Global Arc

Things work to construct our social relationships and categories, to shape our social lives and worlds. This course will consider how things have lives of their own specifically in the construction of modes and practices of gender - things like items of dress, but also public washrooms, children's toys, cereal boxes, and even trash. Making use of the emerging discourse of "thing theory," a conversation about material culture including anthropologists, philosophers, cultural theorists, archaeologists, art historians, political scientists, economists, and others, we will work to consider objects in their influence on the social world of gender.

An exploration of two aspects of the gender and science literature: the historical participation of women (and men) in scientific work and the feminist critique of scientific knowledge. The seminar will explore ways in which women have been systematically excluded from science and assess the problems with that thesis. One three-hour seminar.

We will take as our primary text the new translation of Simone de Beauvoir's landmark volume The Second Sex, one of the most significant origin points of current understandings of gender. In our sustained consideration of The Second Sex, we will explore Beauvoir's ideas about the influence of sex and gender on childhood, the family, sexuality, relationships, aging, work, the social order, and the philosophical imaginary. We will also consider contemporary writing alongside that text, taking Beauvoir as our tour guide as we encounter and interpret contemporary representations of gender.

Reproduction is a basic biological process, as well as a fundamental one for all societies. While the biology of human reproduction is universal across time and place, cultural norms and social institutions powerfully inflect and shape the experience of pregnancy and childbirth in every society. This course investigates the history and sociology of reproduction, focusing on the contemporary United States, but with an eye toward other societies for comparison. How, why, and for whom does birth matter? How do reproductive practices reflect gender, race, and class? The course examines the culture, politics, and economics of reproduction.

The completion of the human genome and the continuing effort to sequence tens of thousands of human genomes is yielding unprecedented insights into human biology and the evolutionary history of our species. We will review the key advances enabling researchers to decipher the structure and function of the human genome as well as the genetic basis of variation among individuals and populations. Topics include the evolutionary origins and current structure of human populations, methods for detecting genomic features, cancer genomics and mapping the genes and variants underlying population-specific adaptations and disease susceptibility.

A rigorous one-semester introduction to the organic chemical reactions of greatest biological importance, taught through the lens of metabolism. Covers organic mechanisms underlying fundamental enzyme-catalyzed reactions and quantitative analysis of enzyme kinetics and metabolic networks. For quantitatively-inclined students interested in biology, this course is an alternative to the standard two-semester organic chemistry sequence (CHM303/304). Does not replace CHM303/304 for Chemistry majors. Satisfies the organic chemistry requirement for Molecular Biology majors and provides appropriate preparation for subsequent studies in Biochemistry.

To develop the skills of speaking, understanding, reading and writing Italian. The main emphasis is on oral drill and conversation in the classroom. Aspects of Italian culture and civilization are integrated in the course. The Italian Language Program uses a new digital portfolio that serves as students' textbook. Through this medium, students are exposed to a more dynamic mode of language acquisition.

Further study of Italian grammar and syntax with increased emphasis on vocabulary, reading, and practice in conversation. Skills in speaking and writing (as well as understanding) modern Italian will also be further developed. Students will deepen the study of grammatical functions through the analysis of Italian culture and civilization. Prerequisite: ITA 101 or permission of instructor.

This course is an intensive beginning and intermediate language course that provides an introduction to the Italian language and culture. It covers the material presented in ITA 101 and ITA 102 and prepares students to enroll in ITA 107 or ITA 108. Activities and interactions provide the opportunity to develop intermediate speaking, listening, and writing skills using language of a concrete, conversational nature.

Italian 105 provides the opportunity to further develop Italian language proficiency in all three modes of communication: Interpersonal, Interpretive, and Presentational. Students will interact with various types of texts (literature, film, visual culture, music, interviews, etc.) and will develop the intercultural competency necessary to better understand Italian language and culture as a whole. At the end of ITA 105 students are ready to enroll in ITA 108.