COURSE DESCRIPTIONS GENERAL EDUCATION ELECTIVES JANUARY

Transcription

1 COURSE DESCRIPTIONS GENERAL EDUCATION ELECTIVES JANUARY 2016 Arts and Humanities (GHUM) GHUM 1016 Art Explores Psychology This course demonstrates how to journey into the world of contemporary art, or any new vocational subculture. Artists, who address psychological issues in their lives and work, and psychologists, who look to the arts for insights, are explored as models for developing lifelong research and creative practices. Students experiment with reading, drawing, photo-based work, installation art, writing and art dates as forms of inquiry, expression, persuasion, and aesthetic pleasure in the art of living. GHUM 1017 Children s Literature This course focuses on 19th and 20th Century children's literature. It begins by looking at early European children's literature, with authors such as Perrault, Grimm and Anderson. The classic nature of the works studied is emphasized in the course, along with significant themes found within each work. A variety of genres of children's literature are explored, including fantasy, realistic fiction and prose. GHUM 1024 Women in Film This introductory course examines films throughout Hollywood history. A feminist analysis of the portrayal of women in these films leads the discussions. Through the screening of a variety of genres of film, participants analyze how women s roles in film have evolved. Emphasis is placed on the social, political and economic forces, which help to shape the female stereotypes seen in Hollywood cinema. GHUM 1025 Speaking with Confidence This course aims to enhance students' understanding of themselves and society through an examination of contemporary social issues. The course improves oral presentation skills and critical thinking skills by focusing on strategies for effective presentations. These strategies include the use of enhanced listening and evaluating skills and non-verbal communication. GHUM 1034 Toronto: Studies and Stories Toronto has been called the city that works - a city of neighbourhoods. The city will certainly continue to be a city of immigrants living in relative harmony. Like any large city in our changing world, Toronto faces challenges and opportunities, and competing ideas and disagreements on how to face them, in creating the best possible quality of life for its citizens. The course examines Toronto issues and stories with a focus on the built environment, transportation, the transition to a post-industrial economy and a related emphasis on creative occupations. Another key theme is immigration and resulting changes in civic culture. Students develop the skills to decide for themselves what is important in redesigning Toronto how they could participate in creating that future if they decide to. GHUM 1052 World Religions This course explores the nature of religious experience and introduces the world-views, ethics, practices and beliefs of each of the world religions. It includes a brief background of the origin and development of each religion. Additionally, the course explores contemporary issues relating to the world religions as well as beliefs, practices and ethics of the major religions that have relevance to the personal and public arena. GHUM 1065 Sexual Diversity Through a variety of readings, media and Canadian "cultural productions" (film, articles, magazines, digital media, books, visual art, television), this course introduces the discipline of sexual diversity (or queer) studies and examines a wide range of identities and perspectives in queer communities. Questions of sexual diversity - and intersecting forms of difference - are explored through discussion and analysis of the history of queer communities, queer culture, politics and thought, with a particular focus on Canada. Contemporary debates among and between lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender folks and transsexuals are featured, as are common themes across queer cultural productions. This course includes a special focus on the history and current issues in Canadian and Toronto-based queer communities including immigration, disability and policing. Page 1

2 GHUM 1078 Photography: Shooting the Truth Photography has been a tool for documenting reality, spreading information and capturing fragments of everyday life. Photography does not lie! Is this a true statement in the era of digital photography? Was this ever a true statement? Despite the fact that it was presented to the world as a technology that doesn't lie, photography has been used as a political tool that has misguided the public even before the invention of digital images. Documentary photography, which claims to present reality, has been manipulated throughout the years. Photography: Shooting the Truth explores the impact of photography on society. The course examines photography's role in politics, media, science, communication and culture, as well as how it shapes our real and virtual lives. Photography: Shooting the Truth combines study of the work of practicing photographers and hands-on production with Web 2.0 (Web design using Google Sites, Wikis and Blogs). GHUM 1079 Film Studies This introductory course in film studies looks at technical aspects of filmmaking, historical development in film innovation, and interpretive models of film analysis. The course is divided into two parts: the first part will focus on the use of the camera, editing, lighting, sound and other aspects that make up film art; the second part deals with various film genres and interpretations of film. GHUM 1082 Disability Discourse: The Experienced Life This course invites students to explore disability and identity as it relates to the everyday lives of people with disabilities. Students examine the impact of power inequities, inclusion/exclusion and marginalization using a social justice, socio-political perspective. Students have the opportunity to examine the ways that people with disabilities are disadvantaged in society, not because of their particular impairments, but because of the ways in which social institutions define and respond to their condition. Through the analysis of first person narratives, students are able to reflect on the experience of people with disabilities, highlighting the realities of living with disability, and to critically examine the intersection of how we, as a society, view illness, disability and identity. A key component of this course is the rarely explored perceptions of versus actual histories of disability and their comparative position in social and civil movements. Students learn about resistance, advocacy, arts, cultural liberation, and empowerment. GHUM 1088 Ancient Great Thinkers This course takes a cross-cultural look at some of the most influential ancient philosophical traditions and thinkers whose ideas continue to shape the contemporary world. The course compares philosophers and ideas from Africa, Greece, China, and India, and examines various thinkers reflections on the following questions: How should we organize our social, economic, cultural and political life? What is the ideal society? How should one live one s life? These questions are considered from various ancient perspectives and traditions, including Greek thinkers such as Thales, Heraclitus, Empedocles, Anaxagoras, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, the Indian Brahmanical tradition and Buddha, Chinese philosophers such as Confucius, Lao Tzu, Chuang Tzu, and Sun Tzu, and the African thinker Plotinus. GHUM 1093 Graphic Storytelling: Comics and Graphic Novels in a Canadian Context Comic books and graphic novels combine words and images to create a unique medium of storytelling. American comic books were dismissed as disposable, semi-literate junk for kids and have faced much criticism and censorship, but they have also enjoyed extreme popularity over the years. But what about Canadian comics and graphic novels? Since 1941, the comics industry in Canada has struggled to form a national narrative that portrays distinctly Canadian superheroes or even a distinctly Canadian identity. This course introduces students to comics and graphic novels produced in English Canada, with a focus on storytelling. Students explore the historical, cultural, social, and political development of the medium within a Canadian context, and analyze the formal features of comic books what makes a comic a comic. Special attention will be given to the study of the relationships between comics, literacy, storytelling, and historical and contemporary events. GHUM 1122 Conspiracy Theories: From Politics to Paranoia This interdisciplinary course explores the diverse group of pop culture phenomena known as conspiracy theories. The student s perspective is both that of a social scientist and of a media literacy analyst, a critical observer who must sift through the many layers of doubt created by a culture steeped in daily lies, false identities, and systemic disinformation. The thesis of the course is that conspiracy theories exist precisely because Western culture has normalized the use of misrepresentation and false narratives, in daily interaction, social networking, romance, business, news, politics, and government. Through a critical media literacy study of documentary film, cinema, television, and computer sources, students learn to be critical about differentiating between disinformation, factual data, rumour, and fantastical sources. Implicit in the study is a values education model that attempts to guide students through the murky waters of postmodern ethics and ethical medial conduct. Computer access is essential to the completion of this course, since all readings are provided on-line (access is available in the St. James Learning Resource Center). With Internet access, students contact the course s exciting web site, and access readings, assignments, and other resources. Page 2

3 GHUM 1145 From Galleries to Graffiti: Putting Art to Work This course examines the roles of workers and the arts in our society. Examples of popular culture, visual art, textiles, film, video, music, literature and theatre give students a chance to analyze how these reflect workers' concerns. By examining contemporary art and meeting local artists, students develop a critical perspective on various social and labour issues, and they gain some tools in analyzing art, media, and our political and economic world. Students also have an opportunity to create artwork on some of the social themes discussed. GHUM 1169 Hope and Hardship: A Labour History of Immigration to Canada This course gives students the opportunity to analyze case studies of specific groups of new arrivals; the reasons they came; the work they did; the struggles they encountered; and the impact of Canada's First Nations. The course links the overall patterns of immigration to Canada with the work that immigrants have done and the unions they have formed in building our social and economic base. This innovative view of Canada's working history gives students a chance to document themselves and their family within this history. They also develop a critical awareness of historical accounts by examining whose achievements, losses and disappointments have been highlighted or left out. GHUM 1180 Pop Culture: The Politics of Media Literacy This interdisciplinary course explores North American popular culture and its effects on the world. The student's perspective is that of a cultural researcher, an observer seeing the Northern way of life for the first time. Through a political study (gender, race, and class analyses) of film, television, computer technologies, music and advertising, students learn connections, between these media and their political, historical, social, and economic contexts. Also studied is the idea of popular iconography, which is the idea that numerous icons and symbols have their own unique and powerful political, social, or ethical connotations and influences. GHUM 1181 Jazz: History and Culture This course examines the roots and evolution of jazz as a unique art form. It focuses on historical events, and social, cultural and technological changes from the early 1900s to the present, that have affected the development of jazz. The course examines various jazz styles that developed throughout the past century, and investigates their connections to other forms of popular music. Readings, lectures, listening experiences and videos focus on some of the greatest jazz artists and recordings of the twentieth century. This course helps students to develop an appreciation for the music, and for the impact it has had throughout the entertainment industry worldwide. GHUM 1189 Philosophy What does it mean to be human? Is anything really right or wrong? What if there is no God? What if there is a God? Is the practical world we usually focus on truly the "real" world? This introductory philosophy course invites students to experience both the fun and the challenge of learning to think clearly and critically about basic questions that are a part of our human heritage and our own lives. Science and Technology (GSCI) GSCI 1003 Truth and Lies: Understanding Statistics This course introduces students to the concept of statistics, how statistics can affect the decisions they all make, and how scientists arrive at conclusions or make predictions. Students learn the basic methods of data collection, organization, and presentation, and the different techniques that they can use to analyze and make sense of data. GSCI 1006 Understanding Drug Use and Abuse in Canada Drugs are one of the most powerful tools available to combat and prevent diseases with more drugs available to consumers. One significant problem associated with this ever expanding availability of drugs is the use and abuse of OTC and prescription drugs. This course will also consider use of illegal substances, but will also focus on issues involving legal drugs. This course presents the problems associated with drug use and abuse from an interdisciplinary perspective. The central theme to this course is that a drug s effect is determined not only by its chemical structure and interaction in the body, but also by the drug user s unique biology and psychology, as well as the setting and circumstances in which he or she is using the drug(s). Core concepts in the sciences, sociology and psychology will be used to help in understanding many of the human costs involved with drug use in our society. Pre-requisite readings will accompany each lesson to provide the necessary science background to help the student fully understand these concepts and issues. We will expand on the complexity of human drug use on biological, sociological and psychological levels. GSCI1007 Muskets, Maps and Model T s: A Thousand Years of Technology This course traces the history of technology from the year AD 1000 to the present, and deals with how technology has shaped our values and thinking. Agricultural, military, communication and transportation technologies and their defining influences are dealt with. As well, this course investigates our Western cultural attitudes towards these technologies and compares them to attitudes from other cultures. Page 3

4 GSCI 1014 So that s Physics You don t have to be Einstein to take this Physics course! Physics is actually an everyday phenomenon that we bump into as long as we are moving and observing the world in which we live and work. When we think of physics we are often frightened by the long mathematical formulas and the intricate theories that make up the theory of Physics. This course demystifies physics and puts it into everyday language that is interesting and exciting. It also aids in appreciating and understanding the usefulness of physics and the connectedness between science, people and the world around us. And who knows you may come out of the course an Einstein! GSCI 1015 Evaluating Technology s Impact This course provides the student with the critical tools necessary to understand and evaluate the spread, consequences (both intended and unintended), and ethical and social dilemmas generated by new technologies. The rise of the earth s population and the spread of technological use have created unique and often threatening situations which seem at times beyond human control. The course examines such questions as: How and why did these technologies diffuse? Can humans, ultimately, control them? How much choice do humans really have? GSCI 1024 Environmental Science Students explore the basic ecological concepts that govern the natural world through the analysis of the cause and effect relationships underlying environmental issues. In considering the many ways in which humans affect the environment, students examine concerns such as overpopulation, energy production and pollution, and discuss possible solutions. GSCI 1029 The Science of Conquest The Science of Conquest focuses on the role of science and technology as tools for the acquisition of knowledge and power over nature and the environment. Through a series of contemporary subjects (such as: genetic manipulation, nuclear research, endangered species, antibiotic resistance, global warfare, and environmental disasters), students consider the ways in which the pursuit of consumerist and expansionist ideologies have affected the future of the earth and its inhabitants. Students also explore how science and technology can be employed to create visionary solutions for planetary health. GSCI 1030 Neuroplasticity for Everyday Life Your brain is as unique as your fingerprint, but designed to change throughout your life. It is your command centre that mediates your daily experiences at every level, controlling who you are, what you do, how you feel, and even how your brain changes. Every sustained physical, sensory, and mental activity including thinking, learning, and imagining, as well as feeling, attitude, and perception changes your brain. The brain s inherent ability to change itself is called neuroplasticity. You will explore topics and concepts in neuroplasticity to understand the workings of your plastic brain. You will become familiar with discoveries in neuroscience that refute persistent myths about the brain, as well as unanswered questions and unresolved problems that continue to baffle neuroscientists. Understanding brain plasticity will enable you to apply that knowledge to your everyday life and personal goals. GSCI 1044 Boundaries of Science This course introduces students to theories and ideas organized within traditional scientific disciplines. It does not require a background in science but students should expect some mathematics. Topics in physics, chemistry, biology, astronomy, cosmology, geology and anthropology may be covered, with a focus on current developments, new discoveries, the wonder of our universe, and relevance to everyday life. Science is presented as evolving and selfcorrecting fields of observation and theories central to life in the 21st century. GSCI 1045 Nutrition This course provides basic principles of nutrition. The scope of the course ranges from a review of the gastrointestinal system, energy sources and macronutrients to a more detailed discussion of nutrient function, dietary sources, recommended intakes, deficiencies, and excesses. Students consider behavioural aspects of diet and weight management as well as the effects of modern technology, cultural diversity and aging on views of nutrition. They also examine aspects of nutrition related to disease and to physical and mental health, as well as controversial topics such as alternative therapies. Upon completion of this course, students have the basis for assessing their own diet for nutritional adequacy, and for putting concepts into practice for overall better health. GSCI 1146 Plants and Society Plants form the basis of our health, economy, and environment and yet we often overlook the important impacts that plants have on the society in which we live. Plants and Society is an introductory science course about the essential role plants play in the everyday lives of people. Students will learn about society s historical connections to plants and how traditional knowledge of plants, the development of agriculture, and biotechnology have changed how people live today. The course reveals the basic structure and physiology of plants and highlights the economic or applied aspects of plants as sources of food, commercial products, and pharmaceuticals. Page 4

5 GSCI 1172 Bodyworks Bodyworks are a survey course designed to acquaint students with the basic structures and functions of the body. The course emphasizes how organ systems function to maintain a stable environment within the body. Through its look at the inner workings of the body, students discover the answers to frequently asked questions such as How does the human eye see? and What is cancer? and they learn how to find the best answers to questions of this nature. The course addresses issues in healthcare and overall wellness, as well as some frequently seen diseases and their treatments. It also introduces the student to the language of medicine and pharmacology. GSCI 1177 Wellness and Lifestyle This introductory survey course exposes students to a number of aspects of science. Students explore the elements of a balanced lifestyle, including physical activity, nutrition, relaxation, managing change, and coping effectively with stress. The course requires students to reflect critically on current definitions of health, well-being, work and leisure, and to examine their origins in Western society. The course aims to heighten the students' awareness of influences of popular culture on lifestyle. Students critically evaluate media reports regarding health and recognize the impact of personal health practices on well- being. Social Sciences (GSSC) GSSC 1026 The Psychology of Consumer Behaviour This course introduces students to the psychology of consumer behaviour. Through an investigation of perception, learning, memory, motivation, attitudes, and group influence, students learn how marketers attempt to influence a consumer's decision-making process. Students also learn how possessions influence the way they feel about themselves and others, and they gain an understanding of marketing strategy from the perspective of the marketer and the perspective of a discriminating consumer. GSSC Personal Finance This is a practical and theoretical course in personal financial planning. Topics covered include personal income tax, wills, insurance, retirement, saving and investing, stocks and mutual funds and home mortgages. Students also examine some of the broader socio-economic issues surrounding these topics. GSSC 1041 No Escape: Understanding the Impact of Violent Environments on Children In this course students explore a variety of situations in which children are exposed to violence, ranging from their homes, to their schools, to popular culture and entertainment media, to life on the streets, in refugee camps and in war zones. They learn how children s cognitive and emotional development is affected by exposure to violence. Using a global children s rights framework, the course critically investigates a variety of approaches to mediating the effects that exposure to violence has on children. Some of the approaches to be considered include: recent legislation to protect child witnesses to violence; arts and community-based prevention and support programs; and cooperative international initiatives. GSSC 1042 Mythology and Life As We Know It This course takes a multidisciplinary and thematic approach to examining the human need for myth. Students come to recognize the meaning and psychosocial significance of some of the symbols and archetypal images passed down to us from different cultural groups going back to the beginning of human history. Contemporary mythologies, witnessed in popular art forms and culture, and expressed in current sociopolitical ideologies, as well in scientific research that supports an alternative model of human evolution, are also reviewed. GSSC 1052 Visual Communications Why do we remember some images and quickly forget others? How can we know if what we see in a visual representation is an accurate reflection of reality or one person's filtered view? Visual literacy is becoming increasingly more important in our visually-intensive world. The most powerful, meaningful and culturally important messages are those that combine words and pictures. Students learn about light, the eye and the brain, theoretical approaches to visual perception, ethical issues related to persuasive images and procedures for analyzing visual images. Visual Communications explores how visual messages with text have the power to inform, educate, persuade and even mislead an individual. GSSC 1054 Forensic Psychology Most of the television shows about police work and legal proceedings have an American context and focus on the contributions of physical sciences to forensic work. This course is aimed at showing how psychological research is used in the police and legal settings in Canada. Students examine scientific findings--many of which are from Canadian researchers--on the various players in these settings. There are ample opportunities to evaluate police techniques and prejudice in the legal setting. GSSC 1055 Fundamental Themes in Geography This is an introductory geography course that surveys the major themes in physical and human geography with a focus on Canada, including an investigation of the role of maps, location urban, regional, physical, cultural and environmental topics. It provides a framework to explain geographical concepts. Page 5

6 GSSC Introduction to Psychology Through an examination of the major areas of psychology, this introduction gives a basic understanding of human behaviour and enables students to understand themselves and to deal more effectively with others. The topics include perception, sensation, learning, development, social interaction, abnormal behaviour, and altered states of consciousness. GSSC 1071 Understanding Intercultural Communication The goals of this course are to increase the students' understanding of culture as a framework through which communication is created and interpreted and to develop the students' knowledge and skills in intercultural communication. Intercultural communication theories and their supporting research are used to examine the challenges of intercultural communication and to provide specific examples of and suggestions for effective intercultural communication and culturally appropriate behaviour. Activities are designed to help the student think critically about intercultural communication issues and actively involve the student in the practical application of intercultural communication principles. GSSC 1072 Aboriginal Education: Insights and Perspectives The course Aboriginal Education: Insights and Perspectives aims at providing a critical understanding of the experiences of Aboriginal people in the education system in Canada. The course examines the methods and highly developed systems of teaching and learning used by Indigenous peoples in Canada prior to European contact. The focus is on the historical and present day experiences of Indigenous peoples under the broader theme of colonialism and colonial education. Students are required to critically reflect on the history and impact of Canadian education policies in the lives of Aboriginal peoples. The course also provides examples of the ways in which Indigenous peoples have reclaimed education from their own perspectives making it meaningful and relevant to them. GSSC1080 An Introduction to Deafblindness and its Impact Helen Keller, whose story was portrayed in The Miracle Worker, was an individual who was deaf and blind. Though this disability is considered unique, many do not realize there are thousands of individuals who are living with deafblindness today. As a society, we have become more aware of people with disabilities in our communities and the rights of individuals living with disabilities, but deafblindness remains relatively unknown to many, including professionals working in such areas as healthcare, education, social work, personal support and government services. This course will serve as an introduction to deafblindness and the variety of ways it can affect an individual. Students will develop an awareness of, insight into and familiarity with the characteristics and applied terminology of deafblindness through the use of interactive and thought provoking materials. GSSC 1083 Understanding Globalization Globalization is a term that is frequently utilized in the mass media and political discourse in general. Yet, people are rarely told what globalization actually means. This course explores the global nature of contemporary society, its impact on Canada, and the way it fosters social and political change. Globalization is a multi-faceted process that affects economic, political, social, technological, legal, artistic, and spiritual trends. The course is interdisciplinary in nature, combining perspectives from sociology, anthropology, political science, economics, and philosophy to explore the meanings of globalization and its central processes and institutional structures. It pays particular attention to the relationship between globalization, inequality and poverty; the notion of cultural diversity in a globalizing world; and issues such as gender, ethnicity, the environment, social justice, and human rights. Further issues to be explored include the decline of the nation-state, the rise of global corporate power, terrorism and war, and the power of new technologies to re-shape political and legal relationships. GSSC 1085 Digital Citizenship Social media permeates our culture: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and a plethora of other platforms increasingly define our daily habits of communication and production. In this online course, we explore aspects of social media as they affect us personally and professionally. With a particular focus on conscientious digital citizenship, the course materials and activities provide an immersive social networking experience: students use and critically examine social media as sources of information and community, actively participate in generation of legal content, and concurrently reflect on the effects on themselves and their co-participants. Overarching themes include social media s affordances and features, legal matters relating to ownership and safety, virtual social dynamics, civic engagement possibilities, and creative selfexpression. GSSC 1100 Small Business Plan and Operation This course involves a study of the process of planning and operating a business in the changing Canadian business climate. The emphasis is on understanding what it takes to manage a business. Topics include the nature of Canadian business, current trends in business, types of business ownership, legal and ethical issues, finance and accounting principles and practices, and the nature of entrepreneurship. The course examines closely the principles of successful management of business. While all types of businesses are covered, special attention is focused on small businesses. Page 6

7 GSSC 1112 Forbidden Desires: Deviance and Society Street gangs, punks, homicide, sexual assault, the sex trade, police deviance and corporate crime -- these are some of the topics this course explores to gain better understanding of deviance, ourselves, and our society from a sociological perspective. This course investigates the nature of deviance and social control in modern society, with an emphasis on Canada. The course examines the various kinds of deviance such as delinquency, mental illness, sexual diversions, suicide and crime, as well as the law, Canada's criminal justice system, and the media. GSSC 1159 The Strange World of the Familiar: Sociological Inquiry This course introduces you to the language and practice of sociological inquiry, and uses it to understand and challenge our everyday experience of the world and ordinary views of society. By investigating topics such as everyday life rituals, the socialization process, social inequality, media, religion and the rise of postmodern society, sociological inquiry explores the strange nature of the familiar world we live in. GSSC1178 Never Done: Women s Work Around the World This course examines women's paid and unpaid work in Canada and internationally. Students explore issues that affect women's working lives, such as inequality of pay, the double day" (combining work inside and outside the home), discrimination, and other barriers to women's full participation in the workforce. Students also evaluate worldwide strategies to improve women's status in the workforce. Page 7

8 LIBERAL STUDIES ELECTIVES JANUARY 2016 Arts and Humanities (LHUM) Lower-Level Electives LHUM 1201/IAC 190 The Evolution of Film Making This film studies course deals with the evolution of film in terms of its historical and cultural development, critical filmic analysis, and technical aspects of filmmaking. The course is divided into five parts, each of which examines a major time period in the development of film in a historical, social, cultural, critical, and technical context. LHUM 1202/PHC 183 Monotheistic Religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam The practice of religion is widespread and unique to humans. It shapes and reflects the deepest convictions of people about what is most important in life. This course explores the nature of religious experience and introduces the world views, ethics, practices and beliefs of each of the major western religions. Three monotheistic faiths are covered by this course: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. A brief background of the origin and development of each religion is included. Additionally, the course explores the contemporary issues relating to the relevance of religion to the personal and public arena. Students are given an opportunity through a research essay to explore and evaluate western religions not explicitly included in the course content. LHUM 1216/EGC 182 The Art of the Short Story Students are introduced to the rich world of story and its artistic expression in literature. Brief yet profound and supple, the short-story genre offers a unique perspective on human experience. Students read a variety of works--from writers established and new, Canadian and international, ethnic majority and minority, contemporary and historical, female and male--in order to explore cultural differences as well as shared human experiences. They examine the stories form and style (e.g., setting, plot, action, characterization, symbolism, and narration) to gain insight into content. The study of selected literary terms and theories, including theories specifically on the short story, allow students a deeper understanding of the genre and the individual stories. LHUM 1223/HIC 193 Designing Toronto: Tradition and Transformation How have design, architecture, and the use of space shaped our experience of Toronto? This course examines how the city evolved from a colonial military-outpost to an urban metropolis with world-class architecture, vibrant neighbourhoods, and dynamic public-spaces. Students examine the impact of historic, commercial, aesthetic, and sociopolitical influences on the look, feel, and function of the urban landscape. They explore a range of theories to understand what makes for appealing, functional, or otherwise good design in this city, and consider the usefulness of past models to future economic, social, and creative needs. Walking tours of their own and other neighbourhoods, as well as a site visit to Casa Loma, will allow students to experience the city both physically and conceptually. Upper-Level Electives LHUM 1303 Philosophy of Love and Sex In this course, we will be reflecting on Western theories concerning some of the feelings, behaviours and ideals that we are most familiar with, but remain the most mysterious. What is it that we really want when we fall in love, and when we feel sexual desire? How are love and sex connected to pleasure, to power, to loneliness, to family relations, to friendship, to religion and spirituality, to death, to nature as a whole, and to wisdom? We will explore such questions by reading philosophical, psychoanalytic, and mythological texts, complimented by analysis of representations of sex and love in contemporary music, film and television. (Prerequisite: One lower-level Liberal Studies course) Page 8

9 Science and Technology (LSCI) Lower-Level Electives LSCI 1204/IAC 192 Preserving the Planet A personal computer running 24 hours per day adds about two tonnes of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere each year. When one considers the explosion of computer ownership alone, one can appreciate the growing impact people have on the environment. Preserving the Planet is an environmental science course emphasizing environmental awareness, conservation, and sustainability. This course provides students with an understanding of the major principles in the biological and physical sciences. Students also learn how technology and schools of thought can have both negative and positive impacts on the environment. With this information, students gain an understanding of environmental problems and solutions. Students learn the role of scientific inquiry in environmental studies and apply analysis and critical thinking to environmental issues and their own research. Upper-Level Electives LSCI 1301 Troubled Waters: Our Future and the Global Ocean The global ocean is our life-support system. Covering nearly three-quarters of Earth s surface, the oceans produce half of the oxygen in our atmosphere. The oceans regulate temperature and climate, and govern nutrient and chemical cycles that sustain all living things, including you. The oceans, however, are in distress. Our tendency to endlessly pollute and harvest seafood unsustainably is causing fundamental changes throughout the ocean system that will result in dire consequences unless our habits change substantially. Students investigate what is happening to our oceans and the potential ecological collapse resulting from human-influenced changes in ocean temperature, oxygen, acidity, and biodiversity. The course includes readings, videos, and class discussion about how we affect the ocean and how ocean change will affect not only us but life in general. Students learn the importance of scientific study of the world s ocean and apply analysis and critical thinking to issues learned in class and their own research. (Prerequisite: one lower-level Liberal Studies course) LSCI 1304 The Story of Food: Growth of the Modern Meal Unlike nature s other eaters, humans have developed enormous control over their food chains. Through the use of various technologies, such as agriculture, synthetic fertilizers, and food processing, we have profoundly modified our food chains and, as a result, created entirely new eating possibilities for ourselves. Today our food is abundant and comes from all over the world. Much of what is consumed in the modern world is heavily processed, making it easy to store, quick to prepare, and convenient to eat. This industrialization of food production has given rise to a new type of consumer the industrial eater. What implications does eating industrially have for our health and for the health of our environment? In this course, students investigate changes in human food chains from the hunter-gatherers to presentday industrialized agriculture and learn about the impacts of modern food production on people, ecosystems, and biodiversity. The critical role of biodiversity within and beyond human food chains is emphasized. Students analyze and think critically about issues explored in class and through independent research. (Prerequisite: One lower-level Liberal Studies course) Social Sciences (LSSC) Lower-Level Electives LSSC 1203/POC 180 Introduction to Canadian Politics How does politics affect your life and future? What happens to Canada if Quebec separates? Can aboriginal selfgovernment work? Is there a Canadian national identity? Is Canada even governable any longer? This course introduces students to major debates and questions in Canadian politics and society and the more enduring problems underlying these issues. The aim is to foster the student s capacity to develop their own interpretation of Canadian politics and society. LSSC 1204 Sociological Inquiry This course introduces students to the language and practice of sociological inquiry, and uses it to understand and challenge their everyday experience of the world and ordinary views of society. By investigating topics such as everyday life rituals, the socialization process, social inequality, media, religion and the rise of postmodern society, sociological inquiry explores the strange nature of the familiar world students live in. Page 9

10 LSSC 1206/IAC 193 Aboriginal Education in the Canadian Context This course offers an overview of Aboriginal Peoples and education in Canada. The course looks at education in a historical and present-day context, including ways in which Indigenous communities educated their children prior to European contact. It examines the Canadian state's policies on education of Aboriginal peoples and explores education in Indigenous communities today. Specifically, the course provides an understanding of residential schools and their impact on the lives of Aboriginal peoples, families and diverse communities. Additionally, students look at the various ways in which Aboriginal people continue to challenge and resist colonial education and reclaim education for themselves and their communities. The main aim of Aboriginal Education in the Canadian Context is to provide students with a framework for understanding the historical and contemporary issues surrounding Aboriginal education in Canada. It is hoped that through this course students gain critical insights into the lives and educational attainment of Aboriginal peoples. LSSC 1209 Social Psychology Why does the presence of others influence the way we behave and think? How do stereotypes develop? Does the way we behave change the way we think? This course provides a survey of topics examining social influences on an individual s cognition, emotions and behaviour. Topics include social thinking (the self, social beliefs and attitudes), social influence (persuasion, conformity, group influence), and interpersonal relations (aggression, altruism, prejudice). Students analyze predominant theories and research in the field of social psychology and their applications. LSSC 1212 Introduction to Psychology This course introduces the student to psychology, the scientific study of behaviour and mind, by examining the basic principles of psychology and their application to everyday experience. The course surveys various fields in psychology including, the brain and genetics, learning, consciousness, memory, stress and health, psychopathology and psychological therapies. LSSC 1213/GEC181 Introduction to Geography This first year course introduces students to the major themes in physical and human geography. It represents a broad spectrum of courses available in geography. With a focus on Canada, students survey and investigate the role of maps and location, urban, regional, physical, cultural and environmental topics. The course provides a framework to explain and familiarize students with geographical concepts, including the breadth of geographic enquiry. Students learn about the relationship between the various branches of geography and place and space. An Introduction to Geography is an integrated course that studies many aspects of the physical and cultural environment. This course provides students a basis for understanding the spatial organization of the world in which they live. Page 10

11 Upper-Level Electives LSSC 1301/SYC 191 Deviance and Society Streets gangs, punks, homicide, sexual assault, the sex trade, mental illness and corporate crime. These are some of the examples this course explores in order to better understand deviance, social control, ourselves and our society from a sociological perspective. Analytically, we examine the social construction of deviance, informal and formal means of social control; and address the issue of deviance in relation to the human condition. (Prerequisite: one lower-level Liberal Studies course) LSSC 1304 Dying, Death and Bereavement This is an advanced elective examining some of the most provocative taboo topics for humans: dying, death and bereavement. The anxiety which this forbidden subject promotes in many people drives the topic into the realm of the never seriously discussed, except when confronted by the dying or death of a relative, friend or one s self. This course provides the student with opportunities for developing understanding of dying, death and bereavement practices, insight into current issues in the broader field of thanatology and potentially an enhanced ease with the topic. Employing psychology, sociology, cultural studies and anthropology the student explores a range of topics including: the roots of current orientations to dying, the rise of the modern dying and death industries, changing trends in memorialization, the potential symbolic meaning of recent past and present funeral practices, and our developing understanding of bereavement. (Prerequisite: One lower-level Liberal Studies course) LSSC 1319 Global Justice The onset of globalization has coincided with the emergence of a variety of calls for global justice, reform and alternative forms of globalization. The desire for global justice and alternative globalizations emerges from economic, cultural, ecological and political trends. This course is interdisciplinary in nature, combining perspectives from history, sociology, anthropology, political science, economics, philosophy and civil society to explore the meanings of global justice and alternative globalization, their central policy proposals, institutional structures and the new forms of social experience that are producing the desire for greater transnational and international equality. The course focuses on the intersection between appeals for economic redistribution, cultural recognition, environmental sustainability, and political representation. It pays close attention to the relationship between various forms of social inequality such as racism, sexism, classism and sexuality. Further issues to be explored will include the role that corporations, cultural producers, civil society, states and Canadian writers and organizations are having in shaping calls for global justice. (Prerequisite: one lower-level Liberal Studies course) Page 11