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College Catalog 2013-2014 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Courses

 

Environmental Studies
  

  • ENVI 150 - Climate and Society

    Seasonal and annual patterns of temperature and precipitation influence the development, success and collapse of civilizations. Regional climate determines numerous things about how humans adapt to survive there, including the type of shelter needed, the length of the growing season, and the availability/scarcity of freshwater. Using a combination of scientific and historical records, this course will provide a brief introduction to the climate system and will then focus on how changes in climate affected several societies throughout history. In the latter part of the course we will discuss observed global warming in the modern world, what the potential benefits and consequences of it may be, and whether or not there are lessons to be learned from our ancestors. Fall semester. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 160 - Dynamic Earth and Global Change

    Cross-Listed as  
    This course provides an introduction to the materials and structure of the Earth and to the processes acting on and in the Earth to produce change. Emphasis is placed on the evolution of landforms and the formation of Earth resources. Discussions focus on the important role of geologic processes in the solution of environmental problems. Required for geology majors. Local field trips. Three hours lecture and two hours lab per week. Every fall. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 172 - Psychology in the Material World

    Cross-Listed as PSYC 172 
    This course is an in-depth psychological analysis of consumerism and the human reltaionship to “stuff.” Consumerism, materialistic aspirations, and “affluenza” (the disease of affluence) all exert profound and often undesirable effects on both people’s individual lives and on society as a whole. These phenomena, and the consumerist culture they are embedded in, affect our psyches, our families, our local communities, the peoples of the world, and the integrity of our ecological system. This course draws from a range of theoretical, clinical, and methodological approaches to explore several key questions: Where does the drive to consume originate? Do we control our consumer behavior, or does it control us? Is it possible to live in our culture and not be a consumer? What are the alternatives to the status quo? We will analyze and discuss both the scholarly ramifications of these ideas and also how to act upon them in our lives and society more broadly. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 194 - Topics Course

    Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 202 - Sustainability and the Campus

    This interdisciplinary class will make direct connections between global environmental issues, such as climate change, and life on an urban campus. With Macalester College as our case study, we will explore how the daily activities on a campus (energy use, food, transportation, water use, etc.) translate into issues such as greenhouse gas emissions, solid waste, and urban stormwater. We will examine campus resource and energy flows and have the opportunity to combine theory with application through a real-world campus sustainability project. No prerequisites; all interdisciplinary perspectives are needed and welcome. (2 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 215 - Environmental Politics/Policy

    Cross-Listed as  
    This course provides an introduction to the field of Environmental Politics and Policy. Using a comparative approach, the course engages the meaning and development of environmental governance. We will explore the tandem rise of the modern environmental movement and profound new environmental legislation in the U.S. and internationally. Topics investigated will include: deforestation, hazardous wastes, climate change, population growth, and loss of biodiversity. Spring semester. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 225 - 100 Words for Snow: Language and Nature

    Cross-Listed as LING 225 .
    Human beings have an unprecedented ability to shape the environment around them, yet the environment powerfully shapes both individuals and species. Two main questions run throughout this course: 1. How does language influence the way we think about and perceive nature, which in turn influences the way we interact with and shape nature? 2. How has our environment shaped the Language faculty and individual languages? To answer these questions, we’ll start by asking, what is language and what is nature? Then we’ll turn to the way that our environment has impacted the evolution of Language. Next we’ll look at indigenous knowledge as it is encoded by language and the Linguistic Relativity Hypothesis, which says that language influences the way we perceive the world. With this as background, we’ll look at the language of environmental discourse. Next, using the metaphor of ecology, we’ll examine languages as if they were organisms and analyze the ecosystems that sustain them. Knowing what makes a healthy language, we’ll look at endangered languages and the connections between linguistic diversity and biodiversity. No prerequisites. Spring semester. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 229 - Environmental Ethics

    Cross-Listed as PHIL 229 .
    Emerging in the 1970s, the field of environmental ethics began by sparking a rich line of philosophical inquiry largely focused on the moral status of the natural world and the non-human entities within it. What reasons do we have to give moral consideration to the environment? And what do we mean when we say we have a moral duty toward the environment? Do we have moral duties to individuals within a species, or to species themselves, or to ecosystems, or to…? This course will invite you to reflect on key philosophical works that engage these and related questions. You will also have the opportunity to think about significant emerging topics in environmental ethics. Depending on the semester, these may include the debate over the ethics of wilderness preservation; the challenges of expanding environmental ethics to address issues of global climate change and resource sustainability; environmental rights; and environmental justice. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 231 - Environmental Economics and Policy

    Cross-Listed as ECON 231 
    This course analyzes the economics of public policy toward the environment. It examines the problem of market failure in the presence of externalities and public goods, and considers policy responses to these market failures, including command-and-control regulations, tax and subsidy incentives, and marketable pollution permits. These policies are examined in the context of, for example, urban air pollution, ozone depletion and global warming, water pollution, municipal and hazardous waste, threats to biodiversity, and economic development. Particular attention is paid to methods of quantifying the benefits and costs of environmental protection. Prerequisite(s): ECON 119 . (4 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 232 - People, Agriculture and the Environment

    Cross-Listed as  
    This course introduces you to the study of human-environment interactions from a geographic perspective, with a special emphasis on the role of humans in changing the face of the earth and how, in turn, this changing environment influences humans. The course will examine environmental issues in a variety of geographic contexts (developed and developing countries) and the connections between environmental problems in different locations. Students will explore the fundamentals of environmental science, economics, cultural and political ecology, as well as a number of sectoral issues related to human population growth, agriculture, water resources, biodiversity, forest resources, energy use, climate change, and environmental health. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 234 - American Environmental History

    Cross-Listed as  
    People have always had to contend with the natural world, but only recently have historians begun to explore the changing relationships between people and their environment over time. In this course, we will examine the variety of ways that people in North America have shaped the environment, as well as how they have used, labored in, abused, conserved, protected, rearranged, polluted, cleaned, and thought about it. In addition, we will explore how various characteristics of the natural world have affected the broad patterns of human society, sometimes harming or hindering life and other times enabling rapid development and expansion. By bringing nature into the study of human history and the human past into the study of nature, we will begin to see the connections and interdependencies between the two that are often overlooked. Fall and spring semester. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 236 - Consumer Nation: American Consumer Culture in the 20th Century

    Cross-Listed as HIST 236 
    “Of all the strange beasts that have come slouching into the 20th century,” writes James Twitchell, “none has been more misunderstood, more criticized, and more important than materialism.” In this course we will trace the various twists and turns of America’s vigorous consumer culture across the twentieth century, examining its growing influence on American life, its implications for the environmental health of the world, and the many debates it has inspired. Spring semester. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 237 - Environmental Justice

    Cross-Listed as   and AMST 237 
    Poor and minority populations have historically borne the brunt of environmental inequalities in the United States, suffering disproportionately from the effects of pollution, resource depletion, dangerous jobs, limited access to common resources, and exposure to environmental hazards. Paying particular attention to the ways that race, ethnicity, class, and gender have shaped the political and economic dimensions of environmental injustices, this course draws on the work of scholars and activists to examine the long history of environmental inequities in the United States, along with more recent political movements-national and local-that seek to rectify environmental injustices. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 252 - Water and Power

    Cross-Listed as GEOG 252  and POLI 252 
    This course develops an interdisciplinary approach to studying water resources development, drawing from geography, anthropology, history, politics, hydrology, and civil engineering. With a focus on large river basins, the course examines historical and emerging challenges to the equitable and sustainable use of transboundary waters. After first exploring the American water development model, the course will examine the promulgation of this model in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. Dam development for irrigation, electricity, navigation, and flood protection will be discussed. Prerequisite(s): ENVI 120 , ENVI 133 , or ENVI 232  Fall semester. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 258 - Geog of Environmental Hazards

    Cross-Listed as  
    The study of environmental hazards stands at a key point of intersection between the natural and social sciences. Geography, with its focus on human-environment interactions, provides key analytical tools for understanding the complex causes and uneven impacts of hazards around the world. We will explore the geophysical nature and social dimensions of disasters caused by floods, droughts, earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, tornadoes, hurricanes, and wildfires. For each of these hazard types, we apply theoretical concepts from major hazards research paradigms, including quantifying the human and economic impacts of disaster; assessing, managing, and mitigating risk; and reducing the impacts of disaster, not only through engineering works but also by reducing social vulnerability and enhancing adaptive capacity. Looking into the future, we will discuss how global-scale processes, such as climate change and globalization, might affect the frequency, intensity, and geographical distribution of environmental hazards in the decades to come.  (4 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 259 - Indigenous Peoples of the Arctic

    Cross-Listed as  
    The Arctic represents one of the most extreme environments to which humans have adapted. These adaptations include both biological and cultural changes required to settle and flourish in this formidable setting. This course looks at some of the cultural practices that appear to be ubiquitous throughout the Arctic, as well as those specializations that have developed as a result of some of the more localized environmental pressures. It also explores the consequences of rapid global climate change as well as modernization on these unique cultures to get a sense of what the future might hold for the indigenous peoples of the Arctic. Prerequisite(s):   or   or consent of instructor Alternate years. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 260 - Science Fiction: From Matrix Baby Cannibals to Brave New Worlds

    Cross-Listed as ENGL 260 .
    In the past fifty years science fiction has emerged as the primary cultural form in the Anglophone literary tradition for thinking about the eco-apocalypse: overpopulation, plague, resource depletion, natural and man-made disasters. It has also emerged as the primary cultural form for imagining a sustainable human future, through technological innovation, a balanced human ecosystem, and human flourishing through utopian principles of social justice. In this course we will examine works of science fiction as complex aesthetic achievements, as philosophical inquiries into the nature of being and time, and as theoretical examinations of the challenge of human sustainability. We will engage in intensive readings of contemporary texts, including works by Philip K. Dick, Margaret Atwood, Paolo Bacigalupi, P. D. James, Octavia Bulter, Yevgeny Zamyatin, Charles Stross, Walter Miller, Stanislaw Lem, China Miéville, Cormac McCarthy, and Kazuo Ishiguro. A companion film series will include the Matrix trilogy and other films in the genre. Offered yearly. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 262 - Studies in Literature and the Natural World

    Cross-Listed as ENGL 262 .
    A course studying the ways that literary writing develops thought and feeling about nature and our part in it. In a particular term, the course might address, for example, nature poetry from Milton to Frost; literature and the agrarian; gendered representations of nature; literary figures of relationship among humans and other kinds; nature, reason, and the passions; literatures of matter and of life; time, flux, and change in literary and science writing. Offered yearly. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 270 - Psychology of Sustainable Behavior

    Cross-Listed as PSYC 270 
    This course is an introduction to the psychological study of sustainable behavior. As scientific evidence of degraded world environmental conditions accumulates, researchers from many disciplines are joining the effort to find solutions. Technological innovation will certainly play a role, but equally important are behavior changes at both the organizational and individual level. Psychologists use their training in the scientific study of human behavior to examine why people do or do not act sustainably in a variety of situations. In this course we will study this body of research and use psychological principles, theories, and methods to understand the factors that underlie both environmentally destructive as well as environmentally sustainable actions. A significant component of the course will be direct application of theory to one’s own actions as well as to a campus-or community-based sustainability issue. Prerequisite(s): PSYC 100 , Introduction to Psychology if Psychology major. Fall semester. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 275 - Outdoor Environmental Education

    Cross-Listed as EDUC 275 
    This course provides an introduction to outdoor environmental education at the elementary school level. Macalester students will partner with teachers and students from local schools, families with school-age children, and youth organizations to explore interdisciplinary approaches to outdoor environmental education. The course will utilize Macalester’s field station, the Katharine Ordway Natural History Study Area, as an outdoor classroom and will adapt curriculum from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and other sources to help elementary school teachers and students fulfill Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards and assist youth organizations in achieving their environmental education goals. A weekly 90-minute seminar session incorporating readings, reflective writing, and individual and small group projects will complement the experiential aspects of the course. Students will participate in a weekend retreat early in the semester and three Wednesday afternoon (12-3pm) sessions at Ordway. S/NC grading only. (2 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 280 - Environmental Classics

    What has the environment meant to past generations? How have writers shaped the ways we understand our relationships with the natural world? This course explores these questions, drawing in roughly equal measure on -classic- texts from the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. Required for Environmental Studies majors. It is recommended that students complete this course during the spring of their sophomore year. Prerequisite(s): Permission of the instructor or two of the following: ENVI 133 , ENVI 140 , ENVI 215 , ENVI 234 . Spring semester. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 285 - Ecology

    Cross-Listed as  
    An introduction to the study of ecological theory and processes. The subject of this course is the natural world and the current and past processes that have shaped it. Taking a systems approach, major ecological patterns and processes are described and proposed underlying mechanisms are investigated through readings, field and laboratory studies. The impact of humans on natural systems is also examined. Three hours lecture and one three-hour lab each week. Offered every semester. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 292 - Topics Course

    Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing. (2 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 294 - Topics Course

    Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 333 - Economics of Global Food Problems

    Cross-Listed as ECON 333  and INTL 333 .
    This course will examine food distribution, production, policy, and hunger issues from an economics perspective. It explores and compares food and agriculture issues in both industrialized and developing countries. Basic economic tools will be applied to provide an analytical understanding of these issues. Topics such as hunger and nutrition, US farm policy, food distribution, food security, food aid, biotechnology and the Green Revolution, the connection between food production and health outcomes, as well as other related themes will be explored in depth throughout the semester. Prerequisite(s): ECON 119  and a C- or higher in one 200-level Economics course from Group A electives;   or   recommended. Offered every other spring semester. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 335 - Science and Citizenship

    Cross-Listed as POLI 335 .
    This course explores the dynamic relationship between science, technology and society. The course will examine how, and which members of, the public make controversial environmental decisions over topics such as endangered species, genetically modified foods, bioprospecting, climate change, and toxic waste disposal. Through these case studies, the course will critically examine concepts of risk and uncertainty, trust, credibility, expertise and citizenship. Spring semester. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 340 - US Urban Environmental History

    Cross-Listed as HIST 340 
    In the minds of many Americans, cities are places where nature is absent-places where nature exists only in the crevices and on the margins of spaces dominated by technology, concrete, and human artifice. This course confronts this assumption directly, drawing on the scholarship from the relatively young field of urban environmental history to uncover the deep interconnections between urban America and the natural world. Among the other things, we will examine how society has drawn upon nature to build and sustain urban growth, the implications that urban growth has for transforming ecosystems both local and distant, and how social values have guided urbanites as they have built and rearranged the world around them. Using the Twin Cities has a backdrop and constant reference point, we will attempt to understand the constantly changing ways that people, cities, and nature have shaped and reshaped one another throughout American history. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 343 - Imperial Nature: The United States and the Global Environment

    Cross-Listed as HIST 343 
    Although the United States accounts for just five percent of the world’s population, it consumes roughly twenty-five percent of the world’s total energy, has the world’s largest economy, and is the world’s largest consumer and generator of waste. Relative to its size, its policies and actions have had a significantly disproportionate impact on global economic development and environmental health. Mixing broad themes and detailed case studies, this course will focus on the complex historical relationship between American actions and changes to the global environment. Fall semester. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 345 - Car Country: The Automobile and the American Environment

    Cross-Listed as HIST 345 .
    At the dawn of the twentieth century, automobiles were newfangled playthings of the very wealthy; by century’s end, they had become necessities of the modern world. This momentous change brought with it a cascading series of consequences that completely remade the American landscape and touched nearly every aspect of American life. This course will explore the role that cars and roads have played in shaping Americans’ interactions with the natural world, and will seek an historical understanding of how the country has developed such an extreme dependency on its cars. In the process, we will engage with current debates among environmentalists, policymakers, and local communities trying to shape the future of the American transportation system and to come to grips with the environmental effects of a car-dependent lifestyles and landscapes. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 365 - Environmental Anthropology

    Cross-Listed as  
    This course examines how the concept of culture can contribute to our understanding of environmental issues, in terms of how human beings adapt to their environment and the way in which they understand and give meaning to the world they live in. It aims to develop an anthropological understanding of the environment and to understand the way the “environmental crisis”-of resource scarcity and ecological degradation-is the outcome of particular structures of power, economic relations and consumption. Prerequisite(s): ANTH 101  or ANTH 111  Alternate years. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 368 - Sustainable Development and Global Future

    Cross-Listed as INTL 368 
    This course thoroughly examines the concept of sustainable development. We will define the term, examine its history, and evaluate its political, philosophical, scientific, and economic significance. Implementation of sustainable development in both the world’s North and South are considered. Close attention is given to non-governmental organizations and nation states, the loss of global biodiversity, and existing and proposed remedial actions. Prior coursework in international, development, political, scientific, and/or environmental issues is strongly recommended. Spring semester. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 370 - Education and the Challenge of Globalization

    Cross-Listed as EDUC 370 .
    The complex phenomenon of globalization affects the quality of learning and life worldwide. In the United States and abroad; across dimensions of philosophy, policy, and practice; educators, government officials, policy makers, public intellectuals, and citizens struggle with the implications of globalization for public education and civic life. The purpose of this course is to join in that struggle. We will explore interdisciplinary scholarship and policy design that integrates civic, environmental, moral, and multicultural education for the purpose of mitigating the negative consequences of cultural economic globalization. Every year. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 375 - Rural Landscapes and Livelihoods

    Cross-Listed as  
    This course introduces students to Rural Geography, a sub-discipline within Geography. Using a sustainable development framework this course emphasizes the linkages between human and physical landscapes through the evaluation of landuse and community change in rural areas throughout the US. We will explore the implications of demographic (including migration and immigration), economic, cultural, and environmental changes for rural environs using several case studies from across the US and Western Europe, including an overnight field trip to northern Minnesota and Wisconsin. Rural community strategies for adapting to and accommodating competing demands for water and landuse will be considered, including pressure for new housing developments, recreation opportunities (boating, fishing, hiking, biking), and conservation needs. Students will be exposed to theoretical and empirical approaches to rural development in different regional contexts, as well as problems associated with these development paradigms. We will explore the rapidly changing rural environments in a developed world context in order to deepen our understanding of the interconnectedness of human and physical systems more broadly. $35 field trip fee required. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 392 - Topics Course

    Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing. (2 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 394 - Topics Course

    Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 477 - Comparative Environment and Development Studies

    Cross-Listed as  
    A concern for the relationship between nature and society has been one of the pillars of geographic inquiry and has also been an important bridge between other disciplines. By the 1960s, this area of inquiry was referred to variously as “human ecology.” Over the last decade, certain forms of inquiry within this tradition have increasingly referred to themselves as “political ecology.” The purpose of this seminar is to review major works within the traditions of cultural and political ecology; examine several areas of interest within these fields (e.g., agricultural modernization, environmental narratives, conservation, ecotourism); and explore nature-society dynamics across a range of geographical contexts. Towards the end of the course we will explore how one might begin to think in practical terms about facilitating development in marginal environments. Prerequisite(s): GEOG 232   or permission of instructor. Offered occasionally. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 478 - Cities of the 21st Century

    Cross-Listed as GEOG 488  (when offered with same title).
    In this urban studies capstone seminar students research the internal and external forces that will foster change and reinforce the status quo in American metropolitan areas during the 21st century. Course readings focus on suburbs, which are the dominant mode of metropolitan living in contemporary America. We will consider the history of suburbanization, the political economy of growth in the suburbs, the rise of smart growth strategies, and other attempts to foster change in the suburban experience (including the New Urbanism, green building and green movements, and regionalism). We will also consider how suburbs are now experiencing demographic changes and investigate the struggle for community in historic and contemporary suburbs. This seminar will thus complicate the conventional narrative of suburbs as sprawling, inauthentic and homogeneous places. Students will further enrich their understanding of issues covered in the course by conducting original research that examines ways in which American suburbs are changing and/or remaining the same despite efforts to the contrary. Students will consider their collective findings and discuss what they portend for American cities in the 21st century. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Fall semester. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 488 - Sr Seminar in Environmental St

    In this seminar, students will explore the difficult and often controversial issues surrounding environmental problems. Through readings, discussions, guest speakers, field trips, independent research, writing, and oral presentations, students will develop a clearer understanding of the underlying causes and long term implications of some of the environmental problems facing the world today. Both local and global environmental problems will be examined in the seminar. Taking advantage of the diverse academic backgrounds of the student participants, the seminar will bring together the knowledge, perspectives, and insights of the natural and social sciences and the humanities. Prerequisite(s): Senior standing in the Environmental Studies major. Spring semester. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 489 - Environmental Leadership Pract

    This course is an intensive internship experience (8-10 hours/week) with an environmental organization or business in the Twin Cities metro region. An internship is an excellent way for students to apply knowledge learned in the classroom and laboratory, to learn more in an environmental area, and to explore career options. Required for Environmental Studies majors. It is recommended that students complete this course during the fall of their junior year. Graded S/D/NC only. Prerequisite(s): Permission from instructor required Corequisite(s): ENVI 490  Every fall. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 490 - Envi St Leadership Seminar

    This course complements the internship experience through reflective writing, mentor profiles, and individual group projects. Required for Environmental Studies majors. It is recommended that students complete this course during the fall of their junior year. Prerequisite(s): Permission from instructor required. Corequisite(s): ENVI 489  Every fall. (2 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 494 - Topics Course

    Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 611 - Independent Project

    This is an opportunity for students to do independent study or research on an environmental topic. This may be undertaken in the Environmental Studies Program laboratory and/or field facilities under the direct supervision of a faculty member. It may also be undertaken at another college, university, or similar institution under direct supervision, or in certain circumstances, it may be undertaken off campus with minimal direct supervision. Given the nature of independent projects, students need to demonstrate that they have the necessary background, including appropriate coursework, in the area they are interested in pursuing before an independent project is approved. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. (1 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 612 - Independent Project

    This is an opportunity for students to do independent study or research on an environmental topic. This may be undertaken in the Environmental Studies Program laboratory and/or field facilities under the direct supervision of a faculty member. It may also be undertaken at another college, university, or similar institution under direct supervision, or in certain circumstances, it may be undertaken off campus with minimal direct supervision. Given the nature of independent projects, students need to demonstrate that they have the necessary background, including appropriate coursework, in the area they are interested in pursuing before an independent project is approved. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. (2 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 613 - Independent Project

    This is an opportunity for students to do independent study or research on an environmental topic. This may be undertaken in the Environmental Studies Program laboratory and/or field facilities under the direct supervision of a faculty member. It may also be undertaken at another college, university, or similar institution under direct supervision, or in certain circumstances, it may be undertaken off campus with minimal direct supervision. Given the nature of independent projects, students need to demonstrate that they have the necessary background, including appropriate coursework, in the area they are interested in pursuing before an independent project is approved. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. (3 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 614 - Independent Project

    This is an opportunity for students to do independent study or research on an environmental topic. This may be undertaken in the Environmental Studies Program laboratory and/or field facilities under the direct supervision of a faculty member. It may also be undertaken at another college, university, or similar institution under direct supervision, or in certain circumstances, it may be undertaken off campus with minimal direct supervision. Given the nature of independent projects, students need to demonstrate that they have the necessary background, including appropriate coursework, in the area they are interested in pursuing before an independent project is approved. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 621 - Internship

    This is an opportunity for students to work with professionals in the environmental field outside of academia. Students will work with a faculty sponsor and their site supervisor to develop a set of learning goals, strategies to meet these goals, and methods of evaluation for the internship, including the nature of the final product. An internship is an excellent way for students to apply knowledge learned in the classroom and laboratory, to learn more in an environmental area, and to explore career options. The internship may be undertaken during a semester or during the summer and must encompass 140 hours of work by the student. It is expected that the student will make a poster presentation of his/her experience. All internships graded S/D/NC only. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Work with Internship Office. (1 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 622 - Internship

    This is an opportunity for students to work with professionals in the environmental field outside of academia. Students will work with a faculty sponsor and their site supervisor to develop a set of learning goals, strategies to meet these goals, and methods of evaluation for the internship, including the nature of the final product. An internship is an excellent way for students to apply knowledge learned in the classroom and laboratory, to learn more in an environmental area, and to explore career options. The internship may be undertaken during a semester or during the summer and must encompass 140 hours of work by the student. It is expected that the student will make a poster presentation of his/her experience. All internships graded S/D/NC only. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Work with Internship Office. (2 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 623 - Internship

    This is an opportunity for students to work with professionals in the environmental field outside of academia. Students will work with a faculty sponsor and their site supervisor to develop a set of learning goals, strategies to meet these goals, and methods of evaluation for the internship, including the nature of the final product. An internship is an excellent way for students to apply knowledge learned in the classroom and laboratory, to learn more in an environmental area, and to explore career options. The internship may be undertaken during a semester or during the summer and must encompass 140 hours of work by the student. It is expected that the student will make a poster presentation of his/her experience. All internships graded S/D/NC only. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Work with Internship Office. (3 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 624 - Internship

    This is an opportunity for students to work with professionals in the environmental field outside of academia. Students will work with a faculty sponsor and their site supervisor to develop a set of learning goals, strategies to meet these goals, and methods of evaluation for the internship, including the nature of the final product. An internship is an excellent way for students to apply knowledge learned in the classroom and laboratory, to learn more in an environmental area, and to explore career options. The internship may be undertaken during a semester or during the summer and must encompass 140 hours of work by the student. It is expected that the student will make a poster presentation of his/her experience. All internships graded S/D/NC only. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Work with Internship Office. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 631 - Preceptorship

    Work assisting a faculty member in planning and teaching a course. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Work with Academic Programs. Every semester. (1 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 632 - Preceptorship

    Work assisting a faculty member in planning and teaching a course. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Work with Academic Programs. Every semester. (2 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 633 - Preceptorship

    Work assisting a faculty member in planning and teaching a course. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Work with Academic Programs. Every semester. (3 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 634 - Preceptorship

    Work assisting a faculty member in planning and teaching a course. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Work with Academic Programs. Every semester. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 641 - Honors Independent

    Independent research, writing, or other preparation leading to the culmination of the senior honors project. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Every semester. (1 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 642 - Honors Independent

    Independent research, writing, or other preparation leading to the culmination of the senior honors project. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Every semester. (2 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 643 - Honors Independent

    Independent research, writing, or other preparation leading to the culmination of the senior honors project. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Every semester. (3 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 644 - Honors Independent

    Independent research, writing, or other preparation leading to the culmination of the senior honors project. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Every semester. (4 Credits)

French
  

  • FREN 101 - French I

    Emphasizing the active use of the language, this course develops the fundamental skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. It includes an introduction to the cultural background of France and the Francophone world. Class sessions are supplemented by weekly small group meetings with a French graduate assistant. For students with no previous work in French. ALL COURSES ARE TAUGHT IN FRENCH UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED. Every fall. (4 Credits)
  

  • FREN 102 - French II

    This course continues the development of the skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing, with increasing emphasis on the practice of reading and writing. It includes introduction to the cultural background of France and the Francophone world. Class sessions are supplemented by weekly small group meetings with a French graduate assistant. ALL COURSES ARE TAUGHT IN FRENCH UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED. Prerequisite(s): FREN 101  with a grade of C- or better, placement test or permission of instructor. Every semester. (4 Credits)
  

  • FREN 111 - Accelerated French I-II

    This course develops fundamental skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. It includes introduction to the cultural background of France and the francophone world. It is designed for students who have had some French prior to enrolling at Macalester or who want to review basic structures. The course prepares students for French III and includes two lab. Sessions. ALL COURSES ARE TAUGHT IN FRENCH UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED. Every semester. (4 Credits)
  

  • FREN 194 - Topics Course

    Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing. (4 Credits)
  

  • FREN 203 - French III

    The aim of this course is to bring students to a point where they can use French for communication, both oral and written. At the end of this course students should be able to read appropriate authentic materials, write short papers in French and communicate with a native speaker. It consolidates and builds competencies in listening, speaking, reading and writing and includes study of the cultural background of France and the Francophone world. Class sessions are supplemented by weekly small group meetings with a French graduate assistant. ALL COURSES ARE TAUGHT IN FRENCH UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED. Prerequisite(s): FREN 102  or FREN 111  with a grade of C- or better, placement test or permission of instructor. Every semester. (4 Credits)
  

  • FREN 204 - Text, Film and Media

    This course presents a study of the contemporary language and culture of France and the Francophone world through authentic materials including the French press, the internet, television, literature and film. At the end of this course students should have attained a more sophisticated level of communication in French, the ability to use their skills in French for a variety of purposes including research in other disciplines, and a full appreciation of the intellectual challenge of learning a foreign language and its cultures. ALL COURSES ARE TAUGHT IN FRENCH UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED. Prerequisite(s): FREN 203  with a grade of C- or better, placement test or permission of instructor. Every semester. (4 Credits)
  

  • FREN 294 - Topics Course

    Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing. (4 Credits)
  

  • FREN 305 - Advanced Expression: Communication Tools

    This course is an intensive training in oral expression and corrective phonetics. Materials include news broadcasts from French TV, films and articles from the French and Francophone press. Grammar patterns that enhance communication will be studied. Class sessions are supplemented by small group meetings with French assistants and small conversation groups with Francophone tutors. ALL COURSES ARE TAUGHT IN FRENCH UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED. Prerequisite(s): FREN 204 , placement test or permission of instructor. Every semester. (4 Credits)
  

  • FREN 306 - Introduction to Literary Analysis

    This course is designed to develop the necessary skills for interpreting literature and for writing effectively in French. Students learn to do close reading and analysis of a variety of literary works and to compose critical essays. The course also includes a study of selected grammatical patterns and stylistic techniques. ALL COURSES ARE TAUGHT IN FRENCH UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED. Prerequisite(s): FREN 204  or placement test or permission of instructor. Every semester. (4 Credits)
  

  • FREN 307 - French Culture

    This course, regardless of topic, is ideal for students planning to spend time in France, for students who want to include the study of France in various disciplines, from a cultural rather than an intermediary-advanced level.

    Culture Française: La civilisation française en évolution from Lascaux to 1789: This course traces the cultural, philosophical, literary and sociological works and movements that move France from the early period of Lascaux to the French revolution 1789. It explores the multi-facets of each century through 1789. The reading list includes early documents on Lascaux, Charlemagne, Jeanne d’Arc, Cahterine de Médicis, Rabelais, Montaigne, Descartes, Me de Scudéry, the diaries of Louis XIV, Voltaire, Diderot, movies on French Revolution and French art from the early period to 1789. Taught in French. Offered alternative years.

    La France contemporaine: histoire, culture et actualité: This course is designed for students who want to understand contemporary events and issues in France. The course includes a review of essential historical events that have shaped modern France, in particular the legacy of the French Revolution, the colonial empire, WWII and the French-Algerian War. These events have shaped all contemporary debates (i.e. the recent law regarding wearing religious symbols in schools, the October 2005 suburb riots, recent immigration laws, and many other topics). The course also studies the place of France in relationship with the United States and the European community. Some units focus on the production of French culture and various intellectual/artistic movements through a variety of up-to-date authentic materials: newspaper articles, films, ATV news, websites. Taught in French. Offered alternative years. Prerequisite(s):

      or FREN 305 . This course in not open to students who have already completed FREN 306  or high level courses in French (4 Credits)
  

  • FREN 394 - Topics Course

    Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing. (4 Credits)
  

  • FREN 407 - Francophone Studies

     This course category encompasses the study of cultures and literatures from the French-speaking regions and countries outside of France. It includes such recent courses as:    

    Voix du Nord - Quebec et les autres: Québec is uniquely situated in the world: at a crossroads between European and North American cultures, a French-speaking province surrounded by English-speaking nations, and historically both connected and disconnected from its indigenous populations. It has also recently been a destination for émigrés from all over the world. This course examines the distinctive multicultural dimensions of the francophone province of Québec and its interactions with “les autres” (other cultures and peoples), through a study of recent literature published over the past 30 years. We begin with a brief overview of the history of Québec’s multicultural identity, from the colonial era through the Quiet Revolution of the 1960s and up to 21st-century Quebec, including the 2012 assassination attempt on the new prime minister and the 2008 debates over the “reasonable accommodation” law that shocked the nation. The second section proceeds with an analysis of three of Québec’s strongest cultural partners: the heritage of the French, the influence of the U.S., and the complicated interactions with First Nations. The third section of the course focuses on the relationships between Québécois “de souche” (citizens of French or British heritage) and recent immigrants. The texts and films studied in this section include characters originally from China, Haïti, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, and other countries around the world. We examine why they moved to Québec, why they chose French as their principal language of expression, and how they interpret their new homeland. Throughout the course, we explore issues of language, identity, exile, and memory to understand the complex negotiations between inhabitants of “la belle province.” Taught in French. Prerequisite: FREN 306  or permission of instructor.

    Les Voix du Sud: This course is an introduction to francophone literature––specifically that of the sub-Saharan region––through literary, cultural, and political issues. By drawing from African text (poetry, theater, novels, and essays) and film, the course seeks to retrace several significant periods that have influenced African francophone literature to this day. The course will focus on four key axes: The first axis is that of “traditional African oral literature” from the pre-colonial period and the translation of these oral works into French. We begin by visiting pre-colonial “oral” literature and its transcription into French translations by discussing the concept of literature in its relationship to the written and the oral, as well as the relationship of the author and the translator. The second axis explores from the beginnings of a “written” literature until the 1950s based on the revaluation of traditional African cultures and a critique of colonization. This angle will essentially be organized around works of negritude and its critique. The third axis is the “disenchantment” of African independence and the denunciation of African dictators. This aspect covers works from the 1960s to the 1980s. Finally, the fourth axis, from the 1990s to the present, is studied from two orientations: francophone literature from the African diaspora––”migritude”––and post-genocide literature. In addition to African films and several excerpts from texts, we study Le Pauvre Christ de Bomba by Mongo Beti, Le soleil des Indépendances by Kourouma, Le ventre d’Atlantique by Fatou Diome, and Murambi by Boris Diop. We invite writers and specialists in francophone African literature. Taught in French. Prerequisite: FREN 306  or permission of instructor.

    Francophone Studies: Haiti Haiti is the first Black Republic in the Western Hemisphere, it is the first island that Christopher Columbus colonized, it is also the first country to defeat the troops of Napoleon, an event that precipitated the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. In short, it is an important place to study as it is connected to North and South America, the Caribbean, France and other European countries, and the African continent. In this course, we will study the history of Haiti since pre-colonial times, through historical documents, history analysis and political documents and analysis from the colonial period to current events in Haiti. We will also examine the place of Haiti in relation to globalization, and its economy and how it went from practically supporting more than half of the French economy in the 17th-century to being the poorest nation in the western hemisphere. Haiti is one of the most productive places in terms of culture: paintings, literature, music, etc. The course emphasizes the introduction to Haitian culture with the study of its religions, languages and cultural productions. We will listen to various music that developed throughout history in Haiti. Taught in French.   Prerequisite(s): FREN 306  or permission of the instructor. (4 Credits)
  

  • FREN 408 - French Cultural Studies

    A survey of cultural issues in France. The themes studied in this course include definitions of nation, culture, tradition and modernity and change in social, cultural, aesthetic and intellectual structures as well as immigration and diversity in France. ALL COURSES ARE TAUGHT IN FRENCH UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED. 

    French Cultural Studies: Literature and Cinema of Immigration: This course explores the diversity of France through its immigrant population. After studying and discussing the history and composition of immigration in France, students look at cultural productions, especially literature, films, music and art as well as documentation about contemporary issues in French society associated with immigration. The course includes various cities in France (Marseilles, Lyon, and Paris as well as their suburbs), and contextualizes the current situation regarding French and European laws, as well as various types of housing in connection with immigration. The course takes into account gender, class, religion, culture, and race issues as well as language issues. Materials include statistics, essays, video-conferences, images, film, music, fiction literature, maps, and internet and web-based resources. Readings include materials about the first immigrants to France, the colonial immigrants such as the Tirailleurs Sénégalais and their descendants, how the French colonies in North Africa and the French-Algerian war affected immigration in France, and what are the legacies of French imperialism for French multiculturalism as well as some recent works by Congolese, Algerian, Vietnamese, Caribbean writers. Films include documentaries on immigration and fiction films from Thé au harem d’Archi Ahmed, to Entre les murs. Music includes rap, slam, and raï. The course is taught in French. Prerequisite(s): One 300-level course or placement test or permission of instructor. (4 credits)

    French Intellectuals in/and the World: Critical Tools for Critical Minds, Literature and Engagement: This seminar presents an overview of French culture, theory and philosophy from the Middle Ages to today. It focuses on how French intellectuals have engaged across time with issues such as gender, class, race, language, and the public and the private, among other issues. The course studies how French intellectuals use their critical thinking, and theoretical and creative writing to propose ideas, take ethical positions (or not), and through writing and acting, engage in solidarity work. Readings include Christine de Pizan on the role of intellectual women in the public sphere, Montaigne on colonialism, Pascal and Descartes on religion and science, Voltaire and Beccaria on torture and prisons, Michel Foucault on enlightenment, Victor Hugo on capital punishment, Pierre Bourdieu on “the organic intellectual” and more recent notions of commitment and civic engagement with war and peace, immigration, and postcolonial cultural history through the works of various contemporary artists, writers, and public intellectuals such as André Breton, Jean-Paul Sartre, Michel Foucault, Assia Djebar and Boubacar Boris Diop. Taught in French.   Prerequisite(s): One 300-level course or placement test or permission of instructor. Offered next in 2015. (4 Credits)
  

  • FREN 409 - Cinema

    This category introduces students to French or Francophone cinema, dealing with history, theory, and condition of production of this media. Prerequisite: a 300 level course or permission of instructor. Alternate years.   It includes such courses as: North Africa/France: Representations of Both Sides of the Mediterranean Through Cinema Survey of the historical and soci-economic contexts of North African Cinema (in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia). The course examines representations of the colonial period (with texts, paintings, photographs, and critical material on orientalism and early cinema in the region), the French-Algerian war from various perspectives, and the national/post-colonial film production in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, all the way to the current cinema made after the January 2011 Revolution. The course also includes films by and about North Africans in France. Materials for the course include films as well as theoretical and critical materials about the regional cinema and film directors. Prerequisite(s): One 300-level course or placement test or permission of instructor. (4 Credits)
  

  • FREN 410 - Art/Ideas in French Culture

    The course studies the arts of France (art, architecture, music and literature) in their historical and intellectual settings. Topics and historical periods studied vary by semester. Taught in French unless otherwise noted.   Arts and Ideas in Contemporary France This course will provide a chronological exposure to the prevailing trends and characteristics of the visual arts (paintings, sculptures, installations) in France with a special attention given to the highly politicized 60’s and 70’s. Through the use of films, slides, French web art sites and critical essays, these works will be studied and problematized from a sociological, political and cultural perspective.   Attention also will be given to the not-so-new notion of “francité” embedded in France’s unique “politique nationale culturelle” as well as other contemporary visual art practices which strive to reflect an increasingly pluralistic French society. Prerequisite(s): One 300-level course or placement test or permission of instructor. Alternate years. (4 Credits)
  

  • FREN 411 - Challenges of Modernity/Lit

    Introduction to the study and the context of French literary and artistic masterpieces from the 12th to the 21st century, with special focus on their ties with contemporary “mentalités” and events. The significance of specific works for audiences of their time will be extended to the study of their influence in subsequent centuries, including the 20th/21st. Particular attention will be paid also to our own representation and use of these past centuries in diverse contemporary media, such as films and advertisements. The thematic emphasis of the class, as well as the historical period, may vary by semester. Taught in French unless otherwise noted. Prerequisite(s): FREN 306  or permission of the instructor. (4 Credits)
  

  • FREN 412 - Text and Identity

    This category of courses introduces students to texts (including films) that engage students to focus on questions of identity(national, sexual, racial, and class identity) through the study of literature and film. ALL COURSES ARE TAUGHT IN FRENCH UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED. It includes such courses as: Parisiennes: Women of Paris In this course we examine the lives of “Parisiennes” - women who have lived in or come from the city of Paris from 1730 to the present. We begin with the powerful salonnières of the aristocratic 18th century, intersections of sexism, racism, and colonialism, and the peasant women’s march on Versailles during the French Revolution of 1789. For the 19th century, we examine women’s roles during the industrial revolution and the modernization of Paris, and the activists of the first wave of French feminism. In the first half of the 20th-century, we study women artists and writers in Paris, including some Americans who lived in Paris during that time. For the second half of the 20th century, we look at changing roles for Parisian women, including the second wave of French feminism, women in politics, and the changing attitudes toward women in French law and society during the 1970s and later. Readings include Claire de Duras’ Ourika (1823), Colette’s La Vagabonde (1910), excerpts of Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex (1949), and Christiane Rochefort’s Children of Heaven (1962). We also study recent works by francophone women writers living in Paris today, and view several recent films that focus on the lives of Parisian women.     Prerequisite(s): FREN 306  or permission of instructor. Offered next in 2014. (4 Credits)
  

  • FREN 413 - Studies in Theory

    This category of courses includes courses that prepare students to read textual and/or visual materials through various theoretical lenses. Courses include Feminist French Theory, French Intellectuals in/and the World (cross-listed with Humanities, Media and Cultural Studies), or courses dealing with particular literary, cultural, or critical theories. ALL COURSES ARE TAUGHT IN FRENCH UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED. Prerequisite(s): FREN 306  when courses are offered in French or permission of the instructor. Offered occasionally. (4 Credits)
  

  • FREN 414 - Studies in Genre

    Courses on the novel, theatre, poetry, and short stories, are offered in this category. Courses may be surveys of the development of a genre across the centuries or they may focus on a particular period.  ALL COURSES ARE TAUGHT IN FRENCH UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED. Prerequisite(s): FREN 306  or permission of the instructor. Offered occasionally. (4 Credits)
  

  • FREN 415 - Literary Periods and Movements

    This course category encompasses the study of literature in various literary periods and/or movements. Such courses may alternate every year and include:

    Resistance and Revolution in 18th-century France: Eighteenth-century France is a period characterized by vigorous literary and philosophical challenges to traditional authority and its institutions, although the events of 1789 were not anticipated by most of the leading thinkers of the period, and the notion that the Revolution was the necessary outcome of their challenges has often been viewed as a retrospective historical illusion. In this course we examine intellectual challenges to traditional authority during the final decades of the ancien régime in three primary areas: the domain of politics and the state; the domain of religion and the church; and the domain of gender, sexuality and the family. The course culminates with a discussion of some key revolutionary ideas and manifestos, and a review of the legacy of French Enlightenment thought and its advances and limits, in dialogue with contemporary critical and theoretical perspectives. Themes to be discussed include despotism and democracy, freedom and equality, nature and culture, tolerance and fanaticism, deism and natural religion, atheism and materialism, education, sex and libertinage. Readings include selections from the Encyclopédie and from works by Rousseau, Montesquieu, Beaumarchais, De Gouges, Voltaire, Sade, Vivant Denon, Diderot, D’Holbach and La Mettrie. Prerequisites(s): FREN 306  or permission of instructor. (4 credits)

    Money and the Marketplace in 19th century French Literature: French culture and society witnessed vast changes in both traditional structures and values during the 19th century, due to the influence of the industrial revolution and the rise of capitalism. This course offers a survey of 19th century French literature (novels, play, short stories, and poetry) linked to the theme of the course, money and the marketplace. We examine the different roles and uses of money in the literary texts of the course, including works by Balzac, Flaubert, Hugo, and Zola, and we identify some of the many 19th-century characters connected with different aspects of money: the banker, the notary, the lender, the speculator, the industrialist, the inheritor, the bankrupt, the criminal, the gambler, the artist, the young girl with/without dowry, the poor, etc. We try to understand in what respects literature itself had become an object for purchase linked to the marketplace, and, finally, we explore the question of whether or not there exists a relationship between money and the key 19th-century literary movements and styles (Romanticism, Realism, and Naturalism). Prerequisite(s): FREN 306  or permission of instructor. (4 credits)

    20th-century Literature and Cinema: The Century of Ruptures and Sutures: The Avant-Garde(s): The course will expose students to some of the most important writers, poets, playwrights, and thinkers of the twentieth-century. It will serve both as a survey of the most important literary, artistic, and intellectual movements and as a sampling of the most brilliant and innovative prose, poetry, and performance. The objective of the course is to familiarize students with some of the cultural productions that have been strongly influenced by scientific, linguistic, psychoanalytical, colonial, anti-colonial, post-colonial, racial, and gender-based theories of the century. Virtually all literary and artistic genres were affected by the ruptures caused by various wars. Academic rules were subverted, and new forms of expression emerged - several times. Moving images were but one of the technological inventions that allowed people to attempt to restore their identities, national and individual. Through the study of Surrealism, the use of social realism narratives, the Absurd, Negritude, Existentialism, the New Wave and the New Novel, structuralism, post-structuralism and deconstruction, the impact of feminism on language, the course will expose students to readings of texts and images that represent the long lasting effects of the twentieth-century ruptures on writers and artists.     Prerequisite(s): FREN 306  - or permission of instructor. (4 Credits)
  

  • FREN 416 - French Interdisciplinary Studies

    This category of courses is offered by faculty from the French and Francophone Studies department as well as from other departments and concentrations. Courses are taught in English and focus on topics relevant to the French and Francophone world, with a multidirectional dimension that accommodates approaches and contributions from other departments and concentrations.  

    Religions in Africa: Cultural Identity and Social Transformation    : Religion is a major component of African cultural heritage, which is one reason why certain researchers estimate that the dichotomy between the sacred and the profane did not exist in ancient Africa. If it is true that traditional African religion, said to be natural, is tied up in African traditions, the incursion of other religions (Christianity and Islam) into Africa drove a reconsideration of certain African cultural practices. Despite efforts to “enculturate” religion, this contact remains a challenge to define the culture and identity of a people. Christianity and Islam define their values, their norms and have imposed them on African societies. Religions engage in development, but they also divide ethnic and national communities that were once unified. What is it that therefore defines an African cultural heritage? How do we define a national or ethnic identity that combines multiple religions with “alien features?” What role can traditional African religion play today in a modern and mutating society? Many African novels have depicted the relationships between Islam, Christianity and African cultural heritage. African theology too has marked the way for a dialogue between African cultures/ traditional religion and Christianity in particular. This course will organize itself around readings from both Francophone African literature and African theology as well as around some African films, including works by Cheikh Hamidou Kane, V.Y. Mudimbe, Sembene Ousmane, and Jean-Marc Ela. (4 credits)

    Towards a Postcolonial Pacific: Contemporary Literature from Aotearoa/New Zealand, French Polynesia and Hawai’i: This course is a comparative introduction to postcolonial literature (and some film) from the Pacific region, in particular from the so-called “Polynesian Triangle.” The course examines recent works by major literary figures through a postcolonial prism, and focuses on literary representations of the political and social legacy of colonialism in these territories. For each country studied, we begin with a brief historical review of colonization in dialogue with a text written by a colonial visitor or settler. We then examine resistance to dominant colonialist discourse in the works of prominent contemporary “indigenous” authors, in dialogue with current political debates in each territory. Course themes include differing conceptions of race, ethnicity and indigeneity in each country, and their relation to the histories of British, French and U.S. imperialism in the Pacific; the rise of indigenous nationalist movements, and the question as to whether political independence defined in ethnic terms remains a feasible goal in an era of globalization; questions of language in a Pacific space still dominated by its colonial division into distinct “Anglonesian” and “Franconesian” spheres; and the island as a unit of political organization as opposed to alternative pan-Oceanic conceptions of inter-relation. Authors studied include Katherine Mansfield; Patricia Grace; Witi Ihimaera; Victor Segalen; Chantal Spitz; Célestine Vaite; Herman Melville; Mark Twian; Lee Cataluna; Lois-Ann Yamanaka. (4 credits)

    Haiti: Culture, Human Rights, and Humanitarianism: The January 12, 2010 earthquake in Haiti, that killed more than 250,000 people, brought a lot of attention to the country traditionally described as “the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.” This course aims to provide students interested in humanitarianism, human rights, the Caribbean, cultural studies, and French and Francophone Studies an introduction to Haiti and Haitian culture throughout its history, including pre-and post-earthquake culture. It also aims at providing a thoughtful critical frame to the extraordinary humanitarian situation after the earthquake and the responses it generated at the Haitian and international levels. Throughout the course, students will become more familiar with Haitian history, its rich cultural production, and the relevance of culture to human rights representations, abuses, and responses to abuses as well as its relevance to various humanitarian crises in Haiti, especially the post-earthquake daily situation. Students will also gain knowledge about Haitian society, local organizations working in human rights and humanitarianism, the geography of Human Rights, local IDP environment, and humanitarian distribution of resources, and they will acquire the critical tools necessary to understand, assess, and participate in the current debates about human rights and humanitarianism practices in Haiti (including issues related to health, gender, economic rights, education, and access to resources of any kind). This course will be taught in English. Students taking it for credit counting toward the French major or Minor will be able to read some of the material and conduct their research in French. Students interested in doing an internship with one of the many organizations in the Twin Cities linked with Haiti should speak to the instructor. Approved for use on the Human Rights and Humanitarianism concentration. (4 credits)

    The Animal and the Human in the French Enlightenment: At stake in today’s debates over the relations between animals and humans lie fundamental questions concerning what it means to be human as well as our obligations to the animal world and to nature. Contemporary thinkers including Singer, Derrida, de Fontenay and Agamben have often sought to reconsider or even denounce the Enlightenment legacy on these questions, usually emblematized by René Descartes’ conception of “animal-machines.” Yet there is no single perspective on the relations between animals and humans in the period and, as today, the animal/human distinction lies at the center of controversial discussions in philosophy, literature and the natural and social sciences. Unlike today, however, when we usually consider animals in the context of animal rights and welfare issues, in pre-revolutionary France the animal/human distinction is perceived as having immediate implications for human moral and political values and prospects for social and political reform. The course will explore the moral and political significance attributed to the animal/human distinction in selected philosophical, literary and scientific texts exemplifying the principal strands of French Enlightenment discourse. Readings include Descartes, La Mettrie, Diderot, Rousseau, Condillac, and Buffon, as well as some contemporary theory. Course themes include reason and the passions, primitivism, sex, bestiality, justice, responsibility, cruelty, and punishment.     (4 Credits)
  

  • FREN 488 - Senior Seminar

    The course is intended primarily for advanced students who have studied in a French-speaking country, and is a requirement for all majors. The themes and theoretical approaches of the seminar will vary depending on the faculty teaching the course.   ALL COURSES ARE TAUGHT IN FRENCH UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. (4 Credits)
  

  • FREN 494 - Topics Course

    Varies by semester. Recent offerings have included: Child Soldiers through Texts and Films, Quebec and Others, De l’extrême-orient aux antipodes: représentations francophones de l’Asie et du Pacifique, and The Animal and the Human in the French Enlightenment. Prerequisite(s): One 300 level course is required depending on content of French 494. (4 Credits)
  

  • FREN 601 - Tutorial

    Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Every semester. (1 Credits)
  

  • FREN 602 - Tutorial

    Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Every semester. (2 Credits)
  

  • FREN 603 - Tutorial

    Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Every semester. (3 Credits)
  

  • FREN 604 - Tutorial

    Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Every semester. (4 Credits)
  

  • FREN 611 - Independent Project

    Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Every semester. (1 Credits)
  

  • FREN 612 - Independent Project

    Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Every semester. (2 Credits)
  

  • FREN 613 - Independent Project

    Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Every semester. (3 Credits)
  

  • FREN 614 - Independent Project

    Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Every semester. (4 Credits)
  

  • FREN 621 - Internship

    Study abroad is strongly recommended. The internship does not count toward the major. Prerequisite(s): Four courses in French among those designated for the completion of a major. Permission of instructor. Work with Internship Office. Every semester. (1 Credits)
  

  • FREN 622 - Internship

    Study abroad is strongly recommended. The internship does not count toward the major. Prerequisite(s): Four courses in French among those designated for the completion of a major. Permission of instructor. Work with Internship Office. Every semester. (2 Credits)
  

  • FREN 623 - Internship

    Study abroad is strongly recommended. The internship does not count toward the major. Prerequisite(s): Four courses in French among those designated for the completion of a major. Permission of instructor. Work with Internship Office. Every semester. (3 Credits)
  

  • FREN 624 - Internship

    Study abroad is strongly recommended. The internship does not count toward the major. Prerequisite(s): Four courses in French among those designated for the completion of a major. Permission of instructor. Work with Internship Office. Every semester. (4 Credits)
  

  • FREN 631 - Preceptorship

    Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Work with Academic Programs. Every semester. (1 Credits)
  

  • FREN 632 - Preceptorship

    Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Work with Academic Programs. Every semester. (2 Credits)
  

  • FREN 633 - Preceptorship

    Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Work with Academic Programs. Every semester. (3 Credits)
  

  • FREN 634 - Preceptorship

    Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Work with Academic Programs. Every semester. (4 Credits)
  

  • FREN 641 - Honors Independent

    Independent research, writing, or other preparation leading to the culmination of the senior honors project. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Every semester. (1 Credits)
  

  • FREN 642 - Honors Independent

    Independent research, writing, or other preparation leading to the culmination of the senior honors project. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Every semester. (2 Credits)
  

  • FREN 643 - Honors Independent

    Independent research, writing, or other preparation leading to the culmination of the senior honors project. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Every semester. (3 Credits)
  

  • FREN 644 - Honors Independent

    Independent research, writing, or other preparation leading to the culmination of the senior honors project. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Every semester. (4 Credits)
 

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