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2010 Seminars
1. America in the Eyes of the World
This seminar, as its title indicates, will explore the way America (i.e., the United States) and Americans are viewed in various countries throughout the world. The aim of this seminar is to bring the students to shed their ethnocentric views and opinions and to begin looking at their own country from the perspective of other countries and cultures. We will concentrate on continents and countries in which Dickinson has a program of studies and where our students are likely to spend a semester or a year: Latin America (Mexico); Europe (Britain, Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Russia); Africa (Cameroon); Asia (China and Japan). We will adopt a historical and cultural approach to determine why each country holds its specific views about the U.S. The course will involve intensive monitoring of the foreign press through the internet and will therefore introduce the students to the major issues in international relations. The tragic events of September 11, 2001, illustrate how essential it is for Americans to become more keenly aware of how their country is perceived throughout the world and this seminar will initiate that process.
Professor: Dominique Laurent, French/Italian
Time: 11:30 MF
2. Anthropology of Slavery
Anthropologists approach the study of slavery in a comparative frame, using one case study as a source of insight into another and to think about slavery’s universal characteristics. Anthropologists see slavery as part of stratified social systems where slaves are the most subordinated group. So in this course we analyze how these systems create and reproduce slavery, in relation to markets, wars, marriage, kinship, and ideologies of exclusion and contamination. Case studies include slavery in the US (among Native Americans and in the South), Africa, China, and as a contemporary transnational phenomenon spanning many countries.
Professor: Ann Hill, Anthropology
Time: 12:30 MWF
3. Breaking Bread: Psychology, Food, and Culture
*This seminar has been designated as part of a Learning Community.
Are you really what you eat? In this course, we will examine the multifaceted psychological, cultural, and political factors that underlie food preferences and eating behaviors. Topics to be addressed include the following: how do culture and individual psychology shape the meaning of food and the significance of eating in our lives? What roles do the economy, public policy, and more specifically, the food industry, play in our eating behavior? How do we respond to food-related advertising, and determine for ourselves what constitutes “healthy” eating behavior? We will address these questions by reviewing scientific articles, books and documentaries from psychology and other disciplines, as well as accounts from the popular media.
Professor: Suman Ambwani, Psychology
Time: 11:30 MF
4. Defining Beauty: Convergence in the History of Art and Science
The Empire State Building, Jan van Eyck’s Arnolfini portrait, and your neighborhood Thomas Kinkade gallery are three very different forms of artistic expression, yet all three were enabled by scientific innovations that provided artists with new tools for their craft. At numerous times throughout history, the artistic and scientific worlds have converged to create groundbreaking works that can be appreciated from both an artistic and scientific point of view. Yet some technological advancements have called into question whether certain practices diminish artistic achievement. Through an investigation of the scientific principles and technologies used in specific cases, this seminar will examine a number of these issues, including advances in architectural methods, the use of optical devices in painting, and mechanical reproduction techniques.
Professor: Brett Pearson, Physics/Astronomy
Time: 11:30 MF
5. Down on the Farm
*This seminar has been designated as part of a Learning Community.
A red barn, a tractor, a few cows, a couple of chickens, vegetables, grains, and a friendly dog. The family farm is an iconic image from America’s rural landscape, but is this image concealing the true face of our country’s agriculture industry? In this course, we will investigate the current state of the American family farm. Some of the topics we will examine include: Who should be concerned about the future of the family farm? How have the economy, public policy, and the food industry changed farming in the United States? What effect has the industrialization of agriculture had on the international community? What do terms like organic, free-range, and sustainable farming really mean? Can sustainable farming feed the world? We will address these questions by analyzing articles, books, and documentary films regarding farming and the agriculture industry, as well as visiting local farms.
Professor: Jennifer Froelich, Math/Computer Science
Time: 11:30 MF
6. Explorations in Political Economy: Capitalism, Liberty, and Social Justice?
The goal of this seminar is to acquaint you with a variety of important topics and debates in political economy. The seminar requires much from you in terms of active participation and you have the opportunity to help shape the direction of class discussion. Topics we shall explore include (among others) as many of the following topics as we can fit into the available time: What is economic freedom? What is David Ellerman’s labor theory of property? Are individual property rights absolute? Are capitalist profits just? What is contested exchange theory? Is unemployment voluntary or involuntary in a capitalist economy? Is the capitalist market economy inherently a power structure (the Marxian view) or does the capitalist system necessarily allow for maximum individual liberty and self-determination (Milton Friedman’s view)? Is social justice a meaningless idea? Is social and economic justice a vitally important public policy goal? Under what circumstances do individual and collective self-interest prove incongruent? Is government intervention in the economy compatible with democracy and liberty? Do fairness and economic efficiency necessarily clash with one another? What is equality of opportunity? Is homo-economicus an adequate description of human agency? Was the Soviet Union a state capitalist system? We will examine a variety of perspectives ranging from libertarian to socialist. Your task will be to sort out the strengths and weaknesses of these contending perspectives. You will take part in several interactive classroom games over the course of the semester. Drawing upon recent advances in experimental economics, each game will help to illuminate the situational logic underlying the theories we are exploring in class. While this seminar does not assume you have had any prior exposure to political economy or basic economic reasoning it does presuppose that you have a considerable willingness to read, think, engage with others, and take their arguments seriously. You are expected to think critically (and carefully) about the readings and to seriously engage the readings (and other seminar participants) during class discussion.
Professor: Andrew Farrant, Economics
Time: 12:30 MWF
7. Exploring the Nature of Light: The Strange Reality of the Quantum World
Light is ubiquitous with human existence and is essential to (almost) every living thing on our planet. Besides the obvious warmth provided by the sun, radio signals, x-rays, and the beautiful array of colors we see every day are all different forms of “light.” For thousands of years, human beings have puzzled over the nature of light, trying to determine exactly what it is. Is it made up of something like a fluid or a gas? Is it an “electromagnetic wave”? Is it “pure energy” (whatever that means)? It may surprise you to find out that even today, scientists cannot give a definitive and satisfactory answer to the question “what is light?” What we do know is that light is far more subtle and mysterious than anyone could have ever imagined. In this seminar, we will explore the subtle nature of light and observe the strange quantum behavior that led Albert Einstein to devote much of his life trying to disprove quantum theory. By the end of this seminar, we will understand why it is that the late physicist Richard Feynman claimed, “nobody understands quantum mechanics.”
Professor: David Jackson, Physics/Astronomy
Time: 12:30 MWF
8. Free Will or Free Won’t? A Survey of the Mind/Body Debate
*This seminar has been designated as part of a Learning Community.
Some benefits of being human are knowing that you are an individual and have a distinct personality and the freedom to choose your own actions and thoughts, right? Who you are—your essence—is a property of your mind (or soul) and is different from your brain. At least that is how we tend to view ourselves. But is this view accurate? Some agree with this point of view, but most modern day philosophers and scientists believe that our mind, our essence, is actually a natural product of our functioning brain, not something that is separate from or in addition to our brain. In this class we will tackle this debate from several different angles. We will learn about the historical and philosophical roots of the mind/body debate, discuss current concepts that help frame the debate (like that of “other minds” and the “binding problem”), and consider psychological and physiological research that supports each viewpoint. Discussions will include evidence from non-human animals and artificial intelligence as well as human consciousness. In addition, we will consider the potential consequences of each position in areas such as religion and law. The main goals of this course are to introduce this foundational concept, develop your critical thinking skills, improve your writing skills, and help you acquire a scientific reasoning framework to use on new and similar concepts that you will encounter throughout your college career. These are necessary tools for forming and shaping your own world-view.
Professor: Jon Page, Psychology
Time: 11:30 MWF
9. Graphic Narratives in a Global Frame
*This seminar has been designated as part of a Learning Community.
“Graphic Narratives in a Global Frame” will help develop the core skills of critical analysis, intellectual discussion and debate, and rigorous academic writing through the lens of American, European, and East Asian comics and animation. While graphic novels have begun to assume the status of literature and fine art only recently in America, European and Asian audiences have long appreciated the high-art potential of the comics medium. Intensive, weekly reading and writing assignments will structure our study of graphic novels, animated film, and other comparable media, and we will also try our hand at crafting our own web comics throughout the semester. What we will learn is that rather than being characterized by intuitive and uncritical apperception, graphic narratives rely upon a complex and culturally specific set of rules and codes that demand intellectual acuity and global sensibilities. Pursuing these ends will allow us to transfer these analytical skills to other forms of popular culture, bridging intellectual analysis and students’ everyday lives. Possible texts include works by: Scott McCloud, Chris Ware, Art Spiegelman, David B., Marjane Satrapi, Guy Delisle, Hergé, Joe Sacco, Osamu Tezuka, and Hayao Miyazaki.
Professor: David Ball, English
Time: 11:30 MF
10. Hope or Threat? Immigrants in American Popular Culture and Media
This seminar examines the history of reception of immigrants in America and the changing images of particular national and ethnic groups. Immigration plays a central role in American founding narrative, but American perception of immigrants has been ambivalent. Attitudes have ranged from open arms to distrust. Immigrants have been welcome as new citizens or rejected as a menace to American values and culture. Perspectives have changed over time, but there is also a recurrent repertoire of topics and stereotypes. Images about a particular ethnic or national group have adapted to changing cultural, social, and political circumstances. Through readings, class discussions and original research, this seminar will place the current debate over the benefits and perils of immigration, as well as the images of contemporary immigrants in American society, in historical context.
Professor: Marcelo Borges, History
Time: 11:30 MF
11. Hunter-Gatherers in Archaeology and Ethnography
*This seminar has been designated as part of a Learning Community.
For 99% of human history we have been hunter-gatherers. It is only in the last 10,000 of 2.5 million years that we began to produce food. The class presents an introduction to the study of hunter-gatherers and their physical and social environment in the present and past. The broad spectrum of hunter-gatherer societies will be discussed from the perspective of archaeology, ecology, and anthropological ethnography. We will examine ways in which hunting and gathering strategies use differing patterns of social interaction, mobility, technologies and artistic expression to successfully exploit their environments. Activities beyond the classroom will include hiking trips to the local state parks and forests, and a trip to the state museum to see archaeological collections of Pennsylvania’s hunter-gatherer societies.
Professor: Sarah Sherwood, Anthropology
Time: 12:30 MWF
12.-18. Ideas that Have Shaped the World
Why do ideas matter? What is the relationship between the individual and community? How can we define human nature? What is Justice? Are there universal moral principles? Or are our actions considered moral according to the moment and place in which we find ourselves? Explore these and other fundamental issues of humanistic inquiry through a series of compelling and influential texts. As a new initiative in Dickinson’s First-Year Seminar Program, a group of seven faculty members from seven different disciplines will join with students to read and discuss the work of authors as diverse as Homer, Plato, Augustine, Shakespeare, Labe, Nietzsche, Jefferson, Marx, DuBois, Duras, and Achebe. Faculty focused the seminar reading list around the question, “How do the ideas of these authors – all from different cultures and eras – resonate across time and help us to understand our present experience within a global community?” Furthermore, studying carefully the work of outstanding thinkers, readers, and writers is one of the best ways to learn to read, think, and write well yourself. Because all sections of the course will read the texts simultaneously, conversations will extend beyond the classroom. The seminar also features six plenary lectures by guest speakers and Dickinson faculty on themes and issues central to the readings that students and faculty in all course sections will attend together. For more information on the seminar, list of texts, and faculty for 2010 go to: http://www.dickinson.edu/academics/distinctive-opportunities/humanities-collective/
12. Professor: Lucile Duperron, French/Italian
Time: 11:30 MF
13. Professor: Doug Edlin, Political Science
Time: 11:30 MF
14. Professor: Ted Pulcini, Religion
Time: 11:30 MF
15. Professor: Meghan Reedy, Classical Studies
Time: 11:30 MF
16. Professor: Crispin Sartwell, Art/Art History
Time: 11:30 MF
17. Professor: Cotten Seiler, American Studies
Time: 11:30 MF
18. Professor: Jessica Wahman, Philosophy
Time: 11:30 MF
19. CANCELLED
20. Literature and Mathematics
Normally literature is viewed as an artistic form of entertainment while mathematics as a discipline that studies quantity, structure, space and change, establishing truth by means of rigorous reasoning. However, there are many forms of fiction that address fundamental truths via metaphors, which, in turn, depart from mathematics and other disciplines, especially philosophy. The focus of this course will be to analyze fiction and its intersection with mathematics and philosophy to uncover specific messages leading to a better understanding of the essence of some of the epistemological and ontological questions that have been the focus of religion, philosophy, and the sciences from Aristotle and Plato’s times up to today. Special attention will be paid to the narratives of Jorge Luis Borges.
Professor: Jorge Sagastume, Spanish/Portuguese
Time: 11:30 MF
21. Mexico: A Failed State?
The current news from Mexico is very disturbing. Almost every week we read stories about the violent clash between Mexican government forces and the nation’s powerful drug cartels. In addition, journalists regularly report on rising social inequalities, political corruption, and economic decline in Mexico. Problems such as these have played a role in the controversial surge in illegal immigration from Mexico in recent decades. Is Mexico, as some analysts assert, on the verge of collapse? Is the Mexican state failing? This seminar will study the current social, economic, and political situation in Mexico and attempt to answer these questions. We will examine both positive and negative developments in Mexico and compare the nation’s present to its past beginning with the epic 1910 Revolution.
Professor: J. Mark Ruhl, Political Science
Time: 11:30 MF
22. Mind Meets Matter
Everywhere you go, you are surrounded by stuff! Scientists refer to stuff as “matter,” which is defined as anything that takes up space and has mass. Yet where does it come from? What is it? How can it be manipulated, shaped, transformed, represented? How do human beings understand and interact with matter? What are the broader impacts of manipulating matter - to the environment, to society?
In this seminar we will explore such questions, and in doing so, undertake an in-depth study of matter across the disciplines. The course will be divided into two parts. In the first part, we will focus on understanding matter. This will involve a trip “down the rabbit hole” into the rich world of quantum mechanics - the physical theory that describes the rules for how very small objects, such as electrons and protons, behave. We will read several articles about Quantum Mechanics and study the 2004 film “What the Bleep Do We Know,” the drama-documentary that brings the metaphysical world into our everyday experiences. The focus of the second part of the course will be on designing matter. Topics will include nanoscience as well as the totally new “cradle to cradle” design paradigm that is so eloquently expressed in the book Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things by chemist Michael Braungart and architect William McDonough.
Professor: Cindy Samet, Chemistry
Time: 12:30 MWF
23. Muslim Lives in the First Person
The course begins with a snapshot of Islamic beliefs, practices and history as prelude to exploring how Muslims have told their own life stories, in memoir and fiction. The authors range from a nineteenth century princess of Zanzibar to a Saudi novelist describing boyhood in Mecca, from an Egyptian pioneer of women’s liberation to one of the leading advocates for Islamic revival. In addition to these texts, the course will introduce students to academic approaches of analysis and interpretation through scholarly articles in anthropology, feminist theory, historiography, and political thought. Through these works, some films, and a visit to a local mosque, we will consider the formative impact of context on Muslim lives in different historical and contemporary situations. Students will develop writing skills through a series of assignments connected to each text and related scholarly articles. An annotated bibliography assignment will provide the occasion for students to become familiar with strategies for locating and assessing scholarly literature.
Professor: David Commins, History
Time: 12:30 MWF
24. Mysteries of the Brain
*This seminar has been designated as part of a Learning Community.
The goal of this course is to examine the extent to which the form (anatomy) of the brain determines function (behavior). The emphasis will be on the unusual and usual, but nonetheless amazing, behaviors and perceptions generated by our brains. The course will begin with a brief investigation of the basic anatomy of our most complex and interesting organ – and the only organ that can study itself – the brain. Then we will explore, through discussion, readings, and research, some of the more extraordinary things the brain does, including dreaming, producing unusual perceptions, such as synesthesia, and the perceptual and behavioral changes that can occur when the brain is damaged or diseased.
Professor: Missy Niblock, Biology
Time: 11:30 MWF
25. Myth, Religion and the Creative Impulse
This seminar will consider how an essentially, officially secular culture like the United States tends to give expression through the creative arts to manifestations of spirituality. We will understand "religion" in a broad sense to embrace both formal religious ideas and conceptions of secular "myth" like baseball in Field of Dreams or "the circle of Life" in the Lion King that express a longing for transcendent meaning. The seminar will examine how the arts create and reflect the spiritual dimensions of American culture, and the various ways in which music, theater, film, and art depict spiritual subjects and themes. Informed by readings in anthropology and comparative religion, students will examine a wide variety of art forms both as a group, and in individual projects.
Professor: Todd Wronski, Theatre/Dance
Time: 11:30 MWF
26. Narratives of Insanity: History and the Self at the Time of Fascism
What does it mean to be insane? What is the difference between insanity and normality? To what extent can insanity be related to the behavior of social groups or even nations? Modern medical science has defined insanity as a mental condition that trespasses the limits of reason, and has elaborated medical and psychological treatments that can objectively diagnose and possibly cure the illness. Insanity, however, is not simply a pathological condition of the mind. History has shown that certain forms of insanity also intersect the values and the beliefs of systems of power: authoritarian regimes, in particular, often impose themselves by exploiting the individuals’ psychology of emotions, traumatic experiences, and fantasies of power. In this course we will explore diverse ways in which insanity, while repressed for its subversive potential, has made itself heard, has survived as an act of resistance to Fascism—the dictatorship that ruled Italy from 1922 to 1943—in and through the works of writers such as Italo Svevo and Luigi Pirandello. We will also examine films by directors such as Chaplin, Bellocchio, Forman, and Coppola, who have challenged not only the very nature of Fascism, but also the ideas of modern world.
Professor: Nicoletta Marini-Maio, French/Italian
Time: 11:30 MF
27. Poetry Matters
The word play in this seminar’s title is intentional. On the one hand, a basic presupposition of this course is that poetry does indeed matter greatly. We will inquire why, how, and to whom it matters. On the other hand, these questions relate to just a few of the “matters” of poetry. We will do our best to address some of them. More importantly, you, the students, will need to define for yourselves and for your classmates what these matters are. Class discussions and writing assignments offer structured opportunities to develop responses to the myriad matters we, individually and collectively, identify.
We will read a great deal of poetry, mainly work by poets writing in English, but we will also read some poetry in translation. (Two of our basic texts will be The Norton Anthology of Modern and Contemporary Poetry and Adrienne Su’s Having None of It.) We will also consider what poets and others have written about poetry. Sustained effort will be directed towards becoming richer and more perceptive readers.
The development of critical thinking skills will be strongly emphasized. Seminar participants will be encouraged to share their passion for poetry with a wider audience in creative and imaginative ways.
Professor: Mark Aldrich, Spanish/Portuguese
Time: 11:30 MF
28. Pop Goes the Canon
*This seminar has been designated as part of a Learning Community.
This course will investigate the spectrum of popular to high culture, in particular in the fields of literary and cultural studies. We will begin with a look at the traditional definitions of culture and continue with an overview of the field and its discontents. Along the way, we will ask whether the revolutions of our concept of culture, such as the inclusion of cultural contributions by women and African Americans, actually transformed our view of what cultural forms deserve academic attention or simply added to an existing list of ‘great’ works of culture. We will read how different artists, authors, and scholars define the value of cultural productions and also examine examples of texts and artworks that illustrate these views. Finally, we will explore whether our critical approach to cultural materials – whether popular or elitist – is valid and/or crucial to effective academic inquiry.
Professor: Sarah McGaughey, German
Time: 11:30 MF
29. Profiles in Courage: Nobel Peace Prize Laureates
For over a century, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has bestowed an annual Peace Prize on an organization or individual who, in the words of Alfred Nobel, “has done the most and best work for the brotherhood of nations and the abolishment or reduction of standing armies as well as for the establishment and spread of peace congresses.” In the years after the Second World War, the judges’ definition of peace expanded to include humanitarian concerns, producing laureates such as Wangari Maathai, Mother Teresa, Elie Wiesel, and Muhammad Yunus. This seminar will examine the transformation of the award and its political ramifications over the course of its history. We will discuss the selection process and consider whether the choice has always been, as a former chairman of the judging committee wrote in 2001, “to put it bluntly, a political act.” The course will be organized into four broad categories corresponding to the work of past laureates: arms control, peace-making, advocacy for human rights, and the environment.
Professor: Jeremy Ball, History
Time: 11:30 MWF
30. Puerto Rico: Another Red, White and Blue
Borinquén: the 51st state, a postcolonial colony? This seminar investigates the complex history and culture of Puerto Rico and its relation to the United States through intensive readings and discussions of an array of sources including: poetry, fiction, essays, and film. As we confront contrasting views of Puerto Rico´s political status and its future, we will explore creative responses to hybrid cultural identity. Of particular interest will be how the various works that we investigate perpetuate or counter discourses of purity and plurality. Specifically, we will explore the relation of nationalism to language and multiple areas of identification, such as gender, race, class and sexuality. Possible texts include works by Julia de Burgos, Frances Negrón-Muntaner, Piri Thomas, Pedro Pietri, Miguel Algarín, Irene Vilar, Judith Ortiz Cofer, and Arlene Dávila. Students will develop their analytical skills through weekly reading and writing assignments, individual research, and active participation in class discussions.
Professor: Margaret Frohlich, Spanish/Portuguese
Time: 11:30 MWF
31. Reading Fiction/Reading Culture
*This seminar has been designated as part of a Learning Community.
What could two Golden Age mystery novels set in Britain just before and just after World War I have to do with two spy thrillers from the Cold War era? What could a classic western have to do with a hard-boiled detective novel published in 1938? And two others from the 1980s? How do they reflect or interrogate the cultures that produced them? Why did Conan Doyle set much of The Hound of the Baskervilles on remote Dartmoor? Why is James Bond so particular about how his martinis are made? Why does the Virginian help hang one of his best friends? Why does Philip Marlowe constantly encounter sexual “deviancy” in The Big Sleep? These are only some of the questions we will explore as we study the “cultural work” of some of the most popular forms of genre fiction. If time allows, we will also look at one or two film adaptations to see how a different medium transforms works of literature. Last, but not least, we’ll tackle the big question: just why have these sorts of novels remained so popular?
Likely novels are: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Hound of the Baskervilles; Dorothy Sayers, The Nine Tailors; Ian Fleming, From Russia, With Love; John LeCarré, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy; Owen Wister, The Virginian; Raymond Chandler, The Big Sleep; James Crumley, Dancing Bear; Sara Paretsky, Bitter Medicine.
Professor: Robert Winston, English
Time: 11:30 MF
32. Science Friction: Dystopian Visions
At its best, Science Fiction can present us with thought experiments about possible future societies, extrapolating from present social and technological trends in order to project visions of where humankind might be going. While some such visions are quite benign—for example, Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek universe is centered on an Earth that has transcended nationalism, war, and poverty—many are alarming, presenting warnings of disastrous outcomes of existing trends. This seminar will examine dystopian visions in several media, including novels, short stories, films, and graphic novels, alongside historical and social scientific accounts of the phenomena from which science fiction visionaries extrapolate. Works studied in whole or part will include Frankenstein, Brave New World, 1984, Metropolis, Blade Runner, Transmetropolitan, and various fiction and non-fiction works by Bruce Sterling, Neal Stephenson, and William Gibson.
Professor: Ed Webb, Political Science/International Studies
Time: 11:30 MF
33. Scientific (Ill)iteracy
*This seminar has been designated as part of a Learning Community.
A mere 32% of American adults believe that humans and other living organisms evolved as a result of natural processes. Perhaps even more surprising is the fact that only 53% of this cohort know how long it takes the Earth to revolve around the sun. Given this appalling lack of basic scientific knowledge, is it possible for US citizens to come to a consensus on major issues that require a more complex understanding of science; issues such as global warming, nuclear power or the use of nanotechnology? The focus of this course will be on the causes and effects of scientific illiteracy on a democratic society in the United States and abroad. After defining both scientific illiteracy and literacy, students will explore how a lack of scientific knowledge specifically impacts the nation’s food supply and health. Topics for discussion will include but are not limited to the current obesity epidemic, the spread of genetically modified organisms, and the proliferation of antibiotic resistant bacteria.
Professor: Kristi Humphreys, Chemistry
Time: 11:30 MWF
34. Technology and Social Interaction
In the first decade of the 21st century, Americans are simultaneously more socially connected and less civically engaged than ever before. Using Robert Putnam’s Bowling Alone, this course will begin by examining the current trend of civic disengagement, and ask why Americans don’t take a more active role in the social and political life of their communities. From there we will explore how technology shapes this pattern. Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and texting make communication easier and faster, but do these utilities also shape the quality of social interaction? Will these utilities change the way that humans understand and connect with each other? Focusing on social theory & research, pop culture, and contemporary fiction, we will explore the changing nature of communication and social connection.
Professor: Amy Steinbugler, Sociology
Time: 11:30 MF
35. The Business of Organic Food
*This seminar has been designated as part of a Learning Community.
The retail food industry is growing at an average annual rate of 5%. Within this industry, the sale of organic foods is growing at an average annual rate of close to 16%. What is driving this rapid growth? Using organic foods as the focus, this course will explore business dynamics from two perspectives. One perspective is to consider how businesses respond to consumer demand. What are the various business models used in the organic food industry? How successful are these models? Woven into this investigation will be our second perspective, which is to explore the soul of business. How can the creation and management of a business allow one to express her or his values? How important are vision and mission to the success of a business? In addition to reviewing the business models of several organic food organizations that operate on a local, national, and/or international level, our studies will take us to the college farm to see firsthand how food can be sustainably produced.
Professor: Helen Takacs, International Business &Management
Time: 11:30 MF
36. The Evolution of a Cheeseburger
*This seminar has been designated as part of a Learning Community.
Why is our culture captivated by television shows such as Fear Factor, Survivor, and Man versus Wild? The answer may be a result of our food production industry. In this course we will first explore the origins of food production (domestication of wild animals and plants) including geographic variation in the onset of food production and ultimately how this shaped human societies. Second, we will explore the modern food industry and its inevitable influence on our culture. Lastly, through hands-on field experiences we will learn the value in animal and plant identification, how to catch or grow your own food, and how to prepare and preserve food. Additional topics for collective study may include: the advantages of cooked versus raw foods, the ethics of hunting, why most wild animals were never domesticated, and how to gut, skin, clean, and cook your food.
Professor: Scott Boback, Biology
Time: 11:30 MWF
37. The Rise and Fall of the Global Recording Industry
Object: Have students realize the function, composition, and results of globalization (or more accurately, the delocalization) of the music recording industry. It will examine the nature of the relationship between the corporate middleman (companies associated with the recording, distribution, and marketing of music) and artists, and between the middleman and audiences. It will examine the effect of the centralized process for preserving and marketing music, how marketing objectives intersect and/or contradict artistic objectives, and the social function of music making, the relationship between creators and performers of music and the society within which they do so. Recordings will be examined in their archival capacity, in their function for cross-cultural and professional exchange. Materials for the course will include monographs and articles on the history of recording technology and the industry (including its incipience and up to recent legal, commercial, and social challenges that are currently eroding the industry), representative recordings from the entire span of recording history, representing a diverse array of musical genres and styles, nations and practices, as well as some significant non-musical recordings. The recording industry will be studied in its capacity as a force for cultural imperialism and suppression of some cultures. The course will also study the economic, artistic, and social impact of recording on how we hear and what we expect of performances (i.e. live vs. recorded).
Professor: Robert Pound, Music
Time: 11:30 MF
38. Thoreau and American Nature Writing
This course will seek to understand connections between Henry David Thoreau and the tradition of environmental writing he began in America. We will engage a number of important questions that confront students of the tradition of environmental literature in America, the sources of that tradition in the wider American culture, and the impact of that tradition on the current environmental movement, both nationally and internationally. From the preservation of wild lands to debates about global warming, from the desire to conserve and protect animal species to the need to make use of natural resources for the betterment of human life and communities, we will explore the way environmental literature has played a crucial role in the development of these ideas. Authors studied in detail—in addition to Thoreau—will include: at least Aldo Leopold, Edward Abbey, Gary Snyder, Annie Dillard, and Bill McKibben. Students will work to see these writers in connection with the wider issue of sustainability on the Dickinson campus and beyond.
Professor: Ashton Nichols, English
Time: 11:30 MF
39. Waste, Race, and Class: Environmental Justice in a Changing World
A wide variety of evidence suggests that poor people and communities of color in America face a higher risk of environmental contamination and are less protected than more affluent white communities. In this seminar we will explore different views on whether pollution is more concentrated in poor and minority communities and consider possible explanations for any disproportionate outcome such as through racism, market dynamics, and the class structure of contemporary American society. We will then consider environmental inequality at the international level, paying particular attention to how race and class influence exposure to both toxic contamination--often emanating from local factories serving a global market--as well as disproportionate exposure to, and protection against, climate change, arguably the most significant dilemma facing humanity today. Class readings, discussions, and audio-visual presentations will be supplemented by a field trip to communities impacted by industrial pollution where we will learn how we can assist local residents involved in their fight for environmental justice.
Professor: Michael Heiman, Environmental Studies
Time: 11:30 MF
40. Water Scarcity and Economic Development
As the United Nations notes, “water is essential for all socio-economic development and for maintaining healthy ecosystems.” Some epidemiologists suggest that access to clean water and improved sanitation are more important than any other single policy for lowering mortality rates and improving health. Yet, a growing percentage of the world’s population is moving closer to water scarcity.
In this seminar we will look at various definitions of water scarcity, identify causes of water scarcity, assess the consequences for economic development and natural resource sustainability, and discuss potential policy solutions to prevent or mitigate the consequences of water scarcity. In looking at the causes and consequences of water scarcity, we will look at a number of case studies – from different time periods and different geographic locations.
Professor: Nicola Tynan, Economics
Time: 11:30 MWF
41. Workers unite! The evolution of organized labor
In this first year seminar we’ll explore the rise, evolution and impact of labor unions. Our span will encompass the 19th century roots of organized workers’ movements to the important domestic and international transformations that are taking place at the turn of the 21st century. Our primary focus will be on developments in today’s advanced industrial countries, where trade unionism first took root. We’ll begin by exploring why and how workers united and struggled to change the conditions of industrial work. Moving on to the post-WWII period, we’ll look at the heyday of organized labor to understand why unions became so important and what new forms of power and influence workers gained. Finally, we’ll consider the ways that the international economy, the decline of manufacturing and the growth of the service sector, and the increasing diversity of today’s workforce call into question the future of organized labor in advanced industrial states. We’ll also look beyond these states for a glimpse of the labor situation in developing countries where much of the world’s manufacturing is done today.
Professor: Kristine Mitchell, Political Science/International Studies
Time: 11:30 MF
42. Mediated Realities
Most people would say they want to know the truth about the world -- to know fact from fiction, genuine from fake, real from imaginary. But things aren't that easy. Sometimes we fool ourselves; sometimes we are fooled by others; and sometimes we really don't want to know or accept the "truth" because the "lie" is more comforting or useful. In this seminar, we will look at a variety of forces that "mediate," or stand between, us (whatever "we" are) and reality (whatever "it" is). We will begin with some broad questions about reality that have puzzled philosophers since the time of Plato, and have been the basis for popular movies such as "The Matrix" and "The Truman Show." We will go on to consider some of the ways our deeply held, and often invisible, biases and prejudices shape our realities -- issues raised in Malcolm Gladwell's intriguing book, "Blink." We will look at some specific ways in which others attempt to influence our beliefs about reality to serve their own ideological or economic purposes -- including the advertising industry, politicians and news outlets. And we will consider how rapidly developing technologies are creating new "real" worlds and further complicating the picture. Underlying all these topics are important ethical and political questions to which we will return again and again -- about how we wish to live as individuals and as members of a free society.
Professor: Richard Lewis, adjunct
Time: 11:30 MF
43. Coming of Age in Multicultural America
How does being a non-white child in America complicate the process of growing up?In a traditional coming-of-age story, a protagonist sheds her innocence and acquires worldly wisdom after suffering from disillusionment.Along the way, the protagonist’s personal needs and desires often conflict with the demands society places on her as she struggles to assert her individuality and construct a meaningful life.What happens, though, when the loss of innocence occurs as the protagonist awakens to the racism around her?In this course, we will explore coming-of-age narratives of multiethnic protagonists living in very challenging social contexts: the post-slavery south, Indian reservations, Japanese-American internment camps, the Chicago barrio, and west coast Chinatowns.The authors we will read include Zora Neale Hurston, Zitkala-Sa, Sherman Alexie, Jeanne Wakatsuki Huston, Sandra Cisneros, Edith Maude Eaton, and Frank Chin. Together we will explore the various challenges non-white protagonists face as they grow up in multiethnic America.
Professor: Noreen Lape, Writing Program
Time: 11:30 MF