Practical communication in one-to-group contexts. Theoretical bases for structuring and presenting public speeches. Application of theory to the development, presentation, and evaluation of public speeches.

An introduction to the social role of mass media in advanced industrial Western societies, focusing on how relationships between mass communications and the surrounding economic framework affect cultural, political, and ideological processes in society. An examination of social and historical contexts within which newspapers, radio, and television developed and how they are structured with attention to both the domestic and international implications of treating mass media as just another industry.

Independent Study

Today's public institutions and community organizations operate in complex societies and serve an increasingly diverse set of constituents and stakeholders. Anthropological research provides tools for understanding diverse perceptions, practices, and social problems in cultural and historical context. The centerpiece of this course is an actual group research project here in western Mass: students will act as a team to design a research project, conduct field research with a partner organization, organize and analyze data, and present research findings.

The emergence and character of the world's first civilizations: Mesopotamia, Egypt, Indus Valley, Shang China, the Olmec and Maya of Mesoamerica, and the Chavin of Peru. Topics include the Neolithic background to the rise of civilizations and theories on the rise and fall of civilizations. (Gen.Ed. HS, G)

Introduces the full range of human cultural and biological diversity. Human evolution, rise and fall of civilizations, non-Western cultures, and the human condition in different societies today. Emphasis on the relationships among biological, environmental, and cultural factors. (Gen.Ed. SB, G)

The nature of culture and its role in creating forms of social, economic, and political life in diverse historical and geographical contexts. Readings drawn from contemporary ethnographies of various peoples, analyzing the persistence of cultural diversity in the midst of global social and socioeconomic forces. (Gen.Ed. SB, G)

Today's public institutions and community organizations operate in complex societies and serve an increasingly diverse set of constituents and stakeholders. Anthropological research provides tools for understanding diverse perceptions, practices, and social problems in cultural and historical context. The centerpiece of this course is an actual group research project here in western Mass: students will act as a team to design a research project, conduct field research with a partner organization, organize and analyze data, and present research findings.

Course description not available at this time.