Looking for that one fresh course to invigorate your mind and complete your schedule this semester? Look no further than the dynamic selection of courses offered by the College of Humanities and Social Sciences this fall.
Students can study multiple variations of history – for example, African, Latin American and crime writers’ variations of American history. Those wishing to learn about current issues can learn about subjects ranging from international economic policy, literature and film to American politics. The college offers students of varying interests the chance to whet their appetites.
Here are some of the classes being offered in the fall, with summaries and descriptions gathered from the instructors:
GOVT 319-003: Money, Markets and Economic Policy
Steven Pearlstein
Monday & Wednesday, 1:30–2:45 p.m. East Building, Room 122
Taught by Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post columnist Steven Pearlstein, this course explores the fundamentals that affect the U.S. and worldwide economies. Some issues up for discussion include taxes, health care, globalization, and income distribution, while Pearlstein promises to emphasize market structure, social institutions and the unpredictable behavior of consumers and investors.
FRLN 331-001: War and International Film
Michael Jeck
Tuesday & Thursday, 3:00-4:15 p.m. Innovation Hall, Room 207
In this course, film scholar Michael Jeck will discuss the context in which various war films were made and will examine their factual accuracy and cinematic value. Students will gain a basic understanding of the war films genre and military history.
WMST 300-004: Gendered Experiences of Pan-Africanism
Yevette Richards Jordan
Tuesday & Thursday, 12:00-1:15 p.m. Science & Tech 1, Room 126
This course will examine the activism of people of African descent who looked toward the African continent for racial solidarity and a connection to a shared cultural past. Professor Yevette Richards Jordan will explore the links between diaspora and Africa within the context of the Cold War, the U.S. Civil Rights Movement, African anti-colonial movements and the racial and gender ideologies of that time.
ENGH 300-001: Crime Stories: From Page to Screen
Art Taylor
Monday & Wednesday, 10:30-11:45 a.m. Science & Tech 1, Room 129
Private dicks, psycho killers, and drug deals gone way, way bad... In this course, students will dig into the down-and-dirty earliest roots of 20th-century crime writing and then work their way back to the present day — traveling from the era of Tommy Guns to the age of the Uzi. In the process, professor Art Taylor will lay bare the underbelly of American history, explore the bleak downside of the American dream and examine the challenges filmmakers face in adapting some dark and dangerous texts for the silver screen.
ARAB 420-001: Survey of Arabic Literature
Omar Salawdeh
Monday & Wednesday, 1:30-2:45 p.m. Aquia Building, Room 347
This course is an introduction to Arabic literature and will be taught in Arabic. It is a comprehensive introductory survey from the fifth century to the present day, and it covers a wide range of Arabic literary samples, such as poetry, animal fables, short stories and travel literature.
HIST 271-001: Survey of Latin American History
Joan Bristol
Monday, Wednesday & Friday, 9:30-10:20 a.m. Robinson Hall B, Room 104
This course examines the history of colonial Spanish and Portuguese America from the pre-contact civilizations of the Americas to independence in the early 19th century. Professor Joan Bristol will cover the wars of conquest and the ecological, cultural and economic effects of contact among Europeans, Africans and indigenous inhabitants of the Americas. This course fulfills the general education requirement in global understanding.
COMM 374-001: Political Journalism
Stephen Farnsworth
Monday, 3:00-5:45 p.m. Innovation Hall, Rooms 455A and 203
The political journalism class is designed to help develop the interviewing and reporting skills of reporters who will be writing about candidates, elections and public policy. The course, which is being co-taught by C-Span's Steve Scully and will also include Purdue University, will give students a chance to interact with policy-makers and learn more about public policy matters at the local, state and national levels. The first half of each class will take place in the Innovation Hall GMU TV studio, located in room 455A.
August 17, 2011
