USSO 201. Society and Technology: How Do They Impact One Another?. 3 Units.

This course focuses on a systematic analysis of the relationships between society, and the specific institutional elements of technology and technological innovation. It describes the social aspects of computers and related technologies and explores the ways in which these technologies influence and impact organizations and individuals. The course explores the design, use and cultural significance of technologies and uses a historical focus to assess the integration of technology into all aspects of our society. The restructuring of traditional human interaction by information technology will provide a contemporary focus for the course. Offered in a seminar format, the course will provide opportunities for scholarly discussion, systematic inquiry and written communication. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 209. Face First. 3 Units.

Human beings greet the world face first. In fact, the ability to process facial features seems to be innate. A baby easily recognizes its mother's face yet the most powerful computers have difficulty using facial features to identify people. This is because all human faces are similar while fine details make each face unique. This course will begin by studying the human face as an anatomic construction of hard and soft tissue skeletal components. We will discuss how we use anatomic facial features to recognize individuals. One homework exercise will be to construct faces using an FBI identikit. Each student will create an FBI composite sketch of their own face. Seminar time will then be used to view each sketch and try to match the sketch with the seminar participant. Discussion will focus on how facial anatomy is similar or different. Following this introduction, the seminar will shift focus from anatomy to sociology. We will discuss facial attractiveness and beauty. Seminar topics will also include manipulation of facial appearance i.e., cosmetics, body piercing, veils, and plastic surgery. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 234. Questions of Identity. 3 Units.

Who we are informs the ways in which we act in the world. How we respond to society in the individual, local, and global community is impacted by the way we see ourselves, the way others see us, and the way we see others. Who am I? How do I look at myself in relationship to others? How does the way in which society views me affect the way I think of myself? How have writers, historians, and philosophers dealt with the challenges of self and group identity? We will explore these issues through readings from the Civil Rights Era, the Holocaust, and the period of decolonization in Africa. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 275. Psychology of Creativity. 3 Units.

The purpose of this course is to explore how individuals become creative. What are the most important qualities, emotional and cognitive, that are related to creativity? Is there a creative personality? What is the difference between artistic and scientific creativity? How does creativity relate to mental illness? How can we foster creativity in people? The course will study creativity in children and adults and will include research studies as well as descriptions of creativity from creative individuals. We will also discuss how different cultures view and effect creativity and the ethical issues involved. This course is a seminar and will use a discussion format. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 285I. Spectacle in American Culture. 3 Units.

This seminar will examine the topic of spectacle both chronologically and typologically to better u understand the power of remarkable visual experiences to awe, entertain, persuade, and create meaning from the colonial period to the present day. In the 17th century, the religious beliefs of the New England community and its need to maintain social cohesiveness gave rise to the spectacle of witch trials and public punishments. As Americans moved westward, the natural world became the focus of the spectacular. In the nineteenth century, the campaigns and debates of presidential candidates became political theater. The latter half of the century gave rise to Consumption as Spectacle as exemplified in the may expositions and World's Fairs. Today, spectacle has reached all facets of our lives. Americans are willing to expose the most intimate details of their personal relationships on television shows like Jerry Springer and The Real World. Although frequently used to maintain power, spectacle also has been employed as a tactic of resistance and as an instrument for creating alternative meaning by subcultures. More recently, spectacle has served as an instrument of terror. Through lectures, discussion, multimedia presentations, and writing assignments, we will have an opportunity to reflect on the many forms and uses of spectacle in American history. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 285L. Hollywood Cartoons, American Society. 3 Units.

This class provides a history of mainstream animation produced in the United States during the 20th century, emphasizing in particular the output of the Hollywood animation studios of the 1930s-1950s, the shift to television animation in the 1950s, and the rebirth of animation in the 1980s. In addition to the general history of the field and key periods of creative development in the genre, we will discuss various sub-genres or narrative fads within animation, cultural and social movements of the 20th century and how they are reflected in contemporaneous popular culture, issues of art versus commerce in the creation of popular animation, the intersection of animation and politics, and the representation of race, gender, sexuality and religion. Since this class focuses on visual media, we will also spend a great deal of time both watching films and discussing how to watch animated films with a critical eye. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 285N. Globalization and American Culture. 3 Units.

This course investigates the role of the United States in globalization. The first third examines the claim that globalization entrails cultural "Americanization," the middle third covers the resistance of local cultures, and the last part explores the ways in which American invented technologies do, in fact, spread culturally specific ways of working and behavior. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 285Q. Paradigms, Ideologies, and World Views. 3 Units.

The purpose of this class is to analyze the different ways in which people view the world, and the consequences of adopting any particular perspective. Our first primary area of inquiry will be the degree to which the scientific community meets its ideals. We will explore how dominant paradigms develop and slowly change based on sociological and psychological principles that are far from the idealized notion of scientific process. Then, we will explore modern political ideologies in order to assess how fundamentally different assumptions about how the world works lead to fundamentally different conclusions about ideal policies. We will then discuss the degree to which ordinary citizens follow such ideologies. As an alternative to an ideological world view, we will then examine the concept from psychology known as the, "schema," and we will discuss how schemata affect political perceptions. Finally, we will discuss how even so-called experts are subject to errors in judgment based on their assumptions about the world. This is a University Seminar, so the class will also set aside time to discuss writing. The schedule has several sessions set aside for writing instruction (labeled, writing day or, writing week). On these days, class will be led jointly by the professor and the writing liaison to discuss writing technique. For most of these sessions, you will be asked to participate in a writing exercise, to be discussed immediately afterwards. For some sessions you will be asked to bring in outlines, thesis statements, sample paragraphs, or other preparation work for course assignments. You will be informed the week prior when you will need to bring such a sample to the writing session. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 285T. Why We Believe Weird Things. 3 Units.

How, in such a skeptical age, can people maintain questionable beliefs regarding urban legends, alternative medicine, superstitions, and paranormal phenomena? How do cults manage to attract and maintain large memberships? How can so many seemingly normal people come to the conclusion that they have been abducted by aliens? We will explore the idea that these behaviors are not examples of pathological thought processes, but rather natural consequences of the biases that characterize everyday reasoning. Emphasis will be placed on critical examination of questionable phenomena with a goal of understanding why people might want to hold such beliefs. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 286L. Exploring Non-Profit Organizations. 3 Units.

This seminar is structured to expose students to the opportunities and challenges of working in and running non-profit organizations. Students will explore the importance and significant roles non-profit organizations play in our society. The class will learn how non-profits are organized and regulated and the importance of the organization's mission is to determining the impact of the non-profit organization in the community. Additionally, the students will learn how non-profits are funded and how these organizations maintain their financial stability and sustainability in the community. These goals will be accomplished through group analysis of non-profit organizational principles, and investigation of existing non-profit organizations. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 286V. Management of Chronic Illness in a Cultural Context. 3 Units.

This course will explore the cross cultural, self-care approaches to health problems. It covers substance-based (e.g., herbs, acupuncture), mind-body (e.g., yoga, qigong), spiritual (e.g., prayer) and social (e.g., communal, family) approaches that have been used to manage chronic diseases and promote wellness in various cultural settings. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 286X. The Future of News. 3 Units.

The saying goes, "Strong Press, Strong Democracy." But what of strong democracy in the Internet Age when the traditional press seems weak? That's this seminar's big question. Can the "old" media, struggling to avoid financial collapse, still deliver the news necessary to be democracy's watchdog, as in the past? Can the new internet media--blogs, YouTube, viral videos, "hyperlocalism" experiments, pro publica investigations, crowd sourcing, instant news, Facebook, Gawker, True/Slant, Drudge and the proliferation of the other news and entertainment sources--take its place or complement traditional journalism? How do these new entrants change the nature of news and the role of the media in our society? These are uncharted developments, but they go to the heart of the continued success of America's democratic experiment. Our goal is to grasp more clearly the connections between media, news, citizenship and democracy in this new age. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 287E. Clash of the Titans: Economic, Industrial and Social Trends for the 21st Century. 3 Units.

Since the beginning of recorded human civilization, locally dominant societies have risen, prospered, decayed and finally ended, with new ones taking their place. Starting in the 15th century, however, Europe established global dominance and maintained it for four centuries, from the age of New World exploration through the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century. Then came the rise of the United States, which in the late 20th century became the world's only superpower, economically, industrially, militarily and, increasingly, culturally. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, we are witnessing the "flattening" of the world due to the technological revolution, a phenomenon brought about by the instant and worldwide generation of and access to information. Two major consequences of this evolution are: a) Individuals are more empowered than at any time in history and the traditional societal structure is under constant challenge; b) Companies have changed their business structures and practices and have begun to operate on a truly global scale. The main goal of the course is to help students learn the lessons of history and use them to develop an educated argument as to whether the US will continue in its prominent leadership role, or whether one or both of the emerging Asian economic powerhouses, China and India, will supplant it and become dominant. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 287P. Technology and Social Change. 3 Units.

This class examines the reciprocal relationship between material culture (technology) and non-material culture (society and social structure) as they produce social change. The class is organized by major areas in the development of technology as well as chronologically in terms of major epochs of technological and societal development. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 287T. Gender, Visibility and Performance: The Courtesan. 3 Units.

Throughout history, the figure of the courtesan has embodied seduction, performance, and mystery; occupying the private spaces of the real and the imaginary across cultures. The impact of the courtesan on society can be seen in travelogues, poetry, and historical treatises, as well as in texts written specifically about courtesans themselves. Those cultures which had a courtesan class frequently experienced varying degrees of social discomfort. Within the culture, there was tension between those who patronized courtesans and those who considered them a social menace. From without, cultures which had courtesans were believed to be either excessively decadent or highly civilized, depending on the cultural standpoint of the observer. In this seminar, we will study real courtesans as well as examine the figure of the courtesan within the context of literature, religion, music history, and gender theory. The seminar will begin with an overview of the origins of the courtesan, focused on the roles of women and slave musicians in the court and temple in Egypt, India, Greece, and Mesopotamia starting in 3,000 BCE. Then, we will explore factors leading to the development of a courtesan class and compare the roles of courtesans and their place in their culture in Europe, India, Asia, and the Middle East. Readings and class discussion will encompass issues relating to the impact of gender on performance, literary genres, education, and social and legal status, as well as continuing questions related to translation of primary sources, colonialism, and religious movements. In addition to the readings, we will also study images of the courtesan from antiquity to the present, listen to music by and about courtesans, sample some of their writing, and watch films about "real" courtesans. The primary goal is not only to look at the impact of courtesans in history, but also to engage issues related to gender and performance from a variety of different disciplinary and cultural points of view. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 287V. The Public and the Past: History in the Marketplace. 3 Units.

How does one or should one "sell" the past? Our primary encounters with the past are not in the university classroom, but via popular media, museums, theme parks, and historic sites; entities whose survival is increasingly dependent upon market economics. This dependency often demands attention to audience size and the need to avoid controversies that could alienate private and public funders. Complicating this is the issue of heritage--the somewhat mythic pasts which individuals, groups, and nations claim as their right, even when research challenges the underlying myths. What then are the consequences, in terms of ethics and accuracy, or in terms of civic value, when one turns history into a heritage-based commodity? More specifically, how does this affect professional historians? Can they work in history outside of academe without sacrificing integrity and standards? The seminar will debate these critical questions and also take an in-depth look at the growing field (positions, products and potential) of public/applied history. Readings, documentaries, interviews, and on-site visits to public history institutions will provide the basis for our discussions and the written assignments in this seminar as well as serve as an introductory "course" for students interested in a career in public or applied history. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 287Z. Concubines, Soldiers and Field Hands: World Slavery from Antiquity to the Present. 3 Units.

For many Americans, the most familiar type of slavery is plantation slavery of the Americas and the horrific consequences to the indigenous peoples and transplanted peoples from Africa. The longevity of the institution of slavery, and acceptance of the practice by many different cultures and belief systems, however, reaches from antiquity to the present day. In addition to providing physical labor and domestic services, slaves have been used as entertainers, civil servants, led armies and served in temples. Slavery is a complex legal, religious, moral and social institution, and the relationship between slave, state and owner/slaver is equally complicated; so much so that understanding the bond between them, and what the actual boundary was between "free" and "un-free", is still difficult to determine in some cultures. In this seminar, we will use a chronological framework to examine the institution of slavery, uses for slaves, methodologies and sources for studying slavery and the slave trade in world history. Beginning with slavery in the Ancient Near East, Egypt, Greece and Rome, the class will include slavery and the feudal system in medieval Europe, indentured servitude and concubinage, slaves in the early Islamic courts, the Ottoman slave trade, the African slave trade and slavery in the Americas, and the current problem of human trafficking. Within each section, students will read primary texts and recent scholarship examining the social, economic and religious rationales behind slavery. We will also study different methodologies and the impact of gender, race and social class on the study of world slavery. As many slaver cultures had different definitions for what it meant to be a slave, we will address questions related to translation, interpretation and perception when dealing with primary sources. The primary goal of the course is to provide a broader context for the institution of slavery in world history as a means not only to understand the impact of slavery has had on American culture, but on other cultures as well. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 288B. Doing Good: How Nonprofits Change Lives. 3 Units.

The American economy is made up of three sectors: government, business, and nonprofit. It's pretty obvious what government and business do, but the activity of nonprofits, while it is everywhere, is much more subtle. A nonprofit is most likely where you were born, went to school, attend church, or adopted your family dog. If you became an Eagle Scout, watched "Sesame Street," attended a benefit concert, or participated in a walk for a cause, you were engaged with a nonprofit. Perhaps you haven't given much thought to the way the organization was structured, where it gets its money, or what kind of an impact it's really having. In this seminar, students will learn what nonprofits are, how they operate, how they influence everyday lives, and their role in advancing social change and a civil society. We will consider the economic impact of nonprofits as well as their role in protecting culture, environment, values, and heritage. We will also look at the key challenges facing nonprofits today and how they are addressing them. Writing assignments will include a grant proposal for a new or existing nonprofit. The seminar will feature guest speakers and class visits to nonprofits in the Cleveland area. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 288E. Early Childhood Music. 3 Units.

This course develops critical thinking, writing, and discussion skills through guided inquiry on the subject of music in early childhood. Researchers in the areas of child development, linguistics, sociology, psychology, and music education have documented children's musical development and noted the interplay of musical development with many other spheres of child development and interaction. What is the role of music in a child's holistic development? Could enriching musical experiences provide needed interventions to children considered "at-risk?" What is the "First 2000 Days" movement and how does music enter the equation? What types of music therapy are available for young children in medical, educational, and social settings, and what impact have we seen in these areas? In this course, students will explore these questions through reading, research, guest lectures, and observations of young children. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 288T. Coffee and Civilization. 3 Units.

Whether you enjoy an occasional cup or sip throughout the day from a bottomless mug, did you know that since its introduction in the Western world coffee has been intimately tied to sociability and intellectual life? In this seminar, we will explore coffee's civilizing history, from eighteenth-century coffee houses buzzing with political dissent, to 1920s establishments crowded with avant-garde artists and our modern bookstore cafés. We will also explore the human and ecological costs of our taste for coffee by investigating the enduring connections between coffee, slavery, North-South geo-political relations, and notions of fair trade. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 289C. Ethics For The Real World: Developing a Code of Ethics to Guide Decisions in Work and Life. 3 Units.

This seminar addresses two major questions: How do the contexts in which we live or work affect ethical behavior? And how can we manage to struggle through personal and organizational challenges if we find they present us with something ethically compromising? In this course, we look to religion, spiritual teaching and cultural upbringing to understand sources of personal values and standards of behavior that might help structure one's life in the midst of difficult contexts. One way we consider this is through practical exercises including development of your own personal code of ethics, an iterative process designed to help you articulate the principles of your own moral construction. These can serve as a foundation for leadership integrity and moral courage for ethical decisions throughout life and work. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 289J. Treasure or Trash: Examining Theatrical Credibility. 3 Units.

This seminar is a fundamental study of theatre from the standpoint of developing the critical acumen of a potential audience. It covers each ingredient of the theatrical experience-audience, playwriting, acting, directing, theatre architecture, design and technology-and attempts to help students define a reasonable set of standards to judge that part of the experience as an audience member and to clearly communicate their feelings and thoughts regarding that experience. In addition to class discussions, lectures, and readings, students are also required to attend four live performances-two theater productions offered by Case Western Reserve University's Department of Theater and two productions at the Cleveland Play House. The students will write critical essays about their experience as an audience member in relation to a particular aspect of the performance. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 289K. Riots and Rituals: Struggles for Justice in a Globalizing World. 3 Units.

This course asks students to explore two broad questions: How might we understand contemporary globalization? And, how do those people marginalized by globalization seek justice? Globalization and social justice have now become household terms. However, today, perhaps more than ever, we must ask precisely what type of globalization we are experiencing and what type of globalization we want for our future. If we are seeking the best possible global future for everyone, then it is crucial that we understand how those left behind by globalization struggle to get their interests heard. This course takes a unique approach to these problems by working with two extended case studies. We start with Cleveland, Ohio in the 1960s, and the beginnings of economic globalization in the United States. Cleveland's Hough riots of 1966 were one of the most violent political events in the city's history. We then move to contemporary Madagascar, where global rainforest conservation programs pose a real threat to the cultures of indigenous groups and their rights to land. Here, ritual has become a powerful means by which Malagasy groups assert their interests. With both case studies, important questions arise for classroom consideration: What is the exact nature of the globalization processes at work in both places? What can we learn about the development of globalization between the 1960s and now? Who are the groups most harmed by these processes? And, what can riots and rituals teach us about how groups marginalized by globalization struggle to have their claims for justice heard? The instructor has carried-out long term research in both Cleveland and Madagascar, and will take an interdisciplinary approach to theories of globalization and justice throughout the course. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 289M. The Detective Novel. 3 Units.

Who dunnit? Why do we keep asking this question? You dunnit. Readers have an investment in finding answers to puzzles and to threatening narrative situations. In this course on one of the world's most popular literary genres, you will not only learn of its origins, but about theories of why you keep reading these stories. The texts begin with the Memoirs of Eugene-Francois Vidocq and stories of Edgar Allan Poe, and run though contemporary novelists such as Sara Paretsky and Natsuo Kirino. Why is this genre appeal so popular in so many cultures? There will be a strong comparativist slant to the course; students will be encouraged to explore the cultural context of Natsuo Kirino's and Stieg Larsson's novels which, like many of the classics, provide fertile ground for comparison to film adaptations. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 289P. Polar Regions in History. 3 Units.

This course will explore the effect the polar regions have had on the strategic ambitions, pursuit of wealth, scientific investigations, and heroic imagination of (mainly Western) individuals, nations, and cultures, focusing on the modern and early modern periods (c. 1500-present). It will also familiarize students with the physical geography and ecology of the north and south polar regions, the ways in which Arctic-adapted peoples have responded to the challenges of their environment, and the impact that contact with outsiders has had on these environments and peoples. Students will read books and view videos that recount the personal experiences of polar explorers and others involved in international competition for exploratory "firsts," describe the efforts nations have made to claim polar resources, and examine debates about climate change. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 289V. To Everest and Back: The Politics and Culture of Mountaineering. 3 Units.

In April 2014, at the start of the climbing season, 16 Sherpas working for commercial operators died in an avalanche on Mount Everest. This event precipitated an unprecedented crisis: after tense negotiations with their Western employers and clients, the Sherpas brought the spring climbing season to an abrupt close. Although this action seemed sudden, it had been a long time coming. Conditions on the mountain had by all accounts been deteriorating for decades: ugly trash heaps, tensions caused by economic disparities between Western guides and their indigenous counterparts, and ever more demanding--yet often under-prepared--Western clients indicated that what had once been the site of adventure and achievement had devolved into crass commercialism and exploitation. What is Everest for anyway? To whom does it belong? This course will chart the history of the "conquest" of Everest. We will ask the following questions: What prompted Westerners to venture into landscapes that their ancestors had previously shunned? When and how did the West's aesthetic appreciation of high mountains begin? When did this appreciation morph into a competitive drive to scale ever higher peaks in far-away lands? How does this history overlap with that of colonialism? Is mountaineering an ethical endeavor? Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 289Y. The Symphony Orchestra and its Place in Contemporary Culture. 3 Units.

In measuring the cultural profile of a metropolitan area, the presence of a successful symphony orchestra is often used as a model to determine cultural sophistication and refinement. In recent years, however, the model of the orchestra has encountered significant challenges. Using the world-renowned Cleveland Orchestra as a paradigm, this seminar will examine the orchestra in contemporary culture and attempt to answer the questions: what will the symphony orchestra be in the near future and what must it become to sustain its cultural importance? In this course, we will focus our seminar-style discussions, formal presentations, and research-based writing on the following six topics: defining evolving cultural norms and the place of the orchestra in today's culture as compared to previous eras; describing the orchestra audience of the future based on social and cultural trends; defining the ideal balance of orchestral repertoire for tomorrow's listeners; discovering how technology has affected the institution of the orchestra, including performances, recordings, marketing, and communications; examining the financial challenges and bankruptcies of orchestras in recent years and analyzing their causes; and analyzing changes in fund-raising techniques and searching for ideal future models. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 289Z. China and the World: 19th and 20th Century Encounters. 3 Units.

Although frequently characterized as a country with a past that was marked by insularity and disdain for all things foreign, until the West "opened [it] up," China's engagement with the world has been long and deep. China--Chinese emperors, Chinese governments, and Chinese people across the social spectrum--have energetically engaged with the broader world, permitting, encouraging, and seeking the circulation of foreign ideas and goods. This course is about how China has taken measure of the world and the goods and ideas that have flowed into and out of China during the past several centuries, from roughly the sixteenth through the twentieth centuries. Students will examine one topic in depth as an historical case study during the semester-long course. Possible topics from which the case study will be drawn include the Opium Wars, meanings of revolution, gender and sexuality, religion and political ideology, the environment, nationalism, history of science and technology, etc. Focus on a single thematic topic serves as a microcosm of social, political, and economic exchanges that highlight the complex ways in which understandings of China and the world have shifted over time. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 290B. Contemporary American Rhetoric. 3 Units.

The health of a democratic society depends on an informed electorate. And yet the attack ads, unverified accusations, sound-bites, and carefully scripted and staged media events that fill television and the Internet tend to misinform, confuse, and disengage voters. How might we reverse this trend? How can we meaningfully enter into political conversations? How can we listen to others, form our own beliefs, and then communicate them respectfully and with purpose? To help answer these questions, we will return to modern democracy's ancient roots, using the lens of classical rhetoric to explore contemporary political debate. While the word "rhetoric" is often used today to deride precisely what's wrong with political discourse, as when a policy proposal is dismissed as mere "campaign rhetoric," it more properly denotes the techniques of effective persuasion. By learning how rhetorical devices are used, we can empower ourselves to analyze policy debates and to make our own contributions. As part of this investigation, we will research issues, debate and develop positions, read and evaluate speeches, write about our own positions, participate in public conversations by writing letters to representatives and opinion pieces for newspapers, and prepare an oral presentation. We will also complete a research project in which we analyze the different perspectives on an issue of interest, formulate our own positions on an issue, and reflect on our internal processes as we take on a belief and act on it. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 290G. A History of Workers in the US. 3 Units.

This course examines the lives of the ethnically and racially diverse women and men, skilled and unskilled, and rural and urban laborers that produce the goods and provide the services that society consumes. At crucial moments, working people have joined social movements in an effort to improve some aspect of their lives. We therefore will assess workers in relation to several known and less known American social movements, such as the eight-hour day movement during the late nineteenth century, the peace movement during WWI, and the Civil Rights movement in the wake of WWII. As we study these social movements through the lens of labor history, we will focus on making sense of periods of conflict and cooperation between European American, African American, and Mexican American workers. Throughout the course we will also discuss the politics of time-managed work, the role of unions within a competitive market economy, the influence of public policy and government institutions, and the relationship between industrial economies and blue-collar communities. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 290J. Touch Throughout the Life Span. 3 Units.

This seminar will consider a variety of topics related to touch throughout the life span. Opportunities are provided to learn from colleagues and resources available to the public about the structure, functions, uses, misuses, and health considerations of touch from birth to old age. Touch as it is conveyed through different venues and with different purposes will be explored; touch for development, touch for socialization, therapeutic animal touch and what are pets need, touch as punishment, touch in the workplace, touch and technology, intimate touch, abusive touch, necessity of touch, healing touch, and comforting and noxious touch. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 290L. The Big Story of Small Things. 3 Units.

"The big story of small things" looks at ordinary people, prosaic objects, mundane places, single incidents and fleeting moments, and the ways we might interpret micro cases to make sense of macro developments in our world. Spanning the Middle Ages to the present and crisscrossing several continents, this USEM also ranges among history, anthropology and literature. Topics may include a flower, an orphan abduction, a cockfight, a flood, a peasant, a pencil, a miracle, a midwife, a murder, an unfinished stocking and a year. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 290M. The Effects of Race, Class and Education: A Dialogue on Current Issues. 3 Units.

Recent decades have seen a growing income and opportunity disparity in America. In our seminar, we will examine a variety of overlapping issues related to this crisis, with special attention to the impact of race, class and educational levels in determining how people fare in society. The larger set of issues includes poverty, income inequality, job loss and its effect on the industrial city, the concept of a "living wage," affordable housing, education, and sentencing and incarceration. Readings, class discussions, and student papers will all explore these topics. In urban communities such as Cleveland and Northeast Ohio, the income and opportunity divide is especially visible and persistent. Recognizing this, we have incorporated a novel approach to experiential learning in our seminar. Case Western Reserve students will interact with a similarly sized group of students incarcerated at a nearby state prison. The two groups will conduct workshops together and will hold joint discussions via teleconference throughout the semester. The incarcerated students will be studying the same material on the same schedule and will be sharing their views with students in the seminar. We believe there are several benefits to this dialogue. We have two Northeast Ohio institutions--our university and the prison--which are neighbors but whose residents are largely from opposite sides of the divide. It will be useful to consider the income and opportunity divide from both perspectives and to share ideas and experiences related to the overall problem of inequality. A bilateral discussion and interaction will not only enhance the students' educational experience, but also, we hope, will foster greater understanding. Procedures will be in place to ensure strict confidentiality and anonymity in any and all exchanges of views between CWRU students and students at the prison. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 290N. Perspectives on Dying and Death: Normalizing the Inevitable. 3 Units.

The inevitability of death encompasses us all. We are all born with the disease of mortality. We all die. And yet, to many of us the details of dying and death are a mystery. It is an abstraction we would rather not think about. This course aims to create thoughtful and reflective dialogue about dying and death, confronting death as something more than an abstract possibility. We will review the physical, psychological, social, spiritual, cultural, ethical, and economic perspectives of dying in America. Reflective thinking will be carefully guided by an array of faculty and guest speakers, both those who are directly involved in the care of the dying and those who provide services to families of the deceased. We are likely to visit a funeral home, a cemetery, and/or a hospice house to explore opportunities to reflect on our own views of dying and death and to consider others' cultural beliefs and traditions. Finally, we will discuss the concept of quality of life and examine current evidence related to dying and death in America, such as the 2015 Institute of Medicine Report, Dying in America: Improving Quality and Honoring Individual Preferences Near the End of Life. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 290Q. Crime, Society, and Culture in Early America. 3 Units.

Since the late seventeenth century, American readers have been endlessly fascinated by the subjects of crime and punishment--and especially by murders and other heinous offenses committed in their own communities. Much as Americans today "consume" crime through movies, television shows, newspapers, magazines, mystery novels, "true crime" books, websites, and popular music, so also did Americans of the 1670s through 1850s "consume" crime through a variety of popular genres, including execution sermons, criminal (auto)biographies, trial reports, and murder ballads. Since most convicted criminals in early America came from nonelite backgrounds (and often belonged to oppressed or otherwise subordinated social groups), such publications not only shed light on crime, punishment, the legal system, normative social values, power relations, and popular culture, but also provided historians with some of their most valuable sources on the day-to-day experiences of ordinary men and women. This seminar explores all of these topics. Each week, students will read topically-related clusters of early crime publications, usually in conjunction with relevant modern scholarship drawn from the fields of social history, legal history, psychology, criminology, and literary studies. The types of crimes explored include witchcraft, piracy, burglary, robbery, and various types of homicide, such as infanticide, familicide (cases of men murdering their wives and children), and sexual homicide (or courtship murder). Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 290S. Cultural Ecology and Sustainability: An Anthropological Approach. 3 Units.

In the modern period, we have witnessed spectacular scientific and technological achievements. We have also experienced devastating climate change and massive biodiversity loss that threaten life on Earth as we know it. Is it possible that the solutions to these problems are not scientific or technological, but rather cultural? How have other cultures, whether from the present or the past, dealt with sustainability challenges? How might an examination of indigenous or traditional cultures, some of which have existed sustainably for thousands of years and even enhanced the biodiversity of their environments, lead to a clearer understanding of the deleterious attitudes and actions of our own modern culture? How can we integrate the wisdom of these cultures to ensure the survival of our own? In this seminar, we will use these questions to enhance our understanding of the relationship between human culture and the natural world, as well as the ways in which a deeper understanding of cultural ecology can promote sustainability. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 290U. Power and Fashion: Dress and Politics in American History. 3 Units.

As clothing is one of the most accessible means through which we express our identities, political and social tensions are often embedded and embodied in dress. As an expressive medium, clothing and appearance became crucial in the construction of political identities and in serving as a means of control, oppression, as well as protest and resistance. This seminar will examine the links between clothing, sartorial practices and political significance. Readings will address the question of sartorial politics from a historical perspective. Special attention will be given to the role of clothes in negotiating and constructing gender, race, class, sexual, and national identities from the 18th century to the present. Students may not earn credit for both this course and HSTY 126. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 290W. Understanding Body Image through Self-Perception. 3 Units.

This course examines the historical, psychological, and cultural approaches to the self-perception of one's own body. We will explore how body standards have changed throughout history and across cultures, and how this is reflected in portraiture. Additionally, we will investigate psychological studies on body image, acknowledging the challenges in an evidence-based approach and considering medical diagnoses when distortion in self-perception occurs. Finally, we will analyze current body standards perpetuated by the media in regards to body size, shape, and gender. Through reading and discussion, students will gain a deeper understanding of healthy body image and strategies for applying it to their own lives. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 290Y. Shrinking the World: Ham Radio and Distance Communication. 3 Units.

Radio operators can talk to each other across the world, launch and use space satellite stations, and bounce their voices off the moon. And yet the Federal Communications Commission still regulates what they may say on the air. Why is that? And why does amateur radio require a license? In this course, we'll discuss the history of long-distance communication methods stretching from the British Penny Post into the modern digital age, viewed particularly through the lens of the Amateur Radio Service. We will also explore the ways that advances in communication technology have changed politics, entertainment and personal interactions. Who makes the rules for a new system of communication? What causes changes in those rules? Was Orson Welles morally, ethically, or legally responsible for causing a mass panic with his reading of "War of the Worlds?" What might the future hold for communications? Students will earn amateur radio licenses, make contacts with other radio amateurs around the world and with each other, and possibly bounce signals off the moon and listen for their return. We will also look at the ham radio culture, from QSL cards to public service and contesting. Students will learn some basic hands-on electronics, but no previous technical background is required. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 291E. Is College Worth It?. 3 Units.

Here you are at CWRU--you probably know how you got here. But what do you expect out of the experience? University education evolved over time to meet certain social and economic needs, and different universities have differing missions of education. Are you curious about the history of higher education? Do you know how universities function? What is the function of a tenured professorate, and is it an antiquated idea? Today, many people are questioning whether the educational models of the past have outlived their utility and need to be replaced by ones that are better aligned with our modern economy and technology. Does a liberal arts education prepare you for the workforce? Should it prepare you for the workforce? By examining these questions, you will gain clearer insight into your own reasons for pursuing a college degree and how to get the most out of your experience. The decisions you make now affect what happens after you graduate. How do you make the best decisions? This course will discuss these topics and students will submit additional topics about higher education for discussion and study. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 291J. Narratives of Immigration. 3 Units.

As one of the most pressing issues of the twenty-first century, immigration has captured the imagination of politicians and authors alike. In this class, we will explore the stories of those who have migrated to the United States. We will analyze how various writers create autobiographical and fictional narratives of migration, addressing issues such as adjusting to different cultures, learning new languages, and adapting to new environments. Through these stories and histories, we will ask broader questions about immigration, including: Is migration a basic human right? Is it ethical to define someone as being "illegal" for peacefully working and living in a different country from where they were born? What are the gender, ethnic, cultural, and racial barriers that exist when migrating between countries? What are the cost(s) of citizenship and embracing a new country as one's home? Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 291L. Our Food, Our Lives: Food, Agriculture, Society. 3 Units.

Where does our food come from? Who grows it? What technologies have enabled the emergence of our current food system? In this seminar, we will ask and ponder these and similar questions as we address the achievements, ills, and sustainability of our global food system. We will explore wide-spread concerns about the ecological consequences of industrial agriculture, its future opportunities, the livelihood of the world's farmers, food waste, and health issues caused by contemporary dietary habits. In our inquiry, we will focus on both neighborhood communities in Cleveland and various geopolitical entities including Latin America, Eastern Europe, and Southeast Asia to observe food corporations' power to control food choices. In the second part of our class, we will examine community organizations' efforts to give these choices back to the people. To this end, we will participate in various food-movement activities on or near campus and visit some local food-related organizations such as farmers markets, soup kitchens, and restaurants. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 291N. Literature of Nation-building in Francophone Africa. 3 Units.

This seminar explores the process of nation-building in former French African colonies by focusing on the impact of literature on the colonizers and the colonized. It is well established that writers in African colonies used their pens as cannons against a dehumanizing colonial system. Nor did they refrain from asking themselves what kind of nations would replace the colonial society once it had been overthrown. More precisely, their works questioned the kind of political, economic, educational, and cultural systems that could help shape the social structures and people that would inhabit these post-colonial nations. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 291Q. Money Talks (But Do We Understand What it is Saying?). 3 Units.

Money is the most enigmatic social institution that influences virtually every facet of post-industrial, capitalist society. The goal of this seminar is to think deliberately about money as a social institution, paying special attention to the forms of political and economic organizations it helps define, as well as to the historical changes to sovereign money systems over the last 4,000 years. The focus will be on historical and economic methods for examining its relation to human behavior, social organization, and historical change. Some of the key questions we will engage with include: how did money arise historically? How is money created, by whom and in what form? What is and should be the role of central banks and banking in a political economy? What does it mean for a nation to adopt and develop a sovereign currency (e.g., the United States, or the United Kingdom)? What are the consequences of giving up a sovereign currency (e.g., the Eurozone nations, Ecuador)? What is the relationship between money and debt? Why is it not possible for a nation that issues its own currency to go bankrupt? How is money related to inflation, hyperinflation, stagflation, and deflation? and Are there things money should not buy? Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 291R. Aging Well. 3 Units.

People around the world are living longer. Researchers have examined human aging, and explored factors that contribute to the quality of life for older people. What does it mean for people to age well? Do current explanations about promoting survival, retaining physical and mental abilities, and maintaining family and social connnectedness fit people's experiences? In this seminar, students will consider current theoretical explanations regarding the physiological, psychological, sociological, cultural, and spiritual dimensions that contribute to aging well. Students will analyze programs and services available in the present day and dream about programs and services of the future that could support aging well. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 291U. Talking Bodies: An anthropological approach to tattoos, the body, & American culture. 3 Units.

Tattoos, once seen as disgraceful and lowbrow, are undergoing a renaissance. Undoubtedly you have seen a tattoo today; on you, your friends, your parents, someone on the street, or in the media. What explains this increased social acceptance of tattoos? Why are people motivated to get tattoos in the first place? What are they communicating about themselves? How, and why, do segments of American culture view tattoos differently? To answer these questions, we will use anthropology, the study of cultures around the people, as a lens to understand people's use of, and attitudes toward, tattoos in American culture. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 291X. "We're Dying in America": The History of the U.S. AIDS Crisis. 3 Units.

Thirty-seven years have passed since the summer of 1981, when the Centers for Disease Control published a report on the mysterious deaths of five previously-healthy gay men. In that time, more than thirty-nine million people have died of AIDS around the globe. Approximately 600,000 of those people died in the United States; at least 10,000 more Americans will die this year. Why, given the global scope of the crisis and the dramatic impact it has had on US society and culture, do so few students learn about the AIDS crisis in school? Why does it receive less attention than, for example, terrorism? In this course, we will study the first 20 years of the United States' AIDS crisis, and use what we learn to contemplate the current status of HIV-positive people and people with AIDS. We will examine the origins of AIDS as a biological, political, and cultural phenomenon in the hopes of understanding why the United States experienced the virus as it did. We will also address the myriad responses to the virus by presidents and preachers, artists and activists, doctors and business people. How did this tragedy impact American politics and culture? What lessons did we learn, and what mistakes are we still repeating today? How can (and should) the history of AIDS inform our response to the opioid crisis, or the battle over Obamacare? Are we ready for the next epidemic? Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 291Y. Immigration, Identity, and Writing. 3 Units.

For many in Europe and North America, globalization and immigration increasingly present a challenge to cultural identity. British Prime Minister Theresa May articulated this view when she stated in 2016, "If you believe you're a citizen of the world, you're a citizen of nowhere." More than expressing misgivings about the consequence of globalization and immigration, May was asserting the importance of belonging to a place and a culture. In contrast to May, the genre of writing known as global literature presents a framework for understanding our globalized world not as a cause for anxiety, but rather as an opportunity to understand how new cultural, social, and national identities take shape. As the writer Adam Kirsch has observed, "individual lives are now lived and conceived under the sign of the whole globe." One example of this more global view is Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie who, in We Should All Be Feminists, uses her experience of immigration to reconcile western feminism with the expectations of her native society. As the popularity and influence of writers like Adichie attest, new voices and forms of writing possess global significance in our cosmopolitan and connected world. Studying this literature reveals both connections and tensions between the local and the global. These connections and tensions provide us with a fuller understanding of how people experience this globalized age and make sense of their place in the world. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 291Z. Queer Christianity. 3 Units.

We live in a historical moment when the relationship between queerness and Christianity is being reconsidered and hotly debated. To better understand this debate, as well as the differences and potential common ground between members of the queer and Christian communities (including those who belong to both!), this seminar examines the history of Christianity and its relationship to queerness. Is Christianity a force for domination or liberation? Orthodoxy or creative multiplicity? Normativity or queerness? To answer these questions, we will read literature that explores how Christianity has both suppressed and in some sense created queerness, as well as how it has been reclaimed by queer communities. We will also look closely at how these historical tensions are being played out locally today. Special attention also will be given to the range of intersecting identities and communities that have responded to the meeting of faith and sexuality in various ways, drawing from diverse contexts of race, ability/disability, gender, and class. Readings include selections from the Bible, books about theology, and documentaries and memoirs attesting to the experience of LGBT Christians. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 292A. What Makes People Happy. 3 Units.

What makes people happy? What prevents them from achieving happiness and maintaining it over time? Over the past 20 years, psychologists and cognitive scientists been studying these questions. Achieving happiness seems like a simple goal, and most people can readily name many things that make them happy, such as children, chocolate cake, and success at work or school. However, science shows that happiness is more complicated, as many of the things that people think make them happy also make them quite unhappy. Similarly, data suggests that many of the things that make people happy in the short run do not lead to long-term satisfaction with life. Whereas popular self-help books suggest a variety of ways to increase satisfaction with life, scientific researchers argue that our happiness is essentially predetermined by a genetic set-point. The interdisciplinary approach of this seminar will clarify some of this confusion by focusing on happiness from a variety of angles: the role of the brain in the perception of happiness, the effects happiness has on decision making, and the difference between short- and long-term approaches to boosting happiness. Students will not get credit for this course if they previously earned credit for FSSY 157 Pursuits of Happiness. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 292E. Many Ways to Be a Woman: Intersectional Traditions of Feminism and Femininity. 3 Units.

Historically, "feminism" as a word has challenged people's political and personal investments in different ways as they encounter issues such as voting and jobs, marriage and divorce, racism and classism, homophobia and transphobia, healthcare and disability, personal liberties and social protections. Alongside these traditions of feminism, "femininity" has been a concept that seems simultaneously ancient while also under constant revision as women of color, post-colonialism, disability, queer, transgender and intersex thinkers introduce underrepresented perspectives. Facing these reactions and reforms, some people feel disinclined to identify with either word, adding to the list of "F-words" that can raise conflict in polite company. Yet however one feels about these F-words, feminism and femininity have regularly proven important movements in public debates around government, the work-force, education, and art. This seminar seeks to connect students with intersectional and sometimes conflicting traditions in politics and gender theory in order to broaden the horizons of who or what gets to be identified with feminism and femininity. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 292G. Creativity and Spirituality. 3 Units.

Humans have been developing the capacity to understand the supernatural forces that shape the universe and the meaning of our existence within it. This spiritual evolution is powered by humanity's integral primeval drive to be creative. We tend to look to the arts and sciences as a visible demonstration of creativity, but we all engage that creative instinct, consciously or unconsciously, in every facet of our lives. We draw on creativity whether we are dealing with everyday problems or significant transformative experiences. But what is creativity exactly? How does it work? Is creativity in the arts the same as creativity in the sciences? In this seminar, we will examine a variety of theories that attempt to explain creativity. We will also use research in the field of psychology and creativity studies to explore the relationship between an individual's creativity and their personality, experience, and environment, as well as whether creativity can be an acquired skill (and if so, how?). What role can creativity play in our work and play? What role does creativity play in our sense of selves as spiritual beings? We will investigate these questions using an integrated multi-dimensional methodology that combines theoretical and experiential approaches. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 292H. Religion and Human Rights. 3 Units.

This seminar examines the theories that underwrite human rights, as well as some contemporary human rights issues. We will begin by familiarizing ourselves with the history and theory of human rights. In doing so, we will examine how thinking about human rights is different from the way we think about legal and political rights. Then, we will use this historical and theoretical framework to examine the intersection between human rights issues--including gender rights, minority rights, and religious freedom--and religious belief and practice. We will use a variety of cases, from the place of racial and religious minorities in North American to gender and women's rights in India, to understand how these issues manifest themselves. How far do our historical and theoretical explorations help us understand and perhaps offer solutions to these vexing issues? Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 292K. The Corpse in America, 1865 to Today. 3 Units.

When are the dead not really dead? In the twenty-first century, a person's biological death activates a series of rituals to sanitize, memorialize, and dispose of their remains in a timely manner. Yet, American history is filled with exceptions to this rule. Using methodologies from history, anthropology, material culture, and visual culture studies, this course will address how the corpse continues to "live" as active material in American life. We will investigate how the corpse attains new meanings as a commercial object, a specimen, a relic, forensic evidence, or a museum display. We will explore how these shifting meanings are rooted in--but also help to construct--larger historical narratives about political conflict, economic disparity, and social inequality in the United States. The course topics allows us to locate continuities between the past and present, revealing that contemporary Americans are still wrestling with many of the same practical and moral questions about the appropriate place for the dead in our society. Our readings and visual materials, some of which are raw and graphic, will confront us with difficult questions about the value of the human body, the limits of bodily autonomy, and the consequences of social oppression and state violence in the United States. Together, these topics will challenge the existence of any single "American" way of death and will ask us to examine our own position as scholars, witnesses, and perpetrators of uncomfortable truths about the corpse in America. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 292N. Pyramids: The Building Blocks of Ancient Egypt. 3 Units.

One of the first images that springs to mind at the mention of Ancient Egypt is a pyramid. These iconic stone monuments have been studied by generations of astronomers, historians, archaeologists, physicists, architects and mathematicians (to name a few) and yet, they still remain enigmatic. Who built them? What were they for? What did they mean? Although people have tended to focus on the mystery of how Ancient Egyptians built the pyramids, the more interesting question to consider is how pyramids built Ancient Egyptian civilization. In this seminar, we will use archaeological and textual material to explore the development of pyramids across Ancient Egypt's history. More specifically, we will investigate how pyramids shaped kingship and government, economics, architecture, religious ideology and social structure. In doing so, we will interact with, and learn to appreciate, a culture and people with a very different worldview from our own. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 292V. Mapping Music Through the Digital Humanities: A Cleveland Atlas. 3 Units.

For all its celebrated preoccupation with rock, Cleveland is home to a wide variety of musical genres: jazz, blues, classical, polka, hip hop, gospel, among many others. Cleveland is also a home on the move, a city of immigration and outmigration, a city of waterways, bridges and commuter rails. Then again, Cleveland is a city of enclaves, borders and barricades, social distance despite geographic nearness. In this seminar, we will ask a fundamental question: is music like a bridge that connects different people in the city or is it a border that structures divisions? To answer this question, we will put digital mapping tools to use in better understanding the musical patterns that shape city life over time. We will examine the links between dominant and subcultural music; analyze music's relationship to socio-economic forces such as segregation, urban decline, suburban flight, and revitalization; and reflect on how music defines Cleveland's place in the national imagination. In the process, students will contribute to a digital atlas of Cleveland's shifting musical soundscape. Music, at once rooted in identity and as rootless as radio waves, presents an alternate lens for understanding the routes and rifts shaping urban life. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 292W. Collectors and Their Collections. 3 Units.

"The passion for accumulation is upon us," The Atlantic Monthly announced a century ago. "We fill our rooms, our walls, our tables, our desks, with things, things, things." This observation acknowledges an urge that is just as prevalent today. Certainly, we see evidence of this collecting behavior everywhere, from pop culture artifacts such as comic books and Magic cards, to "high culture" objects such as artworks and rare books, to esoteric miscellanea such as animal skulls and street-signs. In this seminar, we will examine what motivates people to seek out objects and bring them together, often in creative and surprising ways. What is the difference between building a collection and being a hoarder? Why do some collectors enjoy showing off their collections, while others keep them private? How has digitalization and social media changed collecting? Through these questions we will explore the psychological, social, and historical impulses that drive us to fill our spaces with things, as well as how the act of collecting helps us make sense of the world and our place in it. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 292Y. Taking Care of Business: Corporate Governance and the Chief Executive Officer. 3 Units.

Bezos. Zuckerberg. Gates. Musk. Some of the world's most famous CEOs are household names on par with the brightest media and sports celebrities. But what exactly does a Chief Executive Officer do? How is being a CEO different from simply being the boss or the owner? In this seminar, we will examine what CEOs do and how their role differs from that of a governing board or other executive leaders in an organization, whether for-profit or not-for-profit. During this seminar students will gain a better understanding of the governance of and organization issues and challenges faced by Chief Executive Officers today. We will examine issues such as to whom are CEOs accountable? What do CEOs spend the bulk of their time working on? What are the main challenges faced by CEOs today? In addition, we will consider the principles of being an effective CEO, the pressures and challenges they face, and how the best ones learn and grow. In doing so, we will think critically about some of the pressing issues that confront CEOs and society in general, such as: At a time of increasing economic inequality, are CEOs paid too much? Is the level and structure of CEO compensation appropriate? Students will gain a basic understanding of the governance principles associated with running for profit and not-for-profit organizations, develop an understanding of the pressures various stakeholders place on CEOs and further their own development of leadership by examining the leadership styles of CEOs. We will address these questions and more through a combination of case studies, scholarly readings, and interactions with organizational leaders. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 293A. Information, Design, and Culture. 3 Units.

Information is often regarded as a central feature of contemporary culture, but the concept of information and how it is used, particularly in the information systems that surround our lives, is seldom well understood. For example, we know that the social media platform Facebook collects large amounts of private, personal data from every user. What we understand less clearly is that the company then makes its own interpretation of that data and uses it to suggest connections among other users. What we understand even less well is that the company then gathers the data together into a commodity and sells it to other companies--without permission from the sources of the data. Further uncertainty comes when those companies, in turn, interpret the data from a new perspective, using it for marketing or some other purpose in politics or scientific research. The cascade of data, interpretation, and uses can be troubling. The goal of this seminar is to explore the nature of information; how design shapes the presentation of information in analog and digital products; and how cultural values organize human experience through creative action. We will focus on some of the most important issues of information and culture in daily life. For example, we will discuss the relationship between artificial intelligence (AI) and intelligence amplification (IA), the arts of communication that amplify the capabilities of human intelligence. We will discuss what we mean by the idea of "system" and "systems thinking" in information environments. We will also discuss aspects of design, including the relationship between emotion and reason in design. Finally, we will explore changing ideas about culture and some of the ethical issues that arise in how we use information. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 293D. Poland in the 20th Century. 3 Units.

Poland was at the epicenter of modern Europe in the 20th century: WWI and the collapse of the European empires; the bloody Stalinist years; WWII and Hitler's genocide; the communist experiment; the velvet revolutions of the 1980s and the eventual failure of communism. Like many modern nation states, Poland's population is multi-ethnic (including Poles, Jews, and Germans) and has changed over time with wars, shifting borders and nation building. The history of the relationships among these groups, including the social forces and tensions that shaped them, can enrich our understanding of other countries' experiences of economic change, immigration, social movements, national identity formation, and political unrest. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 293E. Gender and War in the U. S.. 3 Units.

Major wars disrupt and permanently alter power relations and social systems. This seminar looks specifically at the American Revolution, Civil War, and World War II to examine how gender ideologies and signifiers (and points of intersection with race, ethnicity, and class) were experienced, perpetuated, reconfigured and remembered. Students will discuss historical articles that analyze the norms of gender dynamics and how they change over the course of war alongside primary materials by Americans experiencing those norms and changes. We will also analyze two feature films and one documentary to examine how Americans use cultural expression to grapple with gender changes wrought by war. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 293H. Black Deathways in America from Enslavement to Black Lives Matter. 3 Units.

After the death of George Floyd in June 2020, the #SayTheirNames campaign emerged online, calling on Americans to remember Black victims harmed by police violence. Embedded in this movement was the assertion that Black deaths -like Black lives- matter. This course will investigate the historical roots of this idea through the lens of Black deathways - the various beliefs, rituals, practices, and experiences used by Black Americans to understand death and process grief. How have Black burial rituals, funerary services, and commemorative practices evolved alongside those of other American groups? In what ways are these practices similar to or different from other American practices? How have Black communities used distinctive deathways to counter the political, legal, and social restrictions placed on them throughout American history? Most importantly, how have these deathways functioned as a form of political activism? We will analyze the history of Black deathways in order to determine how death can be both a form of trauma and a way for Black communities to celebrate their identity and find joy in the experience of "homegoing." Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 293K. The History of Islam in South Asia. 3 Units.

There are more Muslims in South Asia than in any other region in the world - yes, even the Middle East. We will start our exploration of Islam in South Asia (which includes India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan) in the 8th century. The history of Islam in the region will provide us an opportunity to study the religion and its practitioners in a wide range of social and political contexts: in cosmopolitan, commercial networks of maritime trade routes; as rulers consolidating empires governing large multi-ethnic and multi-religious populations; as "modernizers" and "traditionalists"; as religious minorities and majorities in different countries of the region. We will also explore Islam in an array of modern settings: from a nation-state created as a Muslim homeland -- the first country in the world to be formed on the basis of religious identity -- to a rejection of Islam as an adequate basis of national identity that led to the formation of another Muslim-majority country; from democracy to military rule; and, from Cold War politics to the "Global War on Terror." Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 293L. The Role of Social Media in Politics. 3 Units.

We knew social media could be an effective grassroots tool for politicians after Barack Obama used it so effectively in 2008. However, the full power of social media sites like Facebook and Twitter came to be seen by the world after the 2016 election. How will social media influence elections in the future? From community building to troll factories, from local organizing to international interference, we look at the role social media plays in the election of an American president. Does the good of such sites outweigh the bad? What role does capitalism play in helping these big tech companies get even bigger, unburdened by government oversight? Should they be regulated by the federal government or are they protected by the First Amendment and free speech? Are social media sites really just tech platforms giving everyone a voice or are they actual media companies pedaling content? We will take an in depth look at how politicians, political organizations and governments use social media to target voters, persuade them to change their vote (or simply show up to vote), and the toll it's taking on the public discourse today. Students will learn how to track political organizations' spending, see how they target specific audiences, and how they masquerade political ads as news stories. They will learn how something that started as a place to share baby photos and cat memes is now one of the most important factors in achieving the American presidency today, and how this collision course of social media and politics will impact democratic society in the future. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 293N. The Gods in Ancient Greek Life. 3 Units.

The ancient Greeks developed a pantheon of different gods and goddesses whose purposes and domains were unique and varied. At the grandest level, these immortal beings ruled over and even embodied prominent geographical features and basic human concepts, such as the sea or love. But they could also manifest in more obscure features or culturally specific traditions, such as a local river or the concept of guest-friendship. In short, a sense of the divine permeated into every aspect of ancient Greek life. Through this course, we will examine the various roles that the gods had in shaping the lives of mortals, as well as the impact of the divine on everyday life through the lens of the ancient Greeks. Such an examination will invite consideration of how religion (or a general sense of the divine) still holds sway today. Our outlook will be broadly based and will include exploring the role of the gods in topics such as: the understanding of natural phenomena, the establishment of sporting events, the development of medicine, and the impetus for tourism. We will engage with a variety of primary sources, including from the collections of the Cleveland Museum of Art, as well as scholarly secondary sources. We will begin by considering how/why the Olympian gods first came into existence, and we will move to consider how their narratives were adapted and/or re-written in the face of rising trends in monotheism towards the end of antiquity. Finally, we will look at how the gods and the monuments that celebrated them were utilized in modern nation-building, and the debates that surround the ownership of these monuments today. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 293X. Opiate Addiction in America. 3 Units.

Opiate addiction causes profound social, familial and individual harm and pain. It affects all populations across the lifespan. In this course, students will explore opiate addiction and societal and medical responses to addiction in the present and in the past. Students will further discuss common themes and persistent questions surrounding addiction: To what degree and in what ways do we understand addiction, including opiate addiction, as having genetic and environmental components? Can a disease model for addiction help us develop effective treatments? If addiction is a disease, should non-prescription use of opiates be de-criminalized? How does the stigma affiliated with addiction complicate efforts and confound strategies to address addiction? What treatment approaches exist and how available are they to different populations and in different communities? How would you design a policy to change the course of the addiction epidemic and the collateral damages that addiction creates? Students in the course will gain insight into the processes and behaviors of addiction and the effects on the family across the life span. By looking at the various avenues of nature verses nurture and other cultural aspects throughout history, students will be challenged to assess their own insight into stigma, bias and the circular effects of addiction in today's communities. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 293Y. Forbidden Readings: Heterodox Thinking, Controversy and Books That Get Banned. 3 Units.

This course examines books and readings that are not only controversial, but that critics attempt to push out of public dialog through formal and informal bans. We will examine a range of literature and scholarship that opponents attempt to censor, ban, or refuse to assign in classrooms. Some activists have sought to "ban" certain materials from public schools, such as critical race theory and gender theory, so we will read and discuss these in good faith. Likewise, other activists have sought to prevent critiques and empirical challenges to critical race theory, gender theory and related ideas, even attempting to block speakers and sales of these books, so we will discuss these controversial critiques in good faith. Novels can become so controversial that they face censorship and their authors face credible death threats. Most famously is the case of Salman Rushdie, so we will examine The Satanic Verses, the political reactions to it, and the social issues discussed within it. The core principle for this seminar is open discussion of controversial readings, and this requires reading controversial books with an open mind based on the principle that if someone wants to ban a book, it probably has something interesting to say. Ultimately one should be willing to read authors with whom one disagrees with the goal of learning and self-reflection. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 294G. Women in America, 1945-present. 3 Units.

Putting female experiences at the center of history changes how students understand the American past and leads to questions such as: do we use the same historical methods? Do we use the same markers of time? How does the private world intersect with the public one? This seminar interrogates American women's history from 1945-the present with particular attention to intersections of gender, race, sexuality, class, region, religion, and age. It is an interdisciplinary course that takes into account cultural expression (art, film, music, folklore, etc), social science (psychology, etc), medicine, economics, politics, non-textual sources (oral histories, produced items) and the law. On this journey, students will engage critical thinking skills to address issues that address human diversity and commonality as well as morals and ethics. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.

USSO 294H. Social Justice in the 1960s US. 3 Units.

If you ask anyone when the vibrant social justice activism in American history happened, they are likely to say the 1960s. That decade is often viewed as a turbulent period that shattered the picturesque 1950s. In this seminar, we question that depiction by exploring the historical roots of the social, cultural, and political changes that occurred and by scrutinizing the image of affluence and suburban bliss in the postwar period. We begin with a historical overview of the long 1960s, contemplating how poverty, political and cultural dissent, and Jim Crow cast doubts on economic abundance and American founding ideals of democracy and equality. We then cover major movements for change and social justice -- the black freedom movement, student activism, the women's movement, the sexual revolution, and the counterculture -- exploring how social, cultural, and political change occurred and who has driven those changes. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a SAGES First Seminar, Academic Inquiry (AIQS) Seminar, or FSTS 100.