Fall 2012 Seminars

Seminars are small classes – limited to 15 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. 01: Why Chimps Don’t Drive Ferraris
(BH), CRN: 94158 (5 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. This course includes one semester hour of instruction in library research methods (CRN 92198).
Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Social Sciences.

2. ANTH 14F, sec. 02: New York and Slavery: Time to Tell the Truth
(BH), CRN: 94159 (5 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. This course includes one semester hour of instruction in library research methods (CRN 93012).
Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Social Sciences.

ART HISTORY

3. AH 14F, sec. 01: Great Fashion Designers: Inspiration and Influences
(AA), CRN: 91463 (4 s.h.)
T/TH, 2:20-3:45 p.m., Claire Lindgren

In 1858, Charles Frederick Worth opened a “fashion house” in Paris and high fashion or “haute couture” was born. Today, most people are more familiar with the names of fashion designers than those of other artists. This course will study great designers, such as Chanel, Dior, Versace, Ralph Lauren, Michael Kors, Vera Wang, Donna Karan, Prada, as well as their muses and fashion icons who both inspired and influenced them (e.g., Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Princess Diana, and Audrey Hepburn). Trips to New York City, the fashion capital of the world, will include visits to The Costume Institute of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Museum at Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), “window shopping” on Fifth Avenue, and the “Garment District.” This course includes one semester hour of instruction in library research methods (CRN 91187).
Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Humanities.

ASTRONOMY

4. ASTR 14F, sec. 01 and 01L: Our Solar System: From the Ancient Greeks to Interstellar Life
(NS), CRNs: 94379 and 94380 (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.

COMPARATIVE LITERATURE

5. CLL 14F, sec. 01: Myth and the Modern World
(LT), CRN: 92771 (5 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. This course includes one semester hour of instruction in library research methods (CRN 92619).
Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Humanities.

COMPUTER SCIENCE

6. CSC 14F, sec. 01: The Million-Dollar Problem
(MC), CRN: 92430 (4 s.h.)
T/TH, 2:15-4:10 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: This course is open to all students without prerequisite requirements and satisfies a University graduation requirement in Mathematics/Computer Science. 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

7. DRAM 14F, sec. 01: Eugene O’Neill and the Dysfunctional American Family
(AA), CRN: 94288 (3 s.h.)
M/F, 11:15 a.m.-12:40 p.m., James Kolb

Eugene O’Neill, the son of an itinerant actor, grew up in a dysfunctional American family. His mother became morphine-addicted as a result of his difficult childbirth. He shared an enthusiasm for alcohol with his brother and father. In his 20s, he contracted tuberculosis, haunted waterfront dives in a drunken stupor, and married three times, producing two children who died untimely deaths, hastened by drugs and alcohol. But O’Neill found a way out through drama. He described playwriting as an exorcism of old ghosts. This course examines O’Neill’s major plays, with a focus on how they transcend the personal and autobiographical to speak to the rest of us. O’Neill believed that the problems he saw in his own dysfunctional family might serve as a metaphor for much of what he perceived as wrong in American culture and society.
Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Humanities; it does not satisfy the DRAMA 3 requirement for drama majors.

8. DRAM 14F, sec. A: Broadway (and More)!
(AA), CRN: 91883 (4 s.h.)
T/TH, 4-5:55 p.m., Maureen McFeely
and
WSC 1, sec. FZ: Composition, CRN: 92158 (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: 92349 (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. For Micro Freakonomics, see LABR 14F on page 7.

ENGLISH

10. ENGL 14F, sec. 01: Modern American Crime Literature
(LT), CRN: 91183 (4 s.h.)
M/F, 11:15 a.m.-1:10 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: Paradise Lost in(to) the 21st Century
(LT), CRN: 93415 (4 s.h.)
M/W, 12:50-2:45 p.m., Shari Zimmerman

Come explore John Milton’s Paradise Lost, a poem that dares to rewrite Genesis, imagine Satan’s rebellion against God, represent the marriage of an unfallen Adam and Eve, and stage epic debates about matters still relevant today, among them: tyranny, revolution, and war; service, submission, and enslavement; love, gender, and sexuality; poetic creation, the acquisition of knowledge, and the exploration of new worlds. Students discover not only the power and beauty of Paradise Lost, but also why writers, artists, and filmmakers continue to engage with this epic poem — in novels such as Frankenstein or Moby-Dick, His Dark Materials or The Satanic Verses; in illustrations by Blake or Doré; or in such films as Fallen, Constantine, and The Devil’s Advocate. In fact, word on the street is Paradise Lost is soon to be made into a motion picture — with an expected release date of 2013 — so check out the poem before it hits the big screen.
Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Humanities.

12. ENGL 14F, sec. 03: Jazz, Literature and Film
(LT), CRN: 92749 (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. This 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.

13. ENGL 14F, sec. 04: The Powers of Darkness: British Gothic Fiction and the Modern Horror Film
(LT), CRN: 92868 (3 s.h.)
T/TH, 12:45-2:10 p.m., Irene Fizer

Why do we enjoy reading fiction and seeing films that provoke sensations of fear and dread? Do confrontations between living beings and the living dead — such as ghosts, speaking skulls, and corpses arisen from the grave — purify the world of evil or leave an irreparable experience of trauma? And why does doomed romantic love emerge within an atmosphere of overwhelming loss? In this course, we juxtapose a series of texts published during the first 50 years of the gothic tradition with a selection of modern horror films. Our texts may include, among others, Horace Walpole’s influential short novel, The Castle of Otranto; Jane Austen’s bitingly satiric gothic thriller, Northhanger Abbey; and Mary Shelley’s unparalleled monster tale, Frankenstein. The modern gothic films that we screen and analyze may include, among others: Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining and Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan. In addition, a class trip to New York City is scheduled during the week of Halloween.
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: 94326 (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: 93298 (4 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.

GEOGRAPHY

16. GEOG 14F, sec. 01: Child Labor in the World Today
(BH, CC), CRN: 92729 (5 s.h.)
M/W/F, 12:50-1:45 p.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. This course is based on lectures, documentary films, and discussions. This course includes one semester hour of instruction in library research methods (CRN 93045).
Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in either the Social Sciences or Cross Cultural category.

GEOLOGY

17. GEOL 14F, sec. 01 and 01L: Field Geology of New York City and Long Island
(NS), CRNs: 93279 and 93280 (3 s.h.)
Lecture, T/TH, 10-10:55 a.m.; Lab, T, 2:20-4:10 p.m.; Steven Okulewicz

Public health, public transportation, water works, and environmental protection — these affect our daily lives, and all depend on the subjects of geology and engineering. This seminar is conducted in a lecture and field trip format, and involves travel to various sites around New York City and Long Island. We see firsthand how science connects with public policy. Students learn to look at large-scale issues of public concern in New York City and on Long Island through the lens of the field geologist.
Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Natural Sciences.

18. GEOL 14F, sec. 02 and 02L: Dinosaurs of the Mesozoic Era
(NS), CRNs: 91591 and 91592 (3 s.h.)
Lecture, T/TH, 2:20-3:15 p.m.; Lab, TH, 3:25-5:15 p.m.;
J Bret Bennington

Dinosaurs and related “ruling reptiles” were the dominant animals on Earth during the 180 million years of the Mesozoic Era. Recently, there has been a renaissance in dinosaur paleontology, which has resulted in a wealth of new fossils and new insights into the nature and evolution of dinosaurs and other animals that first evolved in the Mesozoic Era (birds, placental mammals, modern reptiles and amphibians). In addition, the study of plate tectonics has shown that the Mesozoic Era was also a time of great geological change around the world. Drawing on the latest geological and paleontological research, this course presents the scientific detective work that geologists and paleontologists use to reconstruct the Mesozoic world. This course includes trips to museums in New York City.
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, 1860-1914
(HP), CRN: 92740 (5 s.h.)
M/W, 9-11 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, This course includes trips to museums and neighborhoods in New York City. This course includes one semester hour of instruction in library research methods (CRN 92973).
Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Social Sciences.

20. HIST 14F, sec. 02: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo: Sweden, Myth and Reality
(HP), CRN: 92739 (4 s.h.)
M/W, 2:55-4:50 p.m., Johan Ahr

This course explores the literary publishing phenomenon that is Stieg Larsson’s The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, an international best-seller. Both a love story and murder mystery, featuring the investigative journalist Mikael Blomqvist and cyber punk Lisbeth Salander, the novel is the first of a series of complex crime thrillers about a contemporary, multicultural Sweden that suffers horribly from corruption and iniquity — indeed, from a mostly hidden, unresolved past with violent political extremism. To what extent is the book’s content a matter of fact? We will use the book as a window through which to view the issues of institutional racism and sexism. Both books and films (fiction and nonfiction) inform the answer to this question.
Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Social Sciences.

21. HIST 14F, sec. 03: Disasters in History
(HP), CRN: 92741 (5 s.h.)
T/TH, 10:05 a.m.-noon, Susan Yohn

What effect, if any, do disasters have on a nation and its people? This course examines a number of natural and manmade disasters – the Galveston hurricane of 1900, the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927, the San Francisco earthquakes of 1906 and 1989, and the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in 1911 – to help us better understand the social, environmental and political impact of these events. Could the massive flooding of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina have been prevented? Is Al Gore correct to warn us about the perils of global warming in his film An Inconvenient Truth? Is the scenario painted in the movie The Day After Tomorrow just fiction? This course includes one semester hour of instruction in library research methods (CRN 92968).
Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Social Sciences.

22. HIST 14F, sec. 04: Running for President: Candidates and Issues
(HP), CRN: 92742 (4 s.h.)
T/TH, 2:15-4:10 p.m., Carolyn Eisenberg

Does it matter who is president of the United States? How do Americans choose a candidate? During the fall semester, we will be flooded with news about the presidential race. This is especially true at Hofstra since we will be hosting one of the 2012 presidential debates. A major aim of this course is to separate campaign pyrotechnics from substance. What are the real issues our society now faces, and what are some relevant solutions? To what extent does our electoral system facilitate significant choices? In this class, we use an array of sources – newspapers, online publications, films and significant books – to explore these questions and also consider the historical currents that affect the 2012 presidential race.
Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Social Sciences.

LABOR STUDIES

23. LABR 14F, sec. 01: Micro Freakonomics
(BH), CRN: 94170 (5 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. This course includes one semester hour of instruction in library research methods (CRN 92969).
Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Social Sciences. For Macro Freakonomics, see ECO 14F on page 5.

MUSIC

24. MUS 14F, sec. 01: From iPod to Imax: Making Music on Your Computer
(AA), CRN: 91995 (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. This course examines the compositional techniques of song writing, mixing and film scoring through creative exercises. No prior music making or computer experience is necessary. This 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

25. PHI 14F, sec. 01: The Meaning of Life
(HP), CRN: 94148 (5 s.h.)
M/W, 12:50-2:45 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. This course includes one semester hour of instruction in library research methods (CRN 90867).
Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Social Sciences.

26. PHI 14F, sec. 02: Law and Public Policy
(HP), CRN: 92012 (4 s.h.)
M/W, 2:55-4:50 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.

27. PHI 14F, sec. A: The Ghost in the Machine: Thinking About the Soul
(HP), CRN: 91391 (4 s.h.)
T/TH, 4:30-6:25 p.m., Anthony Dardis

“The soul” seems like one of those things you can’t really argue or think about, like religion or politics. But philosophy’s business is to reason about everything. And it certainly has reasoned, and continues to reason, about the soul. On the one hand, the world around us is “physical” in the sense that it’s made up of nothing but physical matter. On the other hand, our own awareness of ourselves shows that somehow there’s more to us than just physical matter. This seminar takes a look at this 2,500-year-old puzzle. We read classical texts by Plato, Aristotle and Lucretius, and contemporary philosophical works about the mind/body problem, free will and cognitive neuroscience.
Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Social Sciences.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

28. PESP 32, sec. F99: T’ai Chi
CRN: 93239 (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 This course does not satisfy a University graduation requirement.

29. PESP 47, sec. F99: Dance, Dance, Dance
CRN: 93002 (2 s.h.)
T/TH, 4:30-5:50 p.m., Phyllis Hintze

Ever wanted to learn to dance? Now’s your chance – no background presupposed.The tango, salsa, merengue, cha-cha, bachata, rumba, swing, waltz, and fox-trot … learn the latest dances that are all the rage.You’ll be sure to impress your friends with your new moves!
Please note: This course is an elective. The semester hours count toward graduation, but This course does not satisfy a University graduation requirement.

POLITICAL SCIENCE

30. PSC 14F, sec. 01: Law, Politics and Society
(BH), CRN: 94253 (4 s.h.)
M/W/F, 1:20-2:35 p.m., TBA

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 2012 are strongly urged to register for this course. This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Social Sciences.

PSYCHOLOGY

31. PSY 14F, sec. 01: Psychology Through Film and Literature
(BH), CRN: 93353 (4 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.

32. PSY 14F, sec. 02: Consumer Psychology
(BH), CRN: 93352 (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.

33. PSY 14F, sec. 03: The Resilient Child
(BH), CRN: 91989 (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. This 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.

34. PSY 14F, sec. 04: The Psychology of Health and Wellness
(BH), CRN: 94248 (4 s.h.)
T/TH, 2:20-3:45 p.m., Sarah Novak

Why is it so hard to consistently engage in healthy behavior?
We usually know what to do, but knowledge just isn’t enough.
The main goal of this course is to explore health behavior (e.g., healthy eating, relaxation, smoking cessation) from the perspectives of health psychology and behavioral medicine. In this course, we apply theoretical perspectives and methodological techniques to understand how biological, psychological and social factors interact to affect health behavior and well-being. We learn how to assess health behavior, think critically about current research, and identify the best strategies for success in reaching health-related goals.
This course includes one semester hour of instruction in library research methods (CRN 92456).
Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Social Sciences.

RELIGION

35. RELI 14F, sec. 01: Illusion, Magic and Disenchantment
(HP, CC), CRN: 93357 (4 s.h.)
M/W, 11:15 a.m.-1:10 p.m., Sophie Hawkins

In recent years, religion, death, race, consciousness, democracy, truth, and even reality itself, have all been declared to be “illusions.” Indeed, we, in the technological age, seem to be preoccupied with illusion. It has been said that the more familiar we become with the virtual world, the more unsure we are of the real world. In this course we primarily study illusions as a means to enrich our skills of critical thinking. Just as a good magician’s trick evokes both wonder and puzzlement, we read texts that challenge our everyday assumptions. Illusions often “work” by revealing one truth while concealing another; our seminar focuses on how to negotiate these contested truths. We read across disciplines (religious studies, psychology, art history, film studies, political science) and across genres (peer review journals, film reviews, political comment, fiction, and scripture). This course includes one semester hour of instruction in library research methods (CRN 90899).
Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in either the Social Sciences or Cross Cultural category.

36. RELI 14F, sec. 02: Visions of Malcolm X
(HP), CRN: 94192 (4 s.h.)
T/R, 2:20-3:45 p.m., Julie Byrne

This course introduces students to Malcolm X through his autobiography, a new biography by Manning Marable, and Spike Lee’s 1992 film, X. Few books rise to the level of The Autobiography of Malcolm X as a teaching tool, and few books
have an impact on students’ lives more powerfully. Course materials are supplemented with online resources about Malcolm X and field trips to Harlem and the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. Students learn about this most amazing and influential American seeker from different angles, as well as about religion, race, America, and themselves.
Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Social Sciences.

SOCIOLOGY

37. SOC 14F, sec. 01: Fight the Power: Global Justice
Activism in the Contemporary Era
(BH), CRN: 92872 (4 s.h.)
M/W, 12:50-2:45 p.m., Lyndi Hewitt-Corzine

Today’s globalized and globalizing world is faced with a set of pressing social problems that threaten the flourishing of many societies and cultures. Poverty, environmental degradation, dirty water, human trafficking, war, genocide, and gender-based violence reflect the most harmful features of contemporary globalization, and also represent serious, continuing obstacles to human development. But even in the face of intractable problems, global justice activists work relentlessly to change the world. In this course, we investigate various social movements fighting for social justice and human rights. We examine their visions, rhetoric, and protest strategies, and as well as the challenges to successful social change. This course is based on lectures, class discussions, and documentary films, and includes intensive focus on critical thinking and writing. Students also have the opportunity to visit the United Nations and hear from global justice activists based in New York City.
Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Social Sciences.

38. SOC 14F, sec. 02: Power, Protest, and Your Future in America’s Democracy
(BH), CRN: 94199 (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.

39. SOC 14F, sec. A: The Transition to Adulthood on Facebook, in a Recession, and after Obama
(BH), CRN: 94200 (5 s.h.)
T/TH, 4:30-6:25 p.m., Carrie Alexandrowicz

The current generation of young people is more educated and technologically savvy than previous generations — yet are more likely to face unemployment than their predecessors. This course examines how social, economic and political factors affect young people in the contemporary United States. In doing so, we learn, through a sociological lens, about the inequalities that cut across age to affect people by gender, socioeconomic position, racial/ethnic backgrounds, and ability. The class includes reading, discussion and critical analysis of popular media, as well as opportunities for off-campus learning. This course includes one semester hour of instruction in library research methods (CRN 92315).
Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Social Sciences.

SUSTAINABILITY STUDIES

40. SBLY 1, sec. F40: Introduction to Sustainability
(IS), CRN: 94465 (3 s.h.)
M/W, 2:55-4:20 p.m., Robert Brinkmann

This course exposes students to major ideas of sustainability within three themes: environment, equity, and economic development. This 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. This 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 the Interdisciplinary Studies.

TECHNOLOGY AND PUBLIC POLICY

41. TPP 14F, sec. 01: Stem Cells: Science, Ethics and Politics
(NS), CRN: 92432 (4 s.h.)
M/W, 9:05-11:05 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

42. WSC 14F, sec. 01: The Campaign for Your Mind
(CP), CRN: 92212 (4 s.h.)
M/W/F, 10:10-11:05 a.m., Adina Verbit Wasserman

Language is a powerful tool – it can be used to encourage, beat down, solve problems, argue, persuade or brainwash. This semester we examine the many ways language is used in presidential campaigns. From campaign ads to press conferences, and from debates to inaugurations, the art of persuasion is at the center of elections. We begin by looking at some inaugural addresses; what is the language used to unite a people after an election? Campaign ads are another central means of persuading the public. We examine how the ads differ across mediums (television, Internet, radio, print). Finally, we study and review the format of the 2008 presidential debate here at Hofstra.
Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Humanities.

43. WSC 14F, sec. 02: Rebellions in the Wilderness
(CP), CRN 93409 (4 s.h.)
T/TH, 2:20-3:45 p.m., Frank Gaughan

In the television program Man vs. Wild, the host lands in a remote forest and hikes for days, eating meals that most of us would find revolting. At a time when 80 percent of the nation lives in an urbanized area, such programming may be as close as most Americans come to an encounter with the natural world. Fortunately, American history, art and politics offer compelling alternatives to survivalist television shows. The wilderness, as both an idea and a physical place, has long been used to challenge definitions of progress and success in America. We examine key moments of environmentally driven rebellion, including Henry David Thoreau’s two years spent living at Walden and Julia “Butterfly” Hill’s two years living in a tree to protest the logging of old growth forest.
Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Humanities.