Professors Wright (Chair), Alves, Balseiro, Barron, Beckman (emeritus), Cubek, Dadabhoy (visiting), de Laet, Dyson, Evans, Fandell, Groves, Hamilton, Kamm, Lamkin (emeritus), Mashek, Mayeri, Olson (emeritus), Steinberg, Sullivan and Tan.

As a liberal arts college, HMC offers its curriculum in the spirit of providing a broadly based education. One reflection of that commitment is the College's Core, to which all seven academic departments contribute. Another is the program in Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Arts (HSA), which each student completes along with the Core and a major. Exposure to the subjects and methods of the various HSA disciplines builds analytical skills and offers avenues for the development of increased self-knowledge, a humane concern for society, an understanding of the wider context in which science and engineering are practiced, and an examined and evolving set of values.

HSA Program

Beginning with the Class of 2014, the required program consists of HSA 10, Critical Inquiry—a Core course taken in the spring of the first year—along with a minimum of ten other HSA courses. These ten (or more) further courses must together satisfy the distribution, concentration, writing, and departmental requirements described below. A given course may be used to satisfy one or more of these requirements; e.g., the same course might count toward a student's concentration and satisfy the writing requirement. There are no prescribed courses other than HSA 10; thus, students have significant flexibility in planning their programs of study.

Distribution and concentration requirements

The distribution requirement is satisfied by taking at least one course in each of five different HSA disciplines. The concentration requirement is satisfied by taking at least four courses in a single HSA discipline or interdisciplinary field chosen from the distinct areas of liberal arts study study offered at The Claremont Colleges (see the list of approved concentrations under "Advising Resources" on the HSA Department website). Together, these requirements ensure that students gain exposure to a variety of methods and perspectives within HSA, but also achieve depth and intellectual development within one area of study. Since the concentration is intended to represent progress in a field of study, even though that field might be interdisciplinary, the concentration should typically advance beyond introductory level courses. A concentration in the arts must include at least two courses that focus on theory, criticism or historical analysis. Students who intend to concentrate in areas not covered by the department's faculty should plan their program carefully in order to be able to fulfill all requirements.

Writing requirement

So that students can build on the writing skills addressed in HSA 10, at least one HSA course taken in addition to HSA 10 must involve significant writing. Both departmental courses and HSA courses offered at the other Claremont Colleges (or outside of Claremont) can satisfy this requirement. The department's website contains a list of the departmental courses with significant writing, as well as an approval form that can be used to satisfy the writing requirement with a non-departmental HSA course. In general, a course satisfies this requirement if it assigns at least 5,000 words of formal graded writing, excluding exams, short response papers, e-mail or online discussion contributions, and in-class writing.

Departmental requirement

The department is responsible for ensuring that exploration of the humanities, the social sciences and the arts constitutes an integral component of the life of the Harvey Mudd College community. This means that HMC students and the department's faculty should explore these disciplines together to a significant extent. Accordingly, at least five of the courses required in addition to HSA 10 must be taken with departmental faculty. Remaining coursework (including any extra courses) may be done at the other Claremont Colleges, and the department encourages students to take advantage of this opportunity. Courses offered by departmental faculty in the Joint Music Program (Professors Cubek and Kamm) count as departmental courses although they are taught at Scripps.

Advising

The department assigns each student an HSA advisor in the spring of the first year. Normally, a student's HSA 10 instructor fills this role. The student and the advisor meet at least once a semester with the approach of preregistration to review the student's progress in the program and plan future coursework. The HSA advisor can be helpful at other times also, such as when a student is considering dropping a course, encounters academic difficulties, or is thinking through choices regarding graduate school or career. Since the HSA program affords students significant choice, students are encouraged to plan ahead and keep in touch with their advisors from semester to semester. Studetns should also consult the department's Advising Handbook and the "Advising Resources" section of the department's website.

Other Considerations

In addition to the requirements outlined above, the department also encourages students to include in their HSA programs coursework that provides exposure to cultural diversity, and the department is committed to offering courses that meet this goal.

To facilitate academic and cultural experiences not available directly at HMC, the department waives one departmental course for students who study abroad or who concentrate in an area not regularly supported by the HSA department. However, unless transferring from another institution, a student may not take fewer than four departmental courses in addition to HSA 10.

The department tries to offer a balanced mix of courses each semester. Students may also arrange for directed readings by agreement with individual faculty members. Normally, a directed reading course is undertaken in a discipline in which the student has already taken at least one regular course.

Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Arts Courses (Credit hours follow course title)

HUMANITIES, SOCIAL SCIENCES, AND THE ARTS (HSA)

10. Critical Inquiry (3)

Staff. This seminar course introduces students to inquiry, writing, and research in HSA, through focused exploration of a particular topic selected by the instructor in each section. To encourage reflection on the place of HSA within the HMC curriculum, the course begins with a brief unit on the history and aims of liberal arts education. Writing assignments include a substantial research paper on a topic of interest chosen by the student in consultation with his or her instructor. The course ends with student research presentations in each section, followed by a Presentations Days event featuring the best presentations from across all sections. (Spring)

AMERICAN STUDIES

103. Introduction to American Cultures (3)

Staff. An interdisciplinary introduction to principal themes in American culture taught by an intercollegiate faculty team.

115. Print and American Culture (3)

Groves. Covers numerous developments in American print culture through the careful 
examination of both textbooks and artifacts (period books, magazines, newspapers, letters, diaries, advertisements and so on).

120. Hyphenated Americans (3)

Balseiro. A focus on the experience of immigrants in the United States and Americans of diverse ethnic backgrounds, as reflected in literature and critical theory. The course will weave together works that treat the lives of immigrants and minority groups in the United States with examinations of such contemporary issues as bilingual education, the conditions of migrant workers, and children as cultural and linguistic interpreters for their parents. The intentionally broad and interdisciplinary nature of the course enables exploration of cultural identities, socio-economic status, and gender-specific roles.

ANTHROPOLOGY

110. Life: Knowledge, Belief and Cultural Practices (3)

de Laet. An exploration of cultural attitudes toward life and the human body: from Melanesian origin myths to the human genome project; from the first autopsies to cloning and genetic manipulation; from early body snatchings to the trade in bodies and body parts in the global economy. The question of what constitutes life is subject to controversy, and reveals cultural differences in practices, knowledges and beliefs. This course aims to help students develop a sophisticated and informed attitude towards cultural difference.

111. Introduction to the Anthropology of Science and Technology (3)

de Laet. An introduction to science and technology as cultural phenomena and a hands-on initiation into anthropology. While applying basic anthropological methods in the academic environment, students gain an understanding of science and technology as a culturally, socially and historically specific way of constructing knowledge. In other words, rather than taking for granted the ways in which we make knowledge, this course makes those ways “strange.”

115. War and Conflict (3)

de Laet. “The wings of the butterfly – that cause the hurricane at the other end of the earth – aren’t guilty, right? … no one is.” “Just the opposite,” replies Faulques. “We are all a part of the monster that moves us around the chessboard.” As Faulques—the painter/war-photographer protagonist in Perez-Reverte's novel The Painter of Battles—sees it, war and destruction and their attendant personal horrors are more ordinary, more typical of human beings than peace and civil order. But while chaos has its own rules and symmetries and nothing is coincidental or happens by chance, as spectators we are complicit in the occurrences of violent upheaval about which we read each day in the New York Times. In this course we will investigate this premise. How do we explain war; what is it for? What does war do to us—distant or not-so-distant spectators—and to others—willing or unwilling participants? Is war endemic to the human condition? Is it a necessary evil? Does it emerge from psychological and irrational “drives,” or from economic, rational considerations? If we have a talent for war, do we have a talent for peace?

ART

60. Workshop in Hand Press Printing (1.5)

Groves. This workshop introduces students to the basic vocabulary and practices of typesetting, typography and printing for and on an iron hand press. Work includes a skill-building project and a student-designed semester project. Students may repeat the course once.

ART HISTORY

158. Visualizing China (3)

Tan. Explores the political, social and cultural landscape of contemporary China through art (painting, sculpture/installation, photography, performance and videos). Theories of modern and postmodern art will be introduced in the analysis of visual materials.

CHINESE

1 A, B. Elementary Chinese (3)

Tan. First-year course in Chinese language. Students will engage in conversation, pattern drills, reading and character-writing. (1A is offered in fall; 1B in the spring.)

155. Introduction to Contemporary China (3)

Tan. This course examines a variety of issues in modern China, ranging from politics, the economy, and environmental problems to ethnicity, religion and the arts. We will briefly review the history of the People's Republic of China and "Greater China," but discussion will center on the 21st century. A combination of scholarly writings, literary texts, historical documents, newspaper and journal articles, personal memoirs, photographs and films will be used as course materials.

ECONOMICS

53. Principles of Macroeconomics (3)

Evans. Provides a fundamental understanding of the national economy. Topics include theories of unemployment, growth, inflation, income distribution, consumption, savings, investment and finance markets, and the historical evolution of economic institutions and macroeconomic ideas.

54. Principles of Microeconomics (3)

Sullivan. Provides methods of investigating the individual behavior of people, businesses and governments in a market environment. Topics include elementary models of human economic behavior and resource allocation, and the evolution of market institutions and their impact upon society.

103. The Great Economists (3)

Staff. Surveys the significant contributions of a noted economist.

104. Financial Economics (3)

Evans. The principles of money and banking from the viewpoint of both business person and banker. Topics include the operation of commercial banks, related financial institutions, the development of the banking system, international finance, governmental fiscal and monetary policy, and the relations of money and credit to prices. Prerequisite: Economics 53.

108. Government and Fiscal Monetary Policy (3)

Evans. Includes an in-depth examination of the federal budget, deficits and the debt, budgetary enforcement, line-item spending, tax policy and theories of the impact of government economic activity upon the rest of the economy. Monetary policy emphasizes the policies and activities of the Federal Reserve System, efforts to influence interest rates, money growth and credit, and studies of policy options.

136. Financial Markets and Modeling (3)

Evans. Modern financial strategy seeks to reduce market risk through the use of complex 
instruments called derivatives. This course introduces students to the world of futures, options and other derivatives. Topics to be covered include a survey of the markets and mathematical models of risk and volatility. Prerequisite: Economics 104 or equivalent.

140. The Economics of Women, Family and Work (3)

Sullivan. An introduction to research and theory in the rapidly growing field of work and family studies. Inherently interdisciplinary, the study of work/family intersections involves the literatures of sociology, anthropology, psychology, legal studies, and history, as well as economics. Topics to be considered include: the relationship between parental work and child development; the economic affects of care-giver status; gender differentials in the workplace; family-related public policy; the division of household labor, and work and health. Taught in seminar style and largely discussion-based.

142. Development Economics (3)

Sullivan. A critical introduction to the major orthodox and heterodox theories of development economics and to a selection of alternative strategies. Central objectives include identification of the determinants of economic growth and the distinction of growth from development.

150. Political Economy of Higher Education (3)

Sullivan. An exploration of topics central to the political economy of contemporary American higher education. Organized as a seminar, the course is also a workshop in which students develop reading lists, influence the selection of subtopics and lead discussions. Likely topics include the academic labor market, admissions and marketing issues, college sports and the role of government funding. Particular attention will be paid to forces that shape the education of scientists, mathematicians and engineers.

153. Intermediate Macroeconomics (3)

Staff. A reexamination of the principles of macroeconomics at a more advanced level. The use of formal models for macroeconomic analysis and application to topical problems. Prerequisite: Economics 53. Economics 54 is recommended but not required.

154. Intermediate Microeconomics (3)

Staff. An advanced treatment of micro-economic theory using formal mathematical models for analysis. Optimization models of human behavior and resource use in a market environment are developed, analyzed and applied to a topical economic allocation problem. Prerequisite: Economics 54.

HISTORY

81. Science and Technology in the Early Modern World (3)

Hamilton. Scientific institutions, scientific thought and technological systems during the Scientific Revolution, from the Renaissance, the emergence of print culture, and the growth of world trade through the French and first industrial revolutions. Attention given to Paracelsus, Galileo, Descartes, Newton, Linnaeus, Lavoisier.

82. Science and Technology in the Modern World (3)

Hamilton. Scientific institutions, scientific thought and technological systems from the early 19th century through the mid-20th century as science and technology emerged as defining characteristics of “Western” culture. Attention given to the work and impact of Faraday, Darwin, Pasteur, Einstein, Freud and Heisenberg.

127. Twentieth-Century U.S. History (3)

Barron. An analysis of U.S. history from the Progressive Era to the present, with particular emphasis on social, economic and cultural developments and their relationships to political change.

128. Immigration, Ethnicity and Race in the U. S. (3)

Barron. A study of the experiences of different ethnic groups in the U.S. from the colonial period to the present that addresses the meanings of cultural diversity in American history.

131. The Jewish Experience in America (3)

Barron. A consideration of the interactions between Jews and American society from the colonial period to the present. Topics include Anti-Semitism, American responses to the Holocaust, the United States and Israel, Black-Jewish relations, and the meanings of Jewish identity in contemporary America.

132. The California Experience (3)

Barron. An exploration of California’s history from the pre-colonial period to the present that pays special attention to the experiences of the different groups who have populated the state as well as California’s environmental history and the state’s changing political dynamics.

133. Food and American Culture (3)

Barron. This course investigates the social and cultural history of food in the United States. In many ways food is the quintessential "dense social fact," and its production and consumption embody many different layers of meaning. Consequently, one of the main goals of the course is to be able to look at food in a more critical, self-conscious, and theoretically and historically informed way-to problematize something that is so prosaic that we often take it for granted.

LITERATURE

103. Third Cinema (3)

Balseiro. Emerging in Latin America in the 1960s and 1970s, the notion of Third Cinema takes its inspiration from the Cuban revolution and from Brazil’s Cinema Novo. Third Cinema is the art of political film making and represents an alternative cinematic practice to that offered by mainstream film industries. Explores the aesthetics of film making from a revolutionary consciousness in three regions: Africa, Asia and Latin America.

104. An Introduction to Middle English Literature (3)

Groves. For students interested in developing a basic ability to translate and pronounce Middle English. Works studied will include: the first fragment of Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales”; “Sir Orfeo”; “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”; and selections from Malory’s “Le Morte D’Arthur.”

105. The Land and American Literature (3)

Groves. Explores how landscape is depicted in American literary texts and the relationship between those texts and other modes of representation (painting, cartography, photography and film).

110. Shakespeare (3)

Groves. Covers selected dramatic and lyric works by Shakespeare with some attention to other Elizabethan and Jacobean writers. Final project: a public performance of a Shakespeare play.

117. Major Authors (3)

Staff. An intensive study of the work and literary development of one or two major authors. Readings drawn from the authors’ works and related critical, biographical and historical texts. Specific instances are listed below.

117A. Dickens, Hardy and the Victorian Age (4)

Groves, Eckert (Physics). An intensive study of the work and literary development of Charles Dickens and Thomas Hardy. Readings drawn from the authors’ works and related critical, biographical, and historical texts. Class travels to England over winter break; travel expenses are the responsibility of the student. (Fall and winter break)

144. Poe Goes South: The Fantastic Short Story (3)

Balseiro. A consideration of Poe’s influence on the development of the fantastic short story in Latin America. Topics include: Poe’s reception in Europe and in the Southern Cone, Poe’s influence in the literature of magic realism in 20th-century Latin America.

145. Third-World Women Writers (3)

Balseiro. Focuses on the relationships between gender and identity in the writings of Third-World women as well as theoretical background on Third-World feminisms. Authors include Nawal El Saadawi, Alifa Rifaat, Mariama Ba, Bessie Head, Ana Lydia Vega and Jamaica Kincaid.

146. Twentieth-Century South African Literature (3)

Balseiro. An introduction to the interactions between literature, politics and history in 20th-century South Africa. Readings include drama, poetry, fiction and biography, as well as several films and documentaries.

147. Writers from Africa and the Caribbean (3)

Balseiro. An examination of the themes of nation, exile, race and gender in works by Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, Ayi Jwei Armah, Yusuf Idriss, Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Nadine Gordimer, George Lamming, Jean Rhys and Rosario Ferre, among others. Theoretical background on Third-World literature will also be covered.

155. Post-Apartheid Narratives (3)

Balseiro. This seminar maps the literary terrain of contemporary South Africa. Through an examination of prose, poetry and visual material, this course offers some of the responses writers have given to the end of apartheid, to major social events such as the hearings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and to the idea of a “new” South Africa.

MEDIA STUDIES

50. Language of Film (3)

Mayeri. Introduction to film analysis, exploring the language of film through weekly screenings and discussions. The craft of filmmaking-screenwriting, cinematography, mise-en-scene, sound, editing -- from silent films, to classical Hollywood cinema, to independent film, documentary, and animation. Consideration of film as an art form, as reflection of the culture at large, and as a force for change.

60. Documentary: Fact and Fiction (3)

Mayeri. Examines the propaganda and poetry of documentary film. In weekly screenings, 
students will see films on a range of topics: from ethnographic adventures with other cultures to allegorical tales about our animal relatives. This class will explore documentary craft, history and politics, and analyze the ethics of representing others.

127. The Harmony of Sound and Light (3)

Alves. New technology has created exciting new opportunities in the arts of abstract film, video, and computer animation. This course will explore theories of abstraction from music into the visual arts and film, analyzing the works of such pioneers as Oskar Fischinger and John Whitney. Students will create their own computer images and animations of “visual music.”

144. A History of Special Effects (3)

Mayeri. Hovering between reality, fantasy, and nightmare, visual illusions have enraptured the masses for hundreds of years - from St. Peter’s Basilica to “The Matrix.” This course will trace several intersections of art and technology -- the emergence of illusionism in Renaissance painting, the origin of the proscenium theater in Baroque opera, the development of special effects before and through cinema, and into our increasingly televised and mediated public space. Using art, film, and cultural history and theory, we will analyze the social, political and aesthetic dimensions of spectacle.

170. Digital Cinema (3)

Mayeri. Intermediate/advanced video course, exploring the creative potential of digital video techniques, such as compositing, animation, and motion graphics. Students develop digital projects and participate in critiques. Lectures, discussions, and screenings enhance students’ exposure to art and cinema. Prerequisite: Media Studies 182 Introduction to Video Production or equivalent.

173. Exile in Cinema (3)

Balseiro. A thematic and formal study of the range of cinematic responses to the experience of exile. Exile is an event, but how does it come about and what are its ramifications? Exile happens to individuals but also to collectivities. How does it effect a change between the self and society, homeland and site of displacement, mother tongue and acquired language? This course examines how filmmakers take on an often painful historical process through creativity.

182. Introduction to Video Art (3)

Mayeri. Students learn how to make their own videos, using professional video cameras and editing systems. Weekly, hands-on workshops will cover the entire production process -- storyboarding, shooting, lighting, recording sound and editing in Final Cut Pro. Students will complete several group exercises and individual projects, and participate in critiques of professional media and each other’s work. Video is explored as a medium for expression, 
persuasion, humor, storytelling and art-making. Prerequisite: Media Studies 50 Language of Film or Media Studies 49 Introduction to Media Studies.

MUSIC

3. Fundamentals of Music (3)

Cubek. In this course, the student learns elementary concepts of melody, rhythm, harmony and notation. Basic principles of sight-singing and reading music are included. No previous musical experience is required. This course, or its equivalent, is a prerequisite for Music 110a (Music Theory I) at Scripps College. Carries departmental credit when taught by Cubek. (Offered each semester)

48. Electronic Music Ensemble (1)

Alves. Rehearsal and performance of new and recent compositions for synthesizers and other instruments. Instrumentation and musical styles may vary. Though some synthesizers may be provided, in most cases students will be expected to own their own instruments. Prerequisite: ability to play an instrument and read music. Audition may be required for instructor permission.

49. American Gamelan Ensemble (1)

Alves. Rehearsal and performance of new compositions for instruments adapted from the gamelan, a Javanese orchestra of metallophones and gongs. No prior experience on these 
instruments is required. Prerequisite: Ability to read music, approval of instructor.

63. Music of the Peoples of the World (3)

Alves. The fundamentals of music and listening through a survey of traditional music around the world as well as cross-cultural influences. Neither an ability to read music nor any other background in music is required.

81. Introduction to Music: Sound and Meaning (3)

Alves, Cubek, Kamm. This course explores important works of Western art music from diverse historical epochs through listening and analysis. Elements of music, basic musical terminology and notation are discussed. Attention is given to the relation of the arts—especially music—to culture and society. (Carries departmental credit when taught by Alves, Cubek, or Kamm.)

84. Jazz Improvisation (1.5)

Keller (Computer Science). The art of simultaneously hearing, composing and performing music. Chords, scales, chord progressions and tunes of modern jazz. Theory, listening, analysis and group practice in improvisation skills. Prerequisites: Music reading ability, ability to play most of the 12 major scales on an instrument, motivation to play jazz, permission of the instructor. Repeatable for credit. (Not offered 2011-12)

88. Introduction to Computer Music (3)

Alves. The basics of using software on a general purpose computer to synthesize and manipulate digital sounds. Neither a background in music nor the ability to read music is required. A background in computers is helpful but not required.

117. Twentieth-Century Music (3)

Alves. An investigation of contemporary music through performances, analyses, recordings and discussions of representative compositions from late Romanticism and such 20th-
century styles as Neo-classicism, Serialism and Minimalism, as well as aleatoric and electronic 
techniques. Prerequisite: The ability to read music. Offered in conjunction with the Joint Music Program.

132. Stravinsky: His Milieu and His Music (3)

Kamm. A seminar studying Igor Stravinsky's life and his ballets, other instrumental music and vocal music. Study of Russia at the turn of the 20th century, Paris in the early 20th century, ballet and other arts contextualizes Stravinsky's music. The course includes frequent student presentations on topics and works.

173. Concert Choir (1)

Kamm. A study through rehearsal and performance of choral music selected from the 16th century to the present, with emphasis on larger, major works. Prerequisite: successful audition. (Both semesters; joint offering of CMC, HMC, Pitzer and Scripps)

174. Chamber Choir (1)

Kamm. A study of choral music from 1300 to the present, with emphasis on those works composed for performances of a choral chamber nature. Singers in Chamber Choir also sing with the Concert Choir. Prerequisite: successful audition. (Both semesters; joint offering of CMC, HMC, Pitzer and Scripps)

175. The Claremont Concert Orchestra (1)

Cubek. The study through rehearsal, with discussion as needed, and performance, of styles and techniques appropriate for the historically accurate performance of instrumental works intended for the orchestra. Repertoire will include works from mid-18th century to the present with special emphasis on the classical and romantic periods. Prerequisite: successful audition. (Both semesters; joint offering of CMC, HMC, Pitzer and Scripps)

PHILOSOPHY

108. Knowledge, Self and Value (3)

Wright. An introduction to philosophy covering representative issues in epistemology, the metaphysics of human nature and theory of value. Readings are drawn from historical and contemporary sources.

121. Ethical Theory (3)

Wright. A survey of contemporary philosophical thinking about morality, concentrating on theories of normative ethics but with some attention to issues in metaethics. The course explores consequentialist, deontological, egoistic, and virtue-based normative theories, as well as debates about the impact of a commitment to morality on personal projects and relationships.

122. Ethics: Ancient and Modern (3)

Wright. A comparative study of the works of several major moral philosophers, beginning in antiquity with Plato and Aristotle and ending in the nineteenth century with Nietzsche’s critique of modern morality. Other figures studied include Hume, Kant and Mill, and may also include Aquinas, Hobbes or Spinoza.

124. Morality and Self-Interest (3)

Wright. A study of historical and contemporary arguments for the harmony of morality and enlightened self-interest, along with some of the main challenges raised against such arguments by their critics. Reading assignments may include selections from Plato, Aristotle, Sidgwick, Prichard, Ayn Rand, Rosalind Hursthouse, Derek Parfit, David Gauthier and others.

125. Ethical Issues in Science and Engineering (3)

Wright. After briefly exploring concepts and theories in normative ethics, this course examines a representative set of ethical issues confronting researchers and practitioners in the natural and formal sciences and in engineering. Issues covered will vary but may include animal experimentation, genetic engineering, internet privacy, the responsibility of engineers to foresee and prevent harm and others.

130. Political Philosophy (3)

Wright. The major traditions of political thought, with emphasis on the modern era, 
including natural rights theory, social contract theory, and the philosophic foundations of political liberalism.

POLITICAL STUDIES

114. Comparative Environmental Politics (3)

Steinberg. An examination of the political challenges faced by environmental advocates in diverse countries around the globe. Drawing on the fields of comparative politics and public policy, topics include comparative political institutions, environmental movements, corruption, authoritarian regimes, democratization, lesson-learning across borders, policy reform, gender analysis, decentralization and European unification.

140. Global Environmental Politics (3)

Steinberg. Analyzes the political dynamics driving global environmental problems and current attempts to address them. Concepts from political science and public policy are applied to issues such as ozone depletion, climate change, trade in endangered species, treaty formation and effectiveness, transnational activism and multi-level governance.

188. Political Innovation (3)

Steinberg. Under what conditions do novel political ideas 
become realities? Explores the origins and impacts of political innovations large and small— from the framing of the Constitution to the development of major social policies, the creation and reform of government agencies and non-profit organizations and experimentation with new forms of social protest and political mobilization.

PSYCHOLOGY

53. Introduction to Psychology (3)

Mashek. An overview of the field of psychology, its principles, content and methods. Special reference to classical studies and significant experiments.

108. Introduction to Social Psychology (3)

Mashek. The study of the way individuals think about, influence and relate to one another. Sample topics include: conformity, persuasion, social cognition, self-justification, prejudice and attraction.

150. Psychology of Close Relationships (3)

Mashek. An introduction to the leading theoretical perspectives employed by social psychologists in the study of close romantic relationships. Participants will examine a number of 
relationship-relevant constructs (e.g., love, commitment, intimacy, breakups) through the lenses offered by these different theories.

RELIGIOUS STUDIES

105. Religions in American Culture (3)

Dyson. An exploration of American religious history from pre-colonial indigenous civilizations through the present, focusing on three related issues: diversity, toleration and pluralism. The course asks how religions have shaped or been shaped by encounters between immigrants, citizens, indigenous peoples, tourists, and, occasionally, government agents. In relation to these encounters, the course considers how groups and individuals have claimed territory, negotiated meaning, understood each other and created institutions as they met one another in the American landscape. Attention is also given to questions of power, translation and the changing definitions of religion itself.

113. God, Darwin, Design in America: A Historical Survey of Religion and Science (3)

Dyson. An exploration of the relationship between scientific and religious ideas in the United States from the early 19th century to the present. Starting with the Natural Theologians, who made science the "handmaid of theology" in the early Republic, we will move forward in time through the publication of Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species and Andrew Dickson White's subsequent declaration of a war between science and religion, into the 20th century with the Scopes trial and the rise of Creationism, the evolutionary synthesis, and finally the recent debates over the teaching of Intelligent Design in public schools.

147. World Religions and Transnational Religions: American and Global Movements (3)

Dyson. An exploration of what happens to religious practices and communities when they are transplanted to new terrain: for example, in the establishment of "old world" religious enclaves in the United States, New Age adoptions of "foreign" practices, American understandings of world religions, or the exportation of American or Americanized religion to other countries through missionaries, media or returning immigrants. Considering exchange, conflict, adaptation and innovation as multi-directional, and always historically and politically informed, the course looks at several historic and contemporary instances of religious border crossings.

183. Ghosts and the Machines (3)

Dyson. An exploration of the interrelations between occult mediumship, modern media and technology in Europe and the United States from the nineteenth-century through the present. The aim of the course is to explore how the Enlightenment and its offspring, modern technology, in their seemingly stark material and rational promises of progress, have never rid themselves fully of the paranormal and irrational. To explore the multiple relations between ghosts and the machines, topics for the course include: ghostly visions and magic lantern phatasmagoria; American spiritualism and the telegraph; phrenology and the rise of the 
archive; psychical research and stage magic; radio’s disembodied voices; spirit photography and light therapies; psychic television; and magic on film.

SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY

1. Introduction to Science, Technology and Society (3)

de Laet. An introduction to the interactions among science, technology and society. Examines the different concepts of rationality and the values that underlie scientific and technological endeavors as well as the centrality of value conflict in technological controversies.

114. Social and Political Issues in Technical Projects (3)

de Laet. A seminar offered to students taking Clinic. Preparation of a major paper analyzing the ethical and/or social issues of the student's Clinic project or the product or application for which the project is a part. Reading assignments on the interaction between society and technology and case studies of specific examples.

187. HIV/AIDS: Science, Society and Service (3)

Haushalter. Integrative experience course that studies the molecular biology of HIV infection, the biochemistry of antiviral interventions, and the causes and impact of the global HIV-AIDS pandemic, including the interrelationships among HIV-AIDS, prejudice, race, and stigma. Students will complete a community service project in partnership with a local AIDS organization. Prerequisite: Biology 52. (Offered alternate years)

SOCIAL SCIENCES

147. Enterprise and the Entrepreneur (3)

Evans. Concepts and practices applicable to working as or with the manager of an enterprise. Some emphasis on enterprise formation and on management in high-technology firms.

150. Public Speaking for Science and Citizenship (3)

Steinberg. This course builds student speaking skills in three areas: communicating advanced topics in science and technology to non-specialists; speaking out on questions of politics and values; and engaging the intersection of the two through presentations on technically intensive social controversies. (Fall)

180. Tropical Forests: Policy and Practice (3)

Steinberg. This seminar takes stock of the past two decades of social science research on tropical forests, examining the scale of deforestation, its causes and consequences, and the track record of attempted solutions. Special emphasis is placed on the ways in which values, institutions and political-economic forces shape the decisions that will determine the fate of the forests.

SPECIAL TOPICS AND DIRECTED READING COURSES

179. Special Topic Courses (3)

Staff. Special topics courses—one-time or occasional course offerings—are designated with the number 179. They may be offered in any discipline within the humanities, social sciences and the arts.

197–198. Directed Reading Courses (1-3)

Staff. Students may arrange for directed readings with individual faculty members in the 
humanities, social sciences and the arts, subject to their permission, in order to pursue particular interests that are not covered by regular courses. Directed reading courses, designated with the number 197 (Fall) or 198 (Spring), may be taken in any discipline within the humanities, social sciences and the arts. The College limits such courses to juniors and seniors. See the discussion of “Directed Reading Courses” in the “Academic Regulations” section of this catalogue for other restrictions.

Special Interdepartmental and Intercollegiate Programs

The Department of Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Arts participates in a number of interdepartmental and intercollegiate programs that provide suitable areas for concentration and offer courses that may be of interest to HMC students:

Africana Studies

The Intercollegiate Department of Africana Studies offers a multidisciplinary curriculum that examines the experiences of African, African American and Caribbean people from the liberal arts perspective. Courses accommodate the needs of majors and non-majors, providing significant preparation for careers in education, social work, public policy, law, medicine, business, international relations and advanced research. Consult Professors Isabel Balseiro or Talithia Williams (Mathematics).

American Studies

American Studies is a multidisciplinary program that introduces students to the complexities of the American experience and encourages them to think critically about American culture. An essential component of the American Studies curriculum is Introduction to American Cultures, which is team-taught by members of the intercollegiate faculty. Consult Professors Hal Barron or Jeffrey Groves.

Asian-American Studies

The Intercollegiate Asian American Studies Program offers an interdisciplinary approach to exploring the hitherto neglected experience of Asians in the U.S. The courses are open to all students of The Claremont Colleges, and they provide undergraduates with an understanding of the diversity and complexity of this segment of United States society. Consult Professors Hal Barron or Chang Tan.

Chicana/o-Latina/o Studies

The Chicana/o-Latina/o Studies Intercollegiate Department, the academic program of the Chicana/o-Latina/o Studies Center, offers a curriculum with a multidisciplinary approach to the study, research, interpretation and investigation of the Chicana/o-Latina/o experience. The courses are open to all students of The Claremont Colleges. In recognition of the vital presence of Chicanos and other Latinos in the West, Southwest, and increasingly the entire nation, Chicana/o-Latina/o studies provides significant preparation for students pursuing careers in education, social work, public policy, law, medicine, business and scholarly research. Consult Professor Isabel Balseiro.

Environmental Studies

The HMC Center for Environmental Studies coordinates courses and research in all departments of the College, and provides links to major ongoing programs of environmental studies at other Claremont Colleges. A strong advising program administered by the center helps students arrange programs that take advantage of courses in their majors as well as concentrations in the humanities and social sciences program, leading to a strong emphasis in environmental studies as a part of the Harvey Mudd College degree. Consult Professor Richard Haskell (Physics) and see www.environcenter.hmc.edu.

Media Studies

Media Studies is an intercollegiate program offered in coordination with the other Claremont Colleges. Harvey Mudd students may concentrate in video production as a fine art or media studies as a discipline in the humanities, although students with particular interests in communication, digital media or other specialized fields may also pursue them through elective courses and by designing a special concentration. Consult Professors William Alves or Rachel Mayeri.

Music

In addition to its own offerings in music, Harvey Mudd College participates in the Joint Music Program with Claremont McKenna, Pitzer and Scripps Colleges. Courses are offered in music history and theory, as well as private or class instruction in performance and chamber music at the Scripps College Music Department. Consult Professors William Alves, David Cubek or Charles Kamm.

Political Studies

Political Studies examine political values, interests, institutions, power and the processes of governing. Courses explore these questions using a variety of methodological approaches. Consult Professor Paul Steinberg.

Religious Studies

The intercollegiate program in Religious Studies recognizes the importance and legitimacy of personal involvement in the study of religion, but it does not represent or advocate any 
particular religion as normative. Rather, its aim is to make possible an informed knowledge and awareness of the fundamental importance of the religious dimension in all human societies -- globally and historically. Consult Professor Erika Dyson.

Science, Technology and Society (STS)

The STS program is designed to deepen students’ understanding of both the context in which science and technology develop and the social consequences of scientific and technological change. Work in STS should not only enhance prospective scientists’ and engineers’ abilities to exercise influence within and on behalf of their professional communities, but also to assess the probable social impacts of their work. In addition, the program is intended to provide background for graduate work or career choices in such fields as history of science and technology, philosophy of science, public policy, law, medicine, science writing, science librarianship or secondary school science teaching. The College’s interdepartmental Hixon Forum for Responsive Science and Engineering works directly and cooperatively with the Claremont STS program. Consult Professors Marianne de Laet or Vivien Hamilton.

Theater

Theater is one of the liberal arts and serves students from the five undergraduate colleges. It includes acting, design, directing, theater history and dramatic literature, and the practice of theater. Students concentrating in theater become proficient in bringing creative solutions to complex problems. They also develop sensitivity to the interpersonal relationships inherent in the collaborative process. Thus, they are prepared for a wide variety of careers in organizations and enterprises that value these qualities. The program is housed in excellent facilities at Pomona College. Consult Professor Jeffrey Groves.

Women’s Studies

Women’s Studies at HMC is part of an interdisciplinary and intercollegiate program that focuses on the nature and scope of women’s achievement, promotes open and rigorous inquiry about women and sex roles, and questions cultural assumptions about women’s place. This program also explores such areas as the relationship between gender and society historically and cross-culturally; the changing roles and concepts of women; and women’s participation in major social institutions. Consult Professor Isabel Balseiro.