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College Catalog 2009-2011 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Courses

 

English
  

  • ENGL 361 - The American Novel

    Traces the history of the novel in America from its epistolary beginnings in the late 18th century to its postmodern incarnations in the late twentieth century. Possible authors include Hannah Wester Foster, James Fenimore Cooper, Herman Melville, Stephen Crane, Edith Wharton, Henry James, Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, Vladimir Nabokov, and Thomas Pynchon. Alternate years. Prerequisite(s): one 100-level ENGL course. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENGL 362 - Gendered, Feminist, and Womanist Writings

    Cross-Listed as WGSS 310 
    This course foregrounds how gender constructions and politics inform the writing of a period and place; how various genres use gender-saturated discourses; how the gendered body is represented; images of masculinity and femininity; the status of women as writers, readers, and purveyors of the written word. Examples range from feminist thought in mediaeval women’s writing to gender differences in expatriate Black cultural modernism to transnational women’s literature on utopia. The course will always emphasize gender as a category of critical analysis, and the ways that reading and writing with an eye to gender can transform the futures of texts and their readers. Instructor and focus will vary. Alternate years Prerequisite(s): One prior English course numbered in the 100s. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENGL 366 - Nabokov

    Cross-Listed as RUSS 366 
    The scandal surrounding Vladimir Nabokov’s 1955 novel about the nymphet Lolita finally made him a hugely successful celebrity, allowing him to retire from teaching at Cornell University and move to Switzerland to devote himself to fiction, translation, criticism and lepidoptery. This was only one of the many metamorphoses Nabokov underwent while in exile, moving from Russia to the Crimea, Cambridge UK, Berlin, Paris, Cambridge MA, Ithaca, Hollywood, and finally Montreux. Members of the Russian nobility, the Nabokovs lost everything with the 1917 Revolution except for their immense cultural capital, which Nabokov transformed into a tremendously productive career as a writer, critic, translator and scholar in Russian, French, and English. This course examines both the Russian (in translation) and English novels. A merciful defier of national, linguistic, cultural and theoretical categories, Nabokov remains paradoxically elusive and monumental, a thrilling and exasperating genius. Alternate years, spring semester . Prerequisite(s): One prior English course numbered in the 100s. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENGL 367 - Postcolonial Theory

    Cross-Listed as INTL 367 
    Traces the development of theoretical accounts of culture, politics and identity in Africa, South Asia, the Caribbean and related lands since the 1947-1991 decolonizations. Readings include Fanon, Said, Walcott, Ngugi and many others, and extend to gender, literature, the U.S., and the post-Soviet sphere. The course bridges cultural representational, and political theory. Prior internationalist and/or theoretical coursework strongly recommended. Alternate years. Prerequisite(s): One prior English course numbered in the 100s. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENGL 369 - African Literature

    A study of the fiction and poetry of writers from sub-Saharan Africa. The focus will be on fiction since 1945, and readings will be taken both from anglophone writers and from francophone and other writers in translation. Specific content may vary. Alternate years. Prerequisite(s): One prior English course numbered in the 100s. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENGL 377 - Native American Literature

    A study of fiction and poetry by American Indian writers, among them N. Scott Momaday, Leslie Silko, James Welch, Louise Erdrich, Gerald Vizenor. Alternate years. Prerequisite(s): One prior English course numbered in the 100s. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENGL 380 - Topics in African-American Literature

    This course will explore African American cultural production adn, depending on the instructor, may focus on a particular genre (e.g. novels, short stories, drama, poetry, detective fiction, speculative fiction), or a particular theme (e.g. The Protest Tradition, Black Feminist Writings), or on a particular period (e.g. the 1820s-1860s, the Harlem Renaissance, the 1950s), or on a particular author or authors (e.g. Douglass, Du Bois, Baldwin, Wideman, Morrison, Parks). Alternate years. Prerequisite(s): One prior English course numbered in the 100s. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENGL 382 - Topics in African Diasporic Literature, Culture and Thought

    The focus of this course is on the literary, cultural and philosophical productions of “blackness” that have preoccupied African Diasporic writers, philosophers, activists and artists from the Eighteenth century to today. Every semester, the course will focus on a specific literary, cultural and or theoretical movement or topic such as Negritude, the Black Arts Movement, Black British Literature, Black subjectivity, Black Nationalism, or African American Literature and Culture from Europe. Writers and theorists may include Prince Hall, Mary Seacole, Olaudah Equiano, Martin Delaney, W.E.B. Du Bois, Mary Church Terrell, Aimé Césaire, René Maran, George Padmore, Frantz Fanon, Richard Wright, Grace Nichols, Ann Petry, Paule Marshall, Maryse Condé, Patrick Chamoiseau, Paul Gilroy, Hazel Carby, May Ayin and Joanne Traynor. Alternate years. Prerequisite(s): One prior English course numbered in the 100s. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENGL 384 - Langston Hughes: Global Writer

    Cross-Listed as INTL 384 
    The great African American writer Langston Hughes (1902-1967) is best know as the poet laureate of the Harlem Renaissance. But his career was vaster still. He was a Soviet screenwriter, Spanish Civil War journalist, African literary anthologist, humorist, playwright, translator, social critic, writer of over 10,000 letters, and much more. This course engages Hughes-s full career, bridging race and global issues, politics and art, and makes use of little-known archival materials. Prerequisite(s): One prior English course numbered in the 100s. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENGL 386 - From Literature to Film: Studies in Adaptation

    From its earliest days, film has drawn on literature for subject matter and modes of narration. Adaptations of literary sources have formed a significant part of all movies made in the west. This course will study the problems of adapting literature to film, dealing with the representations of time and space in both forms, as well as the differences in developing character and structuring narratives. The course will consider a novel, short story or play each week along with its cinematic counterpart. Alternate years. Prerequisite(s): One prior English course numbered in the 100s. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENGL 394 - Topics Course

    Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing. Prerequisite(s): One prior English course numbered in the 100s. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENGL 400 - Seminar: Special Topics in Literary Studies

    A study of a particular topic of interest to students of literature in English. Students will read widely in relevant materials and produce a significant final project. Alternate years. Prerequisite(s): One prior English course numbered in the 100s. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENGL 402 - Seminar in British Authors

    A study of single authors, pairs of authors, or related groups of authors: e.g., the metaphysical poets, Jane Austen, William Wordsworth and John Keats, the Pre-Raphaelites, the Bloomsbury group. Alternate years. Prerequisite(s): One prior English course numbered in the 100s. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENGL 404 - Seminar in Contemporary Theory

    An advanced consideration of a current problem in literary or critical theory, with attention to its historical. philosophical, and/or institutional contexts. Topics might include “Literature,” “Style,” “Sovereignty,” “Human,” “Mediation,” “Revolution,” “Sex Work,” etc. Students will undertake significant self-directed reading and produce a substantial final project. Alternate years. Prerequisite(s): ENGL 205  or comparable preparation required. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENGL 405 - Advanced Writing Workshop

    This creative writing workshop will center on work in a chosen genre (fiction, non-fiction, poetry, scriptwriting) written by class members, with a strong secondary emphasis on the development of group critical skills. Through the presentation of new and revised work, critiquing of work-in-progress, and discussion of extensive reading in contemporary writing of the chosen genre, the workshop will focus on developing constructive criticism of the writing of participants. Every year. Prerequisite(s):   and either   ,   or   or permission of instructor. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENGL 406 - Projects in Creative Writing

    This seminar will provide a workshop environment for advanced students with clearly defined projects in poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, drama or a combination of genres. The seminar will center initially on a group of shared readings about the creative process and then turn to the work produced by class members. Through the presentation of new and revised work, and the critiquing of work-in-progress, each student will develop a significant body of writing as well as the critical skills necessary to analyze the work of others. Every year. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENGL 410 - Comparative Studies

    This comparative course will focus on either two or more authors from different national traditions (e.g. Dickens and Balzac, James and Zola, Ellison and Malraux); a comparison of literary movements (e.g. modernism and the Harlem Renaissance); a study of transnational movements (romanticism, postcolonialism, communism); or a comparision of literary forms from similar historical situations (revolutionary literature, war literature, “the avant garde”). Alternate years. Prerequisite(s): One prior English course numbered in the 100s. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENGL 494 - Topics Course

    Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing. Prerequisite(s): One prior English course numbered in the 100s. (4 Credits)

Environmental Studies
  

  • ENVI 120 - Environmental Geology

    The physical environment has begun to show signs of our earth’s expanding population and the increasing need for natural resources. Geologic materials such as soil, water, and bedrock, and geologic processes such as earthquakes, volcanic activity, and running water often pose constraints on land use. This course is designed to introduce students to the relationship between humans and their geologic environment: the earth. We will focus on understanding the processes that shape the surface of the earth, and how these processes affect human activity. We will use current scientific methods to collect and analyze data. Topics include surface-water dynamics and flooding, groundwater and groundwater contamination, pollution and waste management, landslides, volcanic and earthquake hazards, and global climate change. Format: three hour block per week of local field excursions, lectures, and/or laboratory exercises; evaluation will be based on project reports and homework/classroom assignments, and one exam (final). Every fall. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 130 - Science of Renewable Energy

    Cross-Listed as  
    This is a course on the current status of the most promising alternative and renewable energy options from a primarily scientific and technological perspective. Current methods of electricity generation and transportation energy sources will be briefly reviewed (fossil fuels, nuclear fission, and hydroelectric), including discussion of thier limitations and environmental consequences. The focus of the course will be on understanding the scientific bais of alternative and renewable energy sources, and their promise and technological challenges for wide scale implementation. Biofuels, wind, photovoltaics, concentrated solar power, hydrogen, nuclear fusion, and geothermal will be considered in depth. Three lectures and one two-hour lab per week. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 133 - Environmental Science

    This course provides basic scientific knowledge and understanding of how our world works from an environmental perspective. Topics covered include basic principles of ecosystem function, human population growth, production and distribution of food, soil and agricultural ecosystems, integrated pest management, water resources and management, water pollution, hazardous chemicals, air pollution and climate change, biodiversity and its conservation, solid waste, energy resources, and sustainability. There are no prerequisites. Spring semester. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 140 - The Earth’s Climate System

    The Earth’s climate system is complex and dynamic, and yet understanding this system is crucial in order to address concerns about anthropogenic influences on climate. In this course, we examine the basic physical and chemical processes that control the modern climate system, including the role of incoming solar radiation, the greenhouse effect, ocean and atmospheric circulation, and El Nino. We also look critically at the methods and archives used to reconstruct climate in the past, such as ice cores, marine and lake sediments, and cave deposits. We explore the possible effects of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions on modern and future climate by critically examining the models used in climate prediction, and discuss the challenges of modeling such a complex system. Although this course is taught from a primarily scientific perspective, it includes frequent discussions of the roles policy and economics play in the current dialogue on global climate change. Fall semester. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 144 - Lakes, Streams and Rivers

    Cross-Listed as BIOL 144.
    Minnesota, the land of 10,000 lakes, is also home to numerous streams and rivers. In this course we will examine the nature of these aquatic ecosystems; exploring their ecology, geology and chemistry. We will also investigate human impacts through such practices as agriculture, urbanization and industrialization, on these important ecosystems. Students will complete projects exploring various aspects of local waterbodies, especially the Mississippi, Minnesota, and St. Croix Rivers. Offered every year. Course cross-listed as BIOL 144 . (4 Credits)
  

  • 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 194 - Topics Course

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

  • ENVI 215 - Environmental Politics/Policy

    Cross-Listed as POLI 215.
    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. Every semester. (4 Credits)
  

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

    Cross-Listed as LING 225.
    This course examines the relationship between language and nature. What is language and what is nature? What does the language of environment discourse look like? How do the ways we talk about nature influence our perceptions of it? How has the environment influenced individual languages? What are current ideas on how language evolved in our species? Can we look at languages as if they were organisms and analyze their ecosystems? Are biodiversity and linguistic diversity linked? Can saving endangered languages help us save endangered environments? Course cross-listed as LING 225 . No prerequisites. Next offered spring 2013. (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 challengesof expanding environmental ethics to address issues of global climate change and resource sustainability; environmental rights; and environmental justice. Course cross-listed as PHIL 229 . (4 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 231 - Environmental Economics and Policy

    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: ECON 119 . Prerequisite(s): ECON 119. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 232 - People, Agriculture and the Environment

    Cross-Listed as GEOG 232.
    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. No prerequisites. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 234 - American Environmental History

    Cross-Listed as HIST 234.
    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 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 com 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. Cross-listed with HIST 236 . Spring semester. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 237 - Environmental Justice

    Cross-Listed as HIST 237.
    Poor and minority populations have historically born 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. Every other fall. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 238 - Globalization and Environment

    Cross-Listed as INTL 238.
    This introductory course investigates the rapidly evolving global economic and political systems from a framework of environmental sustainability. Multiple economic, political, scientific, and philosophical perspectives are considered, as are proposals for system changes. Particular attention is paid to the role of multi-national corporations, international trade and finance patterns and agreements, and global climate change. Questions related to consumption, population, and food production are also considered. The main prerequisite is strong interest in the subject. Every other fall. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 252 - Water and Power

    Cross-Listed as GEOG 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. Cross-listed with GEOG 252  and POLI 252 . Prerequisite: ENVI 120 , ENVI 133 , or ENVI 232 . Next offered 2012-2013. (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 physical and the human worlds. Once commonly referred to as “natural hazards,” environmental hazards are increasingly being recognized as critically influenced by human behavior, broadening our understanding of how such hazards can and should be addressed. Additionally, many now argue that natural events only become ‘disasters’ once human communities become involved, emphasizing the importance of considering human vulnerability in any approach to studying hazards. Geography, with its focus on human-environment interactions, provides key theoretical approaches that can help to elucidate these complexities. Recognizing this key shift in hazards thinking, this course considers environmental hazards largely from a human perspective. A brief background to the basic geophysical processes that underlie environmental hazards is provided to develop sufficient grounding for a thorough understanding of relevant issues, but the remainder of the course focuses on how people influence and are influenced by hazards. This human approach considers three main themes related to hazards geography. First, what influences vulnerability to environmental hazards, focusing on issues of inequality at global, regional, and local scales? Second, how might planning for and mitigation of disasters associated with hazards be undertaken more effectively in the context of such understandings of vulnerability? Finally, how can geographic methods and approaches best be employed to reduce people’s vulnerability to environmental hazards? Spring semester. (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. Cross-listed as ENGL 260 . (4 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 262 - Studies in Literature and the Natural World

    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. Cross-listed with ENGL 262 . (4 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 265 - Justice

    Cross-Listed as ENGL 265.
    In this course we will examine texts by, about, and for workers for social justice. Our method will be interdisciplinary. With an eye toward aesthetics, we will examine novels and plays that have at their center protagonists who have been called to realize a vision of the just society or, more desperately, to stand alone against seemingly inevitable assaults upon human dignity. We will at the same time examine philosophical and sociological accounts of political action, including works that evaluate the effectiveness of different individual and organizational strategies for social change. Central issues may include obedience and disobedience, economic justice, eco-activism, globalization, human rights, gender, race, and the question of personal vocation-that is, how do we bring together our ethical commitments and our working lives? Central figures will range from Sophocles to Naomi Klein, Zola to James Baldwin. Students will be provided extensive opportunities for service and experiential learning in local organizations committed to social justice. Alternate years. (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 for Psychology majors: PSYC 100 , Introduction to Psychology. No prerequisite for Environmental Studies majors. Course cross-listed as PSYC 270 . Fall semester. Prerequisite(s): PSYC 100 if Psychology major. (4 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. Prerequisites: Permission of the instructor or two of the following: ENVI 133 , ENVI 215 , ENVI 234 . Every fall and spring semester. Prerequisite(s): Two of the following: 133, 215, 234. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 285 - Ecology

    Cross-Listed as BIOL 285.
    (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 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. Prerequistes: ECON 119  and one 200-level Economics course. Offered every other spring semester. Cross-listed as ECON 333  and INTL 333 . Prerequisite(s): ECON 119 and one 200-level ECON course. (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. Next offered 2012-2013. Course cross-listed with POLI 335 . (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. Cross-listed with HIST 340 . Offered fall 2011. (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. Cross-listed with HIST 343 . Not offered 2011-2012. (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. Cross-listed with HIST 345 . Spring 2012. (4 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 365 - Environmental Anthropology

    Cross-Listed as ANTH 365.
    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. 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. Cross-listed with INTL 368 . Next offered 2012-2013. (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. Course cross-listed as EDUC 370 . (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 INTL 477.
    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: GEOG 232  or permission of instructor. Offered occasionally. Prerequisite(s): GEOG 232 or permission of instructor. (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: permission of instructor. Fall semester. Cross-listed with GEOG 488  when offered with the same title. (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. Prerequisites: 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. This course must be taken concurrently with ENVI 490 . Permission from instructor required. Graded S/D/NC only. 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. This course must be taken concurrently with ENVI 489 . Permission from instructor required. Every fall. (2 Credits)
  

  • ENVI 494 - Topics Course

    Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing. (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. Every semester. Prerequisite(s): FREN 101  with a grade of C- or better, placement test or permission of instructor. (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. Every semester. Prerequisite(s): FREN 102  or FREN 111  with a grade of C- or better, placement test or permission of instructor. (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. Every semester. Prerequisite(s): FREN 203  with a grade of C- or better, placement test or permission of instructor. (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. Every semester. Prerequisite(s): FREN 204 , placement test or permission of instructor. (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. Every semester. Prerequisite(s): FREN 204  or placement test or permission of instructor. (4 Credits)
  

  • FREN 307 - Contemporary French Culture

    (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 courses as:

    The French-speaking Caribbean islands: Haïti, Guadeloupe, and Martinique.

    This course examines the cultural particularities of the region (music, religion, arts, society, economics, history) and studies the historical differences between the three islands as well as their specific relationship to France. This course counts towards a minor concentration in Latin American studies. Alternate years.

    Voix du Nord.

    This course studies the contemporary political and cultural situation of Belgium and the province of Quebec through their literature. It ties literary texts to their cultural and historical context, especially to the problematics of language and identity as they are expressed through various media. Alternate years.

    Voix du Sud

    In this course, students will be introduced to the great variety of texts written in Sub-Saharan West and Central Africa. Through the study of great pre-colonial Mandingue epics transcribed into French to post-genocide literature from Rwanda, students will become familiar with writers from Senegal, Mali, Cameroon, Rwanda, Ivory Coast as well as with other materials such as music, visual art and other art forms. The course will also expose students to the relationship between France and former African colonies from the first encounters to the current discourses and debates about the “FrançAfrique” as well as to postcolonial theory and to immigration literature from the African perspective. Alternate years.

    ALL COURSES ARE TAUGHT IN FRENCH UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED. 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. Alternate years. Prerequisite(s): One 300-level course or placement test or permission of instructor. (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. ALL COURSES ARE TAUGHT IN FRENCH UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED. Alternate years. It includes such courses as: West and Equatorial African Cinema. Introduction to the history and socio-economic contexts of African cinema (colonial and post-colonial). The focus is on the rich corpus of films by African directors from Senegal, Mali, Mauritania, Cameroon and Congo, and on theoretical and critical writings about films and authors. Alternate years. French cinema. A survey of French cinema from the thirties to the present. The course examines the style and themes in French cinema from Realism to Nouvelle Vague to Post-Modernism. The course is conducted in English with the possibility of receiving credit for a concentration in French if the reading and writing is done in French. Alternate years. 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. Alternate years. Prerequisite(s): One 300-level course or placement test or permission of instructor. (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. Alternate years. 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. Alternate years. It includes such courses as:

    Culture and Identity Through French, African, Caribbean, and North American Cinema

    Identity, Difference, and Pluralism in Contemporary France

    Women Writing in French Prerequisite(s): FREN 306  or permission of instructor. (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. Offered occasionally. Prerequisite(s): FREN 306  when courses are offered in French or permission of the instructor. (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. A course on 17th-century French Theatre was last offered in Spring 2003. ALL COURSES ARE TAUGHT IN FRENCH UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED. Offered occasionally. Prerequisite(s): FREN 306  or permission of the instructor. (4 Credits)
  

  • FREN 415 - Literary Periods and Movements

    (4 Credits)
  

  • FREN 416 - French Interdisciplinary Studies

    This category of courses includes courses offered by faculty outside the French and Francophone studies department that focus on topics relevant to French Studies. Examples include courses on Literature of Decolonization, European Immigration. It can also include courses taught by faculty in the French and Francophone Studies department on topics relevant to French studies but created primarily for other departments and programs. (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. Every fall. ALL COURSES ARE TAUGHT IN FRENCH UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. (4 Credits)
  

  • FREN 494 - Topics Course

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

Geography
  

  • GEOG 111 - Human Geography of Global Issues

    This course is an introduction to the global perspectives, basic concepts and fundamental questions of geography. It focuses on the ways through which all places on Earth are interconnected and how the human use of Earth’s surface varies over space. Major topics covered will be the human perception of earth space and the ways people give order to space; the growth and distribution of human population; the localization and spatial characteristics of patterns of settlement and land use; geopolitics and colonialism; environmental geography; the geography of economic development and modernization; principles of the analysis of spatial diffusion; spatial aspects of retail marketing; the geographic analysis of selected issues in industrialized societies such as gender issues, racism, poverty, sport, and religion. Every semester. (4 Credits)
  

  • GEOG 112 - Introduction to Urban Studies

    This course offers an interdisciplinary overview of urban life. We will draw on the disciplinary perspectives of history, geography, political science and sociology to examine how the built environment of cities are shaped by human activity and how, in turn, urban life is shaped by the built environment. This course also introduces students to the local urban setting in the Twin Cities through field study exercises and local case studies. The course focuses on building students’ analytical skills and foundational knowledge of how cities work by exploring a variety of topics, including the effect of transportation systems on urban development, city and metropolitan government, the search for community in urban settings, neighborhood change, and the effect of the global market economy on cities. Course materials focus on American cities. Lectures, guest speakers, case studies and assignments put a special emphasis on the urban experience in St. Paul. This particular focus will help students gain a grounded understanding of general knowledge that is fundamental to further study of cities. Every fall. (4 Credits)
  

  • GEOG 116 - Physical Geography

    A systematic introduction to the processes operating on the surface of the earth, their spatial variation, and their contribution to the spatial patterning of life on earth. The course stresses interactions among climate, landforms, soils and vegetation and, to a lesser extent, examines human interaction with the environment. (4 Credits)
  

  • GEOG 194 - Topics Course

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

  • GEOG 225 - Intro to Geog Info Systems

    This course provides an introductory integrative experience with visualization and manipulation of geo-spatial data. Students will compare and evaluate vector and raster digital geographic data commonly used in Geographic Information Science (e.g., DOQs, TIGER files, DEMs, and census boundaries). Course projects investigate scale, coordinate systems, and projections for geo-spatial data. Projects include classification of demographic data and query/analysis of vector and raster data. Lab section is required. Three lecture hours and one laboratory hour per week required. Materials fee is required. Every semester. (4 Credits)
  

  • GEOG 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)
  

  • GEOG 241 - Urban Geography

    This course seeks to explain the evolving pattern of cities across the earth in terms of the distribution and movement of resources and people. In addition, a careful analysis of the development and internal spatial structure of North American cities will be carried out. Much class time will be spent on discussion of contemporary urban problems such as segregation, unequal investment, and control of public space as well as attempts at their solution. This is intended for all students intending to major in Urban Studies. Field work required. Fall semester. (4 Credits)
  

  • GEOG 242 - Regional Geography of US and Canada

    This course will explore the ways in which diverse groups of people interact with the natural environment to produce the contemporary cultures and regional differentiation of the U.S. and Canada. Special attention will be given to the development of Native American lands and to the changes in distribution of ethnic groups. Emphasis on patterns of human settlement, economic activity, land use, and physical geography. Fundamental understanding of both region and concept. Case studies and short field trips will be used to demonstrate broad themes at a more personal scale. Fall semester. Prerequisite(s): GEOG 111  or permission of the instructor (4 Credits)
  

  • GEOG 243 - Geography of Africa: Local Resources and Livelihoods in a Global Context

    This class seeks to go beyond the superficial media interpretations of the vast African continent. As geographers, students will attempt to place contemporary African developments in a historical and global context. The course provides a basic background in African history and geography, leading to discussion of advanced topics in contemporary African studies. The course takes a systematic rather than regional approach, examining sets of issues, rather than regions or countries of Africa. The course covers a broad range of topics, including: Africa in historical perspective; physical geography (physical landscapes, climate, vegetation, soils); human-environment interactions (forest degradation, desertification); population dynamics (population growth, distribution and mobility); culture and change (religion, modernization); development (ideology and economic development, Africa in the global economy); social geography (African women and development, education); medical geography (disease, health care and policy); agricultural development (traditional farming systems, cash crops, policy); urban economies (evolution of the urban structure, industry, housing); and political geography (democratization, conflict). Prerequisite(s): GEOG 111  or permission of the instructor. (4 Credits)
  

  • GEOG 245 - Regional Geography of Post-Soviet Union

    This course deals with the complexities of the geography of the world’s largest set of states, the Post-Soviet Union. Discussions center on the growth and expansion of Russia in pre-evolutionary times and the solidification and demise of the Soviet Union in the 20th century. Particular attention is drawn to the physical setting, settlement patterns, population growth and composition, ethnic groups, economic patterns, relationships of the Post-Soviet Union with other regions of the world, and prospects for the future. Case method instruction is used in this course. (4 Credits)
  

  • GEOG 247 - Regional Geography of the Middle East

    The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the variety of geographic factors that make up the area traditionally known as the Middle East (Egypt to Iran). Its aim is to enable the student to understand and appreciate the complex relationships of this fascinating region, both internally and to the rest of the world. We investigate the region from a variety of scales, including the individual, the ethnic group, the city and state. The course begins by laying a geographic foundation and then moving off into specific locales around the tri-continental hub. We will pay particular attention to how geography investigates some of the region’s most contentious contemporary issue. Through a combination of lecture, discussion and case study activities the class will explore the region’s resource base, history, politics, economy, religions and cultures. We will cover a wide variety of topics searching for the linkages between the cultural, physical and social geographies of the Middle East. Prerequisite(s): GEOG 111  or permission of instructor. (4 Credits)
  

  • GEOG 248 - The Political Geography of Nations and Nationalism

    This course investigates how nations and nationalism affect social identity and the organization of territory in our world. Political geography offers concepts and approaches to help us think through the complex intersections of people, place, and politics that constitute the struggle to create and maintain nation-states. Thus the first part of the course is devoted to enhancing your understanding of core concepts, such as nation, state, territory, sovereignty, scale, borders, and geographical imagination. The ultimate purpose of this first part of the course then is to assemble a framework for understanding why our contemporary organization of territory throughout the world looks the way it does. Equipped with these foundations, we explore topics in the secod part of class that help you think critically about the stability of nations and the organization of territory into the nation-state system as well as challenges to these institutions. Toward this end, you will also conduct an independent research project on a single group’s attempt to create a nation-state. Throughout the course, we will bring our investigations to bear on everyday life, exploring how nations and nationalism shape our world in dramatic and mundane ways. Spring semester. (4 Credits)
  

  • GEOG 249 - Regional Geography of Latin America

    Cross-Listed as LATI 249 
    This class provides an introduction to the geography of Latin America - its peoples and environments - that looks at the importance of place as a way to understand a region. This geographical approach involves investigating the changing relationships among places, peoples, and ideas, and how these relationships define and influence a particular region. As such, the class considers some of the forces that have shaped, and continue to influence, contemporary Latin America and its relations with the rest of the world: the natural environment, the people, the economy, politics, urbanization and migration, and environment and development. Each of these topics is explored independently and in ways that emphasize inter-relationships among topics. Offered every fall (4 Credits)
  

  • GEOG 250 - Race, Place and Space

    Cross-Listed as  
    In this discussion-based course we focus on the racialized places of U.S. cities, rural towns and suburbs in an effort to understand how social, historic, and spatial forces have colluded to bring about complex and enduring racial formations. We will look for race and related social categories in places around St. Paul and Minneapolis. By engaging theories about visuality and representation, urban development and suburban sprawl, and social movements for racial justice, we will develop a specialized vocabulary for explaining how race, place, and space are connected. This course requires prior exposure to at least one of the following areas: American Studies, human geography, sociology of race/ethnicity, or urban studies. Offered occasionally. (4 Credits)
  

  • GEOG 252 - Water and Power

    Cross-Listed as ENVI 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 . (4 Credits)
  

  • GEOG 254 - Population 7 Billion: Global Population Issues and Trends

    This course challenges students to critically examine global population issues from a local-scale perspective and to understand the local context in which regional and international population patterns emerge. Using the lens of Geography, we will investigate the dynamic interplay between individual, local, regional, national, and international scales and the implications of scale, culture and perspective in dissecting current population issues. We will also use individual countries as case studies to examine population policies. Students will acquire a working knowledge of the data and methods used by population geographers to describe and analyze changes in human populations at sub-national scales, and will implement these skills in an independent research project. Fall semester. Prerequisite(s): GEOG 111  or permission of the instructor. (4 Credits)
  

  • GEOG 256 - Medical Geography: The Geography of Health and Health Care

    This course uses two theoretical approcahes from geography to make sense of health-related issues. First, we consider ecological approaches to recognize ways in which human interactions with their environments can shape human health. For instance, how can deforestation or the development of irrigation schemes alter disease patterns? Second, we turn to social approaches, including political economy and recent humanist approaches, to ask how patterns of human organization affect health and health care. For instance, how do race, socioeconomic status, or political structures influence who gets sick and who stays healthy? The course will also consider various geographical methods for assessing health-related questions, particularly how we can employ maps and spatial statistics to identify patterns across space. Two sub-themes - environmental issues and international perspectives - are emphasized throughout the course. Offered every spring. (4 Credits)
 

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