Apr 27, 2024  
Course Catalog 2008-2009 
    
Catalog Navigation
  Catalog Home
  About Oberlin
  >>Admission
  >>Expenses
  >>Financial Aid
  >>Academic Policies
  >>Academic Opportunities
  >>Student Life
  College of Arts and Sciences
  Interdivisional Programs/Courses
  The Double-Degree Program
  Conservatory of Music
  PRESTO
  Class Schedule Information for First Semester 2008–Meeting Times/Days/Rooms
  Class Schedule Information for Spring Semester 2009–Meeting Times/Days/Rooms
  2008-2009 Academic Calendar
  Faculty, Staff and Trustees (as of May 2008)
  Oberlin College Courses
  My Portfolio
HELP
Course Catalog 2008-2009 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Oberlin College Courses

 
  

  • PHYS 414 - Advanced Laboratory


    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3NS, QP-F

    Each student attends two laboratory sessions per week and performs, semi-independently, five to six experiments chosen from the fields of atomic, nuclear, and elementary particle physics, condensed matter physics, and optics. Students must keep an organized laboratory notebook, turn in short reports describing the key results of each experiment, and write a longer paper describing one experiment in the form of a research publication. Enrollment Limit: 14.
    Instructor: S. FitzGerald
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite: PHYS 314 and consent of the instructor.
  

  • PHYS 451 - Special Problems in Physics and Astronomy


    Semester Offered: First Semester, Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 1-5 hours
    Attribute: 1-5NS

    Special coursework or research projects for students at all levels who are prepared to work independently. Consent of instructor required.
    Instructor: S. FitzGerald, Y. Ijiri, M. Keller, C. Martin, J. Scofield, J. Stalnaker, D. Stinebring, D. Styer
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Note: CR/NE or P/NP grading.
  

  • PHYS 555 - Research


    Semester Offered: First Semester, Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 2-6 hours
    Attribute: 2-6NS

    Projects for individual investigation. Consent of instructor required.
    Instructor: S. FitzGerald, Y. Ijiri, M. Keller, C. Martin, J. Scofield, J. Stalnaker, D. Stinebring, D. Styer
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Interested students are encouraged to speak with faculty members about possible projects. Students in the Physics Honors program are required to enroll.
  

  • PHYS 995 - Private Reading


    Semester Offered: First Semester, Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 1-3 hours
    Attribute: 1-3NS

    Signed permission of the instructor required.
    Instructor: S. FitzGerald, Y. Ijiri, M. Keller, C. Martin, J. Scofield, J. Stalnaker, D. Stinebring, D. Styer
  

  • POLT 100 - Introduction to American Politics


    Next Offered: 2009-2010
    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    Attribute: 3 SS

    This course provides an introductory overview of American politics with a particular emphasis on the interaction between citizens and their elected representatives. While students will learn about the founding of the American democracy and the institutional components of the American political system, much of the course will be spent discussing and debating key aspects of political behavior and representation in the United States. Enrollment Limit: 35.
    Instructor: M. Parkin
  

  • POLT 103 - Political Change in America


    This course may also count for the major in (consult the program or department major requirements) :
    Law and Society
    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 4 Hours
    Attribute: 4 SS, CD, WR

    An introduction to American constitutional law, politics, policy change, and national institutions. Topics include: The Supreme Court and privacy (abortion and gay rights); interest groups, Congress, media, and political agenda-setting: nuclear power, pesticides, smoking, and RU 486 (Abortion Pill); how presidential power and American politics shape each other from FDR to the Clinton-Bush Presidencies; and politics and history, pluralist, and critical pluralist interpretations of American politics and democracy. Note: Friday discussion sections to be arranged. Enrollment Limit: 50.
    Instructor: R. Kahn
    Prerequisites & Notes

     

     

     

     

     

     

     
  

  • POLT 105 - American Government: The New President’s Prospects for Success


    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 4 hours
    Attribute: 4SS, WR

    The 2008 elections promised policy change on many topics: the economy, Iraq, the environment, health care, and politics itself. Through an examination of previous presidential transitions and honeymoons and though consideration of the constraining effects of institutional and cultural factors – and the president’s ability to overcome these constraints – this course will evaluate the new president’s prospects for success. Required research projects will evaluate prospects for success on topics of the student’s choosing. Enrollment limit: 120.
    Instructor: P. Dawson
  

  • POLT 110 - Revolution, Socialism and Reform in China


    This course may also count for the major in (consult the program or department major requirements) :
    East Asian Studies
    Next Offered: 2009-2010
    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    Attribute: 3 SS, CD, WR

    We begin with a chronological overview, from ancient times to the present. Then we proceed topically, focusing on: politics and the state; political economy (including industry and agriculture); gender relations; population; and cultural politics. Written work consists of take-home, open-book essays, and weekly comments on the readings. We will also screen and discuss several films. Enrollment Limit: 35.
    Instructor: M. Blecher
  

  • POLT 114 - Political Change in Western Europe


    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3 SS


    This course examines politics in Western Europe, focusing upon the evolution of political parties and social movements. The last two decades have seen dramatic changes on the Left and Right of the political spectrum, with the eclipse of Euro-communism and Christian Democracy, the transformation of Social Democracy, and the rise of the far right, Green parties, and new social movements. Politics in France, Germany, Britain, Italy and Sweden will be examined to explore these developments. Enrollment limit: 50.
    Instructor: C. Howell
  

  • POLT 120 - Introduction to International Politics


    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3SS, WR

    This course surveys the major theories and concepts of international politics, and applies them to the discipline’s enduring questions. Topics include: the evolution of state sovereignty; causes of war and peace; inequality and the politics of the global economy; the emergence of non-state actors; changing norms of intervention; and the effects of globalization on the modern state system. Enrollment Limit: 40.
    Instructor: L. Markowitz
  

  • POLT 121 - Introduction to International Relations


    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3SS

    This course surveys the major theories and concepts of international politics, and applies them to the discipline’s enduring questions. Topics include: the evolution of state sovereignty; causes of war and peace; inequality and the politics of the global economy; the emergence of non-state actors; changing norms of intervention; and the effects of globalization on the modern state system. Enrollment Limit: 30.
    Instructor: K. Mani
  

  • POLT 122 - Colloquium: Israel-Palestine Conflict


    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3SS, COLQ

    Discussion-based class examines the conflict in historical perspective from the end of the Ottoman Empire to the present, focusing on the effects of colonialism and external actors, regional demographic changes, nationalism, political economy, the dynamics of violence and negotiation, and internal Israeli and Palestinian politics. Students will write a series of short papers. Enrollment limit: 15.
    Instructor: B. Schiff
    Prerequisites & Notes
    First- and Second-year students only.
  

  • POLT 131 - Problems of Political Theory


    Next Offered: 2009-2010
    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    Attribute: 3 SS, WR

    Introduction to some continuing problems and issues in political theory through close readings of both classical and modern texts, including Plato, Locke, Mill and contemporary writings. Special attention is given to ideas of justice, freedom and democracy. Enrollment Limit: 20 per section.
    Instructor: H. Wilson
  

  • POLT 132 - Explaining Social Power: Classical and Contemporary Theories


    Next Offered: 2009-2010
    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    Attribute: 3 SS, WR

    Politics is about power. However, there is no consensus as to what power is, or about how power operates in society. Drawing on economic, sociological, psychological and feminist approaches, as well as on works of classical and contemporary political theory, the colloquium will discuss the questions: ‘what is the bases of social power?’ and ‘how does power operate in society?’ Readings will be drawn from Machiavelli, Hobbes, Marx, Weber, Freud, Foucault and recent feminist work. Enrollment Limit: 15, ten first year and five second year students.
    Instructor: S. Kruks
  

  • POLT 136 - Understanding Political Community


    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    Attribute: 3 SS

    New course added 05.08.08.

    This is an introductory course in political theory. It involves a study of classical, and classic, texts of political thought by thinkers such as Plato, Aristotle, Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Edmund Burke, and John Stuart Mill. Through an examination of their reflections on the nature of political community, it explores the meaning of concepts such as justice, the good life, liberty, toleration, equality, and political obligation. Enrollment limit: 30.
    Instructor: S. Misra
  

  • POLT 200 - Mass Politics in a Media Age


    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3SS

    This class explores the role of the media in American politics. Students will consider the media’s influence on citizens, candidates, and policy-makers as well as learn about the government’s approach to media regulation and censorship. Attention will also be given to investigating how the relationship between the media, citizens, and politicians is changing in the “new media age” where cable TV, the internet, partisan documentaries, and even daytime and late night talk shows are gaining political prominence. Enrollment Limit: 20.
    Instructor: M. Parkin
  

  • POLT 202 - American Constitutional Law


    This course may also count for the major in (consult the program or department major requirements) :
    Law and Society
    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 4 hours
    Attribute: CD, 4SS, WR

    The case method is used to analyze the principles of the American Constitution and Supreme Court decision-making. Topics include: presidential, congressional, and Supreme Court power; state versus national control of social policy and commerce; equal protection of the law and race, gender, sexual orientation; implied fundamental rights to abortion choice, education, and sexual intimacy; First Amendment rights of free speech and religion, and modern constitutional theories. Friday discussion sections to be arranged. Enrollment Limit: 50.
    Instructor: R. Kahn
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite: One course in politics or consent of instructor.
  

  • POLT 203 - The First Amendment


    This course may also count for the major in (consult the program or department major requirements) :
    Law and Society
    Next Offered: 2009-2010
    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    Attribute: 3 SS

    This course will consider some of the historical, theoretical, and doctrinal issues surrounding the First Amendment to the American constitution (freedom of expression and freedom of, and from, religion). Topics include obscenity and sexual speech, libel, hate speech, school prayer and other forms of religious expression. A previous course in constitutional law is helpful but is not required. Class participation is essential and is a component of each student’s grade. Enrollment limit: 25.
    Instructor: H. Hirsch
  

  • POLT 205 - Political Research and Analysis


    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3SS,QP-H

    This course focuses on the quantitative approach to studying political phenomena. Students will learn how to design an empirical study, test theoretical predictions, and statistically analyze complex political questions using the computer program SPSS. Each student will have the opportunity to conduct an empirical research project on a question of his/her choosing. This course provides students with methodological skills that will be useful in both academic and professional settings. No prior background in math or statistics is necessary. Enrollment Limit: 25.
    Instructor: M. Parkin
  

  • POLT 206 - The Politics of Sexual Minority Communities


    This course may also count for the major in (consult the program or department major requirements) :
    GSFS
    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    Attribute: 3 SS, CD

    This course examines the history and politics of LGBT communities in the United States during the twentieth century. No background in the subject is required, though a general knowledge of American history and politics during this period is helpful. Topics include the relative freedom of urban LGBT communities before and during World War II, the repression of the 1950s, the Stonewall Rebellion and its aftermath, the politics of AIDS, and the place of LGBT issues in the African-American community. Class participation is essential and is a component of each student’s grade. Enrollment Limit: 25.
    Instructor: H. Hirsch
  

  • POLT 207 - American Political Development


    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3SS

    An exploration of the Supreme Court, Congress, Presidency, and Elections as institutions in American political development (APD). Topics include what is American political development?, timing, order, and paths of political and institutional development; elections and political realignment; Supreme Court in legal time, Presidency and Congress in political time, difference between legal and political time, and APD as a means to understand the predicaments facing our nation in race, labor, civil rights, abortion choice, welfare, and health care policies and politics. Enrollment Limit: 35
    Instructor: R. Kahn
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite: One course on American politics.
  

  • POLT 208 - Environmental Policy


    Semester Offered: First Semester, Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3SS

    An introduction to national environmental policy with emphasis on major issues of climate change, the loss of biodiversity, and the issues of growth. The course includes discussion of regulatory policies, taxes, market solutions, and other policy options applied to energy policy, transportation policy, endangered species, and materials use. Enrollment Limit: 25.
    Instructor: C. Fortwangler
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Recommended Preparation: One course in politics or environmental studies.
    Cross List Information
    This course is cross-listed with ENVS 208.
  

  • POLT 209 - Public Policy in America


    Next Offered: 2009-2010
    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    Attribute: 3 SS

    This course is concerned with diagnosing the sources of folly in the making of public policy and with developing those political skills of analysis and action that enhance policy-making effectiveness. Academic perspectives expose historical errors. An emphasis on experiential learning makes the acquisition of political skills personally meaningful. Enrollment Limit: 25.
    Instructor: P. Dawson
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisites: Two courses in American politics.
  

  • POLT 210 - Latin American Politics


    This course may also count for the major in (consult the program or department major requirements) :
    LATS
    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    Attribute: 3SS, CD

    Comparative analysis of 20th century Latin American political development. Examines major political models and their protagonists. Attention to the complexities of the political Left and Right, the military, and the contemporary challenges for democracy in the region. Enrollment Limit: 25.
    Instructor: K. Mani
  

  • POLT 211 - Revolutions


    This course may also count for the major in (consult the program or department major requirements) :
    LATS, REES
    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    Attribute: 3 SS

    We will examine a number of revolutions of the past century, particularly those in Latin America and Russia/Eastern Europe. The questions we will explore include: What brings about revolution? Why do some revolutions succeed, and others fail? Are revolutions effective means of social change, or do they merely reproduce the problems inherited from the past? Have recent global changes rendered revolutions obsolete, or will they likely persist as a means of social and political transformation? Enrollment Limit: 20.
    Instructor: S. Crowley
  

  • POLT 212 - Political Economic Development in Asia


    This course may also count for the major in (consult the program or department major requirements) :
    East Asian Studies
    Next Offered: 2009-2010
    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 3
    Attribute: 3SS, WR, CD

    A survey of relationship of politics and economy in India, China, Japan, Taiwan and South Korea, including: legacies of historical structures; effects of imperialism; state formation; rural development; industrial development; finance; international economic relationships. Key issues include: capitalism vs. state socialism; export-led industrialization vs. import substitution; the position and role of labor. Written work consists of take home, open book essays. Enrollment Limit: 35.
    Instructor: M. Blecher
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite: One course in the social sciences. No background in economics is required.
  

  • POLT 215 - Ethnicity and Nationalism in Divided Societies


    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3 SS

    This course explores the variety of ways labor has been politically and economically incorporated into capitalist, state socialist, and post-state socialist societies. Its focus is the range of organizational forms, strategies and practices developed by labor movements, and the manner in which states and business interests have sought to regulate those movements. Topics include economic restructuring, new management strategies, globalization, changes in the composition of the working class, and relationships between labor movements and politics. Enrollment limit: 35.
    Instructor: L. Markowitz
  

  • POLT 216 - The Political Economy of Advanced Capitalism


    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3SS, WR

    This course is an introduction to comparative political economy, broadly defined as the ways in which the triangular relationship between the state, labor and capital differs from one advanced capitalist country to another. The course will examine the political economies of Britain, France, Germany, Sweden, the United States and Japan, paying particular attention to international economic integration, the position of women and minorities, and challenges to the welfare state and trade unions. Enrollment Limit: 30.
    Instructor: C. Howell
  

  • POLT 217 - Political Violence


    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3 SS

    This course examines the origins, forms, and outcomes of political violence in the 20th century. Using empirical cases (primarily in Central Africa, Europe, and the former Soviet Union), we will survey the various approaches scholars have taken toward the study of political violence, explore cross-cutting issues (state formation and violence, violence in civil war, and transnational dimensions of violence), and examine several prominent forms of political violence. Enrollment Limit: 35.
    Instructor: L. Markowitz
    Prerequisites & Notes
       

     
  

  • POLT 218 - Marxist Analysis of Society and Politics


    Next Offered: 2009-2010
    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    Attribute: 3 SS, CD, WR

    What can Marxian social science contribute to understanding important political, social and economic questions in various countries? Topics may include: capitalist crisis; the state; class, in itself and also in relation to gender, race and nation; cities; development; the environment; globalization; ideology; post-modernity; social movements; and feasible socialist futures. Enrollment Limit: 35.
    Instructor: M. Blecher
  

  • POLT 219 - Work, Workers and Trade Unions in Advanced Capitalist Societies


    Next Offered: 2009-2010
    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3 SS, WR

    This course examines the nature and organization of work in capitalist societies, and the forms of labor organization created by workers. It is a comparative course, looking at Western Europe, Japan, and the United States. Among the topics covered are: conflict and cooperation in the workplace, the intersection of race, class and gender at work, types of trade unionism, the labor process, the role of the state and employers in industrial relations, and labor politics. Enrollment Limit: 30.

    Instructor: C. Howell
  

  • POLT 224 - Topics in Contemporary African Affairs


    This course may also count for the major in (consult the program or department major requirements) :
    AAST
    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    Attribute: 3 SS, CD, WR

    Students will examine (through the lens of comparative politics and international relations literatures) some of the major changes in political, economic, and social formations that are taking place in Tanzania, Zambia, Namibia, and South Africa. Regional issues will be explored. United States foreign policy toward Africa will be explored. Student requirements include a research paper, mid-term assignments, group work, ad hoc assignments throughout the course, participation in case studies and other activities. Enrollment Limit: 35.
    Instructor: E. Sandberg
  

  • POLT 225 - International Organization


    This course may also count for the major in (consult the program or department major requirements) :
    LATS
    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    Attribute: 3SS

     

    Theory, history and practice of institutions that deal with violent conflict, economic and environmental cooperation, human rights, and other global challenges. Global organizations (UN and WTO), regional organizations (African Union and NAFTA), and non-governmental organizations (Red Cross, Amnesty International) will be considered. Students will write papers and participate in debates. Enrollment Limit: 35.

     

     

     

     
    Instructor: B. Schiff
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite: One course in Politics (highly recommended: POLT 120 or 121).

     
  

  • POLT 226 - International Law


    This course may also count for the major in (consult the program or department major requirements) :
    Law and Society
    Next Offered: 2009-2010
    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    Attribute: 3 SS

    The course will explore the nature, sources, and role of law in international relations;   participants in the international legal system, questions of jurisdiction, enforcement, rights, norms, liability, dispute settlement and the connection of domestic to international law. The course will also consider the role of major multilateral treaties and institutions and new developments in changing areas such as international criminal law and the law of intellectual property. Enrollment limit: 35.   
    Instructor: B. Schiff
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite: One course in international relations.
  

  • POLT 227 - War, Weapons & Arms Control


    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    Attribute: 3 SS

    Evolution of war, weapons and war technologies, arms diffusion, acquisition, and control, their influences on international violence and concepts of national security, relationship to civilian technological, organizational and political change, and relationships to military tactics will be examined. A series of policy memorandums constitute the writing requirement for the course. Enrollment Limit: 20 per section.
    Instructor: B. Schiff
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite: One course in Politics (highly recommended: POLT 120 or POLT 121).
  

  • POLT 231 - European Political Theory: Plato to Machiavelli


    This course may also count for the major in (consult the program or department major requirements) :
    Law and Society
    Next Offered: 2009-2010
    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    Attribute: 3 SS

    Examines the development of political theory in Europe from its emergence at the time of the Greek city-state until the end of the Medieval period. Major texts are analyzed not only in terms of their internal arguments and concepts, but also in relation to the differing social and political contexts in which each was written. Authors to be studied include: Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Aquinas and Machiavelli. Enrollment Limit: 30.
    Instructor: H. Wilson
  

  • POLT 232 - European Political Theory: Hobbes to Marx


    This course may also count for the major in (consult the program or department major requirements) :
    Law and Society
    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    Attribute: 3 SS

    Examines main developments in European political theory from the emergence of the early nation-state until the era of industrial capitalist society. Through a close study of selected texts, the decline of absolutist theories of the state, the development of liberalism as the central political theory tradition, and of conservatism and socialism as critical responses to it, are studied. Authors include: Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Burke, Bentham, J. S. Mill and Marx. Enrollment Limit: 40.
    Instructor: S. Misra
    Prerequisites & Notes
     

     
  

  • POLT 233 - American Political Thought


    This course may also count for the major in (consult the program or department major requirements) :
    Law and Society
    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 4 hours
    Attribute: 4SS

    A critical analysis of the main currents of American political theory from the Puritans to the present, with particular emphasis on the Founding period. Traditional American political concepts are examined and re-evaluated in the light of late twentieth century conditions. Some attention is given to the development of an American science of politics and to problems of national and group identity. Enrollment Limit: 30.
    Instructor: H. Hirsch
    Prerequisites & Notes
    This is a core course in the Law and Society Program.
  

  • POLT 234 - European Political Theory: After Marx


    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    Attribute: 3 SS

    A critical analysis of European political theory from the mid-19th to the mid-20th centuries. Issues examined include the nature of power, the relation of freedom to authority, whether individual political action remains possible in the modern world, and the status of social science methods in political theory. Authors studied include Durkheim, Nietzsche,Weber, Lenin, Camus and others. Enrollment Limit: 35.
    Instructor: H. Wilson
    Prerequisites & Notes
     

     
  

  • POLT 235 - Debating Democracy


    Next Offered: 2009-2010
    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    Attribute: 3 SS

    Students will reflect on their own views about the nature of democracy as they explore some of the ways that democracy has been conceptualized, defended, and criticized in different times and places. Issues in recent democratic theory, such as multiculturalism and the place of deliberation in democracy, will be discussed. Comparisons made with ancient Greek and early modern theories will illuminate how social contexts have shaped – and continue to shape – ideas about democracy. Enrollment limit: 25.
    Instructor: S. Kruks
  

  • POLT 237 - Environmental Political Theory


    This course may also count for the major in (consult the program or department major requirements) :
    ENVS
    Next Offered:


    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    Attribute: 3 SS

    An examination of various political theories concerned with the relationship between humans and the natural environment. Issues such as the human transformation of nature through technology and social practice, the ‘tragedy of the commons,’” the social construction of nature, and the development of a “green” democratic theory and practice are considered. Readings are drawn from a wide range of political theories, including neo-Malthusianism, libertarianism, ecosocialism, social ecology, deep ecology, eco-feminism, postmodernism and democratic theory. Enrollment Limit: 30.
    Instructor: H. Wilson
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite: At least one course in political theory, or ENVS 208.
  

  • POLT 238 - The Justice of War?


    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    Attribute: 3 SS

    New course added 05.08.08.

    Are there any “good” wars? This course explores, through a study of classical and contemporary texts, when, if ever, war might be morally justified and when it might not. There will be some philosophical examination of just means in a war, but the course focuses on the reasons for going to war. Particular wars may be used illustratively, but the course is situated squarely in the field of the political and moral philosophy of war.
    Instructor: S. Misra
  

  • POLT 239 - Marxist Theory


    This course may also count for the major in (consult the program or department major requirements) :
    REES
    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    Attribute: 3 SS, CD, WR

    A survey of Marxist theory from Marx and Engels to the present. After discussing Hegel, the heart of the course is in-depth study of Marx and Engels. We proceed next to leading Marxist thinkers and political activists of the early 20th century: Bernstein, Luxemburg, Kautsky, Lenin and Gramsci. Finally we briefly take up critical theory, feminist Marxism, environmental Marxism, analytical Marxism, and postmodern Marxism. Enrollment Limit: 35.
    Instructor: H. Wilson
    Prerequisites & Notes
     

     
  

  • POLT 260 - Nationalism and the State in Post Soviet Politics


    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3SS

    This course examines state and nation in the Soviet Union and its successor states, focusing on how national identity was created, the role of the states in these processes, and resulting paths of political development. Special topics include: Soviet ethno-federalism; ‘native’ elites and the Soviet state; nationalist mobilization; ethnic minorities and the politics of nation-building; unresolved territorial conflicts; democratic revolution; and oil-based state development. Enrollment Limt: 35.
    Instructor: L. Markowitz
  

  • POLT 271 - Gender, Sexuality and the Law


    This course may also count for the major in (consult the program or department major requirements) :
    Law and Society
    Next Offered: 2009-2010
    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    Attribute: 3 SS

    This course will consider some of the historical, theoretical, and doctrinal issues surrounding sexuality and gender in American law. A previous course in constitutional law is helpful but not required. Topics include sexual privacy, military exclusions, and the construction of manhood, gender, and sexuality in the workplace and in education, sexual consent, and various topics in family law. Class participation is essential and is a component of each student’s grade. Enrollment Limit: 25.
    Instructor: H. Hirsch
  

  • POLT 302 - American Democracy: Law and Policy


    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    Attribute: 3 SS

    This course will focus on politics, the political and electoral process, and the courts. We will examine some of the key legal and policy issues framing the political landscape: the right to vote, money and politics, reapportionment and vote dilution. We also will look at the role of the political parties, the federal and state judiciary, and the voters, among other significant players. Prior coursework in constitutional law is strongly desired. Enrollment limit: 20.
    Instructor: M. Krislov
  

  • POLT 303 - Seminar: Equal Protection and Implied Fundamental Rights


    This course may also count for the major in (consult the program or department major requirements) :
    Law and Society, GSFS
    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    Attribute: 3 SS

    This course is an exploration of the constitutional rights of gay citizens under the Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses of the 14th Amendment. Topics include: same sex marriage; Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell in the military; gay rights in the workplace, equal protection versus a right of privacy basis for gay rights; sameness and difference under the law – gender, race and sexual orientation; relationship of equal protection, due process, and freedom of speech and association, and impact of Supreme Court on social change. Students may choose widely in selecting paper topics. This is a core research seminar in the Law and Society Program. Enrollment Limit: 15.

     
    Instructor: Mr. Kahn
    Prerequisites & Notes

    POLT 103, 119, 202, 203, 204, 270, 27, 309 or consent of instructor. This is a core research seminar in the Law and Society Program.

     

     

     

     

     
  

  • POLT 305 - Seminar: The Presidency


    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3SS, WR

    The study of the American presidency provides an opportunity to examine the nature and interaction of historical, institutional, cultural, and political forces in the acquisition and exercise of political power. Specialized topics vary by year. Enrollment Limit: 12.
    Instructor: P. Dawson
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisites: Polt 205, (may be taken concurrently) or equivalent methodology training, and consent of instructor.
  

  • POLT 307 - Democratic Engagement in the United States


    Next Offered: 2009-2010
    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    Attribute: 3 SS

    A consideration of the theory and practice of democracy in the American context. Students will pursue substantial research projects. Topics include the changing nature of citizenship, the decline of political participation, and the nature of political activism. Enrollment Limit: 14. 
    Instructor: H. Hirsch
  

  • POLT 308 - Constitutional Interpretation and Individual Rights


    This course may also count for the major in (consult the program or department major requirements) :
    Law and Society
    Next Offered: 2009-2010
    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    Attribute: 3 SS

    This seminar explores the following contemporary approaches to constitutional interpretation in light of their use (or lack of use) in landmark constitutional law cases and impact on the development of individual rights and the power of American government: liberal originalism (Dworkin, Barber, and Balkin); conservative originalism (Bork); representation-reinforcing and polity malfunction (Ely); pragmatism and judicial minimalism (Sunstein and Strauss); popular constitutionalism (Tushnet, Eisgruber, Levinson); constitutional revolutions (Ackerman), and eclectic (Tribe and Flemming) approaches.
    Instructor: R. Kahn
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisites: POLT 103, 119, 202, 203, 204, 270, 271, or consent of instructor.
  

  • POLT 309 - Public Education, Policy and Law


    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3SS

    This seminar will explore how law and policy interact in public education (K12 and higher education), focusing on significant Supreme Court constitutional rulings involving race and/or religion. We will grapple with several questions: 1) What theory of judicial review should the Court embrace? 2) How are Court decisions made? 3) What impact do Court decisions have on policy and practice? 4) To what extent does (or should) the law limit policy options in these areas? Enrollment limit: 20.
    Instructor: M. Krislov
  

  • POLT 310 - Seminar: Failed States


    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    Attribute: 3SS

    This seminar investigates the disintegration of state authority, comparing cases from sub-Saharan Africa and post-Soviet Eurasia. After studying processes that shape state disintegration (interstate war, sovereignty, imperialism, and globalization), we will explore civil war, warlordism, and unrecognized state-making in the context of state failure. We will also assess the possibilities of restoring state authority, the potential for democratic politics, and the impact of international intervention.  Enrollment Limit: 15.
    Instructor: L. Markowitz
    Prerequisites & Notes
     

     
  

  • POLT 313 - Seminar: Transition to Capitalism in China


    This course may also count for the major in (consult the program or department major requirements) :
    East Asian Studies
    Next Offered: 2009-2010
    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    Attribute: 3 SS, CD, WR

    We analyze the achievements and problems of China’s ongoing efforts at structural “reform” away from state socialism and toward capitalistic authoritarianism, sampling the latest studies of political economy (the role of the state in industry, agriculture, commerce and finance), political sociology (inequality, stratification, social problems) and politics (resistance, civil society and democracy). Students will write research papers on a topic of their choice; they and the instructor will present and critique drafts. Enrollment Limit: 15.
    Instructor: M. Blecher
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisites: One course in comparative politics or consent of the instructor.
     
     
  

  • POLT 315 - Seminar: The Future of Organized Labor


    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3 SS, WP

     This seminar examines the challenges facing labor movements in advanced capitalist societies today, and the ways in which workers and labor unions are responding to those challenges. The focus will be upon organized labor in the United States and Western Europe. Among the issues explored will be: economic restructuring; globalization; changes in the composition of the working class, including immigration and the feminization of work; the role of the state; and new organizing strategies. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 15.
    Instructor: C. Howell
  

  • POLT 317 - Seminar: The Transformation of the Welfare State


    Next Offered: 2009-2010
    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    Attribute: 3 SS, WR

    This seminar examines the emergence of new, qualitatively different kinds of welfare states across the advanced capitalist world in the past two decades. The seminar will be comparative, examining the causes and consequences of the crisis and transformation of the welfare state in Western Europe and North America. Topics will include: welfare and healthcare reform, the feminization of the labor force, and the impact of globalization on welfare states. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 15.
    Instructor: C. Howell
  

  • POLT 321 - Seminar: International Politics


    This course may also count for the major in (consult the program or department major requirements) :
    LATS, Law and Society
    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3SS

    Selected issues in international relations. In 2008, the seminar focuses on International Criminal Law (the law of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes), related domestic and international institutions (military tribunals, truth commissions, mixed courts, ad hoc international tribunals, and the International Criminal Court), and relevant international relations and international legal concepts (international norms, state sovereignty, universal jurisdiction, positive and natural law). Students will research and write a major paper throughout the course of the semester, engage in debate, discussion and presentations. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 13.
    Instructor: B. Schiff
  

  • POLT 328 - Seminar: Pirates, Priests and Protestors: Non-state Actors in International Politics


    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3SS

    Non-state actors have long influenced the use of violence, the creation of norms, and the distribution of wealth that guide relations among states. They increasingly challenge the traditional state system and thus the underlying structure of international politics. The course explores how non-state actors form and evolve, and under what conditions they become influential. Focus on NGOs, transnational advocacy networks, transnational corporations, private armies, and transnational criminal and terrorist networks. Influence areas include social policy, the environment, security, and human rights. Historical and contemporary cases. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 12.
    Instructor: K. Mani
  

  • POLT 329 - Seminar: Globalization


    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    Attribute: 3 SS

    This seminar will examine what is arguably the dominant trend of the post-Cold War world: the increasingly global nature of capitalism, together with the compression of the world through new technologies, and the consequences and reactions these trends have spurred. We will examine competing theoretical perspectives on globalization, and explore the impact on the Third World, labor, the environment, state sovereignty and world culture, as well as the rise of various movements in response. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 14.
    Instructor: S. Crowley
  

  • POLT 331 - Seminar: Modernity and Postmodernity in Contemporary Political Theory


    Next Offered: 2009-2010
    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    Attribute: 3 SS

    An intensive, critical examination of the works of several recent political theorists (Arendt, Habermas, Foucault, and some others). Particular attention will be given to issues raised in recent debates about modernity and postmodernity, such as the nature of history and the possibility of progress, the place of truth and knowledge in politics, or whether we can still talk of social emancipation. Consent of instructor. Enrollment Limit: 12.
    Instructor: S. Kruks
    Prerequisites & Notes
     

     
  

  • POLT 334 - Seminar: Theories of Justice and Democracy in Contemporary America


    This course may also count for the major in (consult the program or department major requirements) :
    Law and Society
    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    Attribute: 3SS

    This seminar discusses some of the most important recent and contemporary American political theories, focusing on controversies about the nature of justice and the scope and extent of democracy in a political society of plurality and difference. Various approaches to political theory are represented, including the work of Arendt, Rawls, Nozick, Walzer, Connolly, Young and others. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 15.
    Instructor: H. Wilson
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite: At least one course in political theory, preferably POLT 232, 233 or 234.  
  

  • POLT 336 - Multiculturalism in Theory and Practice


    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    Attribute: 3 SS

    New Course Added 05.08.08.

    This course closely examines philosophical defenses and critiques of multiculturalism, classical and contemporary, to consider what makes multiculturalism such a controversial political issue. Acknowledging many varieties of multiculturalism, it asks which of these we might find more, and which less, appealing. The substantive focus is on philosophical approaches, but the course considers, throughout, their application to contemporary issues in multiculturalism across the world. Enrollment limit: 15.
    Instructor: S. Misra
    Prerequisites & Notes
    At least 1 class in political theory or moral and political philosophy. Junior or senior standing normally required.
  

  • POLT 403 - Senior Honors


    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 1-5 hours
    Attribute: 1-5SS

    Senior honors course requires consent of the instructor.
    Instructor: C. Howell
  

  • POLT 404 - Senior Honors


    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 1-5 hours
    Attribute: 1-5SS

    Senior Honors. Consent of instructor required.
    Instructor: C. Howell
  

  • POLT 411 - Practicum in Applied Research


    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3 SS

    Students, as part of a team, will research and write on a topic in the policy realm that services the needs of an off-campus organization. Students will receive training in strategies for conducting research and a standardized method of presenting written and oral findings to a client or financial backer. Students will learn about the business and ethical activities of political research consultants as a model for launching their own business. Enrollment limit: 12.
    Instructor: E. Sandberg
    Prerequisites & Notes

     
  

  • POLT 421 - Studies in Electoral Politics


    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 2-3 hours
    Attribute: 2-3SS

    This is a research and writing seminar exclusively for Cole Scholars who have been selected to participate in the Oberlin Initiative in Electoral Politics. The seminar will prepare students for their summer internships and familiarize them with the major scholarly and practical literature concerning campaigns and elections. Consent of instructor required.
    Instructor: M. Parkin
  

  • POLT 422 - Projects in Electoral Politics


    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 2-3 hours
    Attribute: 2-3SS

    This is a research and writing seminar in which students analyze electoral politics in light of social science theories and field work. Enrollment in this course is limited to Cole Scholars who have completed their summer internships under the auspices of the Oberlin Initiative in Electoral Politics. Consent of instructor required.
    Instructor: M. Parkin
  

  • POLT 430 - Legal Advocacy


    This course may also count for the major in (consult the program or department major requirements) :
    Law and Society
    Semester Offered: First Semester, Second Module
    Credits (Range): 1-2 Hours
    Attribute: 1-2 SS

    Topics include: Approaching a case and developing a core theory; information literacy and research skills; legal writing (pre-trial motions, legal research memoranda, oral arguments, and briefs); presenting oral arguments; court procedures and decorum; professional responsibility and ethics. Students will participate in an on-campus mock trial. This course is by consent and is open to students selected for the Oberlin Law Scholars Program.  Those interested in participating in Moot Court competitions will be given a priority in enrollment. Enrollment Limit: 15.
    Instructor: W. Vodrey
  

  • POLT 900 - OCEAN: Global Politics


    Semester Offered: First Semester, Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 1-3 hours
    tba
    Instructor: Staff
  

  • POLT 995 - Private Reading


    Semester Offered: First Semester, Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 0.5-3 hours
    Attribute: 0.5-3SS

    Signed permission of the instructor required.
    Instructor: M. Blecher, S. Crowley, P. Dawson, H. Hirsch, C. Howell, R. Kahn, S. Kruks, K. Mani, M. Parkin, E. Sandberg, B. Schiff, H. Wilson
  

  • PSYC 100 - The Study of Behavior


    Semester Offered: First Semester, Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 4 hours
    Attribute: 2NS, 2SS

    A survey of contemporary research and theory in the study of behavior, including topics drawn from biological, cognitive, social, developmental, personality, and clinical psychology.  Enrollment Limit: 120.
    Instructor: P. deWinstanley, Staff
    Prerequisites & Notes
    This is a prerequisite course for most advanced courses in the department.
  

  • PSYC 106 - Visual Communication


    Semester Offered: First Semester, Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3SS

    An introduction to visual communication. This course will address questions such as: How is information effectively presented? What are principles of good graphic design? Using computer technology, students will learn how to create and evaluate the effectiveness of two and three dimensional visual communications. Visual communications will take the form of print publications, web sites, PowerPoint presentations, videos, animations, or interactive CDs. Evaluation will include basic research design and data analysis.
    Instructor: S. Carrier
  

  • PSYC 108 - Psychobiological Perspective of the Arts


    Semester Offered: First Semester, Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3SS, QP-H

    This course examines fundamental biological and psychological processes involved in the experience and creation of art. It adopts the perspective of the natural sciences to address questions such as: What are the biological and behavioral prerequisites for art? How and why did they evolve? How are sensory, perceptual, and cognitive systems organized to acquire and process information about the environment? How are motivational and emotional systems organized to direct and influence artistic behavior?
    Instructor: S. Carrier
  

  • PSYC 122 - Educational Psychology


    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3SS

    Introduction to principles and issues in educational psychology. Focuses include: pertinent aspects of child development, learning theory, learning in the classroom, educational tests and measurements, and learning styles and creativity. Applications to diverse student populations and students with behavioral difficulties will be explored. Enrollment Limit: 40.
    Instructor: W. Friedman, P. deWinstanley
  

  • PSYC 200 - Research Methods I


    This course may also count for the major in (consult the program or department major requirements) :
    NSCI
    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 4 hours
    Attribute: 4NS, QP-F

    This skills based course introduces descriptive and inferential statistics and basic principles of experimental and non-experimental research design. Topics include probability, chi-square, ANOVA, correlation and regression, sampling, measurement, and the systematic elimination of alternative hypotheses through statistical and experimental control. Scientific writing, use of SPSS, model building, and hypothesis testing are strongly emphasized. The course is intended to provide psychology majors with the core skills they need to carry out and interpret quantitative empirical research.  Enrollment Limit: 70 (lab sections: 20 each).
    Instructor: N. Darling
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisites: PSYC 100, NSCI 201 or NSCI 204. Students must register for one of the lab sessions.
  

  • PSYC 204 - Cultural Psychology


    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: CD, 3SS

    A survey of the rapidly growing field of cultural psychology, for students interested in the ways in which behavior, thoughts, and feelings of individuals are influenced by their cultural context. Specifically, the course will examine the impact that culture has on child development, cognitive processes, emotional experiences, social behavior, health-related behaviors, and psychopathology. Applications to psychotherapy, negotiation, and organizational/work settings will also be explored. Enrollment Limit: 35.
    Instructor: S. Mayer
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite: PSYC 100.
  

  • PSYC 206 - Sensory Processes and Perception


    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3NS

    Sensory systems evolved so that the organism could acquire information about its environment in order to survive and reproduce. This course explores the structure and function of sensory systems and includes topics such as: sensory receptors; transduction; mapping of sensory magnitude, space and time, movement, and stimulus qualities; the relationship between sensory processes and perceptual experience. Class meetings will be interactive, and used for a variety of exercises, demonstrations, presentations, and other activities.
    Instructor: S. Carrier
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite: PSYC 100.
  

  • PSYC 211 - Personality: Theory and Research


    Next Offered: 2009-2010
    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    Attribute: 3 SS

    A survey of historical theory and current research in adult personality. We will examine the conceptual origin and current body of empirical knowledge relevant to personality processes and individual differences. Topics covered will include emotionality, introversion-extraversion, the self system, self-consciousness, self-efficacy, androgyny and gender identity, personality and health, and interpersonal behavior. Personality assessment and socio-cultural influences will be considered as well. Enrollment Limit: 35.
    Instructor: K. Sutton
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite: PSYC 100.
    Note: Not open to students who have received credit for PSYC 210 or 212.
  

  • PSYC 214 - Abnormal Psychology


    This course may also count for the major in (consult the program or department major requirements) :
    Law and Society, NSCI
    Semester Offered: First Semester, Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3NS

    A survey of the field of adult psychopathology, beginning with conceptual and methodological foundations of the study of disordered behavior, followed by an examination of the major categories of mental disorder. A scientific perspective will be emphasized throughout the course, although a variety of philosophical, socio-cultural, and legal controversies will be considered as well. Enrollment Limit: 30.
    Instructor: A. Porterfield
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite: PSYC 100; or NSCI 201 or 204.   An introductory neuroscience course is strongly recommended.
  

  • PSYC 216 - Developmental Psychology


    Semester Offered: First Semester, Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3SS, WR

    Research, issues, and theories of human development. Psychological topic areas, such as cognition, personality, and social behavior, will be related to the different age periods from infancy to adolescence, with a brief consideration of adulthood. The final part of the course will be devoted to social policy concerns and childhood psychopathology.
    Instructor: W. Friedman
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Note: An optional laboratory, PSYC 302, may be taken with or after this course. Prerequisite: PSYC 100.
  

  • PSYC 217 - Adolescence and the Transition to Adulthood


    Next Offered: 2009-2010
    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    Attribute: 3 SS

    Only in early infancy do minds, bodies, and abilities change as rapidly as they do between puberty and the end of college. This class surveys the concepts, methods, and research findings central to the study of adolescent development. Major areas of study include: fundamental changes in biological and cognitive processes, contextual changes in family, peers, school, work, and leisure and psychosocial issues such as identity, sexuality, achievement and problem behavior. Enrollment Limit: 35.
    Instructor: N. Darling
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite: PSYC 100.
  

  • PSYC 218 - Social Psychology


    This course may also count for the major in (consult the program or department major requirements) :
    Law and Society
    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3SS

    This course surveys major theories and research traditions in social psychology. Topics covered will include: interpersonal attraction, stereotyping, prejudice, discrimination, and helping behavior. Assignments are designed to encourage students to apply the ideas of social psychology to their own and others’ behavior. Research methodologies in social psychology will also be covered. Enrollment Limit: 50.
    Instructor: C. Frantz
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite: PSYC 100.
  

  • PSYC 219 - Cognitive Psychology


    This course may also count for the major in (consult the program or department major requirements) :
    NSCI
    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3NS

    This course covers a variety of topics that deal with the scientific study of human cognition. Topics may include: perception, memory, learning, thinking, problem solving, language, and reasoning. Historical as well as contemporary perspectives will be discussed, and data from behavioral experiments, cognitive neuroscience, and computational modeling will be addressed. Enrollment Limit: 35.
    Instructor: J. Hanna
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite: PSYC 100 or NSCI 201, or NSCI 204. Recommended Preparation: PSYC 200, or MATH 100, 113, or 114. Notes: An optional laboratory, PSYC 303, may be taken after this course.
  

  • PSYC 230 - Health Psychology


    Next Offered: 2010-2011
    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    Attribute: 3 SS

    An examination of psychological research relevant to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease and illness. Topics will include stress and illness; personality factors and health; psychoneuroimmunology; psychological factors in health maintenance; pain and stress management; health and gender, ethnicity, and race; treatment compliance and communication. Enrollment Limit: 35.
    Instructor: K. Sutton
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite: PSYC 100. PSYC 200 or an equivalent is recommended.

     

     
  

  • PSYC 300 - Research Methods II


    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 4 hours
    Attribute: 4NS, QP-F

    A continuation of PSYC 200, covering advanced experimental and correlational designs. Analysis topics include factorial and repeated measurement analysis of variance, partial and multiple correlation/regression. Students are expected to complete complex data analysis projects using advanced SPSS statistical procedures.
    Instructor: C. Frantz
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisites: PSYC 200; or MATH 113 or 114 and consent of instructor. This course is intended for psychology and related majors and prospective majors. It should be taken in the semester following PSYC 200.
  

  • PSYC 301 - Advanced Methods in Personality/Social Psychology


    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3NS, QP-F

    Projects designed to parallel closely the process of professional research in personality and social psychology. Students will conduct their own research in groups, thus gaining experience in the activities common to all psychological research: hypothesis generation; research design; data collection, analysis, and interpretation; and report writing. The lab group will also engage in the use of computerized statistical analysis. Enrollment Limit: 15.
    Instructor: S. Mayer
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite: PSYC 200. Prerequisite or corequisite: PSYC 211 or PSYC 218.
  

  • PSYC 302 - Advanced Methods in Developmental Psychology


    Semester Offered: First Semester, Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 1-3 hours
    Attribute: 1-3SS

    Experimental and naturalistic methods used to study children from infancy through adolescence. Content areas include: infant perception, attachment behavior, intelligence, cognitive development, moral development, and social interaction. Students will collect data, use computer routines to describe related data sets, and prepare laboratory reports. Number of credit hours relates to the number of reports required. Enrollment Limit: 8.
    Instructor: W. Friedman
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisites: To be taken in conjunction with or subsequent to PSYC 216 and 300.
  

  • PSYC 303 - Advanced Methods in Cognitive Psychology


    This course may also count for the major in (consult the program or department major requirements) :
    NSCI
    Semester Offered: First Semester, Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3NS, WR

    This lab will introduce students to experimental methods used in cognitive psychology. Students will design experiments, collect data, and report research in the style and format of the American Psychological Association. Enrollment Limit: 8.
    Instructor: P. deWinstanley, J. Hanna
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite: PSYC 200, and PSYC 219. Prerequisite or Co-requisite: PSYC 300.
  

  • PSYC 304 - Advanced Methods in Adolescent Development


    Next Offered: 2009-2010
    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    Attribute: 3 SS

    The Adolescent Development Laboratory is designed to give students a fuller understanding of adolescent development, the research process, and how research methods and statistics are applied in collecting and analyzing data. Students enrolled in this course will plan, pilot, and carry out a joint research project that involves interview, experimental, observational, and/or questionnaire methodologies. To be taken subsequent to PSYC 200. It is recommended that students take this course in conjunction with or subsequent to either PSYC 216 or PSYC 217. Enrollment Limit: 15
    Instructor: N. Darling
    Prerequisites & Notes
    It is recommended that students take this course in conjunction with or subsequent to either PSYC 216 or PSYC 217. 
    To be taken subsequent to PSYC 200.
  

  • PSYC 305 - Advanced Methods in Human Psychophysiology


    This course may also count for the major in (consult the program or department major requirements) :
    NSCI
    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3NS

    Psychophysiology is concerned with physiological responses as reflections of psychological traits, states, and processes. In this combination lecture-laboratory introduction to the field, students will study the form and function of major physiological response systems and gain laboratory experience in the recording, analysis, and interpretation of cardiovascular, skin conductance, EMG, EEG, and event-related brain potential data. Enrollment Limit: 12.
    Instructor: A. Porterfield
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite: PSYC-200, familiarity with Microsoft Excel, and consent of instructor.
  

  • PSYC 401 - Research Discussion Group


    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 1 hours
    Attribute: 1SS

    This course is canceled effective 09.08.2008.

    The Research Discussion Group serves as a forum for faculty and students to present and discuss research projects conducted in the different sub-areas of psychology (e.g., cognitive, developmental, social, clinical). Meetings provide an opportunity for researchers to receive feedback and for students enrolled in the course to learn about the process of psychological research; how ideas are turned into studies and how studies lead to future research. Enrollment Limit: 12.
    Instructor: W. Friedman
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite: PSYC 100. Note: CR/NE or P/NP grading.
  

  • PSYC 430 - Seminar in Social Conflict


    This course may also count for the major in (consult the program or department major requirements) :
    Law and Society
    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3SS

    Drawing from the fields of social, cognitive, and political psychology, this course explores the psychological processes that lead to, exacerbate, and ameliorate conflict. It examines biases in perceiving the ‘other,’ the role of pride and face-saving, the influence of social identity, and shortcomings in decision-making. We will also explore methods of de-escalating conflict, negotiation as problem-solving, the process of mediation, and the role of gender and culture in negotiation.  Enrollment Limit: 14.
    Instructor: C. Frantz
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite: PSYC 218.
  

  • PSYC 431 - Seminar in Psychology of Law


    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3SS

    This course is canceled, effective 11.09.2008.

    Psychology of law concerns the application of research from all subdisciplinary areas of psychology including cognitive, clinical, social, developmental, and physiological. Topics may include forensic assessment, eye witness accuracy, jury decision making, special considerations surrounding juveniles, hypnosis, and repressed memory. Much of the content of the seminar will be determined by the students in consultation with the instructor. Prerequisites and Notes: Open to senior Psychology majors.  Enrollment Limit:  10.
    Instructor: P. deWinstanley
  

  • PSYC 450 - Seminar in Psycholinguistics


    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3SS

    This seminar investigates the psychological study of language, from sound perception to actions we perform with language. Topics may include word recognition, sentence processing and production, discourse and conversation, creative language, bilingualism, and language disorders. Discussions will address issues such as modularity, ambiguity resolution, context effects, how people coordinate conversation, and how IQ tests and telephone voice recognition systems are affected by our conversational expectations. We’ll also discuss methodologies and new technologies such as head-mounted eye tracking. Enrollment 15.
    Instructor: J. Hanna
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite: PSYC 219 or consent of instructor. Note: CR/NE or P/NP grading.
  

  • PSYC 461 - Seminar in Adolescent Development


    Next Offered: 2010-2011
    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    Attribute: 3 SS

    This seminar explores the empirical and theoretical literature on development from the end of elementary school through the transition to adulthood. The class will provide a brief overview of normative change and individual differences in biological and cognitive development and in family and peer relationships. During the second half of the semester, readings will explore two or more topics in depth. Topics may include romantic relationships and sexuality, identity, problem behavior, or developmental psychopathology. Enrollment Limit: 12.
    Instructor: N. Darling
    Prerequisites & Notes
    PSYC 216 or 217 or permission of instructor
  

  • PSYC 470 - Seminar in Psychotherapy


    Next Offered: 2009-2010
    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    Attribute: 3 SS

    An examination of theories, assumptions, and clinical procedures associated with the major approaches to individual psychotherapy. We will consider psychoanalysis, existential psychotherapy, client-centered therapy, Gestalt therapy, behavior modification, and cognitive-behavior therapy as well as therapies for special groups (e.g., children). The evaluation of therapeutic effectiveness and ethical issues will also be examined. Enrollment Limit: 12.
    Instructor: K. Sutton
    Prerequisites & Notes
    PSYC 211. PSYC 214 is strongly recommended.
  

  • PSYC 500 - Teaching Assistant


    Semester Offered: First Semester, Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 1 hours
    Attribute: 1SS, WR

    Advanced majors may serve as teaching assistants in a lower-level course by invitation of the faculty member involved. Consent of instructor required.
    Instructor: S. Mayer
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Note: CR/NE or P/NP grading.
  

  • PSYC 501 - Practicum in Autism


    Next Offered: 2009-2010
    Semester Offered: First and Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 2 Hours
    Attribute: 2 SS

    This class is an opportunity to work one-on-one with children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The practicum focuses on developing a relationship with a child with ASD by working with him or her in their classroom at least once a week. Readings on the etiology and treatment of ASD will supplement the experiential component. Enrollment Limit: 15.
    Instructor: K. Sutton
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Notes: CR/NE or P/NP grading.
    May be repeated for credit.
  

  • PSYC 504 - Research Assistant


    Semester Offered: First Semester, Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 1-4 hours
    Attribute: 1-4SS

    Students may serve as research assistants in faculty or Senior Honors research projects by invitation of the faculty sponsor involved. Consent of instructor required.
    Instructor: S. Mayer
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Note: CR/NE or P/NP grading.
  

  • PSYC 520 - Supervised Research in Social and Environmental Psychology


    Semester Offered: First Semester, Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 1-3 hours
    Attribute: 1-3SS

    A class designed to involve students in the conduct of professional research. Research issues will broadly fall within the areas of social conflict, social/environmental issues, prejudice and discrimination, and perspective taking. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 15.
    Instructor: C. Frantz, S. Mayer
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Note: CR/NE or P/NP grading. May be repeated for credit.
  

  • PSYC 540 - Supervised Research in Cognitive Neuroscience


    Semester Offered: First Semester, Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 1-3 hours
    Attribute: 1-3NS

    A class designed to involve students in the conduct of professional research. Research will address some aspect of human cognition or emotion, with an emphasis on physiological dependent measures. Students will master laboratory procedures and collect and process experimental data under the close supervision of the instructor. Some reading of relevant research papers and regular group meetings devoted to coordinating lab activities and discussing the ongoing research will be required. Consent of instructor required.
    Instructor: A. Porterfield
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Notes:  P/NP grading. May be repeated for credit.
 

Page: 1 <- Back 10 … 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16