Fall Courses
June 26, 2018
Dig into topics like criminal justice ethics, U.S. immigration and the history of work in these exciting fall courses.
Performing History: Historic Character Development (HIST T180)
The goal of this course is to develop the fundamentals to portray and develop historic characters within a public history program. This class combines core public history principles and acting techniques to create first person historical characters. We will examine approaches to public history, the differences between second person and first person interpretation, ghost interpretation, and the critical analysis of all of the above. Historical interpretation is becoming one of the most important ways to interact with the public. Now more than ever, it's important to have qualified individuals who can interpret history in this new and interactive way.
This 4.0 credit course, taught by Sean Connolly, is open to undergraduate students. It meets Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:00 – 1:50 p.m. Location TBD
U.S. Immigration History (HIST T180)
The course will examine the impact of immigration on American social, civic, economic and political development, and enable students to understand contemporary immigration issues in historical context. Among topics we will explore are the historical origins of contemporary nativism and xenophobia, race and class as factors in shaping the immigrant experience, the impact of globalization and foreign policy considerations on migration trends, refugee and asylum policy, border control, and deportation policy. We will examine efforts to manage migration for specific goals, including economic development, social cohesion, family reunification and national security. We will also consider the role of immigration as a source of diversity in American society, a catalyst for social change and, at times, a flashpoint for conflict. Finally, the course will examine how immigrant incorporation has been theorized and implemented, with special attention to the “Americanization” movement and current efforts to integrate immigrants.
This 4.0 credit course, taught by Nick Montalto, PhD, is open to undergraduate students. It meets Mondays from 9:00 – 11:50 a.m. plus one hour per week online. Location TBD
1968-Year of Revolutions (HIST T180)
This course examines the year 1968 as a watershed in American and world history. Paying particular attention to the War in Vietnam, civil rights movements, technology, environmental history and global political history, this course takes one year as emblematic of an era of dissent and change.
This 4.0 credit course, taught by Scott Knowles, PhD, is open to undergraduate students. It meets Tuesdays from 9:00 – 11:50 a.m. plus one hour per week online. Location TBD
History of Work and Workers (HIST 222)
Why should we study “the history of work”? One answer: We spend a huge proportion of our lives in workplaces earning our livings. Your Drexel tuition is most likely an investment in your own working future. From the first days of slavery and indenture to contemporary debates about economic equity and the “1%,” ideas about fair, safe, rewarding work and what makes a democratic society have shaped Americans’ working lives. In this class, we will try to understand what it has meant to work in the United States…to seek work, to hope to work, to be a laborer or a manager… mechanical engineer or hair stylist…farm worker or CEO….and how those experiences have historically followed, and still follow today, lines strongly drawn by race, gender, sexuality, disability and national origin.
This 4.0 credit course, taught by Amy Slaton, PhD, is open to undergraduate students. It meets Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:00 – 5:50 p.m. Location TBD
Disabilities in History (HIST 341)
This class considers histories of so-called abled and disabled bodies and the cultural persistence of that binary. It includes examples from many eras and global settings, and it touches on what have conventionally been categorized as both physical and intellectual disabilities. We will consider how historical landscapes, economies, technologies, sciences, arts, skills, and ideas of prestige and stigma all reflect shifting beliefs about ability and disability.
This 4.0 credit course, taught by Amy Slaton, PhD, is open to undergraduate students. It meets Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:00 – 3:50 p.m. Location TBD
Metaphysics: Philosophy of Reality (PHIL 211)
This course will consider theories about the nature of reality and philosophical issues such as time, mind, personal identity and free will.
This 3.0 credit course, taught by Patrick Denehy, PhD, is open to undergraduate who have taken one 100-level philosophy course. It will meet Mondays and Wednesdays from 12:30 – 1:50 p.m. Location TBD
Criminal Justice Ethics (PHIL 330)
This course will consider ethical issues in the policies and practices of criminal justice, as well as theories that bear upon issues such as the relationship of law to justice, the definition of crime, the use of deception and coercion in law enforcement, and the purposes and varieties of criminal punishment.
This 3.0 credit hybrid course, taught by Eric Fleming, PhD, is open to undergraduate students above the freshman level. It will meet Tuesdays from 2 – 3:20 p.m. Location TBD
Social Development: A Global Approach (PSCI 305)
This course is a general introduction to issues posed by the notions of Development and progress of societies. Issues to be discussed include indices of social Development, economic growth, and health progress, and their significance in relation to general views on social Development and human progress. The concept of standard of living, the human Development index, the demographic transition and the gender and political aspects of Development will be also discussed. As a general introduction to the issues implied by the relationships between economic progress, population growth, health, and politics, as major concepts involved in the notion of social Development, the course has links with demography, sociology, history of political thought, economics, anthropology, and the health sciences.
This 4.0 credit course, taught by Jose Tapia, PhD, is open to graduate students and upper level undergraduate students with permission. It will meet Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:00 – 11:50 a.m. Location TBD
Introduction to Science, Technology, and Society (SCTS 101)
Students in this course will explore how science and technology studies scholars analyze the social dimensions of technology and science. This course is an introduction to political, social, and economic factors that shape the development of scientific concepts, medical practices and technological designs, and vice versa. This includes how users help determine the contours of technologies, and how institutional structures encourage scientists to frame their work in particular ways. We will also discuss the political effects of scientific knowledge and specific technologies, exploring the costs and benefits of current techno-scientific arrangements. The course will emphasize STS approaches to environmental change, genetics and medicine, and digital identities and lives. The course will emphasize critical dialogue and collective analyses of contemporary techno-scientific practices.
This 3.0 credit course, taught by Alison Kenner, PhD, is open to undergraduate students. The class will meet Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:30 – 1:50 p.m. Location TBD
Research Methods (SCTS 502)
This graduate seminar will provide an in-depth exploration of many of the research methods used by science and technology studies scholars. Students will learn how to define a meaningful research question and to identify which methods will best answer that question. They will also learn how to design interview guides and conduct interviews, surveys, focus groups, fieldwork, content analysis, experiments and archival research. Strategies for analyzing data will also be addressed. A thorough understanding of research design and methodologies is crucial to the STS toolkit.
This 3.0 credit course, taught by Chloe Silverman, PhD, is open to graduate students and undergraduate students above the freshman level. The class will meet Wednesdays from 6 – 8:50 p.m. Location TBD
Science, Technology & Society Theories (SCTS 504)
This course will provide participants with a rigorous introduction to important social theories used in the study of science, technology and society. Students will read work by classical and contemporary theorists, exploring a variety of explanations and critiques of contemporary social life. Wrestling with these ideas will allow students to experience the diversity and richness of social theory and to explore how theory allows us to see topics in new, unique ways.
This 3.0 credit course, taught by Alison Kenner, PhD, is open to graduate students and undergraduate students above the freshman level. The class will meet Tuesdays from 6:30 – 9:20 p.m. Location TBD