Using the frameworks of transnational and anticolonial feminisms, this course explores the genealogies, constellations, and contestations of feminist thought in the post-Soviet world. We will consider its unique formations in Eastern Europe and Eurasia, focusing especially on "peripheral" perspectives, such as Ukraine, Belarus, and Kazakhstan. Taking an interdisciplinary approach, students will engage with narrative, historical, archival, and ethnographic sources, giving attention to the relationship between gendered subjectivity and state practices.

This course examines historical developments in the West African sub-region from 1800 through colonial period to the formation of the Economic Community of West African States. The course focuses on themes such as the abolition of the slave trade, legitimate trade, European expansion, and colonial rule, and examines the social, political, economic, and cultural changes in West Africa during the period. This course will place Africans at the center of historical development.

For a being often said to be immutable, God has been imagined in myriad, often contradictory, ways over the centuries -- even within a single religious tradition. Using Jewish studies as a springboard, this course examines the idea of God through the writings of philosophers and poets, mystics and rationalists from ancient to contemporary times. Topics include: body/spirit dualism and feminist and ecological critique thereof; cross-cultural encounter, diaspora and cultural mixing as generative forces; superstition and other kinds of heterodoxy; and ritual performance.

For a being often said to be immutable, God has been imagined in myriad, often contradictory, ways over the centuries -- even within a single religious tradition. Using Jewish studies as a springboard, this course examines the idea of God through the writings of philosophers and poets, mystics and rationalists from ancient to contemporary times. Topics include: body/spirit dualism and feminist and ecological critique thereof; cross-cultural encounter, diaspora and cultural mixing as generative forces; superstition and other kinds of heterodoxy; and ritual performance.

Pop and jazz involve different types of musical texts. From open mic nights to top-40 hits, pop performances are enactments of carefully crafted song structures. In contrast, jazz musicians treat tunes more flexibly-as frameworks to guide improvisation. In separate units for the pop song and the jazz tune, this course examines how harmony, melody, rhythm, lyrics, and form unite to inspire great performances in both traditions. Each unit will include nuts-and-bolts assignments to build analytical and compositional skills, which will be applied in a composition project at the end of each unit.

The relationship between ecology and democracy has a complex history and an uncertain future. Ecological crises threaten all forms of life on earth, and democracy too is an endangered species, as popular discontent, elite malfeasance, and unresponsive institutions herald democratic crisis if not collapse.

This course is designed to provide students with both an in-depth study of the political and social determinants of health and with queer, feminist, and postcolonial theorizations of health and the body. We will question and theorize what "health" is as well as study how economic and social inequality distribute unequal life chances. We will examine how race, class, gender, sexuality, and citizenship combine to help some survive and even profit from disease and illness while others perish and experience shame, stigma, and financial insecurity.

Stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination are common words, but what do social psychologists mean when they use these terms? In this class, we will explore these concepts including questions such as: Why do people categorize others (e.g., race, gender)? Why do people generalize attitudes across members of a category? What is a stereotype? What is the relationship between stereotyping and prejudice? How do stereotyping and prejudice influence behavior? These conceptual questions will be examined through readings, class discussions, and projects.

Why do animals behave the way they do? How do animals see their world? In what ways do animals adapt to a changing environment? What is the best way to observe and analyze animal behaviors? Ethology is the study of animal behavior and the key to understanding animal evolution. In this course we will observe animals in their natural habitat and in the laboratory setting. We will read literature and watch videos that will cover key concepts of animal cognition, learning, and other behavior.

This course introduces students to the complex relationships among religion, ecology, and culture. Religions have been instrumental in shaping how societies understand what nature is and what humans' place in it is. Environments have also molded religions, spiritualties, and societies. In this course, we explore how ecological movements of all sorts--from the global to the local--draw upon religions, faith traditions, and spiritualities from all around the world to advance their diverse goals.