2018-2019 Upper Division Seminars

Simon Richard, Honors Program

TR 10:00 - 11:20 am

The most resonant and widely read and taught dystopian novels in the canon of “classic” dystopian fiction – Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four and Huxley’s Brave New World – stand out to twenty-first century students as being told from an outdated masculine-centered perspective that not only flattens and distorts the agency of female characters, but also imagines worlds that would be dystopic for men, without interrogating what is already dystopic about contemporary reality for women and others who are marginalized in canonical works by Anglophonic males.

What do dystopias written by women tell us that might be different from what dystopias written by men tell us about our reality? What issues are addressed by women authors who follow contemporary trend lines to envision possible dystopian futures? In what ways do women-authored works of speculative fiction rely on, allude to, reimagine, or subvert “canonical” dystopian works? And how might we use our reading of dystopian novels with women protagonists, written by women authors, to craft a lens by which to analyze further works in this genre? Texts could include Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale or Oryx and Crake... but also Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games, Naomi Alderman’s The Power, Ursula LeGuin’s short story “The Matter of Seggri”, and Claire Vaye Watkins’ Gold Fame Citrus.

Brian J. Bowe, Journalism

TR 12:00 - 01:20 pm

This course offers a look at 20th century U.S. history up to the present through the window of broadcasting and electronic media. We will explore the historical, cultural, technological, economic, and political forces that shaped the U.S. system of electronic mass media in particular, though we will also contrast that system with those in other places. We will also look at how this developing history — and the media that it created — has had an impact on society and on our own lives. In the end, students will develop critical media literacy skills as they gain a context for the larger picture that they may not have contemplated previously. Learning outcomes include the development of advanced media literacy skills; an increased understanding of the interplay among the political, technological and economic forces that influence media content; and a deeper sense of the history of broadcasting and understand the role these technologies have played — and continue to play — in American culture.

Jane Wong, English

MWF 01:00 - 01:50 pm

“Of the art forms, poetry is the most economical. It is the one which is the most secret, which requires the least physical labor, the least material, and the one which can be done between shifts, in the hospital pantry, on the subway, and on scraps of surplus paper.” - Audre Lorde

The terms “work,” “class,” and “labor” are not easy ones to pin down. There are many ways to think about what we do and will do for most of our lives: work. America’s workforce and work culture has a long history and future ahead of it. In one way or another, we’ve all discussed (un)employment, benefits, time-off, over-time, cultural capital, labor unions, etc. And these discussions often lead to conversations about age, race, gender, sexuality, and more. Indeed, class and labor is a tangled matter. Work is also a personal matter: Should I hang out with my co-workers tonight or go to sleep early? How will I pay off my loans after I graduate? How will I pay for groceries this week after losing my job?

This course asks you to deeply engage work and class through a multitude of interdisciplinary creative acts, particularly poetry. We will consider the following questions: how can poetry help us better understand class systems in America? How can we – as poets and artists ourselves – express our own unique experiences of class and labor? To address these questions, we will experiment with literary, visual, and performance based arts. We will begin by close reading poems, songs, and stories from writers and artists such as Biggie Smalls, Dolly Parton, Langston Hughes, Marge Piercy, No Violet Bulawayo, Ocean Vuong, and more. Indeed, what does it mean to create art with class-consciousness in mind? We will deepen our understanding of poetry and work by finding common threads as well as disparate aesthetics. We will close read poems and weave in criticism and arguments, building an intimate yet contextualized understanding of a text. As writers, readers, and artists, we will add our own labor and work stories and reflect on our process of inquiry– honoring both self-awareness and engaged conversation. It’s time to get to work!

Anika Tilland-Stafford, Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies

MWF 02:00 - 02:50 pm

What role does religion play in maintaining power and hierarchy? What impact does this have on gendered lives? How have feminist practices of reclamation turned sites of regulation into sites of resistance?

This course will explore the roles of religion in regulating gender as well as ways religion forms the basis of efforts toward resistance. We will take a global perspective examining how different cultural contexts have approached gender in the work to secure human rights for all. Alert to larger systems of power such as colonialism and globalization, we will examine religion as a prevalent form of institutional normalization as well as sites from which people have challenged the gendered status quo. From women missionaries using doctrine to justify colonialism, to Muslim feminists using religious dress to resist conforming to Western norms, the study of religion provides powerful ground for social justice, feminist analysis.

This seminar will value how diverse religious and non-religious viewpoints inform our analyses of course material. We will examine the implications of queer, transgender, disability justice, and anti-racism in interpreting the readings. As an upper division course, this class will be seminar rather than lecture driven. Course assignments afford the flexibility for students to bring their cultural, creative, and academic interests to their seminars and assignments.

Wayne G. Landis, Environmental Sciences

TR 02:00 - 03:20 pm

Synthetic biology and the development of gene drives may revolutionize how we manage the environment, but neither the scientific knowledge or the regulatory environment is currently in place to evaluate the promise or danger. The recent development of CRISPER (Clustered regularly-interspaced short palindromic repeats) segment of bacterial DNA coupled with the protein Cas9 (CRISPER/Cas9) allows the very specific cutting out and replacement of DNA sequence within a genome. It has been demonstrated that very specific sequences can be altered in insects and many other species that both alter the expression of a gene and also introduce a gene drive. A gene drive is a DNA sequence that allows the sequence to be inherited at a greater frequency than would be expected by Mendelian genetics. In some instances, the sequence and the trait can be driven through a population even against natural selection. As of this now (spring 2018) the proposed applications of this technology include; the control of disease bearing mosquitos for dengue fever and malaria, the potential extinction of invasive species such as Asian carp, and the protection of endangered species and coral reefs against climate change. This course will evaluate the scientific, regulatory, historical and ethical boundaries of the development of gene drives to manipulate wild populations and manage ecological systems. Students with backgrounds in biology, genetics, ecology, risk assessment, political science, business, ethics, the history and philosophy of science, and other disciplines will explore where we are and where we are going in this nascent field of applied science.

Casey Dreier, Director of Space Policy, The Planetary Society

TR 03:00 - 04:20 pm

After the retirement of the Space Shuttle and with the rise of private companies like SpaceX, NASA finds itself in the midst of its most important turning point in a generation. What is the future of space exploration and who will lead the way? What is the role of government and private industry? How did we get to this point? This Honors seminar will explore the history of spaceflight in the United States with an emphasis on public policy, politics, and the geopolitical context that defined the space program as we see it today. The goal of this class is to go beyond the shallow myth that dominates both standard classroom fare and popular culture, and to enable students to critically evaluate proposed public and private space exploration initiatives.

Integrating a range of topics and source material befitting the cross-disciplinary nature of space exploration, Honors students will read, analyze, and discuss congressional legislation, official policy reports, historical analysis, and science fiction. In-class discussions will provide a supportive environment for students to explore and defend their interpretations of these materials as they work to enrich their understanding of the broader space ecosystem and decision-making process.

After completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Demonstrate basic knowledge of major historical events in the space age
• Describe the consequences of major space policy legislation
• Understand the roles of public and private investment in space exploration
• Skeptically analyze popular media and PR claims regarding space efforts
• Articulate the near-term challenges and opportunities of our current turning point in space exploration
• Make a well-argued case for what the future of space exploration will look like

Tom Moore, Liberal Studies and Honors Program

MW 01:00 – 02:20 pm

The relative void left by the diminished influence of Christianity in the 20th century opened up new ways of thinking about the transcendent. We’ll dive into works by Anne Lamott, Annie Dillard, T. S. Eliot and films such as The Tree of Life and Waking Life.

Susanne L. Seales, Honors Program

TR 02:00 - 03:20 pm

As one of the most terrifying forms of speculative fiction, the horror genre draws us back as spectators again and again, despite the heart-pounding thrills that its storylines provide. So, why do we return to this dark side of modern storytelling? Like other forms of narrative, does horror, with all its twisted paradoxes and grotesque forms, provide readers with something essential and useful, alongside its quite obvious threads of entertainment? How far does it go in revealing the dark side of the human soul, which sits in clear contrast to the light at the other end of the imagination’s spectrum of possibilities? In short, how do these stories both reflect and shape the human experience? Through a careful examination of mainly western sources, this course will attempt to answer these and many other questions, as we delve into this fascination with the deepest and darkest corners of our psyche. Beginning with the world of the visual master, Hans Ruedi Giger, whose biomechanoid beasties have been so brilliantly cast into film by director, Ridley Scott, we will explore a variety of theoretical twists on horror, establishing those crucial archetypal themes and characters that are present in much of the literature, cinema, art, and music of this genre. We will also consider the foundational structure of horror, built out of myth, folklore, and religious texts, as well as the birth of its modern form, coming to us directly from the Gothic Era. Traveling along a range of paths, from past to present, we will also embrace that crucial element of speculative fiction that stands front and center in horror, with its dystopian and disturbing views of the future shaped by some of the greatest storytellers of yesterday and today. Drawing support from a number of these dark side luminaries, our goal will be to dissect in surgical precision as many of the unsettling themes that shape the storylines at hand, all of which speak to our most basic and complex fears of the things that go bump in the night – and sometimes even during the day. As such, our quarter will be spent dancing along the darkest of paths, in order to shed light on our inherent need to return to these terrifying realms of the imagination. So, take heed – this is NOT a seminar for the faint of heart – and consider yourself duly warned!

Hud Hudson, Philosophy

TR 10:00 – 11:20 am

In this course we will critically discuss a number of philosophical issues centered on theories of virtue and vice with special emphasis on the seven deadly sins (Pride, Envy, Anger, Sloth, Greed, Gluttony, Lust) and on a selection of common vices (Cruelty, Hypocrisy, Betrayal, Misanthropy).

As in many other areas of philosophy, studying this topic can help us come to understand something deep and profound about our world, our nature, and our relationships, but this particular topic promises a secondary benefit, as well. Not only will you be reading widely and thinking carefully about a number of fascinating vices...you suffer from them! Or, if you don’t, you are one of the very few who can boast of that distinction. One main lesson preparing for and teaching this course has impressed upon me is that we are wildly self-deceived about the presence and role of the vices in our lives. Engaging the philosophical literature on vice carefully and rigorously can be both a rewarding and a humbling experience.

Peggy Watt, Journalism

TR 11:30 am – 12:50 pm

This seminar examines the rights and legal restrictions on the “five freedoms” in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. We will explore the concepts and principles behind these core constitutional guarantees and their ongoing interpretation through the courts, as well as their implementation in current events.

Students will read landmark Supreme Court cases and become familiar with legal terms and learn to navigate legal documents, and will evaluate current events involving First Amendment issues.

We will also pay particular attention to campus issues, and the role of a university as a marketplace of ideas that may sometimes include speech that may sometimes be difficult to hear. We will examine Western's own commitment to freedom of expression as a fundamental right that should be conducted in an atmosphere that promotes intellectual discussion.

Christie Napa Scollon, Psychology

MWF 11:00 – 11:50 am

Good health is the foundation of optimal functioning. This course explores the complex interconnections between the micro and macro forces, between endogenous and exogenous factors, that shape physical and mental health. In addition to covering traditional topics such as health behaviors, stress, and coping, the course aims to integrate previously disparate literatures from psychology, immunology, neuroscience, public health, critical theory, nutrition, environmental sciences, sociology, and political science. In this journey, students will encounter new scientific research that challenges current models of health. As such, the course requires an open mind and active learning.

Jimena Berzal de Dios, Art and Art History

TR 12:00 – 01:20 pm

This seminar explores the unprecedented clash and integration of cultures resulting from exploration and the subsequent expansion of the Spanish and Portuguese empires between 1492 and 1800. The age of contact and colonization will be here studied in terms of how art and visual culture produced in the Americas responded to new artistic models, political shifts, and the wholesale explosion of exotic goods through trade. Among other topics, the course will consider native and Spanish visual narratives of the conquest; botanical expeditions; the artistic impact of missionary conversion; the nascent visual forms of cartography and ethnography; pictorial representations of mestizo identities; commercial and artistic connections between the Americas and Asia.

Cornelius Partsch, Modern & Classical Languages

TR 10:00 – 11:20 am

In the Amazon series The Man in the High Castle, an alternative, counterfactual course of history is depicted in stunning visual detail and suspense: the Allies lost World War II, and the United States have been occupied by the Third Reich in the East and by the Japanese Empire in the West. A small area in between these powers remains neutral and a foothold for a burgeoning resistance movement. The main work of this movement is the distribution of newsreels that seem to show alternative or “true” versions of World War II and its aftermath. But there is also an implication, which grows stronger in the season’s final episodes, that the films themselves have some kind of power to overthrow the regime and change the course of history. The Nazi East is a brutally well-ordered, high-tech Aryan wonderland; the Pacific is more traditionalist and polyglot. A few Americans resist, most collaborate. The series’ most terrifying invention is to depict Nazi America not as Germanized but as representing a kind of perverted hyper-Americana, a “Leave It to Beaver” nightmare in which homogeneous suburban neighbors greet one another with a hearty “Sieg heil!”

By examining this important example of alternative history, we will learn about the representation and instrumentalization of history, the precarious status of information, and the power of “alternative” narratives about the past being deployed in our present for political gain. The genre aims to heighten our engagement with history precisely because it is defined by an estranging relationship to the historical record, placing us in the in-between of what we know to have happened and the plausibility of an alternative outcome – and asking us to be historical detectives. In addition, alternative history narratives like The Man in the High Castle, which is based on Philip K. Dick's classic novel, challenge us to reflect on an ethics of representation.

Jeanine Amacher, Chemistry

TR 12:00 – 1:20 pm

Targeted genome editing by CRISPR/Cas9 technology is revolutionizing molecular biology and drug discovery. Until 2012, the ability to edit the genomes of living human cells was incredibly challenging, time-consuming, and prone to technically fatal errors. However, a paper published in the journal Science from Drs. Jennifer Doudna (UC Berkeley) and Emmanuelle Charpentier (then at the Laboratory for Molecular Infection Sweden) revealed the mechanism of adaptive bacterial immunity from RNA viruses, whereby bacteria incorporate viral DNA into their genomes using CRISPR sequence repeats and the enzyme Cas9. Using the same molecular components, CRISPR/Cas9 can be used to successfully edit the genomes of all organisms tested to date, with dramatic consequences for scientific research and human health and disease. The first clinical trials using CRISPR/Cas9 were approved by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) in 2016. Considering that typical drug development takes over a decade, this spotlights how quickly the technology is being embraced. With that, comes some very interesting questions.

Specifically, who makes the rules, from an ethical standpoint, for how emergent technology should proceed in the international scientific community? And, how do they decide what those rules should be? In the academic scientific community, new discoveries are reported in peer-reviewed journals. A direct consequence of this is that once published, emergent technology is immediately “accessible” to the greater international community, often before these rules or guidelines have been discussed.

Goals/objectives of the course: In this course, we will focus on past emergent technologies in molecular biology to guide our formation of “guidelines for the appropriate use of genetic engineering using CRISPR/Cas9 technology.” The main techniques we will focus on as case studies are: recombinant DNA and embryonic stem cell research. Although CRISPR/Cas9 will be our core focus, we will also discuss artificial intelligence, another rapidly expanding technology with important cultural, political, and biological applications. Together, we will propose, discuss, and revise our guidelines by thinking about genome editing from both scientific and ethical viewpoints.

Mart Stewart, History

TR 02:00 – 03:20 pm

This course will survey some of the more important topics in the conventional history of humans and animals and in the scientific study of animals, but will also look closely at the profound shifts in the understanding of historical agency that have occurred recently in the field of environmental history. These changes have begun to analyze the agency of animals (and other non-human actors) in historical developments and changes. Can the mosquito speak? Have cattle legislated changes? Have house pets domesticated us? Are cows Hindu or Muslim? This discussion of historical agency and the nature of the historical relationship between humans and animals has eschewed an older (and ultimately pernicious) argument about environmental determinism, and also interrogates anthropomorphism. It will develop an understanding of just what kind of agency our animal relatives might have exercised in selected historical developments.

We will explore the different ways that humans have interacted with their closest animal relatives and how they have interacted with us: for example: hunting, domestication of animals, scientific study of animals, display of exotic and performing animals, and pet-keeping. Possible themes will include changing ideas about animal agency and intelligence, our moral obligations to animals, animals as cultural stand-ins for us, historically shifting distinctions between “good” animals and weedy or pesky ones, the useful but shaky concept of “species,” changing ideas about “wildness” (and even if it has any objective meaning), and current concerns about the meaning of extinction.

Paul Spiegel, Chemistry

TR 02:00 – 03:20 pm

Over the past 150 years, humankind has gone from a nascent understanding of the fundamental mechanisms for natural selection and inheritance to uncovering the molecular basis of life as we know it on planet Earth. What were the scientific advancements that led to this point in our understanding of existence?  How have misconceptions of genetics and evolution impacted society through the past century?  What is modern biological science truly capable of, what should the limits be, and can we envision where our advancements will lead us as a species and a planet in the future?

In this course, we will start with the discovery of modern genetics and natural selection from the mid-nineteenth century and how these founding principles led to the advent of eugenics in America.  We will then uncover the landmark discoveries of the mid-twentieth century concerning the structure and significance of DNA, the power of comparing DNA sequences to discover hidden domains of life, and the discovery of recombinant DNA technologies to open new fields in biology. We will discuss historical events, societal impacts of scientific advancement, and the basic scientific findings of each subject.  Following our historical exploration of genetics and molecular biology, we will turn to the future and discuss the implications of manipulating the natural world in which we live, from enhancing our own genomes to genetically engineering the environment.  Throughout this course, we will break up the historical account of genetics into five epochs:  I. Pre-molecular History of Natural Selection and Inheritance; II. The Birth of Molecular Biology; III. The Recombinant Age; IV. The Genomic Age; V. The Biotechnological Age of Tomorrow. 

The progression of this course is guided by The Gene: An Intimate History, by Siddhartha Mukherjee.  In addition, each discussed subject will be supplemented with other readings, which will include news articles, primary scholarly research articles and reviews, and excerpts from other significant works over the past 150 years.  This course will be accessible to the layperson; no background in genetics or molecular biology is required.

Michael Karlberg, Communication Studies

MW 02:30 –03:50 pm

Against a backdrop of widespread social injustice, growing economic inequality, accelerating ecological degradation, and potentially catastrophic climate change, growing numbers of people on every continent are seeking to address these issues through nonviolent forms of activism. What are the philosophical and theoretical underpinnings of nonviolent collective action? What different forms does nonviolent action take? How effective are nonviolent actions in achieving their aims? What are the risks? What are the limitations?

In this Honors seminar, students will explore these questions by engaging selected readings from the growing body of literature on nonviolent social change, viewing a series of documentaries on nonviolent campaigns, and exploring the practical implications for actual nonviolent action. The class will be conducted as a participatory seminar in which all students will contribute diverse insights and interpretations that contribute to one another’s learning.

Tristan Goldman, Honors Program, History

TR 03:00 – 04:20 pm

In the second century BCE, the Roman politician Cato the Elder famously determined that “Carthago delenda est,” that “Carthage must be destroyed.” In fact, somewhat comically (and perhaps anecdotally), Cato came to conclude all of his speeches with that tagline, no matter the content of the rest of the oration! Take a moment to also consider that republicanism as a political theory takes its name eponymously from the ancient Roman Republic, a form of political organization that is certainly near and dear to the heart of western civilization and essential to its identity. Furthermore, Cato’s injunction to his fellow Romans ultimately came true: Carthage was destroyed by the Romans at the conclusion of the Third Punic War in 146 BCE. The manner in which this story has been told typically depicts the Carthaginians as the “bad guys” and the Romans as the “good guys.” They say that history is written by the victors, and this is certainly the case with the Punic Wars. Our goal is to restore greater objectivity to this incredibly decisive moment in the history of the ancient Mediterranean by conducting an inquiry into the ancient city of Carthage in North Africa. Students can expect to sharpen their ability to critically read, annotate, produce analysis of contemporary scholarship, and conduct independent research, useful in any discipline and field of inquiry. Take a moment to imagine how incredibly different the world today would be if the Roman Republic had been vanquished by this thriving and prosperous African city with its diverse population of Semitic and North African inhabitants. Their story must be told.

Philip Tite, Liberal Studies

MWF 10:00 – 10:50 pm

Humor is a prevalent venue in modern societies to engage, contest, and affirm religious identities and beliefs. Although prominent in popular culture, especially with the increasing use of digital technologies (social networks, online video sharing, and personal websites), the role of humor as part of people’s “lived” religion remains underappreciated in the field of religious studies. Yet humor constitutes an important discursive tool for debates over religion in modern society.

This course offers students the opportunity to explore the relationship of humor and religion. Students will explore a range of topics, including parody religions, satire, comedy shows, and artistic productions. Various theoretical approaches will be studied in order to analyze the politics of humor by applying theory to diverse media (film, novels, comics, music, art, etc). The focus will be on the social and rhetorical functions of humor within a range of religious traditions.