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Catalogue 2014-2015 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Course Descriptions
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Earth Science and Society: II. Intermediate |
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ESSC 298 - Independent Work
1/2 to 1 unit(s)
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Earth Science and Society: III. Advanced |
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ESSC 300 - Senior Thesis Semester Offered: Fall
1/2 unit(s)
An original study, integrating perspectives of geography and earth science. The formal research proposal is first developed in GEOG 304 , the senior seminar, and then is presented to a faculty member in either geography or earth science, who serves as the principal adviser. A second faculty member from the other respective discipline participates in the final evaluation.
Yearlong course 300-ESSC 301 .
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ESSC 301 - Senior Thesis Semester Offered: Spring
1/2 unit(s)
An original study, integrating perspectives of geography and earth science. The formal research proposal is first developed in GEOG 304 , the senior seminar, and then is presented to a faculty member in either geography or earth science, who serves as the principal adviser. A second faculty member from the other respective discipline participates in the final evaluation.
Yearlong course ESSC 300 -301.
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ESSC 331 - Gender, Resources and Justice
1 unit(s)
(Same as WMST 331 ) This multidisciplinary course acquaints students with the debates and theoretical approaches involved in understanding resource issues from a gender and justice perspective. It is intended for those in the social and natural sciences who, while familiar with their own disciplinary approaches to resource issues, are not familiar with gendered perspectives on resource issues and the activism that surrounds them. It is also appropriate for students of gender studies unfamiliar with feminist scholarship in this area. Increasing concern for the development of more sustainable production systems has led to consideration of the ways in which gender, race, and class influence human-earth interactions. The course examines conceptual issues related to gender studies, earth systems, and land-use policies. It interrogates the complex intersections of activists, agencies and institutions in the global arena through a focus on contested power relations. The readings, videos and other materials used in the class are drawn from both the South and the North to familiarize students with the similarities and differences in gendered relationships to the earth, access to resources, and resource justice activism. Ms. Schneiderman.
Not offered in 2014/15.
One 2-hour period.
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ESSC 370 - Feminist Perspectives on Environmentalism
1 unit(s)
(Same as ENST 370 and WMST 370 ) In this seminar we explore some basic concepts and approaches within feminist environmental analysis paying particular attention to feminist theory and its relevance to environmental issues. We examine a range of feminist research and analysis in ‘environmental studies’ that is connected by the recognition that gender subordination and environmental destruction are related phenomena. That is, they are the linked outcomes of forms of interactions with nature that are shaped by hierarchy and dominance, and they have global relevance. The course helps students discover the expansive contributions of feminist analysis and action to environmental research and advocacy; it provides the chance for students to apply the contributions of a feminist perspective to their own specific environmental interests. Ms. Schneiderman.
Prerequisite: permission of the instructor; WMST 130 recommended.
Not offered in 2014/15.
One 2-hour period.
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ESSC 399 - Senior Independent Work Semester Offered: Fall or Spring
1/2 to 1 unit(s)
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Economics: I. Introductory |
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ECON 102 - Introduction to Economics Semester Offered: Fall and Spring
1 unit(s)
This course replaces the 2-semester sequence of ECON 100 and ECON 101 which is no longer offered. Economic forces shape our society and profoundly influence our daily lives. This course introduces students to economic concepts and to how economists think about the world. We explore both basic microeconomics - decision making by individuals and firms - and basic macroeconomics - issues related to coordinating individual activities across an entire economy. Topics will include demand and supply, market structures, GDP, the business cycle, and monetary and fiscal policies. The department.
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ECON 120 - Principles of Accounting Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)
Accounting theory and practice, including preparation and interpretation of financial statements. Mr. Van Tassell.
Not open to Freshmen.
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Economics: II. Intermediate Courses numbered 200 and above are not open to freshmen in their first semester. |
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ECON 200 - Macroeconomic Theory Semester Offered: Fall and Spring
1 unit(s)
A structured analysis of the behavior of the national and international economies. Alternative theories explaining the determination of the levels of GDP, unemployment, the interest rate, the rate of inflation, economic growth, exchange rates, and trade and budget deficits are considered. These theories provide the basis for discussion of current economic policy controversies. The department.
Prerequisites: ECON 100 and ECON 101, or ECON 102 .
NRO for Seniors Only.
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ECON 201 - Microeconomic Theory Semester Offered: Fall and Spring
1 unit(s)
Economics is about choice, and microeconomic theory begins with how consumers and producers make choices. Economic agents interact in markets, so we carefully examine the role markets play in allocating resources. Theories of perfect and imperfect competition are studied, emphasizing the relationship between market structure and market performance. General equilibrium analysis is introduced, and efficiency and optimality of the economic system are examined. Causes and consequences of market failure are also considered. The department.
Prerequisites: ECON 101 or ECON 102 , and one semester of college-level calculus.
NRO for Seniors Only.
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ECON 209 - Probability and Statistics Semester Offered: Fall and Spring
1 unit(s)
Probability and Statistics introduces basic probability theory, statistical analysis and its application in economics. The objective is to provide a solid, practical, and intuitive understanding of statistical analysis with emphasis on estimation, hypothesis testing, and linear regression. Additional topics include descriptive statistics, probability theory, random variables, sampling theory, statistical distributions, and an introduction to violations of the classical assumptions underlying the least-squares model. Students are introduced to the use of computers in statistical analysis. The department.
Prerequisite: ECON 100, ECON 101, or ECON 102 ; and one semester of college-level calculus.
NRO for Seniors Only.
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ECON 210 - Econometrics Semester Offered: Fall and Spring
1 unit(s)
Econometrics equips students with the skills required for empirical economic research in industry, government, and academia. Topics covered include simple and multiple regression, maximum likelihood estimation, multicollinearity, heteroskedasticity, autocorrelation, distributed lags, simultaneous equations, instrumental variables, and time series analysis. Ms. Pearlman.
Prerequisite: ECON 209 or an equivalent statistics course.
Recommended: ECON 100, ECON 101 or ECON 102 .
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ECON 215 - The Science of Strategy Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)
Strategic behavior occurs in war, in business, in our personal lives, and even in nature. Game theory is the study of strategy, offering rigorous methods to analyze and predict behavior in strategic situations. This course introduces students to game theory and its application in a wide range of situations. Students learn how to model conflict and cooperation as games, and develop skills in the fine art of solving them. Applications are stressed, and these are drawn from many branches of economics, as well as from a variety of other fields. Mr. Jehle.
Prerequisite:ECON 100 or ECON 101 or ECON 102 .
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ECON 220 - The Political Economy of Health Care Semester Offered: Fall and Spring
1 unit(s)
(Same as STS 220 ) Topics include the markets for physicians and nurses, hospital services, pharmaceuticals, and health insurance, both public and private; effects of changes in medical technology; and global health problems. A comparative study of several other countries’ health care systems and reforms to the U.S. system focuses on problems of financing and providing access to health care in a climate of increasing demand and rising costs. Ms. Johnson-Lans.
Prerequisite: ECON 101 or ECON 102 . Students who have not taken ECON 101 but have strong quantitative backgrounds may enroll with the instructor’s permission.
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ECON 225 - Financial Markets and Investments Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
Financial Markets and Investments provides an overview of the structure and operation of financial markets, and the instruments traded in those markets. Particular emphasis is placed on portfolio choice, including asset allocation across risky investments and efficient diversification. Theoretical foundations of asset-pricing theories are developed, and empirical tests of these theories are reviewed. The course introduces valuation models for fixed-income securities, equities, and derivative instruments such as futures and options. Throughout the course, students apply investment theories by managing a simulated asset portfolio. Additional topics include financial statement analysis and performance evaluation measures.Ms.Pearlman.
Prerequisite: ECON 100 and ECON 101, or ECON 102 . Students with strong quantitative backgrounds can enroll with instructor permission.
Recommended: ECON 201 and ECON 209 .
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ECON 238 - Law and Economics Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
Law and Economics uses economics to analyze legal rules and institutions. The primary focus is on the classic areas of common law: property, contracts, and torts. Some time is also spent on criminal law and/or constitutional law (e.g., voting, public choice, and administration). Much attention is paid to developing formal models to analyze conflict and bargaining, and applying those models to specific cases. Topics include the allocation of rights, legal remedies, bargaining and transaction costs, regulation versus liability, uncertainty, and the litigation process. Time permitting, the course may also include discussion of gun control, the death penalty, federalism, and competition among jurisdictions. Ms. Turkay-Pillai.
Prerequisite: ECON 101 or ECON 102 , and one semester of college-level calculus.
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ECON 240 - U.S. Economic Issues Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)
The U.S. economy has dominated the world economy for the last 60 years. With only five percent of the world’s population, it consumes roughly 25 percent of the world’s resources and produces approximately 25 percent of the world’s output. However, U.S. policy makers face substantial challenges in the years to come. The course surveys the causes and possible solutions for numerous issues including increasing international competition for jobs and resources, an aging population, persistent trade and government budget deficits, and rapid growth in entitlement programs. Other topics will be studied based on student interests and as time permits. This course utilizes readings, writing assignments and classroom discussion rather than quantitative problem sets. Mr. Rebelein.
Prerequisite: ECON 100 or ECON 102 .
Not open to students who have completed ECON 342 .
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ECON 248 - International Trade and the World Financial System Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
A policy-oriented introduction to basic models of trade adjustment, exchange rate determination and macroeconomics adjustment. These are applied to the principle issues and problems of the international economy. Topics include the changing pattern of trade, fixed and floating exchange rates, protectionism, foreign investment, the Euro-dollar market, the role of the WTO, the IMF and World Bank, the European Community and third-world debt. Mr. Kennett.
Prerequisites: ECON 100 and ECON 101, or ECON 102 .
Not open to students who have completed ECON 345 or ECON 346 .
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ECON 261 - Political Economy Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
Political Economy focuses on political strategy, public policy and the private sector and addresses the political, legal and social constraints on economic decision making. While economics typically focuses on strategic interactions in market contexts, e.g., customers, competitors, suppliers, workers—many strategic interactions occur outside of the marketplace. This course uses real world cases to examine strategies in non-market environments. Topics may include: activism, NGOs, the media, lobbying, the US political system, environmental and other regulation, anti-trust, intellectual property, international political economy, IGOs, trade policy, ethics, and corporate social responsibility. Mr. Ho.
Prerequisite: ECON 101 or ECON 102 .
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ECON 273 - Development Economics Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
(Same as AFRS 273 ) A survey of central issues in the field of development economics, this course examines current conditions in less developed countries using both macroeconomic and microeconomic analysis. Macroeconomic topics include theories of growth and development, development strategies (including export-led growth in Asia), and problems of structural transformation and transition. Household decision-making under uncertainty serves as the primary model for analyzing microeconomic topics such as the adoption of new technology in peasant agriculture, migration and urban unemployment, fertility, and the impact of development on the environment. Examples and case studies from Africa, Asia, Latin America and transition economies provide the context for these topics. Ms. Jones.
Prerequisites: ECON 100 and ECON 101, or ECON 102 .
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ECON 275 - Money and Banking Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)
Money and Banking covers the structure of financial institutions, their role in the provision of money and credit, and the overall importance of these institutions in the economy. The course includes discussion of money, interest rates, financial market structure, bank operations and regulation, and the structure of the banking sector. The course also covers central banks, monetary policy, and international exchange as it relates to monetary policy and the banking sector. The ultimate goal is to provide a deeper understanding of the structure of financial markets, the reasons why it is optimal for these markets to be well functioning, and the key barriers to this optimal outcome. Mr. Johnson.
Prerequisites: ECON 100 and ECON 101, or ECON 102 .
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ECON 290 - Field Work Semester Offered: Fall or Spring
1/2 unit(s)
Individual or group field projects or internships. The department.
Prerequisite or corequisite: a course in the department. Permission required.
May be elected during the academic year or during the summer.
Unscheduled.
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ECON 298 - Independent Work Semester Offered: Fall or Spring
1/2 to 1 unit(s)
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Economics: III. Advanced |
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ECON 300 - Senior Thesis Preparation Semester Offered: Fall
1/2 unit(s)
Independent work with a faculty advisor and includes preparing a detailed proposal for a senior thesis paper and researching and writing two introductory chapters. These typically consist of a literature review and a full description of any theoretical model and/or econometric project (including data) that forms the core of the proposed thesis. Students should approach a proposed advisor at the beginning of the semester (or, if possible during the Spring semester of the Junior year or summer preceding the Senior year) to gain permission to undertake this course of study. Students may continue with ECON 301 upon completion of Economics 300, conditional on approval of the advisor and the department. The department.
Open to senior majors by special permission of the advisor.
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ECON 301 - Senior Thesis Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
The follow-up to ECON 300 leading to the completion of the senior thesis. Students are expected to submit the finished paper by spring vacation. They are asked to give a half hour oral presentation of their thesis to the department at the end of the semester. The department.
Open to senior majors who have successfully completed ECON 300 .
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ECON 304 - Advanced Topics in Macroeconomics Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)
This course examines recent theoretical and applied work in macroeconomics, with a special focus on the analytical foundations of modern growth theory. The requisite dynamic optimization methods are developed during the course (this involves the regular use of partial differentiation techniques). Topics include the relationship of education, demographics, institutions and industrial organization with economic growth. Mr. Sá.
Prerequisites: ECON 200 , ECON 201 and MATH 126 and MATH 127 or equivalent, or permission of the instructor.
One 3-hour period.
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ECON 310 - Advanced Topics in Econometrics
1 unit(s)
Analysis of the classical linear regression model and the consequences of violating its basic assumptions. Topics include maximum likelihood estimation, asymptotic properties of estimators, simultaneous equations, instrumental variables, limited dependent variables and an introduction to time series models. Applications to economic problems are emphasized throughout the course. Mr. Ruud.
Prerequisite: ECON 210 and MATH 126 and MATH 127 or equivalent.
Recommended: MATH 221 recommended.
Not offered in 2014/15.
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ECON 320 - Labor Economics Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
An examination of labor markets. Topics include demand and supply for labor, a critical analysis of human capital and signaling theory, the hedonic theory of wages, theories of labor market discrimination, unemployment, and union behavior. Comparative labor markets in the U.S., the U.K., and other E.U. countries and public policy with respect to such things as minimum wages, fringe benefits, unemployment insurance, and welfare reform are also addressed.
Prerequisites: ECON 201 and ECON 209 .
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ECON 333 - Behavioral Economics Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
A survey of the empirical and experimental evidence that human behavior often deviates from the predictions made by models that assume full rationality. This course combines economics, psychology, and experimental methods to explore impulsivity, impatience, overconfidence, reciprocity, fairness, the enforcement of social norms, the effects of status, addiction, the myopia that people exhibit when having to plan for the future, and other behaviors which deviate from economic rationality. Mr. Ho.
Prerequisite: ECON 201 and ECON 209 .
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ECON 342 - Public Finance Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
Public Finance considers the effects that government expenditure, taxation, and regulation have on people and the economy. Attention is given to how government policy can correct failures of the free market system. Topics include the effect taxes have on consumption and employment decisions, the U.S. income tax system, income redistribution, budget deficits, environmental policy, health care, voting, and social security. Mr. Rebelein.
Prerequisites: ECON 201 and MATH 126 and MATH 127 , or equivalent.
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ECON 345 - International Trade Theory and Policy Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
This course examines classical, neoclassical and modern theories of international trade, as well as related empirical evidence. Topics included are: the relationship between economic growth and international trade; the impact of trade on the distribution of income; the theory of tariffs and commercial policy; economic integration, trade and trade policy under imperfect competition. Mr. Jehle.
Prerequisite: ECON 201 .
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ECON 346 - International Finance Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
The course is devoted to the problems of balance of payments and adjustment mechanisms. Topics include: the balance of payments and the foreign ex-change market; causes of disturbances and processes of adjustment in the balance of payments and the foreign exchange market under fixed and flexible exchange rate regimes; issues in maintaining internal and external balance; optimum currency areas; the history of the international monetary system and recent attempts at reform; capital movements and the international capital market. Mr. Islamaj.
Prerequisite: ECON 200 , ECON 248 , and college-level calculus, or permission of the instructor.
One 3-hour period.
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ECON 355 - Industrial Organization Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)
This course examines the behavior of firms under conditions of imperfect competition. The role of market power is studied, including the strategies it permits, e.g., monopoly pricing, price discrimination, quality choice, and product proliferation. Strategic behavior among firms is central to many of the topics of the course. As such, game theory is introduced to study strategic behavior, and is applied to topics such as oligopoly pricing, entry and deterrence, product differentiation, advertising, and innovation. Time permitting, the course may also include durable goods pricing, network effects, antitrust economics, and vertical integration. Ms. Turkay-Pillai.
Prerequisites: ECON 201 and ECON 209 .
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ECON 367 - Comparative Economics Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
A study of different economic systems and institutions, beginning with a comparison of industrialized market economies in the U.S., Asia, and Europe. Pre-perestroika USSR is studied as an example of a centrally planned economy and the transition to a market economy is examined, with additional focus on the Czech Republic and Poland. Alternatives to both market and planned systems - such as worker self-management, market socialism, and social democracy - are also explored with emphasis on the experience of Yugoslavia and Sweden. Mr. Kennett.
Prerequisite: at least two units of Economics at or above the 200-level.
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ECON 374 - The Origins of the Global Economy Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)
(Same as ASIA 374 ) This course examines the long-run evolution of the global economy. For centuries the world has experienced a dramatic rise in international trade, migration, foreign capital flows and technology, culminating in what is today called “the global economy.” How did it happen? Why did it happen to Europe first? In this course, we examine the process of economic development in pre-modern Europe and Asia, the economic determinants of state formation and market integration, the causes and consequences of West European overseas expansion, and the emergence and nature of today’s global economy. Ms. Jones.
Prerequisites: ECON 200 and ECON 209 .
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ECON 384 - The Economics of Higher Education Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
This seminar explores the economics of colleges and universities, with a particular focus on contemporary policy issues. Course materials apply economic theory and empirical analysis to selected policy issues, including tuition and financial aid, the individual and societal returns of higher education, and academic labor markets. The course also introduces students to the financial structure and management of colleges, including funding sources, budget processes, and policies and issues regarding the finance of higher education. Ms. Hill.
Prerequisites: ECON 201 and ECON 209 .
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ECON 388 - Latin American Economic Development Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)
(Same as LALS 388 ) This course examines why many Latin American countries started with levels of development similar to those of the U.S. and Canada but were not able to keep up. The course begins with discussions of various ways of thinking about and measuring economic development and examines the record of Latin American countries on various measures, including volatile growth rates, high income and wealth inequality, and high crime rates. We then turn to an analysis of the colonial and post-Independence period to examine the roots of the weak institutional development than could explain a low growth trajectory. Next, we examine the post WWII period, exploring the import substitution of 1970s, the debt crises of the 1980s, and the structural adjustment of the 1990s. Finally, we look at events in the past decade, comparing and contrasting the experience of different countries with respect to growth, poverty and inequality. Ms.Pearlman.
Prerequisites: ECON 100 and ECON 209 or equivalent.
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ECON 389 - Applied Financial Modeling
1 unit(s)
Applications of economic theory and econometrics to the analysis of financial data. Topics include the efficient markets hypothesis, capital asset pricing model, consumption based models, term structure of interest rates, arbitrage pricing theory, exchange rates, volatility, generalized method of moments, time-series econometrics. Mr. Johnson.
Prerequisites: ECON 201 , ECON 210 and ECON 225 , MATH 126 and MATH 127 or equivalent; or permission of the instructor.
Recommended: MATH 220 , MATH 221 recommended.
Not offered in 2014/15.
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ECON 399 - Senior Independent Work Semester Offered: Fall or Spring
1/2 to 1 unit(s)
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Environmental Studies: I. Introductory |
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ENST 100 - Earth Resource Challenges
1 unit(s)
(Same as ESCI 100 , ESSC 100 , and GEOG 100 ) This course combines the insights of the natural and social sciences to address a topic of societal concern. Geographers bring spatial analysis of human environmental change, while Earth scientists contribute their knowledge of the diverse natural processes shaping the Earth’s surface. Together, these distinctive yet complementary fields contribute to comprehensive understandings of the physical limitations and potentials, uses and misuses of the Earth’s natural resources. Each year the topic of the course changes to focus on selected resource problems facing societies and environments around the world. When this course is team-taught by faculty from Earth Science and Geography, it serves as an introduction to both disciplines.
Open only to freshmen; satisfies college requirement for a Freshman Writing Seminar.
Not offered in 2014/15.
Two 75-minute periods.
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ENST 107 - Global Change and Sustainability Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
This class offers an interdisciplinary introduction to the climate, ecosystem and sustainability principles needed to understand human impact on the natural environment. We discuss the issue of global change prediction and the scientific basis for global change assessments and policy measures. Key topics are the physical climate system and its variability, the carbon cycle and related ecosystem processes, land use issues, nutrient cycles, and the impact of global change on society. Common threads in all of these topics include the use of observations and models, the consideration of multiple scales (temporal and spatial), the interaction of human behaviors and choices with natural systems, and the linkages among aspects of the global change issue. Ms. Spodek.
Two 75-minute periods.
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ENST 124 - Essentials of Environmental Science Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)
A lecture/laboratory course in which basic topics in environmental biology, geology, and chemistry are covered with examples from current environmental issues used to illustrate the application and interdisciplinary nature of these fields. This course treats the following topics: energy sources and waste products, atmospheric patterns and climate, biogeochemical cycles, properties of soils and water, and ecological processes. Using these topics as a platform, this course examines the impact humanity has on the environment and discusses strategies to diminish those effects. The laboratory component includes field trips, field investigations, and laboratory exercises. Mr. Pregnall.
Two 75-minute periods; one 4-hour laboratory.
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ENST 125 - Environmentalisms in Perspective Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
This multidisciplinary course examines significant approaches to the theory and practice of environmentalisms past and present. Students explore possible connections between the ethical, aesthetic, social, economic, historical, and scientific concerns that comprise environmental studies. The methods of inquiry we follow and the environmentalisms we consider vary among sections. Ms. Paravisini.
Required of students concentrating in the program.
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ENST 177 - Environmental Political Thought
1/2 unit(s)
(Same as POLI 177 ) The emerging awareness of ecological problems in the past half-century has led to a questioning and rethinking of some important political ideas. What theories can describe an ecologically-sound human relation to nature; what policies derive from those theories; and how do they value nature? What is the appropriate size of political units? What model of citizenship best addresses environmental issues? This course will address selected issues through readings in past political thinkers like Locke and Marx and in contemporary political and environmental theorists. Mr. Stillman.
Not offered in 2014/15.
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ENST 178 - Political Theory, Environmental Justice: The Case of New Orleans After Katrina
1/2 unit(s)
(Same as POLI 178 ) Hurricane Katrina flooded much of New Orleans, causing intense social and political problems within the city and testing the ability of citizens and governments to respond to the crisis. The course aims to interpret and evaluate those responses by reading past political theorists, such as Aristotle, Hobbes, and DuBois, and current evaluations, such as those based in concerns for environmental justice. Mr. Stillman.
Not offered in 2014/15.
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ENST 180 - Ecological Gandhi Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)
(Same as HIST 180 ) Was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi - better known as Mahatma Gandhi - an environmentalist? Was he an ecologist? This “Great Soul” lived and worked at the very moment when modern ideas of ecology first emerged. His inspirations included Henry David Thoreau, a familiar icon of American environmentalism, and Henry Salt, an English advocate of vegetarianism and animal rights. He disapproved of machines, cautioned against overconsumption, made his own salt, and spun his own yarn. Famous environmental philosophers, activists, and politicians including Arne Naess, Vandana Shiva, and India’s newly elected Prime Minister Narendra Modi, all credit him as their inspiration. We search for answers (and discover controvery) in the authors who inspired Gandhi, in his own works, and in the publications of those he inspired. Ms. Hughes.
Open only to freshmen; satisfies the college requirement for a Freshman Writing Seminar.
Two 75-minute periods.
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Environmental Studies: II. Intermediate |
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ENST 258 - Environment and Culture in the Caribbean
1 unit(s)
(Same as AFRS 258 ) The ecology of the islands of the Caribbean has undergone profound change since the arrival of Europeans to the region in 1492. The course traces the history of the relationship between ecology and culture from pre-Columbian civilizations to the economies of tourism. Among the specific topics of discussion are: Arawak and Carib notions of nature and conservation of natural resources; the impact of deforestation and changes in climate; the plantation economy as an ecological revolution; the political implications of the tensions between the economy of the plot and that of the plantation; the development of environmental conservation and its impact on notions of nationhood; the ecological impact of resort tourism; the development of eco-tourism. These topics are examined through a variety of materials: historical documents, essays, art, literature, music, and film. Ms. Paravisini.
Not offered in 2014/15.
Two 75-minute periods.
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ENST 260 - Issues in Environmental Studies Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)
The purpose of this course is to examine in depth an issue, problem, or set of issues and problems in environmental studies, to explore the various ways in which environmental issues are embedded in multiple contexts and may be understood from multiple perspectives. The course topic changes from year to year.
Topic for 2014/15a: Risk. This course examines environmental risk from several perspectives ranging from the underlying science of exposure and toxicology, to psychological perceptions of personal risk, up to risk as a driver of environmental regulation. Students engage with practical, scientific, regulatory, and theoretic difficulties involved in understanding risk. Topics are illustrated through case studies that involve students in the collection and analysis of samples, the interpretation of data, and the process of making environmental recommendations. Mr. Belli and Mr. Kelly.
Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.
Two 75-minute periods.
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ENST 261 - “The Nuclear Cage”: Environmental Theory and Nuclear Power
1 unit(s)
(Same as SOCI 261 and INTL 261 ) The central aim of this course is to explore debates about the interaction between beings, including humans, animals, plants and the earth within the context of advanced capitalism by concentrating on the production, distribution, consumption, and disposal of nuclear power. The first question concerning the class is how does Environmental Theory approach nuclear power and its impact on the environment. The second question deals with how this construction interacts with other forms of debate regarding nuclear power, especially concentrating on the relation between science, market and the state in dealing with nature, and how citizens formulate and articulate their understanding of nuclear power through social movements.
Not offered in 2014/15.
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ENST 262 - Consuming Paradise: A Global Pre-History of Environmentalism Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)
Today’s fundamental topics of environmental justice and sustainability are not new. Likewise, our contemporary concerns with invasive species, wildlife conservation, and environmental degradation have deep histories. We trace the early development of these topics and concerns through the lens of imperial production and consumption, centered on the Global South, from the beginnings of European colonialism through the twentieth century. Tropical fruits, sugar, and spice first attracted Europeans and quickly turned verdant islands and robust laborers to dust. Innumerable weeds and other plants travelled the oceans—along with voracious sheep, cattle, and pig—reshaping the environment and inciting debate wherever they went. Commercial hunting and big game shooting flourished, giving rise to conservationism and hinting at the value of biodiversity as wildlife dwindled or disappeared. The appropriation of tropical resources—notably through the patenting of tropical species by private corporations—continues today in an ostensibly post-colonial world, forcing us to question just how much our interests in the environment have really changed. Ms. Hughes.
Two 75-minute periods.
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ENST 270 - Topics in Environmental Studies
1 unit(s)
The purpose of this course is to take up topics relevant to environmental studies, and examine them through the perspectives of the humanities and the natural or social sciences. The course topic changes from year to year.
Not offered in 2014/15.
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ENST 271 - Literature and the American Environment Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
This course considers the representations of nature and the environment in American literature, from the nineteenth century to the present, with special emphasis on contemporary experience and perception. Topics will include: the importance of sense of place (and displacement); multiple cultural discourses about nature; the rise of modern ecocriticism; indigenous understandings of the natural world; and the role of literature in environmental movements. Readings will be drawn from such authors as H. D. Thoreau, Mary Austin, Jean Toomer, Aldo Leopold, Gary Snyder, Barry Lopez, Leslie Silko, John Edgar Wideman, Annie Dillard, Mary Oliver, and Terry Tempest Williams, as well as from critical and scholarly sources. Mr. Kane.
(Not available to students who have taken ENST 270 .)
Two 75-minute periods.
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ENST 290 - Field Work Semester Offered: Fall or Spring
1/2 to 1 unit(s)
Individual or group field projects or internships. Prior approval of advisor and instructor supervising the work are required. May be taken during the academic year or during the summer. Participating faculty.
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ENST 291 - Field Experiences in the Hudson Valley
1/2 unit(s)
The course emphasizes project-based learning that, rather than beginning with established divisions or disciplines, focuses on problems or questions to which students can bring all the resources of their previous classes in a truly multidisciplinary fashion.
Required for Environmental Studies majors. ENST 276 can be taken instead if 291 is not being offered.
First 6-weeks of fall semester and second 6-weeks of spring semester. Not offered in 2014/15.
Two 75-minute periods.
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ENST 298 - Independent Research Semester Offered: Fall or Spring
1/2 to 1 unit(s)
Individual or group project or study. Prior approval of advisor and instructor supervising the work are required. May be taken during the academic year or during the summer. Participating faculty.
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Environmental Studies: III. Advanced |
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ENST 300 - Senior Project/Thesis Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
Recognizing the diverse interests and course programs of students in Environmental Studies, the program entertains many models for a senior project/thesis. Depending on their disciplinary concentration and interests, students may conduct laboratory or field studies, literary and historical analyses, or policy studies. Senior project/thesis proposals must be approved by the steering committee.
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ENST 303 - Thesis Semester Offered: Fall
1/2 unit(s)
Yearlong course 303-ENST 304 .
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ENST 304 - Thesis Semester Offered: Spring
1/2 unit(s)
Yearlong course ENST 303 -304.
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ENST 305 - People and Animal Histories in Modern India
1 unit(s)
(Same as ASIA 305 and HIST 305 ) This course examines human interactions with animals in India from the colonial period through the present. How have various groups and important individuals defined the proper relationship between themselves and the animals around them? What challenges and advantages have animals and people met with as a result? As we explore how people have served their social, political, economic, national, and religious interests through animals, we learn how human values and beliefs about animals have in turn helped shape Indian environments. We read a variety of primary sources by Indians and Englishmen in South Asia, ranging from children’s literature through the writings of bird fanciers, big game hunters, and early animal rights advocates. Ms. Hughes.
Not offered in 2014/15.
One 2-hour period.
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ENST 325 - Studies in Genres Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)
An intensive study of specific forms or types of literature, such as satire, humor, gothic fiction, realism, slave narratives, science fiction, crime, romance, adventure, short story, epic, autobiography, hypertext, and screenplay. Each year, one or more of these genres is investigated in depth. The course may cross national borders and historical periods or adhere to boundaries of time and place.
Topic for 2014/15a: Ecotexts: Environmental Literature. (Same as ENGL 325 ) This course examines the development of environmental literature, from the “nature writing” of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries to the emergence of contemporary ecological writing and ecocriticism. Readings will feature a wide range of writers from various disciplines, including Henry David Thoreau, Aldo Leopold, Rachel Carson, Edward Abbey, Leslie Silko, Terry Tempest Williams, Bill McKibben and others. Mr. Kane.
One 2-hour period.
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ENST 331 - Topics in Archaeological Theory and Method
1 unit(s)
The theoretical underpinnings of anthropological archaeology and the use of theory in studying particular bodies of data. The focus ranges from examination of published data covering topics such as architecture and society, the origin of complex society, the relationship between technology and ecology to more laboratory-oriented examination of such topics as archaeometry, archaeozoology, or lithic technology.
Prerequisite: previous coursework in Anthropology, Environmental Studies, or Science, Technology, and Society, or permission of the instructor.
May be repeated for credit if the topic has changed.
Not offered in 2014/15.
One 2-hour period; plus 4 hour lab.
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ENST 335 - Paleoclimatology: Earth’s History of Climate Change Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
(Same as ESCI 335 ) In recent decades, record high temperatures and extreme weather events have led scientists and policy makers to grapple with the fact that human activities are affecting the climate system. At the same time, scientists have come to realize that climate is capable of dramatic shifts in the absence of human intervention. The science of paleoclimatology seeks to understand the extent and causes of natural climatic variability in order to establish the baseline on top of which anthropogenic changes are occurring. In this course we examine the structure and properties of the oceans and atmosphere and how the general circulation of these systems redistributes heat throughout the globe; study how cycles in Earth’s orbital parameters, plate tectonics, changes in ocean circulation, and the evolution of plants have affected climate; and explore the different lines of evidence used to reconstruct climate history. Weekly laboratory projects introduce students to paleoclimatic methods and to records of climatic change from the Paleozoic through the Little Ice Age. Ms. Menking.
Prerequisite: 200-level work in Earth Science or permission of the instructor.
One 4-hour classroom/laboratory/field period.
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ENST 340 - Advanced Urban and Regional Studies Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
Not offered in 2014/15.
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ENST 341 - Oil
1 unit(s)
(Same as ESCI 341 and GEOG 341 ) For the hydraulic civilizations of Mesopotamia, it was water. For the Native Americans of the Great Plains, it was buffalo. As we enter the twenty-first century, our society is firmly rooted both culturally and economically in oil. This class looks into almost every aspect of oil. Starting at the source with kerogen generation, we follow the hydrocarbons along migration pathways to a reservoir with a suitable trap. We look at the techniques geologists and geophysicists use to find a field, and how engineers and economists get the product from the field to refineries, paying particular attention to environmental concerns. What is involved in the negotiations between multinational corporations and developing countries over production issues? What are the stages in refining oil from the crude that comes from the ground to the myriad uses seen today, including plastics, pharmaceuticals, and fertilizers, not to mention gasoline? We also discuss the future of this rapidly dwindling, non-renewable resource, and options for an oil-less future. Mr. McAdoo, Mr. Rashid.
Prerequisite: one 200-level Earth Science course or permission of the instructor.
Not offered in 2014/15. Will be offered in 2016/17.
One 4-hour classroom/laboratory/field period.
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ENST 350 - New York City as a Social Laboratory
1 unit(s)
(Same as URBS 350 ) What is the future role of cities in the global environment? The goal of this class is to explore the major challenges in making cities environmentally sustainable. Efforts to generate and foster green and sustainable urban space confront economic, political and social complexities, while our imagination is being challenged to define alternatives. By focusing on New York City, we explore alterations in the discourse on sustainability as it relates to spatial allocation in urban design, and architectural innovations in the form and function of green buildings. Through a combination of classroom based discussions and New York City on site investigations, the class strives to understand expanded definition of sustainability in the contemporary urban environment.
Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.
Not offered in 2014/15.
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ENST 352 - Conservation Biology Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
(Same as BIOL 352 ) Conservation Biology uses a multidisciplinary approach to study how to best maintain the earth’s biodiversity and functioning ecosystems. We examine human impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem function and discuss how to develop practical approaches for mitigating those impacts. We start the semester by assessing the current human footprint on global resources, asking questions about what we are trying to preserve, why we are trying to preserve it, and how we can accomplish our goals. We critically examine the assumptions made by conservation biologists throughout, using case studies from around the world to explore a range of perspectives. Discussion topics include conservation in an agricultural context, the efficacy of marine protected areas, the impact of climate change on individual species and preserve design, restoration ecology, the consequences of small population sizes, conservation genetics, the impacts of habitat fragmentation and invasive species, and urbanecology. Ms. Ronsheim.
Recommended: BIOL 241 , BIOL 208 , or BIOL 226 , GEOG 260 , GEOG 224 , or GEOG 356 ; or permission of the instructor.
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ENST 356 - Environment and Land-Use Planning
1 unit(s)
(Same as GEOG 356 and URBS 356 ) This seminar focuses on land-use issues such as open-space planning, urban design, transportation planning, and the social and environmental effects of planning and land use policies. The focus of the course this year is impacts of planning policies (such as transportation, zoning, or growth boundaries) on environmental quality, including open space preservation, farmland conservation, and environmental services. We begin with global and regional examples and then apply ideas in the context of Dutchess County’s trajectory of land use change and planning policies. Ms. Cunningham.
Prerequisite: one 200-level course in Geography, Urban Studies or Environmental Studies.
Not offered in 2014/15.
One 3-hour period.
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ENST 361 - Modeling the Earth
1 unit(s)
(Same as ESCI 361 ) Computer models are powerful tools in the Earth and Environmental Sciences for generating and testing hypotheses about how the Earth system functions and for allowing simulation of processes in places inaccessible to humans (e.g. Earth’s deep interior), too slow to permit observation (e.g., erosion driven uplift of mountains ranges), or too large to facilitate construction of physical models (e.g., Earth’s climate system). Taking readings from the scientific literature, we create and then perform experiments with simple computer models, using the STELLA iconographic box-modeling software package. Topics include the global phosphorus cycle, Earth’s radiative balance with the sun and resulting temperature, the flow of ice in glaciers, and the role of life in moderating Earth’s climate. Toward the end of the semester, students apply the skills they have acquired to a modeling project of their own devising. Ms. Menking.
Prerequisite: one 200-level course in the natural sciences.
Satisfies the college requirement for quantitative reasoning.
Not offered in 2014/15.
One 4-hour classroom/laboratory period.
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ENST 367 - Peoples and Environments in the American West
1 unit(s)
(Same as HIST 367 ) This course explores the history of the trans-Mississippi West in the nineteenth century and its legacies in modern America. Themes include cultural conflict and accommodation; federal power and Western politics; and humans’ negotiations with their environments. The course considers the history of the frontier as a process; the Western U.S. as a geographic place; and the legendary West and its functions in American mythology. Ms. Edwards.
Not offered in 2014/15.
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ENST 368 - Toxic Futures: From Social Theory to Environmental Theory
1 unit(s)
(Same as SOCI 368 ) The central aim of this class is to examine the foundations of the discourse on society and nature in social theory and environmental theory to explore two questions. The first question is how does social theory approach the construction of the future, and the second question is how has this construction informed the present debates on the impact of industrialization, urbanization, state-building and collective movements on the environment? In this context, the class focuses on how social theory informs different articulations of Environmental Thought and its political and epistemological fragmentation and the limits of praxis, as well as its contemporary construction of alternative futures. Ms. Batur.
Not offered in 2014/15.
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ENST 370 - Feminist Perspectives on Environmentalism
1 unit(s)
(Same as ESSC 370 and WMST 370 ) In this seminar we explore some basic concepts and approaches within feminist environmental analysis paying particular attention to feminist theory and its relevance to environmental issues. We examine a range of feminist research and analysis in ‘environmental studies’ that is connected by the recognition that gender subordination and environmental destruction are related phenomena. That is, they are the linked outcomes of forms of interactions with nature that are shaped by hierarchy and dominance, and they have global relevance. The course helps students discover the expansive contributions of feminist analysis and action to environmental research and advocacy; it provides the chance for students to apply the contributions of a feminist perspective to their own specific environmental interests. Ms. Schneiderman.
Prerequisite: permission of the instructor; WMST 130 recommended.
Not offered in 2014/15.
One 2-hour period.
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ENST 372 - Sustainability and Environmental Political Thought Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
(Same as POLI 372 ) Sustainability is arguably the most important principle and practice for the contemporary environmental movement. This course will explore the historical origins of the concept, its various and contested meanings, its relation to other leading dimensions of environmental political thought, and its critics. We will also analyze the relation of sustainability to mass-consumption societies, to democracy, and to the modern state. Mr. Stillman.
Prerequisite: permission of the instructor
One 2-hour period.
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ENST 375 - Aquatic Chemistry
1/2 or 1 unit(s)
(Same as CHEM 375 ) This course explores the fundamentals of aqueous chemistry as applied to natural waters. The global water cycle and major water resources are introduced. Principles explored include: kinetics and thermodynamics, atmosphere-water interactions, rock-water interactions, precipitation and dissolution, acids and bases, oxidation and reduction, and nutrient and trace metal cycling. Ms. Spodek.
Prerequisites: CHEM 245 ; PHYS 113 , PHYS 114 ; MATH 121 , MATH 126 and MATH 127 or the equivalent; or permission of the instructor.
Not offered in 2014/15.
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ENST 381 - Topics in Ecosystem Ecology - Ecosystem Structure and Function Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
(Same as BIOL 381 ) Ecosystems are complex systems, where biotic and abiotic factors interact to create the world we see around us. Understanding the nature of ecosystems is fundamental to understanding how disturbance and change in a dynamic world will influence ecosystem stability. This is especially critical as we enter the Anthropocene; a time in our planets history where one species, modern humans, dominate. Major changes brought about by increased human activity include changing climate regimes, invasive species spread and biodiversity loss. This course explores how ecosystems, both aquatic and terrestrial, are assembled (structured) and how different ecosystems process energy and matter (function). We use our understanding of structure and function to explore how different ecosystems respond to changes in the environment (including climate change, invasive species introductions, loss of biodiversity and pollution). A class project will explore an ecosystem scale problem, and students will develop a plan for effectively communicating the scientific understanding of the problem to multiple stakeholders. Ms. Christenson.
Prerequisite: BIOL 241 .
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ENST 383 - Dissent at the End of the Anthropocene Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
(Same as INTL 383 and SOCI 383 ) Thomas Jefferson famously argued, “Dissent is the highest form of patriotism.” The hallmarks of globalization—financial oligarchies, resource depletion, environmental pollution, global climate change, profound inequality—have given us the most convincing evidence to date that the ideals of progress, optimism, and humanism that have grew out of the Enlightenment are not fulfilling their promise. Perhaps these concepts became corrupted, or perhaps this is because these thought-systems have not paid adequate attention to the ethical dimensions of our economic, geopolitical, and social development, and counter cultural movements. On the other hand, movements of dissent have grown up around these ideals since at least the eighteenth century and some argue that if the Anthropocene, “the age of humankind,” is to continue, we will have to fundamentally change our thinking. This course addresses the legacy of progressive “counter-Enlightenment” movements to develop an understanding of their discourse. Ms. Batur.
One 3-hour period.
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ENST 385 - Technology, Ecology, and Society Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
(Same as STS 385 ) Examines the interactions between human beings and their environment as mediated by technology, focusing on the period from the earliest evidence of toolmaking approximately up to the Industrial Revolution. Student research projects often bring the course up to the present. Includes experimentation with ancient technologies and field trips to local markets and craft workshops. Ms. Johnson.
Prerequisite: previous coursework in Anthropology, Environmental Studies, or Science, Technology, and Society, or permission of the instructor.
One 2-hour period; plus 4 hour lab.
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ENST 387 - Risk and Geohazards
1 unit(s)
(Same as ESCI 387 and GEOG 387 ) The world is becoming an increasingly risky place. Every year, natural hazards affect more and more people, and these people are incurring increasingly expensive losses. This course explores the nature of risk associated with geophysical phenomena. Are there more hazardous events now than there have been in the past? Are these events somehow more energetic? Or is it that increasing populations with increasingly disparate incomes are being exposed to these hazards? What physical, economic, political and social tools can be employed to reduce geophysical risk? We draw on examples from recent disasters, both rapid onset (earthquakes, tsunamis, cyclones), and slow onset (climate change, famine) to examine the complex and interlinked vulnerabilities of the coupled human-environment system. Mr. McAdoo.
Prerequisite: ESCI 121 or ESCI 151 .
Not offered in 2014/15.Will be offered in 2015/16.
One 4-hour period.
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ENST 389 - From the Natural History Museum to Ecotourism:The Collection of Nature
1 unit(s)
(Same as AMST 389 ) From the rise of the Natural History Museum, the Bureau of Ethnology, and early endeavors to create a national literature, the appropriation of American Indian lands and Amerian Indians (as natural objects) offered Euro-Americans a means to realize their new national identity. Today, the American consumer-collector goes beyond the boundaries of the museum, national park, and zoo and into ecotourism, which claims to make a low impact on the environment and local culture, while helping to generate money, jobs, and the conservation of wildlife and vegetation. This course investigates historical and current trends in the way North Americans recover, appropriate, and represent non-western cultures, ‘exotic’ animals, and natural environments from theoretical and ideological perspectives. Course readings draw from the fields of anthropology, archaeology, museology, literature, and environmental studies. Ms. Graham, Ms. Pike-Tay.
Not offered in 2014/15.
Two 75-minute periods.
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ENST 399 - Senior Independent Research Semester Offered: Fall or Spring
1/2 to 1 unit(s)
Individual or group project or study. Prior approval of advisor and instructor supervising the work are required. May be taken during the academic year or during the summer. Participating faculty.
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Film: I. Introductory |
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FILM 175 - The Art of Film Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
An introductory exploration of central features of film and television aesthetics, including formal and stylistic elements, such as color, lighting, editing, sound, narrative structure, etc. Students will be exposed to a wide spectrum of types of films and television shows, including: silent, abstract, non-narrative, foreign, and documentaries, and the artistic choices manifested by each. We look at issues pertaining to production, distribution, and exhibition. Subjects are treated topically rather than historically, and emphasis is placed on mastering key vocabulary and concepts. The department.
May not be used toward the Major requirements.
Two 75-minute periods plus outside screenings.
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FILM 180 - Writing About Movies Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)
This course focuses on the reviews of famous film critics such as Pauline Kael, David Denby, and Jonathan Rosenbaum, not with the goal of turning students into reviewers, but as a springboard for examining great prose (and great movies). We look at what gives their writing grace, style, passion, and a personal tone of voice, and at some of the classic and contemporary films they discuss. We also slowly branch out into other genres of writing about film: interviews, autobiographies, and critical essays, to explore the variety of ways writers share their love of film and offer interpretations of great films’ meaning and importance. Ms. Kozloff.
Open only to freshmen; satisfies college requirement for a Freshman Writing Seminar.
Two 75-minute periods, plus outside screenings.
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FILM 181 - American Television Comedy Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)
(Same as MEDS 181 ) What have Americans laughed at on television? Why? To what effect? This course explores the history of American television comedy from its roots in early radio to its current multiplicity of forms with a particular emphasis on the role of humor as rhetoric and affect. Students explore the genre as an expression of multiple factors from television’s economic organization and audience conception to larger sociocultural formations. By doing so, they learn about the development of different forms of television comedy, including sitcoms, domesticoms, sketch, and variety programs. Screenings may include I Love Lucy, The Honeymooners, Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, All In the Family, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Sanford and Son, M*A*S*H, Saturday Night Live, The Cosby Show, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, The Simpsons, Seinfeld, Sex and the City, Will and Grace, The Daily Show, South Park, Tim and Eric: Awesome Show, and Great Job among others. Mr. Scepanski.
Open only to freshmen; satisfies college requirement for a Freshman Writing Seminar.
Two 75-minute periods, plus outside screenings.
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Film: II. Intermediate |
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FILM 210 - World Cinema to 1945 Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)
An international history of film from its invention through the silent era and the coming of sound to mid-century. The course focuses on major directors, technological change, industrial organization, and the contributions of various national movements. In addition to the historical survey, this course introduces students to the major issues of classical film theory. The department.
Prerequisite: FILM 175 strongly suggested but not required.
Two 75-minute periods plus outside screenings.
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FILM 211 - World Cinema After 1945 Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
An international history of film from mid-century to the present day. The course focuses on major directors, technological changes, industrial organization, and the contributions of various national movements. In addition to the historical survey, this course explores the major schools of contemporary film theory, e.g., auteurism, semiology, Marxist theory, feminism. The department.
Prerequisite: FILM 210 , and permission of the instructor.
Two 75-minute periods plus outside screenings.
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FILM 212 - Genre: The Musical
1 unit(s)
Examines the development of American film musicals from The Jazz Singer to Sweeney Todd and Les Misérables. The course looks at major stars such as Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Gene Kelly, and Judy Garland, and the contributions of directors such as Vincente Minnelli and Bob Fosse. Students examine the interrelationships between Broadway and Hollywood, the influence of the rise and fall of the Production Code, the shaping hand of different studios, the tensions between narrative and spectacle, sincerity and camp. Reading assignments expose students to a wide range of literature about film, from production histories to feminist theory. Ms. Kozloff.
Prerequisite: FILM 175 or FILM 210 and permission of the instructor.
Not offered in 2014/15.
Two 75-minute periods plus outside screenings.
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FILM 214 - Genre: The War Film
1 unit(s)
An examination of how American films have represented World War I, World War II, the Vietnam War and the Gulf Wars. Films chosen include both those made while the conflicts rages (Bataan, 1942), and those made many years later (Saving Private Ryan, 1998, and Three Kings, 1999). This class focuses on such issues as: propaganda and patriotism, pacifism and sensationalism, the reliance on genre conventions and the role of changing film technologies. For comparison, we look also at documentaries, television, “home front” stories at war-time poetry, posters, and music. Reading assignments cover topics such as the government’s Office of War Information, the influence of John Wayne, the racism of the Vietnam films, the ways in which the Iraq war movies have been influenced by the genre. Ms Kozloff.
Prerequisite: FILM 175 or FILM 210 and permission of the instructor.
Not offered in 2014/15.
Two 75-minute periods plus outside screenings.
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FILM 215 - Genre: Science Fiction
1 unit(s)
The course surveys the history of science fiction film from its beginnings in the silent period to the advent of digital technologies. The “golden age” of the 50s, the emergence of a new kind of science-fiction film at the end of the 60s (Kubrick’s 2001), and the “resurgence/revival” of science-fiction film in the late 70s-early 80s (Blade Runner, Alien) are given special attention. Topics include subgenres (end of the world, time travel, space exploration, robots, atomic energy), the relation of science-fiction films to their social context and their function in popular culture, the place of science in science-fiction, and the role of women in the genre. While passing mention is made of television science fiction, the course focuses on film.
Prerequisite: FILM 175 or FILM 210 and permission of the instructor.
Not offered in 2014/15.
Two 75-minute periods plus required weekly evening screenings.
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FILM 216 - Genre: Romantic Comedy
1 unit(s)
This class studies the genre of romantic comedy in American film from the “screwball comedies” of the 1930s (It Happened One Night, Bringing Up Baby) to the resurgence of the genre in the 1990s and the 21st century. The course focuses on the work of major stars such as Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, and Meg Ryan, as well as the contribution of such directors as Ernst Lubitsch, George Cukor, Preston Sturges, Howard Hawks, Billy Wilder, or Nora Ephron. We place these films in the context of other representations of romance—such as Shakespeare’s comedies—and in the context of the changes in American culture, particularly in the role of women. Readings lead students to a deeper understanding of the history of American film, genre, and the star system. Ms. Kozloff.
Prerequisite: FILM 175 or FILM 210 and permission of the instructor.
Not offered in 2014/15.
Two 75-minute periods plus outside screenings.
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FILM 217 - Video Art Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)
(Same as ART 217 ) Video continues to document, illuminate, and instruct our lives daily. New channels of accessibility have opened it to a broad range of alternative practices, always in relation to its online or televised utility. In this studio, students make videos to better understand the affects and formal potential of video as an opportunity for critique. Technical experimentation covers the major tools of video production and post-production. Workshops examine set, keying, montage, sound, pacing, composition, and the cut. Regular assignments address a range of structural problems, at once conceptual and plastic (topics include the question of the subject, politics of visibility, satire, abjection, abstraction, psychedelia, performance and humiliation). Work by artists who have harnessed or perverted video’s components is screened bi-weekly. Mr. McElnea.
Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.
Two 2-hour periods.
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FILM 218 - Genre: The Western
1 unit(s)
This course offers an historical and cultural exploration of the Western film genre. There is emphasis on the relationship between the Western and the central myths of the American experience. The changing nature of masculinity, the representation of violence, and the roles designated to women are addressed. The course examines Westerns directed by filmmakers D. W. Griffith, John Ford, Howard Hawks, George Stevens, John Huston, Fred Zinnemann, Sidney Poitier, Sam Peckinpah, and Clint Eastwood. Ms. Mask.
Prerequisites: FILM 175 or FILM 210 and permission of the instructor.
Not offered in 2014/15.
Two 75-minute periods plus outside screenings.
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FILM 220 - Chinese Film and Contemporary Fiction
1 unit(s)
(Same as CHIN 220 ) An introduction to Chinese film through its adaptations of contemporary stories. Focus is on internationally well-known films by the fifth and sixth generation of directors since the late 1980s. Early Chinese films from the 1930s to the 1970s are also included in the screenings. The format of the course is to read a series of stories in English translations and to view their respective cinematic versions. The discussions concentrate on cultural and social aspects as well as on comparison of themes and viewpoints in the two genres. The interrelations between texts and visual images are also explored. Mr. Du.
Prerequisite: one course in language, literature, culture, film, drama, or Asian Studies, or permission of the instructor.
Not offered in 2014/15.
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FILM 230 - Women in Film
1 unit(s)
This course both examines the representation of women on film from an international perspective, and explores the works of key international women directors. Issues addressed include: constructions of femininity, masculinity, and sexuality, and the mapping of intersections between gender, power, race, class, and nation. We then study women directors of feature films such as Kathryn Bigelow (USA), Julie Dash (USA), Mingmonkul Sonakul (Thailand), Deepa Mehta (India), Nan Triveni Achnas (Indonesia), Jane Campion (New Zealand), Chantal Akerman (Belgium), and Yasmin Ahmad (Malaysia). Readings are drawn from feminist (film) theory, post-colonial theory, genre theory, and cultural studies. Screenings may include Sweetie, Sepet, The Photograph, Fire, Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles, and Near Dark.
Prerequisite: one course in Film or Women’s Studies.
Not offered in 2014/15.
Two 75-minute periods plus outside screenings.
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FILM 231 - Minorities in the Media
1 unit(s)
This course examines the dynamics of race, class, gender and sexuality as they are represented in American society. Throughout the semester, we will analyze films, television programs, videos and advertisements, as well as other mediated discourse, to assess the way categories of “minority” identity have been constructed in mainstream society. In addition to examining images of those persons collective known as “minorities,” we will consider the representation of those defined as “majority” Americans. In addition to scholarship by black British cultural theorists, African American scholars, critical race theorists and sociologists, this course enlists scholarship from the growing field of whiteness studies. Issues and topics may include “model minorities” (Henry Louis Gates, Jennifer Lopez, Rahm Emmanuel, Tiger Woods, Ellen DeGeneres, The Williams Sisters), global advertising, racial profiling, police brutality (Rodney King, Abner Louima, Amadou Diallo, Sean Bell), the Proposition 209 conflict, the WNBA, gay marriage, and the representation of the Middle East. Readings, screenings and papers required. Ms. Mask.
Prerequisite: FILM 175 or FILM 210 and permission of the instructor.
Not offered in 2014/15.
Two 75-minute periods, plus outside screenings.
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FILM 232 - African American Cinema Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
(Same as AFRS 232 ) This course provides a survey of the history and theory of African American representation in cinema. It begins with the silent films of Oscar Micheaux and examines early Black cast westerns (Harlem Rides the Range, The Bronze Buckaroo, Harlem on the Prairie) and musicals (St. Louis Blues, Black and Tan, Hi De Ho, Sweethearts of Rhythm). Political debate circulating around cross over stars (Paul Robeson, Sidney Poitier, Dorothy Dandridge, Eartha Kitt, and Harry Belafonte) are central to the course. Special consideration is given to Blaxploitation cinema of the seventies (Shaft, Coffy, Foxy Brown, Cleopatra Jones) in an attempt to understand its impact on filmmakers and the historical contexts for contemporary filmmaking. The course covers “Los Angeles Rebellion” filmmakers such as Julie Dash, Charles Burnett, and Haile Gerima. Realist cinema of the 80’s and 90’s (Do the Right Thing, Boyz N the Hood, Menace II Society, and Set it off),is examined before the transition to Black romantic comedies, family films, and genre pictures (Coming to America, Love and Basketball, Akeelah and the Bee, The Great Debaters). Ms. Mask.
Prerequisite: FILM 210 and permission of the instructor.
Two 75-minute periods plus outside screenings.
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