Bates College Catalog: 2012-2013
First-Year Seminars
Professor Emeritus Sweet; Professors Austin, Bruce, Carnegie, Corrie, Duina, Lin, Parakilas, Read, Retelle, and Thomas; Associate Professors Browne, Buck, Imber, Jayawant, Kinsman, MacLeod, and Stark; Visiting Associate Professor Plastas; Assistant Professors Fan, Perez-Armendariz, and Pickens; Visiting Assistant Professor Pangallo; Lecturers Anthony, Beck, Bessire, Bigelow, Clough, Langdon, Lexow, Rattigan, Russell, Vedal, and Wessler
All first-year students are strongly encouraged to enroll in a first-year seminar. Each first-year seminar offers an opportunity for entering students to develop skills in writing, reasoning, and research that will be of critical importance throughout their academic career. Enrollment is limited to fifteen students to ensure the active participation of all class members and to permit students and instructor to concentrate on developing the skills necessary for successful college writing. Seminars typically focus on a current problem or a topic of particular interest to the instructor. First-year seminars are not open to upperclass students. They carry full course credit.
FYS 024. The Magic Mirror.Kermit Hall, an eminent historian of American law, wrote a book called The Magic Mirror, the theme of which is how the history and culture of American people are reflected in laws. The mirror metaphor itself —speculum juris—has been around the law for hundreds of years often suggesting that human laws do or should reflect another order, natural or divine. Yet the law, in practice, actually contours what it sees and then imposes the reshaped image back on what it then again reflects, and so on and on—truly, a magic mirror. The seminar considers opinions in a collection of appellate court cases that demonstrate this reflexive ability of the law to both show and to influence who we are. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] S. Sylvester. Concentrations.
FYS 084. Anatomy of a Few Small Machines.One can treat the products of technology as "black boxes"—plain in purpose but mysterious in function. A more flexible and exciting life is available to those who look on all such devices as mere extensions of their hands and minds—who believe they could design, build, modify, and repair anything they put their hands on. This course helps students do this primarily through practice. Only common sense is required, but participants must be willing to attack any aspect of science and technology. Field trips are required. Seminar to be offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] G. Clough. Concentrations.
FYS 127. Experimental Music.Whether in classical, jazz, popular, or category-defying music styles, experimentalists challenge inherited definitions and social conventions of music by favoring expanded sound sources, unconventional formal structures, and radical performance practices. This seminar examines the roots, history, and musical documents of American experimental music from Benjamin Franklin to Frank Zappa. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] H. Miura.
FYS 135. Women in Art.Beginning in the 1970s in response to the feminist movement, the investigation of women's roles in the production of visual culture has expanded the traditional parameters of art history. Now a leading method of analysis, this approach provides exciting insights into fields ranging from Egyptian sculpture to contemporary photography. This seminar discusses women as subjects, makers, and patrons. Topics include Egyptian royal imagery, women as Renaissance subjects and painters, Venus in Renaissance marriage paintings, women as Impressionist painters and subject matter, artists and models in the twentieth century, and women in the New York art world since World War II. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] R. Corrie. Concentrations. | Interdisciplinary Programs.
FYS 152. Religion and Civil Rights.Traditionally, the civil rights movement has been viewed as a political and social reform movement initiated to secure the citizenship rights of African Americans. This seminar supplements this view by exploring how religion shaped the vision and experience of civil rights activists. Topics include such dimensions of the movement as the centrality of the black church, the prominence of religious leaders, the use of theological language, the ritualization of protest, and the prevalence of sacred music. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] M. Bruce. Concentrations. | Interdisciplinary Programs.
FYS 172. Power and Perception: Cinematic Portraits of Africa.Most Americans have "seen" Africa only through non-African eyes, coming to "know" about African society through such characters as Tarzan and such genres as the "jungle melodrama" or the "nature show." In this seminar, films from the North Atlantic are juxtaposed with ethnographic and art films made by Africans in order to examine how to "read" these cinematic texts. Related written texts help to answer central questions about the politics of representation: What are the differences in how African societies are depicted and why are different issues and points of view privileged? Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Not open to students who have received credit for ANTH 255. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] E. Eames. Concentrations.
FYS 177. Sex and Sexualities.This course studies the representation of sex and sexualities, both "queer" and "straight," in a variety of cultural products ranging from advertising and novels to music videos and movies. Topics may include connections between sex and gender queerness suggested by the increasingly common acronym LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer); the advantages and inadequacies of using such labels; definitions and debates concerning pornography, sex education, public sex, and stigmatized sexual practices such as BDSM; the interrelations between constructions of sexuality and those of race, ethnicity, gender, nationality, and class; and the necessities and complexities of ensuring consent. Seminar to be offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] E. Rand. Concentrations. | Interdisciplinary Programs.
FYS 190. The Changing Climate of Planet Earth.The climate of Earth is constantly changing over vast spatial and temporal scales, from short-term and local to long-term and global. The geological records for the mid-latitudes of North America, for instance, illustrate periods alternately dominated by tropical reefs, lush coal forests, glaciers, and expansive arid deserts. This seminar investigates the evidence, possible causes, and impacts of climate change through studies of climate records ranging from glacial stratigraphy, tree rings, written historical accounts, and recent instrumental data. A special focus is directed toward understanding the possible effects of a human-induced global warming and its potential environmental, societal, and political impacts. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [S] [W1] M. Retelle. Concentrations.
FYS 191. Love and Friendship in the Classical World.The ancient meanings of friendship and the ways in which friendship was distinguished from love are the subject of this course. Students read and analyze ancient theorists on friendship and love, such as Plato and Cicero, and also texts illustrating the ways in which Greek and Roman men and women formed and tested relationships within and across gender lines. The topics under discussion include: friendship as a political institution; notions of personal loyalty, obligation, and treachery; the perceived antithesis between friendship and erotic love; the policing of sexuality; friendship, love, and enmity in the definition of the self. All discussions use the contemporary Western world as a reference point for comparison and contrast. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] D. O'Higgins. Concentrations.
FYS 203. Family Value: Tales of Childhood and Kinship Across Cultures.Through close readings of literary works and film, students explore a variety of representations of the experience of childhood and family. Multiple meanings of "family" (parentage, kinship, community) and "value" (worth, meaning, ideal, usefulness) are considered they investigate specific cultural contexts and the challenges and anxieties that departure from social norms can evoke. Important works of fiction and autobiography are read in the light of issues of race, class, gender, religion, and sexuality. Readings for the course concentrate heavily, though not exclusively, on the Francophone world and may include works by Fatima Mernissi, Claire Messud, James McBride, Rhea Cote Robbins, and the filmmakers Ismael Ferroukhi and Francois Truffaut. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] K. Read. Concentrations.
FYS 221. Medicine and the American Civil War.Relatively little improvement in Western medical science and care occurred between the time of the American Revolution and the Civil War. By 1861, both the United States and the Confederate States of America were faced with the sudden appearance of large numbers of sick and injured people, which overwhelmed the existing medical care systems. This course examines the state of medical science in North America in the mid-nineteenth century and looks at the impact that one of the bloodiest conflicts in human history had on medical care. Topics include the development and operation of military medical care systems, the impact of these systems on the population as a whole, and changes in medical science that resulted from the war experience. Seminar to be offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. T. Lawson.
FYS 234. The U.S. Relocation Camps in World War II.During World War II, the United States government interned more than 110,000 American citizens of Japanese descent and resident Japanese in "relocation camps" far away from their homes. This course studies the history of Asian immigration to the United States; the political, social, and economic conditions of the United States prior to internment; the relocation camps themselves; and the politics of redress leading to the presidential apology over the wartime "mistake" a half-century later. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] A. Hirai. Concentrations. | Interdisciplinary Programs.
FYS 236. Epidemics: Past, Present, and Future.The course covers principles of epidemiology, mechanisms of disease transmission, and the effects of diseases on society throughout history. The emergence of new diseases, drug resistance, and biological terrorism are discussed. Social effects of bubonic plague, typhoid, tuberculosis, smallpox, yellow fever, Ebola, Marburg, AIDS, hantaviruses, and Legionnaires' Disease are studied. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [S] [W1] P. Schlax. Concentrations.
FYS 242. Blackness (and Whiteness) in the Social Imagination.Aspects of ourselves we hold most dear, most changeless, are in actuality socially fashioned. Drawing on perspectives from various disciplines, students reflect on the historical and symbolic formation of "blackness" and "whiteness" as modes of social assortment as well as the clamor and silences that surround their pervasive presence. How did they become rooted in the modern social imagination? How are the two related, what is their relationship to other ethnic and racial categories, and how do they intersect with issues of class and gender? How are they lived and experienced, and how do they change over time? For example, how did some immigrant groups, like Jews and the Irish, "become white" in the twentieth-century United States? Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] C. Carnegie. Concentrations. | Interdisciplinary Programs.
FYS 249. Global Economy and Nation-State.What is the global economy? What are nation states? And what is the relationship between the global economy and the nation state? This course first examines the historical formation of nation states and then reflects on their performance and integrity since the end of the cold war, with the rise of neoliberalism, globalization, and regional trade blocs such as the European Union and the North American Free Trade Agreement. Special attention is given to issues of sovereignty and democracy, the role of international financial institutions, and the way nation states are likely to evolve in the coming decades. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] F. Duina. Concentrations.
FYS 253. NATO's Moral War.On 24 March 1999 NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organization) launched the last major military campaign of the twentieth century. For seventy-eight days the world's most powerful military alliance applied its sophisticated arsenal against the rogue government of Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic. NATO leaders claimed a moral responsibility to take action to end Milosevic's repressive policies against the ethnic Albanians living in Yugoslavia's southernmost province, Kosovo. In the end, NATO achieved its goals, but at what cost? In this course students examine the diplomacy leading up to the NATO campaign, the propaganda and media manipulation used to justify "going to war," the environmental impact of the bombing, and questions of sovereignty and international law that were finessed by all sides. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] D. Browne. Concentrations.
FYS 262. Stealth Infections.Specific microorganisms, including some bacteria, viruses, and prions, have recently been associated with specific chronic, long-term diseases. Some of these diseases, termed "stealth infections," include Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, ulcers, cervical cancer, obsessive compulsive disorder, coronary artery disease, diabetes, and Crohn's disease. In this seminar, students explore the links between microorganisms and these particular diseases and consider several questions: What is the scientific evidence linking microorganisms with these stealth infections? Have the organisms co-evolved with their human hosts? How are the organisms transmitted? Can we control them? What might be the public health impact of such stealth infections? Not open to students enrolled in BIO 127. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [S] [W1] K. Palin. Concentrations.
FYS 266. Fakers, Forgers, Looters, Thieves.Beyond the public face of museums lies the complex world of collecting: the art market, art law, and their sinister underside, art crime. In the last decade, as victims of the Holocaust have sought to recover collections looted by the Nazis, these issues have become more visible, but in fact they are myriad and confront every curator, dealer, collector, and art historian. This course explores a wide range of topics in their legal and ethical contexts from the work of famous forgers such as Joni and Van Meegeren to the looting of Asia and Africa by colonial powers, the clandestine excavation and illegal trading of antiquities around the world, and the pillaging of museums by Russian, German, and American soldiers during World War II. Seminar to be offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] R. Corrie. Concentrations.
FYS 270. A Drug's Life.The social, political, and economic importance of prescription drugs is ever increasing. It can take more than fifteen years for a drug to make its way from the initial research laboratory to the local pharmacy. This course examines what is entailed in bringing a new drug to market, covering everything from the practical aspects of research and manufacture to the controversies and public policy issues which have arisen over pharmaceutical development in the last few years. Topics include current methods of drug discovery and development, "lifestyle" drugs, animal testing, clinical trials, the FDA, affordability, marketing, and distribution. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] J. Koviach-Cote. Concentrations.
FYS 271. Into the Woods: Rewriting Walden.On 4 July 1845, Henry David Thoreau declared his independence and moved to a shack in the woods near Walden Pond. Ever since, many individuals have repeated his experiment in one form or another. This course examines a number of these Thoreauvian experiments and their historical context. Why do these individuals take to the woods? What do they find there? What do their experiences say about American culture and society? In seeking answers to these questions, students read a variety of literary, historical, and autobiographical texts. Seminar to be offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] G. Lexow. Concentrations. | Interdisciplinary Programs.
FYS 274. Physics in the Twentieth Century.An introduction to great twentieth-century discoveries in physics, including the wave-particle duality of light and matter, quantum effects, special relativity, nuclear physics, and elementary particles. Laboratory experiments such as the photoelectric effect and electron diffraction are incorporated into the seminar. This seminar can substitute for PHYS 108 and is designed for students who had a strong background in high school physics. Seminar to be offered Fall 2013. Not open to students who have received credit for PHYS 108. Enrollment limited to 15. [S] [L] [Q] [W1] H. Lin.
FYS 277. The Fantastic in Modern Japan.From the surreal novels of Murakami Haruki to the utopian and dystopian visions of Miyazaki Hayao's animated films, contemporary Japan offers the international world a rich array of cultural products centering on the fantastic. Western response tends to see the futuristic visions of these novels and films as expressive of Japan's level of comfort with the post-industrial world of high technology, but is that impression accurate? What is the genre of the fantastic? How is it used by writers and filmmakers in Japan today? What questions do they raise about self, society, and the environment? What answers do they offer? This course examines the nature of the fantastic as an artistic genre and its expression in a variety of recent Japanese films and stories. Seminar to be offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] S. Strong. Concentrations. | Interdisciplinary Programs.
FYS 278. Hell's Fire.The idea of hell and damnation plays a crucial role throughout much of Western culture. It provides a dark shadow of religious belief and evocative imagery to continually evolving concepts of divine justice, sin and its commensurate punishment, and the end of time. This seminar undertakes an archeology of knowledge regarding the history and practice of hell and damnation. Students investigate philosophical and religious writings, great works of literature such as Dante's Inferno and Goethe's Faust, and view representations of hell in the arts and film. The seminar concludes by posing the question: Do hell and damnation, now secularized and this-worldly, continue to live on in the modern period, as in Auschwitz and the Gulag? Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] D. Sweet. Concentrations.
FYS 280. Confucius: Faith and Transgression.This course introduces students to a set of values and a way of life often understood to be at the core of East Asian civilizations. Confucius' teachings began spreading as early as the sixth century b.c.e., first in China and then in other parts of East Asia. For much of the past two millennia, the Confucian canon provided a compelling if not always universal foundation for spiritual and cultural development, social institutions, and state government in China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. This course begins with the very basic question of what it means to be a Confucian, and then proceeds to explore the Confucian commitment to ethics, culture, politics, and society, and the canon's sometimes controversial relationship with commerce, nature, and womanhood. All materials are presented in English. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] S. Strong. Concentrations. | Interdisciplinary Programs.
FYS 284. Burning Our Planet.From the first campfires of the Paleolithic people several hundred thousand years ago to the invention of the modern internal combustion engine in the twentieth century, fire has played a key role in human cultural, economic, and technological development. The deliberate use of fire, however, has resulted in major modification of the planet's environment, including widespread changes in the landscape, a loss of biodiversity, and global warming. This course examines the history of and relationship between humans and fire, and the impact of fire on the planetary environment. Seminar to be offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [S] [W1] B. Johnson. Concentrations.
FYS 288. Luck and the Moral Life.Our lives are deeply subject to luck. Many human needs are subject to fate yet are necessary not only to a good life, but to a morally virtuous life as well. This course explores the relationship between luck and morality, beginning with the metaphysical problem of free will. Then, turning to Aristotle's virtue ethics, students examine the role friendship plays in the moral life and the way it protects us from bad luck. Finally, they look at Kant's attempt to make morality "safe" from luck alongside Euripides' Hecuba, which dramatically highlights the issue of whether virtue can ever be immune from misfortune. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] S. Stark. Concentrations.
FYS 289. The Life of the Buddha.The Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, also known as Sakyamuni, is famed as the founder of the Buddhist religion. Though he lived in Northern India about 2,500 years ago, most of what we know about him consists of legends that were developed by Buddhists over the centuries. The course examines these legends, with an eye on the factors that led to their evolution, and the ways in which changing conceptions of the Buddha reflect developments in Buddhist thought. At the same time, it serves as a basic introduction to the fundamental teachings and practices of Buddhism. Seminar to be offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] J. Strong. Concentrations.
FYS 292. Growing Up Perfect.Every one of us wonders what we would be like if we realized our full potential, and every society struggles to describe the royal road to human perfection. From Aristotle's "reflective intelligence" to J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter, the library shelves bulge with examples and advice. In this course, students read classic guides of self-improvement from 2,000 years of global culture — Roman, Chinese, American, and European — looking for the cultural supermodel that makes a best-seller, or moves a society. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] D. Grafflin.
FYS 297. The Idea of Europe.What is Europe? Is it the cradle of all that is civilized and cultured, or the blood-soaked ground of empires, genocidal despots, and revolutions? The twenty-first century is witnessing the most peaceful attempt ever at creating a unified economic, political, legal, and social entity that is European. But is a European cultural identity necessary for the success of a unified Europe, and can one be created? Or is an imagined European community as illusory as Tito's ill-fated attempt to create a multiethnic, multi-religious, multi-linguistic Yugoslav community? In the seminar, students examine, critique, and propose alternatives to many of the received ideas about what it means to be European. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] D. Browne.
FYS 299. Contemporary American Poetry.What does poetry look like in the twenty-first century? Have the new media changed the poetic landscape? Who still cares about poetry? This course focuses on poetry written after 2000—poetry found both in books and online. Students think about poems in different formats: on television, video, and film, in music, and in the fine art of the slam. Perspectives on the relevance or non-relevance of poetry also are considered. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] S. Dillon. Concentrations.
FYS 300. Exploring Education through Narratives.In this seminar, stories, once the primary way knowledge passed from one generation to another, are the basis for examining educational topics and issues. Students read fictional, biographical, autobiographical, and other narratives to learn more about some aspect of education and/or schooling. Topics include teachers and teaching; teacher/student roles; gender identity; students' experiences in school; and how race, class, ethnicity, sexuality, or other differences may cause some to feel like outsiders. Students conduct fieldwork and independent research. Seminar to be offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] P. Buck. Concentrations. | Interdisciplinary Programs.
FYS 305. Corporal Culture: Body and Health in America.This seminar addresses a variety of topics related to body and health, from body image to body dysmorphia. Students read both primary sources (largely research) and first-person accounts related to eating disorders, diet and nutrition, body image, drug and alcohol use, smoking, sexuality, cosmetic pharmacy, fashion, definitions of physical and psychological "health," sex and gender, exercise, and organ transplantation. The seminar involves weekly writing assignments, occasional in-class assessments, student presentations, and a final writing project. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] K. Low. Concentrations. | Interdisciplinary Programs.
FYS 308. Searching for the Good Life.What are the things that bring people happiness? Does marriage, for example, bring more happiness or unhappiness to those who choose it? Does wealth make people happy? If so, how much wealth is enough to ensure happiness? Is a productive career likely to bring happiness? How well do most individuals do at selecting the things that will bring them sustained happiness? Is happiness even the right yardstick to use in measuring the goodness of life? And at the end of life, what constitutes a good death? In this seminar, students grapple with these and related topics in regular discussions, projects, and papers. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] M. Sargent. Concentrations.
FYS 309. Matters of Life and Death.When is it morally justifiable to engage in an action that results in death? This seminar considers some of the most difficult moral questions currently being debated in our society. Issues discussed include euthanasia, abortion, genetic engineering, war, and terrorism. Particular case studies are explored, and careful attention is given to the ethical arguments that can be made for contending positions on these questions. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] D. Cummiskey. Concentrations.
FYS 318. Through the Eyes of Children.Is the experience of childhood universal or culturally specific? What do children from diverse French-speaking countries have in common? Children are often the least "acculturated" members of any particular society. What can we learn about culture from a child's perspective? These questions are probed by exploring childhood in a number of French-speaking countries and communities. Students examine (in English) a selection of narratives and films from the French-speaking world that feature the points of view of children. The course not only considers the ways in which narrative and film present childhood experiences in specific cultures, but also explores perspectives on issues such as family structure, sexual and gender orientation, child abuse, and colonialism. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] M. Rice-DeFosse. Concentrations.
FYS 320. Trials of Conscience.Why would a citizen risk her life to criticize laws that she thinks are immoral? Why do governments sometimes insist on show trials whose guilty verdicts are foreordained for such individuals? In this course, students examine trials from the classical and medieval periods including Socrates, Rabirius, Perpetua, St. Joan, Thomas More, and Galileo and examine the following questions: What role does litigation play in both generating and containing a critique of society? What rhetorical strategies do the actors in our trials deploy to shape their identities in opposition to their communities? Why do these strategies fail to convince the jury but eventually persuade subsequent generations? Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] M. Imber. Concentrations.
FYS 323. Reading and Writing Lyric Poetry.This course introduces students to lyric poetry written, for the most part, in the last century and in varied cultural settings from the "canonical" classics to the contemporary and transnational. Poets include a range from T. S. Eliot and Wallace Stevens to Rabindranath Tagore and W. B. Yeats, and from Meena Alexander and Audre Lorde to Joy Harjo and Cathy Song. The focus is on "close reading" with some attention to the poets' varied historical and sociocultural contexts. Students will also have opportunities to attend poetry-writing workshops and experiment with writing their own poems. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Not open to students who have received credit for ENG 121W. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] L. Dhingra.
FYS 324. Archaeology of the Celtic World.Today, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Cornwall, and Brittany are often considered ?Celtic? lands. This label evokes a series of related languages, music, and other artistic traditions with shared histories, but the origins of Celtic cultures are more complex. Over two thousand years ago Celtic peoples were the first iron-using populations to inhabit a broad area from Spain to Romania. They were farmers, herders, mariners, and craftspeople who cooperated, competed, and founded many settlements, raised many fortresses, and developed diverse and lively arts. Roman armies and migrating Germanic tribes fought hard to subdue the Celts, and they succeeded in many places. This seminar will discuss the archaeological, documentary, and ethnological evidence of Celtic societies from their early origins to their recent histories. Seminar to be offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] G. Bigelow. Concentrations.
FYS 327. Katahdin to Acadia: Exploring Maine Geology.This course introduces students to field geology by exploring many geologic landscapes in Maine. This hands-on, field-oriented course on the 500-million-year-old geologic history of Maine includes one required daylong fieldtrip (Mount Washington or Vinalhaven Island), and one required overnight weekend trip (Acadia National Park or Baxter State Park). Local half-day trips to Streaked Mountain, the Poland Spring, Sunday River, Morse Mountain, Seawall Beach, Pemaquid Point, and Rangeley round out the field excursions. Field trips involve strenuous hiking and/or sea kayaking in a range of weather conditions. Learning to read maps and recording observations in field notes and sketches form a major focus of the course. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Not open to students who have received credit for GEO 107. Enrollment limited to 15. [S] [L] [W1] J. Eusden. Concentrations.
FYS 329. Latin American Time Machine.This course examines the historical roots of modern Latin America. Students consider Latin America's origins: early encounters between Spaniards and native inhabitants of the Americas. The legacies of these events are everywhere in present-day Latin America and have deeply influenced Latin American society, politics, and culture. Specifically, students focus on interactions between Spaniards and Aztecs, including Hernando Cortes, Moctezuma, and Malinche. They examine how Aztecs and Spaniards lived and saw their worlds before contact and study then what happened after they did meet during the early sixteenth century. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] K. Melvin. Concentrations.
FYS 330. Moral Questions and Political Choices.Life in a global context asks us to answer and act on complicated moral questions. On what basis do we make these choices? In a world framed by oversimplified political rhetoric and media images, how do we learn to think deeply about poverty, genocide, war, children's health, women's roles, human rights, or human happiness? This course explores the many-sided moral questions embedded in political discussions and decisions. Students read political philosophy, fiction, essays, and media articles, and write both research papers and personal essays. The purpose is to better understand our potential as humans and as citizens in an ever smaller and more interactive world. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] A. MacLeod.
FYS 334. Film Art.This seminar is an introduction to the study of cinema art. Examples are drawn from the silent era, classical Hollywood, the European art film, and American independent film. Students examine the basic elements of cinema: image, sound, music, structure. They watch two films each week, read film criticism, and write short papers on each film as well as a longer paper at the end of the course. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] S. Dillon. Concentrations.
FYS 335. Watching the Detectives.This course explores one of the most enduring popular forms of American fiction, the detective story. From the hard-boiled private eye Sam Spade to the Navajo tribal police detective Jim Chee to the chief medical examiner Dr. Kay Scarpetta, the literary detective has been continuously reinvented. Driven by two of America's most distinguishing characteristics, ingenuity and violence, the detective genre variously engages one of our culture's most cherished ideals—individualism. By focusing on the literary and cinematic reinvention of the detective, this course considers how the genre has evolved to represent American culture. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] M. Hanrahan.
FYS 337. Intercultural Musical Experience.How do "first" musical experiences affect individuals and societies? Has a single hearing of any music transformed the way one views oneself and the world? These questions are perhaps most dramatically addressed in the cross-cultural musical encounter. From the age of "discovery" to the present day, the intercultural musical experience has been a focus of aesthetic pleasure, artistic exchange, colonial and racist constructions, identity formation, missionary zeal, and exoticist fantasy. In this seminar, students explore cross-cultural musical encounters from a variety of perspectives and are introduced to the concept of "music as culture." Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. G. Fatone.
FYS 339. Owning Ideas: Intellectual Property and the World Economy.Intellectual property (IP) rules allow inventors, writers, artists, and composers to control the use of their creations. Patent, trademark, and copyright rules are adopted by societies believing such protection to be essential to economic and social progress. Critics of IP protection believe such rules to be unnecessary, and perhaps an impediment to economic and social development. This seminar explores the origins of national and international IP regimes, and examines current IP controversies such as Napster. The goal is to develop a framework for evaluating the effect of IP regimes on economic development and human well-being from a variety of disciplines. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] J. Hughes. Concentrations.
FYS 340. Planetarium Production.Since 1963, the College's Ladd Planetarium has been a resource for school and civic groups in the Lewiston-Auburn area. In this seminar, students conceive, write, and produce planetarium shows for public presentation and educational outreach. Students might choose to develop shows on topics such as constellation myths of different cultures, an interesting astronomical object or class of objects (comets, the Orion Nebula, supergiant stars, or supernova explosions), important historical developments in astronomy (for example, ancient Greek cosmology, Galileo's amazing first nights with the newly invented telescope, or Edwin Hubble's discovery of the expansion of the universe), or the development of and scientific results from a major contemporary ground-based or space-based astronomical observatory. Previous experience with astronomy is helpful but not required. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] E. Wollman. Concentrations.
FYS 341. King Arthur: Myth and Legend.The story of King Arthur of Britain and his Knights of the Round Table is one of Western civilization's most enduring legends. This course explores those elements of the Arthur story that make it so universally compelling and the ways in which its details have been adapted according to the needs and desires of its changing audience. Topics considered include feudal loyalty and kinship, women and marriage, monsters and magic, the culture of violence and warfare, and the stylistic and narrative features of the legendary mode. While students read these legends critically, they also explore their popularity: How and why has the myth of Arthur proven so universally appealing? Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] S. Federico. Concentrations.
FYS 345. Ancient Myths and Modern Movies.Movies are one of the ways that modern societies create stories to discuss important cultural values. Not surprisingly, filmmakers often invoke ancient myths, which once served a similar function. In this course, students explore the ways in which myths give members of a society, whether ancient or modern, meaningful tools to describe and explore issues, values, and conflicts. Students read ancient myths such as Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, and Euripides' tragedies such as The Trojan Women and Iphigeneia at Aulis, and then consider their modern versions in movies such as the epic Troy and the whimsical Big Fish. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] L. Maurizio. Concentrations.
FYS 348. Literature through Cataclysm.What happens to the literature of conservative societies that undergo cataclysmic change? Within thirty years in the early to mid-twentieth century, three countries ruled by a czar or emperor were propelled by cataclysms—the Russian Revolution, World War II in Japan, and five serial wars in Vietnam—into radically new political and social orders, and also new literary and cinematic expression. This course studies literature, nonfiction, and film on both sides of the cataclysms, with guest lecturers from each country. Students choose a fourth country or culture for individual exploration. The course also includes a service-learning in the local Somali community, whose members have survived a parallel cataclysm. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] W. Hiss. Concentrations. | Interdisciplinary Programs.
FYS 349. Lawyers, Real and Imagined.From Portia to Atticus Finch, Johnnie Cochran, and Elle Woods, real and imagined lawyers have amused, inspired, and fascinated us. What values do fictional lawyers reflect and what purposes do they serve? Do they bear any resemblance to real lawyers? In this seminar students examine a variety of fictional, historical, and recent cases and observe live court proceedings in order to explore what our own responses to lawyers, real and imagined, reveal about our attitudes concerning power, justice, responsibility, ethics, race, and gender. In addition to class meetings, students attend court proceedings outside of class time. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] J. Cole.
FYS 352. The Identity of Persons.It is common enough to hear that being Irish, or being a woman, or being African American, or being a professor, is central to some person's identity. But what is a person? What is a person's identity? And how can something like ethnicity, or gender, or race, or profession be central—or fail to be central—to a person's identity? This seminar encourages consideration of these questions by introducing students to the long philosophical tradition of reflection on the concept of a person, the notion of identity, and the role that self-description plays in constituting the person and her identity. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] M. Okrent. Concentrations.
FYS 354. Environment as Story.Clearly written, compelling explanations of environmental problems are key to our development as responsible citizens and educators, whether we read such work or write it ourselves. Using nonfiction examples about toxic contaminants, climate change, the persistence of plastics, and diminution of biodiversity and ecosystem health, students examine how several environmental writers craft their work to engage and inform diverse audiences. Students consider the creative potential of weaving scientific fact with human experience, and practice several approaches to learning and writing about environmental concerns. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] S. Kinsman.
FYS 360. The People's War.Soviet losses in World War II were enormous, both military and civilian. In the decades after the war, losses and triumphs were memorialized while the repressions of Stalin's regime remained hidden. This course explores fiction, memoirs, and films about the war: stories of civilians and soldiers, women in combat, Stalingrad and Leningrad, Soviet Jews who were war heroes as well as Hitler's victims. Students reflect on what these stories tell us about human lives in extreme conditions; how these stories compare with American accounts of the "greatest generation;" and how different media represent and reflect on violence, heroism, and moral choice. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] J. Costlow. Concentrations.
FYS 361. Making Music Together.What feelings do people derive from singing "Happy Birthday" together or playing in a band? How are those different from what they feel when humming to themselves on a mountain trail? What kinds of social skills do they need and do they learn when they make music together? How do members of an ensemble perform different musical tasks, yet make their music speak with a single voice? Students observe the workings of musical ensembles as members or as outsiders and examine fictional and scientific accounts of ensemble performance. Experience in musical performance is not required. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] J. Parakilas. Concentrations.
FYS 362. Biomedical Ethics.The rapid changes in the biological sciences and medical technology have thoroughly transformed the practice of medicine. The added complexity and power of medicine has in turn revolutionized the responsibilities and duties that accompany the medical professions. This course explores the values and norms governing medical practice from multiple perspectives, including Asian and Islamic approaches. Topics include the rights and responsibilities of health care providers and patients; the justification for euthanasia; and the problems of access, allocation, and rationing of health care services. Seminar to be offered Fall 2013. Not open to students who have received credit for PHIL 213. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] D. Cummiskey. Concentrations.
FYS 365. Let's Play.Has free, unstructured play all but disappeared from neighborhoods and communities in North America? If so, should we be worried? In this seminar, students examine play from psychological, historical, and cultural perspectives. Animal play, the commercialization of children's play, special places, and organized sports are some of the topics discussed. In addition to reading and writing, students work with children in community settings in which play occurs. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] G. Nigro. Concentrations.
FYS 366. Humanimal.Nonhuman animals constitute an integral part of human societies. They figure in our languages, food, clothing, and entertainment. They can be best friends or sources of profit. These different dimensions produce ambivalent and sometimes contradictory attitudes toward animals. This course introduces students to the complex role of animals in past and current human societies through topics such as domestication, animal sports, animals in medical research, companion animals, zoos, animal intelligence, and animal rights. Throughout, students consider the shifting roles animals play in the development of human identity (e.g., gender, race, class and sexuality). Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] S. Pieck.
FYS 368. The Writing on the Wall.The Berlin Wall fell in 1989, signaling the end of the forty-year cold war. However, the Wall still retains a powerful hold over the American imagination as a prime historical artifact of political and personal division. What did it actually entail to slice an existing country in half? How did people living in both East and West come to rely on the Wall to define who they were? What physical or symbolic walls do we erect in modern identity politics, and how are our worldviews shaped by existing political and geographic boundaries? In order to probe these complex ramifications, students analyze political speeches, espionage thrillers, love stories, films, Wall graffiti, interviews, news reports, and monuments and memorials. They also use the Virtual Wall, an online expansion to the course. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Not open to students who have received credit for GER 120. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] E. Anderson. Concentrations.
FYS 369. Saving Capitalism from the Capitalists.The sub-prime mortgage crisis, the Enron scandal: What hath capitalism wrought? Our everyday economic interactions are within the framework of capitalism. Undergraduate study in economics typically takes this social system as given while rarely shining critical light on it. Apologists tout capitalism's attendant political freedom and wealth accumulation; detractors complain about its resulting materialism and injustice in the distribution of wealth. Economists, social philosophers, and theologians have critically examined capitalism. Students in this course read and discuss works by some of these authors and prepare their own papers arising from their study of capitalism. Seminar to be offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] G. Perkins.
FYS 371. Revolutionary Russia.The Russian Revolution is widely considered a pivotal event of the twentieth century. Scholars have studied it from many perspectives: political, economic, social, and cultural. They have sought its terminal points decades before and decades after the events of 1917. Some speak of multiple Russian revolutions in the twentieth century, and one school of thought holds that Russian culture is inherently fertile ground for dynamic sociopolitical changes. Students examine several theories of revolution, and apply them to three periods of twentieth-century Russian history: the 1917 Revolution, collectivization under Stalin, and the collapse of the Soviet Union. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] D. Browne.
FYS 372. Sensory Curiosities: The Biology of Nonhuman Sensory Systems.Humans are aware of the handful of senses we utilize to evaluate our world, but are less familiar with some of the more "exotic" senses found in non human animals. This seminar explores these sensory curiosities that allow animals to navigate—sometimes at night—during migration and food gathering and to select mates and identify other members of their own species. Students examine the senses of bats, dolphins, insects, birds, and fish to better understand the wealth of sensory information around us, whether or not we are capable of utilizing these stimuli ourselves. Writing assignments explore topics more deeply and integrate information across sensory systems. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [S] [W1] N. Kleckner. Concentrations.
FYS 373. Mathematics and Social Justice.Mathematics teachers are often asked, "What's this stuff good for?" Studying the mathematics underlying social justice issues can be a powerful motivation for the learning of mathematics. Similarly, students adept in mathematics can apply their learning to understand social justice issues such as racial profiling, poverty, immigration, militarization, unemployment, and incarceration. Students critically examine the growing movement to link mathematics education with social justice issues, considering works by both proponents and critics. Students experience the rewards and challenges of integrating issues of social and economic justice into the mathematics curriculum by collaboratively designing the lesson plans. No mathematics beyond high school algebra is required. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [Q] [W1] B. Shulman. Concentrations.
FYS 374. Before 1776: Thinking Backward.Historians look backward in their efforts to understand any given event, even the most celebrated "beginnings." In this seminar, students look backward from July 4, 1776, and Thomas Jefferson's Declaration to understand how his "truths" could have seemed "self-evident," his "facts," demonstrative. The search begins in the previous month with Jefferson's own draft constitution and George Mason's draft Declaration of Rights for Virginia. The year 1776 had begun with Thomas Paine's Common Sense, and that pamphlet, in turn, had a past, in the polemics that went back to the Stamp Act crisis and before, all of which challenges us to look backward and think backward. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] J. R. Cole.
FYS 375. Several Sides of the Cold War.This course examines the diplomatic history of the cold war with sources from the United States, the former Soviet Bloc, and East Asia. Particular topics may include: the origins of the cold war in Europe and Asia; the Korean and Vietnam Wars; the crises in Berlin, the Taiwan Straits, and Cuba; and the reasons for the cold war's end in 1989. Students write short pieces analyzing primary resources and a research paper on a topic of their own choosing. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] J. Richter. Concentrations.
FYS 376. Inequality, Community, and Social Change.Many high schools include some kind of community service among their graduation requirements, suggesting a series of assumptions about the role of schools (and colleges and universities) in their communities. This seminar addresses the relationship between community engagement and higher education, as well as broader questions about community action and social change. Along with an introduction to how social scientists think about social inequality, the seminar offers students an opportunity to spend two hours per week participating in service-learning projects with organizations oriented toward social change and social justice in the Lewiston community. Seminar discussions and assignments focus on exploring the local community, and connecting students' community experiences with readings about community engagement, social responsibility, and social change. Seminar to be offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] Community-Engaged Learning. E. Kane. Concentrations.
FYS 377. Toxicology in Public Health.Who determines the acceptable amount of a pollutant in our drinking water? Are we certain that the acceptable amount is a safe amount? How do certain pharmaceutical drugs or pollutants cause harm? How much public funds should be spent trying to answer these questions? Finally, what pieces of data or evidence are used to make policy or decide court cases? This seminar strives to answer these and similar questions as it introduces the field of toxicology in public health. Learning to write well and give an effective oral presentation are integral parts of the course as health professionals must be able to communicate with the public, political leaders, and each other. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Not open to students who have received credit for BIO 120. Enrollment limited to 15. [S] [W1] R. Sommer. Concentrations.
FYS 378. The Hoax: Seeking Truth in Disruptive Imagination.Writers and artists create certain fictions to attract an audience; is a well-made hoax the consummate fiction, or is it vile deceit? This course explores controversial intersections of creativity, deception, and intellectual scholarship. In analyzing a variety of "successful" hoaxes and performances—literary, cinematic, and artistic—students judge what productive work, and what damage, these fictions create. Their investigations consider how shifting uses of identity, authorship, and credibility challenge their skills as writers and researchers. Students create their own "false documents" with text, images, and objects. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] R. Strong. Concentrations.
FYS 379. Photographic Narratives.The invention of photographic technology in the middle of the nineteenth century transformed modes of perception and social life in significant ways. The photograph became an object both magical and mundane, unprecedented and absorbed into daily life. In order to trace the impact of this emergent technology, this course explores various intersections between photography and written literature of the time. At times, the approach to the subject is thematic, exploring the representation of photographs and photographers in novels and short fiction. In other instances, students analyze early photographs as objects of textual and technical study. The course pays close attention to the social and cultural functions of photography and assesses its impact on literary realism. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Not open to students who have received credit for ENG 121Q. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] T. Nickel.
FYS 380. Clinical Ethics.This course examines the ethical issues clinicians face in the care of patients and the decision-making processes they use to arrive at answers. Decision making in clinical contexts can be complex and difficult. People from different cultural and professional subgroups must quickly assimilate complicated information to arrive at decisions with serious and typically irreversible consequences. Clinicians must communicate with patients and families on intensely personal topics such as death, God, and family relationships. The course focuses on clinical decision making (in contrast, for example, to issues of public policy) and uses case analysis as its primary mode of instruction. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] F. Chessa. Concentrations.
FYS 381. Visualizing Identities.This course examines definitions of gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, and culture in diverse visual materials. Students think critically about the ways that we articulate and interpret self and other. Each week students analyze examples of visual culture as a means to evaluate constructions, experiences, and interpretations of identities. Themes explored include gender, feminisms, masculinities, race and ethnicity, globalism, and cultural identity. Seminar to be offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] A. Bessire. Concentrations.
FYS 382. The Power of Art.Art captures our attention, engages our emotions, causes us to empathize with characters, and challenges us to reflect on provocative ideas. The power of art to affect us in these ways is pervasive. However, it is also puzzling. Why are we moved by the plights of fictional characters, frightened by fictional events, or engaged in controversial debates by dabs of paint, series of tones, and choreographed movements? This seminar explores philosophical theories of the nature of art and related issues in the philosophy of mind and cognitive science with an eye to understanding the power of art to express ideas and emotions. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] W. Seeley. Concentrations.
FYS 383. Imaginative Writing.In this seminar, students explore imaginative writing both as noun—literature to be examined—and as verb—a skill to practice. By reading and discussing a wide range of poetry and prose from Emily Dickinson to Dave Eggers, students develop analytical and aesthetic awareness. Through research and critical writing on literary subjects of their choice, they practice their scholarly skills. By writing and discussing in workshop their own work as well as critically describing its relationship to the work of professional writers and poets, students enter the conversation in the field, as critics and as writers and poets. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] Offered with varying frequency. R. Strong.
FYS 384. Seeing the World through Mathematics.Is there a difference between "natural math" and "abstract math" or between "street math" and "school math"? What is mathematics, after all? Students consider some of the complex mathematical tasks that creatures carry out in their daily lives, often without even realizing they are "doing math." Such tasks include the ways in which desert ants and lobsters navigate their environments, honeybees dance to indicate food locations, and humans perform elaborate mental arithmetic. Students learn about some of the fascinating new areas of research by mathematicians in an effort to understand how we learn math. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [Q] [W1] P. Jayawant.
FYS 385. Power and Authority in Latin America through Film.From Pre-Columbian times to the present, Latin America's leaders have ruled in diverse ways. Monarchs, caudillos, sultans, totalitarian leaders, the military, a hegemonic party, and even drug lords have governed the region. How is it possible for an individual or small group of leaders to dominate an entire country without democratic consent? What mechanisms of political control do authoritarian leaders employ? How do they gain legitimacy? Students explore these questions through film, readings, writing assignments, and discussion. A final project explores the ways in which a political actor in students' local environment exercises power and authority over them. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] C. Perez-Armendariz. Concentrations.
FYS 386. Chinese Traditions, Great and Small.Chinese civilization is richly diverse. What is the basis of Chinese philosophy and religion? How does it manifest in Chinese medicine, science and technology, architecture, and cuisine? How do Chinese communicate through music, calligraphy, painting, and poetry? What comes to mind when we think of Chinese fiction and traditional theater? This course offers an introduction to the ongoing humanistic traditions of China. Students reflect both on how the approach to a culture influences the answers we find and on how the questions we decide to ask shape our perceptions. Discussions focus on primary works translated into English and an analysis of original artifacts. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] X. Fan. Concentrations.
FYS 387. Introducing Diasporas.This course examines various forms of dislocation, dispersion, and transnational migrations of people that may be the consequence of forced or voluntary migration; self-exile or expulsion; or flight from war, ethnic conflict, or natural calamity. Students consider such topics as histories of slavery and indentured labor, the material aspects of migrant labor, the experiences of homelessness, the ideologies of "home" and nation, examples of diasporic cultures (e.g., African, Asian, and Latin), the politics of multiculturalism, questions of identity (belonging, "national origins," assimilation, acculturation), and issues relating to race and racism, sexuality and gender. Examples drawn from literature, music, food, and film illuminate the discussion. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] Offered with varying frequency. S. Houchins. Concentrations.
FYS 388. War and Poetry.Homer's Iliad, one of the earliest surviving poems in the West, portrays the experience of war. This course focuses first on this ancient epic and then turns to the lyric poetry of two modern wars: the American Civil War, 1861–1865, and World War I, 1914–1918. In addition to close reading of poems, students examine biographies about and autobiographies by the poets, both as literary forms and as representations of experience. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] Offered with varying frequency. R. Bunselmeyer.
FYS 389. Psychology and Film.Motion pictures can have a powerful influence on the perceptions, attitudes, and behavior of audience members. In this course students view several films and examine their depiction of various psychological topics including human development, perceptual and cognitive processes, social interactions, and abnormal behavior. Are the characters stigmatized or are the portrayals accurate? In what ways do movies affect viewers? Can this medium be used as a therapeutic technique in addition to providing entertainment? Using primary readings as guidelines, students explore these and other questions through discussion and written assignments. Seminar to be offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] Offered with varying frequency. K. Mathis.
FYS 390. The "Hollywood Indian": Native America in Film.From John Wayne westerns to Dances With Wolves, the film industry has portrayed Native Americans in many different lights. Often depicted as barbaric murderers, noble savages, or peaceful environmentalists, Native Americans have occupied certain stereotypical spaces within American popular media. As a medium that affects cultural and other understandings, how has film shaped and reflected the ways in which Americans understand Native American peoples? How have these portrayals changed over the years, and how have they affected Native peoples themselves? How have Native American filmmakers changed this industry? Through film critique, readings, and discussion, this course explores the many facets of Native Americans in film. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] Offered with varying frequency. K. Feldhousen-Giles. Concentrations.
FYS 391. Addictions, Obsessions, Manias.This course traces the development of pathological identities and behaviors in nineteenth-century literature and culture. Topics include alcoholism, cigarette smoking, coffee drinking, narcotic use, fetishism, kleptomania, erotomania, collecting, shopping, and gambling. Students explore the metaphoric nature of bad habits and consider how higher culture, including literature itself, may be grounded in forms of addiction. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] T. Nickel.
FYS 393. DiY and Mash-up Culture.How did consumption become creative? How did musicians associated with punk, hip hop, electronica, and dub reggae create new art from the discarded refuse of late twentieth-century life? This course takes up the do-it-yourself ethic as a defining impulse in contemporary musical culture, informing the democratic amateurism of punk, the "found sound" innovations of the experimental avant-garde, and the collage aesthetic of the digital "mash-up." Students explore Lawrence Lessig's Creative Commons, with its challenges to copyright law, and engage with the work of John Cage, Bikini Kill, Brian Eno, the Raincoats, M.I.A., and Girl Talk, among others. Seminar to be offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] Offered with varying frequency. D. Chapman.
FYS 394. Voice and Identity.This course explores the human voice in its musical incarnations. Students begin by learning how the voice operates physiologically, and then examine the relationship between musicians' conscious and unconscious vocal manipulations and their emotional, racial, gender, and sexual representations. Listening and reading assignments are complemented by experiential performance assignments. At the end of the course, students are able to theorize how vocal sound plays a role in shaping identity. Students are required to sing in class. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] Offered with varying frequency. J. Woodruff. Concentrations.
FYS 395. The Sporting Life.Sporting events such as the Super Bowl, World Cup, Olympic Games, and March Madness suggest the magnitude of importance of sports in many people's lives. The fact that so many people so passionately engage in sports as participants and spectators also indicates its significance. The import of sport can be considered from a myriad of perspectives, from the social and natural sciences to the humanities. In this interdisciplinary course, students consider a variety of sources including academic articles, personal memoir, fiction, film, and observation. Seminar to be offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] S. Langdon. Concentrations.
FYS 396. Genealogy and the Art of Inquiry.Family histories are full of fact and fiction: Some names and dates are recorded on official documents, but details are lost and gaps remain. In this course, students examine primary and secondary sources in order to construct their family tree and reconstruct their family stories. Bringing genealogical research and academic research together, students not only investigate their family's background but also make an extensive inquiry into larger questions of history, place, and culture. Seminar to be offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] Offered with varying frequency. H. Oakes.
FYS 397. Poverty.In this seminar students address the following questions: What does it mean to be poor? Who are the poor? Why are they poor? How can we ease the plight of the poor? Can we end poverty? Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] M. Murray. Concentrations.
FYS 398. The Chemistry of Color.The course explores the chemical basis of color. Topics include the electronic and geometric structure of atoms and molecules and how light and matter interact. The accompanying lab provides students with an opportunity to synthesize and isolate colored materials and compounds. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Not open to students who have received credit for CH/ES 107B or CHEM 107A. Enrollment limited to 15. [S] [L] [Q] [W1] R. Austin. Concentrations.
FYS 399. Reading Dancing, Writing Dance.Talking about performance is tricky, especially dance performance. What is the performance supposed to mean? How do you know if it is "good"? What if you have never seen dance before? In this course students hone their ability to identify and express their views about performances while deepening their understanding of how dance is made, how it expresses cultural values, and how it relates to other art forms. Students focus on two types of writing: reviews and research. They visit the dance studio to learn firsthand how dances are constructed. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] R. Boggia.
FYS 400. The United States in the Middle East.Since the late eighteenth century American diplomats, sailors, merchants, and missionaries have been involved in the Middle East and North Africa. This course examines the history of the complex relations between the United States and the Middle East over the last two centuries. How have American perceptions of the Middle East changed over time? How has U.S. involvement influenced state formation, regime consolidation, and people's daily lives in the region? What were the major successes and failures of American foreign policy in the region? Students explore these questions through a variety of sources, including memoirs, documentaries, and U.S. diplomatic documents as well as scholarly books and articles. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] S. Aslan. Concentrations.
FYS 401. Reading the Wild in Film and Literature.We imagine the wild as both a place (wilderness) and a concept indicating something beyond restraint or limit, something purely free or even impermissible. Why are we so attracted to wild places, and why do we value the presence of the wild in our culture? This course examines depictions of the wild in films, poems, essays, and stories, and it grapples with how the wild relates to gender, identity, modern conflict, exploitation, and spiritual and aesthetic values. Students write both informal reflections and analytic essays, and they present research on representations of the wild in literature and film. Seminar to be offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] M. Beck. Concentrations.
FYS 402. Sound and Image.The course begins with an introduction to the history of technologies that have linked sound and image. Students watch representative films from each decade since 1920 and learns about musical soundtracks, Foley sound effects, dialogue, and song as performed on screen. They explore the history of music videos as they have been and are used in popular culture. The course ends with a brief exploration of experimental sound/video installations, and individual production of creative video and soundtrack. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] W. Matthews. Concentrations.
FYS 403. Reading for Love: The Cultural Sociology of the Romance Story.What can works of fiction tell us about the social context in which they are created? How do stories that are targeted at different kinds of readers compare with one another? How do stories in a particular genre change over time? This course poses such questions about the sociology of fiction with a special focus on romance stories. Students explore creative conventions and examine how readers (ourselves included) understand fiction. The course emphasizes a comparative approach to analyzing fiction and teaches students to interpret texts and compare them with an eye to their broader cultural implications. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] Staff.
FYS 404. On the Road to Spain.
FYS 405. Zombies: Can Math Help?.The goal of this course is to devise defense strategies to prepare for a zombie attack. To achieve this goal, students use mathematical models to simulate and better understand possible attacks. For maximum preparedness, students consider multiple scenarios. Do zombies move quickly or slowly? When a zombie bites a human, does the human become a zombie immediately, or might there be hours — even days — of incubation time? How easy is it for zombies to create more zombies? When we change our assumptions, we must change our mathematical models accordingly, and our strategies for human survival may also need to change. Seminar to be offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [Q] [W1] M. Greer.
FYS 406. Holidays and Holy Days: Ritual, Memory, and Celebration in Religions.How many of us know the religious origins of our favorite holidays or why we regard them as "sacred occasions" worthy of observance? What does it mean to observe Passover, celebrate Eid, "keep Christmas," or enjoy a barbecue and fireworks on the Fourth of July? In this seminar, students are introduced to "religion" by examining the holidays of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and American civil religion with an eye toward the history, symbols, stories, and practices behind them. Students are exposed to the nature of ritual, importance of community and collective memory, issues of power and ideology, and the materiality of religion as they examine and critique the most visible expressions of religion in contemporary society. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] J. Larson.
FYS 407. Violence and Public Order.Why do some organizations use violence in pursuit of their goals and others don't? Why are some uses of violence effective and other uses fail? This course explores these questions through the study of three contemporary issues: organized crime, torture, and terrorism. In considering each, students read histories and descriptions of the phenomenon and explore why and when violence is used. They study what these troubling phenomena tell us about political order and how societies have learned to control violence. Students examine a range of texts including memoirs, histories, and theoretical literature, and write a range of papers: a personal essay, a policy analysis, and a research paper. Students also present their ideas in class presentations and structured discussions. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] J. Scheideman.
FYS 408. Identity: Self and Community.Arrival at Bates marks a new phase in the development of a student's identity as an adult and community member. This course explores the lenses through which we experience the world and understand ourselves and each other. Students investigate frameworks for understanding their own identities, then look at the ways in which personal identities intersect with and influence our relationships with others. Finally, they consider how we connect with each other and live in community in ways that promote well-being. Students explore these concepts through multidisciplinary perspectives and weekly two-hour community-based learning activities in Lewiston. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] S. Russell.
FYS 409. Music and Politics.This course surveys the relationship between music and state, cultural, and identity politics. How do politics affect the lives of musicians around the world? How does music affect the course of global political movements? Students explore artists who are explicitly political in both their music and their public personas, and artists whose music has been appropriated by others for political ends. Topics include the history of music censorship, music and the American civil rights movement, the trial and conviction of Rwandan musician Simon Bikindi, and the political and musical statements of current recording artists such as Lady Gaga. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] J. Woodruff.
FYS 410. Genetically Modified Organisms.Humans have been altering the genetics of domesticated organisms ever since the advent of agriculture and animal husbandry. Breeding programs, haphazard at first and now more systematic, have given us bigger fruit, hybrid "miracle" seeds, placid cows, dogs with specialized hunting or herding skills, hens that lay an egg a day, all increasing our food supply or benefiting us in other ways. With the tools of modern bioengineering, it is now possible to dramatically modify species in ways not imagined with traditional breeding, for example, inserting a gene for disease resistance from bacteria into corn. In this course, students review the methods that enable scientists to insert individually selected genes into organisms. They also evaluate this technology's associated field applications, commercial markets, public acceptance, future potential, and questions about possible public health or environmental risks. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [S] [W1] R. Thomas.
FYS 411. Creating Space: Private and Public.This course looks at how we shape the world immediately around us, and how that shape has changed markedly over time, from the era when "a man's home" literally was his castle to today, when we make our homes from glass. Students look at spaces that are personal both to individuals and to the community, from homes to campus to neighborhoods, exploring what they tell us about ourselves. Seminar to be offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] B. McDowell.
FYS 412. Constructing the Normal: Introduction to Disability Studies.In constructing the normal, we tend to think of a set of ideals and ideas that are not reachable. This course explores how those ideas and ideals are made manifest in the way we conceptualize the human body. Students examine a variety of readings including life writing, criticism, exposes, and theory. Several questions guide the course. First, how does disability trouble the normal ideal? Second, how might disability be a useful analytic for examining other aspects of life? Third, how does writing about disability force us to reckon with the core language that structures our society? Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] T. Pickens. Concentrations.
FYS 413. Language and Politics.From Jonathan Swift to John Steinbeck to Jon Stewart, this workshop-based writing seminar examines the language of politics and the politics of language, paying close attention to the ways the words of politicians, pundits, journalists, and essayists can shape (and/or subvert) environmental, racial, social, health, and economic issues. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] J. Anthony. Concentrations.
FYS 414. The End of the World.A persistent apprehension of the end of the world has haunted the human imagination for millennia, and it is growing at the moment. This course proposes a historical and analytical investigation of four scenarios of the end of the world: Christian Apocalypse, environmental devastation, nuclear holocaust, and the posthuman. Students examine a wide range of cultural artifacts from novels to popular science publications, religious writings to philosophical texts, with a special emphasis on contemporary film. Seminar to be offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] D. Sweet.
FYS 415. Banned Books.Almost from the moment writing was invented, individuals, groups, and governments have used censorship of the written word to attempt to control what others think, do, or feel. This course examines several works of literature that have been banned, challenged, or censored, exploring why someone attempted to silence them, and connecting those discoveries to the books' historical contexts. What are the qualities of a book that attract censorship? How do those who censor books attempt to justify their actions? How can we, as readers, thinkers, and writers, respond to such acts of control and constraint? Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] M. Pangallo.
FYS 416. Borders, Boundaries, and Belonging.This course explores the ways in which we create a sense of belonging and identity by drawing distinctions between ourselves and others. How and why do we construct and enforce these differences? What would it mean to conceive of our own identities without excluding others? The course examines the implications of these questions for us as individuals, as members of communities, and members of nations, through readings in literature, cultural studies, geography, and political philosophy, among others. Class discussion also examines the borders that define academic writing and belonging within a scholarly community. Seminar to be offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] L. Vedal.
FYS 417. Religious Intolerance in the Contemporary United States.This course examines the extent and impact of anti-Muslim, anti-Jewish, anti-Christian, and other forms of anti-religious bias in the United States, including bias against atheists. How do we respond to claims that the United States is a Christian nation? How are religious and racial bias intertwined? Does the First Amendment to the Constitution protect religious minorities? Do both the political right and left engage in anti-religious bias? What defines a belief as a religion? What risks to the country exist if anti-religious bias continues unchallenged? Students also explore their own and their family's experiences with anti-religious bias. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] S. Wessler.
FYS 418. Drawing as Thinking.How can we put Disney and Michelangelo in the same sentence? Although their results are vastly different, they were both searching for the most alive two-dimensional images possible. They achieved this through drawing as thinking. Until fairly recently, drawing has been seen as thinking made visible, as ideas literally appear and new ideas are generated. This course explores the methods used by Renaissance artists and later by animators and considers the techniques and thought processes of artists. Exploration through writing as well as drawing from the nude figure is used to gather information for figure invention. Seminar to be offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] G. Rattigan. Concentrations.
FYS 419. Tobacco in History and Culture.This interdisciplinary seminar examines the role tobacco has played in shaping global political economies, cultures, and health. Students pay particular attention to how gender, race, class, and nationalism influence and have been influenced by tobacco. From the use of slave labor in seventeenth-century Chesapeake Bay colony, to wooden Indians flanking the entrance of tobacco shops, to feminist slogans invoked to sell cigarettes, tobacco has functioned as a signifier and shaper of social norms and divides. Topics include labor and tobacco production, ethics of corporate power, the visual culture of tobacco, health and human rights, smoking and stigma, the global epidemiology of tobacco related illness, and tobacco regulation. Seminar not offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] M. Plastas. Concentrations.
FYS 420. Reading the Lord of the Rings.This course students read J. R. R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings with particular attention to its language, style, and context. Students examine how Tolkien, himself a student of medieval languages, used modern English (and Elvish) to construct an enduring world of fantasy. Close reading of the text is emphasized, with supplemental discussion of Tolkien's academic and cultural contexts, including his life at Oxford, his collaborative relationships with the Inklings, and the visual translation of his book in Peter Jackson's film trilogy. Seminar to be offered Fall 2013. Not open to students who have received credit for CM/EN 111. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] S. Federico. Concentrations.
FYS 421. Sacred Sound: Religion and Music .This course explores the relationship between religion and music by examining the notion of sacred sound. What is sacred sound? How does it differ from secular sound? Where do we find sacred sound in ritual? Is it produced through speaking, chanting, or singing? Students examine sacred sound and music in the traditions of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. They consider sacred sound in the mystical traditions of these religions, including comparisons with Buddhist and Hindu traditions. Finally, theyexplore the connections between hip hop and religion, analyzing religious themes in the work of artists suc as Mos Def. Seminar to be offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] A. Akhtar.
FYS 422. Strangers in the House.For many children, the first experience of difference occurs in their families. Some children are born deaf to hearing parents, they are born with multiple severe disabilities to able-bodied parents, and they are born with Down syndrome. In Andrew Solomon's book Far from the Tree, he describes families whose children experience these and other differences. In this seminar, students use Solomon's book to examine the research, practice, and politics that surround particular developmental disabilities and the general questions about identity and community that they raise. Along with meeting in seminar, students work in community settings a few hours each week. Seminar to be offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] G. Nigro.
FYS 423. Humor and Laughter in Literature and Visual Media.What is humor? How do we define what is funny? Is humor a universal phenomenon that works across cultures and different generations of readers and film viewers, or is it place- and time-specific? In this seminar students discuss various manifestations, strategies, and functions of humor in selected literary and visual narratives and they consider existing theories of humor and laughter. Open to students with a sense of humor. Seminar to be offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] J. Kazecki.
FYS 424. The Biology of Cancer.Despite new discoveries in the biology of cancer and advances in cancer treatment, cancer accounts for nearly one in four deaths in the United States today. What is cancer, and what makes it so difficult to diagnose early and treat effectively? Students examine the biological basis of cancer, and look at how environmental agents and certain microbes can lead to cancerous growth. They also explore the genetics of cancer and address the question, "If I have a relative with cancer, will I get it too?" Finally, they consider the effect of cancer on the individual and on society. Seminar to be offered Fall 2013. Not open to students who have received credit for BIO 108 or s23. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] S. Richards.
FYS 425. Politics and Memory in Central and Eastern Europe.The twentieth century casts a long shadow over Eastern and Central Europe: two world wars, ethnic cleansing, communist dictatorships, and, most tragically, the Holocaust. Each country has its share of victims, villains, heroes, collaborators, and cowards. Efforts to make sense of this history, even after all these years, remain a topic of intense political debate. This course examines historical writings, films, and monuments to explore the politics of memory in Eastern and Central Europe, with particular attention paid to Germany, Poland, and Russia. Why does historical memory of these events continue to have such emotional and political power in this region? What choices are made in memorializing history, and what are their contemporary political implications? Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] J. Richter. Concentrations.
FYS 426. The Chinese Imagination: Chapter and Verse .At the literary roots of the Chinese imagination are two great anthologies created more than a millennium apart, enshrining images and ideas that have resonated throughout East Asia ever since. The Zhuangzi?s parables, jokes, and philosophical riddles have challenged social and political orthodoxy since before the birth of the Chinese empire, while the contents of the 300 Tang Poems have set the standard for lyric inspiration since the late middle ages. Students use these potent short forms to rethink their approach to self-aware composition. Seminar to be offered Fall 2013. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] D. Grafflin.