FS 102 Descriptions (Spring, 2015)

Specific descriptions of sections of FS 102, Academic Discourse II, offered in Spring, 2015

Section 1: Still Relevant Today?

Professor Briggeman. CORRECTION: meeting time is WF 11-12:15

An examination of several literary works that have been considered central to western culture. We investigate what they have to offer to determine if they remain relevant today. Are there “universals” that explain a book’s longevity? Titles include Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Hamlet, Heart of Darkness, and Their Eyes Were Watching God. Time permitting, we will read Vonnegut’s Cat’s Cradle as a “test case.” Will it join the western literature canon? This seminar develops oral and written communication skills with an emphasis on persuasive communication in an academic context.

Section 2: Musical Conversations and Musical Designs

Professor Chien. MWF 10-10:50

An examination of masterpieces of classical music literature designed to develop the skill of attentive listening. Starting with factual observations of musical elements, students are guided to a deeper understanding of musical conversations. The progression leads to analytical listening and critical thinking about musical designs. Class discussions and writing and speaking assignments engage students in exploring the differences between objective musical observations and subjective responses to the composer’s intention. Students are required to attend a specific musical performance off campus; transportation is provided, but students may be charged a small fee for tickets. This seminar develops oral and written communication skills with an emphasis on persuasive communication in an academic context.

Section 3: What Makes Genius? From Galton to Gardner

Professor Foreman.TTh 3-4:15.

A foray into historical and contemporary theories on human intelligence, creativity, and the development of genius and eminence. We investigate research on individual differences in cognitive abilities with a critical appraisal of its legacy for informing social policy. We debate ongoing controversies in applying research on human cognitive abilities in applied educational settings. We also explore the perspective of popular media representations of intelligence, genius, and the talent development process. Students have the opportunity to gain confidence and rhetorical skills through individual and collaborative assignments. This seminar develops written and oral communication skills with an emphasis on persuasive communication in an academic context.

Section 5: Music of the Great Migration

Professor Christie-Searles, TTh 11-12;15

A study of the social and cultural history of the movement of African-Americans from Mississippi, and other southern states, to the north, mainly Chicago, and the impact the movement had on the evolution of music. Musicians of the state’s Delta region were historically significant to the development of the blues. Low prices for cotton and national financial pressures resulted in African-Americans losing their land. Many Mississippi musicians migrated to Chicago and created new forms of jazz and other genres there. Students investigate the conditions that made the migration necessary and the implications for both the north and the south. This seminar develops oral and written communication skills with an emphasis on persuasive communication in an academic context.

Section 6: Terrorism

Professor Kirschner, MWF 1:30-2:20

An exploration of modern terrorism. Students read political science and sociological literature on when terrorism occurs, who commits and supports terrorism, and the most effective policy responses to terrorism. We focus on 20th- and 21st-century groups employing terrorism but also explore earlier uses of the tactic. Academic literature is supplemented with films and class projects to investigate how individuals and societies respond to terrorism. This seminar develops oral and written communication skills with an emphasis on persuasive communication in an academic context.

Section 7: Contemporary Entrepreneurial Leadership

Professor Allison, TTh 1:30-2:45

A critical examination of the personal philosophies, leadership styles, and economic and social impacts of entrepreneurs in the personal computer, internet, and web-portal industries. Each entrepreneur is studied using several models of entrepreneurial leadership, with special emphasis on the framework of Joseph Schumpeter. The individuals studied include Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Andy Grove, Jim Clark, Michael Dell, and Mark Zuckerberg. Seminar assignments include presentations, discussions based on readings, and written assignments. This seminar develops oral and written communication skills with an emphasis on persuasive communication in an academic context.

Section 9: The Art of Protest: Post World War I

Professor S. Prince. TTh 9:30-10:45.

A study of the multivalent ways in which the visual arts have been utilized in protest and political activism from World War I to the present. Students investigate the visual aesthetics constructed by activists to promote ideas, challenge power structures, and champion freedom. This seminar develops written and oral communication skills with an emphasis on persuasive communication in an academic context.

Section 10: South Asian Politics on Film

Professor Wood. MF 10-10:50, film screening W 7-10 PM

An introduction to political and social issues in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh through popular and documentary film. We discuss themes including independence movements, ethno-religious conflict, Islamism, gender, caste, and class through films that deal with these issues. Students lead class discussions on the political and social themes of these works and write several short papers on selected themes. An evening film screening is held approximately once every two weeks. This seminar develops written and oral communication skills with an emphasis on persuasive communication in an academic context.

Section 11: The Contemporary American Musical

Professor Cosdon. TTh 1:30-2:45.

An exploration of the contemporary American musical, with a focus on the presentation of “difference” and “diversity.” Rather than the traditional fusion of syrupy plotlines with flashy songs and dances, these shows are “taking musical theatre on a whole new trip.” Musicals studied may include Rent, Hairspray, Wicked, Avenue Q, Spring Awakening, Passing Strange, American Idiot, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, The Book of Mormon, and Fun Home. This seminar develops written and oral communication skills with an emphasis on persuasive communication in an academic context.

Section 12: South Asian Politics on Film

Professor Wood. MF 2:30-3:20, film screening W 7-10 PM

An introduction to political and social issues in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh through popular and documentary film. We discuss themes including independence movements, ethno-religious conflict, Islamism, gender, caste, and class through films that deal with these issues. Students lead class discussions on the political and social themes of these works and write several short papers on selected themes. An evening film screening is held approximately once every two weeks. This seminar develops written and oral communication skills with an emphasis on persuasive communication in an academic context.

Section 13: Staging Sustainability

Professor Mehler. MWF 10-10:50.

An exploration of how nature intersects with live performance materially and thematically. Students explore sustainability through a breadth of disciplines including drama, architecture, industrial and entertainment design, and business. Projects focus on the intersection of theatre, the natural world, and the historical and potential impacts of human creation on the environment. This seminar develops written and oral communication skills with an emphasis on persuasive communication in an academic context.

Section 14: The Power of Conspiracy Theories

Professor Wiebel. MWF 10-10:50.

An examination of the reasoning processes and strategies employed in conspiratorial thinking. Conspiracy theories involve a belief in secret plots by hidden groups of people with supposedly vast power. They hold great fascination for many people, even when there is little or no evidence to support them. We explore what makes conspiracy theories so believable—maybe they are just good storytelling—and examine the inherent appeal and logic of conspiratorial thinking. Focusing on how we are drawn to these theories, we examine the ways in which people construct persistent narratives that most would dismiss as irrational or illogical. This seminar develops written and oral communication skills with an emphasis on persuasive communication in an academic context.

Section 16: Black Women in American Culture

Professor Gilbert. TTh 3-4:15.

An exploration of the significance of black women in the American cultural landscape. We examine how black women are represented in American literature, in both academic and popular culture texts, and why black women’s intellectual thought remains marginalized despite the increase in texts about and by black women. Drawing from black feminist understandings of black womanhood, we interrogate black women’s writing from various genres and time periods to understand “when and where black women enter” American cultural discourse. This seminar develops oral and written communication skills with an emphasis on persuasive communication in an academic context.

Section 17: How to Live?

Professor P. Jackson. TTh 8-9:15

A consideration of the values that inform our decisions about how to behave and what to want and who to be. We investigate what makes some lives seem so much more enchanting and enviable than others, as well as whether there is such a thing as the objectively desirable life, how we might define it, and how we know when we’re living it. We study what the greatest minds in history have said about the good life and explore how these ideas fit with our own. This seminar develops oral and written communication skills with an emphasis on persuasive communication in an academic context. This seminar develops oral and written communication skills with an emphasis on persuasive communication in an academic context.

Section 18: Mysticism, Messianism, and Political Action

Professor Bernstein-Goff. WF 11-12:15.

A consideration of the reemergence of religious mysticism as a major component of contemporary Judaism. We explore the history of the Jewish mystical tradition, called Kabbalah, the rise of the mystical pietism of Hassidism, and contemporary forms of the Kabbalistic tradition, including its prominence in popular culture and the non-Jewish world in the 21st century. We also study the role of Jewish Messianism as a political force in the Middle East and the part it plays in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. This seminar develops oral and written communication skills with an emphasis on persuasive communication in an academic context.

Section 19: Modern Families: Love, Marriage, and Childrearing in Contemporary Times

Professor Asmi. MWF 9-9:50.

An exploration of family formation in modern times. In this age of social change, we continue to rely on the family as an institution, but we no longer view the nuclear family as the only option. Instead, variations in modern families represent our struggle to find kinship in a changing world. Our study looks at family life in historical and cross-cultural contexts and explores family formation and dissolution, including marriage, children, and divorce. We incorporate media and popular culture into our discussions of how families are portrayed. Finally, we think about the role families play in our societies and in our own lives. This seminar develops written and oral communication skills with an emphasis on persuasive communication in an academic context.

Section 20: Notions of Infinity

Professor James Hollerman. TTh 11-12:15.

Coming to grips with the infinite.  The infinite surfaces in philosophy, mathematics, cosmology, religion, and art, but often in different ways.  Readings by authors such as Democritus, Aristotle, Aquinas, Galileo, Cantor, and Escher, ranging from the ancient Greeks to modern times, are taken up.  Student papers and oral presentations argue the validity or usefulness of a particular notion of infinity as described by one or more authors. This seminar develops written and oral communication skills with an emphasis on persuasive communication in an academic context.

Section 21: Hazardous Earth

Professor Misner. MWF 10-10:50.

An exploration of the interaction between humans and extreme geologic phenomena. Natural disasters are becoming more common, not necessarily because there are more hazardous geologic events today, but because Earth’s population is increasing at a rapid rate. Consequently, densely populated regions are most impacted by geologic hazards. We explore why people live in hazardous places, how often hazards develop into disasters, and how disasters can be predicted and/or mitigated. Students investigate these questions through modern and historical case studies such as the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, the Sumatran earthquake and tsunami, the Oso landslide, the Johnstown flood, and the Chicxulub impact crater. This seminar develops written and oral communication skills with an emphasis on persuasive communication in an academic context.

Section 22: Conceptions of Childhood

Professor Hatcher. MWF 2:30-3:20.

An exploration of recent debates surrounding changing conceptions of childhood. We examine whether childhood is a natural stage of biological development, or if it has a history, and ask if the study of childhood is synonymous with the study of children. Following readings in history, sociology, philosophy, literature, and popular media, students research and debate cases that challenge definitions and boundaries of childhood, such as trying children as adults in the U.S. legal system; child labor and children’s rights movements; children and sexuality; and children and consumer culture. This seminar develops written and oral communication skills with an emphasis on persuasive communication in an academic context.

Section 25: Paper Towels or Hand Dryers?

Professor Deckert, TTh 8-9:15

An exploration through case studies of how our everyday decisions affect our carbon footprint. Students research everyday situations in which their choices make a difference in terms of the amount of energy used and the quantity of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere. As a final project, students present conclusions and recommendations from one case study to the appropriate Allegheny governance body for possible adoption. This seminar develops written and oral communication skills with an emphasis on persuasive communication in an academic context.

Section 26: Creatures of the Night CANCELLED

Section 28: No Pain, No Gain?

Professor L. Jackson. MW 11-12:15.

An exploration of the benefits of positive thinking along with its limitations. The powers of positive thinking are often extolled, and the search for happiness has given birth to an entire industry of self-help books, tapes, retreats, and coaches. And yet the relentless search for happiness and the avoidance of discomfort, failure, and setbacks can make us more miserable. We explore why the “secret” to a state of contentment may lie in embracing discomfort. Readings are drawn from the popular press, but also from psychology, philosophy, biology, and religion. This seminar develops written and oral communication skills with an emphasis on persuasive communication in an academic context.

Section 29: Quilts, Stories and Social Change

Professor Ozorak. MW 11-12:15.

An exploration of quilts as an artistic medium for story-telling, meaning-making, and social change. Our study includes hands-on practice with fabric art and a community activism component as well as opportunities for discussion with representatives from the community. This seminar develops written and oral communication skills with an emphasis on persuasive communication in an academic context.

Section 30: Public Health in Africa

Professor Seligman. TTh 3-4:15.

A study of public health in Africa. From Ebola to AIDS, the media often portrays Africa as a continent of unchecked disease. We examine how African communities dealt with illness and medicine in times both recent and past, exploring examples of diverse African approaches to health and illness in precolonial, colonial, and postcolonial times. Our topics include African healers, colonial medical programs, debates on “western” vs. “traditional” medicine, and current public health challenges. This seminar develops written and oral communication skills with an emphasis on persuasive communication in an academic context.

Section 31: Diplomacy, War, and Chinese People’s Liberation Army

Professor Wu. MWF 2:30-3:20.

An historical examination of modern Chinese warfare from the 1930s to the 1980s. With the Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945), the Chinese Civil War (1947-1949), and China’s involvement in the Korean and Vietnam Wars as case studies, we consider modern Chinese warfare and the evolution of Chinese military strategy. Important relationships considered include that between the army and the political parties/state, between the army and the people, between ideological training and weapons, between offense and defense, and between war and diplomacy. We also consider the future direction of the Chinese military buildup in the coming decades. This seminar develops written and oral communication skills with an emphasis on persuasive communication in an academic context.

Section 32: Mysticism, Messianism, and Political Action

Professor Bernstein-Goff. Th 7-10 PM

A consideration of the reemergence of religious mysticism as a major component of contemporary Judaism. We explore the history of the Jewish mystical tradition, called Kabbalah, the rise of the mystical pietism of Hassidism, and contemporary forms of the Kabbalistic tradition, including its prominence in popular culture and the non-Jewish world in the 21st century. We also study the role of Jewish Messianism as a political force in the Middle East and the part it plays in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. This seminar develops oral and written communication skills with an emphasis on persuasive communication in an academic context.

Section W1: Contemporary Appropriation

Professor Crowley. MWF 10-10:50.

A study of the various ways in which contemporary artists make use of the works of others. By examining works that borrow, rip off, and mash up previous works, students investigate the construction of authenticity in the digital age. Students consider prominent examples of both artistic and cultural appropriation in an attempt to define what is and what is not “appropriate” when it comes to such sampling. Works studied represent various genres and periods, ranging from Renaissance drama to postmodern literature, contemporary theory to popular music. This seminar develops written and oral communication skills with an emphasis on persuasive communication in an academic context. Designated “W,” this section places particular emphasis on the practice of writing and offers specialized instruction to improve writing skills.

Section W2: Contemporary Appropriation

Professor Crowley. MWF 11-11:50.

A study of the various ways in which contemporary artists make use of the works of others. By examining works that borrow, rip off, and mash up previous works, students investigate the construction of authenticity in the digital age. Students consider prominent examples of both artistic and cultural appropriation in an attempt to define what is and what is not “appropriate” when it comes to such sampling. Works studied represent various genres and periods, ranging from Renaissance drama to postmodern literature, contemporary theory to popular music. This seminar develops written and oral communication skills with an emphasis on persuasive communication in an academic context. Designated “W,” this section places particular emphasis on the practice of writing and offers specialized instruction to improve writing skills.

Section W3: Composing a Digital Life

Professor Hart., MWF 8-8:50.

An examination of digital technologies and their effects on identity formation and personal literacy practices. Students actively engage in constructing online selves through blogging, participation in networked communities, and digital storytelling in order to develop an understanding of how digital rhetorics affect their personal and community identities as well as their reading and writing practices. This seminar develops oral and written communication skills with an emphasis on persuasive communication in an academic context. Designated “W,” this section places particular emphasis on the practice of writing and offers specialized instruction to improve writing skills.

Section W7: “In Our Time”: Writing about Cultural Events and Phenomena That Shape Us

Professor Lo. MWF 9-9:50.

An exploration of how cultural events and phenomena shape our lives. Although personal events define us in countless ways, communal experiences often spark immediate conversations about individual and social values. Whether we’re talking about the popularity of “Let It Go,” the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, or the success of beloved sports teams, these types of cultural events and phenomena all lead us to discuss deeper social and personal issues. Through our study, we ask what cultural events have shaped our lives and the way we think about the world—and we engage in the debates that emerge out of these events. This seminar develops written and oral communication skills with an emphasis on persuasive communication in an academic context. Designated “W,” this section places particular emphasis on the practice of writing and offers specialized instruction to improve writing skills.