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Recreational use of cannabis was approved by Massachusetts voters last year, while under Federal law, cannabis is still listed as a Schedule I drug, the most serious category of illegal substances. This course will examine whether we know enough to use/enjoy this plant safely, and what we should study further. Through studying cannabis research and ongoing controversies around legalization, students will be prompted to open-mindedly examine research-based evidence and think like a scientist.

The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 was a seismic event that took the world by storm. It gave rise to dizzy optimism and hope for a new, post-ideological age and greater global unity, within and beyond Europe. Twenty years on, these hopes have not been realized. Cold War hostilities are alive and well and although the EU has expanded, Europe is, arguably, more divided than ever. This course explores the implications of the Wall and its passing for Europe, focusing on anthropological accounts of the (former) East bloc.

This course offers a broad introduction to the problems and solutions in the field of environmental and public health. Students will read about and discuss issues that occur in both industrialized and developing countries. Topics include the biological, physical, and chemical agents of environmental contamination; methods used in epidemiology and toxicology to evaluate environmental hazards; policies currently in place to reduce health risks and protect populations from exposure; and emerging global environmental health problems.

The field of acoustic ecology is particularly concerned with how we create, interpret and interact with the sounds around us and how imbalances in the soundscape may affect human health and the natural world. Through reading, discussion, listening sessions, independent research, and hands-on projects, we will examine the broad interdisciplinary fields of acoustic ecology and sonic art.

What is so compelling about the idea of development? Why does it fail much of the global south? Do colonialism and capitalism have anything to do with it? Why do hunger, poverty, inequality, unemployment, and ecological crises persist in the so-called developed world? What are the parameters of the proposed solutions to underdevelopment such as neoliberal market reforms versus those of alternative models? What are the connections between development and environmental issues? development and war? Can development be sustainable? Are gender and race incidental or central to these issues?

Although gender violence is a widespread human rights violation, the institutional fight against it at the national and international levels is relatively recent. This course offers a global overview of the state and the stakes of gender violence. It focuses on strategies to pursue gender justice though national, regional, and transnational activism, as well as on national and international laws and policies to respond to violence in peace and conflict.

Why do repeated concussions increase risk of developing depression? Why does that approaching cold hold off until finals week is over then hit like a freight train? When you stand to give a presentation, why does your mouth go dry, perspiration bead on your skin, and your heart start racing? These questions can be answered by the intricate relationship between the nervous and immune systems. This course will introduce the basic biology of these systems and demonstrate how they interact with each other and our environment to control our mood and behavior.

Climate change is one of the most pressing challenges we face today. However, it is hard for people to understand the far-reaching effects of climate change and they often don't see the connections from their daily lives to our changing world. This class will use a psychological lens to look at how people see the cause and effects of climate change, what motivates people to change their behavior, and how people think of the problem as a whole.