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.

Did yeast create civilization? Fermented foods have played a major role in the transition from nomadic to settled agrarian societies, the establishment of social and religious customs, the expansion of empires, and modern economies. To what extent are our past and current attitudes towards fermented foods rooted in historical and cultural imprints? Explore the central role of fermentation in human history and culture, the basic microbiological processes underlying fermentation processes, and the processes used to produce and distribute fermented foods. Find out how the fruits, grains, and dairy products used to produce fermented foods are grown and selected. Students will learn about the development and modern use of fermented dairy products, pickles, bread, tea, chocolate, wine, beer, distilled liquors, and pharmaceutical/manufactured products.

This interdisciplinary course explores the role of property, discipline, and punishment in American life. By exploring the ideological underpinnings in property, discipline, and punishment and their manifestations in houses, schools, and prisons we will explore how these entities reflect American society and its values.

Are our diet and agricultural production methods sustainable? Students will investigate tensions created by trade-offs made by consumers relative to dietary choices which, in turn, can influence agricultural production methods. The course will inform students about their food supply so they can make informed dietary decisions and practice intentional/informed eating.

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.

Study of the major components of Earth's climate system and climate change history. Discussion of 21st century climate change prediction, mitigation and adaptation efforts.

What are weather and climate? Most people think they know but if you ask people to explain the differences and similarities you're bound to get a range of answers. Weather affects not just our daily activities but other important aspects of society such as transportation, commerce, security and agriculture. Most people understand what weather is to some extent. Climate and climate change are concepts that evoke strong emotional responses from people but are less well understood. In this class, students examine fundamental issues such as the greenhouse effect, severe weather, and global weather patterns and how they relate to a changing climate. Instruction in the lectures will provide the basic knowledge needed to understand these issues. In the discussion sections, students will be divided into groups to address the implications of these topics through group projects.

What are weather and climate? Most people think they know but if you ask people to explain the differences and similarities you're bound to get a range of answers. Weather affects not just our daily activities but other important aspects of society such as transportation, commerce, security and agriculture. Most people understand what weather is to some extent. Climate and climate change are concepts that evoke strong emotional responses from people but are less well understood. In this class, students examine fundamental issues such as the greenhouse effect, severe weather, and global weather patterns and how they relate to a changing climate. Instruction in the lectures will provide the basic knowledge needed to understand these issues. In the discussion sections, students will be divided into groups to address the implications of these topics through group projects.

Case studies and hands-on design projects ranging in scale from a product to a building to give students insight into the process by which architects work both individually and collaboratively to put disciplinary knowledge and expertise into practice to shape our built environment.

The Chesapeake Bay is one of the most studied and monitored ecosystems in the world. To develop effective policies to restore this system to a healthier status requires integrating what we know about the biological and physical properties of the system with our understanding of the human dimension. Issues such as achieving nutrient reduction goals, restoring healthy blue crab and oyster fisheries in the bay will be used to demonstrate how economics interacts with science to guide policies that can be effective in achieving Bay restoration goals.

Is science an objective enterprise that qualifies researchers to investigate gender free from the constraints and prejudice of their culture? We will investigate the process by which various scientific disciplines, including anthropology, evolutionary biology, psychology, and economics do research on the topic of gender. We will describe the current state of the literature on why different sexes exist and how sex translates into gender across different societies today. With a better understanding of the sources of sex and gender, we will examine how to research the reasons behind the highly divergent economic outcomes for men and women today. We will discuss these issues in the context of the labor market in developed countries like the US as well as a variety of contexts in developing countri es. A particular focus will be the techniques for learning more about the underlying reasons for these differences, how and whether they can be overcome, and if women play a specific role in improving economic outcomes in the poorest parts of the world.

Can agricultural production keep up with climate change? The digital revolution has changed the way we analyze and interpret the world. Big data offers both opportunities and challenges that require new tools and methods of analysis. This course applies sophisticated digital tools to an age-old concern: the impact of climate on agricultural productivity. In this hands-on introduction to data analysis and visualization with real-world data, students acquire the tools to understand the impacts of environmental change and more.

Can art effect social change? How may we use the history of radical and avant-garde art to inform present-day movements and models of artistic and creative activism? This course explores the modern and contemporary history of political art and arts activism on local, national, and global scales.

As you navigate adulthood, you will constantly be making decisions that impact your personal and professional well being and success. Making these life choices with intention and a perspective of your whole self will increase your life satisfaction. In this course, you will examine who have been, who you are, and who you want to become. We will be exploring the six pillars of the whole self including purpose/character, relationships, wellness, community, prosperity, and nature and creating a vision for your future self.

Examines the concept of creative problem solving as it applies in today's and tomorrow's complex business environment. Students will develop an understanding of the creative problem solving process with its distinctive cognitive steps of Divergent Thinking, Emergent Thinking and Convergent Thinking. Topics include creativity techniques for groups and individuals, creativity as a foundation to recognize business opportunities and develop innovative products and services, selecting ideas and making them stick, mental and organizational obstacles to creativity as well as an overview of electronic tools to increase creative capability.

New emerging and converging technologies (such as blockchain, AI, and synthetic biology) are disrupting business-as-usual in fields as diverse as finance, supply chain, medicine and the creative industries. This course deals with the question of how we should use technology to create ethical economic and social systems that reflect the kind of world we want to exist in 25, 50, 100 years from now. Our ideas of what humanity considers to be a "good life" will influence and govern how disruptive technologies can either contribute to it or lead to a dystrophic future.

In this course, students will hear from real-life social entrepreneurs, explore current day social issues of sustainability, climate change, leadership, disruptive innovations, and create or blueprint business plans to generate positive social change. This class will focus on innovative thinking skills, personal narratives, and social interaction strategies and plans.

"Why" does fraud happen? "How" does society address fraud? And "What" can you do to avoid and prevent fraud in your personal and future career life? This course is designed to give future professionals and managers of all disciplines a general background of fraud. Topics include the psychology of fraud, the mechanics of fraud, the legal landscape, securities fraud, cybercrime, and what all of us should know to protect ourselves from becoming victims of fraud. Additionally, students experience 21st century lessons in fraud examination that have practical application to our daily lives: avoiding cognitive biases, interviewing techniques, basic business controls, and opening our minds to see what others might miss...the red flags of fraud.

In this course, students learn how to analyze the world around them and then notice and define new trends, emerging problems, impending gaps, and how to turn these into exciting opportunities by providing creative solutions. Students will have a chance to not only sharpen their critical thinking skills, but also learn how to take initiative, develop a working solution, identify and resolve conflicts, and be confident and persistent, yet flexible enough to respond to changes. Student teams identify a compelling problem in present day life and then propose a creative solution taking into account possible difficulties in implementation. In addition, students will also be given problems on a much smaller scale and asked to create and present a workable solution. Students will be exposed to how a visionary's mind works and the creative solution process. In addition, students will also learn how entrepreneurial thinking can improve their day-to-day life.

This course provides an overview of the concepts, approaches, and vocabulary of evidence-based management (EBM) and provides an understanding of how experts in many disciplines can employ evidenced based decision making. EBM is an emerging movement in business to explicitly use the current best information in management decision making with special emphasis on relevant scientific findings and unbiased organizational facts. The course stresses how individuals practicing EBM learn how to rethink their approaches to data and knowledge in order to make more effective decisions.

We will dissect the pollinator crisis, and in the process learn about insects, about the interaction of organisms in complex ecosystems, and about the human-nature interface. Students will work in groups that specialize in an aspect of pollinator biology and their challenges. Instruction will target methods for collecting information, interpretation of scientific information and the professional presentation of findings.

An interactive way to learn about plants and science, focusing on how plants have changed human history, the biology of their growth, and the science behind their use.

Do racial labels have any practical use in understanding human biological diversity? Such categorizations are inextricably linked to racism, including a history of misuse in science going back hundreds of years, yet modern biological research and medicine often include the use of race. At its core, addressing this question requires understanding the balance between genetic and non-genetic factors underlying human diversity. The course will help students make an informed critique of the biological basis of race through the study of topics such as: basic biology, data analysis and experimental design, human evolution and genetics, and biomedical research and health outcomes.

Fundamental concepts in morphology, physiology, genetics, immunology, ecology, and pathogenic microbiology. Applications of microbiology to medicine, the food industry and biotechnology.

Introduction to microorganisms designed for science majors. Genetic principles underlying microbial abilities; microbial structure-function relationships; metabolism, physiology, and ecology of microorganisms; interactions between microorganisms (including pathogens) and their hosts.

Introduces students to investing and trading, with special emphasis on the field of technical analysis. Planning for one's financial future is a critical skill for all students. Students will learn how to evaluate companies using the investors.com website and the TC2000 stock charting program. Students will develop an idea of the risks and benefits of investing, establishing a savings strategy, opening an IRA, and strategically planning for future financial security. In addition to readings, lectures, and online videos, students will participate in virtual stock market trading exercises and manage a virtual account.

Students will explore the manner in which crises unfold from the perspective of a variety of emergency response disciplines, including: emergency management, law enforcement, intelligence analysis, cyber analysis, risk communication, health and human services, and emergency psychiatry/psychology. Students will participate in a semester-long simulation of an unfolding terrorist attack.

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.

What are myths and why do we tell them? What powers do myths have? We will tackle these questions by looking at the enduring and fascinating myths from ancient Greece and Rome. In addition to studying how they shaped ancient societies, we will also look at their modern influence and reflect upon the power that myths still hold in our contemporary world. Taught in English.

What is romance? This course approaches the question by reading ancient Greek romance novels in tandem with works inspired by them from a range of times and places. We will attempt to identify which traits define romance in a society and how romance narratives change in translation and adaptation.

Explores contemporary theories of influence and their implications for communication practice. Topics include power and influence, logical theory, rhetorical theory, persuasion theory, framing theory, social influence theory, and propagation of influence in mediated social networks.

Media analysis investigating patterns of ownership, the working of media organizations, patterns of coverage and the nature of audiences.

Exploration and understanding of ways science and technology shape and are shaped by society.

Supervised Service-Learning practicum in issues related to science, technology and society.

An introduction to the modes of thought of economics. Use of simple standard tools of economics to analyze important problems that arise frequently in public policy, the news media, and in daily life. An emphasis on how economists predict what choices societies make and how economists analyze whether those are good choices. Practical application of a variety of economic tools leading to a focus on the essential unity underlying these analytical tools, viewing economics as a discipline that applies a core methodology in different ways in different situations.

History shows that the gap between the rich and the poor has varied over time within and between countries, most recently seeming to increase within many countries while somewhat decreasing between countries. This course challenges students to investigate why people make different amounts of money, why income inequality has changed dramatically in recent years, what public policy tools exist to counter inequality increases, and what different institutional arrangements different countries use to lower inequality. This course will introduce students to theoretical tools used by economists to understand the sources of inequality and will also examine various empirical measures of inequality.

History of aggression and violence in the world and in the United States. Examines the extent to which various forms are prevalent today and scientifically supported prevention strategies. Methods of studying aggression are reviewed, as are theories and methods of preventing aggression and violence.

What makes a technology socially responsible? At UMD, the Fearless Ideas campaign asks us to aim our enthusiasm for technology at big real problems. At the same time, we are coming to appreciate the increasingly complex nature of technological systems as they become integrated into all forms of infrastructure, we realize they may be unpredictable, interdependent on social and biological systems, and have unintended consequences. In this midst of this complexity, people make decisions with far reaching impacts. How then do we follow our passion for technology and innovation but also stay skeptical in a way that allows us to consider the potential and shortcomings of technology? Designed for both engineering and non-engineering students wishing to explore and assess the impact of engineering technology on society and the role of society in generating that technology.

What makes a technology socially responsible? At UMD, the Fearless Ideas campaign asks us to aim our enthusiasm for technology at big real problems. At the same time, we are coming to appreciate the increasingly complex nature of technological systems as they become integrated into all forms of infrastructure, we realize they may be unpredictable, interdependent on social and biological systems, and have unintended consequences. In this midst of this complexity, people make decisions with far reaching impacts. How then do we follow our passion for technology and innovation but also stay skeptical in a way that allows us to consider the potential and shortcomings of technology? Designed for both engineering and non-engineering students wishing to explore and assess the impact of engineering technology on society and the role of society in generating that technology.

This multi-disciplinary course helps students learn the principles of entrepreneurial opportunity analysis and decision-making in an increasingly dynamic and technically-inclined society. Emphasis is placed on how aspiring technology entrepreneurs can develop their entrepreneurial perspectives to develop winning entrepreneurial plans for their future ventures.

Asks students to think about how society should manage complexity, transformation, and uncertainty with an eye on developing a broader sense of ethics and social responsibility. Introduces analytical frameworks, concepts, and data collection techniques that interdisciplinary scholars use to map relationships among science, technology and society and generate important questions about the future of society.

Shakespeare's ideas of dramatic realism studied through close examination of literary and dramatic techniques. How Shakespeare generates the fiction of a living, thinking person in the space of five acts, and how readers participate in the making of that fiction. Some attention to Shakespeare on film and what the playwright can teach us about different media.

Consider how short stories, novellas, and novels are vital to understanding our world and ourselves. Read and analyze a diverse range of twentieth- and twenty-first-century fiction, and apply the techniques of form and craft to your own experiments in fiction writing. Use critical analysis and hands-on creative experimentation to explore how fiction helps us understand the past, engage in the present, and build a better future.

Exploration of race, as term and concept, at three different historical times and from three different perspectives, through the reading of three stories: William Shakespeare's drama Othello, Aphra Behn's novella Oroonoko, and the short story Benito Cereno by Herman Melville. Exploration of the importance of context in interpretation. Study of how a concept for rationalizing human difference appears and adapts, fuses and fades away, relocates and is repurposed. How understanding of the particular situation of the concept, its context, changes our reading of the story.

Works of American literature explored in the context of major texts and developments of U.S. history, culture, politics, and constitutional law. We begin with the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, and survey the course of American literature and history, from 1776 to the present, in relation to defining political and constitutional issues. Readings of canonical works like "Huckleberry Finn" and "The Grapes of Wrath" coupled with special attention to minority authors and issues, and horizons of constitutional contemplation opened up by minority, immigrant, and women's voices and experiences. Key historical and political issues include human rights; equal protection; religious tolerance; democratic principles; republican structures of government; independence; revolution; slavery; removal; immigration; free speech; labor rights; civil rights; feminism; environmentalism; international law and flows of people; economic globalization; technology and digital innovation; and the role that literature and the humanities play in fostering various forms of civil society, multiculturalism, and a globally accountable citizenship.

Explores how technology and people shape our current age of information through the various forms of visually representing information. Visualizations do not show us things that are evident--visualizations make things evident. We will thus examine the history of visualization practices, the theories of image-making that guide their production, and the current state of the art. Students will engage critically with a wide range of information visualization practices to gain an understanding of the work involved in producing them and their histories. Students will also seek out contemporary visualizations, interact with the practitioners who produce them, and produce their own visualization as a response or critique.

The discovery of new materials has shaped history and built civilizations. The utilization, properties and production techniques of materials from the Bronze Age up through modern times and into the future will be traced. These materials are explained by considering their atomic structure, the binding forces between atoms and their arrangement, and how controlling the structure controls the materials properties.

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.

Catastrophic Environmental Events (CCE) that are becoming more common in this time of global environmental change and it is essential that today's students be equipped with the knowledge and skills to be leaders as we, as a society, understand the upheaval that these CCEs are causing. Students will examine how CEEs shape human society and ecosystem from the interdisciplinary perspective afforded by the field of Geography. Students will use the latest geographic science concepts and techniques in exploring these events. Using satellite imagery they will gain a multi-scale perspective of the ecological and societal aspects of the events.

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.

Study of the major components of Earth's climate system and climate change history. Discussion of 21st century climate change prediction, mitigation and adaptation efforts.

An exploration of how life has shaped Earth's physical environments, both in the contemporary Earth and over the long course of Earth history. Topics range from evidence for the origin and diversification of life and its impact on Earth environments to the mind-set and methods of the scientists who interpret it, and what those methods tell us about future interactions between life and the environment, both on Earth and in the Solar System.

Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunami frequently remind us of the dangers associated with living on a constantly changing planet. How do people prepare for these rare but dramatic events? Student will study the science behind earthquakes and volcanoes, how it guides monitoring, forecasting, prevention, and response, and the cultural and ethical aspects of these events.

The rapid ascent of the People's Republic of China (PRC) as a major political and economic power has meant that its relationship with the United States has become central in contemporary international politics. To an increasing extent, some of the biggest global challenges--ranging from nuclear proliferation, to climate change, to economic growth--require U.S.-China cooperation if they are to be managed effectively. Yet the U.S.-China relationship is at times turbulent, and its future remains highly uncertain. Will the U.S. and China be able to forge a closer partnership that will enable them to cooperate in dealing with some of the vexing challenges facing the international community? Or are they more likely to drift toward a more adversarial relationship, as China's growing power--and the US reaction--generate a vicious cycle of mutual mistrust? In this class, students will grapple with these questions as they learn about the history of U.S.-China relations, and about many of the current issues facing the relationship.

Introduces students to an increasingly important question: what is the relationship between religion and politics around the world? For a long period in the 20th Century, religion seemed to be decreasing in importance. Eventually, it was thought, religion would simply go away and secularism, development, and rationality would rule the day. In the last generation, however, events like the Iranian Revolution, the rise of the Christian Right, 9/11, the Tibetan monks protest, the spread of Truth and Reconciliation Commissions, and numerous wars fought in the name of God have brought religion back to prominence in world affairs. In this course, we will explore the contemporary impact of religions on politics around the world, through four broad themes: how to understand religion in politics , the relationship between religion and the state, religious groups as sources of conflict and peace, and contemporary religio-political challenges.

Explores the key issues facing policy makers attempting to manage the problem of cybersecurity from its technical foundations to the domestic and international policy considerations surrounding governance, response, and critical infrastructure risk management. The course is designed for students with little to no background in information technology, and will provide the principles to understand the current debates shaping a rapidly evolving security landscape.

What should the future of work look like? Traditional hierarchies have come under increased scrutiny today for many reasons especially because it may not promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. Moreover, they may not encourage experimentation, innovation, and business success. Not surprisingly then, companies are redefining what the future of work should look like. What are the shared responsibilities of an employer and employee? How can technology improve productivity and promote equity? What culture should businesses promote to welcome all employees and ensuring accountability? This course will address these and related questions.

History, concepts, and technologies of creative design expression, coupled with an introduction to development for particular platforms and devices.

How does the human mind use language? Type "Language Science News" into your Google search bar. Among the more than 3 billion hits, headlines like "What is love? It depends what language you speak" and "Science's English dominance hinders diversity" invite you to think about the impact of words on thought and behavior. These are stories about how humans acquire and use language, but they ultimately address big questions about how we experience knowledge itself. In a world of unprecedented access to science journalism, did you ever read a headline about human behavior and wonder: How do we know? This class takes up the elegant ways cognitive scientists design experiments to answer crucial questions about language and thought, brain and behavior, that have no intuitive answers. Students will dive deep into the media coverage of their favorite claims about what we know, debate the psychological science behind these claims, and develop transferable critical-thinking skills in the process.

The world is grappling with many intractable issues, like climate change, pandemics, democratic backsliding, and inequality. How can we use data analysis to help us better understand and work to solve these problems? In this class students will engage with a wide range of issues affecting the entire globe. In addition, they will also gain valuable data science skills by learning the basics of coding in R. No previous programing experience is required.

An examination of the different tools and tactics, means and methods that Americans have used to escape slavery or try to eliminate it.

Examination of some of the most famous trials in American history and their enduring hold on the imagination.

Examination of some of the most famous trials in American history and their enduring hold on the imagination.

An examination of the mechanisms that promote peaceful co-existence in urban societies and a discussion of how and why city streets sometimes become violent.

An exploration of American business culture and institutions from colonial times to the present with emphasis on how inherited and acquired identities (social capital) have shaped Americans' experiences as entrepreneurs, managers, workers, and consumers.

Explores motives of and responses to the lawless behavior of pirates, body snatchers, bandits, vigilantes, smugglers and others worldwide from the 1500s to today.

Provides a thematic approach to consumerism as it emerged in the United States over the course of three centuries. The history of consumption is a prism through which many aspects of social and political life may be viewed. How does what we wear, what we listen to, or what we eat shape our identities?

We examine three significant ancient religious figures: Jesus (d. 30s CE), Mani (d. 276 CE), and Muhammad (d. 632). All three were founders of long-lasting religions that were part of a dramatic change in the society and religion of the ancient world. Special areas of focus: the biographies of these founding figures, and how we know them; a historical approach to religious founders; and the sociology of new religious movements.

Examines the current and potential use of digital health and social media to influence public health. Provides an overview of knowledge, skills and terminology necessary to optimize the effectiveness of these technologies to contribute to the enhancement of individual and community health.

Examines the current and potential use of digital health and social media to influence public health. Provides an overview of knowledge, skills and terminology necessary to optimize the effectiveness of these technologies to contribute to the enhancement of individual and community health.

What does it mean to be free in the United States? The concept of freedom was embedded in the nation's political culture in the Declaration of Independence, and it has remained a cherished and contested ideal. We can interrogate this concept through the life and times of Frederick Douglass (1818-1895), who dreamed eloquently of freedom, thought carefully about its limits, and worked ardently to build a firmer freedom for a broader population. With Douglass as our guide, we will examine the survival of slavery in a nation built on freedom, images of the expanding United States as a land of opportunity, and the complex meanings and tremendous costs of freedom struggles during the nineteenth century. This history will push you to think critically about the contested concepts that shape our lives, and to consider the values and the perils of a society that positions freedom as its highest ideal.

What is at stake for our world as humans seek to redesign biological organisms? Biotechnology advances are enabling us to read, edit and write genomes, including our own. This revolution has been fueled by the quest to understand and cure disease. Yet, these innovations have far-reaching consequences beyond medicine and will reshape our world in ways we can only imagine - or fear. The course will challenge students to confront the risks and rewards for them, their family, their community, and their future, as biotechnology moves out of specialized laboratories and into homes. A demystifying, low-tech approach will introduce them to contemporary genome redesign, clarifying the current limitations and future goals of the field. Students will debate whether redesigning plants and animals will enhance or inhibit momentum in human genome engineering, and formulate their own arguments about who should be able to use these tools and where, who decides, and how much society is willing to risk.

If we believe that racism is bad, why do we still support racist policies? No matter how hard we work to end it, the challenge of racism seems here to stay. Though attitudes toward racial segregation in schools have changed, schools are more racially isolated than ever. There is a disconnect in American public life between support for the idea of equality and resistance to policies aimed at addressing racism, and a deep divide over how to eliminate inequality. This course focuses on public opinion and how these attitudes inform public policy. Can we address systemic inequality through public engagement and by changing the national narrative with the support of evidence? Does change come from shifting views or shifting policies? Students will explore these issues through a case study on racial equity in the Honors College. By developing skills in evidence-based op-ed writing and survey-based experiments, students will add their voices to these pressing public debates of our time.

What will the farm of the future look like? Our current food system is plagued with paradoxes. An estimated 41.2 million Americans are classified as food insecure, but we produce 4,000 calories per person per day. Between 2008 and 2012, 1.6 million acres of long-term grasslands were converted to crop production, yet more than 350,000 acres of farmland were lost to development annually. This course will investigate what determines the food we eat and how we can make changes today that will improve both food access and the environment for future generations. Students will learn agribusiness, as well as alternative food movements and regenerative agriculture. They will meet experts from the USDA and Maryland producers. By growing their own vegetables, tracking food consumption, and exploring family history linked to farming, students will leave the course as conscious consumers empowered to navigate food system reform.

How does poverty shape the relationship between humans and their environment? It may seem obvious that being poor in childhood has enduring effects on development. What is less obvious is how experiencing poverty in childhood shapes relationships between children and their surroundings, including family interactions, peer relationships, adult dynamics, and the health of the community. Less clear still is the extent to which positive interactions with caretakers and social supports can protect children from potential harm as they grow up. This course focuses on the complexity of poverty as a social force and community concern. Students will investigate the nature of poverty through an interdisciplinary lens that includes social theory, developmental psychology, and empirical studies. After analyzing various approaches to the study of child poverty, students will be in a position to use research on parenting and poverty to evaluate public policy and social programs in their own backyard.

How does the human mind use language? Type "Language Science News" into your Google search bar. Among the more than 3 billion hits, headlines like "What is love? It depends what language you speak" and "Science's English dominance hinders diversity" invite you to think about the impact of words on thought and behavior. These are stories about how humans acquire and use language, but they ultimately address big questions about how we experience knowledge itself. In a world of unprecedented access to science journalism, did you ever read a headline about human behavior and wonder: How do we know? This class takes up the elegant ways cognitive scientists design experiments to answer crucial questions about language and thought, brain and behavior, that have no intuitive answers. Students will dive deep into the media coverage of their favorite claims about what we know, debate the psychological science behind these claims, and develop transferable critical-thinking skills in the process.

How do ordinary citizens power democracy? At the age of 18, every American citizen is endowed with the right to vote, but what if democracy demands more than voting? With democratic processes seemingly in peril all around us, what can and should ordinary citizens do to safeguard democracy? Looking beyond the basic right to vote, this class will instead explore the complex ecosystem of citizenship practices necessary for collective self-governance. Turning to both philosophy and history, the course material addresses the power and peril of such civic habits as mutual aid, economic participation, tolerance, attention, organizing, protest, and more. We consider what resources these habits require, what virtues they inspire, and what happens when they conflict with each other. Students in this course will acquire the tools to develop and act on their own answer to the pressing question of what it will take to save democracy.

Can humanity thrive without ensuring reproductive freedom? The 2022 US Supreme Court decision that the right to an abortion is unconstitutional has generated impassioned debate about women's rights and access to reproductive health care in the US and globally. This debate opens space to think beyond "pro-choice or pro-life" polarization and create conditions that promote equity, respect for rights, and a healthy society. These conditions would need to address injustices such as the racism, gender inequalities, marginalization, and colonization that produce disparities in reproductive health care and jeopardize the well-being of individuals, families, communities, and countries. Who controls the bodies of marginalized women and men? What is the meaning of reproductive rights for people who have little power? This course challenges students to bring together multiple disciplines, become critical data consumers, and develop innovative ways to use this knowledge to influence policy.

Investigates the principles and practices of sustainable agriculture and their relationship to the greater food system. Explores the social (people), environmental (planet), and economic (profit) impacts of agriculture - from challenges to opportunities. INAG123 applies the principles of sustainability to various agricultural production practices and systems - at a range of different scales - to see what lessons these varied models can offer. Along the way, we will consider domestic issues such as food safety and distribution, food justice, cultural relevance, biodiversity, farming communities, and effects on local economies.

What is design, who does it, and how is it done? There is no one answer to this question--it depends on who you ask. The answers to these questions vary across disciplines and across the University campus. This course, designed with modules from contributors in UMD programs including Information Studies, Human-Computer Interaction, Graphic Design, Immersive Media Arts, Journalism, Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Engineering, and Policy, will introduce students to the goals and values, approaches, skills, and practices of diverse fields of design. It will enable students to identify grand challenges in design and serve as a sorting hat to help students find a design practice that matches their own values, approaches, skills and goals.

Expressly organized around case studies about well-known individuals and organizations involved in scandals and controversies that have generated headlines around the world. It places these events in a larger historical, legal, technological, ethical and societal context. Drawing upon contemporaneous records in a variety of media, as well as presentations from invited speakers representing the greater archival, historical, and public interest communities, the course seeks to deepen students' appreciation of the role that records and information plays in issues going to the heart of government transparency, corporate accountability, and social justice.

Examines Apollo mission, one of the greatest engineering accomplishments of all time, in which Neil Armstrong walked on the moon. Since the mission, people have asked: if we can land on the moon, why can't we eliminate poverty? Why can't we cure cancer? Why can't we prevent global warming? Asks what were the social, political, financial, scientific, engineering, operational, and human aspects of the Apollo program that came together to make the moon landings possible?

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.

Reviews how specific values are built into different automated decision-making systems as an inevitable result of constructing mechanisms meant to produce specific outcomes. These values create differential outcomes for the different people enmeshed in these systems, but both these values and these systems can be changed to support different values and different outcomes. The class serves as an introduction to the emerging field of algorithmic bias that bridges the disciplines of information science, computer science, law, policy, philosophy, sociology, urban planning, and others.

How do we ensure that every individual has the information they need to live a long and healthy life? In this course, we explore health justice - the conviction and enactment of the idea that every person is morally entitled to a fair and sufficient capability to be healthy. We especially focus on the ways in which information-related factors, such as people's access to health information, their strategies for seeking (or avoiding) health information, and their health and digital health literacy, contribute to health (in)justice. Our goal in this class is to promote health justice for all by identifying information-related solutions that will help to facilitate people's access to health information and improve their abilities to find, assess, and make use of information to optimize their own and others' health.

As has become evident virtually every year, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict retains its capacity to mobilize both sides against each other. Why are Palestinian Arabs and Israeli Jews unable to resolve their differences? This course uncovers some of the deeper explanations as to why the conflict persists, even as it changes over the decades.

How has social media changed the world, and how has the world changed social media? This course explores how social media has influenced relationships, culture, industry, politics, and the information environment, as well as how significant global events and technological advancements have contributed to the evolution of social media. This course gives students a broad contextual understanding of social media that they may apply in their daily lives as well as future academic inquiry.

What role should the American news media play when the United States is at war? Students will explore the realities of war through the work of journalists who pushed beyond the daily headlines, some risking life and limb, to challenge official versions and document uncomfortable realities about American conflicts.

What are the ingredients of a juicy scandal? Money? Sex? Power? How are scandals uncovered? Why does society punish some scoundrels but not others? Come explore both serious and salacious scandals with a professor who's an expert in both--and who once exposed many scandals himself when he was an investigative reporter. This class examines scandals in politics, science, religion, social media, business, government, sports, and higher education; feeding frenzies, tabloid scandalmongering, undercover reporting, apologies, and cancel culture. Learn why even trivial scandals matter--and how scandals reflect what we value and ultimately who we are.

Jewish identity can be framed in terms of ethnicity, culture, and religious practice, but also in terms of more contemporary social constructions including social action, political engagement, and intellectual pursuit. In the context of such diverse social and individual frames, what does it mean to identify Judaism as a religion? Attention to Jewish society in historical and global perspective will provide a backdrop for a particular focus on contemporary Jews in the United States and Israel.

Examines the complex history of Jerusalem's status as a holy city, with a focus on constructions of sacred space in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

An examination of the mechanisms that promote peaceful co-existence in urban societies and a discussion of how and why city streets sometimes become violent.

Has sport disadvantaged African American males? This course critically examines sport as a site where notions of black masculinity are publicly debated, critiqued, challenged, celebrated, and also transformed. Utilizing an interdisciplinary approach, this course explores how sport has been invoked across the political and ideological spectrum to interrogate a number of issues impacting the life chances of young, African Americans males including educational attainment, poverty, social mobility, racism, cultural production, and notions of masculinity.

Can the profound and rapid technological advances experienced in the 21st century change what it means to be human or the nature of humanity? Emergent technologies, new materials, increased computer power, engineering innovations, and groundbreaking work in the sciences of cognition and action provide myriad opportunities for repairing and enhancing the human body and brain. Examines the ethical, social, and technological implications of an increasing synergism of technology and the body in sports and the arts, at work or home, rehabilitating the body and the brain, and society at large.

Students will examine the growing development of urban agriculture and edible landscapes. Urban agriculture has seen a recent growth and interest in cities across the globe. From Paris to New York, from Baltimore to Detroit, urban agriculture is an emerging land use to address a variety of needs. Redevelopment, food deserts, community engagement and environmental justice are just some of the issues and topics that are connected to the recent growth of urban agriculture. This course will take a critical examination of urban agriculture's contribution to the food system, its input and outputs in the urban landscape, and the planning and design of urban agriculture and edible landscapes.

An interdisciplinary examination of the phenomenon of heritage language (a bilingual's home language which is distinct from the dominant language of the wider society). Relationship between linguistic structure, cultural and social aspects of language use, and language change. Interpretations of experimental and theoretical work. Relevance of heritage languages for linguistic theory, language policy, and education.