Fall 2013 SEMINARS
Several of the first-year clusters and seminars are linked to “Living/Learning Communities” or LLC’s. Residential students enrolled in these clusters and seminars may choose to live together in an LLC in the Netherlands First-Year Complex. The LLC’s are devoted to particular themes. They allow students to live and study together with students having common interests. In this brochure the LLC’s are marked with icons like this ( 
), which stands for the Math/Science/Engineering LLC. When an LLC icon appears next to a seminar or cluster, it means that offering is linked with a Living Learning Community. Students who choose LLC’s are given some priority for Netherlands housing.
Seminars are small classes – limited to 20 students – that fulfill general education requirements. Many of the seminars involve activities in New York City. Seminars are an excellent way to connect with peers and faculty in a relaxed and friendly setting.
ANTHROPOLOGY
1. ANTH 14F, sec. 1: Why Chimps Don't Drive Ferraris (BH), CRN: 93234 (4 s.h.)
T/TH, 10:05 a.m.-noon, Anna Feuerbach
Society is defined by the relationship between people and products, whether it's a supercomputer or stone tool. This seminar explores how different cultures, past and present, perceive the world and how this perception influences decisions. Technology and material culture originate from, propagate through, and reflect and reinforce the beliefs and behaviors of people. Not only do they provide people with resources to control their environment, but they also help people understand and explain the world in which they live. The past decisions of individuals shaped the world as it is today, just as the future will be built on today's choices.
Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Social Sciences.
2. ANTH 14F, sec. 2: New York and Slavery: Time to Tell the Truth
(BH), CRN: 93235 (3 s.h.)
T/TH, 2:20-3:45 p.m., Alan Singer
This course examines the history of New York City before the Civil War through the struggle to end slavery. We cannot understand the history of the United States unless we understand the role of race and slavery. This class is part of the campus-wide commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation issued in preliminary form in fall 1862. The class will visit the African Burial Ground, Underground Railroad sites, and current archaeological digs in New York City and Long Island, and students will take the Lower Manhattan New York and Slavery Walking Tour.
Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Social Sciences and in Interdisciplinary Studies.
ASTRONOMY
3. ASTR 14F, sec. 01 and 01L: Our Solar System: From the Ancient Greeks to Interstellar Life
(NS), CRNs: 93396 and 93397 (3 s.h.) Lecture, TH, 2:20-4:10 p.m.; Lab, T, 2:20-4:10 p.m.;
Brett Bochner
In this survey of our solar system, we discuss the evolution of ideas about the nature of our world, and the structure of our cosmos — from visions of an Earth-centered universe to the modern view of Earth as a small, blue dot in the vast Milky Way galaxy. This seminar covers the sun, the planets and their moons, and the small, wandering asteroids and plutoids orbiting in the empty places of the solar system. We also learn about planets orbiting other stars in other solar systems, and consider the possibility of extraterrestrial life in all these places, far beyond the boundaries of our home on Earth. The class includes lectures, participatory labs and astronomical observations at the Hofstra Observatory.
Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Natural Sciences.
4. ASTR 14F, sec. 02 and 02L: From Stellar Explosions to Supermassive Black Holes: The Cataclysmic Lives of Stars and Galaxies
(NS), CRNs: 94218 and 94219 (3 s.h.)
Lecture, M, 1:55-3:45 p.m.; Lab, W, 1:55-3:45 p.m.;
Christina Lacey
This course will investigate the birth and lives of stars, including stars like our Sun. We will then study how stars produce energy and how some stars die with a whimper and some die spectacularly in massive supernova explosions. From there we will talk about galaxies that are composed of these stars and the supermassive black holes that lurk at the hearts of most galaxies.
Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Natural Sciences.
COMPARATIVE LITERATURE
5. CLL 14F, sec. 01: Myth and the Modern World (LT), CRN: 92361 (3 s.h.)
T/TH, 2:20-3:45 p.m., Maureen Murphy
This seminar examines myth as a narrative form and explores its functions and its influence on the arts (visual arts, film, literature, music, theater), culture and community. Tracing the continuity and change in myth over time, we consider the role of the hero; concepts of good and evil; the matter of faith; and the cycle of birth, life and death. Our study of myth embraces Eastern as well as Western visual and narrative traditions.
Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Humanities.
6. CLL 14F, sec A: Israeli Culture in Popular Media
(LT), CRN: 94161 (3 s.h.)
M/W, 4:30-5:55 p.m., Aliza Sandalon
In this course we will examine some of the major themes in Israeli society through TV shows, films, popular music and fiction. Amongst the topics to be introduced: the Sabra identity; memory of the Holocaust; divides within the Israeli society: Sephardic- Ashkenazi and religious-secular; Arab-Israeli identity; the kibbutz; Aliya-migration to Israel; coping with wars and more. Through the scenes in the movies, music and the readings, we will explore collective and private identities. We will learn how powerful national history shapes the individual's life story.
Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Humanities.
COMPUTER SCIENCE
7. CSC 14F, sec. 01: The Million-Dollar Problem
(MC), CRN: 92075 (4 s.h.)
M/W, 12:50-2:45 p.m., Gretchen Ostheimer
Here is your challenge. You are given a map marked with locations that you must visit. How would you plan a route that visits each of the locations exactly once and minimizes the distance traveled? It turns out there are important applications of this problem. One such application is the design of computer chips. The problem of quickly finding the optimal route using a map, known as the Traveling Salesman Problem, is one of the most famous unsolved problems in computer science and mathematics. The person who solves it will be awarded the "Millennium Prize," which carries a $1,000,000 award! The class will explore the Traveling Salesman Problem using computers, mathematics, writing and that incredible problem-solving engine you carry with you every day — your brain.
Please note: The course is open to all students without prerequisite requirements and satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Mathematics/Computer Science category. Although it does not count toward requirements for computer science and computer engineering majors, students in these majors are encouraged to take this seminar as an elective.
DRAMA
8. DRAM 14F, sec. A: Broadway (and More)!
(AA), CRN: 91595 (4 s.h.)
T/TH, 4-5:55 p.m., Maureen McFeely
and
WSC 1, sec. FZ: Composition, CRN: 91836 (3 s.h.) T/TH, 9:35-11 a.m., Patricia Navarra
(Total = 7 s.h.)
Tourists sometimes think theater in New York City means Broadway and nothing else. But New York City also boasts hundreds of exciting off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway productions each season. This drama seminar ventures beyond the classroom to explore the rich variety of these stage offerings. By seeking good theater in all its guises – on Broadway and off, commercial and not-for-profit – we come to understand what makes New York the theater capital of the world. Students also take a required composition course, in which they write about the productions they have attended. Students in this course should not enroll in Thursday evening classes, as we are often at the theater.
Please note: DRAM 14F satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Humanities; it does not satisfy the DRAMA 3 requirement for drama majors. WSC 1 (or its equivalent) is required of all students.
ECONOMICS
9. ECO 14F, sec. 01: Macro Freakonomics
(BH), CRN: 92000 (4 s.h.)
M/W/F, 9:50-11:05 a.m., Massoud Fazeli
What caused the financial crash of 2008 and the subsequent Great Recession? How can there be a "jobless recovery"? What are the real threats – if any – of globalization? Why is there so much protest and even rioting at World Bank meetings? This course goes behind the headlines and examines the underlying trends of the economy in order to understand the current crisis and the future of capitalism. It is taught in the spirit of the book Freakonomics.
Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Social Sciences.
ENGLISH
10. ENGL 14F, sec. 01: Modern American Crime Literature (LT), CRN: 91066 (4 s.h.) M/W, 2:55-4:50 p.m., Richard Pioreck
America has long been fascinated by crime – it's the biggest selling category of fiction in America. The seeming freedom to make your own rules and have no boss is the ultimate fantasy of the American dream. While America has always been titillated by crime and its driving forces of lust, revenge, greed and jealousy, the 1960s changed how Americans perceived crime. Joey Gallo was the first of the celebrity mobsters, and George V. Higgins' The Friends of Eddie Coyle shifted the paradigm of crime literature. Hollywood's Hays Office morality code, which declared that no one could profit from crime, ceased to be upheld; crime might pay, and a character might not be brought to justice. Examining true crime stories and films helps us understand the American romance with crime and the outlaw. Through crime literature, this course investigates America's evolving sense of crime and justice.
Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Humanities.
11. ENGL 14F, sec. 02: Jazz, Literature and Film (LT), CRN: 92349 (3 s.h.)
T/TH, 9:35-11 a.m., Joseph McLaren
Jazz has inspired numerous literary works of poetry and prose, and has produced classic icons such as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Benny Goodman, Charlie Parker, Dave Brubeck, Sarah Vaughan, John Coltrane and Miles Davis. This course examines representations of jazz artists, musical settings, and jazz-related social and cultural themes in poetry, prose and film. Students look at jazz literature in relation to such periods and genres as ragtime, the "jazz age," the Harlem Renaissance, swing, bebop, free jazz and contemporary jazz, and we consider the relationship between blues and jazz. The course covers various locales, including New Orleans, Kansas City, Chicago, Los Angeles and New York. We also discuss the connection between jazz writing and the Beat Generation of the 1950s. A field trip to a jazz venue is scheduled.
Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Humanities.
12. ENGL 14F, sec. 03: Literature and Psychology (LT), CRN: 92445 (4 s.h.) T/TH, 12:45-2:10 p.m., Scott Harshbarger
Creative writers have always used their craft to explore, depict and consider the immense capacity of the human mind to dream, imagine, create and wonder. This course will consider the relationship between two ways of exploring the human mind – literature and psychology – and how these two approaches productively intersect in 19th and 20th century British and American literature to produce works of art that illuminate the life of the mind. We will draw on recent theories and findings from the cognitive sciences to consider important questions – both old and new – about how literature works. How do we imaginatively project ourselves into the experience of others? Why do we spend so much time in make-believe worlds? Why do we subject ourselves to fictions that horrify us? What role can the creation or reception of literature play in the healing process? Readings will include poetry and prose from British and American Romanticism – Coleridge, Keats, Hawthorne, Poe, and Dickinson – as well as work of Modern American writers: Don DeLillo, J.D. Salinger, Joyce Carol Oates, F. Scott Fitzgerald and several others.
Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Humanities.
13. ENGL 14F, sec. A: Global Culture/Global Citizens (LT), CRN: 92770 (4 s.h.)
T/TH, 4:30-6:25 p.m., Amrohini Sahay
"Globalization" is said to be radically changing the world, in part by producing a new "global culture" that goes beyond the old "national cultures" of the modern period, and a new "global identity." In this seminar we will try to bring the debate over globalism into focus. We will read short stories and look at new visual and other cultural forms and practices from films to food/eating (for example, "fusion" food). We will ask questions such as: Do we now live in a world in which shared "lifestyles," "tastes," and consumption patterns (for example, wearing blue jeans and eating McDonald's burgers) have become dominant in defining people's identities? How important are "ethnicity" and "national culture" today? Or, by contrast, are people's identities shaped primarily not by culture (whether old or new), but by where they fit in the economic relations of society (class)? Is globalization inevitable? Beneficial? And who is the "global citizen"?
Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Humanities.
FINE ARTS
14. FA 14F, sec. 01: Leonardo da Vinci to Andy Warhol: Why Art and Artists Cause Trouble 
(AA), CRN: 93360 (4 s.h.)
M/W, 12:50-2:45 p.m., Laurie Fendrich
Many people think that art is harmless, and that it is a form of entertainment; but, in fact, art is powerful and dangerous. The class begins with Leonardo da Vinci, who argued that images have more impact than words. We then read Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who concluded that art threatens human happiness, and de Tocqueville, who believed art and democracy are enemies. We read a famous 19th-century short story about the tragic condition of the modern artist as well as a selection of 20th-century essays in art criticism that studies the impact of mass culture on the arts. We finish by studying the role of the fine arts in contemporary American society by analyzing a film by Woody Allen about artistic temperament. Students also travel to art museums and galleries in New York City.
Please note: This course is open to all first-year students, including art history and studio art majors, and satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Humanities.
15. FA 14F, sec. 02: Graphic Design Inspirations
(CP), CRN: 92735 (3 s.h.)
M/W, 1-2:50 p.m., Beth Ocko
Design history provides a wealth of inspiration to contemporary graphic designers. In this course we look back at some earlier designers and traditions and examine their influence on graphic design today. Examples of "retro graphics" provide the basis for our class projects in logo, poster and motion graphics design. This retrospective includes Victorian wood type, the Vienna Workshop, Plakatstil (poster style), Paul Rand, and the Blue Note style in album covers. Prerequisite: Basic knowledge of Adobe graphics software.
Please note: This course is subject to a laboratory fee. This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Humanities.
16. FA 14F, sec. 03: Design, Business and Innovation
(CP), CRN: 94294 (4 s.h.)
T/TH, 2:15-4:10 p.m., Thomas Klinkowstein
A new approach to business, called Design Thinking or Innovation Design, employs the processes of design as a tool to imagine new approaches to business, non-profit organizations and the future in general. This course introduces design fundamentals as well as the creative process as employed by companies like Apple and Nike. All students will create proposals for new profit or non-profit organizations with accompanying design and website or social media elements. No prior design, business or computer experience is necessary; this course includes trips to design-related studio(s) or other design-related event(s) in New York City.
Please note: This course is subject to a laboratory fee. This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Humanities.
GEOGRAPHY
17. GEOG 14F, sec. 01: Child Labor in the World Today (BH, CC), CRN: 92335 (3 s.h.)
M/W/F, 10:10-11:05 a.m., Kari Jensen
This course presents facts and theories about child labor in the world today. After a general introduction, we narrow it down to a country-by-country approach. (The students participate in the decision about which countries to study in more detail.) We then focus on the country-specific historical and societal context of child labor issues, coupled with a study of governmental policies and nongovernmental organizations' strategies to help alleviate the problems related to child labor, such as poverty and inadequate access to education. The course is based on lectures, documentary films and discussions.
Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirements in either the Social Science or Cross Cultural category.
GEOLOGY
18. GEOL 14F, sec. 01 and 01L: Rockets, Rocks, and Planets (NS), CRNs: 92726 and 92727 (3 s.h.) Lecture, M/W, 11:15 a.m.-12:40 p.m.; Lab, M, 2:20-4:10 p.m.; J Bret Bennington
This course examines the recent history of unmanned and manned space travel. We aim at a deeper knowledge of the planets in our solar system and of our place in the Universe. Using the latest advances in scientific research, this course introduces students to geological science using the Earth as a model for analysis of other planets. We compare the internal structure and evolution of surface features of the Earth-moon system (for example, cratering, volcanism, erosion patterns, atmosphere, ocean, and tectonics) to the other planets in our solar system. Laboratories include terrestrial sample analysis, cartographic studies, video- and computer-based analysis, and use of the Internet for instruction, comparative analysis and self-discovery. Open to science and non-science students.
Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Natural Sciences.
HISTORY
19. HIST 14F, sec. 01: Shop Till You Drop: Desire, Consumer Culture, and the Emergence of the Modern (HP), CRN: 92343 (4 s.h.) M/W, 9:05-11 a.m., Sally Charnow
This seminar examines the rise of urban life with its new realms of consumer pleasure. The growth of a mass commercial culture in the late 19th century recast issues of identity, gender, race, class, family and political life. We explore this new burgeoning commerce and its impact on the urban landscape, changing attitudes toward shopping and spending, fashion, conspicuous consumption, the birth of advertising, and protests and popular movements organized around issues of consumption. This class also investigates the complex relationship between the new commercial culture and art movements, including impressionism, cabarets and modern theater. At the turn of the century, the city was the testing ground for modern life. As such, the course includes trips to museums and neighborhoods in New York City.
Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Social Sciences.
20. HIST 14F, sec. 02: History and Sport
(HP), CRN: 92344 (4 s.h.)
T/TH, 2:15-4:10 p.m., Brenda Elsey
This course introduces students to global historical themes through an analysis of sports. By examining the history of sports, we gain insight into the separation of leisure and work, gender roles and nationalism. For example, through the lens of baseball we will study the Cuban Revolution, or we may come to understand colonialism by studying soccer in Cameroon. In terms of the historical discipline, we will discuss how a consideration of popular culture has shaped the field and what historians can contribute to contemporary debates. As a first-year seminar, we will supplement our in-class readings with field trips and guest speakers.
Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Social Sciences.
21. HIST 14F, sec. A: New York City Before and After 9/11 (HP), CRN: 92345 (4 s.h.)
T/TH, 4:30-6:25 p.m., Mario Ruiz
One of the common assumptions Americans share is that the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center changed New York City forever. In this course we'll examine this assumption by studying how New York changed after 9/11. In addition to studying the events that led up to the September 11 attacks, we'll study the development of New York City as a magnet for immigration, art, commerce and, eventually, terrorism. We'll also explore the debates around the proposed Park51 project/ Islamic community center near the World Trade Center site. Field trips in this course include visits to Ground Zero and Hofstra's September 11th Project Collection.
Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Social Sciences.
LABOR STUDIES
22. LABR 14F, sec. 01: Micro Freakonomics (BH), CRN: 93244 (4 s.h.)
T/TH, 2:15-4:10 p.m., Gregory DeFreitas
If crack dealers make a lot of money, why do many of them live with their mothers? Is there cheating in the Sumo Wrestling Federation in Japan? What is the economic rationale for joining an urban, rural or suburban gang? This course is instructed in the spirit of the book Freakonomics. Students develop a short list of core micro-economic concepts and present them in multiple real-world contexts. By the semester's end, students learn that economics is not limited to textbooks; rather, the material imprisoned between the covers jumps out almost everywhere.
Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Social Sciences.
MUSIC
23. MUS 14F, sec. 01: From iPod to Imax: Making Music on Your Computer (AA), CRN: 91691 (3 s.h.) T/TH, 12:45-2:10 p.m., Kenneth Lampl
Do you have a hit song in your head? This course explores the fundamentals of making music using Apple's Garage Band software. The course examines the compositional techniques of song writing, mixing and film scoring through creative exercises. No prior music making or computer experience is necessary. The course includes trips to music production and marketing firms in New York City.
Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Humanities, and is not intended for music majors.
PHILOSOPHY
24. PHI 14F, sec. 01: Law and Public Policy
(HP), CRN: 91704 (4 s.h.)
M/F, 11:15-1:10 p.m., Amy Baehr
In this seminar, students investigate the nature of the American legal system and the role of law in American society. This course takes up positions such as libertarianism, liberalism, republicanism, conservatism and postmodernism. We use this material to explore topics such as increased penalties for hate crimes, physician-assisted suicide, the legal standing of animals and the environment, gay marriage, church and state, and the rights of individuals with disabilities. This course includes trips to legal institutions in and around New York City.
Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Social Sciences.
25. PHI 14F, sec. 02: The Ghost in the Machine: Thinking About the Soul (HP), CRN: 91189 (4 s.h.) T/TH, 2:15-4:10 p.m., Ira Singer
Science tells us that we human beings are parts of the natural world. We might conclude, therefore, that the "soul" or "mind" is only the activity of the physical brain, that the "self" is only a series of physical states and events, and that "free will" is only an illusion-- because having free will requires standing above physical laws, and nothing made of matter can do that. But isn't there more to human beings than physical matter? Aren't souls, selves, and free will somehow real and important? Philosophy begins with puzzles or tensions like these, aiming to understand the different points of view as clearly as possible, and aiming to reason about the issues as deeply as possible. In this course we'll read and discuss classical and modern texts – from Plato to contemporary neuroscientists and philosophers – to figure out humanity's place in the material world.
Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Social Sciences.
26. PHI 14F, sec. 03: The Meaning of Life 
(HP), CRN: 93225 (4 s.h.)
M/W, 2:55-4:50 p.m., Mark McEvoy
For us to have a chance of finding the meaning of life, human life must have meaning, or at least the lives of individual human beings must have meaning. But perhaps these claims aren't true, or don't even make sense. Further, if claims about life having meaning aren't true, or don't even make sense, would that horrify or at least disappoint you? If so, does that reaction itself show that life has some kind of meaning after all? We pursue these questions through class discussions and readings.
Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Social Sciences.
27. PHI 14F, sec. A: The Philosophy of Health and Wellness
(HP), CRN: 94210 (3 s.h.) M/W, 4:30-5:55 p.m., Chris Eliot It's challenging to become happy and healthy. For one thing, it can take a lot of work. But also, it's often hard to know what we should try to do. In fact, what it means to be healthy and what it means to be happy are not obvious, and even elusive. Do they vary from person to person, or is there some right answer about them? Does our culture create meanings for them that not every culture shares? And why does research on health and happiness point us in so many different, sometimes opposite, directions? How can we assess it? We will discuss theories of what it means to be happy and healthy — classic and contemporary, philosophical and psychological — and learn how to assess current research on those topics with a sophisticated eye.
Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Social Sciences.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION
28. PESP 32, sec. F99: T'ai Chi
CRN: 92715 (2 s.h.)
M/W, 2:20-3:45 p.m., Craig Gee
T'ai Chi Chuan (also referred to as Tai Chi, Tai Ji, or Taijiquan) is one of the oldest styles of Chinese martial art, and is the most widely practiced martial art in the world today. The term "Tai Ji" refers to the ancient Chinese cosmological concept of the interplay between two opposite yet complementary forces (yin and yang). It is based on the principle of the soft overcoming the hard. No background is presupposed. Students begin with simple movements, and learn not only an ancient form of self-defense, but also learn to calm the emotions and focus the mind.
Please note: This course is an elective. The semester hours count toward graduation, but the course does not satisfy a University graduation requirement.
POLITICAL SCIENCE
29. PSC 14F, sec. 01: Law, Politics and Society (BH), CRN: 93303 (4 s.h.)
M/W/F, 1:20-2:35 p.m., David Weiden
Every year, tens of thousands of young people enter law school and begin the study of legal rules. Most do so because they see the legal profession as a noble calling, and they enter it with a desire to change the world for the better. In their three years of full-time study, however, these future lawyers will spend almost no time studying how the rules got to be the way they are — who makes the law, who benefits from it, and how it is that, once in place, the law is something most people simply take for granted. In this course, we study how the American legal system interacts with the rest of our political institutions; how it reflects the cultural norms, class distinctions and idiosyncrasies of the society we live in; and whether changes in the law really do have the power to change the world.
Please note: First-year students entering the Legal Education Accelerated Program (LEAP) in fall 2013 are strongly urged to register for this course. This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Social Sciences.
PSYCHOLOGY
30. PSY 14F, sec. 01: Psychology Through Film and Literature
(BH), CRN: 92747 (3 s.h.)
M/W, 2:55-4:20 p.m., Lola Nouryan
This course provides a basic understanding of psychological disorder through film and literature. By studying the work of selected writers, directors and filmmakers, we investigate the basis of "abnormal" behavior. Our goal is to understand mental illness and its treatment. To that end, we examine the ways in which writers and filmmakers portray character, communication and perceptual experience.
Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Social Sciences.
31. PSY 14F, sec. 02: Consumer Psychology (BH), CRN: 92746 (4 s.h.)
T/TH, 12:10-2:05 p.m., Terri Shapiro
Why do we buy the things we buy? How do advertisers persuade us that one product or service is better than another? What influences our satisfaction with a product, and how does that affect our future purchasing behavior? What happens when a product or service fails, and how does an organization recover from failure and win back its customers? What is the influence of e-commerce? In this seminar, we integrate theory, research and current practice to examine the psychology of consumer behavior, market research and advertising.
Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Social Sciences.
32. PSY 14F, sec. 03: The Resilient Child 
(BH), CRN: 91687 (4 s.h.)
T/TH, 2:15-4:10 p.m., Brian Cox
To what extent do experiences in childhood affect who we become as adults? Can we overcome a bad start? How are our personalities formed by learning, temperament and the events of lives caught up in history and cultural change? In this seminar in developmental psychology, we begin by examining our beliefs about children's natures in the past and present. Then we examine the scientific evidence ranging from case studies to extraordinary longitudinal studies of children's development that have lasted as long as 50 years. The course concludes with a discussion of adult "identity crises" and how we explain the process to ourselves in biography and autobiography. As the philosopher Kierkegaard has said: "Life is lived forward, but understood backward."
Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Social Sciences.
RELIGION
33. RELI 14F, sec. 01: Apocalypse Now
(HP, CC), CRN: 94237 (4 s.h.) M/W, 12:50-2:45 p.m., Sophie Hawkins
What is it about our time that makes it ripe for an apocalypse? From video games to movies, we return again and again to envisioning the end of the world. This course will look at the history of the apocalypse, in mythology and religion, but will also analyze the particular currency of apocalyptic thinking in our present day. Our studies will take us from the popular interest in Mayan calendars and zombies, to contemporary philosophers, independent filmmakers, economists, environmentalists, novelists, poets and painters.
Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirements in the Social Sciences.
34. RELI 14F, sec. 02: Malcolm X and the Struggle for Civil Rights (HP), CRN: 93260 (3 s.h.) T/R, 2:20-3:45 p.m., Julie Byrne
The Autobiography of Malcolm X has long found a place in the American literary canon. Recently a new biography by historian Manning Marable tells Malcolm X's story and the story of the wider Civil Rights Movement in terms we do not normally hear. Marable understands Malcolm's life as a spiritual quest, and he puts religion —Christianity, Islam and several "secular religions" — front and center in the story of civil rights. In this class, we will regularly ask not only what happened in Malcolm X's life and times, but also what happens when different versions of events compete for historical memory, cultural meaning and social policy.
Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Social Sciences.
SOCIOLOGY
35. SOC 14F, sec. 01: House and Home in Society
(BH), CRN: 94261 (4 s.h.)
T/TH, 12:10-2:05 p.m., Gail Satler
What do our homes say about us as individuals and as a society? This course offers a sociological analysis of the changing notion of home through an overview of housing types as they exist and as they have been imagined. Various conceptions of family and household types as they intersect with housing options in our country and in other parts of the world will be explored. Examining the similarities, differences and evolving notions of home will provide a framework with which to consider what housing reflects about our social priorities, values and norms.
Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Social Sciences.
36. SOC 14F, sec. 02: Power, Protest, and America's Democracy
(BH), CRN: 93267 (4 s.h.)
T/TH, 2:15-4:10 p.m., Cynthia Bogard
What kind of democracy exists in the United States in the early 21st century? How does democracy play itself out in America — in the political institutions we've created but also in our everyday lives? Who has power and why? How does the distribution of power influence our life choices? How are issues framed in public discourse? Who defines those issues and why does it matter? How does our political system support our democracy and civil institutions, and what happens when it doesn't? How can we change our democracy and when would we need to? What is the purpose of protest in America and what determines whether it is effective? To explore these questions, we read and react to the news of the day and the words of leaders, protesters and citizens. We discuss what holds the country together and what can drive it apart.
Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Social Sciences.
SUSTAINABILITY STUDIES
37. SBLY 1, sec. F37: Introduction to Sustainability
(IS), CRN: 93464 (3 s.h.)
T/TH, 4:30-5:55 p.m., Robert Brinkmann
This course exposes students to major ideas of sustainability within three major themes: environment, equity and economic development. The course includes a history of the development of the field of sustainability within the context of issues such as energy, water, natural lands, resource conservation, urban and suburban development, food and agriculture, brownfields, environmental justice and equity, green entrepreneurialism and sustainability management. We also review the major political and social movements associated with sustainability. The course is highly interdisciplinary in nature, and utilizes lectures, readings, films, websites and a variety of social media.
Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in Interdisciplinary Studies.
TECHNOLOGY AND PUBLIC POLICY
38. TPP 14F, sec. 01: Stem Cells: Science, Ethics and Politics (NS), CRN: 92077 (4 s.h.)
M/W, 9:05-11 a.m., Sina Rabbany
Stem cells have become front-page news. Why all the fuss? We explore the biology of stem cells, their potential uses in medicine, and some of the challenges facing stem cell research – from self-renewal through clinical applications. We then focus on the various types of stem cells, as well as their isolation, growth and potential in regenerative medicine. The moral, religious and policy concerns surrounding this intensely debated area of science are also covered.
Please note: This course is designed for non-science majors, but does satisfy a University graduation requirement in the Natural Sciences.
WRITING STUDIES AND COMPOSITION
39. WSC 14F, sec. 01: Crossing Ocean Parkway: Italian American Ethnic Studies (CP), CRN: 94273 (3 s.h.)
T/TH, 11:10-12:35 p.m., Cristina Migliaccio
The course will examine the experiences and images of Italian Americans in literature, film and popular culture from the first waves of immigration to contemporary culture. The course will combine historical and interdisciplinary approaches to consider the ethnic/cultural/Other-White and cross-cultural encounters this population has experienced in determining their own formation as men, women and Americans. Texts would consist of literacy narratives, literature, film, music and other images in popular culture.
Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Humanities.
40. WSC 14F, sec. 02: How Writers Break the Rules — and Why (CP), CRN: 94274 (3 s.h.)
T/TH, 2:20-3:45 p.m., Ronald Janssen
Have you ever wondered why so many of the writers you read don't seem to follow all those rules you worked so hard to learn in English class? In this course, we review those rules with a critical mind and examine a range of essays that part company with all apparent norms of writing. Readings include traditional essay models and a variety of exploratory, experimental and hybrid examples, as well as visual essays. We examine how the alternative forms work and why the writers felt a need to create them. Our goal, through reading, discussion and writing, is to reformulate the old rules to make our own writing possible and effective for the purposes and readers we have targeted.
Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Humanities.
For more information, please contact:
Center for University Advisement
101 Memorial Hall, South Campus
Phone: 516-463-6770
107 Sondra and David S. Mack Student Center, North Campus
Phone: 516-463-7222
Email: advisement@hofstra.edu
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