What is “religion?” How did various religions shape the cultures around the world, and how do they continue to influence us today? This course explores these questions and more. We will discuss the concept of religion, and analyze texts and traditions from Buddhism and Judaism to Vodoo and Sports. No prior knowledge about any religious… [Read More]
Politics of Religion: Tibet & China
What is the relationship between religion and politics? This course examines the meanings of, and interactions between religion and politics in the case of Tibet and its long term relationship with China. As a theocracy (religious government) and under Chinese Communist rule, the politicization of religion was (and still is) a common occurrence in Tibetan… [Read More]
Cultural Psychology
An exploration of the ways in which different cultures lead people to vary in basic psychological processes. The course will particularly focus on collectivism and individualism. Topics include language development, moral reasoning, mental health, self-concept, and parenting styles. PSY*340
Politics of International Development
This course will introduce the major theoretical approaches to development. This will include reasons why some countries are developed while others lag behind, strategies for economic development and positive or negative effects of politics on such strategies. It will also discuss the international side of development, including institutions like International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and… [Read More]
International Social Movements
Whether examining the indigenous rights movements in Latin America, the Civil Rights Movement in the United States, or the 15-M Movement in Spain, one will find that social movements around the world are deeply connected to the political realities in which they originate. But what are the political, social, and economic circumstances and contexts and… [Read More]
The Quest for Civil Rights
A detailed study of the history of the Civil Rights Movement for African-Americans and other ethnic minorities in America with focus on school desegregation, student and community protest, white backlash, court decisions, government action and inaction, divisions between moderates and radicals, and the causes of disintegration of the various movements, with some attention to busing… [Read More]
Immigration and the U.S.
A detailed study of the history of immigration to the United States, with a focus on the late nineteenth and twentieth century. Topics include the place of immigration in American ideology and self-image, histories of social and political resistance to immigration, and the impact and legacy of immigrants in America. Particular attention to the cultural,… [Read More]
Sex, Self, and Society
A critical exploration of the relationships between sexual practices, having a good life, and creating a good society. Possible topics include hooking up, marriage (and alternative relationship forms), porn, sexual safety, and similar matters. Drawing examples from diverse sexual cultures in the U.S. we consider both Christian and “secular” perspectives (which, we will see also… [Read More]
Medical History: Cases of Hysteria
What makes a person “hysterical”? The word hysteria derives from the Greek hustera (“uterus”). The ancient Greeks believed that the uterus was an animal within an animal, to be blamed for any disease or disturbance in a woman’s body or psyche. In modern times, especially after Sigmund Freud, hysteria came to signify emotional excess or… [Read More]
Literature and Gender
Literature, Gender, and Sexualities will examine how human gender and sexuality were and are constructed by studying literature from a variety of genres and time periods. Analysis of texts will help students develop an appreciation of gender and sexual diversity, raise awareness of stark inequalities, and center the intersectional nature of gender and sexual identities.… [Read More]