|
Core Studies Program
Associate Professor Trevizo (Sociology), Director
On Special Appointment: Adjunct Assistant Professors Lorenz, Revesz, Sadoff; Adjunct Instructors Berry, Pomeroy
The Core Program provides the intellectual foundation for Occidental’s commitment to excellence, equity, service, and community. Core classes ask students to engage as thoroughly as possible in analytic and creative thinking: posing questions from various points of view, solving problems, formulating hypotheses, gathering evidence to support claims and arguments, drawing appropriate conclusions, and expressing ideas clearly. These classes are designed to ask the large liberal arts questions which we believe all students must address in order to participate fully in their academic careers, their vocations, and their lives. Questions such as, “How do different societies at different historical times define and represent justice, beauty, the natural world, the self, the sacred, and truth?” Students are asked to examine previously held ideas in the context of new and challenging ones, to experiment as imaginatively as possible, to articulate similarities and differences, and to revise both ideas and written work. Methods and materials are often different in disciplines ranging from the humanities to the social sciences, to science, mathematics, and art; and analytic thinking may take place in the context of a lab, in the close reading of a text, on a stage, in a lecture hall, on a computer screen, in a screening room, or in the field. Assignments will also vary from papers, to arguing a thesis, to problem sets, to research term papers, to lab reports, to paintings. Nonetheless, all of the Core classes address themselves to rigorous analysis and probing: to the further refinement of knowledge and understanding in order to foster future citizens of the world.
The first-year Cultural Studies Program Seminars comprise the centerpiece of the Core Program. Successful performance in Cultural Studies Seminars, along with a satisfactory writing evaluation, satisfies the college’s first-stage writing requirement (see page 40 for more information regarding the writing requirement) and is equivalent to two semesters of English composition. These courses count for 8 units of credit (four in the fall and four in the spring). In the fall seminars, faculty and students jointly explore human culture from a variety of disciplinary as well as cultural perspectives. These are small seminars in which the lecture and reading material provide the focus for discussion, critical analysis, and intensive instruction in writing. Spring Seminars approach topics from a global perspective, incorporate the writing of research-based essays, mastering the skills necessary for the location of relevant materials (in both print and electronic media), constructing evidence-based arguments, and utilizing the conventions of academic discourse. The Seminars for the coming year are described below. Students may not drop a Cultural Studies Program Seminar.
In addition, students participate in the study of culture as embodied in the arts and sciences as well as the humanities and social sciences. We require a minimum of three departmental courses (12 units) which touch on aspects in the study of culture from at least three of the following geographical areas: Africa and the Middle East; Asia and the Pacific; Europe; Latin America; the United States; and Intercultural (where the study of culture substantially crosses geographical boundaries). One of these (or an additional course) must focus on a period prior to 1800, and one (or an additional course) must treat the theory or practice of the fine arts. Unlike most programs that include a range of discipline-based distribution requirements, our program emphasizes the attainment of “global literacy” through the study of different cultures around the world. Individual courses can meet a maximum of two Core requirements.
Lifelong learning requires a basic understanding of the theory and methods of the sciences. Accordingly, students are required to take a total of three courses (12 units) in the sciences and mathematics. Of the three, at least one must be a laboratory science.
Finally, graduates of the College must demonstrate proficiency in a language other than English. The various ways of satisfying this requirement are detailed on page 10 of this catalog.
All of these Core requirements should be completed as quickly as possible, and certainly no later than the end of the junior year.
CULTURAL STUDIES PROGRAM FALL WRITING SEMINARS
1. AN EXPLORATION OF OUR COMMUNITY, HISTORY, RACE, MUSIC, FOOD, AND PEOPLES.
This course will be a cultural, historical, musical, and aesthetic examination of the people and the community surrounding Occidental College. Students will have an opportunity to form research groups who will examine historical texts, conduct field studies and interviews, develop surveys, and present findings. We will eat the local food, listen to the cultural music, learn about the people, and discover many different levels of connection.
Alegria (Education)
2. ETHNOGRAPHIC CINEMA.
All films are cultural products and are in some sense ethnographic. Broadly defined, ethnographic cinema examines “whole cultures,” employing the social sciences as a way of knowing. We will view, discuss, and write about films as diverse as Jean Rouch’s cine´ma ve´rite´ classic, Chronicle of a Summer, and Penelope Spheeris’ extraordinary punk documentary, The Decline of Western Civilization. Our goal is to develop an increasingly complex idea of culture, as well as some sense of the cinematic techniques that further or limit ethnographic knowledge. Although film may look like a perfect fit for ethnography, we should come to some conclusions about the ethical limits of representing the other for scientific study. We will apply some insights from a few central figures in Ethnography and Anthropology, such as Claude Levi-Strauss, Franz Boas, Pierre Bordieu, and Judith Butler to help us along the way.
Casey (English Writing)
3. THE “GOOD” WAR? AMERICA ON THE HOMEFRONT IN WORLD WAR II.
This course is NOT about the military or diplomatic history of World War II. Rather, it focuses on cultural and social aspects of the homefront during what popular memory views as the “good” war. It was “good” because Americans were seemingly united in their strong commitment to fighting totalitarianism. And “good” in memory because of the strong contrast with the disruptions and ambiguity surrounding the Vietnam War. But most scholars view World War II in much more complicated terms and in particular they note that it exacerbated deep-seated tensions, especially those related to class, race and gender. We will use a variety of sources, including fiction, film, history, and oral history, to explore the complex impact of war on American society. One unit will focus specifically on Los Angeles during the war.
Dumenil (History)
4. GOD AND EVIL.
Throughout history enormous quantities of resources have been expended when using God as the justification of some project. The Southern California area provides us with a good example of this, given the missionary history of the area. A natural question to ask is: what can we say for or against the existence of such a being? In this course we will look at the classic arguments dealing with the existence of God, including those offered by the likes of Anselm, Aquinas, Paley, Kierkegaard, Pascal, and James. Additionally, we will look at the classic argument against the existence of God, the Problem of Evil, and modern formulations and responses to the problem. Our guiding questions will be, Can we give a reason to believe in God?, and Does the existence of evil give us reason to question God’s existence?
Tomhave (Philosophy)
5. BECOMING A MAN: MASCULINITY AND MEN’S DEVELOPMENT.
This class begins with the idea that there are many ways for a boy to become a man. Using popular and scholarly literature as well as film and other media, we will explore how masculinity is introduced and constructed in the lives of men. These issues will be relevant to both women and men as we explore how the “boundaries” of masculinity are defined in relation to femininity and constantly challenged throughout history, across cultures, and within the lives of individuals. We will also consider how masculinity interacts with the sexual, racial, and socio-economic aspects of men’s lives and identities. Through our analysis we will discover that there are multiple ways that men select and perform their masculinity, some of which are privileged or admired while others are ignored or reviled by other men and the broader culture. Understanding how the pursuit of power and the expression of emotion is regulated in men’s lives will provide both women and men greater insight into men’s development and gender performance.
O’Brien (Associate Dean of Students)
6. (DIS)COURSE ANALYSIS AND INSTITUTIONAL POWER: SCHOOLS, PRISONS, AND MEDIA.
This seminar introduces students to Discourse Analysis as the ontological and epistemological deconstruction of every day language. With schools, prisons, and media as the focus, students will analyze how hidden politics in “texts” are conditioned and inscribed within institutional discourses. Using discourse analysis, the class will approach questions like: Why do students and prisoners walk in lines? Why do bells ring in some institutions? Why do we raise our hands to answer questions? What does it mean to wear a uniform? Why do windows in some schools have bars? What does safety mean? How do youth experience different institutional contexts? What happens if you don’t follow the rules? Why do we spend more money on prisons than schools? To approach such questions we will critique and debate different schools of thought (e.g., conversation analysis, ethnography of communication, and critical discourse analysis) in the works of the works of key figures (e.g., Austin, Bakhtin, Lakoff, Wodak, Sacks, Fairclough, Tannen, Halliday, Hymes, Gee, and Foucault). The culminating paper will require students to apply the methods and tools of discourse analysis to deconstruct the language in an institutional setting.
Christianakis (Education)
7. COMMUNITIES OF HATE: GENOCIDE IN THE 20TH CENTURY.
This course takes as its point of departure the question of the “uniqueness” of the Nazi Holocaust, which is often evoked in premonitory terms of “never again.” Yet genocide — the systematic destruction of an entire people — continues to plague humanity. The “ethnic cleansing” of Muslims in Bosnia and the massacre of Tutsis in Rwanda are two recent examples of genocidal mass murder, and the near annihilation of Native Americans on our own soil arguably falls into this category as well. We will take a closer look at each of these genocides — including also the current genocide against the black Sudanese in Darfur — in an attempt to answer the perplexing question of why genocide happens again and again, and if indeed the Holocaust stands out as unique in comparison to others. We will begin our investigation with an inquiry into the origins of prejudice and racism, focus especially on the American response to genocide as elucidated in Samantha Power’s 2003 Pulitzer-Prize-winning study, A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide, continue with Hannah Arendt’s detailed commentary on the trial of the Nazi henchman, Adolf Eichmann in Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil; then with Philip Gourevitch’s We Wish to Inform You that Tomorrow We Will be Killed, with Our Families: Stories from Rwanda; and a number of other readings. Films will include Schindler’s List, excerpts from Lanzmann’s Shoah, and Killing Fields. (Possible field trip to the Museum of Tolerance).
Revesz
8. THE ODD COUPLE: A TRIPLE LOOK AT UNITED STATES-MEXICAN RELATIONS.
Wary neighbors with very different personalities and needs, the US and Mexico are constantly clashing and yet have close relations and cooperate on many issues. This class will use a variety of materials and activities - including movies, popular literature, court cases and guest speakers — to learn about US-Mexican relations on three different levels: governments, transnational communities, and individuals. With an emphasis on Southern California, this class will discuss issues that regularly make the news in the US (including undocumented immigration, and drug and human trafficking) as well as less well-known issues (such as clashes over the extradition of criminals and over the application of the death penalty in the US). We will explore how government-to-government relations compete with or complement “the human story,” and how social change influences policymaking on both sides of the border.
Miller (Diplomacy and World Affairs)
9. EXPLORATIONS OF THE BRAIN AND COGNITION.
In this course we will examine popular and scientific sources to learn about different models of how our personalities, our thinking, our talents, and our bodies may be defined by our brain functions. Information on brain and nerve cell function will guide our explorations. Questions on possible topics may include: Are all brains equal? Do we have multiple intelligences? How does aging affect the brain? Does the environment sculpt our synapses? How does the brain recover after stroke or injury? Topics will vary depending on the interests of the class.
Linden (Cognitive Science)
10. WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? ETHICS, RELIGION, AND IDENTITY.
When philosophers and theologians argue over a particular ethical issue, there is more at stake than a simple decision! The struggle is often over a view of humanity, a kind of person or community that is the main character in a story of how life works. In this course we will consider religious and philosophical writings on a number of different ethical issues, including abortion, capital punishment, physician assisted suicide and theories of just war. As we discuss and write about these issues, we will pay particular attention to what kind of person or community is at the center of the writer’s world view. During the semester we will work to develop our own collective sense of what it means to possess a complete, ethical human identity.
Pomeroy
11. MONSTROSITIES: NORMS, EXCEPTIONS, AND CONFLICTS IN MODERN EUROPEAN CULTURE (17TH-19TH CENTURIES).
The Monster (from Latin “monstrum”) in its broader meaning suggests the astonishment produced by an irregular and unusual phenomenon. In this sense, it is not only one philosophical question among others, but one of the most important. In fact, if philosophy arises from astonishment and wonder (from the Greek “theorein” and “thaumazein”), the existence of monsters raises the question of knowledge itself. The discovery by modern anatomy that monsters belong to the normal biological order challenges Christian thought for which they were a free divine creation, used by God as a means of revelation to humanity. The monster in the modern age becomes the key figure which allows us to reflect on the ideas of norm and anomaly within the human order. The construction of the abnormal has been defined by the development of the monstrous exception. The permanence of the metaphor of the monster in our culture shows that he has not been totally domesticated. Rather, he continues to destabilize and to redefine the relationship between the Normal and the Pathological, and the way this relationship shapes politics and culture. In this class we will focus on the phenomenon of the monster within European culture (literature, art, philosophy and science) between the 17th century and 19th century. The modern scientific spirit produces a new reality, for instance by passing from the Middle Age, when monsters and mad people used to live among others, to the Modern Age, when “the insane” are contained in mental hospitals and monsters in embryological laboratories. What is the effect produced within European culture by this epistemological as well as social and political shift? How does philosophy, literature, and art treat the problem of monster?
Del Lucchese (Spanish and French Studies)
12. REMEMBERING HOLLYWOOD: MEMOIRS AND (TRUE) STORIES.
This seminar will explore the myth, idea, culture and history of Hollywood through careful readings of memoirs, stories, oral histories, interviews and scholarly reflections. In their writing of analytical papers, students will further address compelling questions about the defining features of this city — its site, its industry, and its influence. In a final reflective paper, students will build on previous writing and projects to examine the political and the historical through the personal, discovering the myths and the realities of this place called Hollywood.
Martinson (English Writing)
13. THE PEOPLE AGAINST THE POOR: THE MANY FACES OF POPULISM.
Democracy promises to give power to the people. But who are the people? And what do they want? This course examines the great variety of populist movements and ideologies, and scholarly arguments over what they mean in the hopes of discovering some common underlying themes. Our examples will be drawn from the United States, Latin America, India and other regions. We will close with an examination of the role of populism in contemporary politics in the US.
Swamy (Diplomacy and World Affairs)
14. THE LOS ANGELES STAGE.
In the shadow of the Hollywood sign, Los Angeles boasts a large, vibrant and multi-faceted theater community. On any given weekend, over one-hundred stage productions are presented at a variety of venues large and small. This class will examine the history of the local theatrical landscape, the key artists and companies that call Los Angeles an artistic home, the impact of the film industry on how theater is produced here, and why, despite the impressive number of productions that take place annually on its stages, Los Angeles is not considered a “theater town.” In addition to developing written assignments, class activities will include research, field trips, and guest artists.
Meade (Theater)
15. REPRESENTING CALIFORNIA: MYTH, IMAGE, HISTORY.
This seminar will explore representations of the “Golden State” by reading, looking at, and discussing a diverse range of literary, historical, cinematic, and visual texts. What does California mean to us today, as a physical and conceptual place? How has the state been represented in literature, art, film, poetry, social history, and political history — and how have those representations shaped our ideas about California? What myths, stories, and ideas do we harbor about the origins of the state’s diverse natural and cultural resources? What stories do we know, and what stories don’t we know, of this large, complex environment? In addition to doing close readings of texts and images, and working to find your individual writerly “voice” in writing workshops, we’ll also venture out into the city of LA so you can learn first-hand about the layers of history, culture, and nature that create the city we live in. Enrollment limited to students selected for the California Arts and Culture Semester. Includes co-enrollment in ART S109.
Lyford (Art History and the Visual Arts)
16. MUSIC OF LOS ANGELES.
In this course we will examine the diverse musical cultures (historical and contemporary) of Los Angeles, paying particular attention to the ways music negotiates intercultural encounters. As we survey the musical cultures of Native American, European, Asian, African, and Middle Eastern descendants in the Los Angeles area, we will think about how musical styles, repertoires, instrumentation, and texts are transformed by urban dwellers as they respond to the changing political, economic, and social landscapes of the city.
Lorenz
17. LITERATURE AND DANGER IN PRE-REVOLUTIONARY FRANCE.
At great personal risk, philosophers like Montesquieu, Voltaire, Diderot, and Rousseau defied the corrupt and despotic institutions of their day by using satire, humor, elements of gothic horror, and other literary techniques in their works. In this course we will examine how their fiction and non-fiction contributed to the Revolution of 1789. We also will consider what caused such outrage in the Age of Enlightenment, how the philosophies gave voice to discontent, and whether or not reason and free thought led to reform. A series of films will provide further background on 18th-century subjects.
Grayson (Spanish and French Studies)
18. PHILOSOPHY OF ART AND WRITING.
This course will examine issues pertaining to the nature of art, the identity of the artist and the relation between art and writing. Primary readings for the class will include selections from the Ancient Greek philosopher Plato and the German Existentialist philosopher Martin Heidegger. Students will be expected to critically reflect on their own artistic creativity in the context of writing.
Sadoff
19. GETTING HIGH: INTOXICATION IN AMERICAN SOCIETY AND CULTURE.
Both controversial and ubiquitous, alcohol consumption and drug use have been among the most contentious social issues in all of American history. This seminar will investigate major transformations in how society has defined and responded to problematic drinking and drug use, from the seventeenth-century sermons of Puritan minister Cotton Mather to the news coverage of the crack epidemic of the late 1980s. We will not ask whether addiction constitutes a disease or a moral failing, nor will we define what constitutes healthy or unhealthy drinking and drug use. Rather, students will consider the evolving place and meaning of alcohol and drugs in American society by tracing multiple and often conflicting attitudes toward intoxication. Major questions the course will address include, why is intoxication a particularly pressing problem in a democratic society? What is the linkage between habitual intoxication and social failure? How have alcohol and drug use been used to stigmatize various racial groups and the poor? And, to what extent are perceptions of alcohol abuse governed by gender?
Osborn (History)
20. IN SEARCH OF AFRICANISMS IN THE MUSICS OF THE AMERICAS.
This course surveys African musical elements as they exist in North, South and Central America as well as in the Caribbean Islands. Through readings, lectures, videos and sound recordings, we will trace the historical origins of some traditional aspects found in Africa and relate them to the development of many musical genres found in the Western Hemisphere.
Pillich (Music)
21. BAD COPS, PRIVATE EYES, AND FEMME FATALES: HARDBOILED LOS ANGELES.
From American crime fiction to Hollywood film noir, Los Angeles is frequently depicted as a big, anonymous city with dangers lurking around every corner. In this class we’ll explore the darker, seedier side of the city of angels represented in fiction by Raymond Chandler, James M. Cain, and James Ellroy (among others) along with films such as Double Indemnity, The Maltese Falcon, Chinatown, and LA Confidential. Themes of desperation and hopelessness add to the mystery and suspense in these stories, as cigarette-smoking heroes-bent on exposing corruption-are often pulled into the middle of a crime by a luring femme fatal. We’ll also read accounts of true LA crime stories, such as the unsolved 1947 “Black Dahlia” murder, as we consider the headlines that influenced the creation of these literary and film genres.
Prebel (English Writing)
22. DISCOVERING EVERYDAY THINGS.
In this course, we will conjure a way of seeing that seeks to cast the familiar world in a fresh light. Through an investigation of the ordinary, we will uncover the rich—and sometimes very complicated—social lives of everyday personal belongings. For example, what meaning does the cell phone play in our day-to-day schedules? How has such a small device transformed our interactions with other people? Or how did a simple wedding ring come to represent something as profound as shared love within a marriage bond? Relying on anthropology, sociology, history, and philosophy, we will examine the trends and issues in the designing, marketing, buying, using, policing, stealing, sharing, gifting, and sometimes even the losing, of our most personal things. We will piece together “material biographies” and, in so doing, discover how material culture enters our everyday lives and how everyday things profoundly shape the way we live.
Berry
23. MORAL REASONING.
What distinguishes right from wrong? What distinguishes justice from injustice? What creatures are capable of moral reasoning? What creatures are worthy of moral consideration? How do our moral intuitions change over time? How do our moral intuitions vary across cultures? This course will explore contemporary research on the nature and origin of moral reasoning, with an emphasis on psychological, biological, and philosophical perspectives. Differences in the methods and assumptions of each perspective will be explored through the analysis of primary source materials.
Shtulman (Psychology)
24. LANGUAGE MYTHS AND TRUTHS.
What is language? How do we acquire it? Are some languages prettier/harder than others? Are signed languages real languages? Does language equal thought? Is “Ebonics” broken English? Do women talk more than men? What influence do the media have on language use? Why are second languages so hard to learn? Can animals and computers learn human language? In this course we will examine questions and beliefs such as these in an exploration of language and its role in human interaction. In our class readings and discussions, we will analyze what makes our linguistic faculty unique, as well as how our ability to communicate via language is reflected in and influenced by biological and societal factors. This class offers students an overview of the approaches and goals of linguistics, and a broader understanding of the complexity and diversity of human language.
Shelton (Spanish and French Studies)
25. WRITING LOS ANGELES: AN EXPLORATION IN WORDS OF A CITY’S SOUL.
This course will be a cultural, historical and aesthetic examination of contemporary Los Angeles. We’ll examine authors from Luis Alfaro to Amy Uyematsu, discuss the music of Los Angeles, the plays and screenplays that describe the city of the angels, and we’ll read and write about eating in Los Angeles with Jonathan Gold, food and cultural critic.
Tervalon (American Studies)
26. ENTER THE DRAGON: ASIANS AND ASIAN AMERICANS IN FILM.
Students will view Hollywood and Independent films selected for their interest as cultural artifacts in America’s changing view of Asians and Asian Americans. Many of the selected films are those that have had a major impact on the Asian American community. Beginning with representations of Asians in early Hollywood films, we will see graphic examples of racism and stereotyping as well as work by actors and actresses who managed to have ground breaking careers in spite of the confines of prejudice. We will use the films to identify and discuss key themes in the representation of Asians and the Asian American experience in general. Reading assignments will aid vigorous class discussions in which we explore the creation and breaking of stereotypes, and how ideas about gender and race influence the spectrum of relationships intimate, familial and societal.
Tien (American Studies)
27. SCIENCE, POLITICS, AND THE MEDIA: WHY YOU ARE SO CONFUSED.
A Hollywood blockbuster by a former Vice President spurred the government to finally and suddenly acknowledge the imminent threat of Global Warming. And who are you really going to believe: the sculpted Adonis who attributes his heavenly body solely to Product A, or your middle-aged doctor as he looks over horn-rimmed glasses and preaches to you his mantra of fruits and vegetables? By its very nature, true Science is unbiased, yet misinterpreted facts by the media and one-sided representations by politicians looking to further personal agendas leaves the general public in a dire state of perpetual confusion. This course will focus on how science is portrayed in the media and the consequences of public and popular individuals construing facts for their own benefit. Particular focus will be placed on topics pertaining to climate change and health/fitness; other areas of interest include questions related to general health and medicine; e.g., vaccines and their link to autism. In addition to the rigorous writing component, this course will encourage intense classroom discussion and will emphasize development of oral presentation skills by requiring students to give short seminars. Students enrolling in this course are expected to have successfully completed high school courses in general chemistry and biology.
Udit (Chemistry)
28. AMERICAN POP FRANKENSTEIN?: ANDY WARHOL, AUTHENTICITY, AND LIVING IN THE POP SOCIETY.
We in America live in an empire of images and imagery, the Pop Society. Everything we do occurs in an “atmosphere of images” and these “define the reality of our existences” according to the philosopher Arthur Danto. Whether it be relationships, personal appearance, body-type or self-image, travel, education or news, we must reckon with the fact that we live in an “image culture.” (I mean, seriously, why are we all wearing all these brand names all the time, right?) The question we will consider throughout the class is what does this mean? For example, the father of former hostage Jill Carroll attributed his daughter’s very survival in Iraq to her image, thanking her employer, a prominent newspaper, for “keep[ing] her image alive.” In other words, if your image lives, so do you. If your image dies...well, there’s the rub. Image has become more than a novelty, then, it can now be a necessity for one’s survival. The ascendance of the Pop Society can be dated to the early 1960s and is very closely tied to the so-called “Pope of Pop,” Andy Warhol. Warhol was the Christopher Columbus of the world we live in today, through his innovations in art, film, journalism, music and the general art of self promotion, Warhol “discovered” the “wired” world of celebrity, technology and media that we inhabit today. Warhol said many famous things and we will hear quite a few of them but one of the more famous was his statement that “If you want to know all about Andy Warhol, just look at the surface of my paintings and films and me, there I am. There’s nothing behind it.” We will consider Warhol as a representation of all that is good and evil in today’s Pop Society. Sociology as a discipline is concerned with rooting out inequality, injustice and discrimination, in other words sociology is all about going underneath the surface of things. Thus, Warhol had quite a jaded opinion of sociologists, dismissing them as “waste-makers.” By the end of the course, it will be up to you to determine who you will side with, sociology and the depths or Warhol and the surface.
Staff
29. L.A. STORY: THE ECONOMICS OF SOCIAL ISSUES IN LOS ANGELES.
This class will explore important social issues such as crime, drugs, unemployment, housing, poverty, and healthcare. We will be studying these topics from an economic perspective and learn how economic principles and economic thinking can help us analyze these problems. We will predominantly focus on examples from the local economy to understand how these issues affect the lives of people in Los Angeles. We will also see how current economic events, such as the evolving credit crunch, affect the local issues. The class format will take on a variety of styles such as mini-lectures, class discussion, debates, films, and collaborative group work. The course will also include a community-based learning exercise.
Wandschneider (Economics)
30. ART, FILM, AND MORALITY.
Commissioned by Hitler to glorify the Nazi party, film director LeniRiefenstal, in 1935, produced what some cinematographers consider to be one of the finest films in history. Few would deny that the film, The Triumph of the Will, has moments that are beautiful and stunning. But can it really be a great work of art given its morally objectionable content? That is, does a work of art lose aesthetic value if it is morally flawed? This seminar will examine various films and works by artists that may help us answer this question about the connection between ethics and aesthetics. In doing so, we will also explore several related issues, such as whether there are objective moral and aesthetic standards, how “art” is to be defined, what the value of art consists in, and how some works of art manage to deepen our understanding of our selves and the world.
Yoo (Cognitive Science)
CULTURAL STUDIES PROGRAM SPRING “GLOBAL ISSUES” RESEARCH SEMINARS
50. DEBATING CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES IN SEXUALITY.
This course introduces four theoretical perspectives on sexuality: biological essentialism (sexuality is ultimately natural and universal), psychological (sexuality is a matter of mental states and processes), social constructionist (sexuality is a cultural and historical product), and conflict (sexuality is a contested arena in which different groups vie for power). With these perspectives in mind, we explore four broad questions: How should we regulate sexual behavior? What is sexual consent? Who’s responsible for (avoiding) childbearing and rearing? And, what is good sex? This is an 8-unit colloquium and seminar course. Students enrolled will not only get credit for the first year spring seminar requirement, but will also meet the Cultural Studies Distribution requirement in the Intercultural Group.
8 units
Heldman (Politics) and Wade (Sociology)
ADDITIONAL CORE REQUIREMENT MET: INTERCULTURAL
51. POLITICS AND MEMORY: EUROPEAN FASCISM IN THE 20TH CENTURY.
The influence of European fascism in the 1920s through 1940s outlasted the mere dates of its political regimes. This course will first look at how different European fascist regimes came to power, maintained their authority, and justified their crimes. What were fascist societies like? What was their appeal? Then we will examine how the memory of fascism has influenced the post-World War II European world, especially in Germany, Italy and Spain. How has the memory of fascism affected the modern life of present-day European nations and societies? This course will use a number of different primary sources, including film, literature, and diaries to examine the appearance and continued importance of fascism in daily life in Europe. This is an 8-unit colloquium and seminar course. Students enrolled will not only get credit for the first year spring seminar requirement, but will also meet the Cultural Studies Distribution requirement in the Europe Group.
8 units
Goode (History) and Stone (History)
ADDITIONAL CORE REQUIREMENT MET: ASIA
52. THE RUSSIAN EXPERIENCE.
The Russian Experience focuses on the enigma and riddle known as “Rus”, “Russia”, “The Russian Empire”, “The Soviet Union” and “The Russian Federation”. This strange land has been a combination of great extremes: West and East, blinding poverty and dazzling wealth, great talent and shocking brutality. The course focuses on a series of cycles/phenomena in Russian Culture: I) Peter the Great and his revolution — destroyer of one Russia, creator of another; II) reform, invasion, reaction — Alexander I, Nicholas I and Napoleon; III) the flowering of Russian culture, the breaking of the academy, and empire — Alexander II, Alexander III, Nicholas II; and IV) the Soviet and post-Soviet period — the revolution, Soviet communism and Russia after 1991.
Caldwell (Politics) and Richmond (German, Russian, and Classical Studies)
53. THE UNBEARABLE WHITENESS OF BARBIE: RACE AND POPULAR CULTURE IN THE UNITED STATES.
Have you ever said or thought “I don’t look like a Barbie!” Join the crowd. However, the problem that Barbie presents is infinitely more complex than her supposed life-sized measurements. As the embodiment of complex discourses on race, sex and gender Barbie provides a central figure for this course in exploring broader themes, particularly those of race and social justice. Thus, we will cover a wide territory that ranges from an exploration of the ways in which scientific racism has been put to use in the making of Barbie to an interpretation of the film The Matrix as a Marxist critique of capitalism. You’ll never play with your toys the same way again.
Chin (Critical Theory and Social Justice)
54. READING THE REAL.
This class will examine various literary and filmic strategies of representing reality. Both persistently elusive, and decidedly material, the notion of the real has provided one of the most compelling challenges to artists and theorists alike. Over the course of our discussions we will consider what is meant by the notion of the real as it is deployed in diverse historical and theoretical contexts. Where appropriate, we will situate our understanding of theories and representations of reality within the specific political formations to which they correspond. We will juxtapose realist texts against those that deliberately distort traditional understandings of reality. We will read literature from a range of genres including social realism, magical realism, and surrealism. Additionally, we will analyze visual texts from the global new wave, Bollywood, and contemporary reality television.
Neti (English and Comparative Literary Studies)
55. ALTERED STATES: DRUGS AND ALCOHOL IN AMERICA AND THE WORLD.
Throughout history, human societies have attached extraordinarily diverse meanings to intoxicants. This seminar will consider the nature of alcohol and drug use through an examination of the social reality and cultural meanings associated with intoxication in both America and the world. Our readings will juxtapose far-flung historical and social contexts, from ancient Greece and Japan to colonial Kenya, and Nazi Germany to address broad questions about the role that intoxication plays in society. We will ask, how have alcohol and drugs influenced the social and cultural processes of colonialism and globalization? How have intoxicants influenced popular conceptions of the human psyche and the soul? In what ways have various methods and modes of intoxication served to construct categories of social difference, such as race and class? Drawing on the work of historians, sociologists, anthropologists, epidemiologists, and literary scholars, the seminar will also introduce students to the broad range of academic scholarship concerned with alcohol and drug studies. Enrollment is open to all frosh, including those who took the fall 2008 CSP 19, “Getting High: Intoxication in American Society and Culture.”
Osborn (History)
56. MUSIC AND MIGRATION.
In recent years scholars of human migration have begun to see music as a rich source of information about migrant communities and cultures. Because migrant communities do not always have access to other forms of communicative media, music can sometimes offer a unique glimpse into the worldviews and immigration histories of those who have voluntarily and involuntarily left their lands of origin. Why do people migrate and how can music help us to understand the varied circumstances that have historically impelled migration? How does music inform migrant’s attitudes about their communities of origin and about their host societies, and articulate the new social locations and economic possibilities that emerge post-migration? How are contemporary patterns of global migration different from early migrations and how can music help us to understand those differences? In this course we will approach music as a lens through which to understand the complex socio-economic circumstances, motivations, and life trajectories of divers migrant communities.
Lorenz
57. ENERGY AND SOCIETY.
This course will survey the role that energy has played in both agricultural and industrial societies from their emergence to the present. It examines “peak oil” and alternate energy sources from the perspective of economics and ecology and considers the cultural and political ramifications of different modes of energy production and consumption. Seminar participants will be required to write weekly essays that address relevant topics based on course materials and provide the context for course discussions. A final essay will require students to consider energy and its appropriate role in society in the broadest possible view.
Craney (Chemistry)
58. CLASS, COURTSHIP, AND CAREER: LITERATURE OF HEIAN JAPAN.
This course investigates two major works of Japanese literature, The Pillow Book and The Tale of Genji, written by women in the late 10th through early 11th centuries. The two authors, like many other court ladies of the time, were capable of not only writing in the native Japanese language but were also well-versed in Chinese classics, a highly-esteemed genre, considered inappropriate for women, who were assumed to lack the appropriate education for their appreciation. Although officially excluded from formal education and the world of politics, aristocratic women were expected to be highly cultured in literature, especially during courtship, and often assumed important positions as ladies-in-waiting. Through research into the two selected works, students will closely observe the microcosm that existed one thousand years ago, train in critical thinking, and attempt to form their own ideas on several relevant issues, such as the aesthetic sensibilities of the Heian court, the role of women and the nature of their relationships with men, and the dynamism between women’s education and political situations.
Ezaki (Asian Studies)
59. FICTIONAL NATIONAL AND TRANSNATIONAL MIGRATIONS.
In this course we will study fictional representations of the historical, social, and cultural influences that different ethnic sectors from the 1920’s to the present played in diverse national and transnational populations. The course begins with Nilo Cruz’s drama Anna in the Tropics, a work that portrays the personal, social and cultural impact that a Cuban lector or “reader” has at a cigar factory in Florida during the 1930’s. We then shift our gaze to the emergence of the Chicana/o community in Los Angeles by reading two texts: The Brick People, by Alejandro Morales, and The Memories of Ana Calderon, by Graciela Limón. Subsequently, we look at the Korean American diaspora by reading Nora Okja Keller’s Comfort Woman, which narrates the life of a teenager embarrassed by her Korean mother, forced to be a “comfort woman” by the Japanese during the war. Our last two works are Our Lady of 121st Street, a drama by Stephen Gurigis which pays homage to an Irish nun who taught in a racially diverse metropolitan area; and Arturo Pérez-Reverte’s The Queen of the South, a novel that recounts the rise and fall of Teresa Mendoza, an extraordinary narco-businesswoman from Mexico.
Fernández (Spanish and French Studies)
60. DEMOCRACY AND SOCIAL CONFLICT: THE POLITICS OF INCLUSION.
The course will examine how the extension of political rights to a variety of outgroups changes the political process. Groups considered include peasants, workers, women and ethnic minorities. The focus will be on the diverse ways in which these groups can be “included” in politics both in one country and when compared across countries.
Swamy (Diplomacy and World Affairs)
61. ISSUES OF GENDER AND INTERFAITH DIALOGUE IN WORLD RELIGIONS.
We shall study the beliefs and practices of several religions in their changing historical, visual, and ritual contexts. The course will introduce students to visual evidence of ancient European paganism, indigenous religions of the Americas, religions of the Yoruba tradition, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Shinto, and contemporary Goddess cults. For preparing a research paper, each student individually may choose an issue to explore in the context of one particular religion (or sect within a religion). Does a feminist need to tolerate sexism in another group’s religious practices? Does an ecumenical leader need to tolerate exclusivity in a religious group which refuses to join in ecumenical dialogue? The student interests will contribute to the seminar’s growing understanding of the problem that multi-culturalism and toleration of difference face when groups try to overcome sex discrimination or ethnocentrism embedded in “sacred” texts, “sacred” oral traditions, “sacred” images, or “sacred” practices across the globe.
Horowitz (History)
62. LOS ANGELES FROM PUEBLO TO WORLD CITY.
This course uses a variety of sources from sociology, history, and cultural studies, to study the changing historical role of Los Angeles, from its early status as frontier pueblo of New Spain, through the railroad-era of real estate speculation, to dystopic metropolis of the 21st century. We will examine the changing economy and political scene in the Los Angeles region as well as the dynamics of immigration and racial/ethnic conflict. Our cultural studies will include examining of novels, films, and the impact of Hollywood. Students will have a chance to experience Los Angeles through field trips and other community-based learning activities.
Lin (Sociology)
63. PRODUCTION, CONSUMPTION, AND WASTE.
During this seminar, we will study capitalism not only as an economic system, but also as an ethos (or way of being). We will begin by examining a number of accounts of the emergence and functioning of the mechanisms of capitalist production and consumption. This will lead us to an exploration of the ways in which this transforms individuals, societies, and cultures. In particular, we will focus on the way in which waste and idleness are experienced as problems and then addressed. Students will be asked to consider how different configurations of these mechanisms and practices can together create different possible ways for us to be. In the latter part of the seminar, students will be asked to identify the limits created by these conditions and to explore through research possible alternative modes of living and working.
Moazzam-Doulat (Religious Studies)
64. NATURE WRITING.
This course will examine classic and contemporary texts considered as nature writing in the U.S. We will explore three themes in depth: 1) nature writing as literary genre, 2) nature writing as expression of ecological/environmental concern, and 3) nature writing as development of spiritual awareness. In addition to serious reading of texts, students will be expected to produce pieces of nature writing themselves.
Naylor (Religious Studies)
65. NEW FRONTIERS: MIXED HERITAGE IN AMERICAN LITERATURE AND FILM.
This course explores mixed race affairs, marriages, and the identities of mixed race people in American culture from colonial days to the present. Interdisciplinary materials have been selected that will provide fuel for discussions about identity formation and the changing theories and meaning of race and ethnicity. The demographics of ”America” and the increasing numbers of so-called mixed race people tell us more loudly than ever that race is not fixed. Our journey will take place along historic, social, and artistic lines with an emphasis on analyzing the work of contemporary mixed race writers, artists, performers, and filmmakers.
Tien (American Studies)
66. COLLEGIATE SEXUALITIES.
The objective in this class is to learn about U.S. college students’ sexualities. Is campus culture heterosexist, homophobic, or misogynistic? What are the personal and political consequences of identifying as gay, lesbian, straight, bi, queer, transgendered, intersexed, or something else? What constitutes a hook-up? Is hooking up emotionally damaging or sexually unsatisfying for women, as older critics have claimed? Is there a double standard for men and women (e.g., “He’s a player” but “She’s a slut”)? Do hook-ups usually involve drunkenness? Can drunk students give each other consent to engage in a sexual activity? To answer such questions we will read works by scholars from a variety of disciplines as well as works by journalists and college students. Texts include Peggy Sanday’s Fraternity Gang Rape, Laura Stepp Sessions’ Unhooked, Ariel Levy’s Female Chauvinist Pigs, and Boink: College Sex by the People Having It. Each student will research and write a paper on a topic of the student’s choosing.
Tobin (Critical Theory and Social Justice)
67. ETHICS AND ECONOMICS OF THE DRUG WAR.
The course is a research seminar for first-year students, which critically examines the problem of drugs in America. The objective is to provide students with a more comprehensive understanding of the ethical and economic dimensions of this social problem. The “drug war” was unofficially launched in the 1930’s, officially sanctioned as a national policy by President Nixon in the 1960’s, and has escalated every year. Practically speaking, “wars” are won or lost. Yet, 40 years later and billions of dollars sunk, there is no victory in sight. The looming question is whether the “war” on drugs is really a “war” in the conventional sense, or whether this description of current drug policy misleads the public about the nature and problems of both legal and illegal drugs. Topics to be discussed include the nature and history of drug use among human beings, individual rights and recreational drug use in modern society, the social costs of prohibition, the science and politics of medicinal marijuana, and the manipulation and distortion of scientific information concerning drugs.
Schaff (Philosophy)
68. GLOBAL JUSTICE, FAIRNESS, AND EQUALITY.
As the world seemingly grows smaller, issues of how states should interact with one another grow ever more important. What obligations might states have with regard to other states? What obligations might states have toward International Governmental Organizations (IGOs) such as the UN or the WTO? In this course we will look at the issue of global justice and ways in which states interact with one another. We will use our discussions of justice to shed light on contemporary problems facing the world, for example, the current climate crisis, and armed conflict between states.
Tomhave (Philosophy)
69. PHILOSOPHY OF CREATION AND CREATIVITY.
This course will explore Ancient Greek cosmologies, myths, ways of life, and ceramic art. The central issues for the course will concern creation and creativity and will implicate questions of gender and containment. This probe into the classical arena should provide students with a deeper understanding of the metaphysical foundations of western thought.
Sadoff
70. ENERGY AND SOCIETY.
This course will survey the role that energy has played in both agricultural and industrial societies from their emergence to the present. It examines “peak oil” and alternate energy sources from the perspective of economics and ecology and considers the cultural and political ramifications of different modes of energy production and consumption. Seminar participants will be required to write weekly essays that address relevant topics based on course materials and provide the context for course discussions. A final essay will require students to consider energy and its appropriate role in society in the broadest possible view.
Craney (Chemistry) and Newport (Politics)
OTHER COURSES
89. INFORMATION LITERACY/LIBRARY RESEARCH.
This course is designed to provide students with step-by-step information mentoring in conjunction with their spring CSP research paper. Students explore information organization and resources (print and digital), as provided by and accessed through the library. Students develop fluency in identifying, locating, evaluating, selecting, and using appropriate information resources. Information ethics and presentation skills are also addressed. This course is graded CR/NC only and will not meet specific Major or Core requirements. Open to freshmen only.
1 unit
Schnirring (Instructional Services Librarian)
99. EXPERIENCING THE ARTS.
This course is designed to expose students to the arts, to broaden their cultural horizons, and to instill in them a desire to expand their knowledge of and attention to the arts. In addition, the course is designed to prepare students for life-long learning, for engaging in their communities, and for having the basis for further exploration in the field of the arts. Students may acquire one semester unit of credit for attending eight on-campus events during a semester. Students will select these events from a list of events compiled each year by the Arts Committee; at least two of the events attended must combine an arts presentation with a lecture or discussion by the artist or a faculty member. A short two-page paper is due on the last day of class. This course is graded CR/NC only and will not meet specific Major/Minor or Core requirements. Students may take this course twice, for a maximum of two units being applied toward graduation.
1 unit
Trevizo (Sociology)
195. ACADEMIC COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
The overall purpose of this seminar is to provide students with an overview of university-community engagement philosophy, historical and academic context, as well as various models of engagement. Students will read and discuss various definitions of Service Learning (Community Based Learning at Occidental), and will compare them with definitions of other service related programs such as volunteerism, community service, internships, and field education. Students will learn about the various ways in which Occidental engages with community. This is a Community Based Learning seminar. Students will be required to already be engaged with community organizations or schools for a minimum of 6 hours per week in order to be admitted in the seminar. Only community service not connected to a class, internship, or independent credit, will comply with this requirement. [Students will be expected to provide written confirmation from the community partner about the project in which they are engaged.] Community partners will be invited to talk about their organizations and to co-facilitate discussion. The seminar may be repeated once for credit. Not open to frosh.
2 units
Avila (Director of the Center for Community Based Learning)
CORE DISTRIBUTION REQUIREMENTS (to be completed before the end of the junior year). In addition to the first-year seminars, Occidental requires courses in various departments selected to provide a broad background in cultural and disciplinary studies. These include at least 12 units in culture and fine arts; 12 units in science and/or mathematics; and the equivalent of language 102 in a language other than English, as detailed below. Note that some courses have prerequisites. Without exception, courses not on this list must be petitioned before you enroll in the course in order to be counted toward the requirement.
1) Culture and Fine Arts: A minimum of 12 units (16 or 20 units are recommended) continue and expand on the seminars by situating the study of culture and the arts in specific disciplinary and geographical contexts. Students must enroll in a minimum of four units in each of three different geographical groupings. Pre-1800: Four units must represent study of the period prior to 1800, and four must be devoted to the fine arts. Pre-1800 courses can also satisfy one of the geographical categories, while courses devoted to studio art and theater and music performance do not usually carry a geographical emphasis. Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate examinations may not be used to satisfy any of these requirements.
The geographical groups are as follows:
Group 1: Africa and The Middle East
Group 2: Central, South, and East Asia
Group 3: Europe
Group 4: Latin America
Group 5: The United States
Group 6: Intercultural
2) Science/Mathematics Requirement. The requirements listed here are for students who matriculated at Occidental College in or after Fall 2007. A minimum of 12 units in science and mathematics. Four units must be in a science course with a laboratory component. The remaining 8 units may be taken from among any of the courses that satisfy the Science/Mathematics requirement. Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate examinations may not be used to satisfy any of these requirements.
Students who matriculated at Occidental College prior to Fall 2007 have a slightly different Science and Mathematics (Formal Methods of Reasoning) requirement, and they should consult their entering catalog for the description of those requirements.
CORE PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS FOR TRANSFER STUDENTS:
To meet the Core Requirements, transfer students must have taken the equivalents of a Cultural Studies Seminar (4 units), a minimum of 20 additional units in distribution courses in culture and fine arts, 12 units in science and mathematics, and must complete the language requirement. Transfer students are not enrolled in Occidental’s Cultural Studies Program Seminars, which are designed for first-year students. Transfer students ordinarily meet many of these requirements — including the seminar — on the basis of work done at other colleges and universities. Appropriate equivalents are determined in consultation with the Core Program Office and the Registrar.
Cultural Studies Seminar (4 units). A conventional English composition class, or a course specified as “writing-intensive,” will ordinarily satisfy this requirement. Any four-unit course in Occidental’s Department of English Writing will meet the seminar requirement. The first stage of the writing requirement is a different requirement, and is explained on page 40.
Culture and Fine Arts Distribution Courses (20 units). Transfer students must take a minimum of four units from each of three groups listed above, and must take four units in courses designated “pre-1800” and four units in courses designated as “fine arts.” All “pre-1800” and many “fine arts” courses also satisfy an area studies requirement, (separate courses in studio art, theater, and music performance often satisfy only the fine arts requirement, but we strongly recommend taking one such course).
Mathematics and Science (12 units). Most transfer students have met at least some of these upon entry. Of the 12 units, at least four must be in a science with laboratory.
All of these Core requirements should be completed as quickly as possible, and certainly no later than the end of the junior year.
|
