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College Catalog 2018-2019 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Courses

 

Political Science
  

  • POLI 203 - Politics and Inequality

    Cross-Listed as AMST 203  
    The readings and assignments in this course are designed to help students understand how social policies and programs contribute to Americans’ lived experiences.  We will examine various theoretical justifications for the policies that constitute the American welfare state, then confront and dissect major strands of the American social safety net to better understand how political institutions and policy mechanisms contribute to both diversity and inequality in individuals’ social, economic and political outcomes (based in race, class, gender, dis/ability, region, political jurisdiction, etc.). Alternate spring semesters. (4 Credits)
  

  • POLI 204 - Urban Politics

    Students are introduced to the issues and challenges confronting American cities today, and the public policy options and remedies city governments employ to address urban problems.  Using a historical approach, we trace the origins of machine politics and campaigns against their rule, the evolution of the “urban crisis” of the twentieth century, and the rise of the fragmented urban metropolis.  Next, we explore how persistent economic and racial segregation, interurban rivalries, fiscal constraints, and identity politics shape power relationships and local governmental capacities to deliver services and revitalize neighborhoods.  Along the way, in simulated challenges, we ask students to present and defend their own policy proposals to urban problems (e.g. fair elections, downtown development, affordable housing, urban sprawl) and, in a longer research paper, investigate how one or two cities have struggled with or successfully addressed an urban challenge.  Prerequisite(s): POLI 100  recommended Alternate years. (4 Credits)
  

  • POLI 205 - Politics and Policymaking

    The course examines the American public policy process through a case study apparoach. Attention wil be paid to issues of policy formation and implementation with a forcus on the role and interaction of national and state institutions. The United Sates government is a large, complex system of multiple institutions that share power and authority and govern across multiple issue dimensions. To understand the policy process in this context we will 1) Discuss foundational theories of the policy process; 2) Examine several case studies designed to engage these theories and debate their practical application, and 3) Become “experts” in a particular policy area as each student prepares a presentation on that topic and presents politically viable solutions.   This course will focus on writing for a variety of audiences and leave students well-prepared to apply for policy-oriented scholarships, fellowships and jobs. Offered only in the fall. (4 Credits)
  

  • POLI 206 - US Constitutional Law and Thought

    An exploration of the structure of the American Political System as seen through the decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court. The central topics include the development of the federal-state relationship, the separation of powers in the national government, the limits of government power over the economy, and the role of the judiciary. This course takes in the sweep of American history from 1789 to the present. Prerequisite(s): POLI 100  recommended Altenate years. (4 Credits)
  

  • POLI 207 - US Civil Rights and Civil Liberties

    An examination of civil liberties and rights in the U.S., focusing on the cases decided by the Supreme Court. Central topics include the First Amendment freedoms of speech, press, and religion; privacy and reproductive freedom; and the Fourteenth Amendment protection of equality as it affects discrimination, affirmative action, and voting rights. Every semester. (4 Credits)
  

  • POLI 208 - Immigration and Citizenship in American Political Development

    The United States are often described as a nation of immigrants, yet various anxieties over the status of immigrants have been expressed throughout the history of the country. This clas offers a survey of key historical debates over immigration and the character of citizenship in the United States. Though close analysis of primary documents the class explores the definition, terms, and goals of such debats, the variety of interests vested in the issues, and the political and social consequences of these controversies not only for the dominant political order but especially for teh lives and identites of the immigrants, their families, and communities. In particular we explore: key historical events and trends that have defined the flow and status of immigrants in the United States; how various anxieties about immigration have served to disenfranchise some groups while solidifying the power of others; the rehetorical, economic, political, and ideological challenges faced by those interested in promoting immigrants’ rights; how the status of immgrants has consequences for the political rights of citizens and vice versa, thus challenging the notion that immigrants’ problems are theirs alone. (4 Credits)
  

  • POLI 212 - Rights and Wrongs: Litigation and Public Policy

    This course explores the significance, possibilities and limits of litigation as a way of shaping public policy and society. Focusing mainly in the American context, the course connects two braod areas of interest: the rise of rights movements in the 20th century (from the NAACP to contemporary movements such as gay rights) and the use of class action lawsuits and tort law to compensate people for injuries or risk, especially in matters affecting public health (e.g. asbestos, tobacco). Related subjects discussed include the historical roots of litigation as an approach to social problems and government regulation as an alternative to litigation. Alternate years. (4 Credits)
  

  • POLI 214 - Cyber Politics

    An analysis of innovations on the internet to assist candidates running for political office, enhance citizen participation, develop e-Democracy, and organize political protest. Course focuses on theories of cyberpolitics, and examines the effectiveness and ethical character of these persuasive approaches. Topics include an examination of candidate and political party web sites, on-line grassroots organizing, the ascendancy of political web logs (blogs), candidate “meet-ups,” campaign advertisements designed for the web, on-line fundraising, “fake news” sites, sites that parody or satirize candidates running for office, and “attack animations.” Students will utilize Macalester’s course-management software and learn HTML in order to design web-based assignments. Alternate years. (4 Credits)
  

  • POLI 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. Offered yearly. (4 Credits)
  

  • POLI 216 - Legislative Politics

    This course explores legislative politics through a combination of academic theory and focused field experiences. Each student must simultaneously enroll in a credit-bearing internship at the Minnesota State Legislature. The class examines the basic structures, players and forces that shape legislative decision-making, the motivation or individual legislators, and their interactions with other political actors and institutions. Prerequisite(s): POLI 100  recommended. Course not available to First Year students. Every spring. (4 Credits)
  

  • POLI 220 - Foreign Policy

    An exploration of US foreign policy as it relates to a country or region of pressing interest or particular significance in global political life.  For the next several years, the focus of the course will be on the foreign policy challenges posed by a “rising” China.  It is organized around the following questions:  What are the cultural, political, economic and strategic interests shaping the evolution of Chinese foreign policy?  What is China’s “peaceful rise” policy?  What are the systemic implications of this policy?  What are the implications of China’s rise for US regional and global interests?  And how should the US respond to the rise of China as a regional and global great power? Prerequisite(s): POLI 120  recommended, but not required Every year. (4 Credits)
  

  • POLI 221 - Global Governance

    This course is designed to introduce students to global governance. It begins with a discussion of the concept of global governance. It then turns to some of the central features of contemporary global governance, including the changing status of the state and of international/world organizations and the role of global civil society. The emphasis here is on how patterns of global governance have changed and are changing and on the implications of these changes for democracy, social justice, etc. The remainder of the course focuses on the areas of international peace and security, human rights and international humanitarian law, and economic governance. By addressing such topics as the International Criminal Court and the role of the IMF and the World Bank in economic development, these parts of the course highlight the contested nature of global governance in each of the three issue areas. Prerequisite(s): POLI 120  recommended Every year. (4 Credits)
  

  • POLI 222 - Regional Conflict/Security

    This course is intended to introduce students to the military, political, economic, cultural and/or diplomatic dimensions of various regional conflicts or “security complexes.” The specific region to be covered will vary from year to year, but it is expected that regions of pressing interest or greater significance to international peace and security will be covered most regularly. This course is designed for political science majors, but is also suitable for others who need to fulfill a distribution requirement in the social sciences or who simply want to satisfy an interest in a specific regional conflict or international politics/security more generally. Prerequisite(s): POLI 120  recommended Alternate years. (4 Credits)
  

  • POLI 223 - The Politics of the World Wars

    This course explores the causes, character and consequences of First and Second World Wars through the disciplinary lenses of both History and International Relations. Among the topics it covers are the origins of the wars; the grand strategies of the major belligerent powers; the political economy of the wars; the holocaust and other war crimes; the “decisive battles” or turning points of the wars; and the world order that emerged out of (and in response to) these conflicts. Alternate years. (4 Credits)
  

  • POLI 242 - Political Economy of Development

    This course will help you answer questions about politics and economics in the developing world. For example: What explains global disparities in peace and prosperity? Is democracy good for the poor? Does foreign aid work? Our main objective is to use social science to describe and explain development outcomes. Although we will also address what can be done to solve problems such as poverty and civil war, this course will not provide any panaceas. If you finish the term unsatisfied and frustrated, you will have done something right! You will have begun to understand the complexity of development issues, which will equip you to contribute in a sophisticated way to ongoing scholarly and policy-oriented debates. Every year. (4 Credits)
  

  • POLI 244 - Urban Latino Power

    Cross-Listed as   and  
    Comparative study of Latino and Latina political struggles in the United States. We will explore the themes of subordination and empowerment through issues such as anti-immigrant ballot initiatives in California, the election of Latino mayors in Denver and San Antonio, Cuban dominance in Miami politics, multiracial violence in Los Angeles, and battles over labor conditions, affirmative action, bi-lingual education, and racial profiling. Student projects will involve field research among the Latino communities and organizations of the Twin Cities. Alternate years. (4 Credits)
  

  • POLI 245 - Latin American Politics

    Cross-Listed as LATI 245 
    Comparative study of political institutions and conflicts in several Latin American countries. Through a mix of empirical and theoretical work, we analyze concepts and issues such as authoritarianism and democratization, neoliberalism, state terror and peace processes, guerrilla movements, party systems, populism, the Cuban Revolution, and U.S. military intervention. Themes are explored through diverse teaching methods including discussion, debates, simulations, partisan narratives, lecture, film, and poetry. This class employs an innovative system of qualitative assessment. Students take the course “S/SD/N with Written Evaluation.” This provides a powerful opportunity for students to stretch their limits in a learning community with high expectations, but without a high-presure atmosphere. This ungraded course has been approved for inclusion on major/minor/concentration plans in Political Science, Latin American Studies, and Human Rights and Humanitarianism. Every year. (4 Credits)
  

  • POLI 246 - Comparative Democratization

    Cross-Listed as LATI 246  
    This course focuses on theories of democratic breakdown, regime transitions, and democratization in Southern Europe, Latin America, and Post-Communist Europe. Some of the cases we will study include Pinochet’s coup and Chile’s return to elections, the end of the South African apartheid regime, and Russia’s post-Cold War shift toward both democratic elections and new strands of authoritarianism. Building on the literatures on transitions, consolidation, civil society, and constitutional design, the course culminates in an examination of democratic impulses in Iran and the Middle East. Themes are explored through diverse teaching methods including discussion, debates, simulations, partisan narratives, lecture, film, and poetry. Prerequisite(s): POLI 140  or POLI 141  recommended. Offered every year. (4 Credits)
  

  • POLI 247 - African Politics

    This course will help you answer questions about politics and economics in Sub-Saharan Africa. For example: Why have the “artificial” borders of African states hardly changed since independence? Why do many new African democracies revert to authoritarianism? Why is poverty so widespread in Africa? By the end of the semester, students who invest an honest effort in the assignments and actively participate in class will be able to: describe political institutions and behaviors in diverse African contexts; use social scientific methods to propose explanations for variation in outcomes such as democracy, war, and economic growth; evaluate and critique arguments about African politics in popular discourse; and enter into conversations with professionals in a variety of fields, including government, international NGOs, and academia. Prerequisite(s): POLI 140  is recommended as a prerequisite. (4 Credits)
  

  • POLI 250 - Comparative-Historical Sociology

    Cross-Listed as SOCI 275 - Comparative-Historical Sociology 
    The course introduces students to principles of cross-national and cross-cultural analysis. The class begins with a survey of the basic methodological orientations that distinguish various modes of analysis in the social sciences. The lectures and discussions in this section provide a general introduction to the logic of causal analysis, explore the relative strengths and weaknesses of differing methodological approaches to understanding social phenomena, and specifically, consider in greater detail the distinctive blend of theoretical, methodological, and empirical concerns that inform comparative-historical social science. The substantive topics of the course include: the Social Origins of the Modern State; the Sociology of Democracy and Authoritarianism; the Sociology of Revolution; and The Rise of the Welfare State. Alternate years. (4 Credits)
  

  • POLI 252 - Water and Power

    Cross-Listed as GEOG 252  and ENVI 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 history of American water development, we will turn our attention to issues around sanitation, food production, gender and privatization in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. Prerequisite(s): ENVI 120 , ENVI 133 , or ENVI 232   Offered occasionally. (4 Credits)
  

  • POLI 260 - Contemporary Political Theory

    Transition in the nature of domination from manifest coercion to cultural hegemony. The course will focus on critical theory, principally Marcuse and Habermas, but will also consider Marx, Weber, Freud, Gramsci, Lukacs and Foucault. Every year. (4 Credits)
  

  • POLI 261 - Feminist Political Theory

    Cross-Listed as WGSS 261 
    Analysis of contemporary feminist theories regarding gender identity, biological and socio-cultural influences on subjectivity and knowledge, and relations between the personal and the political. Alternate years. (4 Credits)
  

  • POLI 262 - American Political Thought

    Taking a chronological tour of American political ideas, this course explores the continuities and conflicts in political discourse in the United States from a wide range of authors and perspectives. Canonical figures such as the Puritans, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and Abraham Lincoln construct political authority in their respective periods, against a diverse backdrop of thinkers presenting competing visions and claims. Some of the authors include: Henry David Thoreau, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Frederick Douglass, Edward Bellamy, W.E.B. DuBois, John Dewey, Martin Luther King Jr., and a range of contemporary authors representing evolving feminist, environmentalist, and conservative political thought. Assignments vary, but include efforts both to put thought in a historic context and develop the connections between traditions of thought and present-day concerns. Prerequisite(s): POLI 100  recommended Every year. (4 Credits)
  

  • POLI 265 - Work, Wealth, Well-Being

    Wealth has held an allure for many modern thinkers; the creation of a wealthy society often associated with “civilization” itself. The relationships among work, wealth and well-being are a perennial concern and have been central to the study of political economy, since its inception in the mid- to late-18th century. How does work produce wealth for the individual and for society? How, or when, does individual and social wealth translate into individual and/or social well-being? And, how does the character of work affect individual well-being or happiness? This course will examine the answers given to these questions (and myriad corollary questions) by writers within the political economy tradition. Alternate years. (4 Credits)
  

  • POLI 266 - Medieval Political Thought

    This course deals with the political thought of Latin Christendom (Western Europe) during the later Middle Ages (c. 1050 - c. 1550). This body of thought is worthy of sustained study for two reasons. First, it is one of the glories of human civilization. In seeking to answer the timeless question “how we should live our lives as individuals” and “how we should live together in peace and justice” late medieval political thinkers produced a body of political thought second to none in the history of human philosophical speculation. Second, late medieval political thought is worthy of study because it gave rise to many of the concepts that continue to shape our collective lives today (including state sovereignty, separation of church and state, constitutionalism, just war, property rights, “the people,” nationalism, democracy, rule-of-law, and human rights). Indeed, it is impossible to really understand contemporary political life without delving deeply into the way in which late medieval thinkers engaged with the big political issues of their day. The main goal of this course is to provide a solid introduction to the political thought of this crucially important era in human history. In it, we will critically examine the relevant works of thinkers such as St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, John of Paris, Marsilius of Padua, Bartolus of Sasseferato, and Baldus de Ubaldi. To the extent that they shed light on late medieval thought, we will also touch on classical political theorists such as Aristotle and Cicero as well as Muslim and Jewish thinkers such as ibn Sina, Moshe ben Maimon, and ibn Rusd. (4 Credits)
  

  • POLI 267 - Liberal and Conservative Political Theory

    This course deals with the liberal and conservative currents(s) running through the Western tradition of political thought from the time of the French Revolution to today.  Its main goal of to provide a solid introduction to these two bodies of philosophical speculation.  Through a close reading of texts and commentaries, we will critically (though empathetically) examine the relevant works of thinkers such as John Locke, Thomas Paine, Edmund Burke, John Stuart Mill, John Henry Newman, Russell Kirk, William F. Buckley Jr., Leo Strauss, John Dewey, Friedrich von Hayek, Irving Kristol, Michael Oakshott, and Alasdair MacIntyre.  The focus of our inquiries will be upon topics such as “how should I lead my life?” (ethics), and “how should we lead our lives together?” (politics). Important secondary goals of the course include: familiarizing students with the various “languages” or “idioms” of conservative and liberal political thought; helping students understand the great political debates between conservative and liberals; applying both conservative and liberal political frames/concepts to a range of contemporary “hot-button” social and political issues. As an intermediate-level offering, this course is designed primarily for Political Science majors and non-majors in cognate fields (such as Philosophy) who have some experience in the discipline.  The course has no pre-requisites, however, and is therefore suitable for all students seeking to satisfy an interest in liberal and conservative political thought. Alternate years. (4 Credits)
  

  • POLI 269 - Empirical Research Methods

    This course will equip you with the skills and intuition to think about politics in a more critical and organized way.  You will practice the scientific method - identifying a problem worthy of study, developing testable hypotheses, designing a research strategy, gathering data, analyzing data, and interpreting your results - and contemplate the philosophical conundrums that underlie our efforts to describe, explain, and interpret complex phenomena.  Every Semester. (4 credits) Empirical Methods: The department requires its majors to take one course in empirical research methodology, preferably before their junior year. There are a number of courses that fulfill this requirement, including: POLI 272 , SOCI 269 , SOCI 270 , SOCI 275 . In some cases, research methods courses taken in other social science disciplines may be used to fulfill this requirement following approval by the political science department chair. Every semester. (4 Credits)
  

  • POLI 270 - Rhetoric of Campaigns and Election

    The course examines the range of persuasive language strategies and symbol use in Presidential or congressional elections. Students design a comprehensive communication plan for a real candidate running for office. Students produce campaign rhetoric such as prospectus for institutional donors, press releases, direct mail appeals, bumper stickers, scripts for radio/television ads, scripts for fundraising phone banks, and a candidate stump speech. Alternate years. (4 Credits)
  

  • POLI 272 - Researching Political Communication

    A study of how presidents, politicians, and social movement activists worldwide use language and persuasive symbols to increase influence and affect political change. Students complete a semester-long project in which they analyze a significant political text utilizing descriptive-analytic, historical-contextual, critical, and interpretive research methods. Every year. (4 Credits)
  

  • POLI 277 - Metaphysics in Secular Thought

    Cross-Listed as GERM 277  and RELI 277  
    A widespread tendency in contemporary Western societies is to associate metaphysics with religion, if not with what is often dismissively called the “irrational.” This course will dismantle this myth by reading closely European philosophy and political theory, mostly since the seventeenth century, in their relation to theology and their reception by twentieth-century critical theory. This will allow us to examine the ways in which secular thought emerges not as an alternative to metaphysics-something which thought cannot supersede anyway-but rather as a different way of dealing with the very same metaphysical questions and issues that concern religion, from the meaning of life to the imminence of death, and from (actual or imagined) guilt to the hope for redemption. We shall endeavor to identify the similarities and differences between the ‘secular’ and the ‘religious’ ways, including their respective relations to rationality. Readings will include: Aristotle, Talal Asad, George Bataille, Walter Benjamin, Kenneth Burke, Richard Dienst, Emile Durkheim, Michel Foucault, Sigmund Freud, Peter Harrison, Jacques Lacan, Karl Marx, Marcel Mauss, Carl Schmitt, Baruch Spinoza, Alberto Toscano, Max Weber, Slavoj Zizek.
      Prerequisite(s): All readings in English. No pre-knowledge required. Occasionally (4 Credits)
  

  • POLI 285 - Ethnicity and Nationalism in Central and Eastern Europe

    Cross-Listed as INTL 285 
    This course explores ethnic nationalism’s causes and consequences in Eastern Europe. Drawing on several disciplines, we begin by examining the core concepts and theories in the contemporary study of nationalism. We then explore both the historical roots of Eastern European nationalisms, and their implications for democracy, minority inclusion, regional stability, and European integration. (4 Credits)
  

  • POLI 290 - Chuck Green Civic Engagement Fellowship

    In his 40-year career at Macalester, Professor Chuck Green functioned as a one-man `leadership academy,- inspiring and guiding students to make the transition from detached observers to engaged citizens. Through his teaching, mentoring, and example, Professor Green instilled in students a sense of confidence and optimism about their ability to engage proactively in the world. The Chuck Green Civic Engagement Fellowship honors this legacy. Students with sophomore or junior standing may apply for this seven-month fellowship that includes a spring seminar and a full-time, fully-funded summer field experience. Chuck Green Fellows will study democratic engagement in social and organizational change, identify a client organization working for the public good with whom the student can analyze and address a problem, and then work with that client on a mutually agreed-upon solution. The Fellowship culminates in the early fall with an event in which Fellows, faculty, and clients have an opportunity to reflect on the fellowship experience. The Fellowship fulfills both the practicum and advanced course requirements of the political science major. Contact the political science department for a full description and application. Prerequisite(s): Sophomore standing or permission of instructor. Every spring. (4 Credits)
  

  • POLI 294 - Topics Course

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

  • POLI 300 - American Government Institutions

    Analysis of the formal institutions of American governance, including the U.S. Congress, Presidency, federal courts, and the bureaucracy. The course relies on extensive role playing to equip students with a hands-on understanding of the procedures utilized by all three branches of government, the complexity of public policy decision making, and the motivations and resources of various governmental actors. Prerequisite(s): Sophomore-standing or permission of instructor. Alternate years. (4 Credits)
  

  • POLI 301 - Law, Economy, and Identity

    This seminar-style course explores vital questions in America’s political development, focusing particularly on the moments with questions of law and the identity of people have been contested around economic issues. Topics vary but may include the evolution in property rights for women, the law of slavery, the legal status of Native Americans, and the evolution of welfare rights. The course employs tutorials, in which students tackle key questions through essays, which are then discussed in small groups in the instructor’s office. Prerequisite(s): Sophomore-standing or permission of instructor. Alternate years. (4 Credits)
  

  • POLI 305 - Women’s Voices in Politics

    Cross-Listed as WGSS 306  
    The course examines significant women persuaders as a force in Western history and culture. Concentrates on women’s efforts to participate fully in public affairs and the social, political, religious, scientific, and rhetorical obstacles that have restricted women’s access to the polis. Fundamental to the course is an analysis of how women have used speaking, writing, and protesting in attempts to overcome such obstacles, influence public policy and/or win elective office. Prerequisite(s): Sophomore-standing or permission of instructor. Alternate years. (4 Credits)
  

  • POLI 315 - Advanced Topics in Policy: US Education Politics and Policy

    Cross-Listed as EDUC 315  
    This advanced research seminar explores the politics and policy of K-12 education in the United States. Several theoretical lenses are explored and competing perspectives are advanced. The workload will be intense, akin to a graduate level course. Students will compose a 20-25 page original research paper on an education topics of their choice. Prerequisite(s): Sophomore-standing; previous coursework in American politics or public policy as well as research methods is recommended. Alternate spring semesters. (4 Credits)
  

  • POLI 316 - Information Politics, Policy and Law

    Over the past century the world has witnessed incredible changes in the ways that information is produced, distributed, and consumed. Through tutorials, seminar discussions, and individual projects, this course explores the policy problems and conflicts at the cutting edge of the global Information Society. Topics include secrecy, transparency, access to information, surveillance, privacy, intellectual property (such as copyrights and piracy), freedom of expression in a digital world, and the regulation of technology. Prerequisite(s): Sophomore-standing or permission of instructor. Alternate years. (4 Credits)
  

  • POLI 320 - Global Political Economy

    Cross-Listed as INTL 320  
    Traces the evolution of (global) political economy as a peculiarly modern way of understanding and organizing (global) social life. Particular attention will be paid to how the distinction between the political and the economic is drawn and implemented in interconnected ways within nation-states and in international society. Course includes a detailed study of one of the key components of the international political economy: international trade, international finance, technological processes, etc. Prerequisite(s): Sophomore-standing or permission of instructor. Every year. (4 Credits)
  

  • POLI 321 - International Security

    This is a course designed to introduce students to global or world security studies as an academic field. It begins with a discussion of the various theoretical approaches to the study of international security (including traditional, critical and subaltern approaches). It then proceeds to explore a number of issues that are currently of interest to specialists in the field. While not an exhaustive survey, this course provides a solid introduction to the contemporary study of international security. Prerequisite(s): Sophomore-standing or permission of instructor. Every year. (4 Credits)
  

  • POLI 322 - Advanced International Theory

    This course is designed to introduce students to the study of international relations theory as an academic discipline. It is intended to prepare students for graduate work in the field, but should be appropriate for those merely seeking to satisfy an interest in international relations theory. The course is intended primarily for advanced political science majors and non-majors in cognate fields who have significant experience in the discipline. Prerequisite(s): Sophomore-standing or permission of instructor. Alternate years. (4 Credits)
  

  • POLI 323 - Humanitarianism in World Politics

    The past two decades appear to have been very successful ones for humanitarianism. Funding for humanitarianism has skyrocketed; humanitarian organizations have expanded their public support, as well as their activities; and, increasingly, humanitarian issues have found a place at the center of policy decisions. It is also generally agreed that humanitarianism is in crisis owing to the growing awareness of the sometimes harmful effects of aid; the expansion of the concept of humanitarianism to include human rights, development, and peace-building; and the increasing involvement of states in humanitarian operations. This advanced-level course explores the nature and dilemmas of contemporary humanitarianism. Prerequisite(s): Sophomore-standing or permission of instructor. Every year. (4 Credits)
  

  • POLI 333 - Power and Development in Africa

    Cross-Listed as INTL 301  
    In a notable turn around, a significant number of African societies, in recent years, have experienced both economic growth and renewal of the spirit of women and men acting as citizens. These are commendable achievements. Yet, old quotidian urgencies such as precarious personal safety, hunger, poor health, and political disorder are still prevalent. This is the dialectic of development. This course explores these contradictions. Most of the attention will be given to the concepts of power, politics, and development in contemporary Africa. The course concludes with each student submitting a research paper on a specific problem (e.g. environment, economic, social, cultural, political) confronting one country of the student’s choice. Prerequisite(s): Sophomore standing or permission of instructor. Every year. (4 Credits)
  

  • POLI 335 - Science and Citizenship

    Cross-Listed as ENVI 335  
    This course focuses on environmental controversies as a means for exploring the dynamic relationship between science, technology and society. Through topics such as genetically modified foods, geoengineering and toxic waste disposal, the course will critically examine concepts of risk, uncertainty, trust, credibility, expertise and citizenship. Students will also examine the role of art and media in shaping of public consciousness. Prerequisite(s): Sophomore standing or permission of instructor. Spring semester. (4 Credits)
  

  • POLI 341 - Comparative Social Movements

    Cross-Listed as LATI 341  
    Comparative study of social movements in Latin America and other world regions. This research seminar engages several major theories that attempt to explain the origins and development of movements struggling for subsistence rights, labor rights, gender and sexuality rights, social rights, and racial and ethnic rights. The course focuses principally on Latin American movements, but also engages cases from the United States and Europe through an examination of transnational advocacy networks and global activism. Prerequisite(s): Sophomore standing or permission of instructor. Alternate years. (4 Credits)
  

  • POLI 342 - Urban Politics of Latin America

    Cross-Listed as LATI 342  
    Democratic elections have penetrated metropolitan Latin America, offering the urban poor new avenues for demand making. In this research seminar, we will explore how the changing rules of political competition affect urban struggles for land, racial equality, and municipal representation. The course focuses on mayoral elections, urban segregation, informal communities, and social movements in major cities such as Caracas, Lima, Mexico City, Montevideo, Porto Alegre, and São Paulo. Major student responsibilities include seminar leadership roles, a research project, and presentation of your findings in a public colloquium. For students with previous coursework in Latin American or urban politics. Prerequisite(s): Sophomore standing or permission of instructor. Every year. (4 Credits)
  

  • POLI 352 - Transitional Justice

    Cross-Listed as INTL 352  
    This course explores the rapidly evolving field of transitional justice, examining how and why regimes respond to wide-scale past human rights abuses. Drawing on examples worldwide, it asks why states choose particular strategies and examines a variety of goals (truth, justice, reconciliation, democracy-building), approaches (trials, truth commissions, file access, memorialization, reparation, rewriting histories), actors (state, civil society, religious institutions), experiences, results, and controversies. Prerequisite(s): Sophomore standing or permission of instructor. (4 Credits)
  

  • POLI 394 - Topics Course

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

  • POLI 400 - Senior Research Seminar

    The research seminar is designed to fulfill partially the capstone experience requirement for political science majors. It is expected that students will have taken the required foundations, methods and intermediate courses prior to beginning the seminar. The goal of the Senior Research Seminar is to launch students on a culminating academic experience organized around the supervised independent study of a political science topic of particular interest and relevance to them. The Seminar is premised on the assumption that students will have a working familiarity with the foundational knowledge in the sub-field(s) relevant to their research project, a mastery of the practical skills introduced in the foundations courses and further developed in the intermediate courses, and a willingness to engage actively in a rigorous, sustained inquiry into an important topic. It is also premised on the assumption that students will take responsibility for managing their own self-directed learning processes. The Senior Research Seminar will normally involve one or more faculty members “coaching” students through the process of defining a significant and important political science research question, developing a thesis, designing an appropriate research program, and writing a substantial portion of a draft Honors thesis or senior independent project. Following successful completion of the Seminar, students participating in the Honors Program are required to enroll in political science independent project. Students not participating in the Honors Program who nevertheless wish to continue with their research should enroll in POLI 614 . Every Fall. (4 Credits)
  

  • POLI 404 - Honors Colloquium

    A workshop for students pursing honors projects in the political science department. S/N grading. Every semester. (2 Credits)
  

  • POLI 494 - Topics Course

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

  • POLI 601 - Tutorial

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

  • POLI 602 - Tutorial

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

  • POLI 603 - Tutorial

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

  • POLI 604 - Tutorial

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

  • POLI 611 - Independent Project

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

  • POLI 612 - Independent Project

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

  • POLI 613 - Independent Project

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

  • POLI 614 - Independent Project

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

  • POLI 621 - Internship

    Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Work with Internship Office. Every semester. (1 Credits)
  

  • POLI 622 - Internship

    Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Work with Internship Office. Every semester. (2 Credits)
  

  • POLI 623 - Internship

    Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Work with Internship Office. Every semester. (3 Credits)
  

  • POLI 624 - Internship

    Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Work with Internship Office. Every semester. (4 Credits)
  

  • POLI 631 - Preceptorship

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

  • POLI 632 - Preceptorship

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

  • POLI 633 - Preceptorship

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

  • POLI 634 - Preceptorship

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

  • POLI 641 - Honors Independent

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

  • POLI 642 - Honors Independent

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

  • POLI 643 - Honors Independent

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

  • POLI 644 - Honors Independent

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

Portuguese
  

  • PORT 111 - Accelerated Beginning Portuguese

    Intensive instruction in speaking, understanding, reading and writing Portuguese. Brazilian usage emphasized. Successful completion with a minimum grade of C- allows enrollment in the second level Portuguese course, PORT 331 . Three class hours per week plus two hours of tutorial. Fall semester. (5 Credits)
  

  • PORT 194 - Topics Course

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

  • PORT 221 - Accelerated Intermediate Portuguese

    This course covers the second year of Portuguese in one semester. It extends and deepens awareness and use of linguistic functions in Portuguese, and it introduces the history and culture of Lusophone countries.  Brazilian usage emphasized. This course is appropriate for students who have taken PORT 111  or for highly self-motivated students with appropriate prior experience in Portuguese. Successful completion allows enrollment in PORT 331 . Three class hours per week plus two hours of tutorial. Successful completion of this course satisfies the college language requirement. Prerequisite(s): PORT 111  with a minimum grade of C- or consent of the instructor. Spring semester. (5 Credits)
  

  • PORT 294 - Topics Course

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

  • PORT 331 - Journeys through Brazil: Oral and Written Expression

    Primarily designed to improve oral communication and to strengthen students’ written proficiency and their awareness of grammar intricacies in Portuguese. In relation to writing, it serves as a bridge to upper-level courses. Conversations and compositions are based on the civilization and cultures of Brazil, which despite its continental size and being among the largest world economies remains a mystery to many. This course explores the socio-historical, political and cultural trajectory Brazil has undertaken while, at the same time, reflecting on how ideas such as nation, identity, race, ethnicity, and class have transformed the face of the country. A wide array of texts and materials -literature, music, painting, sculpture, architecture, dance, and cinema- is used to gain a broad and critical understanding of the Brazilian universe. It involves extensive reading appropriate to the level. Prerequisite(s): PORT 221  or consent of the instructor. Spring semester. (4 Credits)
  

  • PORT 381 - Portugal Meets ‘the Other’, Overseas: Portuguese Navigators from the 15th to 17th Century

    In this course we will read travel accounts, official historiography, and literature from the period in which Portugal became the first European overseas empire. The Portuguese linked continents and cultures as never before traveling by sea; indeed this process can be understood as the first globalization because of the cultural cross-pollination that Portugal’s voyages stirred up. We will focus on analyzing the way in which the Portuguese managed to portray ‘the Other’ by two contrary discourses: Portugal’s providential mission, and the race for economical profit through trade and war in Africa and the Middle and Far East. We will also study the appropriation and resignification of these matters on works of literature and visual arts produced in the contemporary era. The course will be taught in Portuguese. This course satisfies the Area 1 requirement for the Spanish major. Prerequisite(s): PORT 331   (4 Credits)
  

  • PORT 394 - Topics Course

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

  • PORT 494 - Topics Course

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

  • PORT 601 - Tutorial

    Category varies. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair. (1 Credits)
  

  • PORT 602 - Tutorial

    Category varies. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair. (2 Credits)
  

  • PORT 603 - Tutorial

    Category varies. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair. (3 Credits)
  

  • PORT 604 - Tutorial

    Category varies. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair. (4 Credits)
  

  • PORT 611 - Independent Project

    Category varies. Not available to substitute regularly offered courses. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair. (1 Credits)
  

  • PORT 612 - Independent Project

    Category varies. Not available to substitute regularly offered courses. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair. (2 Credits)
  

  • PORT 613 - Independent Project

    Category varies. Not available to substitute regularly offered courses. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair. (3 Credits)
  

  • PORT 614 - Independent Project

    Category varies. Not available to substitute regularly offered courses. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair. (4 Credits)
  

  • PORT 621 - Internship

    Category 3. Prerequisite(s): Four courses in Hispanic Studies numbered 204 or above and permission of instructor. Work with Internship Office. (1 Credits)
  

  • PORT 622 - Internship

    Category 3. Prerequisite(s): Four courses in Hispanic Studies numbered 204 or above and permission of instructor. Work with Internship Office. (2 Credits)
  

  • PORT 623 - Internship

    Category 3. Prerequisite(s): Four courses in Hispanic Studies numbered 204 or above and permission of instructor. Work with Internship Office. (3 Credits)
  

  • PORT 624 - Internship

    Category 3. Prerequisite(s): Four courses in Hispanic Studies numbered 204 or above and permission of instructor. Work with Internship Office. (4 Credits)
  

  • PORT 631 - Preceptorship

    Preceptorships give students the opportunity to observe and practice teaching skills. Available to highly accomplished students. Prerequisite(s): Some background reading and training in foreign language teaching and permission of instructor. Work with Academic Programs. (1 Credits)
  

  • PORT 632 - Preceptorship

    Preceptorships give students the opportunity to observe and practice teaching skills. Available to highly accomplished students. Prerequisite(s): Some background reading and training in foreign language teaching and permission of instructor. Work with Academic Programs. (2 Credits)
  

  • PORT 633 - Preceptorship

    Preceptorships give students the opportunity to observe and practice teaching skills. Available to highly accomplished students. Prerequisite(s): Some background reading and training in foreign language teaching and permission of instructor. Work with Academic Programs. (3 Credits)
  

  • PORT 634 - Preceptorship

    Preceptorships give students the opportunity to observe and practice teaching skills. Available to highly accomplished students. Prerequisite(s): Some background reading and training in foreign language teaching and permission of instructor. Work with Academic Programs. (4 Credits)

Psychology
  

  • PSYC 100 - Introduction to Psychology

    An introduction to psychological science – the study of behavior and mental processes. This course surveys the major subdisciplines of the field, including such topics as the brain and neuroscience, behavioral genetics, cognitive and social development, perception, learning, memory, decision-making, language, consciousness, emotions, motivation, psychological disorders, social identity, interpersonal interactions and group and cultural processes. Lecture and laboratory components. Every semester. (4 Credits)
  

  • PSYC 172 - Psychology in the Material World

    Cross-Listed as ENVI 172  
    This course is an in-depth psychological analysis of consumerism and the human relationship 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)
  

  • PSYC 180 - Brain, Mind, and Behavior

    A multidisciplinary investigation of behavior and the nervous system. Particular emphasis is placed on human processes of perception, cognition, learning, memory, and language. This course also serves as the introductory course for the neuroscience major. (4 Credits)
  

  • PSYC 182 - Drugs and Society

    Topics covered include: social and legal history of drug use and abuse in the United States and other countries, including ethnicity and chemical use, pharmacology of mood altering chemicals, chemical dependence and treatment, and drugs used in treating mental illness. Classes will consist of a mixture of lecture, film, discussion, role plays, etc. Prerequisite(s):  PSYC 100  or permission of instructor (4 Credits)
 

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