Capitalism

From the writings of Adam Smith in the 18th century to present-day arguments by Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the benefits and costs of capitalism in human society have been hotly debated. Do the benefits of capitalism outweigh the costs? Is it possible or desirable to "tame" markets to maintain their good elements while minimizing the harm? How has a debate dominated by Europeans and North Americans considered or overlooked perspectives from the rest of the world?

Coming of Age on Screen

In this course we will trace the representation of teenage girls in television and film from the 1950s to the present as a way to better understand how moving images shape culture. We will look closely at the notion of "entertainment" and at the ways in which moving image texts create ways of seeing and meaning.

Women/Polit/Activism US Hist

From the founding of the United States to the present, how have women taken the lead to act on their visions of a just, righteous, or sustainable world? Where have they planted their feet on colonized ground and insisted on their own sovereignty, freedom, or citizenship? When have they agitated successfully for fundamental change, whether from homes, fields, and factory floors, or from the halls of power? This course addresses conflicting perspectives within women's politics, with attention to histories of racism, radicalism, feminism, and conservatism.

Art and Words

True, a picture is worth a thousand words, but how do we know which words to use exactly? In this seminar, we will focus on the work of language in relation to the visual arts, and learn to distinguish between different kinds of writing, including art history, art criticism, poetry and fiction. We will visit the Mount Holyoke College Art Museum and the Skinner Museum, and develop provocative ideas about original works of art. We will practice critical thinking and writing on our own, and work collaboratively on various projects.

Individuals and Organizations

This course focuses on individual and small-group behavior in the organizational setting. The class will focus on: (1) understanding human behavior in an organizational context; (2) understanding of oneself as an individual contributor and/or leader within an organization, and ways to contribute to organizational change; (3) intergroup communication and conflict management; and (4) diversity and organizational climate.

Organizations and Finance

Students will create and manage organizations, learn from topical lectures, readings and case studies, and hear from guest speakers. The course will cover core organizations: not-for-profits, "C" corporations, "S" corporations, partnerships, and the LLC (limited liability company) plus special variations like workers cooperatives and social venture variations known as benefit corporations and L3C companies. Students will also learn how to analyze and present financial information and gain competency with basic spreadsheets and analytical tools.

Music and Childhood

This course examines significant moments in the history of children as creators, performers, consumers, and subjects of music, with a focus on Western Europe and the United States. From Mozart to Michael Jackson, medieval psalmody to playground games and beyond, we will survey the enlisting of children, childhood, and the childlike across a range of musical genres and pedagogical, aesthetic, and cultural-political agendas. For their final project, students may work with a historical artifact of children's musical culture, or research a local children's music program or ensemble.

African Politics

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to a historically informed comparative study of African politics. The course views Africa as a distinct region with a vital role in the international system, reviewing major theories designed to explain patterns of African politics and the variations between and within African states. The course is motivated by the need to understand the legacies of colonialism, the relative weakness of the African state, and the variation of political and economic development in the continent.

Reparations & Polit of Repair

This course will examine arguments for reparations for slavery with an eye towards understanding what withholding and extending reparations have meant for American democracy and citizenship. We will contextualize arguments for reparations within a larger conversation about repairing democratic norms, institutions, and social conditions within recent democratic theory.
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