This course will examine the role of fear in shaping ideas about immigrants, asylum seekers, and refugees. We start from the notion that emotions are social formations with particular histories and political significance. We will refrain from assuming that fear is nothing more than a feeling or an automatic response and instead take it as a site that allows us to examine how psychological and legal experts together define and dispute what is normal, reasonable, credible, plausible, real, appropriate, and timely. The seminar will cover themes such as risk and threat, race and origin, pain and injury, confession and testimony, fiction and figuration, and personhood and representation. We will look at newspaper articles, social media content, legal opinions, case law, court transcripts, and psychological evaluations, as well as texts in politics, anthropology, sociology, philosophy, literature, comics, and films. Students will write a short essay on the politics of fear. Throughout the course, they will develop their toolkit to critically reflect on an emotion of their choice.

All readings will be available on Canvas under the “Files” tab. The links to films and media archives will be sent as “Announcements” on Canvas.

This class introduces the core concepts and methods of Cultural and Social Anthropology. Through the ethnographic study of human societies, anthropology has emerged as a dynamic discipline that inquiries into the complexity of humanity. It has produced new kinds of inquiry into race, class, gender, history, power, language, economy, culture, and local, transnational, and global phenomena. This course will introduce students to anthropology’s unique approach to studying human culture and society and teach them core anthropological concepts. It will also present students with cross-cultural case studies on contemporary issues, including environmental problems and climate change, capitalism, gender and sexuality, race, immigration, and colonialism.

All readings are available on Canvas

This Chinese language course is designed for students with no previous knowledge of the language. The goal is to develop communicative competence in listening, speaking, reading and writing skills at the elementary level.

Goal is to improve vocabulary, comprehension of written English, and standardized test scores through learning the Greek and Latin components of English. Focus is on patterns and processes in the formation of the lexicon. Terminology used in medicine, business, education, law, and humanities; introduction to principles of language history and etymology. Greek or Latin not required.

The heroic and divine in the literature, mythology, and culture of archaic Greece. Interdisciplinary approach to the study of individuals and society. Illustrated lectures. Readings in translation of Homer, Hesiod, and the poets of lyric and tragedy.

This course provides an introduction to how the dynamics and properties of computer-mediated communication influence well-being. We will discuss foundational communication theories and research to examine how technologies like social media, smartphones, and AI influence the communication process. Outcomes include both positive and negative effects. Throughout, we will focus on the complexities of developing and executing media effects research.

Human rights may be universal, but each appeal comes from a specific location with its own historical, social, and cultural context. This summer we will turn to literary narratives and films from a wide number of global locations to help us understand human rights; each story taps into fundamental beliefs about justice and ethics, from an eminently human and personal point of view. What does it mean not to have access to water, education, free speech, for example? This course has two components. The first will be a set of readings on the history and ethos of modern human rights. These readings will come from philosophy, history, political theory. The second, and major component is comprised of novels and films that come from different locations in the world, each telling a compelling story. We will come away from this class with a good introduction to human rights history and philosophy and a set of insights into a variety of imaginative perspectives on human rights issues from different global locations. Readings include: Amnesty International, Freedom: Stories Celebrating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Andrew Clapham, Human Rights: A Very Short Introduction, James Dawes, That the World May Know, Walter Echo-Hawk, In the Light of Justice, Amitav Ghosh, The Hungry Tide, Bessie Head, The Word for World is Forest, Ursula LeGuin.

Can racial diversity on college campuses be achieved without affirmative action? This is one of many questions that students, college admissions officers, college counselors, teachers, and university staff have on their minds after the Students for Fair Admissions Inc v Harvard College and University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Supreme Court cases in 2023 outlawed the use of race-based considerations within United States college admissions. This course takes a multidisciplinary approach and includes works from sociology, history, education, ethnic studies, and legal studies to learn about how race has been considered within U.S. college admissions and what the future may hold for race-based considerations in the higher education landscape. Students can expect to learn more about the history that led up to the rise and fall of affirmative action in higher education admissions, how U.S. college admissions varies across type of institution and selectivity, and why diversity and equity is important for higher education. Although the course has a focus on the U.S. higher education system, there are opportunities for students to explore what higher education admissions looks like in other countries and contexts as well as how international students and non-U.S. citizens are impacted by race-based considerations upon applying to U.S. colleges and universities. It is important to note that this is not a course that will prepare students to apply to college but rather is a class for anyone interested in racial justice, interdisciplinary social science, or higher education.

This course explores the intersections of race, gender, and humor within various cultural and historical contexts. It examines how humor can reflect and shape ideas about race and gender, how it can both challenge and reinforce stereotypes, and how it operates in different media and genres as a form of resistance and oppression. Students will engage with theories of humor, critical race theory, and gender studies to critically analyze texts, performances, and media.

This is an introductory course in economics. Both microeconomics (investigating decisions by individuals and firms) and macroeconomics (examining the economy as a whole) will be covered. The primary goal is to develop and then build on your understanding of the analytical tools and approaches used by economists. This will help you to interpret economic news and economic data at a much deeper level while also forming your own opinions on economic issues. The course will also provide a strong foundation for those of you who want to continue on with intermediate microeconomics and/or intermediate macroeconomics and possibly beyond.