Offers an overview of the American political system and the theories of those who both celebrate and criticize it. Focuses on the institutions of American politics, including the Constitution, the presidency, Congress, the courts, parties, elections, interest groups, and movements seeking political change. Also includes a theoretical focus: a critical examination of the varieties of liberalism, conservatism, pluralism, and democracy that inform the practice of American politics.

Reading and understanding research reports from the primary scientific literature is an essential skill for any scientist. Likewise, critiquing experimental proposals and freshly-minted data is one of the core components of the pursuit of science. Using the Biology Department Seminar series as a springboard, this course seeks to familiarize students with the process of understanding, appreciating, and critiquing scientific manuscripts.

Study of this crucial and problematic relationship in modern novels and films from Romance cultures. Exploration of the mother-daughter bond as literary theme, social institution, psychological dynamic, and metaphor for female creativity. Readings include Western myths and diverse theories of family arrangements (Rousseau, Freud, Chodorow, Rich, Irigaray, Giorgio, Mernissi, Nnaemeka).

This interdisciplinary course explores Latina feminism as a distinct mode of thought and inquiry. In particular, we will examine how Latina feminist approaches inform our research questions, allow us to analyze women's experiences and women's history, and challenges patriarchy and gender inequality. We will explore topics related to the politics of feminist analysis, representation, colonialism and empire, and Latina feminist methodologies.

(Em)bodi/ment: body/mind. How does our culture fantasize about severing them? Where is there ever pure mind, pure body? Who counts as able, as broken, or as food? How does discipline, punishment, and usefulness come into play? What is agency and knowledge in relation to embodiment? We will study different 'problem' cases of embodiment where the fabric of culture begins to unravel: athletics, birthing, breeding and assisted reproduction, chronic illness, dairy, disability, drugs, dying, fatness, pregnancy, queerness, sexuality, speech ('disorder'), and others.

What are the molecular mechanisms by which hormones direct cellular processes? In this course, we will examine the nature of chemical communication between and within cells. We will study hormones, receptors, and signal transduction pathways, and the ways in which these signaling systems regulate development, programmed cell death, inflammatory responses, and other biological processes.

From mutualism to parasitism, symbiotic interactions are a universal feature of life. In this seminar we will study the mechanisms underlying symbiotic interactions and consider their significance for the ecology and evolution of organisms.

This course covers major issues in the anthropology of reproduction, including the relationship between production and reproduction, the gendered division of labor, the state and reproductive policy, embodied metaphors of procreation and parenthood, fertility control and abortion, crosscultural reproductive ethics, and the social implications of new reproductive technologies. We examine the social construction of reproduction in a variety of cultural contexts.