Academic Programs

Political theory in the West has focused on certain fundamental questions regarding politics and society, such as: Is government necessary? If so, why? What is the “best” form of government? Do people have rights? If so, what are the limits to those rights? At what point does the obligation to obey authority become an obligation to resist it? What is the most “just” distribution of property? There is no universal agreement on these issues as of yet and there probably never will be. In the first semester of this course we will learn what different Western scholars, from Plato to John Rawls, have said about such questions. In this course, you will be expected to understand the major arguments that have been advanced in the “Western” tradition and discuss them with reference to real-world situations. Next semester, (SOCA 1001: Social & Political Thought II) we will devote our attention to “Non-Western” (i.e., Asian, Middle Eastern, and African) perspectives in social and political thought. We will also critically examine these common categories of “West” and “non-West” and consider how and why these categories were constructed.

Readings:

Rosen, Michael and Jonathan Wolff. 1999. Political Thought. New York: Oxford University Press.

Thoreau, Henry David. 2010. “Civil Disobedience,” in Civil Disobedience and Other Writings. CreateSpace.

Wolff, Jonathan. 2006. Introduction to Political Philosophy. New York: Oxford University Press.

SOCA 1000-2
Social & Political Thought I: Introduction to Political Philosophy, Section 2

Course Description:

Human beings are social animals. From birth to death, we depend upon one another to flourish, and we realize our good only within community. What kind of communities, then, are best for human beings? This course seeks to answer this question, by analyzing some of the most important texts in the history of political philosophy. Through reading these texts, we will consider questions such as: What is a political community, and what is the basis of political authority? What makes a human society just, and what forms of government are consistent with justice? What are the basic rights and duties of human beings, both as person and citizens? How should material goods be produced and distributed within a human community?

In the first part of this course, we will read selections from Plato’s Republic and Aristotle’s Politics, as well as works by medieval Islamic scholars in the Aristotelian tradition. The second part of the course is devoted to two early modern social contract theorists: Thomas Hobbes and John Locke. In the final part of the course, we will examine two 19^th century philosophers who continue to be enormously influential today: Karl Marx and John Stuart Mill. We will supplement our reading of these authors with selections from Indian and Chinese political philosophers.

SOCA 1003
Social Science Inquiry

Course Description:

The study of socio-economic, political and cultural life of human beings, communities and institutions pose unique challenges to doing research: Actors’ behaviors, positions, and understandings may be subject to change based on our research, knowledge and social learning. Also, human and institutional memories are subject to error and are often constructed through the processes we are studying. Moreover, in the study of social practices, intentions and consequences often diverge due to varying social processes, and this creates a continuous tension in the study of human action between goals and outcomes. In addition, researchers’ own biases and subjectivities can influence our ability to understand what we are trying to investigate. Finally, both ethical and practical issues make determining causality in social processes difficult. Nevertheless, social scientists have developed certain methods and tools to deal with these challenges of conducting social science and social science research continues to be central in formulating better policy and impacting social change.

This course will introduce to students: 1) The methodological perspectives and tools by which we manage and overcome the challenges of researching human beings and their institutions, as well as the ethical questions we have to consider in conducting social science inquiry. 2) The process by which research into socio-economic and political life is designed, developed and conducted. 3) The qualitative and quantitative tools we have to analyze data collected from observing socio-economic and political life.

SOCA 1004
Mind & Behavior

Course Description:

Human Psychology is the study of people: how they think, act, react, and interact. Psychologists scientifically study all kinds of behaviour and the thoughts, feelings and motivations underlying behaviour.

This introductory course outlines a brief History and Roots of Psychology as a way of understanding how psychology has evolved from a study of madness and asylums to understanding people in contemporary life and situations. It also includes an introduction to contemporary specialised fields within psychology as well as a discussion of what psychologists in various fields do.

The course discusses relations between the brain, behaviour, and experience. This includes why we think and act in the ways we do through the biological and social bases of behaviour. Topics will cover cognition, learning, social organisation, self and identity, personality, wellness and illness, and group behaviour. Overall, we will ask questions about the mind and human behavior through the study of biology, the individual, and social situations.

Literature, Civilization Studies, and the Arts Courses

LC&A 1000
World Literature I: British & American Authors in Dialogue with Texts from Around the World

Course Description:

Many of us already have undertaken a significant physical journey in coming to AUW. In this course, we will travel far from Bangladesh to Europe, Latin America, and Africa with the help of literature from these locales. (Next semester, in LC&A 1001, we will explore the Middle East, Asia, and the Caribbean.) Although our journey will be imaginative rather than literal, it will still offer us opportunities to encounter people, places, and ways of life that will expand our understanding of the world. In some cases, we may need to do some investigation of a work’s historical and cultural context in order to understand it. In other cases, we may be shocked at how similar the characters and concerns are to our own, even though our backgrounds and geographical locations are far from the same. To help us consider the significance of travel and of cultures encountering one another, we will pause on occasion in our reading of world literature to read works by Western authors about those locales. These works will help us think about all of the literature we are reading together as participating in a conversation (which we are invited to join!). In addition, by noticing the assumptions and perceptions of British and American authors, we can consider the beliefs and biases that we carry with us when we encounter other cultures as well. I look forward to undertaking this literary journey with you!

Readings:

The World’s Greatest Short Stories, ed. James Daley, Dover Thrift Editions, 978-0486447162

The Penguin Book of International Women’s Stories, ed. Kate Figus, Penguin, 978-0140261882

Of Love and Shadows, by Isabel Allende, Dial Press Trade Paperback, 978-0553383836

Medea, by Euripides, Dover Thrift Editions, 978-0486275482

Death and the King’s Horseman, by Wole Soyinka, Norton Critical Editions, 978-0393977615

A course packet of poetry and other texts

LC&A 1100
Modern Asian History

Course Description:

Asia has emerged as one of the most important and dynamic regions of the modern world. Once the site of the ancient civilizations, it now boasts some of the most technologically advanced societies. As the world’s largest continent, it encompasses a dizzying array of ethnicities, languages, cultures, and religions and features the extremes of both poverty and wealth. This course invites you to explore the emergence of modern Asia by surveying the history of the region from the sixteenth through twentieth centuries. We will examine Asian history through a series of temporal themes, including the spread of Chinese and Indian cultures prior to European contact, the growth of global trade, western imperialism, the emergence of nationalism, decolonization, and the Cold War. Did the west bring modernity to Asians or did Asians create it? How have the modern political movements, such as nationalism, communism, and democracy, changed and been changed by Asians? Does Asia even exist as a singular unit or is it merely a collection of starkly different societies? We will pursue these questions by examining a diversity of primary sources, including novels, autobiographies, political tracts, novels, and travelogues.

LC&A 1101
Introduction to History of South Asia I:

Course Description:

Two introductory courses (LC&A 1101 & 1102) will cover the full sweep of history from the prehistoric age to the present times in South Asia, a region occupied by Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Focusing on the Indian sub-continent, it will be our purpose to explore the complex trajectory of South Asia’s historical experiences. This semester we will study the period starting from the beginnings of human civilisation in the region and ending with the onset of the ‘early modern’ period by the close of the 16th century.

The writing of South Asian history has changed drastically over the last few decades. The course will discuss trends in history writing, problems of periodization and other historiographical issues as it presents a history of the region. The class will touch on a wide range of subjects as it examines physical environments and how people related to these and met their material needs through land use, technology, processing and manufacture; the exercise of political power and political assent or resistance; the nature and limits of legal, administrative and civic institutions; social categories and the ways in which society operated, especially the distribution of rights, influence and benefits; and religious and cultural patterns. It would be impossible to cover the history of South Asia, a vast area encompassing several countries and a population of some 1.4 billion people, in any comprehensive fashion. This course will, however, take into account the immense diversity in natural attributes, people, ways of life, and cultural beliefs and practices that mark this region while providing overviews.

LC&A 1110
The Environment & World History

Course Description:

This course offers an overview of global history with a focus on the environment. We will explore the interactions between human society and the environment by examining various key ecological issues in history: disease transmission; abnormal weather patterns (including flood/drought, earthquake, Tsunami and El Nino); industrialization, urbanization, and population growth; war and environment; colonization, slavery and environment; the state and the environment, etc.

We will have two assumptions for this course: firstly, areas of the world are not separated but interconnected, especially after the 1500s; secondly, before the twentieth century, the human impacts on the environment were gradual, but after the twentieth century, they are exponential. We aim not only to equip students with global history knowledge, but also to raise the consciousness among students concerning the environment.

We will cover a wide range of regions of the world, including the Americas, Europe, China, Japan, the Middle East, India, Southeast Asia, Australia, Africa, Russia and some Pacific Islands using scholarly books and articles primarily. Films are occasionally used as an auxiliary course material.

Math & Science Courses

MATH 0999
Pre-Calculus II

Course Description:

Pre-Calculus II will cover the following concepts: Polar Coordinates; Vectors: Polar coordinates, Polar equations and Graphs, The complex plane; De Moivre’s theorem, Vectors, the Dot product, Vectors in space, the cross product. Analytic Geometry: Conics, The Parabola, the Ellipse, the Hyperbola, Polar equations of Conics. System of equations and Inequalities: System of Linear Equations: Substitution and Elimination, System of Linear equations: Matrices, System of Linear Equations: Determinants, Matrix Algebra, Partial Fraction Decomposition, System of Nonlinear equations, System of Inequalities, Linear Programming. Sequence; Induction; the Binomial theorem: Sequence, Arithmetic Sequence; Geometric Series, Mathematical Induction, the Binomial theorem. Counting and Probability: Counting, Permutations and Combinations, Probability. A preview of Calculus: The limit, Derivative, and Integral of function.

MATH1000-1
Calculus I, Section 1

Course Description:

Calculus I will cover the following concepts: Functions; Limits and Continuity; Differentiation; Application of Derivatives; Integration; Techniques of Integration; Integrals and Transcendental Functions.

MATH1000-2
Calculus I, Section 2

Course Description:

MATH1000-3
Calculus I, Section 3

Course Description:

MATH1001-1
Calculus II, Section 1

Course Description:

Calculus I will cover the following concepts: First-Order Differential Equations; Second-Order Differential Equations; Infinite Sequences and Series; Vectors and the Geometry of Space; Vector-Valued Functions and Motion in Space; Partial Derivatives; Multiple Integrals.

MATH1001-2
Calculus II, Section 2

Course Description:

MATH1001-3
Calculus II, Section 3

Course Description:

MATH1002
Probability & Statistics

Course Description:

Probability & Statistics will cover the following concepts: Basic Probability, Conditional Probability: Independent Events, Bayes Theorem, Random Variables and Distributions, Mathematical Expectation, Special Distributions, Sampling Theory , Estimation Theory, Testing Hypotheses and significance, Curve fitting regression, Analysis of variance, Non-Parametric Tests

MATH2000
Differential Equations

Course Description:

Differential Equations will cover the following concepts: Introductory concepts : definition and constructions of ordinary differential equations with classification; techniques of solving ordinary differential equations: first order, first degree, and higher degree equations; higher order differential equations: initial and boundary value problems; linear differential equations; power series solutions of linear differential equations; linear transformations, eigenvalues, and eigenvectors.

CHEM1100
Chemistry I (with Lab)

Course Description:

Chemistry I is the first semester of a two-semester series (CHEM1101, Chemistry II, will be offered Spring 2012) that will cover general, inorganic chemistry topics and prepare you for further studies in scientific majors. I will also emphasize green chemistry theory and highlight chemistry in everyday life and society.

This course will consist of lectures, laboratory exercises and a weekly discussion/problem solving session. We will cover topics such as the mole, stoichiometry, the periodic table, various types of chemical reactions, phases of matter, intermolecular forces and bonding theory. This is a course that requires continual studying, homework and assignments in order to keep up with the material.

PHST 1000
Introduction to Public Health

Course Description:

This course promises to take you on a journey through the science and the art of public health issues, concepts and practice by examining the philosophy, purpose, functions, organization, tools, activities and results of public health. Case studies will enable you to apply your knowledge to real-world local and international public health problems in order to understand how public health strategies contribute to population health. After the course you will possess an overview of this field to help you think about and explore how you can contribute to public health’s mission for your community, nation and the world, either through a public health career or as a knowledgeable, engaged member of society.

The structure of this course includes: discussion, presentations, problems, class projects, homework and quizzes. Interaction with the instructor both in and outside of class will be expected. Some assignments will have on-line discussions and submissions. There will be continuous assessment from quizzes, presentations and assignments, totaling 80% of the final grade and exam at the end of the semester worth 20% of the final grade.

Readings:

Introduction to Public Health, 3rd edition, 2010. by Mary-Jane Schneider. Jones and Bartlett, Publishers. ISBN 978-0-7637-6381-7. This textbook will be supplemented by additional relevant readings of a more regional nature.

BIOL 1004
Conservation Biology

Course Description:

This course will cover the following ideas resulting in an understanding of biodiversity: Levels of Biodiversity; How biological knowledge can predict changes in biodiversity; Factors threatening different species’ persistence; Strategies Biologists use to protect Biodiversity; Population Conservation; Landscape & Regional conservation; Restoration ecology; Sustainable development for human condition.

This course will cover the following ideas resulting in an understanding of why and how biodiversity should be conserved: Ecological & Economic values; Ethical grounds; Habitat conservation; Identifying places rich in species; Areas rich in endemics; Representative habitats; Theory & Practice of Reserve design ( single species approach); Establishing protected areas; Principles of Wildlife management; Ecological succession; Predicting secondary succession; Zootic disclimax; Habitat management; Habitat measurement; Art of wildlife management; Perennial Patterns of Abundance; Stable population; Unstable population ; Cyclic population; Eruptive population; Regionwide-synchronous population; Biodiversity hotspots ; Megabiodiversity countries; World Heritage sites.

Writing & Rhetoric Seminar Courses

WSEM1019
Poetry

Course Description:

Salman Rushdie writes, “A poet's work is to name the unnameable, to point at frauds, to take sides, start arguments, shape the world, and stop it going to sleep.” In this course, students will experience poetry in all its power and beauty, as both readers and writers. Discoveries in classic and contemporary poetry from around the world will serve as inspiration for students to find their own voices as poets.

WSEM1015
Food & Culture

Course Description:

In this course, we will read, write, cook, and eat. Together, we will examine the cultural convergences of migration, trade, and slavery as expressed through literature and cuisine. Writing and research projects will allow students to explore, through the prism of food, their own cultural identities as well as their new surroundings in Chittagong.

WSEM1006
Art of the Personal Essay

Course Description:

This first year writing seminar is designed to give students a solid grounding in the basic elements of creative nonfiction. Students will read a broad selection of personal essays in a range of styles, both classic and new, covering a range of topics—from intimate accounts of daily lives to documents tracing the emergence of political consciousness to feminist manifestos and auto-ethnographies. Through weekly reading and writing assignments, students will consider how the ordinary experiences and materials ofeveryday life can provide an entry point into larger questions about meaning, identity and one’s place in the world. The seminar will expose students to a wide array of voices and, through discussion and practice, enable them to find their own.

Students will be given weekly reading assignments and will be expected to arrive prepared for a class discussion of the reading. Attendance and participation will be counted. Requirements also will include two papers, an in-class presentation, and a final portfolio that will include material from a journal or blog that students will be keeping throughout the semester. Students will meet with teaching assistants and the instructor to revise written assignments and improve their overall writing skills.

Readings:

Burroway, Janet. Imaginative Writing: The Elements of Craft, 3^rd Edition. Kingston, Maxine Hong. The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts.

Students will be provided with a course packet with additional readings.

WSEM1020
The Writer as Activist

Course Description:

How do writers use the art of rhetoric and imaginative writing techniques to offer social & political commentary and inspire public & personal transformation? In this writing seminar, students will read texts that function beautifully as works of art but also communicate a larger message. The syllabus will include poetry, fiction and creative non-fiction, and will include authors from the region as well as classic texts from beyond. We will cover a range of topics including environmental activism, racism, poverty, corruption and gender discrimination. Students will also be asked to select an “activist” topic of their own, and complete a writing project that illuminates their concerns.

Students will be given weekly reading assignments and will be expected to arrive prepared for a class discussion of the reading. Attendance and participation will be counted. Requirements also will include reading responses, two papers, an in-class presentation, two projects including an Activism week project and a final creative writing project. Students will meet with teaching assistants and the instructor to revise written assignments and improve their overall writing skills.

Readings:

Kramer, Mark & Wendy Call, Ed. Telling True Stories: A Nonfiction Writers' Guide from the Nieman Foundation at Harvard University. Ben Jalloun, Tahar, Corruption. Orwell, George. Down and Out in Paris and London. Roy, Arundhati, The Algebra of Infinite Justice. Bhattacharya, Suchitra. Dahan. Ensler, Eve. The Vagina Monologues.

Students will be provided with a course packet with additional readings.

WSEM1017
Speaking of Speeches

Course Description:

Speeches have always played a big role in the way the human civilization has progressed; wars have been won, blood has been shed, lives have been sacrificed all because of the power of the spoken word. The magical words of a few who knew how to give life to their words and awaken people to their cause have made all the difference in our world. “Every man, woman and child, whether they be teacher, mother, General, doctor, lawyer, waiter or negotiator, needs proper public speaking skills and an understanding of the importance of speech in modern life. It isn't enough simply to believe in an idea, or to be able to write it down. For an idea to grow and thrive it must first have behind it a voice to make it understood and believed.” –Christopher Carlin

This first year writing seminar is designed to introduce students to the famous speeches in history that have shaped the world as we know it today. Through reading assignments and discussion generated in the classroom, students will be expected to recognize and reflect on global issues that have concerned human beings through the generations – power, inequality, nationhood, identity, religion and racism among others. Students will be given reading assignments for every class and will be expected to arrive prepared for class. Evaluation will be based upon: attendance and class participation, weekly response papers, speech writing, and a presentation.

Reading:

A compilation of speeches, how to write speeches, writing techniques, an sample response papers will be the main text book for class. Additional material will be handed out in class as required.

WSEM1021
Travel Writing

Course Description:

This seminar explores the role of women in travel writing, from the Wife of Bath in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales to Isak Dinesen's Kenyan farm in Out of Africa. We will consider works written by or about women, asking questions about the relation of gender to mobility, pilgrimage, ethnicity, colonialism, and aesthetics. Students will be encouraged to meditate on their own journeys in the form of personal travel narratives.

WSEM1016
20th Century Political History of the Middle East

Course Description:

This course will give students the opportunity to examine the political history of the Middle East during the twentieth century. Students will learn to critically review primary and secondary sources integral to understanding how the modern Middle East was shaped and enhance their academic writing skills by constructing arguments based on their analysis. Topics covered include: the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, colonization, the Arab-Israeli conflict, and the Islamic Revolution of Iran. The course will also feature a current events component, allowing students to examine and expound on recent events in the Middle East through the lens of historical perspective.

Readings:

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee; The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald; My Antonia by Willa Cather; Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller; I Have a Dream by Martin Luther King Jr.; Letter from a Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King Jr.; The Power of Non-Violence by Martin Luther King Jr.; By Any Means Necessary by Malcolm X; Selections from Hard Times by Studs Terkel; Selections from The Economist, The New York Times, and The New Yorker.

ARTS1000
Society of International Musicians

Course Description:

The Music Club will focus on classical choral songs as well as more recent and more popular songs and will practice for an hour in the evenings, 5 days a week. Students will be asked to bring in music from their home countries, both traditional and popular to share with the club. At the end of the semester there will be a performance of large group, mixed group, and solo acts and will also incorporate instruments.

(UG2) Second Year Undergraduate Curriculum

(Each student takes 2 courses in their intended major
and 6 additional core courses)

Ethical Reasoning Courses

ETHR 1000
Introduction to Ethics

Course Description:

Moral philosophy addresses fundamental questions of human life and action, such as: How does a person live well as a human being? What is the nature of human virtue, and how is virtue related to reason and emotion? What makes an action “morally good”? Are all moral standards “culturally relative”? Are any actions always morally prohibited, and if so why?

This course considers these questions and others, by analyzing fundamental texts in the history of moral philosophy. In the first half of the course, we will consider ancient and medieval ethical writings. We will begin with selections from Confucius and Mencius, and also the Hebrew Bible. Next we will read Plato’s dialogue Protagoras, which raises the question of whether and how virtue can be taught. We will then read Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, as well as a variety of texts by medieval Aristotelians, including both Islamic and Christian scholars. In the second half of the course, we will examine works by three of the most influential figures in modern philosophy: David Hume, Immanuel Kant, and John Stuart Mill.

ETHR 1001-1
Introduction to Bioethics, Section 1

Course Description:

Over the last 50 years, we have witnessed a dramatic transformation of the biomedical and life sciences. With these changes, difficult values questions have emerged around a wide range of scientific and technological research programs, generating new articulations of human rights, human nature and the public good. New techniques and technologies have challenged approaches to dealing with domains such as reproduction, death, privacy, intellectual property, health and research involving human subjects and human biological materials. This course examines a subset of these developments by focusing on specific domains such as: pharmaceuticals and international clinical trials, reproduction, organ allocation and transplantation, and the creation of genetic databases.

Introduction to Bioethics will provide students with the theoretical tools for identifying and evaluating a wide range of ethical issues associated with interactions between (1) patients and health care providers, (2) health and health care, and (3) science and society. This course is highly interdisciplinary. For each unit, we will examine the historical development of new technologies and new social arrangements together, examining not only how and why new ethical problems emerged, but also what philosophical, social, legal, and institutional responses they engendered in different contexts.

ETHR 1002
Global Justice

Course Description:

Are rich countries to blame for global poverty? Can torture ever be justified? When is it permissible for one area of a country to secede and set up its own country? Is there a conflict between respect for culture and the struggle for women’s liberation? Can humanitarian intervention be distinguished from external aggression? How should the costs of climate change be distributed? Are human rights really universal? Does aid work? This course will address all these questions and more. It will cover a range of important topics in international politics including war, poverty, inequality, human rights and environmental degradation. Students will be asked to consider the central ethical disputes regarding each of these problems and begin to formulate their own view on what can and should be done. Upon successful completion of this course, students will (1) understand various theoretical arguments regarding the nature and place of ethical considerations in international politics, (2) gain insight into some of the most important problems in international politics including their social, economic and historical dimensions, (3) be able to critically assess a range of solutions to these problems and (4) develop and justify their own responses to the philosophical arguments and practical political problems addressed during the course.

ETHR 1003
Ethics of Humanitarian Intervention

Course Description:

This course has two goals: 1) to familiarize students with different approaches to ethical argumentation and the study of ethics in international politics; and 2) to gain an understanding about some of the dilemmas of humanitarian action. The course will begin with a general introduction to the study of ethics and international politics. What is the role of theory in thinking about ethics? What are the differences between different theories? How can theory be used to help us understand the “real” world? How can theory help us to make effective ethical arguments? What are some of the limitations of ethics? The course will then focus on the ethical dimensions of humanitarian action. Several questions will be addressed: who can be a humanitarian? What level of suffering or rights violations justifies military intervention? Should the goal of a humanitarian intervention be to feed people, arrest people, or rebuild broken societies? The course will provide an overview of the humanitarian system, by examining the role of states, NGOs, and international organizations. By analyzing case studies about various crises, students will have the opportunity to form their own arguments about when and what types of humanitarian action may be justified.

Literature, Civilization Studies, & the Arts Courses

LC&A 1105
Anthropology of Religion

Course Description:

This course explores diverse religious practices around the world through an anthropological perspective. There are many ways to study religion, but this course explores people’s religious practices in social, economic, and political contexts. How do religions matter in our social lives? How do people interpret religious teaching in their daily lives and why? Can religious beliefs address some political and social issues and if so, how? Those are some of the questions we will examine in this class. Students are expected to understand basic analytical concepts to explore diverse religious practices in relation to society and culture and to be able to start their own inquiry about the role of religions in the society. Course requirements and evaluation include: attendance and participation, exams, exam study guide questions, religious news reports, class debate preparation, and a position paper. Full syllabus and course schedule will be distributed in class. Please ask Tomomi Naka if you have questions regarding this course.

Readings:

Bowen, John, J. (2011). Religions in Practice: An Approach to the Anthropology of Religion. 5th^th edition. Boston: Prentice Hall.

Reader, Ian and Gerge J. Tanabe Jr. (1998). Practically Religious: Worldly Benefits and the Common Religion in Japan. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.

Kraybill, Donald B. and Carl D. Bowman. (2002). On the Backroad to Heaven: Old Order Hutterites, Mennonites, Amish, and Brethren. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press.

LC&A 1108
Cultural Heritage in Asia

Course Description:

What is cultural heritage? Why do we value it and preserve it? Every country around the world has cultural heritage, but is it all the same? This course explores the history of heritage, as international standards and guidelines emerged, including the formation of UNESCO and other organizations. The course aims to focus on issues of Asian heritage preservation, to discuss why different cultures have different heritage issues, and considering political, religious and cultural contexts that may explain existing conflicts. Each week, students will read a selection of significant writings that help us understand different types of heritage perceptions, and guide them in discussions of their own experience of cultural heritage.

LC&A 1200
Photography (Religious Festivals)

Course Description:

Students will photograph a wide variety of festivals in Bangladesh across cultural, religious, ethnic, and religious lines in order to construct a view of this country's rich, multifaceted and often syncretistic heritage, which is sometimes under pressure due to changing social circumstances. Students will shape portfolios of their work and assist in the formation of an AUW institutional repository which will consolidate this information for both specialists and an interested general public. This repository will eventually take shape as a searchable website. In addition to providing their own images for this effort, students will also reach out to, and coordinate with other photographers and people working in other disciplines (film, writing, sound recording) on this subject matter in Bangladesh to obtain contributions.

Math & Science Courses

MATH 0999
Pre-Calculus II

Course Description:

MATH1000-1
Calculus I, Section 1

Course Description:

MATH1000-2
Calculus I, Section 2

Course Description:

MATH1000-3
Calculus I, Section 3

Course Description:

MATH1001-1
Calculus II, Section 1

Course Description:

Calculus II will cover the following concepts: First-Order Differential Equations; Second-Order Differential Equations; Infinite Sequences and Series; Vectors and the Geometry of Space; Vector-Valued Functions and Motion in Space; Partial Derivatives; Multiple Integrals.

MATH1001-2
Calculus II, Section 2

Course Description:

MATH1001-3
Calculus II, Section 3

Course Description:

MATH1002-1
Probability & Statistics

Course Description:

MATH2000-1
Differential Equations

Course Description:

CHEM1100
Chemistry I (with Lab)

Course Description:

PHST 1000
Introduction to Public Health

Course Description:

Readings:

BIOL 1004
Conservation Biology

Course Description:

Regional Challenges Courses

RCHA 2001
Information & Communications Technology for Development

Course Description:

“Information and Communication Technology” (ICT) is being used as one of the key delivery mechanisms for development all over the world. The proliferation of the Internet, wireless communication, and the applied synergy among different forms of communication technologies have empowered the global population to ensure better lifestyles for the present and future generation. The significance of ICT in socio-economic development is even higher in the global south, where the majority of the population still lives under poverty.

This course provides a broad introduction of ICT, its ever changing and region specific definitions and its impacts on the base of the pyramid population. The course will be loosely demarcated into three sections: First, a historical review of ICT, its resulting broader international cooperation to better the life of the global population, and the key “wonder” ICT options of the last 50 years (e.g. Radio, TV, Computer, Internet etc.); Second, critical analysis of the impacts of each of these developments in commercial as well as societal applications using case studies based on environment, health care, and education themes; Third, a focus on a number of socio-economic-environmental problems in the South and South East Asian region and the multiple interpretations of “ICT for Development” by various stakeholders (e.g. Donors, NGOs, Governments, Practitioners, Common People, Academia) through real life case studies, role playing, and contemporary literatures. Methods of techno-economic analysis, risk analysis, multi-criteria decision analysis, and benefit-cost analysis will be also introduced and applied to give the students a firsthand experience in applied technology policy analysis within the ICT4D domain. In this stage of the course, students will also choose a theme or problem from the region and propose a set of recommendations for solving it using ICT.

RCHA 2002
Public Health Challenges in Asia

Course Description:

Although our health is critical to our individual and national wealth, and public health can promote and protect health and prevent disease, public health is often systematically underfunded by many governments’ health systems. This course will first review the definition of public health and introduce the nature of public health systems. Then it will examine several key public health issues in South and Southeast Asia to understand how well the region’s public health systems and interventions are meeting their health challenges. Finally, after examining case studies from around the world and conducting a class project, students will be challenged to explore their own country’s public health system and determine how to further develop and strengthen it to improve the health of the public. As a result, at the end of the course, students will be able to contribute to public health’s mission for their community, nation and the world, either through a career in public health or as a knowledgeable, engaged member of society.

The structure of this course includes: guest speakers, discussion, presentations, problems, homework and quizzes. Interaction with the instructor both in and outside of class and completion of a class project and other assignments will be expected. Assignments will involve critical reading and Internet research, and both group and individual discussion and submissions.. There will be continuous assessment from quizzes, presentations, class project work, and assignments, totaling 80% of the final grade and exam at the end of the semester worth 20% of the final grade.

Readings:

There will be no single textbook for this course. However, there will be a coursepack of various articles and book chapters that together will help guide students to understanding our regional challenges in public health.

RCHA 2003
Gender, Peace, & Conflict in Asia

Course Description:

“Gender makes the world go ‘round,” wrote Cynthia Enloe, in reference to the ways in which gender infuses relationships around us. Across the globe, we see many ways in which gender roles and capabilities relate to significant disparities in economic status, education, health, legal rights and other areas between men and women. In continuing conflicts and in building peace, gender plays a central role, as well. Conceptions of gender have been used to justify domination, violence, sexual and physical abuse, rape, mutilation, imprisonment and killing, as well as participation in movements for peace, solidarity, and resistance.

This course provides an introduction to conflict and peace as gendered phenomena. Focusing on experiences across Asia, we will consider the social construction of masculinities and femininities in different contexts and from different perspectives. We will make use of theoretical texts, case studies from the region, policy reports, contemporary news articles, and films. Throughout the semester, we will develop our skills in using gender as an important “lens” to examine dimensions of conflict and peace.

Intended Major Courses

Intended Major: Asian Studies
ASIA 2300
Modern Asian History

Course Description:

Asia has emerged as one of the most important and dynamic regions of the modern world. Once the site of the ancient civilizations, it now boasts some of the most technologically advanced societies. As the world’s largest continent, it encompasses a dizzying array of ethnicities, languages, cultures, and religions and features the extremes of both poverty and wealth. This course invites you to explore the emergence of modern Asia by surveying the history of the region from the sixteenth through the twentieth centuries. We will examine Asian history through a series of temporal themes, including the spread of Chinese and Indian cultures prior to European contact, the growth of global trade, western imperialism, the emergence of nationalism, decolonization, and the Cold War. Did the west bring modernity to Asians or did Asians create it? How have the modern political movements, such as nationalism, communism, and democracy, changed and been changed by Asians? Does Asia even exist as a singular unit or is it merely a collection of starkly different societies? We will pursue these questions by examining a diversity of primary sources, including novels, autobiographies, political tracts, novels, and travelogues.

Intended Major: Politics, Philosophy, & Economics
PP&E 2100
Principles of Microeconomics

Course Description:

“Most of economics can be summarized in four words: ‘people respond to incentives’. The rest is commentary.” Steven Landsburg, The Armchair Economist, 1991, page 3. This course gives you an introduction to microeconomics. We will be analyzing the fundamental concepts with an emphasis on applications of economic tools to modern day issues. This course will familiarize you with the determinants of the behavior of individuals and firms, the decisions they make given the set of choices available to them and how they respond to incentives. By studying the behavior and interaction of individual firms and consumers you will understand how industries and markets operate and evolve, why they differ from each other, and how they are affected by various public policies and global economic events.

Readings:

Principles of Microeconomics, 5th ed. by Gregory Mankiw.

Any other secondary reading material will be passed out in class.

Intended Major: Biological Sciences OR Public Health Studies
BIOL 1100
Biology I (with Lab)

Course Description:

Biology I will provide students with an understanding of the diversity of animal life at the level of biomolecules, cells and whole organisms, together with an appreciation of a range of fundamental themes in contemporary biology (including cell theory, biological systems, biodiversity, heredity and evolution). Topics will include cell structure and function, trans-membrane transport, tissue structure and function, organ systems, respiration, heredity, reproduction, digestion, excretion, evolution, biodiversity, taxonomy, experimental design.

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to: Describe the organization of living animals at the molecular, cellular and whole organism level; Discuss the fundamentals of selected biological core theories (e.g. evolution, cell theory, heredity); Identify animal forms to Phylum and Class using current understanding of diversity and taxonomy; Understand experimental design and conduct a range of laboratory procedures relating to animal biology.

ARTS1000
Society of International Musicians

Course Description:

(UG3) Third Year Undergraduate Curriculum

Asian Studies Courses

Asian History

ASIA3301
East and West: A Comparative History

Course Description:

This course examines the history of the East and the West comparatively and prepares students to understand each of the societies in a comparative context. We will read extensively the classical works on historical trajectories of the East and the West. Students in this course will be familiarized with important historical and social theories and research methods. Some of the important questions we explore in this course include: why did the West succeed in industrialization by the early 19^th century but the East did not? How did the West rise in world history? How did different variables, such as geographical locations, natural resources, population, technology, social institutions, and mentality, etc. play a role in determining the divergent trajectories of the East and the West? This course is designed as a senior reading seminar and requires the students to prepare for the seminar and participate actively in the discussion. We mainly use scholarly books and articles. Occasionally we will use travelers’ logs, videos and movies in a classroom setting.

ASIA3303
Imperial Minds: Ideologies in Practice

Course Description:

This course is designed to explore the ideological underpinnings of British imperialism and the nature of colonial governance in South Asia. It covers a century of British rule in South Asia from its inception in the mid-eighteenth century through to the high noon of European imperialism in the late nineteenth century. The course intends to provide an overview of the key ideas that sustained imperialism, influenced British perceptions of India and her peoples and guided state policy. It focuses on the concepts of civilisation and civilisational progress, historical change, race and race theories and various other political and social ideologies prevalent in Britain. Many of the ideas that informed colonial inquiries and policy decisions in India represented responses to Europe’s quest to understand universal phenomena in order to answer specific questions about itself. Similarly, British ideologies and practices in India were often closely linked to political and socio-economic developments in Britain. Ideas, of course, were invariably transformed in colonial contexts, and some part of this course will document the unique forms that various strands of European thought assumed in British India.

In light of the investigations outlined above, the course aims to engage with some important scholarly views in imperial/colonial studies. What were the connections between European intellectual traditions and imperialism and to what extent did these traditions contribute to the rationalisation of empire? Were the modes of operation and policies of colonial states merely instruments for the exercise of power? What was the nature of relations between the rulers and their subjects? This course seeks to answer these questions with the help of both secondary and primary sources.

Asian Literature, Culture, & the Arts

ASIA3402
Japanese Culture & Society

Course Description:

In this course, we will explore diverse aspects of Japanese society, such as socialization, gender, and ethnic relations. We will pay careful attention to broader social and economic contexts that affect Japanese culture and society. As an East Asian country, Japan has been influenced by neighboring countries. There are many specific cultural and social situations that have affected contemporary Japanese society, but we can also find useful approaches and perspectives to examine diverse societies and cultures in Asia and other parts of the world. Students are expected not only to deepen their knowledge about Japan but also to expand their cross-cultural examination skills.

Readings:

Hendry, Joy (2003). Understanding Japanese Society. Third Edition. London: Routledge.

Feiler, Bruce (1991). Learning to Bow: Inside the Heart of Japan. New York: Harper Perennial.

Ogasawara, Yuko (1998). Office Ladies and Salaried Men: Power, Gender, and Work in Japanese Companies. Berkley: University of California Press.

ASIA3405
Images of South Asia in British Literature

Course Description:

The ideas we have about British people’s presence and experience in South Asia vary, based on the images we examine. One image might suggest intimacy, reliance, and harmony, at least on the surface while another might portray that a nineteenth-century British person’s experience in India was one of struggle, conflict, and danger. This class will probe images of South Asia in British literature. By the nineteenth century, Britain had a significant presence in South Asia, particularly India, which was reflected in its literature. Often, however, discussions of Britain in South Asia revolve around major conflicts or the British influence on the region’s trade or governance. While these aspects are important to study, they do not tell the complete story of British people’s relationship to South Asia.

In this class, we will explore the female experience in South Asia, both as children and as wives and mothers. We also will discover the varied purposes that prompted British women to come to South Asia, such as to be missionaries, travelers, and explorers. Additionally, we will explore the clash of cultures that we can see in and through women’s relationships. We will conclude by considering how contemporary South Asian women authors challenge or alter the historical images in their writing today. Throughout, we will engage with theoretical and critical articles to help us understand the significance of the literature’s portrayals of gender, culture, empire, and colonialism.

Asian Religion & Philosophy

ASIA3500
Religion & Violence in Asia

Course Description:

Religion often appears synonymous with morality in our popular imagination, but many morally questionable actions are committed in the name of religion. Religious violence has come under special scrutiny in recent years as testimony to religion’s moral failing in the modern world, but scholarly investigations reveal that religious traditions have always possessed a complex attitude toward violence and supported the practice at times when there are ‘legitimate’ ‘moral’ reasons.

This course recognizes that violence is an integral part of religion and charts divergent circumstances in which Asian religions have alternately condemned, tolerated, and praised violence. Together we will discuss general theories of religious violence and then move on to specific examples found in India, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and other parts of Asia. The course is reading-intensive and will use classroom discussion as a primary mode of learning. There will be one research paper due at the end of the semester.

Asian Politics & International Relations

ASIA3204
Society & Politics in Central Asia

Course Description:

Contemporary Central Asia, stretching from the Caspian Sea to the Chinese province of Xinjiang, is a political, economic, and historical “crossroads.” As its peoples struggle to overcome poverty, corruption, and repression, the region has become a focal point for competing geopolitical interests and socio-cultural influences. In this course, we will explore this richly diverse region, focusing on Afghanistan and the post-Soviet Central Asian republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. We will analyze the region’s states and societies across eras, from the nineteenth-century “Great Game” to the present, investigate the legacies of different periods and forms of colonialism, and examine the region in a contemporary international context, considering the roles of Russia, the United States, and China. Utilizing a range of case studies, works of literature, and films, we will consider relationships between local, regional, and international identities, and societies, and politics in such fields as: geopolitics and political power; religious belief and practice; poverty and underdevelopment; gender and the roles of women, and, certainly not least, everyday life.

Chinese Language

ASIA3600
Beginning Mandarin I, Section 1

Course Description:

Beginning Mandarin I will focus on speaking and listening skills needed for common daily life interactions. In particular, students will learn how to have basic conversations with people they meet, talk about food, make purchases, and get around in China. The course will develop student mastery of pinyin pronunciation, basic grammar, and practical vocabulary. While learning activities will rely on pinyin, students will also have opportunities to learn to recognize and write a small number of common Chinese characters. During the course, students will also develop their understanding of both modern Chinese society and traditional Chinese culture.

Development Studies

ASIA3700
Introduction to Planning Theory & Practices

Course Description:

Planning has been a crucial part of governance, management and policies from the micro level to the macro level in the world. It is at the core of the decision-making process, making it the cornerstone of the link between ideas and action. A powerful tool to tackle the various challenges facing societies and mankind, planning can also end up causing more harm than good depending on the objectives, criteria and priorities that are looking to be met. By deciding to act or not to act on certain aspects or elements, by giving precedence or voice to some actors or stakeholders over others, or by choosing to rely on some forms of knowledge or sources of information over others, planning and planners can, for example, reinforce or challenge the actual power dynamics, the structural inequalities and the conditions of access.

In this course, we will do an overview of some of the main ideas in planning theory and we will focus particularly on their implications for planning in developing countries during the ‘development years’ (1950s onward) in order to outline the important link between ideas and action, theory and practice. Planning implies understanding the problem(s), the problematic and the context. It implies knowing the actors and stakeholders and understanding their positions, interests and biases. It also implies basing the decisions on information and knowledge. Finally, it involves both practical and ethical challenges in assessing the situation, proposing guidelines for action and implementing decisions and strategies.

Biological Sciences Courses

Required:

CHEM2000
Organic Chemistry (with Lab)

Course Description:

Organic Chemistry will cover the following concepts: Covalent Bonding and Shapes of Molecules; Acids and Bases; Alkanes and Cycloalkanes; Alkenes and Alkynes; Stereochemistry; Haloalkanes; Alcohols, Ethers, and Thiols; Benzene and Its Derivatives; Amines; Aldehydes and Ketones; Carboxylic Acids; and Functional Derivatives of Carboxylic Acids.

BIOL3000
Anatomy & Physiology I (with Lab)

Course Description:

This is the first of a two-semester sequence of courses on human anatomy and physiology. (BIOL3001, Anatomy & Physiology II, will be offered in the Spring.) We will use a systems approach and focus on the relationship between form and function from the microscopic to gross level of organisation. Topics will include basic anatomical and directional terminology, homeostasis, cell biology, histology, the integumentary, muscular and nervous systems, special senses, and the endocrine system. Anatomy & Physiology I will use a combination of lectures and practicals, including case studies, dissections, experiments and simulations, to help you achieve a detailed understanding of human functioning.

ETHR1001
Introduction to Bioethics, Section 2

Course Description:

BIOL4100
Abbott Lectures: Scientific Research with Applications in Medicine and Public Health

Course Description:

Abbott scientists will present practical applications of their scientific research in medical science and public health. Students will be assigned papers to read before each teleconference session, during which the paper will be discussed with the leading scientist. This is a 1 credit point course; assessment will be based on attendance and participation in group discussions. Students who have selected a major in Biology or Public Health are eligible for enrolment.

Choose One:

PHYS1100-1/2
Physics I, Section 1 or 2

Course Description:

Physics I will cover the following concepts of dynamics: Newton’s law of motion; motion and force; work, energy, and power; linear motion of particle; two dimensional motion; waves and oscillation; momentum of particles; conservation of energy; and application centered with these in the physical world; as well as these concepts of thermodynamics: heat and work; applications of the 1^st and 2^nd law of thermodynamics; the zeroth law of thermodynamics; kinetics theory of gases; specific heat of gases; equi-partition of energy; mean free path; maxwell’s distribution; reversible and irreversible process, carnot’s theorem and cycle; and thermodynamic function.

PSYC2000
Social Psychology

Course Description:

How people think, feel, and act is not simply a result of their personalities or predispositions but also a product of the social situation in which they find themselves. What others around us think, feel and do, have a great impact of the way we structure our own thoughts, emotions, and behaviour. This is one of the main aspects of Social Psychology. Broadly, this course will cover the following: How people and social situations shape our thoughts, feelings, and actions; how people and the social environments they create influence our attitudes, impressions, and explanations (Social Influence); Pressures to conform to group norms, obeying those in authority and adhering to rules (Social Pressure and Significance of Groups); How we explain others’ behaviours, how we like and dislike others (Impression Formation, Attitudes, Attributions, and Relationships); Negative Attitudes (Prejudice, Racism); Aggression and Altruism; and Persuasive Communication. The basic principle is that our thoughts and actions do not originate solely or simply from within, but that they are products too of the social situations in which we find ourselves.

Computer Science Courses

Required:

PHYS1100-1/2
Physics I, Section 1 or 2

Course Description:

CSCI3000
Data Communications

Course Description:

This course provides an in-depth discussion on data communications principles and technologies, different network models and layers and examines the protocols, designs, implementation, and analysis of computer networks performance. It gives a brief overview of the internet infrastructure, inspects how it works and the shows the different network security approaches. Some topics to be covered include: Introduction to Computer Networks; Overview of Networking Models; Physical Layer; Data Link Layer; Network Layer; Transport Layer; Application Layer; Wireless and Mobile Networks; A top down Approach featuring Internet; Network Security.

CSCI3001
Discrete Mathematics

Course Description:

Discrete Mathematics will cover the following concepts: Logic and its applications: Propositional Logic, Predicates & Quantifiers, Rules of inference, Methods of proofs, Normal forms, Proving Programs Correct; Sets, Relations and Functions: Sets, Set operations, Relations & their properties, Functions, Sequences and summations, Ordered Sets and Lattices; Graph Theory: - Representing relations, Graphs & graph models, Euler & Hamilton path, Trees; Induction and recursion: Mathematical induction, Recursive definitions & Structural induction; Combinatorics: Basics of counting, Pigeonhole principle, Permutations and Combinations, Binomial coefficients; Recurrence Relations and Generating Functions; Algebras: Groups, Semi-groups, Rings, and Fields.

MATH2000
Differential Equations

Course Description:

Differential Equations will cover the following concepts: Introductory concepts: definition and constructions of ordinary differential equations with classification; techniques of solving ordinary differential equations: first order, first degree, and higher degree equations; higher order differential equations: initial and boundary value problems; linear differential equations; power series solutions of linear differential equations; linear transformations, eigenvalues, and eigenvectors.

Optional:

MATH1002
Probability & Statistics

Course Description:

Environmental Science Courses

Required:

CHEM2000
Organic Chemistry (with Lab)

Course Description:

ENVS3000
Hydrology

Course Description:

This course is designed to give comprehensive understanding of various hydrological processes involved in the hydrologic cycle including the land surface and subsurface processes, its linkages with the environment and the role of watershed and geological characteristics in surface and subsurface water dynamics. The course also focuses on how these hydrological and hydrogeological processes are measured and quantified in laboratory and field. The course involves rigorous mathematical analysis of water balance, various components of hydrologic cycle, flood and groundwater hydraulics describing well flow in steady and transient cases and how they are influenced by human activities, natural processes and interventions. To illustrate and impart the working skills, a number of practical classes consisting of laboratory and field with case studies will be held. The course will enable students to understand the science behind the occurrence and movement of atmospheric, surface and subsurface water, and to obtain the knowledge of estimation, simulation and forecasting hydrological events, consequences of human interactions and their impact on society, environment and economic development. It will also help students to acquire, equip and strength the skill and competence to critically investigate and analyze the hydrological problems and water needs of society and environment which will help in evolving water policies, water management plans, strategic measures to combat hydrological disasters and engineering hydrologic plans and designs.

Readings:

Applied Hydrology by Ven T. Chow, David R. Maidment and Larry W. Mays, International Edition, McGraw-Hill

Groundwater Hydrology by David K. Todd, 2nd edition, John Wiley & Sons

And these for reference: Engineering Hydrology: Principles & Practices by Victor M. Ponce, Prentice Hall

Engineering Hydrology by K. Subramanya, 3rd edition, Tata McGraw-Hill

Groundwater Science by Charles R. Fitts, Academic Press from Elsevier Science

Some reading materials will also be distributed in class.

PHYS1100-1/2
Physics I, Section 1 or 2

Course Description:

MATH2000
Differential Equations

Course Description:

Optional:

ENVS4100
Environmental Policy

Course Description:

This course will cover the basics of how policy decisions are made, some major themes and movements in the environmental field, leading legislation from various countries and international treaties dealing with environmental topics. Topics will include global warming, fossil fuel use/consumption and the implications thereof, chemicals in the environment, air & water legislation and will allow for other topics students might be interested in studying. It will be a reading-intensive course with students investigating and researching policies in South Asia and learning how they fit into the context of global and/or international policy. I will expect the students to present orally, lead class discussions and improve their science writing and analytical skills.

Politics, Philosophy, & Economics Courses

Economics

PP&E2102
Econometrics

Course Description:

Econometrics is a combination of Economic Theory, Statistics and Mathematics. However, econometrics is not merely an economic statistics, nor is it only an application of mathematics to economic theory; it is rather a combination of different aspects of quantitative approach to economics. Hence, in this course, both mathematical and statistical tools will be employed to test conomic theories and estimate economic parameters/relations (i.e. Multiplier, Marginal Propensity to Consume, Marginal Propensity to Invest, Price elasticity of Demand for a commodity, Elasticity of Substitution between different Factors of Production) using economic data. Testing economic theories and estimating economic parameters/ relations are of utmost importance. They are particularly important in prescribing public policies that involve the well being of millions of people, and are also important in business and other sectors. The techniques discussed in this course can be used in analyzing data of other social sciences such as Politics, Sociology, and Anthropology. The main topics will include a brief review of probability and statistical inference and an extensive discussion of the Classical linear regression model (both two variable and multivariable models). The course will also discuss the problems that arise in case of violation of the assumptions of the Classical linear regression model and the remedies of the problems. It will extensively use econometric software available in the Computer Lab to analyze economic data.

PP&E3112
Labor Economics

Course Description:

This course is designed to provide an introduction to the theory and practice of contemporary labor economics. The primary focus of this course will be on developing an understanding of the determinants of wage rates and employment levels in labor markets. In this course, the analytical tools of neoclassical economics will be used to examine such contemporary policy issues as: minimum wage laws, labor market discrimination, employment training programs, and the economic impact of unions.

This course provides a discussion of the economics of the labor market. The course begins with an overview of the trends and institutional features that characterize the labor market. Particular attention is placed on the causes and consequences of rising female labor force participation rates, the growth of the service sector, and other labor market issues. After this introductory discussion, the focus of the course turns to a discussion of the theory of labor demand. In this section of the course, students examine the short-run and long-run determinants of labor demand. The determinants of the elasticity of labor demand, and the importance of demand. Students examine the tradeoff that occurs between the number of workers hired and the length of the work week.

The next section of the course provides a discussion of the determinants of labor supply. This discussion begins with an examination of labor supply in a simple model in which workers face a choice between labor and leisure. This is followed by a discussion of the household production model in which individuals must choose to allocate time among market and various types of nonmarket activities. The effects of alternative types of welfare, unemployment compensation, and social security systems on labor supply are then examined.

The concluding section of the course provides an examination of alternative sources of wage differentials. This portion of the course provides an examination of the economics of education, unions, discrimination, compensating wage differentials, and other determinants of wage differences.

Readings:

Ehrenberg and Smith, Modern Labor Economics.

Politics

PP&E3201
Civil Society & Social Movements

Course Description:

Many have used the term “civil society” with certain ideas about what it means, only to find that one person’s understanding of the concept fundamentally differs with another’s. Is civil society a restricted realm of bourgeois civility, or a small group of NGO and academic elites? Or perhaps it includes all formal and informal associations independent of the state? Or is it synonymous with the broader concept of the “public sphere,” in which social and political issues are subject to public reasoning and debate? Do civil society groups always make society stronger and more civil? In this course we examine all these various conceptions of “civil society.” We consider Ashutosh Varshney’s argument that integrated civic associations can foster critical links among otherwise separate communities of people and thereby help manage conflict among those communities. We will then turn our attention to the literature on social movements and global activism, examining a variety of studies on the theory and practice of social movements—what constitutes a movement, how it is built and sustained, and what it can achieve both locally and globally. In the last section of the course, we look at prominent examples of global activism, focusing on the global movements for human rights and social justice.

This course will require intensive reading, writing, research, and class participation. In addition to some basic introductory discussions on civil society and social movements, readings will include historical theoretical work on civil society, a book-length study of civic associations and Hindu-Muslim relations in India, and around ten academic journal articles on social movements and global activism.

Readings:

Edwards, Michael. Civil Society, 2^ndnd ed. (Boston: Polity Press, 2009).

Hodgkinson, Virginia and Michael W. Foley. The Civil Society Reader (Lebanon, NH: University Press of New England, 2003).

Reydams, Luc, ed. Global Activism Reader. (New York: Continuum, 2011).

Staggenborg, Suzanne. Social Movements (New York: Oxford University Press, 2011).

Varshney, Ashutosh. Ethnic Conflict and Civic Life: Hindus and Muslims in India (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2002).

PP&E3202
Humanitarianism & Politics

Course Description:

The field of humanitarianism has significantly changed since the end of the Cold War. Whereas in the past, humanitarian relief was largely ad hoc and un-coordinated, there is now a complex network of NGOs, states, and international organizations that are engaged in humanitarian work. This course explores the dynamics of humanitarianism, that is, how the field of humanitarianism has evolved as a result of the interplay between politics and the provision of emergency relief. Humanitarianism is comprised of principles about the legitimate deployment of power on behalf of distant suffering strangers. At the same time, while humanitarian governance purports to act on behalf of the welfare of others, this raises important questions about when relief crosses the line towards paternalism. Who is a legitimate humanitarian actor? How, and to whom, are humanitarian actors accountable? To what ends are humanitarian resources deployed? This course will provide a broad historical perspective on the emergence of the contemporary humanitarian system, explore some of the challenges and dilemmas currently faced by different actors in specific crises, and speculate about the future of this expanding field. It provides an opportunity to reflect on the limitations of humanitarianism as either an antidote to catastrophic change or as a means to engineer positive political transformation.

PP&E3204
Society & Politics in Central Asia

Course Description:

Philosophy

PP&E3000
Global Justice

Course Description:

Recommended Electives from Math:

MATH1002
Probability & Statistics

Course Description:

MATH2000
Differential Equations

Course Description:

Recommended Electives from Asian Studies

ASIA3303
Imperial Minds: Ideologies in Practice

Course Description:

ASIA3500
Religion & Violence in Asia

Course Description:

Public Health Studies Courses

Required:

CHEM2000
Organic Chemistry (with Lab)

Course Description:

BIOL3000
Anatomy & Physiology I (with Lab)

Course Description:

PSYC2000
Social Psychology

Course Description:

ETHR1001-2
Introduction to Bioethics, Section 2

Course Description:

PHST4100-1
Abbott Lectures: Scientific Research with Applications in Medicine and Public Health

Course Description:

UG3 Electives

ASIA3600
Beginning Mandarin I, Section 1

Course Description:

PSYC2000
Social Psychology

Course Description:

ARTS1000
Society of International Musicians

Course Description:

Academic Programs

Asian University for Women

Asian University for Women Support Foundation

quick links

courses of study, FALL 2011

(UG1) First Year Undergraduate

Social Analysis Courses

Literature, Civilization Studies, and the Arts Courses

Math & Science Courses

Writing & Rhetoric Seminar Courses

(UG2) Second Year Undergraduate Curriculum

Ethical Reasoning Courses

Literature, Civilization Studies, & the Arts Courses

Math & Science Courses

Regional Challenges Courses

Intended Major Courses

(UG3) Third Year Undergraduate Curriculum

Asian Studies Courses

Biological Sciences Courses

Computer Science Courses

Environmental Science Courses

Politics, Philosophy, & Economics Courses

Public Health Studies Courses

UG3 Electives

Asian University for Women
Support Foundation