100. Introduction to Afro-American Studies. (4). (SS).
Literature and the Arts
See History of Art 108. (Quarcoopome)
274/English 274. Introduction to Afro-American Literature. (3).
(HU).
See English 274. (Gunning)
Individual Behavior, Cultural Systems, and Social Organization
See Women's Studies 231.
102. First Year Seminar in American Studies. Limited to Freshpersons
and Sophomores. (3). (SS).
Section 001 - What Is An American? The Making of National Identities, Past
and Present. The question What is an American? has been a central
preoccupation and a source of conflict among Americans throughout our history.
This seminar will explore how different groups have answered it both in
the past and present. Our working assumption will be that, given the complex,
multicultural fabric of the U.S. society, there is no single, right
answer to this question. Rather, definitions of national identity are always
changing, reflecting conflicting ideas about the qualities needed to transform
individuals into Americans or make American society unified and good. We
will pay particular attention to the ways competing visions of "the
American" have worked to include, exclude, or privilege different social
(racial, ethnic, religious, regional, sexual, and other) groups. The seminar
will draw on a broad range of interdisciplinary materials, including fiction,
drama, movies, advertising, and popular music. We will focus especially
on the ways that national identity and social diversity have been handled
in four arenas of American life: the law, religion, sexual mores, and popular
culture. Thus we will explore such issues as racial assumptions in immigration
or citizenship policy; the image of normal American sexuality in
popular culture; changing notions of whether the U.S. is a Christian nation.
The seminar will move back and forth between present-day politics and culture
and historical periods such as Reconstruction or the 1920s. It is not meant
as a comprehensive history course, but as an exploratory dialogue between
our contemporary "culture wars" over American values and diversity
and parallel conflicts in the past. WL:2 (Scobey)
Section 002 - Race, Class and Gender in American History. In this seminar students will be introduced to the techniques of historical analysis as we try to unravel how gender, race and class have functioned in American history. We will also explore how historians have identified, analyzed, and written about these subjects and how those approaches have changed over time. Students will be introduced to the concept of cultural construction - the idea that categories of race, gender and even class status are not fixed, universal, biological entities, but are shaped and determined by cultural values, time, and place. Students will also be urged to think about how these categories intersect, for example, the ways in which race structures class or class influences concepts of masculinity and femininity. Throughout the term students will be required to maintain a journal and record questions, thoughts and comments about their reading. Two thought papers will also be assigned, intended to stimulate students to grapple with the issues discussed in class. Cost:3 WL:2 (Morantz-Sanchez)
201. American Values. (4). (HU).
This course offers an interdisciplinary introduction to the formation
of twentieth-century American culture. Focusing on the period from the end
of the Civil War to the present, it examines the evolution of American values,
attitudes, and community life, focusing on such changes as the growth of
mass production, the emergence of modern gender ideals and sexualities,
the growth of and challenges to institutionalized racism, and the rise of
the consumer culture. The course does not focus on some assumed 'core' of
American ideals or experiences; rather it traces the open-ended process
by which diverse groups of Americans have shaped, resisted, and tried to
change the meaning of "America." It links that cultural dialogue
to the history of social diversity, material inequality, and political struggle
in the late 19th- and 20th-century U.S. We will explore these issues using
a multidisciplinary range of methods and source materials, including novels,
photographs, popular music, journalism, architecture, memoirs, and movies.
240/WS 240. Introduction to Women's Studies. Open to all undergraduates.
(4). (HU). (This course fulfills the Race or Ethnicity Requirement).
See Women's Studies 240.
272. Environment and Society. (3). (Excl).
Section 001 - Ecological Constraints on Development. This course will
explore the ecological forces involved in the development process. Factors
such as the maintenance of the natural resource base and internalization
of externalities such as pollution, will be discussed in the context of
contemporary political realities. An appropriate background in natural science
will be presented in a series of lectures (including climate and ecosystem
formation, structure and function of soils, agroecosystem classification
and function, sustained yield management of natural populations, etc.).
The history and current function of economic, social and political structures
(including dependency theory, international diplomacy, imperialism and neocolonialism,
the Bretton Woods system, structural adjustment, etc.) will be presented
through a series of course pack readings. Student participation will be
ensured through class discussion which will occupy at least 50% of the classroom
time. Evaluation of students will be through (1) two standard examinations,
(2) weekly essays, (3) a term project, and (4) class participation. WL:2
(Vandermeer)
Courses in Spanish
This course addresses the particular linguistic needs and interests
of students of Hispanic descent and heritage born and/or educated in the
United States interested in acquiring a formal and structural knowledge
of Spanish, in further expanding vocabulary at the abstract and professional
levels, and in developing their skills in formal and professional writing.
Sociolinguistic aspects of Spanish in the United States - code-switching,
linguistic attitudes, bilingualism - also will be explored in relation to
the politics of cultural identity. Short weekly assignments and exercises
emphasizing the differences between oral and written modes of communication
and between formal and informal Spanish will be required, along with a midterm
and a final exam. Readings will include cultural essays, literature, and
scholarly articles. (Aparicio)
168. First Year Seminar in Primate Field Studies. (3). (NS). (BS).
A seminar designed for incoming freshmen. Students will be introduced
to science as a mode of inquiry by applying Darwin's theory of natural selection
to the behavior of nonhuman primates. Emphasis will be given to long-term
field studies of primates in the wild. One three-hour discussion/lecture.
Class participation, weekly writing assignments, and a term paper required.
(Mitani)
101. Introduction to Anthropology. Primarily for freshmen and sophomores. No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in 222 or 426. (4). (SS). (This course fulfills the Race or Ethnicity Requirement).
Section 150. This introductory course exposes and explores the structures of inquiry characteristic of anthropology and surveys the field's four subdisciplines (biological, archaeological, cultural, and linguistic anthropology), providing a first glimpse of the field's overall context, history, present status, and importance. The principal aim of the course is to help students develop a coherent view of the essential concepts, structures, and intellectual methods that typify the discipline. It stresses unifying principles that link the subdisciplines and thereby create anthropology's comprehensive, holistic world view. It teaches students various ways of learning and thinking about the world's many designs for living in time and space. It prepares them to integrate and interpret information, to evaluate conflicting claims about human nature and diversity, and to think critically. Topics covered include: the nature of culture, human genetics, evolution, and the fossil record, the concept of race, primate (monkey and ape) behavior, language and culture, systems of marriage, kinship and family organization, sex and gender roles, economics, politics, and religion in global perspective, the cultural dimension of economic development and contemporary social change, and the emergence of a world system. Required readings may include an introductory text and various paperbacks. Lectures and discussion. Two objective exams (multiple choice and true or false questions) cover the two halves of the course. The second exam is given on the last day of class. There is no final exam and no term paper. Section leaders require quizzes and, perhaps a short paper. Cost:2 WL:1,3,4 (Peters-Golden)
Section 200 - Honors Introduction to Anthropology. This seminar introduces anthropology's modes of inquiry and its four subfields (biological, archaeological, cultural and linguistic anthropology), through the examination of subjects which have been central to the discipline's development, such as race, gender, sexuality, and conflict. The course seeks to develop the capacity for informed and critical thinking about evolution and adaptation, human nature and cultural diversity, and to suggest how anthropology can help us understand contemporary issues. It presents students with unifying principles of analysis which link the subfields, as well as with debates through which Anthropology continues to change. The course allows students to explore certain subjects in greater depth. We will use a variety of materials and activities, and students are expected to participate actively in class. There will be an exam and two papers, supplemented by short writing exercises. (Skurski)
222. The Comparative Study of Cultures. No credit granted to those
who have completed or are enrolled in 101 or 426. Students with credit for
Anthro. 101 should elect Anthro. 327. (4). (SS).
The purpose of this course is to acquaint students with the great variety
existing in human culture and society so that they can place their own particular
way of life in proper perspective. Its subject matter is world ethnology
with special emphasis on social organization and economy. Lectures and readings
are organized according to complexity of society; the course begins with
hunters and gatherers, progresses through various tribal and peasant societies,
and concludes with contemporary industrial nations. The approach is comparative.
Lectures are supplemented by weekly discussion sections augmented by a variety
of readings, primarily ethnographic in nature, and by frequent showings
of ethnographic films. Course requirements include a midterm examination,
a final examination, and a paper applying principles learned in the course
to some aspect of the student's own life. Both examinations consist primarily
of essay questions. This course is intended for non-concentrators. Cost:3
WL:4 (Frye)
282. Introduction to Prehistoric Archaeology. (4). (SS).
This course will combine a presentation of the techniques, methods,
and theories of anthropological archaeology with a general survey of world
prehistory. Discussion of method and theory will cover field and laboratory
techniques for acquiring information about past cultures, methods for using
that information to test ideas about past cultural organization and evolution,
and current theoretical developments in anthropological archaeology. The
survey of world prehistory will focus on four major topics: (1) the emergence
in Africa of the first proto-humans, between two and six million years ago;
(2) the appearance of the first anatomically and behaviorally "modern"
humans; (3) the origins of domesticated plants and animals and the development
of the first village farming communities; and (4) the rise of more complex
stratified "state-level" societies. The course will be oriented
as much toward students with a general curiosity and interest in the human
past as toward students who will become eventual concentrators. There will
be three one-hour lectures plus one discussion section per week. Requirements:
three in-class hourly exams and a final examination, plus 3-4 take-home
exercises that give students firsthand experience with the analysis and
interpretation of archaeological data. Required readings: ARCHAEOLOGY, by
David Hurst Thomas, and Images of the Past, by G. Feinman and D.
Price. Cost:3 WL:2 (Sinopoli)
101. Beginning Chinese. (5). (LR). Laboratory fee ($10) required.
301. Reading and Writing Chinese. Permission of instructor. No
credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in Chinese 101,
102, or 361. (4). (LR).
This course is designed for students with native or near-native speaking
ability in Chinese, but little or no reading and writing ability. Chinese
301 meets four hours per week; it focuses on reading and writing Chinese
and will cover the regular 101-102 reading materials. Students will be graded
on the basis of daily classroom performance, daily quizzes, periodic tests,
and homework assignments. The basic text is Beginning Chinese Reader
by John DeFrancis. Cost:1 WL:1
Literature Courses/Culture Courses
Section 001 - Gender, Sexuality, and Identity: Women in Chinese Literature.
The representation and construction of women in China's long history has
undergone many dynamic changes. Through examples of literature past to present
we will examine women's place in the male-dominated Confucian system, the
femme fatale in the master historical narrative, conventions of female
impersonation, women as projections of male desire: erotic objects or the
cause of transgression against the moral order. We will consider how women
have sought to express themselves within the system's constraints, the creation
of women's communities, and even in one area using a "women's script"
unknown to men. In the 20th century women are first "discovered"
to have been prime victims of oppression as writers advocate social reform,
then appropriated as "liberated" subjects by the Communist revolution.
Meanwhile women writers have been searching for their own voice; their struggle
for subjectivity and identity posing powerful challenges to the Maoist hegemonic
discourse. We will also explore how issues of gender and sexuality intersect
with cultural identity in works by Chinese-American woman writers. Readings
will include traditional and modern poetry and fiction, selections from
the great 18th century novel Dream of the Red Chamber, stories by
Ding Ling, Xiao Hong, Maxine Hong Kingston (The Woman Warrior), Amy
Tan (The Joy Luck Club), and others. Towards the end of the course
we will look at representations of women in Chinese films: Raise the
Red Lantern, Farewell My Concubine, Ju Dou, The Girl
from Hunan. Requirements: 3 or 4 several short papers and a final exam.
No prerequisites. Cost:2 WL:1 (Y. Feuerwerker)
Section 002 - Love and Desire in Traditional Chinese Drama. This first-year seminar course will introduce traditional Chinese stagecraft - through videotapes and in-class demonstrations - and the development of Chinese drama from its beginnings to its fate in modern China. Through the careful reading and discussion of a few major plays in a variety of dramatic genres we will investigate how traditional Chinese drama, as a largely public art, tried to satisfy both the demands of love and those of society. Requirements will include several brief papers, a final exam, and active class participation. Texts will include Master Tung's Western Chamber Romance, The Story of the Western Wing, The Peony Pavilion, and the Peach Blossom Fan. Romeo and Juliet will be read for comparative purposes. Cost:3 WL:1 (Rolston)
101. Beginning Japanese. (5). (LR). Laboratory fee ($7) required.
201. Second-Year Japanese. Japanese 102 or equivalent. (5). (LR).
Laboratory fee ($9) required.
Further training is given in all the language skills (listening, speaking,
reading, and writing) for students who have acquired a basic language proficiency.
The aim of the oral component is to provide the student with the speaking
and comprehension skills necessary to function effectively in more advanced
practical situations in a Japanese-speaking environment. In the reading
and writing component, the emphasis is on reading elementary texts, developing
an expository style, and writing short answers/essays in response to questions
about these texts. Discussions on the social and cultural use of language
are provided. Students are required to practice a minimum of two hours for
each class hour (12 hours per week). Recitation sessions are conducted entirely
in Japanese; no English is permitted. Recitation sessions emphasize speaking/reading
in Japanese contexts at normal speed with near-native pronunciation, accent,
intonation, rhythm, and appropriate body language. Analyses, explanations,
and discussions involving the use of English are specifically reserved for
lectures. Texts: Eleanor Harz Jorden and Mari Noda, Japanese: The Spoken
Language, Part II; Eleanor Harz Jorden and Hamako Ito Chaplin, Reading
Japanese. Cost:2 WL:1
225. Calligraphy. Japanese 101 or equivalent, or permission of
instructor. (1). (Excl). May be repeated for a total of three credits.
In this course students will start to learn the basic skills of Japanese
Calligraphy. Students who have taken the course previously will be permitted
to enroll in the course and will learn intermediate or advanced calligraphy.
Tools will be available for renting; however, students are encouraged to
purchase their own calligraphy sets (approximately $20.00). Students are
also required to pay a paper fee of approximately $10.00. Contact the department
at 764-8286 regarding the first meeting date. Cost:1 WL:1
201. Second Year Korean. Korean 102 or equivalent. (5). (LR).
The recitation section 005 is open to students who do not have enough
knowledge of beginning Korean, or are of non-Korean origin. This is the
first half of the intermediate-level Korean, emphasizing the aural/oral
skill, and minimizing grammatical chores. Class meets 5 times a week - 2
hours of lecture, 2 hours of aural/oral practice, and 1 hour of Chinese
characters and free conversation. Students are also required to do additional
hours of work for listening practice on their own in the language lab, and
watching 4 video tapes. Daily attendance is expected. Through lectures,
students will learn relatively complex structural patterns of Korean, and
get acquainted with various aspects of Korean culture and society. Based
on the knowledge obtained through lectures, recitation classes will help
the students develop an ability to carry on survival level of conversation.
In evaluation, weight will be placed on oral participation, seven homework
assignments (or in-class quizzes), Chinese character assignments, a short
essay, three midterms, and a final written and oral exam. The textbooks
for the course are (1) Myongdo's Korean 2 by A.V. Vandesande, and
seven lessons (from Lesson 16 to Lesson 22) will be covered, and (2) Chinese
Characters in Manuscript by Korean Program at the UM. Those interested
in taking this course are recommended to see the instructor before registration.
Cost:2 WL:1 (Cho)
101. Beginning Thai. (5). (LR).
103. Beginning Indonesian. (5). (LR).
Indonesian is the national language of Indonesia, a country noted for
its rich and deep cultural heritage as well as for its remarkable cultural
diversity. With its 180,000,000 speakers, Indonesian is the sixth most prevalently
spoken of world languages. The relatively simple syntactic and grammatical
structures which characterize Indonesian make it an accessible language
for native speakers of English. The elementary course comprises a two-term
sequence designed to provide the student with a basic working knowledge
of the Indonesian language. The course aims at the acquisition of the four
basic language skills - listening, speaking, reading, and writing - in modern
Indonesian. The class emphasizes aural-oral exercises and practice and the
learning of culture throughout the course. The text used is keyed to a set
of tapes for use in the language lab and concentrates on practical knowledge
of the language. Evaluation is based on classroom performance, homework
assignments, tests, and a final exam. Cost:2 WL:4 (Sudarsih)
105. Elementary Hindi-Urdu. No credit granted to those who have
completed or are enrolled in S&SEA 315 or 365. (4). (LR).
South and Southeast Asia 105 is the first term in the sequence of Hindi-Urdu
courses offered by the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures. The course
meets four hours per week in four sessions. If enrollments warrant, there
will be a separate course (SSEA 315) intended for students who have some
knowledge of the spoken language but do not know the writing system. In
the first year only the Devanagari writing system (for Hindi) is introduced.
Nastaliq (for Urdu) comes in the second year. The course concentrates on
developing skills in reading, writing, speaking, and aural comprehension.
Evaluation is based on attendance, written homework assignments, quizzes,
dictations, and examinations. There are no prerequisites (no previous knowledge
of Hindi is required). Cost:2 WL:1 (Siddiqi)
107. Beginning Tagalog. (4). (LR).
Tagalog is the national language of the Philippines. Elementary Tagalog
is a two-term sequence designed to give the student who has little or no
knowledge of Tagalog the necessary basis for learning to speak it and to
have an acquaintance with the cultural context in which it functions. Tagalog
is particularly interesting in the way it has integrated the broad influences
of both Spanish and English into its own syntactic and semantic systems.
The oral approach is greatly emphasized in the classroom, using questions
and answers and short dialogues to develop active use of the language in
the most natural way possible. This is complemented by the use of taped
lessons in the Language Laboratory and short films in Tagalog. There are
frequent short quizzes, homework, and a final examination. At the end of
the first year, the student should be able to handle brief exchanges in
common social situations and to read and write simple Tagalog. For the student
specializing in Philippine studies, learning Tagalog is a must. For the
student specializing in language studies, a number of linguists of note
have found Tagalog structure highly instructive in understanding certain
aspects of language. For the student with Philippine affinities, learning
Tagalog provides a bond of understanding and for some, a link to one's roots.
For the student who has neither a Philippine connection nor a specialist
interest in language, learning Tagalog can be rewarding as it provides an
experience of new modes of expression and new ways of looking at the world
around us and within ourselves. Cost:1 WL:1 (Weller)
109. Beginning Sanskrit. No credit granted to those who have completed
or are enrolled in S&SEA 369. (3). (LR).
This course will work toward developing a proficiency with the basic
tools necessary to read and write Sanskrit, the classical language of India.
Lessons will include study of the script (Devanagari), elementary grammar
and vocabulary. The grade will be based on completion of regular homework
assignmentst, weekly quizzes, a midterm and a final examination. (Deshpande)
111. Beginning Punjabi. No credit granted to those who have completed
or are enrolled in S&SEA 371. (4). (LR).
This course offers an introduction to spoken and written Punjabi, a
major language of northern India and of Pakistan, with some 80 million speakers.
The course will include reading and writing (Gurmukhi script) as well as
the spoken language. Students will be encouraged to begin basic conversation
in class. The written aspects of language will be introduced through graded
readings and written exercises. The emphasis will be on basic constructions,
composition, vocabulary development, and conversational skills. Particular
attention will be paid toward developing a basic practical proficiency in
the language. Students will be introduced to the rich cultural heritage
of the Punjab. A video film will be shown to examine the spoken language
of the Punjab. Throughout the course the students will be encouraged to
communicate in Punjabi language. There will be two tests: a midterm worth
20% and a final worth 30%. In addition there will be homework assignments
worth 30%. The remaining 20% of marks will be allotted to oral communication,
dictation and instructor's own evaluation. Midterm test: October 21, 1995.
There will be a final exam in December. Texts: Ujjal Singh Bahri, Introductory
Course in Spoken Punjabi, Bahri Publications, New Delhi, 1993. Harjit
Singh Gill and Henry A. Gleason, Jr., A Reference Grammar of Punjabi,
Patiala, 1969. Hardev Bahri, Teach Yourself Punjabi, Punjabi University,
Patiala, 1973. A course pack will be available from Dollar Bill Copying,
611 Church Street. (Singh)
115. Beginning Vietnamese. (5). (LR).
This course is designed for the students with no knowledge of the Vietnamese
language as well as those with some knowledge but desire to develop the
four basic language skills - listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
The format will be as follows: four class hours a week will be focused on
the aural-oral approach, in reading, dialogue form, translation, question-and-answer
on the content of the texts. One class hour will be devoted to quizzes or
tests. In addition, there will be home assignments and works in the lab.
Classes will be largely conducted in Vietnamese to help the students acquire
sufficient automaticity and fluency in spoken Vietnamese. Course evaluation
will be graded on classroom performance, class attendance, home assignments,
and a final examination. WL:3 (Nguyen)
301. Reading and Writing for Native Speakers. Native speaking
ability in a South/Southeast Asian language and permission of instructor.
(4). (Excl).
Section 009 - Vietnamese. This is the first half of a two-term sequence
designed for Vietnamese students who have some knowledge of the spoken language,
but no or little reading and writing ability. This course covers S&SEA
# 115-116 in one term. The sequential course (S&SEA # 302) will cover
S&SEA #215-216 in the winter term. The course meets four hours a week,
with primary emphasis on reading and writing. Course evaluation will be
graded on classroom attendance and performance, homework assignments and
a final examination. Native Vietnamese speakers are encouraged to take this
course rather than S&SEA # 115-116. See the instructor for placement
test before registration. Cost:2 WL:3 (Nguyen)
Culture Courses
Section 001 - Modern Thai Cultures: History and Nationalism in Mainland
Southeast Asia. Thailand: the only country in Southeast Asia to avoid
direct colonization in the 19th century and escape hostile occupation in
WWII. Pro-US during the Vietnam War, a Khmer Rouge ally in the period thereafter,
the kingdom has now emerged as one of the region's principal economic powers.
A study of cultural identities in modern Thailand, this course will consider
Thailand's modern history and cultures in an effort better to understand
the cope of change in Southeast Asia over the past century. (Copeland)
121/Hist. 121. Great Traditions of East Asia. (4). (HU).
See History 121. (Forage)
230/Buddhist Studies 230/Phil. 230/Rel. 230. Introduction to Buddhism.
(4). (HU).
See Buddhist Studies 230. (Gómez)
101. Introductory Astronomy: The Solar System. No credit granted
to those who have completed or are enrolled in 111, 130, 160, or 221. (4).
(NS). (BS). (QR/2).
Astronomy 101 students attend the same lectures as Astronomy
111 students (see course description below). (Section 001:Bernstein;
Section 006:Sears)
102. Introductory Astronomy: Stars, Galaxies, and the Universe. No
credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in 112, 130,
160, or 222. (4). (NS). (BS). (QR/2).
Astronomy 102 students attend the same lectures as Astronomy
112 students (see course description below). Instead of laboratory sections,
Astronomy 102 incorporates weekly one-hour discussions and associated exercises,
which is considered along with examinations and quizzes for course grades.
Cost:2 WL:4 (Section 001:MacAlpine; Section 006:Seitzer)
111. Introductory Astronomy: The Solar System.
No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in
101, 130, 160, or 221. (4). (NS). (BS). (QR/2).
This course presents an introduction to the field of astronomy and astrophysics
with an emphasis on the discoveries from space exploration. The first third
of the course deals with understanding the history of astronomy, orbits,
gravitation, optics and the properties of light and matter. The rest of
the course explores the properties, origin and evolution of the major planets,
asteroids, comets, the Sun and other components of the Solar System with
particular emphasis on comparative aspects with respect to the Earth. The
origin and formation of the Solar System and the origin of life will also
be discussed. This course is intended for non-science concentrators with
a basic high school math and science background. Astronomy 111 has a two-hour
laboratory section every week. Astronomy 101 has a one-hour discussion section.
Course requirements include assigned reading, section meetings, homework,
observations, quizzes, midterm and a final examination. Laboratory sections
include observations with telescopes. Cost:2 WL:4 (Section 001:Berstein;
Section 005:Sears)
112. Introductory Astronomy: Stars, Galaxies,
and the Universe. No credit granted to those who have completed or
are enrolled in 102, 130, 160, or 222. (4). (NS). (BS). (QR/2).
This course is intended primarily for non-science concentrators, who
wish to understand the phenomena and properties of the universe beyond our
solar system. There are no astronomy prerequisites, and a basic high school
math background (e.g., not calculus) will suffice. Students examine the
widest possible range of interrelated natural phenomena, from sub-atomic
particles to the Universe as a whole. Lectures inventory the different types
of stars and examine how red giants, white dwarfs, black holes, supernovae,
and people all fit together in one grand, remarkable scheme. The larger
picture includes our Milky Way galaxy, less hospitable exploding galaxies,
and enigmatic quasars. The present state of knowledge or speculation regarding
the origin and ultimate fate of our universe will also receive special attention.
It all came from somewhere, but where...and why? Course grades will be derived
from scheduled quizzes or exams, and laboratory exercises. Laboratory sections,
which meet for two evening hours each week, will include planetarium demonstrations
and observations with telescopes (weather permitting). Cost:2 WL:4 (Section
001:MacAlpine; Section 006:Seitzer)
120. Frontiers of Astronomy. No credit granted to those who have
completed or are enrolled in Astro. 125. (3). (NS).
Astronomy is one of the most visible sciences, with exciting discoveries
reported regularly in the media. In this class, students will study the
forefront astronomy and astrophysics behind the stories, which will feature
the topics of black holes, the nature of dark matter, the Big Bang model
of the universe, and the formation of structures in the universe. We will
highlight observations from NASA's Great Observatory program, which features
the Hubble Space Telescope, and from the new generation of large telescopes
on Earth. Students will learn how discoveries are made, with a discussion
of the climate surrounding the work, the scientists involved in the discoveries,
and the twisting path of scientific discovery, which is rarely visible to
the public. There will be in-depth discussions of how such scientific research
can be interpreted to reveal fundamental information about the universe
in which we live. Also, we will examine the process by which discoveries
are reported in the media, and in some cases, how the import of the work
becomes badly distorted in this process. Cost:2 WL:3 (Bregman)
130. Explorations in Astronomy. No credit granted to those who
have completed or are enrolled in 101, 102, 111, 112, 160, 221, or 222.
(4). (NS). (BS). (QR/2).
This course is a one-term exploration of a few selected topics representing
all of astronomy. Here are a few examples of possible topics. (1) The stars:
how we are able to learn about them, how they evolve and die, how they produce
chemical elements and generate energy. (2) The formation of stars and solar
systems. What we are learning about star formation. How our solar system
tells us about star formation. Recent developments in our understanding
of the planets during our age of planetary exploration. (3) Cosmology: the
expansion of the universe, and its eventual fate. The formation of structure
and of galaxies, the cosmic radiation fields. This course will include assigned
reading, some homework, quizzes, a midterm and a final. Cost:2 WL:4 (Richstone)
160. Introduction to Astrophysics. Math. 115, and prior or concurrent
enrollment in Phys. 140; or permission of instructor. No credit granted
to those who have completed or are enrolled in 102, 112, 130, 221, or 222.
(4). (NS). (BS). (QR/2).
Some of the most exciting phenomena and concepts in astronomy and astrophysics
are explored in this survey course. One major theme is the structure and
evolution of stars from their birth in giant molecular clouds through their
death as white dwarfs, neutron stars, and black holes. Another important
theme is galaxies, with discussions about the missing or dark matter in
galaxies, galaxy-galaxy interactions, and the large-scale distribution of
galaxies in the Universe. We conclude with an examination of the Big Bang,
the Inflationary Universe, and the Cosmic Background radiation. This course
is directed toward students with an interest in science and mathematics.
There are problem sets and a weekly two-hour laboratory using telescopes.
Cost:2 WL:3 (Mateo)
204/AOSS 204/Geology 204. The Planets: Their Geology and Climates. High
school mathematics through plane geometry and trigonometry. Those with credit
for GS 113 may only elect Astro. 204 for 2 credits. (3). (NS). (BS).
See Geology 204. (Atreya and Pollack)
261/NOEP 301. Navigation. (2). (Excl). (BS).
The purpose of this course is to educate students in all aspects of
marine navigation, from getting a vessel underway from port through open
ocean navigation using both celestial and electronic means. The content
of the course is divided into three major areas. The first section focuses
on piloting, emphasizing the safe navigation of vessels in coastal waters.
This section provides an introduction to navigational instruments and aids
to navigation. The second section concerns celestial navigation, the ability
to determine position through observation of celestial bodies. Students
learn how to determine position based on the use of the sextant and various
almanacs and mathematical tables. The third section of the course considers
electronic navigation. The course consists of two ninety minute lectures
a week. Grading is done on the basis of homework, quizzes, a project, and
examinations. The primary textbooks for the course are Marine Navigation
I and Marine Navigation II by Richard R. Hobbs.
202. The Atmosphere. (3). (NS). (BS).
The focus of the course is on understanding the basic nature and behavior
of the Earth's atmosphere. Students learn to relate features revealed on
the daily weather maps to atmospheric processes and characteristics. They
learn to appreciate the forces which shape and change the climate and to
understand the processes which produce atmospheric phenomenon, such as thunderstorms,
tornadoes, winter snowstorms, and hurricanes. The course also considers
the atmosphere as a natural resource covering aspects such as the greenhouse
effect, weather and man, air pollution, acid rain, etc. (Baker)
This course is designed for students with a minimal background in the biological sciences but we do assume some exposure to biology at the high school level. Discussion sections enroll 20 students and are taught by graduate student teaching assistants. In the discussion section, students have the opportunity to review material presented in lecture and participate in discussions of issues raised in the lecture segment. Cost:3 WL:1; you MUST attend the first discussion section to claim your place in the course. (Goldberg)
110/AOSS 171/UC 110/NR&E 110. Introduction
to Global Change I. Credit is granted for a combined total of 10
credits elected in introductory biology. (4). (NS). (BS).
An interdisciplinary (team-taught) introduction to the evolution of
life and the human species on Earth, with a focus on problems of global
change produced by recent human advances in technology and institutions.
The discussion includes reference to: evolution of the universe, the Earth
and its environments; evolution of living organisms; growth and reproduction;
interaction of organisms with their environments; ecological roles of organisms.
Extensive use of multi-media presentation tools: videos, slides, etc. Course
grade will be based on a midterm and final exam, plus successful completion
of the required weekly laboratory exercises. There are no prerequisites
for this course and no science background is assumed. The course is appropriate
for all first year students, irrespective of intended concentration. (Killeen/Allan/Teeri)
140. Genetics and Society. Credit is granted for a combined total
of 10 credits elected in introductory biology. (4). (NS). (BS).
This course is designed for students not concentrating in the sciences.
The course will provide students with a background in genetics, (1) to allow
them to understand and appreciate some of the latest developments in genetics
reported in the local and national press, (2) to discuss the social history
of the field of genetics, (3) to introduce students to "the scientific
method" as applied to genetics, and finally (4) to discuss aspects
of genetics which have a bearing on our everyday lives. Topics to be discussed
will include, but not be limited to (in no particular order): genetics,
race and IQ; forensic applications of genetic fingerprinting; gene therapy;
recombinant DNA technology and possible environmental concerns, T.D. Lysenko
and the communist ideal, the human genome project, genetic diseases and
therapeutic abortion. The course will meet three times a week, and two hours
will be devoted to discussion. Course evaluation will be based on exams
(consisting mainly of questions requiring short essay answers) and one or
more term papers. Cost:1 WL:1 (Adams)
150. Introductory Biology Workshop. Freshman or sophomore standing.
Recommended for students considering a concentration in Biology. (1). (Excl).
Offered mandatory credit/no credit.
Small groups of students meet weekly with a faculty member for group
discussions on topics selected by the faculty member. Topics may include
biological issues in the news, history of biological ideas, and ethical
issues in biological sciences. Students will be introduced to biological
research through discussion of faculty research projects and tours of active
research laboratories and museum collections. Such tours will be coupled
with discussion of scientific questions being pursued in the laboratories
visited. Introductory students will have the opportunity to interact directly
with a faculty member who will introduce them not only to the basic areas
of scientific research but also to the structure and opportunities available
in Biology concentration programs. Evaluation of students will be through
class participation and short written assignments.
152. Introduction to Biology: Term A. Chem. 130 or the equivalent,
or Chem. 210 placement. No credit granted to those who have completed or
are enrolled in Biol. 195. Credit is granted for a combined total of 10
credits elected in introductory biology. Those with credit for Biol. 100
are advised to elect Biol. 195. (4). (NS). (BS). Laboratory fee ($32) required.
First term of a two-term introductory sequence (152/154) intended for
concentrators in biology, other science programs or preprof studies. Other
suitably prepared students wishing detailed coverage of biology are also
welcome. The aims of Biology 152/154 are: (1) to provide factual and conceptual
knowledge, (2) to afford experience in obtaining and interpreting biological
hypotheses, (3) to give an integrated overview of modern biology and (4)
to develop thinking and writing skills. Topics in Biology 152 are divided
among four areas: (a) cellular and molecular biology, (b) genetics, (c)
evolution, and (d) ecology. Students MUST: (1) attend 3 lectures and one
3-hour lab/discussion section each week; (2) ATTEND THEIR ASSIGNED LAB/DISC
MEETINGS EACH WEEK STARTING WITH THE FIRST WEEK OR THEIR SPACE MAY BE GIVEN
TO SOMEONE ON THE WAITING LIST; and (3) RESERVE the times and dates for
the midterm and final exams (as specified in the Time Schedule) before
enrolling. There are usually two midterm exams and a final exam. Students
usually purchase a textbook, lab manual and course pack consisting of a
syllabus and lecture notes. No other study guides or supplementary materials
need be bought. For honors credit, register in lecture 002 of Biology 152
and ANY lab/disc, plus Biology 153. For further information contact the
Biology 152/154 office, 1039 Chem Bldg (764-1430). Cost:3 WL:2, but go to
1039 Chem.
For students interested in the sciences, engineering or medicine, either Chem 130 or Chem 210/211 can be their starting point. Students who have had a strong course in high school (which may include AP credit in chemistry) are advised to start in Chem 210 and 211, the laboratory course that accompanies it. Chem 130 is recommended for all other students. Section 400 of Chem 130 is reserved for students who would benefit from a smaller lecture section and more frequent contact with both senior faculty and teaching assistants.
Students who have had little or no laboratory work in high school should
plan to elect Chem 125 with Chem 130. Other students electing Chem 130 may
postpone laboratory to a subsequent term. Chem. 125 may not be elected
for credit after completion of Chem. 211.
This course considers the science needed to understand human-induced
threats to the atmospheric environment, with special emphasis on the global
changes that are taking place, or are anticipated. We will discuss the greenhouse
effect (and its impact on climate), ozone depletion, the polar ozone holes,
and urban air pollution. Some basic meteorology will be presented, including
how climate changes might affect the frequency and severity of hurricanes
and tornadoes. Students will have access to real-time weather information
via computer. This lecture course is intended for non-science concentrators
and there are no prerequisites. Grades will be based on three one-hour exams
(no final exam) and homework. Cost:1 WL:1 (Barker)
125. General and Inorganic Chemistry: Laboratory. To be elected
by students who are eligible for (or enrolled in) Chem. 130. Chem. 125 may
not be elected for credit after completion of Chem. 211. (2). (NS). (BS).
Laboratory fee ($60) required.
This laboratory course can be elected with, or following, Chem 130 or
230. It is intended that students planning to enroll in Chem 130 that have
had little or no previous chemistry laboratory enroll concurrently in Chem
125. The focus of this guided inquiry laboratory is to foster critical thinking
that allows students to design, perform, and interpret experiments. An emphasis
is placed on what constitutes valid data and provides the burden of proof
for testing hypotheses and theories. In addition, the student acquires technical
skills that are required for further advancement in experimental sciences.
Although an ability to collect and analyze data in a quantitative manner
is developed, the emphasis of the course is to provide a qualitative understanding
of the basic concepts of chemistry. This is accomplished by demonstrating
that chemical principles are derived from experimental data. The format
of the course is organized into three sections. Pre-laboratory reading and
questions are completed prior to the four-hour laboratory. The second component
is performance in the laboratory. The third begins in the last hour of the
laboratory where individual data are shared, evaluated, and discussed. Students
then provide a laboratory report based on the combined data of the section.
A one-hour lecture provides support for the topics that are investigated
in the laboratory. Microcomputer simulations also supplement the student's
laboratory experience. There are two one-hour written examinations, scheduled
for Tuesday evenings, that constitute 30% of the grade. The remaining 70%
of the grade is based on the acquired in the laboratory points. Refer to
the Time Schedule for examination dates and times. Cost:2 WL:2
130. General Chemistry: Macroscopic Investigations and Reaction Principles.
Three years of high school math or Math. 105; one year of high school
chemistry recommended. Placement by testing, or permission of Chemistry
department. Intended for students without AP credit in chemistry. (3). (NS).
(BS). (QR/2).
This General Chemistry course is intended to fulfill the one term chemistry
requirement for students interested in science, or as a natural science
elective for non-science concentrators. This course may also be used as
the first term in a four or more term chemistry sequence (probably 130,
210/211, 215/216, 340 etc.) for science concentrators and pre-professional
students.
Chemistry 130 provides an introduction to the major concepts of chemistry, including the microscopic picture of atomic and molecular structure, periodic trends in the chemical reactivity, the energetics of chemical reactions and the nature of chemical equilibria. Students will be introduced both to the fundamental principles of modern chemistry, the descriptive chemistry of the elements, and to the underlying theories that account for observed macroscopic behavior. In Chem 130, students will learn to think critically, examine experimental data, and form generalizations about data as chemists do. Chem 130 will meet three times each week in lecture sections with senior faculty (the intensive section will have four lectures a week), and once a week in small group discussion classes led by graduate teaching assistants (the Comprehensive Study Program discussion class will meet three times a week). Lecturers and teaching assistants will have scheduled office hours for after class help, and computerized study aids will be available to all students. Course grades will be determined from discussion class evaluation, 3 one-hour examinations (Tuesday nights) and a final examination. See Time Schedule for examination times and dates.
The intensive lecture section (section 400) is intended for those students who would benefit from a smaller lecture section (maximum 100 students) and more lectures so that the pace is slower and there is more feedback. Placement by LSA testing or permission of the Chemistry Department (Room 1500 Chemistry) is needed for enrollment in this section. The CSP discussion section is intended for those students who would benefit from more group study meetings with a graduate teaching assistant. Permission of the Comprehensive Studies Program is needed for enrollment in this section. Cost:4 WL:2
210. Structure and Reactivity I. High school chemistry. Placement
by examination during Orientation. To be taken with Chem. 211. (4). (NS).
(BS).
Chemistry 210 is the first course in a two-term sequence in which the
major concepts of chemistry are introduced in the context of organic chemistry.
Emphasis is on the development of the capacity of students to think about
the relationship between structure and reactivity and to solve problems
in a qualitatively analytical way. This course is a particularly good first
course for students with AP credit in chemistry, Honors students and other
students with a strong interest in chemistry and biology. The course has
three lectures with the professor and one hour of discussion with a teaching
assistant per week. There are three hour examinations (Tuesday nights) and
a final examination. See Time Schedule for examination times and
dates.
NOTE: This course is linked to Chemistry 211. The recitation sections for Chemistry 210 and the corresponding laboratory sections for Chemistry 211 are listed together in the Time Schedule under Chemistry 210. Students must elect both Chemistry 210 (for 4 credits) and Chemistry 211 (for 1 credit). Cost:3 WL:2
211. Investigations in Chemistry. To be taken with Chem. 210.
(1). (NS). (BS). Laboratory fee ($67.50) required.
Chemistry 211 is a laboratory introduction to methods of investigation
in inorganic and organic chemistry. Students solve individual problems using
microscale equipment and a variety of techniques such as thin layer chromatography,
titrations, and spectroscopy. The course consists of a four-hour laboratory
period with a teaching assistant under the supervision of the professor.
Students keep laboratory notebooks, which also serve as laboratory reports.
Grades are based on performance in the laboratory and the laboratory notebooks.
NOTE: This course is linked to Chemistry 210. The recitation sections for Chemistry 210 and the corresponding laboratory sections for Chemistry 211 are listed together in the Time Schedule under Chemistry 210. Students must elect both Chemistry 210 (for 4 credits) and Chemistry 211 (for 1 credit). Cost:1 WL:2
Classical Studies
The Department of Classical Studies believes that the literature, monuments, and social institutions of the ancient world, together with the reflections of the Greek and Roman thinkers about their own cultures, are of unique value in themselves, well worth our contemplation and understanding; and that as we attempt to learn about and appreciate classical civilization, we necessarily learn as well a variety of contemporary methodologies and disciplines.
The department offers three groups of courses for distribution, those in Classical Civilization (introductory courses that require no knowledge of Greek or Latin), courses in Classical Archaeology, and upper level language courses in Greek and Latin authors or genres. While only a few courses are repeated in yearly or biennial rotation, most courses are offered less regularly. This system guarantees that the instructor approaches the subject each time with fresh impetus. We believe in a healthy change and variation in our course offerings. The undergraduate advisor of the Department of Classical Studies will consider and, if appropriate, authorize other classical civilization, literature, and archaeology courses for distribution credit upon request by students during the first drop/add period each term.
Classical Civilization offerings include the general surveys of Greek and Roman civilizations (CC 101 and 102), which provide (through readings, lectures, and discussions) a broad understanding of the literatures, thought, and social development of ancient Greece and Rome, and thus provide the student with knowledge of and appreciation for our cultural origins, as well as an acquaintance with modern methods for understanding an ancient culture. These courses are taught each year. CC 101 is offered in the Fall and CC 102 is offered in the Winter. Other courses provide understanding of particular aspects of the ancient world, approached from a variety of disciplines and studies - literary, philosophical, historical, sociological, and so on. Some students (particularly those who have already developed special interests in such disciplines) may wish to explore one of these topics without having had a broader introduction.
Classical Archaeology offerings include the broad surveys of the archaeology and monuments of Greece (Cl.Arch 221 - offered in the Fall) and Rome (Cl.Arch 222 - offered in the Winter) and a general introduction to archaeological field methods (Cl.Arch 323). Other courses use the material remains of specific cultures both to introduce students to the diversity of the ancient world and to demonstrate how, through a variety of multi-disciplinary approaches, the archaeological record can be used to reconstruct the life-ways of past societies.
101. Classical Civilization I: The Ancient Greek World (in English).
No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in
Great Books 191 or 201. (4). (HU).
This course serves as an introduction to the civilization of ancient
Greece from its beginnings to the fourth century BCE. All reading is in
English translation. Lectures will trace the development of Greek literature
and thought within the context of Greek society, with emphasis on gender
relations and the crisis in traditional values during the late fifth century.
Literature read includes Homer's Iliad and Odyssey; selected
lyric poetry; selected tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides;
selected comedies of Aristophanes; selections from the historians Herodotus
and Thucydides; and philosophical writings of Plato. The readings average
about 90 pages per week. There will be a midterm, two brief papers, and
a final examination. Freshmen Honors students in Honors sections will write
enough to meet the Introductory Composition requirement. Cost:3 WL:1 (Scodel)
120. First-year Seminar in Classical Civilization (Humanities). (3).
(HU).
Section 001 - The Hero and Heroism in Greece and Rome. Who is
a hero? What do heroes do? If Superman (or Rambo) is all-powerful, can he
be of any interest to us, the merely human? Can he make a mistake? But if
heroes can have human failings, can they still be heroic? What sorts of
times produce what sorts of heroic literature? Could you write a
heroic epic today? If you did, could it have any more reality than
a sci fi novel? These are the sort of questions we might ask as we look
at the beginnings of heroic literature in the Western literary tradition.
What makes Achilles more than Rambo, and Ajax more than a figure from science
fiction? What was the nature of the ancient hero, and how did the
concept of heroism change and develop in Greece and Rome? We will think
about the Homeric hero, the tragic hero of Sophocles, the more "modern"
hero of the Alexandrian poets, the hero of Virgil's Aeneid, the anti-hero
of Petronius' novel, and others. We will also consider some contemporary
heroes. At the end, I hope we will have arrived at a better understanding
not only of our literature, and why we read it, but of ourselves. Course
requirements: to read selected works of heroic literature with interest
and an inquiring attitude, and to write two papers (6-8 pp. each) on the
concept of heroism in what we have read and discussed. (D.O. Ross)
121. First-year Seminar in Classical Civilization (Composition). (4).
(Introductory Composition).
Section 001 - Socrates and Democracy. Who was that "strange"
man in late fifth-century BCE Athens who claimed "the unexamined life
is not worth living by a human being"? How, according to this teacher
and moral philosopher, should one lead one's life? And why was this philosopher
put to death by the Athenian democracy? Was his death political? Can democracy
and philosophy not co-exist? What was the relationship between Socrates
and the democracy of Athens? What was this democracy like? What exactly
were the charges brought against Socrates and how did he defend himself
against them? Why, after he was found guilty and imprisoned, did he refuse
to attempt an escape? These and related questions will form the focus of
our seminar as we search for the historical Socrates and the nature of the
Athenian democracy in his day. We will read, discuss, and write about both
ancient primary sources in translation (Aristophanes' comedy The Clouds
and Xenophon's Memorabilia (Conversations with Socrates) as well
as several of Plato's earlier Socratic Dialogues) and at least one contemporary
secondary source (the 1988 bestseller The Trial of Socrates by the
American political journalist I.F. Stone who taught himself ancient Greek
in retirement and produced this book). Since this seminar meets the Introductory
Composition requirement, you can expect to write occasional impromptu essays
as well as five or six formal papers (beginning with one or two pages and
moving up to six or eight pages). We will give attention to drafts and to
revision of the formal essays. Cost:2 WL:1 (Wallin)
372. Sports and Daily Life in Ancient Rome. (4). (HU).
Readings include selections from ancient writers in translation and
from recent scholarship on topics in Roman history and society available
in a course pack obtainable from AccuCopy at the corner of Maynard and East
William. In the lectures we begin with some background on Roman religion
and history and then consider the different social classes and their lifestyles;
the second half of the course deals with the major sports of chariot racing,
gladiator fights, and wild beast hunts, and also includes activities at
the baths. Grades will be based upon midterm and final examinations and
upon participation in class. (Porter)
101. Elementary Greek. Graduate students should elect the course as Greek 502. (4). (LR).
Two convictions are basic to the Elementary Latin Program of the Department of Classical Studies: (1) it is possible for every able-minded person to master the basic facts of a foreign language and (2) the learning experience leading to such a mastery is a privilege that is very specifically human and ought to be most satisfying. Essential facts of morphology, syntax, semantics, vocabulary, history and culture are taught, and a knowledge of these facts enables students to understand Latin written by the famous authors of the Golden Age. Since at least 50% of the vocabulary of an educated speaker of English is Latin in origin, English vocabulary improves as Latin stems and derivatives are learned. The program normally takes four terms to complete. A placement test may be taken at the beginning or end of a term, and a student may succeed in placing out of one or more courses in the introductory sequence.
In the Elementary Latin Program, the department is offering Latin 101, 102, 193, 231, and 232. Latin 101 (see below) is for students with little or no previous Latin. A placement examination will determine the appropriate course for other students who enter the elementary sequence. Students with questions about which course to elect are encouraged to visit Professor Knudsvig in Angell Hall, 764-8297.
101. Elementary Latin. No credit granted to those who have completed
or are enrolled in 103, 193, or 502. (4). (LR).
All of the assigned tasks/exercises in Latin 101 are directed toward
the reading and translation of Classical Latin and not toward writing or
conversation. The course has as its primary objective the acquisition of
a fundamental understanding of basic Latin grammar. The text for the course
is Knudsvig, Seligson, and Craig, Latin for Reading. Latin 101 covers
approximately the first half of the text. Grading is based on quizzes, class
participation, hours examinations, and a final. Cost:1 WL:3
102. Elementary Latin. Latin 101. No credit granted to those who
have completed or are enrolled in 193 or 502. (4). (LR).
All of the assigned tasks/exercises in Latin 102 are directed toward
the reading and translation of Classical Latin and not toward writing or
conversation. The course continues the presentation of the essentials of
the Latin language as it covers the last half of Knudsvig, Seligson, and
Craig, Latin for Reading. Extended reading selections from Plautus
(comedy) and Eutropius (history) are introduced. Grading is based on class
participation, quizzes, hour examinations, and a final. Cost:1 WL:3
193. Intensive Elementary Latin I. No credit granted to those
who have completed or are enrolled in 101, 102, 103 or 502. (4). (Excl).
This course is a rapid introduction to Latin and is intended for students
with little or no prior Latin. Upperclass undergraduates in such fields
as history, medieval or renaissance literature, or linguistics and who need
to acquire a reading competence in Latin as quickly and as efficiently as
possible should elect this course. So should other undergraduates who intend
to continue the study of Latin and want a rapid introduction that enables
them to take upper-level Latin courses as soon as possible. (Note: completion
of 193-194 alone does not fulfill the undergraduate language requirement).
This first term course covers elementary grammar and syntax. Cost:1 WL:1
(D.O. Ross)
231. Introduction to Latin Prose. Latin 102 or 103. No credit
granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in 194, 222, or 503.
(4). (LR).
This course reviews grammar as it introduces students to extended passages
of classical Latin prose through selections from such authors of the first
centuries B.C. and A.D. as Caesar and Livy and Pliny the Younger. Class
discussions center upon the readings. Grading is based on class participation,
quizzes, hour examinations, and a final. Cost:1 WL:3
232. Vergil, Aeneid. Latin 231 or 221. No credit granted to those
who have completed or are enrolled in 194, 222, or 503. (4). (LR).
The goal of this course is simple: to learn to read extensive passages
of the greatest work of Latin literature, Vergil's Aeneid, with comprehension
and enjoyment. This course will ask you to bring together and apply the
knowledge and skills you have acquired up to this point and to build on
these as you learn to read poetry. There will be some grammar review as
necessary. You will also study Vergil's epic poem in English translation.
By term's end you should have both a good understanding and appreciation
of what the Aeneid is all about and an ability to handle a Latin
passage of the poem with control and comprehension. Grading is based on
class participation, quizzes, hour exams, and a final. Cost:2 WL:1,3
Intermediate Courses
The primary goal of this course is to serve as an introduction to the
study of Latin literature, and, through the literature, of Roman culture.
Texts by a major poet and a major prose author will be read with a view
to their literary, historical, and political contexts. Reading strategies,
and review of morphology and syntax as needed, will be stressed. There will
be quizzes, a midterm, and final exam. Cost:2 WL:3,4 (Knudsvig)
103. Introduction to Mass Communication. Not open to seniors.
(4). (SS).
This course is designed to provide an introductory overview of the historical,
social, political, economic, and cultural contexts, structures and the processes
of the mass media. We will concentrate primarily on communication technologies,
practices and perspectives in an American context. The course objective
is to analyze the historical and current factors influencing the development
of mass media and our relationships to them. The class consists of two lectures
per week and one discussion section. Grading is based on two essays, two
exams and critical/analytical questions handed in during discussion sections.
WL:1 (McLaughlin)
206. Evaluating and Communicating Information. (4). (SS). (QR/1).
This course teaches the fundamental thinking skills necessary for critical
evaluation and presentation of arguments, especially those based on quantitative
information. Such skills are required for one to be a competent mass communicator
of information, a critical consumer of information relayed by the mass media,
or an intelligent scholar of media processes and effects. The course introduces
generic logical and statistical concepts through analysis and discussion
of specific cases drawn from research reported in the mass media (e.g.,
health and business news, public opinion polls), research on the media (e.g.,
the impact of media violence), and research for the media (e.g., audience
research). Students' logical and quantitative reasoning skills are improved
through a variety of "hands-on" exercises and projects (many involving
computerized spreadsheet programs). The course is introductory in nature,
and no prior statistical or computing expertise is required. Cost:2 WL:1
(Price)
250. Information Gathering for Mass Media. (3). (Excl).
This course teaches the strategies used in finding information, evaluating
its validity and reporting the results in a number of mass media applications,
including journalism, public relations, marketing, and advertising. The
approach combines research methods used by media professionals and by librarians.
Problem-solving assignments are applied to the information industry. Cost:2
WL:1 (Hall)
101. Principles of Economics I. No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in 400. (4). (SS). (QR/2).
Section 200. Economics 101 examines the microeconomics of capitalism - the behavior of households and businesses and the generation of prices and outputs in markets. Specific topics in Economics 101 include: supply and demand; the differences between competition and monopoly; labor markets and discrimination; the distribution of incomes; environmental issues; and government taxation and expenditure. Economics 101 is the first part of the two-term introduction to economics - the second part (Economics 102, for which Economics 101 is a prerequisite) examines macroeconomics. Prerequisites for 101: high school algebra and geometry and a willingness to use it. The course format consists of three large one-hour lectures per week taught by the professor and one small one-and-a-half-hour section meeting per week taught by a teaching assistant. The textbook (and study guide) in this lecture section is Lipsey, Steiner, Purvis, and Courant, Microeconomics, TENTH Edition (which is being used in two sections of this term's Econ 101). Final grades will be based on: two hour tests (total of 40%); four UNANNOUNCED quizzes given during section meetings (10%); weekly homework assignments that will be collected, graded, and discussed in the section meetings (10%); and the final exam (40%). NOTE the DATES and TIMES of the two hour tests and the final exam in the TIME SCHEDULE, and BE SURE that you can attend all three. Cost:2 WL:None (Porter)
108. Introductory Microeconomics Workshop. First-year standing
and concurrent enrollment in Economics 101. (1). (SS). Offered mandatory
credit/no credit.
Students will meet weekly for one hour with a faculty member for discussions
of the previous week's Wall Street Journal (WSJ) articles, stressing
the use and application of the microeconomic tools being learned in Economics
101. In the first few weeks, the workshop will study how to read the WSJ
, its ideological positions and its technical material (such as foreign
exchange, commodity, and forward market quotations). Once supply and demand
has been studied in Economics 101, much of the WSJ becomes discussible.
Workshop attendance is mandatory, and each student will be required to subscribe
to the WSJ for the term. During the first few minutes of the seminar, the
articles for the subsequent week's seminar will be selected and one or two
students appointed to open the discussion of each article on the week's
agenda (and turn in to the professor a neat copy of their briefing notes).
The remainder of each seminar will be spent talking about the articles that
were selected the previous week. Evaluation of students will be entirely
on the basis of their attendance and preparation, as evidenced by their
briefing notes and classroom participation. (Porter)
Those students placed in ECB practica must enroll in an ECB course as the first part of their writing requirement. No substitute will satisfy the College writing requirement.
ECB Practicum courses meet for 2 hours a week. In addition each student has a required bi-weekly half hour conference with the instructor. To enroll in the ECB course, students should select a section compatible with their schedule from the Time Schedule, from updated course lists at department counseling offices.
Any student who fails to attend the first class meeting and has not notified the instructor or department in writing may be dropped from the class by action of the instructor or department. At the same time, students are responsible for their own schedules and must process all drops through CRISP.
Students who receive the placement of Exemption with Writing Workshop come to the ECB Writing Workshop, 2012 Angell Hall, during their first term of enrollment to receive writing instruction before being certified for Exemption. No student with a Mandatory Writing Workshop placement may graduate without certification.
Students are welcome to visit the ECB office at 2012 Angell Hall to discuss their writing assessment or to ask for course information.
100. Writing Practicum. ECB Assessment. (2). (Excl). Offered mandatory
credit/no credit. (TUTORIAL). May be elected for a total of four credits
for any combination of ECB 100-105.
ECB Writing Practicum 100 is a two credit course offered September 5
to December 8. Students place into Practicum on the basis of their portfolio.
Each section of ECB 100 has a maximum enrollment of 16. Students meet with
their instructor two hours each week in class and bi-weekly in half-hour
individual sessions. The writing instruction is designed to meet individual
needs. At the end of the Practicum, each student prepares a portfolio of
his/her writing which is read and evaluated by two ECB lecturers. On the
basis of writing skills demonstrated in the portfolio, practicum students
are assigned to the appropriate level of the College writing program. NOTE:
A few sections of ECB 100 are linked to specific content-area courses.
Section 002. The ECB Practicum-Psychology 111 Program enable students to fulfill both their practicum requirement at the same time that they complete the introductory course work required for most advanced psychology courses. The program links section 002 to Psychology 111, a general introduction to psychology both as a social science and a natural science. The class of sixteen students meets two hours per week for the full term. Each student receives half hour writing conference bi-weekly. Students put together a portfolio which is read and evaluated by two ECB lecturers. On the basis of writing skills demonstrated in the portfolio, practicum students are assigned to the appropriate level of College writing program. Registration by override only.
Section 005. Suitable for students planning a concentration in the lab sciences. Especially useful for students currently enrolled in a Natural Science lab course such as Biology 100, Chemistry 123, etc. The class of sixteen students meets two hours per week for the full term. Each student receives half hour writing conference bi-weekly. Students put together a portfolio which is read and evaluated by two ECB lecturers. On the basis of writing skills demonstrated in the portfolio, practicum students are assigned to the appropriate level of College writing program. Registration by override only.
Section 006. Suitable for students planning a concentration in the social sciences. Especially useful for students currently enrolled in Psychology 171, Political Science 140, Sociology 100, or Cultural Anthropology. The class of sixteen students meets two hours per week. Students put together a portfolio which is read and evaluated by two ECB lecturers. On the basis of writing skills demonstrated in the portfolio, practicum students are assigned to the appropriate level of College level writing program. Registration is by override only.
Section 007. A 14-week Practicum that focuses on issues of Race and Ethnicity. The course is not linked to any other course or discipline, but students may be interested in the subject matter for this thematic Practicum. The class of sixteen students meets two hours per week for the full term. Each student receives half hour writing conference bi-weekly. Students put together a portfolio which is read and evaluated by two ECB lecturers. On the basis of writing skills demonstrated in the portfolio, practicum students are assigned to the appropriate level of College writing program.
Section 027. Suitable for students enrolled in a Studio Art of History of Art course, or who have a special interest in art, art history, or architecture. The class of sixteen students meets two hours per week for the full semester. Each student receives half hour writing conference bi-weekly Students put together a portfolio which is read and evaluated by two ECB lecturers. On the basis of writing skills demonstrated in the portfolio, practicum students are assigned to the appropriate level of College writing program. Registration by override only.
WRITING COURSES:
After taking or placing out of Introductory Composition, students may elect either English 224 or 225 for further practice in the fundamentals of expository and argumentative prose. English 325 offers the opportunity for work in argumentative and expository prose at a more advanced level.
Several sections of English 223, the beginning course in creative writing, are available each term. The work is multi-generic, and two of the following will be covered in each section: fiction, poetry, and drama. A more advanced course for creative writers is English 323 (Fiction or Poetry), which is available by permission of instructor and completion of the prerequisite, English 223. More experienced writers may apply for admission to specialized sections of English 227 (Playwriting), English 423 (Fiction), English 427 (Playwriting), and English 429 (Poetry). Admission to these advanced courses is by permission of the instructor, who will require writing samples.
124. College Writing: Writing and Literature. ECB writing assessment.
(4). (Introductory Composition).
By connecting the two terms of its title, Writing and Literature aims
to help prepare the student to produce the range and quality of expository
prose expected in college courses. Works of literature will be considered
for their effective use of language and argument. They will serve as reference
points for thinking and writing strategies. Characteristically, sections
of English 124 will involve the writing of a minimum of five essays, with
considerable attention given to the preparation of drafts and to revision.
The literary works which will serve as points of reference will vary from
section to section and from term to term. Some section descriptions follow.
Descriptions for individual sections not listed below are available in 5207
Angell Hall.
Section 021. This section of Writing and Literature will be a First-Year Seminar. In this course we will get serious about comedy. Much of the reading will be literary comedies (such as stories from the Decameron, Shakespearean plays, Catch-22), but it will also include selections from anthropological and psychological approaches to comedy, laughter, and humor. The writing assignments (about 25-30 pages, including revisions) will be similarly varied. Class time will be divided between discussion of the reading and work on writing. Cost:1 (Taylor)
Section 022 - Daydreams and Nightmares. In this First Year Seminar we will explore writing as a means of discovering ourselves and others. We will explore our fanciful visions, daydreams, fantasies, aspirations - as well as our horrified nightmares. What hopeful visions guide our decision-making processes? What do we imagine as our worst fears? A selection of literary works will stimulate our thinking about these questions. Students electing this section will be free to write on personal topics. They will also be encouraged to reach out and explore how individual dreams relate to social worlds. Myths, such as those found in the legends of history and in fairy tales, give us insight into our collective consciousness and into the dreams of society. Horror stories, such as those about Frankenstein and Dracula, give us insight into our collective terrors. The section is designed to appeal to those who enjoy creative thinking as much as they enjoy analytical thinking. Together, we will solve problems by addressing fears and by imagining the best of all possible worlds. Students will write five papers and may choose to revise several of them. Required texts for this section include Dreams and Inward Journeys: A Reader for Writers, Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Shelley's Frankenstein. (Carlton)
Section 023 - Writing Our Own Lives. This section is a First Year Seminar. In effect, in this seminar, we will be asking questions that reveal how we go about "writing our own futures." How did we write the narrative of our pasts, for example? We will grapple with problems of human conflict and value systems which affect our judgments in the decisions we make at both personal and public levels. Although the reading list is still to be determined, we will select from texts that reveal a lawyer struggling to convince a jury to convict a sixteen year old to first degree murder, an analyst trying to come to grips with the "Challenger Disaster," a minority writer trying to understand how his ethnic background can survive in his mind as he attempts to integrate himself into a "majority" profession, a novelist exploring how personal relationships develop and are sustained, a holocaust survivor wondering about the process of decision making for survival, and a civil rights leader asking the essential question of how we can enact our lives to produce the best of all societies. Although much of the reading list is still to be determined, we will analyze John Irving's The Cider House Rules, and selections from Margaret Atwood, Toni Morrison, Gloria Naylor, William Carlos Williams, Isabelle Allende, and Timothy Mo. Our work will encompass examining what is identified as "five arenas of the mind' - those basic areas that expose diverse conflicts - using texts of both professional and non-professional writers that illuminate those struggles. Some of what we read will be critical analysis and some will be fiction, but we will always be concerned with how we think and how we write. The class format will be discussion and more discussion, and we will be working through our own essay writing consistently in class. The conception of the class is one that celebrates the process of challenging and revising former ideas, one that works towards recognizing a synthesis of more complex possibilities. Each student will write a minimum of four essays, with an option for one major revision. (Back)
Section 024 - The Nature of Evidence and the Construction of Meaning. Meaning. Whenever we persuade others, or find ourselves persuaded by them, the effective agent or factor is usually something we call "evidence," a mutually-agreed-upon body of information with which people "back up" the claims they make. But by what criteria do certain pieces of data qualify (or fail to qualify) for use in our arguments in this fashion? The physical sciences and especially the law are filled with disputes about what does or does not constitute evidence; in many areas of the humanities, however - such as the field of literary studies - the subject has been much less carefully considered. In this course we will think about the role of evidence in our daily non-technical intellectual exchanges. We'll also think about how we determine what a given piece of evidence "means," and about the whole question of how meaning comes to be assigned to utterances or notions. We'll talk a lot in class, both informally (sustained conversation) and formally (frequent oral reports); don't enroll if you're not prepared to talk regularly and intelligently. We'll read a few literary works that invite argument but that complicate the question of evidence - perhaps works such as Margaret Atwood's novel Surfacing, or Shakespeare's play Troilus and Cressida, or Julian Barnes' fictional History of the World in 10-1/2 Chapters, or Lorene Cary's memoir Black Ice, or Joan Didion's novel A Book of Common Prayer, or If on a Winter's Night a Traveller by Italo Calvino - all texts in which we can watch competing versions of evidence and argument at work; and we'll do some writing of our own, in the form of concise exploratory or analytical essays, in which we press harder on the questions raised by our readings and discussions. Students should emerge from this course with an enriched understanding of the problematic nature of evidence and of meaning itself. (Ingram)
Section 025 - Shakespeare and Identities in Conflict. The primary purposes of this section are (1) to strengthen students' ability to think deeply, originally, and perceptively; and (2) to strengthen their ability to write confidently, articulately, and appropriately, to meet their various writing needs throughout college and beyond. In these units of this section, we'll have the sheer delight of using Shakespeare as our guide and stimulus for exploring the section theme, Identities in Conflict. His plays offer unforgettable expressions of the same kind of crises in identity that we ourselves struggle with all our lives. What gives us a sense of identity? How much of our identity comes from within and how much from outside ourselves? What happens when our inner and outer sources of identity seem to contradict one another? Who and what can rob us of our identity? How, if at all, can we cope with such a loss? Can we forge new identities when familiar ones are shattered? Shakespeare shows us all these questions in action and suggests ways in which we can apply them to current issues and our own concerns. This section will not be aimed at scholarly literary criticism. It will ask you to read carefully, think thoroughly, make connections between Shakespeare's worlds and your own, and write in a variety of ways, both formally and informally. Don't worry if you haven't read Shakespeare before or if you find his language difficult; it will soon become familiar to you. We'll probably have some informal video evenings also to see how these plays look in performance. Since we learn best the things we discover for ourselves, this section will concentrate on collaborative learning. We will share ideas in large-group and small-group discussions, and you will critique one another's papers in small peer groups and in full-class workshops. All students are responsible for reading, for writing a great deal, for helping to create their own learning, for participating in class discussions, and for promoting an atmosphere in which everyone can create, share, and argue ideas freely and joyfully. Here the emphasis will be on discovering what complex and fascinating questions we can learn to ask, not on resting comfortably with answers we've already found. (Livesay)
Section 026 - Daydreams and Nightmares. See English 124.022. (Carlton)
Section 027 - Nation of Immigrants. See English 140.005. (Wolk)
Section 028 - Shakespeare and Identities in Conflict. See English 124.025. (Livesay)
Section 030 - Literary Responses to Bigotry. The subject of this course is the relationship between bigotry and the art of literature. Its material is imaginative literature written by and about bigotry's victims, divided into the following four groups: I. Native Americans: The Education of Little Tree (Carter), Love Medicine (Erdrich); II. Japanese North Americans: Nisei Daughter (Sone), Obasan (Kogawa); III. Gay Americans: The Zoo Story (Albee), Giovanni's Room (Baldwin); IV. African Americans: The Color Purple (Walker), Beloved (Morrison). Each work will be the subject of a two-page individual paper, and each cultural era that produced the four pairs of texts will be the subject of three-page research papers and presentations by groups of three members of the class. One of the two weekly class meetings will be devoted to discussion of texts; the other will concentrate on the technology of writing. No midterm and no final. WL:1 (Fader)
125. College Writing. ECB writing assessment. (4). (Introductory
Composition).
Like English 124 (Writing and Literature), English 125 (College Writing)
prepares students for the various kinds of academic writing required of
them as undergraduates at the University of Michigan. In addition to informal
exercises or impromptu essays, students can expect to write about five papers
exemplifying the various modes of discourse which comprise our academic
community.
Course descriptions for individual sections are available in 5207 Angell Hall.
140. First-Year Literary Seminar. (3). (HU).
Section 002 - Native American Literature. In this seminar our main focus
will be on a selection of eight or nine novels written by major, mostly
contemporary, Native American writers: James Welch, Leslie Marmon Silko,
and Louise Erdrich among them. We will begin with Black Elk Speaks,
to "warm up" our critical skills and to gain some sense of the
background against which Native American novelists have had to work. In
their efforts to present accurate, appropriate and forceful accounts of
Native American life, Native American writers have had to contend with stereotypes
promoted by "Indian-lovers" as well as "Indian-haters."
Our study of their writing should complicate if not explode these stereotypes;
in some ways students electing this course will emerge from it "knowing"
a lot less about Native Americans than they did before, the first step,
of course, to acquiring some real knowledge about the highly various cultures,
histories and current experience of the first inhabitants of this land.
Students choosing to enroll should be ready to participate vigorously in
class discussion, to make oral reports, and to write reaction papers each
week plus one or more short papers and a long research paper. As all texts
will have been written in English, knowledge of Pikuni, Keres, Ojibwa, Lakota
or other indigenous languages will not be required. Nor will any dancing
with wolves. Cost:2 (Faller)
Section 003 - The Literature of Travel. The connection between literature and travel is an old one: to become a writer, one must go somewhere else, another place, another culture, another space of the imagination; by the same token, the experience of travel only seems to make sense when it is written down as a narrative. This course will be about the transformation of the experience of travel into a literary text. By reading a selection of travel writers in the modern period, we will see how traveling and writing mediate the relationship between cultures, peoples, and places; we will see how, in travel, our identities are formed or changed by how we perceive ourselves in relation to others; we will also examine how travel writing has become one of the most important instruments of making sense of a global community in crisis and chaos. We will start with a detailed reading of one of the classics of modern travel writing - Tristes Tropiques (in English) - the work of the French anthropologist Claude Levi-Strauss, a narrative which was written by the author while he was on the run from the Nazis but ended up being an important meditation on the crisis of the modern self. We will then read several texts which seek to understand the modern or postmodern crisis of culture by going elsewhere: We will travel to Patagonia with Paul Theroux (The Old Patagonian Express) and Bruce Chatwin (In Patagonia); we will be reading contrasting images of Japan in Roland Barthes' The Empire of Signs and Cathy Davidson's 36 Views of Mt. Fuji, and we will going in search of the new Asia as it emerges in Pico Iyer's Video Nights In Katmandu. We will try to make sense of the new Europe through the eyes of a Black British novelist (Caryl Phillips, The European Tribe) and a New Zealander (Lloyd Jones, Biografi). We will end the term by revising the gaze as it were, reading selections from travel writing by foreign writers trying to make sense of the United States. The course requires regular writing assignments, a midterm, and a final examination. Cost:2 (Gikandi)
Section 004 - Child Worlds: The Literature of Invented Realities. This course will study the escapist base of literature about and/or for children. It will consider how the alternative worlds that provide the settings of this literature are structured and will compare the rules by which those worlds operate with reality which is judged unsuitable for children although children undeniably are part of it. Further, the course will ask you to consider how effective these worlds are in providing something (to be determined by the class) useful to the experience of childhood. We will also compare the truths of these worlds with the truths, as we are able to identify them, of our own childhoods and the childhoods depicted in literature intended for mature readers. Frequent short papers, one project, and a midterm - no final. WL:1 (Moss)
Section 005 - A Nation of Immigrants. Central to the myth of the American Dream is the construct of the immigrant, those "tired" and "poor" welcomed to our shores, expecting to find "streets paved with gold," "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," limited only by their own desire and energy and capacity to dream. Not surprisingly, some of our most compelling and beautiful literature is written by new Americans as they contemplate both the promise and the disappointment of that dream. Such literature is the subject of this seminar. Our texts will be primarily novels, and our focus will be on the way that the myths of our culture are reproduced and rebutted in these novels. How, we will ask, do the authors imagine the immigrant's relationship to the mainstream culture? How do they express in their writing the experience of marginalization and where do they see in their circumstances access to personal power? We will consider the essential conflicts of these novels - conflicts between old world ethics and new, between parents and children, between so-called "yankees" and "greenhorns" - and the ways these conflicts, despite the diversity of ethnic backgrounds, take on a particular American flavor. The texts will be by some of the following American writers: Richard Rodriguez, Sandra Cisneros, Toni Morrison, Fae Myenne Ng, Anzia Yezierski, Henry Roth and others. We will begin our reading, however, in what may seem a surprising place - the fiction of Nathaniel Hawthorne, who depicts one of the first groups of immigrants - the Puritans - those whose descendants often are considered the Americans. Hawthorne's fiction will give us our first sense of how insider and outsider are defined and of who defines them. This seminar will highlight discussion and analysis. Course requirements will include two 5-7 page essays and an 8-10 page seminar paper, short weekly writings on the readings, active participation in discussion, and regular attendance. Cost:4 (Wolk)
217. Literature Seminar. Completion of the Introductory Composition
requirement. (3). (HU).
Section 001 - Poetry and Emotion. We will move from nineteenth-century
bestsellers, long narrative poems of exile or quest, to gothic poems of
horror and haunting; from love poems to the in-your-face style of the Nuyorican
Cafe; from novels with poetry at the core, like Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
and Leslie Marmon Silko's Ceremony, to essays by anthropologists;
and from films like "The Dead Poets' Society" and Janet Jackson's
Poetic Justice to emotion-evading verse that wants to be tough or
cool. Required texts will include a poetry anthology, paperbacks of the
novels, a handbook of literary terms, and a course pack. Requirements: careful
close reading in preparation, including reading poetry aloud; showing up
for several poetry readings and one or two film showings outside of class.
Discussion format with frequent brief lectures. Prior experience of poetry
welcome but not necessary. Cost:2 (Ellison)
Section 002 - Ghost Stories: The Presence of the Past in American Literature. Through literature, voices from the past have the power to come back to life. Stories help us to know about the past and to transform it into something relevant to our present lives. In this way, stories "haunt" us - returning, often repeatedly, to remind us of what was or what might have been. In this course we will think about why stories come back, and read literature about places that are literally or figuratively haunted. How do these stories and novels tell of the past and how do they encourage us to think of our relation to it? How does the mysteriousness of the "haunted house" plot position us as readers? Requirements include: careful reading of difficult texts, class participation, response papers, and several longer critical essays. Reading list may include: Poe and Melville short stories; Fisher, The Conjure Man; Olsen, Tell Me a Riddle; Faulkner, Absalom, Absalom!; Morrison, Beloved; Chin, Donald Duk; Garcia, Dreaming in Cuban. (Madsen)
Section 003 - Reading Drama. We will explore the origins of drama and trace critical stages in its evolution. Focusing on interpretation, our purpose will be twofold: (1) to examine a variety of plays as a way of familiarizing ourselves with the techniques of analyzing drama, (2) to ask ourselves how representations of particular characters in local situations are related to cultural constructions of identity (our private and collective ideas on what constitutes Selfhood). By "reading for character" we will investigate the relationship between reading (and recognizing) fictional situations, and the possibility of better understanding the social context of self and Other (the world we live in). We will read Sophocles' Oedipus Rex, Shakespeare's Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, and King Lear, Ibsen's A Doll House, Chekhov's The Three Sisters, Williams' The Glass Menagerie, Miller's Death of a Salesman, Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun, and Fornes' Dr. Kheal. Along the way we will investigate the following concepts: story and plot, dramatic structure, the language of drama, character, traditional types of drama, and stage conventions. You should be prepared to take on a considerable amount of reading. Course requirements include three critical essays and a midterm and final exam. (Tessier)
Section 004 - Literature and Loss. This course will examine the ways in which twentieth-century writers have responded to the idea of loss, and to the responsibilities and challenges of living in a world bounded by the fact of mortality. Examining the ideological, political, and aesthetic functions of loss, we will explore - and write frequently about - such issues as mourning; aloneness; the particular difficulty of representing death; generational, familial and cultural connectedness; and the responsibility of the living to the dead. We will focus on novels (William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying, Marilynne Robinson's Housekeeping, Toni Morrison's Beloved), but will also study a nonfictional account (Elie Wiesel's Night) and a small selection of poetry and essays. We will devote a siginificant part of class time to writing instruction, and students should leave the class with a better understanding of how to undertake literary analysis and how to write an argumentative college essay. (Egger)
223. Creative Writing. Completion of the Introductory Composition
requirement. (3). (HU). May not be repeated for credit.
All sections of 223 teach the writing of two of the following three
genres: fiction (including personal narrative), drama, and poetry. Different
sections will emphasize the individual genres to varying degrees. Class
work involves the discussion of the process of writing and the work of a
few published authors. Students will do exercises meant to develop a sensitivity
to language and a facility with evocative detail, voice, form, and so forth.
Most classroom time, however, is devoted to reading and discussion of student
writing. A final portfolio of revised finished work of 35-50 manuscript
pages may be required. Course descriptions for individual sections are available
in 5207 Angell Hall.
225. Argumentative Writing. Completion of the Introductory Composition
requirement. (4). (HU).
This course furthers the aims of English 124 and 125 in helping to analyze
the various claims of a given issue and to develop ways of exploring and
defending positions, ideas and beliefs in writing. Careful attention will
be paid to the process of reasoning, the testing of assumptions and claims,
the questioning of beliefs, and the discovery of ideas and evidence through
analysis and rigorous articulation in written discourse. The course will
also focus on considerations of style, formal strategy techniques, and revision
as integral to precision in making points and developing argumentative ideas
both for purposes of individual reflection as well as for the purpose of
persuading an audience. Course descriptions for individual sections can
be found in the Composition Program, 5207 Angell Hall.
230. Introduction to Short Story and Novel. (3). (HU).
Section 002. This course provides an opportunity for practice in reading
fiction. We will start with two well-known novels, Huckleberry Finn
and Pride and Prejudice, which contrast to raise significant questions.
Then we will read a number of short stories to develop ways of answering
such questions. The last section of the course will be devoted to testing
these approaches on longer works, Silko's Ceremony and at least one
other. There will be a final examination at the scheduled time, short written
exercises, and some combination of hour exams and papers (probably two of
one and one of the other). (Lenaghan)
Section 003 - Way Beyond Fiction. Do you know what the limits of fiction are? This course will investigate the short story and novel by reading fictions which play with the definitions of these genres. Often called experimental fictions, these stories will allow us to ask about the nature of a narrative, the function of a voice, the role of form, and the concept of character by pushing all of these terms to the limits of absurdity. We will read a variety of fictions from various historical periods and cultural traditions in an effort to rethink what makes a fiction a fiction. This class will also survey various critical methods for examining these uneasy tales. Novels we will likely consider: Barthelme's Snow White, Woolf's To the Lighthouse, Winterson's Written on the Body, Calvino's If on a winter's night a traveler, Perec's A Void, Pynchon's The Crying of Lot 49. Short stories may include selections from Kincaid's At the Bottom of the River and Borge's Ficciones. This course requires three short papers (3-5 pages), a final paper (8-10 pages), and a classroom presentation. (Aversano)
Section 006 - Rebels With Cause: The Literature of Resistance. Rebelling against authority can take many forms: writing is a peculiar form of rebellion. Does writing a short story or a novel constitute an effective resistance? Can literature be a source of social/ideological change? How does a work of fiction tangle with the social/political realities of, for example, a nation? These are the larger questions at issue in this class as we immerse ourselves in novels and short stories that are produced from spheres of challenge; for our purposes, we will take examples from a postcolonial/national context. We will be asking throughout the course how these forms of fiction have impact, if any, on the "real world." As importantly, we will be considering how the traditional forms of the novel and the short story are resisted and adapted in these instances. In particular, our class will explore various modes of literary experimentation employed by authors as a means of confronting authority. We will thus be examining the traditional forms of the novel and the short story in order to understand how our modern and postmodern texts both oppose and adopt tradition and why. This will ultimately allow us to consider more generally our reading practices and what we think about our contemporary relationship to literature. We will choose from the following novels: Puig's Kiss of the Spider Woman, Michelle Cliff's Abeng, Okada's No-No Boy, Ellison's Invisible Man, N. Scott Momaday's House Made of Dawn, Silko's Ceremony, Ngugi's Petals of Blood, Coetzee's Waiting for the Barbarians, Lamming's In the Castle of My Skin, Gordimer's Burger's Daughter. We will also choose short stories by Joyce, Baldwin, Stein, Djuna Barnes and others. Two short papers and one longer one due at the end of the term. (Desmond)
245/RC Hums. 280/Theatre 211. Introduction to Drama and Theatre. No
credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in RC Hums. 281.
(4). (HU).
See Theatre and Drama 211. (Brown and Jones)
270. Introduction to American Literature. (3). (HU).
Section 001. This course will use two regional literatures in the US
to explore when and how "American" literature came to be American
literature - as against, say, British literature. The first region will
be the Northeast, specifically New England and its Puritan beginnings and
subsequent evolution from that point on. And the names will be reasonably
familiar ones, I think; so, too, some of the themes. (As much Emerson as
Dickinson; sermons and "Indian" captivity tales). The second region
will be the Southwest, an area subject to particular cultural pressures
from the South (i.e. Mexico) and from the enormous turmoil that was involved
in trauma of (re)making and (re)settling "Indian" cultures as
well as in the making (up) of the "frontier." Here, we will read
texts in which Mexico/USA/Asia/Native America add to and subtract from processes
in the making of American culture. Candelaria (Memories of the Alhambra);
border ballads; Maxine Hong Kingston (China Men); and Leslie Silko
(Ceremony) will be among our texts. At the end, we'll try to see
how/where/if a common literary "American-ness" can be fashioned
out of our readings. The major project for the class will involve a comparative
essay making use of any two "regional" areas, one which may be,
incidentally, different from the term's focus. (Johnson)
274/CAAS 274. Introduction to Afro-American
Literature. (3). (HU).
Section 001. The aim of this course is to familiarize students with
some of the basic scholarly questions which arise in the study of African-American
literature: Exactly what makes a text "Black"? The race of the
author? Her or his discussion of certain subjects? The expectation of a
reading audience with preconceived notions of what Black people ought to
write about? Also, why study African-American literature at all? Should
Black authors be read as an act of charity to Other voices, or can these
voices in fact have a profound influence on our critical understanding of
American literature and culture as a whole? Readings will be drawn from
eighteenth-, nineteenth- and twentieth-century Black American prose and
poetry, as well as from contemporary scholarship on African-American culture
and literary history. Requirements: a midterm, a final, and 15-20 pages
of writing. (Gunning)
285. Introduction to Twentieth-Century Literature.