Course Descriptions

Courses are listed alphabetically according to the codes. 100 level courses are introductory and generally for first year students; 200 level courses are particularly for second year students, and the 300 level courses are mainly for the third year students. First year students may take upper level courses, and second year students may take 300 level ones, but it is suggested that the selection of your courses is done with the coordinator or the chair of the school.

ART 101 History of Art I

This course gives students an overview of art from ancient to Renaissance, exploring the relationship between the art of different cultures of the Western world and the context within which it was created. Emphasis will be placed upon how the various arts participate in the expression of each period and on the parallel elements found among the different arts.

ART 102 History of Art II

This course provides an overview of the history of art from Renaissance to the end of the 20th Century. It explores the relationship between the art of different cultures of the Western world and the specific historic context within which it was created. Emphasis will be placed upon how the various arts participate in the expression of each period and the parallel elements found among the different arts—painting, sculpture and architecture.

ART 131 Prague Art and Architecture

This course examines the key developments in Czech visual arts and architecture from the early medieval to the contemporary period. Slide-based lectures are complimented with visits to monuments, art collections and galleries. This course will provide students with an overview of the history of art in Prague. In this respect, the course intends to have students acquire knowledge of the main characteristics of art styles while observing and analyzing paintings, sculpture, and architecture first-hand.

ART 225 Postwar European Film Seminar

This seminar explores the aesthetic, ideological, psychological, and social concerns of European film in the postwar period. Students will view and analyze some of the finest films of this period, beginning with Italian neo-realism and progressing through such modes as the French, German and Czech new waves, and highlighting films by the following directors: De Sica, Fellini, Antonioni, Truffaut, Godard, Resnais, Malle, Tavernier, Fassbinder, Herzog, Wenders, Tarkovsky, Bergman, Polanski, Menzel, and others.

ART 226 Film as Social Critique

This course is an exploration of the use of the medium of film as social critique. The films, directors, and cinematic movements being viewed and discussed will include those that are explicitly critical of society (such as films by the directors Costa-Gavros, Buñuel, Altman, Schlörndorff, Fassbinder, Godard, and Syberberg), as well as those that are less explicitly or implicitly critical (such as films by Sirk, Forman, Penn, Haynes, and Van Sant).

ART 231 Czech Modern Art and Architecture

This combined seminar and lecture course aims to acquaint students with different styles and art movements of the modern era in the Czech region together with their context. It will introduce the leading personalities together with examples of their work from the beginning of the 20th century up to the present.

ART 250 Visual Culture

The course is designed to present and build a basic working vocabulary in order to discuss the way visual images are composed. Students will learn to identify and understand the visual function of each of these elements in terms of their desired effect or impact on viewers. Students will also analyze, explore, question and discuss the relationship between the artist, viewer, subject and the various functions of visual art in society.

ART 270 Twentieth Century Art

The aim of this course is to give the students an understanding and appreciation of modern art. It intends to provide students with knowledge of key characteristics of each movement and the vocabulary to discuss and analyze works of art. The course will be conducted as a survey beginning with realism and impressionism and continuing through cubism, surrealism, abstract expressionism and minimalism.

ART 353 Women Film Directors

This advanced seminar will explore narrative and avant-garde film by women film directors and the question of feminine/feminist aesthetics. We will be viewing films by early women directors, films by women directors in Hollywood, films by European women directors, films by independent women directors, films by third world women directors, and films by women on a variety of specific themes, such as relationships between men and women, relationships between women, films about childhood and growing up female, and others. Throughout the seminar we will be considering both sameness and difference in regard to films made by men, and reading a variety of materials on the question of whether or not there is a specifically “feminine” aesthetics, and what that might mean.

ART 452 Art and Ideology: 1938–1989

This seminar will compare film and literary works from the era of the two totalitarian regimes—the Third Reich and the Communist Czechoslovakia—in order to address fundamental questions about art and its social function.  By posing intrusive questions, such as: “Wherein lies the line between art and ideology?” this seminar will highlight the contradistinction between affirmative and subversive art. In the seminar, we will analyze films by Leni Riefenstahl, Slatan Dudow and the Czech New Wave, as well as the novels by Bertold Brecht, Günter Grass, and Milan Kundera. Students will read some key theoretical texts of critical and poststructuralist theorists, including Benjamin, Arendt, Adorno, Geertz, Goldfarb, Paz, Heidegger, Foucault and Bourdieu, in order to understand the fragile balance between the social construction of art and its subversive power.

ART 471 Critical Approaches to Art and Visual Culture

Prerequisite: ART 101&102, ART 131

This is a seminar course to explore critical theories and concepts relating contemporary discourses to personal encounters of contemporary art and visual culture. Critical discourse and visual analysis, social and cultural theory, and visual culture studies will be used as tools to connect discourses from arts exhibitions, readings, research, popular culture, media, journal writing, art assignments, and reflections with classroom discussions.

COM 101 Composition I

This course is designed to develop and improve essential writing skills. Interactive lectures, in-class activities, and peer critiquing will play an important role in this course, which is required for all students in their first year. By the end of the course, students will have a firm enough grasp of the mechanics of English grammar and usage to enable them to write the essays and reports that form a major part of college study.

COM 102 Composition II

Prerequisite: COM 101

This second part of the Composition curriculum builds upon what has been covered in COM 101 and concentrates on improving writing style and helping students develop the skills required to produce an academic research paper. These skills include summary writing, critical reading, note taking, library research, field research, working with primary and secondary sources, bibliographical techniques, finding a topic and organizing formal writing.

COM 110 Public Speaking

This course will focus on developing the practical skills required to plan, prepare and present a speech to a small or large group. Participants will discuss the nature of good communication, especially in terms of public speaking; learn and practice skills for preparing speeches; and resent several short speeches to the class. The course will be particularly useful for practicing speaking skills and for developing self-confidence when speaking to a group.

COM 200 Introduction to Mass Communication

This course gives students an overview of the main themes within Mass Communication, paying particular attention to the political, economic, cultural and technological influences on both the form and the nature of mass communication. The course considers the many ways that the form and content of mass media contribute to our understanding of the social and cultural world around us. It will examine the role of the state, organizations, and technology in the production and distribution of mass communication. This course will also look at how media messages are received and interpreted, considering the general effects of media at both the individual and the collective level.

CUL 240/MGT 267 Intercultural Communication

This course seeks to develop students’ cultural awareness and investigates the role that culture and worldview play in intercultural communication. The goal of this interdisciplinary course is to increase awareness of cultural variations and to develop skills in communication to make exchanges with individuals from different cultures more effective. The first part of the course looks at definitions and concepts of communication and culture, stereotypes and prejudices, the interrelationship of language, thought and power, and issues of self-identity. The second part of the course focuses on the application of the theories to help avoid and ameliorate conflict due to cultural differences. Topics covered include: culture, Communication, Customs, self-identity, stereotyping, prejudice, labels, linguistics, sexism, gender power dynamics in communication, non-verbal communication cultural analysis, patterns of thinking, business communication, management styles, negotiation, conflict resolution.

CZE 101 Elementary Czech

This course, designed for exchange students, introduces students to contemporary Czech language. It focuses on conversation and basic grammar, but includes reading and writing elements. The course is conducted using interactive methodology.

ECO 105 Introduction to Economic Thought

The course covers the ideas of major economists and material illustrates the major themes in economics from the operation of markets through macroeconomic theories of modern economies. Topics and writers include the Mercantilist School, the Physiocratic School, the Classical School (Smith, Say, Ricardo, Malthus, Marx and J.S. Mill; the Socialist School (Saint-Simon, Fourier, Owen), the Neo-Classical School, including Marshall, the Institutional School including Veblen and Galbraith. Attention will be paid to the Marginalist School (or Austrian School), the Keynesian and Post-Keynesian School, Monetarist School (Stigler and Friedman) and Post-Monetarist School. Students should gain both a basic understanding of market economics and a view of economics as a method of analysis which provides insights into the behavior of individuals, markets and national economies.

HIS 103 World History I

This course is a survey of World History from approximately 3500 B.C. to 1500 A.D. It focuses on major world civilizations that have global and enduring significance, such as Ancient Near East, the Harappan and Aryan cultures in India, and ancient China. There will also be discussion of the Greek and Roman civilizations. The course concludes with a comparative survey of Europe, Africa, and Asia in the Middle Ages and discusses the motivations behind European exploration in the 1400s. The world’s foundational religious and philosophical systems will be examined as well. Students are encouraged to make comparisons between the political, social, economic, and religious features of each world civilization.

HIS 104 World History II

This class begins with a survey of major world civilizations in the Early Modern Period (native “Americans,” the Muslim empires, and China and Japan) then deals with several “revolutionary” European events of global importance, including English constitutional developments in the 17th century, the Enlightenment, the French Revolution, and the Industrial Revolution. Emphasis is placed on how these European events influenced non-western cultures. Modern themes, such as late 19th-century imperialism, the global significance of the two world wars, and the international dimensions of the Cold War will be examined including the way western trends, such as liberalism, industrialization, or Communism were adopted, adapted, or rejected by people around the globe.

HIS 110 U.S. History

This course will focus on selected themes while at the same time giving a general overview of the history of the United States. Main topics will include the transition from colonialism to the balance of power written into the Constitution; solution to the Native American question; slavery; Civil War strategies (1820–1865); industrialization, labor and capital; and immigration, WWI, WWII and the Americanization of the United States. In addition to the standard textbook, the course will rely on period readings, documents and photographs.

HIS 111 U.S. History to 1877

This course will give an overview of U.S. political and social history from the colonial period through Reconstruction. Main topics will include the transition from colonialism to the balance of power written into the Constitution; planting the West and solutions to the Native American question; the evolving role of women in American society; and slavery, the march towards civil war, and Reconstruction. Although the course will focus on several Great White Men, it will primarily take the viewpoint of (in Lippmann's phrase) the “bewildered herd” in an effort to understand what American history has meant for the many as opposed to the few.

HIS 112 U.S. History II

The purpose of this class is to analyze the forces that shaped the modern nation United States after the Civil War, which resulted in the emergence of the country as a world power. Students will be provided with foundational information about American culture, society, economy, and political life since about 1861. Discussions will place the United States in the context of world history to compare continuities and discontinuities with historical development around the globe.

HIS 122 European History II

This course examines the transformations in European politics, society, culture and economic life from Renaissance to the end of the World War II. It focuses in particular on major characters, events and trends, and considers the growing strength of nationalism, the rise of mass political movements, the impact of economic modernization on both individuals and society. The goal is to go beyond the national histories and to discuss the continuity and discontinuity, common trends and fundamental issues in the history of modern Europe.

HIS 231 History of the Cold War and Post-Cold War Transition

This course will examine the Cold War, from its beginnings in World War II to its aftermath in the 1990's. The focus will be on U.S.-Soviet/Russian relations, but considerable attention will be devoted to other affected areas of the world, particularly Europe. Readings and lectures will provide general background as well as closer analysis of key events of the period. In papers, examinations and class discussions, students will be asked to offer and assess interpretations of the events and trends.

HIS 236 Jewish Experience in Central Europe

This course will provide an inside look at Jewish history in the Czech lands. It will explore the subject from different aspects—legends, traditions, religion, art, philosophy and history. The emphasis on “experience” means that students will have the opportunity to experience (through field trips) all the various characteristics of Jewish life and presence in Central Europe—both in the past and at present. The course will consist of lectures from notable speakers and several field trips.

HIS 237 Central European History

This course is an advanced survey of East Central Europe. It will trace political, social and cultural developments in this area from the early Middle Ages to the presence. Emphasis will be given to the comparative aspects of the various nationalities and regions of East Central Europe. The course will examine in greater detail the 20th century upheavals of the region with the climax of the events of 1989.

HIS 238 Tradition and Modernity: Jewish Culture in Central Europe

This course will take Central European Jewish history as a prism through which to trace the major processes, events and personalities that shaped the late modern period (1780–1990s). Looking at diverse sources such as law, fine arts, literature, architecture and music (with a strong emphasis on Prague and the Czech Republic), we will explore the interrelationships between Central European Jewish history and modern economics, the rise of the nation-state, school curricula, class society, language wars, urban development patterns, national identity, individual liberties and more. The course will include a visit to Prague’s Jewish Museum and a day-trip to Terezín.

HIS 270 Twentieth Century Social History

This course examines the social conditions of European society before and during WWI and WWII, in the environment of the Nazi and Communist regimes in the interwar years and on both sides of the Iron Curtain during the Cold War, as well. In the context of main economic, cultural and demographical trends, attention will be paid to selected aspects of everyday life of different social groups and individuals, documented by primary sources.

HIS 336 The Holocaust and its Representation

The Holocaust, Shoah, or genocide of Jewish people by the Nazi regime, while recognized as a world-historical event, was an event of such staggering immensity that the human mind stumbles at the point of grasping it, retreating into a blur of statistics and over-generalizations on the one hand, or the over-particularity of the individual account on the other. There is no value-free position to be held within the realm of Holocaust studies or representations—a point that attests to the trauma of the event at the core of these representations, which will not simply take its place among other historical events. This seminar will explore the Holocaust through the controversies and discussions surrounding its representation—in modes of representation that are historical, theoretical, cinematic, narrative, poetic, and artistic.

HIS 370 East European Postwar History

This course aims to teach the post-World War II history of Central and Eastern Europe from the immediate aftermath of the war in 1945 through the anti-Communist revolutions of 1989 and the early transition period of the 1990s. Though the treatment will be historical in nature, lectures and readings will be amply supplemented by literature, film, video clips, music and audio from the period to promote a fuller, richer understanding. Countries to be covered include Czechoslovakia (Czech and Slovak republics), Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and the former East Germany. Though this is not a Soviet history class per se, there will be significant discussion of the role of the Soviet Union (and later Russia) in Central and Eastern European affairs.

HSS 200 European Music History and Appreciation

This course will introduce students to the world of music through listening and analysis, discussions, history context and visits of live concerts. After a brief introduction of basic music elements, forms and instruments, it will provide an overview of major historical periods in Europe (Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic and the 20th Century), and their main composers and compositions. In-class listening and concerts visits will improve students' critical thinking as well as understanding and appreciation of music.

HSS 350 Internship

Prerequisite: Third year of study, and approval of Chair or Coordinator

The goal of an internship is to enable students to get practical professional experience and, at the same time, to provide the students an opportunity to use their knowledge and skills in the real professional environment. Students generally work 20 hours per week for the duration of a semester.

HSS 390 B.A. Thesis

In the final year, students work independently on research projects and produce a senior thesis of approximately 40 pages. The topic of the senior thesis must be approved by the Chair, and the students must have an approved faculty advisor working under his/her guidance. The defense of this thesis is a part of the State Exams and is a condition to graduate.

HSS 382 What If: Science Fiction and Society

This course is intended for students who would like to develop a better understanding of science fiction and its impact on today’s society. Through science fiction, methodological tools will be developed, borrowing from history, sociology, film studies and political science. Mutual influences of science fiction and society will be shown in an attempt to present science fiction as a major object of history.

LIT 180 History of the Theatre

This course provides an overview of the history of theatre from ancient religious ritual to the latest developments within contemporary drama, placing each phase within its historical context. The course will analyze the roles played by actors, designers and directors in drama’s development, with special emphasis placed upon the work of playwrights. The evolution of Czech theatre will also be discussed within the larger history of world drama.

LIT 200 Comparative Literature

This introduces important movements in world literature and compares literary forms within various languages and cultural areas. Among others, it will include Renaissance comedy and tragedy, Baroque poetics, influences of the Enlightenment on literature, early and late Romanticism, critical Realism and Naturalism, literary avant-garde and the influences of primitivism, modernism and postmodernism. The starting point is European literature, then the literatures of North and South America, Australia and of the East, in particular with respect to their impact on European culture.

LIT 231 Literature of Prague

This course will study literature which is “of Prague” in both senses of being about Prague, and of originating in that fascinating, complex society which was and is unique to Prague. It will cover the period from 1890s to the present day and include German and Jewish writing alongside Czech. Prague will be seen in all the aspects—the glory of its art and architecture, the labyrinth of its fantasies, and the energy of its avant-garde alongside the humor of everyday life and the pain of exile and exclusion. Students will gain an understanding of 20th century Czech culture and society through the writings of Čapek, Hašek, Havel, Hrabal, Jesenská, Kafka, Kundera, Meyrink, Neruda, Seifert and Weil.

LIT 232 Thousand Years of Czech Literature: From Kosmas to Kundera

This course is a guided tour through the oldest of the Slavic literatures on its venerable 1,000 year old history of witnessing dramatic clashes as well as fruitful influences on its cultural borders. Students survey a range of Czech literature in translation and explore main directions in the history of Czech writing and poetics; the main focus, though, is on the 20th Century. Writers like Kafka, Hašek, Čapek, Hrabal, Škvorecký, Klíma, and Kundera are discussed together with contemporary, post-cold war authors like J. Topol. Visits to topic-related literary events as well as debates over film adaptations and rock lyrics are an essential part of the course.

LIT 233 Central European Literature

This seminar will be an exploration of Central European literature with an historical (Romanticism through the late 20th Century) and regional focus (for the purpose of this seminar the territory encompassing primarily Germany, Austria, Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic), with special emphasis on those writers with some connection to Prague (Kleist, Kafka, Rilke,) and Vienna (Schnitzler, Musil, Bachmann). Ideally a seminar on Central European literature would involve the reading several lengthy novels and plays; however, due to time constraints and other limitations, we will be viewing several films based on novels, and only reading short stories, two novellas, and some poetry. We will proceed chronologically, examining how the socio-historical background of a given literary work is manifested in its style and content.

LIT 252 Narrativity in Film: Romantic to Postmodern

The general concern of this film seminar is the question of narrativity (the structure and function of narrative) in the novel and in film, and an analysis of the differences between the techniques of both narrative forms through examining a series of novels that were adapted to film. We acquire our values, mores, ideas, ethics, and sense of possibilities in life through the stories we tell ourselves. Since the late 18th century in western culture, these stories have been told through literary culture, primarily the novel. Increasingly this story-telling, or narrativity, has been taken over by narrative film. We will be exploring the process by which novels have been made into film, viewing films based on novels ranging from the romantic through the realist, modernist, and postmodernist periods.

LIT 280 Literature as Social Critique

This course examines two main approaches adopted by writers of prose who have wished to expose social problems in their works. Writers as diverse as Fielding in 18th century England and Kafka in 20th century Central Europe have criticized their societies indirectly, in works characterized by satire, irony and symbolism. On the other hand, the great tradition of 19th century realism was a direct attempt to portray injustice and inequality, and to suggest concrete answers to these social ills. We shall study the effectiveness of both approaches to social critique in literature.

LIT 281 Politics and Drama

This course examines the connection between drama and socio-political reality. Students will first explore the possibility of a work of art serving as a mirror of particular political events, focusing mainly on the limitations of such a mirror image. Then, they will have a look at the various ways in which reality influences drama and, on the other hand, the ways in which drama might influence its socio-political context. The class will focus on drama concerning particular regions, such as Northern Ireland, post-war America, contemporary Britain and Central Europe.

LIT 356 Advanced Seminar in Poetry

The course spans the 20th century, with an emphasis on the interconnectedness among different strains of American poetry, including Modernism, the Harlem Renaissance, the Confessional Poets, the New York School and the Beats. The dominant theme will be the difference between “raw,” or informal, subversive poetry, and “cooked,” or formal, traditional poetry. Through this lens, the course will examine 20th century American poetry as a continuous lineage. The syllabus includes eight non-American poets whose work will be examined to identify international influences on the American idiom. Readings will be supplemented with critical essays, film clips and audio recordings intended to convey a fuller, more concrete impression of the life and times of each poet presented. Students will emerge with a more comprehensive understanding of 20th century American poetry and, hopefully, a deeper appreciation of it.

LIT 430 Franz Kafka: An Advanced Seminar

Prerequisite: LIT 233 & LIT 232

In this advanced seminar we will be studying the works of Franz Kafka and the critical reception of those works. We will be considering Kafka within his biographical and socio-historical context as a Prague author, as well as approaching his works several theoretical paradigms, ranging from early critical readings of his oeuvre by Hannah Arendt, Georges Bataille, Walter Benjamin, Maurice Blanchot, and George Steiner, to more recent approaches by Gilles Deleuze & Felix Guattari, Mladen Dolar, Slavoj Zizek, Stanford Kwinter, and Stanley Corngold). This class is intended as an M.A. seminar, but interested B.A. students are welcome to join up to a specified enrollment limit. Primary texts will include the novel The Trial, the novella The Metamorphosis, and the stories The Judgement, In the Penal Colony, Blumfeld, and Elderly Bachelor, A Report to an Academy, The Country Doctor, Investigations of a Dog, The Burrow, and Josephine, or the Mouse Singer.

PHI 120 Ethics

This course surveys theoretical and practical ethics through key thinkers in the western philosophical tradition. Texts by the following thinkers may be considered: Aristotle, Socrates, Plato, Seneca, Augustine, Hume, Kant, Spinoza, Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Mill, Moore, Sartre, Williams, Deleuze, Levinas, Nancy.

PHI 125 Introduction to Philosophy (From Ancient Times to Kant)

The aim of this course is to reflect on the meaning and character of philosophical thinking, from the beginnings of philosophy to the ideas of Immanuel Kant. Since the question “What is true knowledge?” has been understood differently in different times, it is necessary to focus on the way this question was articulated not only in the works of Plato and Aristotle, but also in the works of René Descartes and Immanuel Kant.

PHI 171 Modern Intellectual History

As a history of modern intellectual thought, this course explores seven thinkers from the 17th to the 20th Century (Spinoza, Rouseau, Kant, Hegel, Nietzsche, Bergson, Wittgenstein), who will be examined in the historical and cultural context of the period in which they lived and worked. Humanist concepts discussed will include individuality, freedom, justice, equality, power, culture, nature, and love, as pre-given universal realities, though these terms have been invented, interpreted, and continuously revised throughout history.

PHI 180 Freedom

What does it mean to be free? Freedom has been a topic of heated discussion since ancient times. Today it is one of the central tenets of Western society, but it remains one of its most slippery. This course will examine the political, economic, humanistic and ethical aspects of freedom. Some of the themes addressed are the relationship between the individual and society; when it is possible (or even ethical) to break the law; if freedom makes us happy; and where freedom is limited to political laws or subject to higher ones.

PHI 183 Introduction to Existentialism

This class is an introduction to existentialism, one of the most influential intellectual currents of the 20th century. The existentialists’ characteristic preoccupations arise from what they see as threats to human freedom arising from such diverse forces as religious conformity, cultural homogenization, unfeeling rationality and mass society. In this course, we will explore the existentialists’ philosophical responses to these threats, beginning with the roots of the movement in the 19th century. In addition to philosophical texts, we will read literary texts and watch films in order to familiarize ourselves with the wide range of genres in which existentialist themes are explored.

PHI 380 Technology, Philosophy and Totalitarianism

From the rise of fascism in Germany, to the rise of the two dominant post-war ideologies of capitalism and communism during the Cold War, this course will survey the various ways in which freedom has been articulated, deferred and disavowed in advanced technological societies of both the East and the West.  In particular, we will divide our focus mainly between the Czech experience of “normalization” under the Communist regime, following the Prague Spring of 1968, and the rise of consumerism in the USA following World War 2.  Special attention will also be paid to the role of literature and language in a world dominated by scientific objectivity, technology, and the exponentially accelerating speed of the media image. In light of these concerns, the course hopes to develop conceptions of “freedom” and “totalitarianism” that are robust enough to meet the challenges of the 21st century.  We will examine philosophical and literary texts from Franz Kafka, Erich Fromm, Herbert Marcuse, Theodor Adorno, Hannah Arendt, Jan Patočka, Vaclav Havel, Louis Althusser, Michel Foucault, Jacques Derrida, Jean Baudrillard and Slavoj Žižek.

PHI 420 Seminar in European Philosophy

Prerequisite: PHI 125

This course is a survey of 20th century European philosophy with an emphasis on Phenomenology (Husserl, Merleau-Ponty, Patočka), Philosophy of Existence (Kierkegaard, Heidegger, Sartre, Levinas, Marcel, Gilson) and Modern Hermeneutics (Gadamer, Derrida, Ricœur, Corbin, the late Foucault). This exploration of 20th century Continental thought will also focus on links between philosophy and literature (e.g. the influence of Phenomenology on literature, the influence of literature on “Existentialism”, Ricoeur’s interpretation of narrative).

POL 101 Introduction to Politics I

The course is intended as an introduction to the study of Political Science. It will focus on basic ideas, concepts and ideologies in Political Science. Topics will include but not be limited to politics, government and the state; sovereignty, the nation and supranationalism; power, authority and legitimacy; law, order and justice; rights, obligations and citizenship; democracy; equality, social justice an welfare; liberalism; conservatism; socialism; nationalism; fascism.

POL 102 Introduction to Politics II

The course will deal with the structure and process of government. Trans-national comparisons will be made that highlight critical variables in the concept and practice of government. Similarities and differences will be examined. Interaction among the public, private and social sectors will be acknowledged, however, the emphasis is primarily on the study of government and the polity.

POL 200 Political Philosophy

This course examines significant themes in political philosophy, highlighting the way in which major concepts of political thought have evolved from ancient Greece to contemporary western society. By critically examining the works of political philosophers, we will explore such themes as the nature of the state and political power, the justification of political authority, the elements of a just society, and whether some types of regime should be preferred over others. Readings include Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Mill, Nietzsche, Marx and more recent challenges to classical positions in political theory.

POL 201 Nations and Nationalism

Prerequisite: POL 101 or 102

This course will examine the formation of modern national identities with a major emphasis on Europe, including the historical circumstances in which nationalism emerged, the national awakening, national policies of multi-ethnic states, national programs and their leaders. The main focus of the course will be oriented toward topics surrounding three phenomena that had fateful consequences for the 20th century: (1) the unsuccessful attempt to eliminate, after WWI, national tensions by creating new nation-states, and the encounters with both major totalitarian ideologies, (2) Nazism and (3) Communism. The present eruptions of nationalism are rooted in the heritage of these phenomena.

POL 220 West European Politics

Prerequisite: POL 101 or 102

This course examines the politics of Western Europe; the United Kingdom, France and Germany will serve as the main case studies; however, students will also explore other West European countries as they relate to the various aspects of politics discussed. History, constitutional development, political culture, geography, political institutions, leaders, mobilization structures, political behavior, and policy agendas are topics to be discussed in relation to the above mentioned countries.

POL 241 The Arab-Israeli Conflict

The aim of this course is to enhance your understanding of the domestic, regional, and international factors in the Arab-Israeli conflict. This course focuses on the causes, course, and implications of the Arab-Israeli conflict. It explores the history, politics, and diplomacy, of the conflict, comparing the narratives of the Israel, Arab States, and Palestinians. It also examines domestic political, economic, and social forces in Israel and the Arab countries. The relationships among Arabs and Israelis, inter-Arab relations and the role of the external powers on the conflict will be explored.  Irrespective of your own convictions, you will be expected to develop your critical thought, in order to be able to detect "bias" or "spins" in narratives of the Arab-Israeli conflict and in the daily press.

POL 280 Political Economy

This course introduces students to basic approaches and topics of political economy. Course starts with the analysis of the role of institutions in economic development and growth. Further topics are: public finances, international trade and trade policy, European integration, different aspects of capitalism (earnings and discrimination, inequality and poverty) and the democratization process in former socialist countries.

POL 320 Politics of the European Union

Prerequisite: POL 101 or 102

This course examines the politics and economics of the European Union. Beginning with an historical overview of why the EU was originally created and how it has developed, the course then examines the institutions of the European Union and how they promote cooperation between the member states. After examining the successes and shortcomings of the EU, students will look to the future and what European integration may mean for the countries of Central and Eastern Europe.

POL 330 Central and Eastern European Politics

Prerequisite: POL 101 or 102

This course covers the history and politics of East Central Europe. This includes Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. While we will focus on the core states of this geographic area, lectures and readings will also analyze other areas of the broader East European land mass that have influenced the history of East Central Europe. This includes Germany, Russia and the Balkans. Topics to be covered in the readings and lectures include: demographic and imperial history; the interwar period; the communist takeovers; the nature of the communist system and communist regimes; Stalinism and de-Stalinization; the performance and decline of communist regimes; the revolutions of 1989; transitions to democracy and the market; and (time permitting) European integration.

POL 381 Multiculturalism in Europe

This course discusses and analyses major ethnic, racial, national, and religious minorities in contemporary Europe from a sociological, political, legal, historical and anthropological perspectives. It will look at a broad range of topics such as inclusive citizenship, identity, conflict, migration, minority rights, international law, minority policy development and implementation. By using case studies, students will deepen their understanding of the status and condition of minorities in Europe, the roots of and solutions to ethnic conflict, and gradually changing European conceptions of citizenship and the multicultural state.

POL 403 Cultural Diplomacy

Prerequisite: COM 200

This course intends to provide students with an approach on Public Diplomacy and its affiliates like Global Diplomacy, Cultural Diplomacy and Soft Power. Its objective is to help students understand the importance of International public opinions in today’s Diplomacy, mostly from a Western point of view, but also from developing countries such as Lebanon or former Communist countries. Techniques of Strategic Mass Communication will be provided along with case studies on today’s Public Diplomacy.

POL 450 Geography and Politics in Europe

Prerequisite: POL 251

This advanced level course in international relations consists of three core parts: political geography of the European states, political geography of international relations, and the political geography of the most important countries of today’s world politics in relation to Europe. It will examine theoretical issues as well as practical examples of the geographical aspects of contemporary political problems.

POL 452 Human Security

How does one define human security? How do the security and existence of the individual relate to the security of the state? Can security of the individual be deconstructed and studied within the context of the state? The course aims to answer these questions by exploring the relationship between globalization, development and human security in the view of the post-modern creations that threaten society today. Human security refers to the safeguarding of individuals and groups from the threats that exist beyond their control. Threats that are necessarily not a part of their day-to-day existence i.e. conflict, genocide, economic crises, disease epidemics, terrorist attacks, environmental degradation, destitution, water and even other social aspects of society. Further the course will explore how international institutions that exist, interact with civil society, government and organizations to ensure an enduring human security.

POL 480 Theories of Globalization

Prerequisite: POL 280, approval of lecturer

The course will explore globalization primarily from a theoretical view, though empirical applications will be included.  While there will be substantive elements of knowledge, the primary emphasis will be in processing skills, i.e., in conceptualization, diagnosis, analysis and solution building.  We are particularly interested in the scientific method, policy analysis and social science.  It is the interaction of these three models that create the framework for the course.  Attention will be given to the causes of globalization and the outcomes globally.  Unfortunately, we know more about theoretical impacts of globalization than empirical findings.  Consequently, we will work toward theory application and utilization of empiricism as is available now or during the course.

PSY 150 Introduction to Psychology

The purpose of this course is to give students a brief overview of some of the most important areas of psychology. The students will examine different approaches applied in the study of psyche from the beginnings of psychology as a specialized scholarly field to modern clinical and cognitive applications.

PSY 200 Modern Psychology

The purpose of this course is to give students a brief overview of some of the most important perspectives of modern psychology. Discussion will be on current research in psychology as well as current applications of psychology to solving both individual and social problems and key issues relating to life events and life crises. Students will be able to explain the differences and similarities between the psychodynamic, behavioral, cognitive, humanistic, socio-cultural, and biological perspectives as well as the current perspective on the relative influences of heredity and environment on human behavior. An important underlying theme in the course will be the development of critical thinking abilities as they relate to modern psychological theories.

PSY 250 Social Psychology

The purpose of this course is to give students an insight into the dynamics between the individual and the society. The focus will be upon realizing how an individual is influenced by the environment, and in return how he/she can influence the environment. Other key topics will be the analysis of social identity and of social development of an individual. The course will also concentrate on forms of social behavior such as prejudices, stereotypes, aggression and altruism.

REL 140 Comparative Religions

This course investigates what religion is and why it remains so potent a force in the world today. We will examine the definition of a religion and survey the major world religions (Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Animism, Shinto, Christianity, etc.), as well as some modern incarnations of primitive religions, such as neo-paganism, New Age, political religion and fundamentalism.

REL 141/PHI 141 Comparative Worldviews

This course would look at the various philosophies and intellectual movements that have gone into making the various worldviews that have shaped the modern (and postmodern) West. We would be reading primary source material for each of the various worldviews. Topics would include: Christian Theism, Deism, Naturalism, Nihilism, Existentialism, Eastern Mysticism, New Age, and Postmodernism.

SOC 100 Introduction to Sociology

This course is an introduction to sociology, using historical, theoretical, practical, and topical approaches to the subject. Students will first explore some of the key figures of classical sociology—Durkheim, Marx, Simmel, and Weber. In the second half of the class, students will explore selected topics in sociology and will discuss methodology and the status of the discipline in contemporary society.

SOC 280 Social/Cultural Anthropology

This course provides an introduction to anthropological themes, such as kinship and exchange, further complemented by ideas related to politics, economics and social identity, which have been developed more recently. Students are expected to think analytically and compare evidence across cultures, including our own. The primary challenge is to develop a capacity for stepping out of our own cultural mindset and entering into the logic characteristic of "the other."

SOC 290 Introduction to Social Science Research Methods

Prerequisite: SOC 100

This course will introduce students to the theory and praxis of sociological research.  Students will learn to design, conduct and evaluate research while using a variety of research methods and theoretical concepts.  Students will familiarize themselves with all phases of a research project, including research philosophy and ethics, its design and conduct, the collection, categorization, operationalization and analysis of research data and their evaluation.  Emphasis will be placed on an understanding of a research and the researcher’s role.  The course is a combination of a lecture and a seminar.  The presentation of the material will be followed by discussions of the relevant empirical and theoretical studies.  At a completion of this course, students will be able to utilize what they have learned to analyze the "world taken for granted" and initiate sociological reflection of their own.

SOC 351 Gender and Culture

Prerequisite: SOC 100

This course examines culture and its assumptions about women and men. Starting from conditioning through fairy tales and toys, analysis is further applied to the television technologies of gender, the “beauty myth”, women’s and men’s magazines as well as to visual arts, music, film and architecture. Advertisements are interpreted, including billboards and beer commercials. Current views on pornography and prostitution are presented. Questions of representation and ideology, identity politics, shifts of gender issues in consumer society, etc. create the agenda for the work in seminars and observations during field trips.

SOC 354 Gendering Post-Communism

Together we will think about how looking through the lens of gender can help us understand both the realities and hopes and dreams of women and men as embodied subjects after 1989. We will examine the term ‘woman’ and pay attention to changing cultural meanings of femininity and masculinity during this time. We will consider how differently located women have experienced multiple transitions from state socialisms in dissimilar ways and how their futures will also differ. Learning to read film and popular culture texts for representations of gender is an integral part of this subject.

SOC 370 Popular Culture and Media Theory

Prerequisite: SOC 100

Songs, TV shows, movies, and magazines form much of the world we live in, our environment. But what do they all mean? We need to understand that, because popular culture and media influence us all. This course will introduce you to scholars who have thought about these issues, and to their very different answers about what the popular culture and media are, and how best to understand them.

SOC 381 Sociology and the Family

Prerequisite: SOC 100

This course examines one of the most important social institutions in our society, the family—a basic unit of society. It is an introduction to the study of social and cultural foundations of the family, its historical development, changing structures and functions; the interaction of marriage and parenthood. Course will cover an overview of social theories in the field of family study; relationships within the family; marital roles; mate selection; parent-child relations; family patterns in various cultures; family dissolution and reorganization; the interplay between family and society across the cultures.

SOC 400 Twentieth Century Social Theory

Prerequisite: SOC 100

Social theory attempts to provide an explanation of how societies function and develop. Terms such as modernism and post-modernism are often used, but what do these theories actually mean? Is there any one theory, which can provide a satisfactory explanation of society? The course will look at the dominant theories, which developed over the 20th century, such as structuralism, critical theory and post-modernism.

SOC 451 Anthropological Knowledge and Modern Civilization

Prerequisite: SOC 280

This course will be focused on the introduction and application of modern anthropological knowledge and the dominant themes for understanding some fundamental problems and challenges in contemporary society including international relations, the emergence of the world-system, urbanization and modernization, modern political culture, class of civilizations, economical and social development and multiculturalism.

SOC 476 Subcultures: Lifestyles, Literature, Music

The course provides critical post-subcultural insights into underground, punk, psychedelia, graffiti and alter-globalization movement, etc.. Multidisciplinary perspectives of cultural, literary, and media studies are explored. Seminal readings on subcultures are used to discuss the practices of “alternative” urban lives in post-industrial society and certain trends of artistic production. Focus is on political interpretation of youth subversion and disclosures of power mechanisms. Visuals and field trips to graffiti and other subcultural sites are a part of this course.

SOC 471 Sociology of Aesthetics

What is art, and what is its relation to society? In this seminar we will be exploring the inter-section between sociology/social theory and aesthetics. Traditionally a domain of philosophy, the study of aesthetics initially encompassed judgments about beauty and form, evolved into a study of the nature of aesthetic judgments, and then widened into a series of subcategories ranging from questions of art and ethics, art and history, art and psychology, art and culture, art and perception, art and ontology, art and politics, art and society, and art and gender.

SOC 478 Advanced Seminar on Alternative Culture: Understanding Fandom

Prerequisite: SOC 100

This course explores fandom, particularly media fandom. In a world suffused in popular culture, fans are those who have invested themselves most heavily in making meaning from popular culture. Why do they? Are they just weird, just different than us? Or is it simply a more intense expression of how we all make meaning from culture? Drawing on some of the seminal theorists of fan studies, such as Michel De Certeau, Pierre Bourdieu, Henry Jenkins, John Fiske, Matt Hills, Camille Bacon-Smith, and Janice Radaway, this course seeks to understand fans as meaning-makers as they write, create, blog, form communities and hierarchies, even quasi-religions, to understand the object of their fan-desire.