Native American oral traditions, which include storytelling, teachings, family and tribal history, and contemporary Indian literature, lie at the heart of tribal culture. It is mainly through oral tradition that American Indian cultures have been preserved and transmitted through the generations. American Indian stories, teachings, and oral histories are rich in cultural context. They provide great insight into the worldview, values, and lifestyle, which are an integral part of the heritage of American Indians. This course examines the cultural and historical contexts of Native American and Indigenous oral traditions with a focus in North America and other Indigenous traditions.

Prerequisite: HPSS-S101 for Undergraduate Students.

Human society evolves through our interactions with the natural environment. Many of the environmental challenges today derive from the industrialization and urbanization process around the globe in the past three millennia. Focusing on the region of East Asia, this course examines key environmental issues in both historical and contemporary contexts. We will start with discussing people's perception of nature in pre-industry East Asia and its relevance today. Then we will take a closer look at major disasters in recent history, such as draught, flood, earthquake, and plague, and examine how civil societies and state powers responded to those challenges. On infrastructure enthusiasm, we will study the proliferation of mega concrete dams and their environmental and human tolls. On industrial pollution and health, we will focus on the tragedies of mercury poisoning and black lung cancer. In the rapid urbanization process, how the changes of land use and our life style have reshaped our relations with the environment. In the battle with climate change and environmental injustice, how do we evaluate the role of bottom-up environmental activism and authoritarian environmentalism? Exploring those issues would help us contextualize the intimate connections between nature, culture, economy, and political powers in East Asia and thus deepen our understanding of this region's role in global sustainability. This course requires students to do weekly assigned readings, engaging in class discussions, writing short reflection essays, and doing a final research project.

Elective

Philosophy, art, and design can all be means to pursue understanding. In this course, we will investigate topics that are of mutual interest to philosophers, artists, and designers. This is not a course in the philosophy of art and design; rather, we will pursue philosophical questions through art and design, in addition to traditional philosophical inquiry. Potential topics include the nature and variety of meaning, the role of embodiment in human experience, what it means for an object or a person to have a purpose, and the metaphysics of personal identity. For each topic we will consider a range of philosophers' views, then we will look to artworks and design objects themselves to see what alternate perspectives, insights, and challenges they offer. Students will be required to complete weekly readings, participate in class discussion, complete three short writing assignments, and present to the class at least once.

Prerequisite: HPSS-S101 for Undergraduate Students

Elective

Philosophy, art, and design can all be means to pursue understanding. In this course, we will investigate topics that are of mutual interest to philosophers, artists, and designers. This is not a course in the philosophy of art and design; rather, we will pursue philosophical questions through art and design, in addition to traditional philosophical inquiry. Potential topics include the nature and variety of meaning, the role of embodiment in human experience, what it means for an object or a person to have a purpose, and the metaphysics of personal identity. For each topic we will consider a range of philosophers' views, then we will look to artworks and design objects themselves to see what alternate perspectives, insights, and challenges they offer. Students will be required to complete weekly readings, participate in class discussion, complete three short writing assignments, and present to the class at least once.

Prerequisite: HPSS-S101 for Undergraduate Students

Elective

You may register for this section if your EFS studio days are Tuesday/Thursday/Friday.

This goal of this course is to convincingly answer the question: when was rock’n’roll invented? In order to define “rock” and mark its emergence, we will interpret a variety of musical and non-musical texts in light of key changes and trends in American politics, economics, society, and technology between 1900 and 1955. Much of this history concerns the dramatic effects of urbanization and war on both Black and white Americans, emerging post-war generational divisions, opportunity and exploitation in the commercial recording industry, and popular music’s relationships to rigid--but also changing—structures of race, class, sexuality, and gender in American society in the early- to mid-20th century. While thinking about different disciplinary perspectives on such issues, through readings from American studies, Black studies, history, musicology, literary criticism, religious studies, queer studies, and journalistic criticism, we will engage primarily in the methods of media and textual analysis, source investigation, evidentiary synthesis, and reflective scholarly argument that are at the core of cultural history’s reconstruction of the past.

Transfer and upper-level students should register for one of the evening sections.

Major Requirement | BFA

This course draws on broad themes and problems in the History of American Technology for its content such as Technology and Material Culture, Inventing and Innovation, Technology and the Workplace, Time and Technology, and Technologies of Communication. Within each of the themes we trace past technologies through to the present and examine debates that engage historians of technology and historians in general. The overall writing elements of the course will focus on developing a research paper including choosing a topic, writing a thesis statement, pulling together sources and developing an annotated bibliography, writing an introduction and outlining the paper, writing a draft of the paper, submitting the final paper and presenting the paper to the class.

Transfer and upper-level students should register for one of the evening sections.

Major Requirement | BFA

You may register for this section if your EFS studio days are Tuesday/Wednesday/Friday.

This goal of this course is to convincingly answer the question: when was rock’n’roll invented? In order to define “rock” and mark its emergence, we will interpret a variety of musical and non-musical texts in light of key changes and trends in American politics, economics, society, and technology between 1900 and 1955. Much of this history concerns the dramatic effects of urbanization and war on both Black and white Americans, emerging post-war generational divisions, opportunity and exploitation in the commercial recording industry, and popular music’s relationships to rigid--but also changing—structures of race, class, sexuality, and gender in American society in the early- to mid-20th century. While thinking about different disciplinary perspectives on such issues, through readings from American studies, Black studies, history, musicology, literary criticism, religious studies, queer studies, and journalistic criticism, we will engage primarily in the methods of media and textual analysis, source investigation, evidentiary synthesis, and reflective scholarly argument that are at the core of cultural history’s reconstruction of the past.

Transfer and upper-level students should register for one of the evening sections.

Major Requirement | BFA

Identity development is viewed as the psychosocial task of adolescence and young adulthood. A person in this period of development will look within and to others to answer the question of “Who am I”? In this course, we will examine the ways that ethnicity, race, culture, gender, sexual orientation, abilities, socio-economic status, citizenship and other factors influence young adult development. Critical perspectives will be taken to illuminate the ways in which systemic inequity can impact identity development. Assignments will consist of weekly reading analyses. The final project will be to create a research proposal on an aspect of identity development that will be presented to the class. We will spend time developing a research question, annotating the sources, writing the proposal and literature review.

Transfer and upper-level students should register for one of the evening sections.

Major Requirement | BFA

You may register for this section if your EFS studio days are Tuesday/Thursday/Friday.

We are in the midst of an ecological and climate crisis. Could cities and our urban worlds become key spaces for solutions? The aim of this course is to sociologically examine the past, present and future relations between ‘cities’, urbanization and nature; to introduce students to urban political ecology as a sociological methodology for exploring urban environments and to encourage empirical, normative and imaginative reflection on the possibilities (and potential dangers) that lie behind discourses of ‘green urbanism’. Surveying an exciting range of cities across time and space and capture, we will explore the many dynamic relationships that cities have with their surrounding ecologies and non-human natures. We will examine how a diverse range of reconstructive discourses of urban sustainability, from techno-centric plans to re-engineer cities, to discussions of ‘urban environmental justice’, to utopian plans to facilitate new urban social ecologies are vying to shape the future of cities. Finally, we will consider what role art, design, architecture and planning, politics and policy might play in shaping the future of our eco-urban worlds.

Transfer and upper-level students should register for one of the evening sections.

Major Requirement | BFA

You may register for this section if your EFS studio days are Tuesday/Wednesday/Friday.

We are in the midst of an ecological and climate crisis. Could cities and our urban worlds become key spaces for solutions? The aim of this course is to sociologically examine the past, present and future relations between ‘cities’, urbanization and nature; to introduce students to urban political ecology as a sociological methodology for exploring urban environments and to encourage empirical, normative and imaginative reflection on the possibilities (and potential dangers) that lie behind discourses of ‘green urbanism’. Surveying an exciting range of cities across time and space and capture, we will explore the many dynamic relationships that cities have with their surrounding ecologies and non-human natures. We will examine how a diverse range of reconstructive discourses of urban sustainability, from techno-centric plans to re-engineer cities, to discussions of ‘urban environmental justice’, to utopian plans to facilitate new urban social ecologies are vying to shape the future of cities. Finally, we will consider what role art, design, architecture and planning, politics and policy might play in shaping the future of our eco-urban worlds.

Transfer and upper-level students should register for one of the evening sections.

Major Requirement | BFA

You may register for this section if your EFS studio days are Monday/Tuesday/Thursday.

As part of a broad civics and liberal arts education, the main goal of this course is to provide students with the opportunity to increase their knowledge of US elections, US electoral demography, and the US political system.  Leading up to and looking forward to the next US Presidential and Congressional elections in November 2024, this course will be organized around the timetable of the Democratic and Republican parties’ primary election cycle (for Presidential, Senate, House of Representatives’ nominees) in Spring 2024.

Overall, in addition to a focus on the campaign(s) for the US Presidency in 2024, this course will explore the cultural, demographic, social, and spatial dimensions of the current US electorate, identify and examine important swing states and congressional districts in the race for control of the Senate and the House of Representatives, detail the stakes involved for control of these two governmental bodies, analyze image-making in and the visual culture of US political campaigns and elections, and detail the mechanics and mechanisms of US elections and US electoral cycles.

The main theme addressed in this course will be the dynamic of and dialogue between a particular cultural and social moment in US history and the course and outcome of US political campaigns and elections.  Additional themes that will be developed in this course include: the on-going diversification of the nominees put forward by US political parties; splits (within and without) in the ideology and positioning of the Democratic and Republican parties, the possible emergence of a viable third party in the US political landscape; alterations to the voting procedures, processes, and electoral systems in the US; and the changing demography and political trajectory of the US electorate.  In this regard, this course will look forward to and prepare students to analyze and grapple with the run-up to and results of the next US Presidential election in 2024.  As young adults whose lives, in many ways, will be shaped by the outcome of US elections present and future, the over-arching objective of this course will be to raise students’ civic awareness and underline the importance of US elections in articulating, defining, and reflecting the identity and future of America as a nation.

Transfer and upper-level students should register for one of the evening sections.

Major Requirement | BFA

You may register for this section if your EFS studio days are Monday/Wednesday/Thursday.

As part of a broad civics and liberal arts education, the main goal of this course is to provide students with the opportunity to increase their knowledge of US elections, US electoral demography, and the US political system.  Leading up to and looking forward to the next US Presidential and Congressional elections in November 2024, this course will be organized around the timetable of the Democratic and Republican parties’ primary election cycle (for Presidential, Senate, House of Representatives’ nominees) in Spring 2024.

Overall, in addition to a focus on the campaign(s) for the US Presidency in 2024, this course will explore the cultural, demographic, social, and spatial dimensions of the current US electorate, identify and examine important swing states and congressional districts in the race for control of the Senate and the House of Representatives, detail the stakes involved for control of these two governmental bodies, analyze image-making in and the visual culture of US political campaigns and elections, and detail the mechanics and mechanisms of US elections and US electoral cycles.

The main theme addressed in this course will be the dynamic of and dialogue between a particular cultural and social moment in US history and the course and outcome of US political campaigns and elections.  Additional themes that will be developed in this course include: the on-going diversification of the nominees put forward by US political parties; splits (within and without) in the ideology and positioning of the Democratic and Republican parties, the possible emergence of a viable third party in the US political landscape; alterations to the voting procedures, processes, and electoral systems in the US; and the changing demography and political trajectory of the US electorate.  In this regard, this course will look forward to and prepare students to analyze and grapple with the run-up to and results of the next US Presidential election in 2024.  As young adults whose lives, in many ways, will be shaped by the outcome of US elections present and future, the over-arching objective of this course will be to raise students’ civic awareness and underline the importance of US elections in articulating, defining, and reflecting the identity and future of America as a nation.

Transfer and upper-level students should register for one of the evening sections.

Major Requirement | BFA

You may register for this section if your EFS studio days are Tuesday/Thursday/Friday.

This course introduces students to critical analysis and writing in the social sciences. You will develop these skills through the study of international politics. A Eurocentric perspective dominates the approaches to studying international politics. However, in this course, we will explore international politics from the perspective of the Global South, that is, understanding international affairs from the experiences and perspectives of poorer and less powerful countries in the world. Students should come away from the course with important reading and writing skills that prepare them for upper-level liberal arts courses and a beginner's understanding of international affairs that can help them competently follow and participate in current affairs.

Transfer and upper-level students should register for one of the evening sections.

Major Requirement | BFA

You may register for this section if your EFS studio days are Tuesday/Wednesday/Friday.

This course introduces students to critical analysis and writing in the social sciences. You will develop these skills through the study of international politics. A Eurocentric perspective dominates the approaches to studying international politics. However, in this course, we will explore international politics from the perspective of the Global South, that is, understanding international affairs from the experiences and perspectives of poorer and less powerful countries in the world. Students should come away from the course with important reading and writing skills that prepare them for upper-level liberal arts courses and a beginner's understanding of international affairs that can help them competently follow and participate in current affairs.

Transfer and upper-level students should register for one of the evening sections.

Major Requirement | BFA

You may register for this section if your EFS studio days are Tuesday/Thursday/Friday.

East Asia has the largest population and one of the most vital economies in the world today. While serving as the economic powerhouse, the region also faces persistent social, cultural, and political challenges. Many of those challenges, such as the tension on the Korean peninsula and across the Taiwan strait, could be traced to earlier history. This course provides an introduction to the histories of East Asia over the last four centuries. It would examine significant events in the region’s history, including the encounter with the West, colonialism and imperialism, the rise of nationalism and Communist revolution, decolonization, World War Two, and the impact of the Cold War. We will explore the historical forces behind the changes of East Asian politics, society and cultures. Furthermore, through analyzing the historical complexity of East Asian affairs, we hope to contribute to the fostering of a peaceful, rational, and dynamic mechanism in the region.

Transfer and upper-level students should register for one of the evening sections.

Major Requirement | BFA

You may register for this section if your EFS studio days are Tuesday/Wednesday/Friday.

East Asia has the largest population and one of the most vital economies in the world today. While serving as the economic powerhouse, the region also faces persistent social, cultural, and political challenges. Many of those challenges, such as the tension on the Korean peninsula and across the Taiwan strait, could be traced to earlier history. This course provides an introduction to the histories of East Asia over the last four centuries. It would examine significant events in the region’s history, including the encounter with the West, colonialism and imperialism, the rise of nationalism and Communist revolution, decolonization, World War Two, and the impact of the Cold War. We will explore the historical forces behind the changes of East Asian politics, society and cultures. Furthermore, through analyzing the historical complexity of East Asian affairs, we hope to contribute to the fostering of a peaceful, rational, and dynamic mechanism in the region.

Transfer and upper-level students should register for one of the evening sections.

Major Requirement | BFA

You may register for this section if your EFS studio days are Monday/Wednesday/Thursday.

An interdisciplinary introductory course that explores how the intersections of gender, race, class, sexuality, and ability impact the normative roles and oppression(s) of women, queer, trans and non-binary people in our society and how they can be challenged through feminist critical practices.  We will read feminist scholarship from the past and present to learn key concepts. Students will engage with immersive activities that allow for embodied learning experiences and then write and/or present them visually and textually.

Transfer and upper-level students should register for one of the evening sections.

Major Requirement | BFA

You may register for this section if your EFS studio days are Monday/Tuesday/Thursday.

An interdisciplinary introductory course that explores how the intersections of gender, race, class, sexuality, and ability impact the normative roles and oppression(s) of women, queer, trans and non-binary people in our society and how they can be challenged through feminist critical practices.  We will read feminist scholarship from the past and present to learn key concepts. Students will engage with immersive activities that allow for embodied learning experiences and then write and/or present them visually and textually.

Transfer and upper-level students should register for one of the evening sections.

Major Requirement | BFA

You may register for this section if your EFS studio days are Monday/Wednesday/Thursday.

• What are some differences between classic Western Philosophy and Native American Philosophy?
• How do we tell the diversity and variety of philosophical concepts amongst Native American tribes and regions?
• What kinds of ideas and stories outline philosophical guidelines for culture and background in certain Indigenous communities?

These are some of the questions and ideas that will be explored in this course. This course will examine American Indian philosophy through introductory and culturally specific contexts using a variety of sources, both historical and contemporary. Sources will range from being recorded texts from archives, books, journals, and other audio/visual materials, as well as online websites, journals, and other repositories of knowledge. It is designed to give people who have very little familiarity with indigenous, philosophical concepts, in a broad overview. Interaction with these ideas in conjunction with other western philosophical concept will by no means be a comprehensive coverage of philosophy, but it will be complementary to western academic fundamental philosophical, and well-known European and American philosophy concepts for deeper conversations for people to examine further in class discussions.

Transfer and upper-level students should register for one of the evening sections.

Major Requirement | BFA

You may register for this section if your EFS studio days are Monday/Tuesday/Thursday.

• What are some differences between classic Western Philosophy and Native American Philosophy?
• How do we tell the diversity and variety of philosophical concepts amongst Native American tribes and regions?
• What kinds of ideas and stories outline philosophical guidelines for culture and background in certain Indigenous communities?

These are some of the questions and ideas that will be explored in this course. This course will examine American Indian philosophy through introductory and culturally specific contexts using a variety of sources, both historical and contemporary. Sources will range from being recorded texts from archives, books, journals, and other audio/visual materials, as well as online websites, journals, and other repositories of knowledge. It is designed to give people who have very little familiarity with indigenous, philosophical concepts, in a broad overview. Interaction with these ideas in conjunction with other western philosophical concept will by no means be a comprehensive coverage of philosophy, but it will be complementary to western academic fundamental philosophical, and well-known European and American philosophy concepts for deeper conversations for people to examine further in class discussions.

Transfer and upper-level students should register for one of the evening sections.

Major Requirement | BFA