Significant aspects of the history of African Americans with particular emphasis on the evolution and development of black communities from slavery to the present. Interdisciplinary introduction to social, political, legal and economic roots of contemporary problems faced by blacks in the United States with applications to the lives of other racial and ethnic minorities in the Americas and in other societies.

The impact of public policies on the black community and the role of the policy process in affecting the social, economic and political well-being of minorities. Particular attention given to the post-1960 to present era.

Students will examine the birth of the racial caste system following the abolition of slavery, the parallels between the racial hierarchy of the Jim Crow system and contemporary mass incarceration, and the rise of the prison industrial complex as a multi-billon business which thrives on the oppression of low-income populations and poor communities of color.

Prevailing thought suggests that we live in an era that is post-racial, particularly after the election of Barack Obama. Media often serves to drive our assessment of where our nation stands on issues like race, gender and sexuality. This course uses the film Get Out to delve into the production, evolution and significance of race in present day America. The course will engage multiple forms of media to investigate life in "Post-Racial" America, including but not limited to the role of stereotypes, interracial relationships, police-community relations, etc.

African Americans suffer worse outcomes than non-Hispanic whites on nearly every health measure and outcomes that link to overall well-being like depressive symptoms or homicides. Health disparities are experienced by other underrepresented minority groups, but because of the unique historic and current experiences of African Americans, the determinants and solutions to African American health disparities are unique. The premise of this course is that African American health disparities are due to social injustices perpetuated on the institutional level that have permeated the lived experiences of African Americans leading to racial disparities in health and well-being. As such, the solutions on the both policy, and community, level must have a social justice approach.

Examines the construction, operation, and meaning of cultural mainstreams and margins in a range of contexts, spaces, and times in the U.S. Using a variety of primary sources, research methods, and interdisciplinary scholarship, we will explore how Americans make and assign meaning to cultural mainstreams and margins. We will examine how and why cultural margins and mainstreams shift over time and what their consequences have been for social policies, laws, power relations, and national identity.

Exploration of the variety of past human societies and cultures through archaeology, from the emergence of anatomically modern humans to the more recent historical past.

An overview of sexuality from an anthropological perspective, looking at aspects of sexuality within our own culture and in cultures around the world. Course topics include the biology and culture of sex, gender, physical attraction, sexual orientation, marriage and mating taboos, fertility control, sexually transmitted diseases, and commercial aspects of sex.

An overview of the growing field of global health including health care systems, medical practices, ideas about illness in cross-cultural contexts, issues of health development, global health inequity, and human rights issues. The course will focus on the history of global health, the critique of major international health agencies and their development paradigms, and the political economy of social inequalities and health.

Explore past, present, and future interactions between humans and climate. Discussions, methods-oriented activities, and case study analyses provide students a foundation for appreciating the role of anthropology in understanding, responding to, and preparing for climate change.

The impact of diseases on populations from prehistoric times through the present will be examined, along with public perceptions of disease, scientific breakthroughs on treatment and prevention, and the ways that politics and public health policies can enhance or impede the advancement of disease treatment. The natural history of disease, population structure, and immunity will be discussed. The class will address emerging and re-emerging diseases and the ways that first responders, researchers, and policy makers may affect the outcome of an outbreak.

An overview of the history of sustainable development, major development and environmental theories, and development strategies as they relate to an anthropological concern for an integrated, holistic, comparative, and humane approach to sustainable development.

Costs and social impacts of pollution and human crowding in the modern environment. The economic, legal and institutional causes of these problems. Public policy approaches to solutions and the costs and benefits of alternative solutions.

Introduction to the administration of criminal justice in a democratic society, with emphasis on the theoretical and historical development of law enforcement. The principles of organization and administration for law enforcement; functions and specific activities; planning and research; public relations; personnel and training; inspection and control; direction; policy formulation.

Criminal behavior and the methods of its study; causation; typologies of criminal acts and offenders; punishment, correction and incapacitation; prevention of crime.

What are the dimensions of violence in the United States and worldwide, and how has humanity responded to violence? Conflict is unfortunately resolved through violence in a number of settings. It ranges from interpersonal to international in its scope. This course investigates the strengths and weaknesses of a number of resolutions to reducing violence over the course of history using both state centered and informal control.

What is human trafficking and how do we stop it? An introduction to the trafficking of human beings in its historical, legal, economic, political and social contexts. Scope of the global problem, different forms of human trafficking, and regional trends and practices. Roles of government, the international community and individual actors. Strategies to combat trafficking.

Explores the cultural, historical, educational, and medical roots of difference among human beings and examines the impact of cultural and technological changes on individuals traditionally identified as disabled. The course is designed to develop a broad understanding of the concept of "disability" and the emerging technologies that shape contemporary understanding of this phenomenon and the lives of those considered disabled.

America, from its very origins as an independent nation, saw itself as the new Rome: its system of government is built on Roman precedents, its national buildings look as if they came from the Roman Forum, and its leisure activities take us to stadiums modeled on the Colosseum. America's relationship to Rome, however, raises its greatest anxiety: will America fall as Rome did? In 1776, the year of American independence, Edward Gibbon published his History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire; America has been thinking about the trajectory of its history alongside Rome's from the very beginning.

Introduces economic models used to analyze economic behavior by individuals and firms and consequent market outcomes. Applies conceptual analysis to several policy issues and surveys a variety of specific topics within the broad scope of microeconomics.

An introduction to how market economies behave at the aggregate level. The determination of national income/output and the problems of unemployment inflation, will be examined, along with monetary and fiscal policy.

Development of the individual in the context of relationships with the formal and informal institutions of society. An examination of various aspects of development from the broad perspective of the social sciences.

Mechanisms of the creative mind. Psychological, social, sociological, developmental, cultural, educational, genetic and neural based roots of creativity.

Investigation linking research in the brain science of learning and development, including the neural basis of academic skills, to achievement, disability, and broader applications to classroom learning. This course will focus on areas of education including language (spoken and written), conceptual change, numerical/quantitative processing, and social cognition as well as burgeoning areas of neuroscientific research in general cognitive processes such as attention, memory, and executive processing. These topics will be discussed with respect to typical and atypical development with some focus on developmental disabilities including autism, specific language impairment, reading and math impairment, and attention deficit disorders among others. This course will focus on both the theoretical perspectives and pragmatic issues of how evidence regarding brain development can or may be translated into useful or misleading information for educators, professionals, and parents/guardians of our children.

Central concepts related to parameters of human development, individual and social, which arise throughout the life span. Continuity and change within the developing individual.

Multidisciplinary survey of the processes of aging. Physiological changes, cultural forces, and self-processes that bear on quality of life in later years. Field study of programs, institutions for elderly, individual elders, their families and care providers.

Theoretical approaches to and empirical studies of physical, psychological and social development from conception to puberty. Implications for home, school and community.

Students will explore, define, and study global health, social determinants of health, health inequalities, gender inequality, family violence, and maternal and child health using a global perspective.

What is a Family? Engage in examination of the current trends and controversial issues in family life, including issues of marriage, reproductive technologies, adoption, child custody, remarriage, and marital violence.

An examination of changing fatherhood roles, health, and inequality in diverse families. Focus will be on masculinities and disparities among men by race and class; provider role expectations; and trauma and violence faced by men in contemporary society.

Covers the different aspects of couple relationships and family life. This includes common problems in couple relationships, and resources to strengthen couple and family relationships. You will also learn about stages of relationships, theories of love and family, policy related to couples and family formation, and how research is conducted with couples and families. Together, we will discuss and explore issues that couples and families face in modern times and will consider how many of these issues have changed due to policy, technology, attitudes, and a variety of other societal factors that impact relationships in the 21st century. You will also learn important methods of strengthening current and future relationships.

The objective of this gateway course is to help you understand and apply basic theories and empirical data on family health. The course is designed to provide you with skills to think critically about theories including: Life Course Theory, the Bio-Ecological and Social-Ecological Models, and Systems Theory. We will ask questions about the distinct qualities and intersections of contexts and characteristics that impact the functioning of families. We will apply theory and research to topical issues in family health that are impacted by social structures such as conflict, crisis, migration, incarceration and inequalities.

A family life education approach to the study of children and families. Emphasis on the interaction of children with parents, siblings, extended kin, and the community.

Theories of child, spouse, and elder abuse in the family setting. Emphasis on historical, psychological, sociological and legal trends relating to physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. Introduction to methods for prevention and remediation.

The most critical issue facing the world today is the sustainability of both human and physical systems in the 21st century. This class uses the context of regions of the world to explore the 21st century issues of climate change, development, politics, economy, and demography. Each region will be used to highlight aspects of sustainability.

The geography of economic, social, and environmental well-being and inequality. The course will provide an integrated perspective on the causes, interconnections, and consequences across time and space of, among others, globalization, climate change, poverty, employment, migration and urban growth, agricultural productivity, rural development, policies and international trade. Portraits of selected countries and regions will be developed.

Introduction to what geographers do and how they do it. Systematic study of issues regarding social and cultural systems from a global to a local scale. Looks at the distribution of these variables and answers the question "Why here, and not there"?

Cultural geography course on society and sustainability. Culture is the basic building block that is key to sustainability of societies. Course will cover sustainability of societies on different scales, examining local, regional, and worldwide issues. Sustainability will be examined as a key element of environmental sustainability. How societies adjust to rapid world change will be examined as a positive and/or negative factor in sustainability.

A comprehensive study of national government in the United States.

A study of the major factors underlying international relations, the causes of conflict and cooperation among international actors, the role of international institutions, the interactions of domestic and foreign policies, and major issues in security, economy and the environment.

A study of the domestic governmental institutions; processes and problems such as conflict and economic development; and the socio-economic environments that are common to lower-income countries around the world.

Investigates the search for personal fulfillment unleashed by the American Revolution; explores the many different meanings ascribed to the notion of the "pursuit of happiness" by Americans in the early national period.

The United States from colonial times to the end of the Civil War. Establishment and development of American institutions.

The United States from the end of the Civil War to the present. Economic, social, intellectual, and political developments. Rise of industry and emergence of the United States as a world power.

Psychological, social psychological, and sociological approaches to the following health areas: development of health attitudes and behavior, patient-provider interaction and the organization of health care.

Using a global perspective, this course teaches students to be critical consumers of current and historical health communication interventions. It also provides students with the skills to develop media interventions that target specific and general populations. Students will discover the array of diverse media messages that influence the health and well-being of individuals and communities.

With an intent to disrupt traditional understandings of disability as a health outcome to be prevented, this course will introduce students to disability as an identity, a community, a population of interest to public health professionals. To change this understanding students will explore historical representations of disability, ableism, and lived experiences of people with disabilities. Disability is a multi-layered concept that broadly describes a wide range of people. Although geared toward public health scholars, the mix of readings, discussions, and assignments will help students reflect and integrate learning into their own fields of study. The course examines factors that led to systemic oppression, and methods and strategies of moving toward a more inclusive society.

Introduces methods for analyzing and understanding how people use social media - social networking websites, blogging and microblogging, and other forms of online interaction and content generation - and their societal implications. Introduces students to the science and social science of network analysis. Through real world examples, including analysis of their own social networks, students develop skills for describing and understanding the patterns and usage of services like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and others.

Examining the effects of new information technologies on how we conduct business, interact with friends, and go through our daily lives. Understanding how technical and social factors have influenced the evolution of information society. Evaluating the transformative power of information in education, policy, and entertainment, and the dark side of these changes.

Sport will be related to such social problems as delinquency, segregation, collective behavior, and leisure; to social processes such as socialization, stratification, mobility, and social control; and to those familiar social institutions the family, the school, the church, the military, the economy, the polity, and the mass media.

An exploration of personality factors, including but not limited to motivation, aggression and emotion, as they affect sports participation and motor skill performance.

Environmental Justice will be explored in the context of the built environment. What unequal public built environmental threats exist? How can these threats be prevented or eliminated? Public schools, public parks, access to clean water, air pollution, tree coverage are among the built environments examined in the course.

How do we improve our decision making? Cognitive science demonstrates that self-knowledge isn't as easy as we think, and that there are numerous biases and fallacies that impact our decision-making in ways that are hard for us to be aware of. In this course you will learn what some of these are and how they have been discovered, and you will explore potential strategies for avoiding these fallacies and for making wiser choices.

Aims to inspire, teach and engage students in the theory and practice of public leadership from the local to the national to the global level. Students will learn and apply diverse approaches to leadership in a multicultural society while developing an understanding of key frameworks and practices necessary to foster collective action across private, public, and nonprofit sectors. This course will allow students to become informed citizens able to reason critically and persuasively about public matters Students will also explore and assess their own personal values, beliefs, and purpose as they develop their leadership potential.

A basic introductory course intended to bring the student into contact with the major problems confronting psychology and the more important attempts at their solution.

The influence of social factors on the individual and on interpersonal behavior. Includes topics such as conformity, attitude change, personal perception, interpersonal attraction, and group behavior.

What are the secrets to living a happy life? Can happiness be found within the context of war, a depressed economy, violence and other major stressors? Are some people born happier than others? This course will teach you the scientific process that psychologists use to study happiness (and related emotional variables) and give you the opportunity to practice applying that process in a number of ways. You will learn how we (a) gather and critically evaluate research findings in the existing literature, (b) integrate those findings into coherent and testable theories, (c) design and conduct valid scientific research that tests those theories and extends our knowledge, and (d) effectively communicate our theories and findings to a wide range of audiences. The result of the process is a more accurate and objective understanding of happiness, and that is what prepares you to apply your scientific understanding to explain and influence a wide range of outcomes.

Why is there evil in the world? Are some born evil, or do social, environmental and cultural forces create evil? What makes otherwise good people do evil things? The scientific study of evil epitomizes the fundamental challenge that psychology faces in dissecting the role of biology (nature) and the social context (nurture).

What are the psychological implications of racism, sexism, homophobia and other structures of inequality in the United States? How do socio-cultural privilege and oppression influence individual and group thoughts, feelings, and behaviors? This course will take a current events focus to understanding multicultural and social justice issues in psychology with an emphasis on self-reflection, mental health, cross-cultural communication, and strategies for social change.

Introduces fundamental concepts and theories of sociology. Guided by C. Wright Mills' "sociological imagination," the course promotes critical thinking; challenges conventional assumptions about culture politics, history, and psychology; and equips students with theoretical approaches and research methods to analyze various sociological topics, including family, work, education, religion, social movements, and issues related to class, gender, race, and ethnic inequalities.

Why do people do that? Sitting at the nexus of sociology and psychology, this course surveys the various ways in which sociologists have answered this question. We investigate individuals-for example, how they develop and understand themselves in relation to others, how they choose to present themselves to the world, and how they form thoughts and opinions. And we study larger units of analyses, from small groups to the broader society. Topics covered include socialization, identity formation, social influence, group processes, how social processes shape individual behavior, and how human behavior shapes society.

Surveys innovative approaches to child education, including unschooling, homeschooling, blended instruction, place-based learning, Big Picture Learning, democratic schools, microschools, self-directed learning centers, and other alternatives to traditional schools.

Overview of society and individual multilingualism. Topics include diglossia, language shift, codeswitching, bilingual first language acquisition, language attrition, dual language education policy and practice.

Explores the contributions of feminist scholarship in framing and resolving contemporary controversies concerning gendered bodies. It includes the ways in which knowledge about the human body has been shaped by cultural ideas of gender, race, sexuality and ability.