This course explores the significance of the public sphere - from pamphlets, newspapers and letters to radio, television, the internet and social media - and its relationship to participatory, democratic society. Moving back and forth between the history of the public sphere and contemporary debates about the tensions between media and democracy, students will learn why democracies prescribe protected roles of the media, how media manipulation plays a role in politics, and how media spaces serve as deliberative spaces.

Not available at this time.

In this course, we explore diverse scholarly perspectives on becoming an adult and analyze the role of social policy in the form of both state and nonprofit interventions in responding to the challenges inherent in this critical developmental transition. We will read and analyze diverging theoretical approaches to the study of becoming an adult drawing from such disciplines as psychology, sociology, neuroscience, economics, and cultural anthropology. We will analyze these approaches and their respective influence on the social construction of adulthood.

To imagine changing even a small part of the world is a daunting, yet exhilarating proposition. Through class exercises, readings, exploration of social policy, guest speakers and a project that takes you to parts of the campus you might otherwise not explore, you will acquire knowledge and skills necessary for becoming a person who can make a difference. By the end of the semester you will have learned to connect ideas with action, have made a positive contribution to your community, and understand, through experience, the personal and social value of community engagement.