp Effect
A concise look at the artistic career of Marcel Duchamp and his influence on later artistic movements. Class topics will include Duchamp's life and work in France, his transition from painting to readymade, and his artistic personality and its influence on the reception of his work. Students will examine the emergence of collage, assemblage, and the readymade by artists of this era and DADA as well as their impact on twentieth century art. The class concludes with a look at contemporary artists and an assessment of Duchamp's influence on their art. (Humanities) CLUNIS [AH]
1-278. Topic: Beauty and the Beast (Gender and Power in African Masquerade)
Course functions as an introduction to African art traditions with a focus on masks and masquerade traditions throughout the continent. We will address how various communities within Africa expect a certain kind of gender performance from both women and men in everyday life. Students examine how these strict prescriptions of gender are explored and traversed through masquerade. Art will be discussed in terms of aesthetics from the perspective of both Western art history and within the context of Africa. (Humanities) CLUNIS [AH]
8-378. Advanced Topic: Early Women, Power, and the Royal Court (same course as ENG 8-374)
This team-taught interdisciplinary seminar focuses on queens and court ladies as objects of representation and contributors to the visual arts and the literature of the early modern era (1400-1800 CE). We will study how women, like Catherine and Marie de Medici of France, Elizabeth I of England, and Christina of Sweden, negotiated power and shaped contemporary categories of gender, how their power was buttressed and propagated, but also challenged and discredited through art and literature. The course may count for English or Art credit. Prerequisites: a writing-designated course (W) and at least one of the following: ART 256, ART 257, ART 361, ENG 321, ENG 322, ENG 323, ENG 324, ENG 325, ENG 326, ENG 327, or permission of the instructor. (Humanities) McOMBER/STAVREVA [AH]
BIOLOGY
7-108. Topic: Food and Environment
Introduction to basic biology with an emphasis on agricultural ecology, the environmental implications of our current globalized food system, and the benefits of sustainable agriculture and local food. (Science) KROUSE
8-108. Topics
Description to come. (Science) STAFF
9-108. Topics
Description to come. (Science) STAFF
3-282. Topic: Introduction to Neuroscience (same course as PSY 3-260)
This course examines the dynamic interplay between behavior and the brain. The foundation for this exploration will be built on the structural components of the brain and cells as well as the neurochemical communicative processes within and between nerve cells. This groundwork will provide the basis for our investigation of the reciprocal relationship between the brain and the natural and social environments that surround it. Topics may include: vision, perception, learning, memory, cognition, aggression, language, stress, and mental disorders. Prerequisite: PSY 161. (Laboratory Science) CHRISTIE-POPE/DRAGON
9-381. Advanced Topic: Molecular Evolution
Genes, genomes, and proteins are products of evolution: how do they evolve? Understanding the evolution of molecules is critically important to fields of medicine, agriculture, and conservation and to the reconstruction of the evolutionary history of all organisms. Prerequisite: BIO 205; BIO 211 or familiarity with population genetics and phylogenetic methods are strongly recommended. This course can be used to satisfy the ``cell'' distribution requirement for both BIO and BMB majors. CONDON
CHEMISTRY
2-108. Topic: Chemistry of Artists' Materials
This introductory-level course is intended for non-majors. A variety of chemistry-related topics will be introduced with the goal of gaining an understanding of the materials used in works of art. We will begin by looking at the nature of light and how light interacts with matter to find out why objects appear as they do. We will need to learn about the electronic structure of atoms and molecules in order to understand how dyes and pigments function. A brief introduction to organic and polymer chemistry will be undertaken to look at the properties of paints, paper, and textiles. An introduction to ceramics, glasses, and glazes will make use of concepts from inorganic chemistry. The concepts of oxidation and reduction will be introduced as we look at the chemistry of the photographic process. (Science) LIBERKO
9-262. Topic: Environmental Chemistry
Introduction to principles concerning chemicals, both natural and man-made, in our environment. Discussion will center on atmospheric, aquatic, and soil chemistries, including the reactions, transport, fate, and implications of chemical species in the environment. In addition, the course will touch on the intersection of science with environmental policy and the role humans play in changing the chemistry of the environment. The laboratory will focus on chemical analyses with environmental applications. Prerequisite: CHE 122 or 161. (Laboratory Science) TEAGUE
COMPUTER SCIENCE
2-355. Advanced Topic: Bioinformatics
Exploration of the intersection between computer science and molecular biology, focusing on current problems in genomics and emphasizing discovery of the most effective methods for solving these problems. The course begins with an introduction to the relevant concepts in molecular biology for computer science students, and the relevant concepts in computer science for biology students. Topics may include DNA sequence assembly, probe/primer design, protein sequence comparison, motif/signal detection, hybridization array analysis, linkage analysis, RNA and protein folding, phylogenic trees, and DNA computers. Prerequisite: CSC 213 or BIO 205 or permission of instructor. WILDENBERG
7-356. Advanced Topic: Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs
Students will gain a deeper understanding of principles of design through practice solving problems in a variety of domains, including image processing, data compression, symbolic algebra and differentiation, and simulation of digital circuits. By building an interpreter, students will gain insight into the design of the languages they use to program computers. Using the Scheme language (a dialect of Lisp) students will explore functional, logical, and object-oriented programming disciplines. This fast-paced course is an adaptation of a highly influential course developed at MIT. Prerequisites: CSC 140 and 151. TABAK
ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS
7-265. Topic: Health Economics
Description to come. (Social Science) STAFF
8-271. Topic: Entrepreneurship
Description to come. (Social Science) CARLSON
3-272. Topic: Capital Markets
An examination of the institutions involved in pricing and trading long-term financial securities. Included is a review of national and international bond and stock markets, the basics of securities trading, securities pricing theories, risk versus return in securities pricing, mutual funds, and the efficient market hypothesis. Prerequisite: ECB 101 or 102. (Social Science) KLEIN
5-273. Topics in Finance
Selected topics of current interest in finance. Prerequisites: ECB 151 and ECB 101 or 102. (Social Science) KLEIN
ENGLISH
1-111. Topic: Science, Fiction, and Culture (linked with PHY 4-125)
Science fiction often posits futuristic societies, impossible technologies, or unlikely encounters (with aliens, artificial intelligence, and so on). For all its fantastical elements, most science fiction actually comments on contemporary society. This course will examine science fiction as a literary genre engaged in social commentary. This course fulfills the writing requirement and so includes an emphasis on critical reading, writing and revision. Some attention paid to writing style as well. Students will write and revise several papers and complete a research project. Not open to students who have previously completed ENG 111. (Humanities, Writing Requirement) REED
2-111-A. Topic: Virginia Woolf and London: Mrs. Dalloway and Beyond
This course provides an introduction to college writing through the analysis of an experimental novel and essays by Virginia Woolf that explore the compelling cityscape and mindscape of London in the 1920s. We will read and study Woolf's modernist novel from 1925, Mrs. Dalloway, and using a facsimile of a 1924 guidebook to London, we will focus on the London of the 1920s, a postwar city haunted by the ghosts of WWI, and alive with cultural adventures such as the London Film Society, and the highbrow, high-fashion British Vogue. We will study Woolf's essays, ``The Cinema,'' ``Street Haunting,'' and other London essays. And we will view some experimental films shown by the London Film Society. Throughout the course, students will draft and redraft writings, from in class writing to critical essays to research-informed critical projects. Students will learn how to search for literary and cultural scholarship, using library resources such as search engines and data bases-as well as the Virginia Woolf CD-ROM. Challenging writing assignments will help develop critical thinking and critical writing skills. Not open to students who have previously completed ENG 111. (Humanities, Writing Requirement) HANKINS
2-111-B. Topic: Fairy Tales, Walt Disney, and Cultural Criticism
The Disney Corporation's influence on American culture is pervasive, but until recently, it has been largely unexamined. This course will focus on critical perspectives and readings of Disney films, and other elements of the Disney Corporation-such as Disney World, Disney Cruise Lines, and Disney's residential community Celebration. How do Disney films affect and challenge our understandings of gender and race? What does Disney World's popularity reflect about American culture? Emphasis on critical reading and academic writing. Requirements include three papers, writing workshops, and revisions. Not open to students who have previously completed ENG 111. (Humanities, Writing Requirement) MOUTON
3-111. Topic: Virginia Woolf and London: Mrs. Dalloway and Beyond
See Term 2 for description. Not open to students who have previously completed ENG 111. (Humanities, Writing Requirement) HANKINS
4-111-A. Topic: ``Knowledge,'' ``Culture,'' and the Liberal Arts (linked with EDU 3-205)
How is an academic field defined? Are such divisions ``natural'' or do they reflect cultural biases? How is knowledge generated and developed? This course will examine the ways in which the liberal arts intersect with, and shape, cultural formations. We will use the idea of art in general, and literature more specifically, as a lens to explore the nature of the liberal arts as a whole. We will read literary, aesthetic, cultural, and political theory in an attempt to answer for ourselves what a college education is for. What is higher education's role in a democratic society? How should it serve both individuals and society? This course is linked to Professor Mackler's EDU 3-205, The Foundations of Education, which will give an historical overview of the liberal arts. Not open to students who have previously completed ENG 111. (Humanities, Writing Requirement) G. FREEMAN
4-111-B. Topic: The Problems of ``Passing''
A slave dresses as her white owner, and her husband poses as her slave; together they escape to freedom. A slave mother switches her own child with her owner's child, and her son is raised as heir of the house. How do these passers succeed in crossing such rigid social boundaries? What do passing narratives teach us about identity, the legibility of bodies, and social conceptions of race and gender? We will interrogate the reasons for and conditions of passing, the anxieties surrounding passing, and the consequences when it is exposed and ``corrected.'' This course will emphasize critical thinking, reading, and writing skills and will introduce students to conventions of academic research. Students will be fully immersed in the writing and revision process through multiple writing assignments and frequent workshops. Not open to students who have previously completed ENG 111. (Humanities, Writing Requirement) ENTEL
5-111. Topic: Sexualities in Modern Literature and Culture: Identifications and Manifestations
Together we will examine texts (and I here include television and music as well) that provide us with a sense of the myriad identifications and manifestations of sexual identities and practices represented in American culture during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. In order to understand the present, we will look to the past, and will strive to see the relationship between the construction of sexual identities and their representations in literature and culture over time. Why, for instance, was Lolita such an inflammatory book in one period and then used (successfully!) as a career ploy by Britney Spears and other pop-tweenies? Unlike the film versions of Lolita, American Beauty won both critical and popular acclaim...for revisiting the same material as the novel. What are the undercurrents that allowed for such sea change? Has the glut of seemingly endless sexualized imagery on television and popular culture actually made for a more sophisticated attitude toward sexual identity and practice? This and other questions will be asked. Together we will work to turn your considered opinions into compelling writing. Texts and authors may include: Tennessee Williams; Nabokov's Lolita, Candace Bushnell (both written and televised), Moises Kaufman's The Laramie Project, Gore Vidal, Lee Child, David Morrell, short stories by Dorothy Allison, third-wave feminist criticism, masculinity studies, essays on Camp, queer theory, and popular culture. Television will doubtlessly include some combination of the following: Sex and the City, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, The L Word, Nip/Tuck, American Beauty, Boys Don't Cry. In addition to intensive readings, there will be daily writing assignments and in-class workshops to provide ample opportunity for reflection, revision, and polishing. The object of this course is to introduce students to critical reading, writing, and thinking, and focus will linger on the properties of `academic writing.' Not open to students who have previously completed ENG 111. (Humanities, Writing Requirement) ALTER
6-111-A. Topic: ``Knowledge,'' ``Culture,'' and the Liberal Arts
How is an academic field defined? Are such divisions ``natural'' or do they reflect cultural biases? How is knowledge generated and developed? This course will examine the ways in which the liberal arts intersect with, and shape, cultural formations. We will use the idea of art in general, and literature more specifically, as a lens to explore the nature of the liberal arts as a whole. We will read literary, aesthetic, cultural, and political theory in an attempt to answer for ourselves what a college education is for. What is higher education's role in a democratic society? How should it serve both individuals and society? This course should give students the background and the critical eye to question and to make use of their experiences at Cornell. Not open to students who have previously completed ENG 111. (Humanities, Writing Requirement) G. FREEMAN
6-111-B. Topic: From Esther to Elizabeth I: Queens in Sacred Writings, Literature, and Film
Savvy political power brokers and symbols of patriarchal power or male political alliances, sexualized entrancesses and skillful negotiators, she-wolves and saintly wives to the nation, defenders of their honor, their love, their nation, their faith: from the ancient Hebrews to today's cinematic audiences, queens have captured the imagination of story-tellers, writers, and visual artists. In this introductory writing course, we will study the representations of historical and mythologized women rulers in the Hebrew Bible, Renaissance and Romantic literature, and contemporary film-women such as Esther and Vashti, Isabella and Elizabeth I of England, the two Marguerites of Navarre (aunt and niece), and Catherine de Medici. Through writing and class discussions of chapters from the Hebrew Bible, Renaissance drama and narrative fiction, Romantic novel, and contemporary historical film, you will hone your analytical and critical reading skills. A research assignment will introduce you to the library resources and to research techniques in the field of literary and cultural studies. The course will involve daily writing and will give you multiple opportunities to reflect on the writing process and engage in writing revision. Not open to students who have previously completed ENG 111. (Humanities, Writing Requirement) STAVREVA
7-111. Topic: The Problems of ``Passing''
See Term 4 for description. Not open to students who have previously completed ENG 111. (Humanities, Writing Requirement) ENTEL
8-111. Topic: Fairy Tales, Walt Disney, and Cultural Criticism
See Term 2 for description. Not open to students who have previously completed ENG 111. (Humanities, Writing Requirement) MOUTON
1-350. American Nature Writers (Wilderness Field Station, Minnesota)
When Europeans first arrived on the shores of North America, the continent was seen as a ``New Eden,'' a vast, bountiful wilderness of endless riches inhabited by wild, savage primitives. Even as the wilderness has been tamed (or erased?), images of wilderness have remained a defining element of the American ethos, serving as a spiritual, religious, and aesthetic metaphor for the American character. Wilderness is at the heart of the American mythology. At the same time, America has had a long, troubled relationship with its wilderness as environmental concerns clash inevitably with economic/political concerns. In the terms of a predominant Judeo-Christian heritage, what does it mean to have ``dominion'' over the wilderness and its inhabitants? This course will trace both a historical/political and a literary relationship with ``nature.'' We will read influential writers such as Aldo Leopold, Gary Snyder, Terry Tempest Williams, Wendell Berry, Annie Dillard, and Pattiann Rogers. We will also explore a Native literary/environmental tradition, looking especially at works by people indigenous to the area, the Anishinaabe. We will read creation myths, tales of the great trickster Nanaboozhoo, and contemporary poems.
We will be fortunate to engage in this study in the midst of one of America's most important wilderness areas, The Boundary Waters Canoe Area of northern Minnesota. As we study an historical tradition, then, we will be offered a unique opportunity to examine and write about our own relationship with nature and wilderness. We will learn about canoeing, portaging, and surviving in the wilderness, and the class will spend several days canoeing into the heart of the BWCWA which will allow us to encounter nature in a way that the contemporary world with its electronic ``conveniences'' all too frequently neglects. We will read, we will write, we will listen, we will swim and play, and we will experience our selves and our world in a new and challenging way. Whether you are an avid outdoorsperson or a neophyte, this course will offer you room to challenge yourself and to grow. Registration entails additional costs. Prerequisite: writing-designated course (W). (Humanities)
G. FREEMAN
8-372. Film and Film Criticism: International and Avant-Garde Films of the 1920s
In this engagement with film history, the class will screen and analyze an array of influential silent films from the 1920s, from classics of early Soviet cinema and German Expressionism, to short films by the French avant-garde, to quirky British films and a brief glance at mainstream American film. However, the main adventure will be to explore a wealth of avant-garde films that have come out of the archives recently in dazzling restored collections: treasures of early American cinema and of the European avant-garde. We will study historical accounts of the 1920s in film history, including accounts of the London Film Society and early film critics, such as Iris Barry. The course will focus on film history, but will also introduce students to other areas of film studies through a film textbook that covers film analysis and theory. Prerequisite: writing-designated course (W). (Humanities) HANKINS
6-373. Advanced Topic: Introduction to Journalism
Description to come. Prerequisite: writing-designated course (W). (Humanities) EASTBURN
8-374. Advanced Topic: Early Women, Power, and the Royal Court (same as ART 8-378)
This team-taught interdisciplinary seminar focuses on queens and court ladies as objects of representation and contributors to the visual arts and the literature of the early modern era (1400-1800 CE). We will study how women, like Catherine and Marie de Medici of France, Elizabeth I of England, and Christina of Sweden, negotiated power and shaped contemporary categories of gender, how their power was buttressed and propagated, but also challenged and discredited through art and literature. The course may count for English or Art credit. Prerequisites: a writing-designated course (W) and at least one of the following: ART 256, ART 257, ART 361, ENG 321, ENG 322, ENG 323, ENG 324, ENG 325, ENG 326, ENG 327, or permission of the instructor. (Humanities) McOMBER/STAVREVA
1-411. Senior Seminar: A Critical History of the Novel
Advanced, theoretically informed engagement with literary studies, broadly defined, including reflection on what the English major brings to intellectual and creative life beyond the undergraduate years. The scholarly focus will be on the origins and early history of the novel. We will read narrative theory in addition to several nineteenth-century novels. What influenced the origins of the novel form, and how did its development correspond to social and economic changes? What forms of the novel continue to be significant today? Students will initiate research projects, and will reflect on the place of the novel in life beyond the English major. Prerequisites: English major and senior standing. (Humanities) MOUTON
7-411. Senior Seminar: Modernism(s) and the Cinema and Beyond
Advanced, theoretically informed engagement with literary studies, broadly defined, including reflection on what the English major brings to intellectual and creative life beyond the undergraduate years. The scholarly focus will be on the topic of Modernism(s) and the cinema. We will screen films and peruse anthologies of Modernism and recent scholarly publications on cinema and modernism and students will initiate research projects as potential contributions to the topic. The course will also leap into the present, and the future, engaging students in an interrogation of what it means to be an English major for life, as we attend readings at Prairie Lights, write reflective creative and critical journals, and compile reading lists for the next decade of post-Cornell lives. Prerequisites: English major and senior standing. (Humanities) HANKINS
FRENCH
7-365. Advanced Topic: Francophone Culture and Civilization
This course will focus on Francophone African culture as it is manifested in literary texts, film, food and music. All discussions and work will be done in French, although there will be some supplementary reading in English. Students will learn about socio-cultural traditions and issues in the Francophone world, and will examine the ways in which texts and cultural artifacts are shaped by the historical processes of colonization, decolonization and post-colonialism. The role of France and its relationship with the people and countries of the Francophone world will also be discussed. The course will include a field trip to the University of Iowa Museum of Art to visit the Stanley African art collection. Prerequisite: FRE 301. BATY
HISTORY
4-259. Topic: Foundations of Islamic History
An overview of the first 650 years of Islamic history from the appearance of Muhammad until the sacking of Baghdad by the Mongols in 1258. Topics include the rapid rise and spread of Islam, the establishment of the Caliphate, the emergence of a distinctive Muslim culture, the conflicts between Islam and medieval Christendom including the Crusades, and between Islam and various nomadic groups from central Asia. (Humanities) MILLER
3-260. Topic: Public Memory and Public History
The American public has an insatiable appetite for representations of the nation's past, as demonstrated by the popularity of historic sites, museums, historical re-enactments, televised historical documentaries on PBS and the History Channel, and Hollywood films. Yet, despite the growing audience for history as a form of popular and mass culture, the practice of history seems to be in a state of crisis. Political debates which emerged in the 1990s over controversial exhibits of the nation's past, such as the proposed ``Enola Gay'' exhibit at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum, engendered a public furor over how American history is being taught and remembered. This course will examine the often contentious relationship between popular presentations of America's past for the general public, and professional historians' scholarly understandings of key events in the nation's history. In order to gain some practical knowledge of the range of careers in Public History, all students will participate in the ``hands-on'' experience of a mini-internship at local historical societies and museums. (Humanities) STEWART
7-336. Advanced Topic: Medieval Romantic Love
This course will examine the rise of Romantic Love, from its beginning in the central Middle Ages through its full development in the Early Renaissance. Using primary documents, students will explore the historical, cultural, and intellectual aspects of this important phenomena. Prerequisite: junior standing or permission of instructor. (Humanities) MILLER
KINESIOLOGY
5-259. Topic: Ancient Greek Athletics
Study of the origins and functions of competitive athletics in ancient Greece. Traditional athletic events are studied in detail and special emphasis is placed on the festivals at Olympia, Delphi, Nemea, Isthmia, and Athens. Reflections on athletics' connection to ancient culture, arts, and religion. WHALE
POLITICS
2-252. Topic: Principles of Advocacy
An overview of the United States legal system with an emphasis on the adversarial approach to resolution of conflicts and controversies in federal, state, and local tribunals as well as in alternate forums and venues. Students will gain a general understanding of the roles of the various participants with primary focus on the role of the lawyer as advocate. The course will incorporate aspirational and ethical considerations, practical issues faced by trial attorneys, and the potential for fulfillment and disillusionment fighting the battles of others. (Social Science) HEDGES
5-357. Seminar: U.S. Health Policy
Review of the historic development of health policy in the United States and factors that affect future health policy initiatives. The basic elements underlying financing, organization, and delivery of healthcare services including Medicare, Medicaid, access to healthcare, and the relationship between the public and private sectors on health policy. Examination of how policy affects the development of health care legislation, and the process of political compromise and real world limitations upon the implementation of legislation. Prerequisite: POL 262 or 282. (Social Science) BENTZ
PSYCHOLOGY
3-260. Topic: Introduction to Neuroscience (same course as BIO 3-282)
This course examines the dynamic interplay between behavior and the brain. The foundation for this exploration will be built on the structural components of the brain and cells as well as the neurochemical communicative processes within and between nerve cells. This groundwork will provide the basis for our investigation of the reciprocal relationship between the brain and the natural and social environments that surround it. Topics may include: vision, perception, learning, memory, cognition, aggression, language, stress, and mental disorders. Prerequisite: PSY 161. (Laboratory Science) CHRISTIE-POPE/DRAGON
6-353. Advanced Topic: Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine
There is little question that the mind and body are inextricably linked, interacting in complex ways to jointly contribute to illness, disease, health, and well-being. Thus, the study of the mind (i.e., Psychology) has been thrust together with the study of physical health (i.e., Medicine) to create the closely related fields of Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine. The purpose of this course is two-fold: 1) to comprehend and integrate psychological and biomedical knowledge in order to better understand health and illness, and 2) to examine social and behavioral aspects that contribute to physical health and well-being. (Social Science) GREEN
7-360. Advanced Topic: Human Services Practicum and Seminar
Supervised full-time internship in a human service context and weekly seminar. Group discussions of current issues in the field such as cultural and gender diversity, ethics, professional practice challenges, and the role of research in practice. Students must provide their own transportation. Prerequisites: junior or senior standing with declared major in Psychology, 3 courses in Psychology, and permission of instructor. (CR) JANSSENS-RUD
RELIGION
8-369. Advanced Topic: Religions of China and Japan
This course focuses on the character and development of Chinese and Japanese religions. Particular emphasis will be placed on familiarity with the figures, movements and literature of China and Japan's ``major'' religions (Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism and Shinto). Nonetheless, the course will also explore less familiar topics such as ``new'' religious movements, and the reception of ``western'' philosophy and religion. The course will also examine the intersection of religion and culture in East Asia, and thus explore the doctrines and history of Chinese and Japanese religion within its regional, social and cultural contexts. Prerequisite: sophomore standing or permission of the instructor. (Humanities) SACKS [CM]
9-370. Advanced Topic: Religions of Tibet (in Tibet)
This course introduces the philosophy and geography of religious traditions within the sacred landscape of Tibet; emphasis will be placed on Buddhism as the predominant tradition, but the course will also place Tibetan Buddhism within the context of other religious traditions in the region, such as Islamic, Chinese and ``folk'' traditions. Students will combine study of the historic, literary, and cultural components of Tibetan religion in course lectures with various modes of observation and participation in the resources of the Lhasa region of Tibet - including interviews with local informants, visits to prominent monasteries and temples, and travel in contemporary routes of pilgrimage. Note: Registration entails an additional cost of approximately $4,000. Prerequisite: sophomore standing or permission of the instructor. (Humanities) SACKS [CM]
SOCIOLOGY
4-351. Advanced Topic: Sociology of the Body
Examines social, cultural and political perspectives on the body, with a focus on body modification. Consideration of material and symbolic aspects of the body; the relationship of bodies to gender, sexuality, class, and race/ethnicity; body modifications as social practices; and the negotiation of the self within various social conditions, contexts, and ideologies. Special emphasis given to the construction of `normal' bodies (linked to medicine, technology, nationalism, and other institutions) as well as the construction of `deviant' or `transgressive' bodies. Prerequisite: SOC 101. (Social Science) DAVIS [Small Group]
4-352.Advanced Topic: Wealth, Power, and Inequality
Emphasizes the importance of social class by exploring the meaning and measurement of social class, how social classes are formed, and how they change. Investigates the relationship between various forms of inequality (i.e., social class, race-ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and nationality) and contemplates the role of culture and social institutions, (e.g., work, the health care system, schools, families, the political systems, etc.) in perpetuating, legitimizing, and sometimes challenging social inequality. Prerequisite: SOC 101. (Social Science) BARNES-BRUS [Hierarchy]
6-353. Advanced Topic: Cultural Sociology
Investigates the connections between culture, structure, and society as a whole; specifically focuses on the ways that symbols, language, and other forms of knowledge work to create meanings, constitute power, and form the basis for understanding social life including relationships, politics, sexuality, and work. Considers the creation and reception of culture; the relationship between culture and inequality; issues of domination and resistance, and the connections between culture and social/historical change. Prerequisite: SOC 101. (Social Science) BARNES-BRUS [Organization]
SPANISH
7-365. Advanced Topic: Bolivian Culture and Civilization (in Bolivia)
An overview of the cultural, historical, political, and economic forces that have formed Bolivia and continue to influence Bolivian society today. Taught in Bolivia. Registration entails additional costs. (Humanities) LACY-SALAZAR
THEATRE
5-264. Topic: Sound Design
Explores the role of the theatrical sound designer and sound engineer in the design and production process. Course includes understanding the principles and properties of sound, especially as a design element in theatre; digital and analog recording; and editing, mixing and playback techniques. Projects focus on the challenges and difference in recording, playback, and the use of sound in theatrical settings and configurations. The concepts and techniques are applicable in a variety of other contexts, especially in composing and/or mixing music. (Fine Arts) STAFF
3-265. Topic: Fundamentals of Design
Introduction and exploration of theatrical stage design, including sound, scenic, costume, and lighting design. Theatre experience helpful but not necessary. (Fine Arts) OLINGER
8-319. Advanced Topic: The Art of Auditioning
An intensive workshop class consisting of monologue work, cold readings, improv, audition protocol and professional survival skills. Ideal for the student considering a professional acting career. Prerequisite: THE 115. VAN VALEN
8-371. Advanced Topic: Contemporary Drama
This course in contemporary playwriting focuses on selected playtexts written after the mid 20th century. It is intended to survey the range of contemporary dramaturgy, emphasizing plays acclaimed for their quality and influential impact on other writers. Prerequisite: writing-designated course (W). (Humanities) HUNTER
9-372. Advanced Topic: Master Works of Dramatic Literature
This course in dramatic literature examines a select group of playtexts that are acknowledged masterpieces and which have been especially influential in theatre history. Plays studied may include ancient Greek, early modern, Elizabethan, and Restoration comedy texts, as well as an assortment of 19th and early 20th century classics. Prerequisite: writing-designated course (W). (Humanities) LEWIS
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