UWW0700  [3 Credits]
A Mind for Language
Harry van der Hulst

Required Texts

A central aspect of our humanity is our mind. A question of ongoing interest has always been: how does all the knowledge that makes up our mind get to be there in the first place? Is the mind mostly blank when people are born, with no knowledge present? Or is it the case that we know things from the start, as a result of our genetic make-up? How does innate knowledge, if present, interact with learning? These questions, central in this course, regard the notorious nature - nurture issue where 'nature' stands for the innate, genetic factors and 'nurture' for learning based on experience. This course also addresses the so-called mind - body issue. Is the mind something totally different from the body? Many scientists take the mind to be the totality of conscious and subconscious neurological processes that take place in the brain. To say that there is a human nature (i.e. instincts, innate ideas) and that the mind is a manifestation of the working brain are both controversial statements. To explore these views, we need a testing ground. Language has often been considered as a central component of the human mind, and as such it forms an excellent focus for a discussion of the nature - nurture issue and the mind - body issue. Hence we will ask: whether language is completely learned after birth, or whether aspects of the mental grammar are innate, and if so, which ones. And given that not all of language is innate, how does information from the environment interact with the innate information? And how can we trace innate capabilities back to properties of the emerging and working brain, and, ultimately, to the genes.

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Required Texts

American Folklore and Folklife is a multi-disciplinary study of American culture via the lens of our stories, songs, dance, music, festivals, rituals and so many other behaviors of everyday living and the world around us -- the "threads" which exist between past and present, the material and non-material cultural artifacts which provide meaning and understanding of the culture in which we are participating throughout our lives. Since each one of us represents "the folk," our study will selectively explore several realms of folk lore and life, and it is expected that each student will incorporate his/her personal life as an integral part of the course. Specific topics of our study will include family and community life and lore, folk music and its link to our current popular culture, culture-wide folks (ex. Norman Rockwell, Woody Guthrie, and others) who have influenced our society across the years, and specific eras and its cultural artifacts that have shaped our way of life (ex. The Great Depression, "The Roaring 20s," "Going West" and "The Road"), and so much more. All of our lives will come into the academic field of play!

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Required Texts

In the age of the Internet and the 24-hour cable news cycle, the media have a profound influence on foreign policy. The media often use this power to influence the outcome of international and internal conflict, calling for greater Western involvement in peacemaking. However, in some cases the media remain silent to wars raging abroad. Why does this inconsistency exist? Why does the international media function as "watch dog" in some cases of war but not in others? This course will answer these questions and by doing so students will learn about recent conflicts across the globe --from Bosnia to Somalia to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. The first section of the course will act as a foundation, evaluating the dynamic relationship of the media, diplomats and the state. Students will be introduced to the industry structure and learn how economic and political factors influence media coverage. In the second section students will learn about media influence through the study of agenda setting and public opinion. In the third section students will study strategic communications, specifically Voice of America, Radio Free Europe and the State Department's public diplomacy efforts in fighting the "war on terror." The final section of the course will focus on the "CNN Effect" -- the role of media influence in policy decisions during times of war.

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Required Texts

This course is an in-depth study of the issues, themes, and forces which framed popular music in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. As with Professor Larson's previous course on the roots of rock 'n' roll, an extensive array of musical tracks are provided to illustrate and inform the written texts. Students will use their own powers of discrimination to compare and assess these tracks in light of the social, historical, or musical themes, conditions, or events from which they arose. The overall thrust of the course will be to question, or demystify, certain prevailing assumptions regarding the history of rock 'n' roll.

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Required Texts

Exploring texts from fiction, film and memoir, Growing Up in Literature asks the question: how do different folks engage passage from innocence into maturity? Students will look at variations of this process, also asking: What does one grow up into? Is maturity in any way universal, or is it more the individual's assimilation of his or her culture -- handed-down group accommodations of geography, power dynamics, communication? The onset of these processes also bears examining. Is innocence, at least, common to all people?

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Required Texts

This course will be a multidisciplinary examination of theories and knowledge of human bio-psycho-social development through the full range of the life cycle. The course draws on research from biology, psychology, sociology, anthropology, and political science to study the impact/influence of biological, psychological, social, and cultural systems on human behavior. Students will explore the range of social systems in which individuals live (families, groups, communities, and organizations) and study the importance of ethnicity, culture, gender, disability, and other elements of diversity in human development.

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Required Texts

What is the nature and role of information and requisite information technology (IT) resources within organizations? What are the dimensions or qualities of an organization’s information assets? How do organizations analyze and manage their information and requisite IT resources, in order to achieve organizational objectives? What is the role of the chief information officer in relation to the IT unit and the larger organization? Information Analysis and Management provides students with fundamental definitions and concepts relating to data, information, information technology resources, information analysis, and information management. Fundamental information analysis and management concepts (theoretical and practical) are introduced outside of a particular institutional setting. These concepts are analyzed and discussed in greater detail in the context of specific organizations through the analysis of select case studies and students' practical experience. Students will attempt to find the appropriate balance between creativity, innovation, and proven principles. This course requires students to reflect on their own work experiences and engage in critical analysis of those experiences through an "information lens." Online discussions will be based on assigned articles, case studies, and lecture notes. Select case studies will be analyzed in order to discuss the organizational, social, and political issues involved in the analysis and management of an organization's information/IT resources.

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Required Texts

Why don't ducks' feet ever freeze? Does the shape and ornamentation of a snowflake reveal the conditions of its birth after it falls from the sky? Do arctic lemmings keep an active social calendar? Answers to these questions, and many more, will be uncovered as this course immerses students in the ecology of cold-weather environments. Together, the class will draw from contemporary studies, popular literature, personal observations, and group discussions to study the many physical, chemical, and biological interactions that shape life during winter months. This course is necessarily multi-disciplinary in nature. Explorations will range from the orbital patterns of planets to the vagaries of snow-flea cuisine. By embarking upon this journey, students will acquire the scientific skills to interpret many patterns and processes that define "winter" and the living landscapes that winter acts upon.

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This course will study the various aspects of social research and research ethics. The class will investigate the relationship between theory and research and apply this to selecting a researchable topic or question. Students will examine methods of data sampling, measurement, and research designs such as experimental research, questionnaires, interviews and observational techniques. The class will review the concepts of quantitative and qualitative data analysis by using case studies and SPSS statistical software.

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If they are to meet the needs of all students, competent teachers must bring to the classroom a solid theoretical and practical knowledge of educational strategies. While veteran teachers are familiar with traditional methods of instruction, this course is designed to enhance their repertoire of skills in order to serve students who may have traditionally been excluded from the mainstream classroom. Information about the various types of diverse learners as well as practical suggestions for classroom modifications will be given.

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UWW0255  [3 Credits]
Philosophy of Education
Charlesworth Ephraim

Required Texts

The primary aim of this course is to promote and encourage critical reflection on educational issues and their philosophical underpinnings. Readings and class discussions will center on such fundamental questions as: What does "education" really mean? What is the proper function of education in a cultural context? How should the educator be prepared for his/her role? What is the proper relationship between teacher and student? How is education related to "the good life?" What is the social role and responsibility/obligation of the man/woman of knowledge?

In addition to the required readings, students will consider and discuss the theories of Plato and Aristotle, the Roman tradition from Cicero to Quintilian, the British tradition from John Milton and John Locke to Herbert Spencer, and American pragmatism.

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