250. Sophomore Seminar. Open to Honors
students. (3). (SS).
Section 001 – Introduction to Historical Research. Understanding
of the past necessarily rests upon the study and assessment of
a great variety of records. These range from archaeological finds, official government documents, newspapers, diaries, letters to
rare books. Historians depend heavily upon the fact that such
materials have been collected and preserved by museums, archives, and even families. Here at Michigan are two well-known repositories
of historical materials, one the Bentley Library on North Campus, and the other the Clements Library on South University Avenue.
The first collects primarily those source materials that relate
to Michigan history, and the second collects primarily materials
pertaining to the discovery and early settlement of North America.
Early in the term we shall visit each library to see something
of the range and texture of their holdings. Then, each student
will carve out a modest historical problem or issue that can be
addressed from these sources during the remainder of the term.
Then the task will be to examine pertinent manuscript collections, take suitable notes, and put together an original work of history.
Again, the scope must necessarily be limited by the materials
available and the time available to complete it. WL:3 (Livermore)
Section 002 – Integration, Segregation, and Diversity in Contemporary America. The contemporary debate on "multiculturalism" has seemingly drawn nearly equal numbers of supporters and detractors. On one side, advocates of ethnic pluralism and diversity argue that American society must come to grips with the realities of the "new" racial and ethnic diversity if the country is to exist as a genuinely inclusive democracy. On the other side, critics of the recent "fever of ethnicity" argue that such advocacy far too often degenerates into a romantic, uncritical "celebration" of diversity for its own sake, ignoring the positive aspects of the historic ideal of a common culture. This seminar will explore these issues through intense readings and discussion, a portfolio, a short research paper/project, and weekly seminar reports on selected ethnic groups (e.g., Asian Indians, Blacks, Chinese, Germans, Irish, Italians, Japanese, Jews, Mexicans, Native Americans, and Puerto Ricans, and Slavic Americans). The central texts are Ronald Takaki, ed., From Different Shores: Perspectives on Race and Ethnicity in America (2d ed.), and Thomas Sowell's Ethnic America: A History, First day class attendance is mandatory. Cost:3 WL:1 (Wacker)
Section 005 – Critical Thinking and Problem Solving. Guest lecturers will share insights into critical thinking and problem solving in their own academic and professional specialties. Students will prepare two term papers – the first on critical thinking and problem solving, and the second on an article appearing in the Skeptical Inquirer. Students will present a formal critique of one of these two papers. The section does not fulfill a writing requirement. Students will bring to class current written accounts of news which illustrate flawed critical thinking for discussion. Cost:2 (Whitehouse)
251. Sophomore Seminar. Open to Honors
students. (3). (HU).
Section 001 – Knowledge and Society in the Information Age.
From cyberspace to virtual reality, our contemporary society is
redefining a host of social, economic, and political structures
as part of the so-called "Information Age." In this
course we will explore the issues and implications of our knowledge-based
society, including the ways in which both everyday lives and knowledge
creation have been profoundly altered by information technology
and the global network. Through individual World Wide Web projects, readings, class discussions, and writing, you will have the chance
to investigate selected information issues in depth and will develop
an understanding of how knowledge is created within and across
disciplines. We will each create and "publish" a project
on the World Wide Web. There are no prerequisites, and the class
is designed to accommodate both students new to the information
technology and the Internet and more experienced students. Cost:2
WL:3 (MacAdam)
Section 002 – The Feminist Novel and Caribbean Music.
The goal of this seminar is to offer space for independent work that integrates the novel and the research of music. Using novels
and poetry of the Caribbean written by women, we introduce unheard
voices, other ways of seeing and knowing, secretive inheritances
disclosed from women's voices. In addition to the artistic value
of the pieces to be handled we read these works as anthropological
ethnologies and as informed backdrops to the musical landscape that distinguishes each culture. The modules are organized weekly
by country during which a major work and related papers will be
prepared and discussed by members of the class. Each discussion
is led by a class leader. Participants of the seminar will have
a turn as discussion leader and will develop a paper on the chosen
subject that elucidates the writings, musical allusions, and ritual
base of the artist/ethnographer. The "coming of age"
novels of Erna Brodber, the analytical voice of Ramabai Espinet, the prophetic poetry of Lorna Goodison, the comic up-dated "dub"
of Louise Bennet, and the anthropological works of Paule Marshall
are among the pieces that introduce us to traditional and contemporary
Caribbean musics. Cost:2 WL:1 (McDaniel)
252. Sophomore Seminar. Open to Honors
students. (3). (NS).
Section 001 – Numbers and Reasons. Measurement in the natural
sciences typically deals with true values (constants); measurement
in the behavioral and social sciences, with problems of managing
social systems. Measurements in sciences on the boundary, like
neuropsychology or medicine, attempt with variable success to
capture stable latent aspects of individual hidden states or histories.
In this course we try to untangle some of this confusion by careful
attention to the proper role of quantification in the versions
of reality constructed by the various disciplines we consider, from astrophysics through, perhaps, literary history. Our approach
is by various methods, including logic, arithmetic, history of
science, and the careful analysis of instrument readings, answers
to questions, and various visual representations of same. Three
specifically statistical themes are covered in brief lectures, but there is no associated "homework." The most extensive
reading this year, I think, will be Herrnstein and Murray's The
Bell Curve. Assignments: four short papers and a term paper.
Cost:1 WL:5 (Bookstein)
Section 003 – Ideas in Molecular Biology. Prerequisites: Biology 152 or Biology 100 and Chemistry 215. All too often in introductory biology courses, students become so inundated with "facts" that they take little time to see science as a process. In this seminar, we will discuss some of the key experiments and techniques that have ignited a recent explosion in understanding of molecular biology, embracing theory technology, and consequences for human life. Students are expected to lead and to take part in discussions. Extensive reading will be necessary, both in short and (relatively) inexpensive paperback text and also in original scientific publications. There will be two substantial writing assignments. We may even be able to witness major changes in understanding during the term, as new information is announced and published. Cost:1 WL:1 (Shappirio)
493. College Honors Seminar. Permission
of instructor or of the Honors Director. (1-4). (Excl). May be
repeated for a total of 8 credits.
Section 001 – Ethnic Issues in Central and Eastern Europe. (1
credit). Today there are nineteen independent, sovereign
states between the two largest countries of Europe, Germany and Russia, who have emerged from Communism. Together they have a
population of almost 200 million. About fifteen per cent of their
inhabitants do not belong to the national group which gives its
name to the country, but are national or ethnic minorities. The
lectures and the discussions will focus on how this "ethnic
mosaic" emerged, what the policies are which create tensions
and conflicts between national majorities and minorities and "host
states" and "mother country" respectively, and how this issue could be laid to rest. The course is given by Geza
Jeszenszky, Professor in the History of International Relations
at the Budapest University of Economics, who was Minister for
Foreign Affairs in Hungary in 1990-1994. (Jeszenszky)
University of Michigan | College of LS&A | Student Academic Affairs | LS&A Bulletin Index
This page maintained by LS&A Academic Information and Publications, 1228 Angell Hall
The Regents
of the University of Michigan,
Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA +1 734 764-1817
Trademarks of the University of Michigan may not be electronically or otherwise altered or separated from this document or used for any non-University purpose.