Art of World Civilization: Why Does It Matter? - ARTH 200 H and X

H. Rafael Chacon, Art
The course will address the multiple interpretations of visual cultural phenomena in western and non-western contexts from the past and the present. Students will investigate the role and function of visual culture as the way individuals and communities understand critical global issues such as the environment, wealth distribution, freedom of expression, and political liberty.

Exercise is Medicine - HHP 191 S

Steve Gaskill, Health and Human Performance
Reed Humphrey, Physical Therapy
This multidisciplinary course will evaluate how physical activity affect both body and brain health. Students will study and discuss how modern sedentary lifestyles are related to increases in diabetes, heart disease, cancer, depression and other chronic disease. Included is a unit on the mind-body relationship and how inactivity and obesity decreases learning and cognitive abilities, lifetime earning power, self-efficacy, work capacity and overall life satisfaction. The class includes a weekly lab as a portion of the course. This seminar includes content from exercise physiology, health, sociology, economics, social history and education making the course a great way to explore many areas of potential study and qualifies as a Social Sciences General Education course.

Global Challenges for the 21st Century - MANS 195 X

Otto Koester, Maureen and Mike Mansfield Center
Terry Weidner, Political Science
This course provides an introductory understanding of, and diverse perspectives on, major crises and challenges facing the world today, ranging from concerns about rapid population growth and demographic changes to global food supplies, pandemics and health problems, water and natural resource shortages, climate change, and the latest economic and financial crises as well as unequal distribution of wealth. It will also explore current and impending problems of war, peace and security, nuclear proliferation and arms control, government responses to minorities and ethnic groups, legal frameworks and capacities of international and regional institutions, demands for human rights, and new models of leadership. Readings will consist of selected book chapters, government/NGO reports, “think tank” position papers, video streams, blogs, and thoughtful media treatments from around the globe.

Green Cities for the 21st Century - GPHY 191 X

Ulrich Kamp, Geography
The course is a discussion of “green” and “sustainability” initiative efforts in cities around the world and follows a multi-disciplinary approach by integrating urban-focused concepts from history, sociology, ecology, geography, and architecture and planning. How “green” are the cities of today, and how serious do they take the concept of urban sustainability? How successful were and will be experiments of sustainable urban design such as Arcosanti, New Urbanism, and Masdar? Many of the success stories of “greening” the city were actually initiated by grassroots, non-profit, and non-governmental organizations, and by individuals who took the function of responsible citizenship seriously. However, beyond this, the “greening a city” undertaking must root in workable relationships and interactions between the three fundamental sustainability pillars: social, environmental, and economic.

How Does Literature Engage the Brain? (Introduction to Literature)- LIT 110L

Ashby Kinch, English
A compelling literary text creates a vast and complex network of brains spread through time, linked together by a common stimulus: a work of literature that has more to say than what it seems to say. This staggering human phenomenon—the brain engaged with a work of literature—is the subject of this course. How does literature engage the brain? What distinctive characteristics of human intelligence are manifest in literature? Can approaching literature through the insights of neuroscience reveal important facets of how we think? We will explore these questions through readings in neuroscience that introduce students to some of the exciting recent research on the capacity and function of the brain, connecting that work with literary texts. We will conduct case studies in novels, plays, short stories and poems that demonstrate astute intuitive awareness of basic brain characteristics, including theory of mind, elastic temporality, narrative modes of consciousness, and the perceptual processes that link us emotionally with the world around us.

Humans (Anthropology and the Human Experience) - ANTY 101H

Douglas MacDonald, Department of Anthropology
Anthropology 101—Humans— studies people on a global scale and answers the fundamental question: what does it mean to be us? In “Humans,” students will explore the diversity of humankind, but also the commonalities that exist among Homo sapiens. Humans are humans after all, whether you live in Montana or Africa or whether you lived in Upper Paleolithic Europe 40,000 years ago or in the Yellowstone River Valley 5,000 years ago. We will attempt to understand deep concepts, such as why we have religion, spirituality, violence, war, and compassion. The course is anthropological in perspective, using data from prehistoric archaeology and contemporary ethnography as a means of understanding humanity; however, we incorporate an interdisciplinary perspective—through readings and four guest lectures— to enhance course content.

Making the Philosophic Film - MAR 195A

Michael Murphy, Media Arts
Sean O’Brien, Film Studies
Students will enter this course as consumers of film and leave as philosophically informed filmmakers. This class is essentially a philosophy and filmmaking workshop designed to achieve the following goals: First, it will introduce you to various philosophic traditions, and to teach you to analyze and assess films that explicitly or implicitly express these traditions. Second, you will learn the basics of filmmaking, including script writing, shooting and editing. Finally, you will integrate the first two sections of the course by writing and producing a philosophically rich dramatic video short. In effect, you will not only learn how to make a film, but to make one that achieves a certain philosophic depth.

Political Regimes and Societies - PSCI 191S

Robert Saldin, Political Science
The ancient Greeks emphasized that political regimes influence societal ways of life. In this course, we will study democracy, capitalism, socialism, communism, and theocracy and seek to understand how these contemporary regimes shape citizen behavior, expectations, and aspirations. Course readings—including philosophical treatises, novels, speeches, contemporary essays, and short stories—will offer diverse perspectives that speak to the fundamental and enduring questions of human life. What is human nature, and what types of societal and political arrangements are most compatible with it? Is there a single “best” form of government, or do standards vary across societies according to culture, history, or other factors? What are the strengths and weaknesses of contemporary regimes?

Robots, Genetic Engineering, and Ethics - CSCI 216E

Alden Wright, Computer Science
This course will examine the role and social impact of robots, genetic engineering, and related technology. People will interact with some robots as if they were human, while other robots, like driverless cars, will do tasks that were done by humans. Prosthetics based on robotic technology, sometimes controlled by brain interfaces, are helping disabled people. Will this technology be applied to normal people? We are using genetic engineering on our crops and domestic animals, and we are trying to apply it to cure human genetic diseases. How will these technologies change our lives? Will they change what it means to be human? This course satisfies the general education ethics and human values perspective requirement, and a substantial part of the course will be devoted to ethical theory. The course will include a substantial writing component.

Social Media and Global Change - JOUR 191Y

Henriette Lowish, Journalism
Following the Arab Spring and other protest movements around the world, Facebook and Twitter revolutions have become much touted catchwords. But are social media really the answer to global challenges? How can they be used to foster change, locally as well as internationally? In this seminar, we will take a hard look at the promises and pitfalls of social media. We will analyze recent cases of social media activism around the world, while also probing issues of digital identity, corporate ownership, information poverty, censorship and privacy. Teaming up with students from Berlin, Germany, you will experience how differently societies view the digital frontier. Together, you will test what it takes to use social media to spur concrete action, rather than to just get a couple of your friends to hit the 'like' button when you post a funny video.

Who Am I? Identity and Our Social World - SOCI 191S

Kathy Kuipers, Sociology
Identities influence both our immediate interactions and our perceptions of our social world. What do we mean by identities? Where do they come from? How do we manage them? In answering these questions, we take a closer look at how identities are linked to social groups—families, gender groups, cultural groups, and racial/ethnic groups. Through literature, film, and music, we explore how identities are learned, become salient within social contexts, and are enacted globally. At the same time, we pose and begin to answer the question: Who Am I? This interdisciplinary seminar gives freshmen an opportunity to explore not only what research says about identities, but also the personal dimensions of who they are, and how their self-conceptions are linked to their social world