Fall 2008 New and Revised Courses
 
Arhi 139. Seminar: Topics in Native American Art History—Native California
[MW 2:45-4 pm, B. Anthes]
Examines in-depth the art and cultural history of Native California. Particular emphasis will be placed on Southern California Native communities and “traditions in transformation”—focusing on patterns of contact, conflict, and accommodation; federal and state Indian relations; education; economic revitalization; and cultural and political activism. The class will emphasize primary research in the collections of California Native American art and material culture in the nearby Pomona College Museum of Art, the Southwest Museum of the American Indian/Autry National Center in Los Angeles, tribal museums, Indian casinos, and other Southern California institutions and cultural centers, and in consultation with local Native American artists and community representatives.
 
Asam 111. Asian Americans in Education
[TTh 9:35-10:50 am, L. Yamane/K. Yep]
The broader social processes of racialization and contestation are explored using the educational experiences of Asian Americans. We will analyze access to education and curricular marginalization. Issues like bilingual education, Asian American feminist and critical pedagogies, education as a workplace, and racialized glass ceilings will be investigated.
 
Biol 139JS. Applied Ecology & Conservation
[TTh 9:35-10:50 am, D. Thomson]
This course covers advanced topics in population biology, community ecology and population genetics, as applied to conservation and resource management and with an emphasis on quantitative methods. Prerequisites: Biol 44L. Enrollment limited to 24.
 
Chem 118JS. Bioinorganic Chemistry
[TTh12-1:10 pm, A. Hurshman Babbes]
Biological cells require metals for a variety of functions. This course is an overview of the roles of metals in biology and medicine. The major emphasis of the course will be on the mechanism of metal-dependent enzymes. One-half course credit. Prerequisites: Biol 43L, Chem 117L.
 
Crea 76. Portraits of Intellectuals
[MW 1:15-2:30 pm, N. Masilela]
The course will examine portraits of particular intellectuals from any part of the world through the disciplinary approach of intellectual history and the history of concepts (Beggriffsgeschichte). That is, for example, how within particular national contexts (Jose Marti in Cuba or Octavio Paz in Mexico, or H.I.E. Dhlomo in South Africa) constituted a creative simultaneous response to their intellectual milieu as well as to cosmopolitanism: how three of the, for example, sought to construct a national counter-modernity to the dominant European modernity imposed on their societies by capitalism, imperialism, and colonialism. What is the nature of the creative process?
 
Engl 150. Senior Topics in Theory: Cultural Studies
[T 12-2:30 pm, L. Harris]
This seminar offers a genealogical approach to cultural studies theory and social critiques at an advanced level of reading, research, and critical thinking. This seminar begins with philosophical frameworks out of which cultural studies critiques arguably arise, and considers contemporary areas of critical theory in dialogue/dissent with these frameworks. The course treats philosophical schools of thought about cultural production and its meaning through a study of Machiavellian ideologies of the state, Kantian aesthetics, Hegelian dialectics, Marxism, anti- and post-colonial studies, psychoanalysis, postmodern theories, post-Marxist feminism, and queer theory.
 
Engl 199a. Senior Seminar
[W 2:45-5:30 pm, A. Wachtel]
Our communal project will be the analysis of James Joyce’s Finnegans Wake, the ultimate Modernist and the first Post-Modernist novel. Each student will be responsible for one book of criticism devoted to the Wake, bringing insights from that study to bear at each meeting. Separately, students will develop extended studies of literary topics of their choosing—not necessarily bearing on Finnegans Wake. As they evolve, these studies will be shared with the seminar, contributing to other member knowledge and benefiting by constructive criticism. The studies may be used as drafts of senior theses to be completed with professors of the students’ choosing.
 
Envs 65. Ecological Landscaping
[M 9-11:50 am, P. Faulstich]
An exploration of sustainable landscaping theory, practice, and design. The benefits of alternative landscaping are studied, and the design, construction and actual planting of a major new ‘garden’ on Pitzer’s campus will be the heart of this course. The main activities to be undertaken include group design projects, case studies in ecological landscaping, and planting a native, drought-tolerant garden.
 
Envs 86. Environmental Justice
[TTh 1:15-2:30 pm, B. Sarathy]
Is environmental harm distributed in a fundamentally racist manner? How do we adjudicate such claims? In this course, you will actively learn to analyze environmental issues using an environmental justice lens, evaluate the race and equity implications of environmental harms, and hopefully be inspired to do something about environmental injustice!
 
Envs 98. Urban Ecology
[MW 1:15-2:30 pm, Staff]
Urban Ecology is a subfield of ecology that deals with the way that humans interact with their environment within urban settings, architecture, activism. This course explores themes of environment and cityscape, relationships between industrialization, green space, and health, ecological considerations in rapidly urbanizing areas, and urban-based social movements toward sustainable communities. The course thus utilizes urban examples both at home and abroad to consider interrelationships between humans and urban environments.
 
Hist 188. Anxiety in the Age of Reason
[MW 12-1:10 pm, A. Wakefield]
Many Enlightenment authors expressed confidence in the relentless progress of knowledge, but they also exuded skepticism and unease about reason. New questions about nature, and new approaches to studying it, unleashed fears about humanity’s place in the world. Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz worried that the specter of infinite time might eliminate the need for God; David Hume doubted the necessity of cause and effect; Immanuel Kant limited reason to make way for faith. Each of these writers used reason to question the religious and metaphysical foundations of knowledge. But reason also created its own fears. This course is about those fears, and what lay behind them.
 
Hist 197. Seminar in History
[W 1:15-4:00 pm, C. Johnson]
An introduction to selected major historians and subfields of history. Required of all history majors for graduation. Should be taken in junior or first semester of senior year. Open to non-history majors with consent of instructor. May be repeated for credit.
 
IIS 50. Power and Social Change
[TTh 9:35-10:50 am, B. Sarathy/J. Parker]
“Power to the people!” “Knowledge is power.” “Taking power.” What exactly does one mean by power, and how may altering power relations lead to social change? This course will critically examine different theories of power, the relationship between power and violence, and how power can be used to liberate as well as dominate and manipulate. The course introduces students to interdisciplinary theories of power and their implications for effective social change work. Students will examine works from various interdisciplinary fields and movements, such as Marxism, feminism, postmodernism, anti-colonial and postcolonial movements, and grassroots movements.
 
IIS 60. Knowing and Telling
[W 2:45-5:30 pm, L. Tongun/J. Parker]
Designed as an introduction to theoretical debates central to interdisciplinary critiques of objectivist epistemology and methodologies, the course provides students with interdisciplinary methods for research and other knowledge practices. Students will be exposed to a range of alternative ways that interdisciplinary fields frame research questions, conduct research, and engage in action by challenging the political and ethical terms of the academy, muddying the fiction of the theory/practice divide, and exploring the kinds of theoretical, ideological, and material praxis that constitute interdisciplinary inquiry. Ethics, politics, epistemologies, authority, evidence, protocols, priorities, and feasibility will be discussed as students design a research project in interdisciplinary knowledge production to be used in External Studies independent study projects and/or in senior projects.
 
MS 055. Shooting the Truth: The Rise of Political Documentary
[W 2:45-5:30 pm, T. Mudd]
This course will explore the evolution of the documentary genre with a particular emphasis on political films. From its simple ethnographic beginnings, to the complex creative expression of political truths that we see today, we will research the historical conditions and events that gave rise to some of the most influential American political films. The styles, ethics, choices and techniques employed by important filmmakers will be explored.
 
Orst 198. Seminar: Decisions and Administration
[M 7-10 pm, K. Rogers]
This topics seminar will discuss the ambiguities and difficulties of making consequential decisions in organization settings. Particular attention will be given to the research and writing on decision theory of James March. The seminar is especially for advanced O.S. majors. Other students may be admitted with permission of instructor.
 
Post 10b. Introduction to Political Studies: Comparative/Global
[MW 12-1:10 pm, T. Ilgen/L. Tongun]
An introduction to the study of the sub-fields of comparative and global politics. Comparative politics examines how different peoples, classes, cultures, and nations organize themselves politically for achieving common purposes and resolving conflicts. Global politics treats the relations among nations and other global actors and organizations in the pursuit of security, economic prosperity, and justice.
 
Post 70. Research Methods in Political Studies
[MW 12-1:10 pm, R. VanSickle-Ward/A. Pantoja]
This course explores the methods employed in political science research. The two primary goals of the course are: (1) to provide new analytic tools that will help in the critical evaluation of social science material, and 92) to improve students’ ability to pose and answer research questions on their own.
 
Soc 71. Popular Music and Society [formerly Sociology of Popular Music]
[M 2:45-5:30 pm, D. Basu]
This course explores music and society with an emphasis on audio visual media. It emphasizes the societal conditions in which particular genres of popular music emerge; the role of the visual in music consumption and production; issues of authenticity and appropriation; the production and consumption of globally and the political and social implications of popular music as it affects, and is affected by class, gender, race, sexuality, diasporic movements and local-global tensions.

Soc 116. Women and Law
[MW 1:15-2:30 pm, E. Steinman]
As part of a critical gender perspective, this course will examine a) the law’s treatment of women and gender issues, and b) women’s experience of law—as defendants, lawyers, victims, natives, the justification for law, and via other relationships. Specific topics will include discrimination, human rights, gender violence, and others.
 
Soc 120. Sexual Politics & Movements
[TTh 12:00-1:10 pm, E. Steinman]
This course will critique heteronormativity and highlight the social construction and regulation of sexuality. It will examine a range of political issues and movements, such as: sexuality education; gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer movements, and the interactions of race, gender, class, and sexuality.
 
Soc 122. Sociology of Health and Medicine
[MW 4:15-5:30 pm, A. Bonaparte]
Students in this course will better understand and become familiar with how social characteristics (age, race, class, gender, sexual orientation) influence an individual’s experience of health, illness, medical institutions, and work in healthcare professions. Our main focus is to examine social epidemiology and health and illness social definitions.
 
Span 152. Indios: Latin American Indigenous Peoples
[MW 1:15-2:30 pm, M. Machuca]
This course introduces students to the basic histories, social structures, cultures, and current issues facing indigenous peoples in Latin America. It explores the historical processes that have shaped indigenous communities from pre-Columbian times, through conquest and colonization, up to the 21st century. Taught in Spanish.
 
Span 174. Lost in Translation
[TBA, M. Machuca]
This course introduces the most important problems and techniques for Spanish-English/English-Spanish translation. It offers practical approaches to translation. It is based around topic areas incorporating study of different text types, style, dictionaries, text comparison, collocation, equivalents, and practical tips. Interview and permission of instructor required to enroll.
 
Writ 80. Advance Academic Writing [formerly Writing 2]
[MW 12-1:10 pm, P. Miller]
An advanced course in writing expository prose. Each student will be expected to choose a specific political or social issue that will be the focus of a series of short papers and one long final paper. Class emphasis will be placed on techniques for writing research papers.