Social Science & Policy Studies
ECON 1110. INTRODUCTORY MICROECONOMICS
Cat. I
The course focuses upon the implications of reliance upon markets for the allocation of resources in a society, at the household, firm, and community level. Outcomes of current market systems are examined in terms of the efficient use of natural and other economic resources, as well as their impact upon the environment, fairness, and social welfare. of special interest in these analyses is the role of prices in the determination of what commodities are produced, their means of production, and distribution among households. In cases where current market outcomes have features subject to widespread criticism, such as the presence of excessive pollution, risk, discrimination, and poverty, the analysis is extended to suggest economic solutions. There are no prerequisites for the course.
ECON 1120. INTRODUCTORY MACROECONOMICS
Cat. I
This course is designed to acquaint students with the ways in which macroeconomic variables such as national income, employment and the general level of prices are determined in an economic system. It also includes a study of how the techniques of monetary policy and fiscal policy attempt to achieve stability in the general price level and growth in national income and employment. The problems of achieving these national goals (simultaneously) are also analyzed. The course stresses economic issues in public policy and international trade.
ECON 210X. INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS
This course examines the theory of international trade and the policies followed by governments with respect to trade of goods and services among nations. Theoretical considerations will include the gains from trade under classical and modern assumptions and the impact of various measures used by governments to either restrict or promote trade. Policy considerations will include U. S. trade policies and the role of the World Trade Organization. Additional topics may include trade and the environment, NAFTA, U.S.-China trade, international financial markets, and the determination of exchange rates. Recommended background: ECON 1120.
ECON 2117. ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICS
Cat. II
This course investigates the effect of human activity upon the environment as well as the effect of the environment on human well beingwell-being. It pays special attention to the impact of production and consumption of material goods upon the quantity and quality of environmental goods. The analysis focuses on the challenges presented in mixed economics where markets are combined with government intervention to manage pollution and scarcity. The course reviews efforts to measure the costs and benefits of improving environmental conditions and evaluates current and potential policies in terms of the costs of the environmental improvements they may yield. Attention is also paid to the special difficulties which arise when the impacts of pollution spill across traditional political boundaries. Recommended background: ECON 1110. This course will be offered in 2012-13 and in alternating years thereafter.
ECON 211X. BEHAVIORAL ECONOMICS
Behavioral economics incorporates insights from psychology and sociology into economic models of decision-making. While traditional economic theory typically assumes individuals are self-interested and have an infinite ability to analyze and understand their decision-making environment, behavioral economics relaxes these assumptions in light of evidence from the field of experimental economics. Topics in the course include social preferences, mental accounting, decision-making under uncertainty and intertemporal choice. Additional topics may include the economics of social identity, preference formation and learning. Decision-making processes will be examined using simple economic experiments conducted in class. Recommended background: ECON 1110.
ECON 2120. INTERMEDIATE MACROECONOMICS
Cat. II
This course is an advanced treatment of macroeconomic theory well suited for students majoring in Economics or Management, or others with a strong interest in economics. The topics addressed in ECON 2120 are similar to those covered in ECON 1120, however the presentation of the material will proceed in a more rigorous and theoretical fashion. Recommended background: ECON 1110. This course will be offered in 2012-13 and in alternating years thereafter.
ECON 2135. INFORMATION ECONOMICS AND POLICY
Cat. II
This course provides an introduction to the economics, business strategies, and regulatory and legal aspects of telecommunication markets. The analysis of complex interactions between technology, Federal and state government policies, copyright legislation, and forces driving supply and demand is performed using Economic and Industrial Organization theories combined with computer simulation techniques. Topics include, among others: the economics of telephony services, cable TV, satellite communication, spectrum auctions, WLAN, and peer-to-peer file sharing. Special attention will be paid to the analysis of the latest regulatory and legal developments in the telecommunications industry. Recommended background: ECON 1110 or ECON 2110. This course will be offered in 2013-14 and in alternating years thereafter.
ENV 1100. INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
Cat. I
The study of environmental problems and their solutions requires an interdisciplinary approach. This course will examine current environmental issues from the intersection of several key disciplines including: environmental philosophy and history, environmental policy, and science. The course will develop these different approaches for analyzing environmental problems, explore the tensions between them, and present a framework for integrating them. Topics such as environmental justice, developing nations, globalization, and climate change policy will be explored.
ENV 150X. INTRODUCTION TO GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS
ENV 210X. ETHICAL ROOTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
ENV 230X. ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND INNOVATION
ENV 4400. SENIOR SEMINAR IN ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
Cat. I
This course is intended for Environmental Studies majors. The course is designed to integrate each student?s educational experience (e.g., core environmental courses, environmental electives, and environmental projects) in a capstone seminar in Environmental Studies. Through seminar discussions and writing assignments students will critically reflect on what they learned in their previous courses and project experiences. In teams, students will prepare a final capstone paper and presentation that critically engages their educational experience in environmental studies and anticipates how their courses and experiences will translate into their future personal and professional environmental experiences. Recommended background: ENV 1100, ENV 2200 or ENV 2400, completion or concurrent enrollment in IQP and MQP.
GOV 1301. U.S. GOVERNMENT
Cat. I
This course is an introduction to the fundamental principles, institutions, and processes of the constitutional democracy of the United States. It examines the formal structure of the Federal system of government, including Congress, the presidency, the judiciary, and the various departments, agencies, and commissions which comprise the executive branch. Emphasis is placed on the relationships among Federal, state and local governments in the formulation and administration of domestic policies, and on the interactions among interest groups, elected officials and the public at large with administrators in the policy process. The various topics covered in the survey are linked by consideration of fiscal and budgetary issues, executive management, legislative oversight, administrative discretion, policy analysis and evaluation and democratic accountability.
GOV 1303. AMERICAN PUBLIC POLICY
Cat. I
American Public Policy focuses on the outcomes or products of political institutions and political controversy. The course first addresses the dynamics of policy formations and stalemate, the identification of policy goals, success and failure in implementation, and techniques of policy analysis. Students are then encouraged to apply these concepts in the study of a specific policy area of their choosing, such as foreign, social, urban, energy or environmental policy. This course is an important first step for students wishing to complete IQPs in public policy research. Students are encouraged to complete GOV 1303 prior to enrolling in upper level policy courses such as GOV 2303, GOV 2304 or GOV 2311. There is no specific preparation for this course, but a basic understanding of American political institutions is assumed.
GOV 1320. TOPICS IN INTERNATIONAL POLITICS
Cat. II.
GOV 1320 is a survey course designed to introduce students to the basic concepts of international relations: power and influence, nations and states, sovereignty and law. These concepts will be explored through the study of issues such as diplomacy and its uses, theories of collective security and conflict, and international order and development. The study of international organizations such as the UN, the European Union or the Organization of American States will also supplement the students? understanding of the basic concepts. The course may also include comparative political analysis of states or regions. It is designed to provide the basic background materials for students who wish to complete IQPs on topics that involve international relations or comparative political systems. This course will be offered in 2012-13 and in alternating years thereafter.
GOV 2302. SCIENCE-TECHNOLOGY POLICY
Cat. II
This course is an examination of the relationship between science-technology and government. It reviews the history of public policy for science and technology, theories and opinions about the proper role of government and several current issues on the national political agenda. Examples of these issues include genetic engineering, the environment and engineering education. It also examines the formation of science policy, the politics of science and technology, the science bureaucracy, enduring controversies such as public participation in scientific debates, the most effective means for supporting research, and the regulation of technology. Throughout the course we will pay particular attention to the fundamental theme: the tension between government demands for accountability and the scientific community?s commitment to autonomy and self-regulation. Recommended background: GOV 1301 or GOV 1303. This course will be offered in 2012-13 and in alternating years thereafter.
GOV 2310. CONSTITUTIONAL LAW: FOUNDATIONS OF GOVERNMENT
Cat. II
Constitutional Law is the study of Supreme Court decisions interpreting the U. S. Constitution. The Foundations course focuses on the powers of the Congress, the Presidency and the Judicial Branch, especially the Supreme Court?s understanding of its own power. These cases reveal, in particular, the evolution of Federal power with the development of a national economy and the shifting balance of power among the three branches of government. Issues of state power in a federal system are also addressed. Lastly, these materials are examined in the context of the great debates regarding how judges interpret the Constitution. How are the words and intent of the Founders applicable to the legal and political conflicts of the twenty-first century? This course will be offered in 2012-13 and in alternating years thereafter.
GOV 2311. ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND LAW
Cat. I
This course deals with environmental law as it relates to people, pollution and land use in our society. A case method approach will be used to illustrate how the courts and legislators have dealt with these social-legal problems. The course is designed to have the student consider: 1) the legal framework within which environmental law operates; 2) the governmental institutions involved in the formulation, interpretation and application of environmental law; 3) the nature of the legal procedures and substantive principles currently being invoked to resolve environmental problems; 4) the types of hazards to the environment presently subject to legal constraints; 5) the impact that the mandates of environmental law have had, and will have, on personal liberties and property rights; 6) the role individuals and groups can play within the context of our legal system to protect and improve man?s terrestrial habitat and the earth?s atmosphere; and 7) some methods and sources for legal research that they may use on their own. Recommended background: GOV 1303 or GOV 1310.
GOV 2314. CYBERLAW AND POLICY
Cat. II
Rapidly developing technologies for computing, information management and communications have been quickly adopted in schools, businesses and homes. The growth of the Internet and of e-commerce, in particular, have given rise to an entirely new set of legal issues as the courts, Congress and international bodies struggle to keep pace with changing technology. This course addresses the government?s role in the development of these technologies and the legal issues that result including questions regarding privacy rights, speech and defamation, and the application of patent and copyright law. Policy questions such as surveillance of e-mail, regulation of content, mandates on the use of filters, and the responsibilities and liability of internet service providers are also discussed. Additional policies studied include attempts to control Internet content and enforce international judgments (resulting from e-commerce or cyber-crime) by foreign states and/or international organizations. Students are expected to integrate knowledge of technology with law, politics, economics and international affairs. This course will be offered in 2012-13 and in alternating years thereafter.
PSY 1400. INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE
Cat. I
Psychological science is the experimental study of human thought and behavior. Its goal is to contribute to human welfare by developing an understanding of why people do what they do. Experimental psychologists study the entire range of human experience, from infancy until death, from the most abnormal behavior to the most mundane, from the behavior of neurons to the actions of nations. This course offers a broad introduction to important theories, empirical findings, and applications of research in psychological science. Topics will include: use of the scientific method in psychology, evolutionary psychology, behavioral genetics, the anatomy and function of the brain and nervous system, learning, sensation and perception, memory, consciousness, language, intelligence and thinking, life-span development, social cognition and behavior, motivation and emotion, and the nature and treatment of psychological disorders.
PSY 1401. COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY
Cat. I
This course is concerned with understanding and explaining the mental processes and strategies underlying human behavior. The ways in which sensory input is transformed, reduced, elaborated, stored, and recovered will be examined in order to develop a picture of the human mind as an active processor of information. Topics will include perception, memory, problem-solving, judgment and decision making, human-computer interaction, and artificial intelligence. Special attention will be paid to defining the limitations of the human cognitive system. Students will undertake a project which employs one of the experimental techniques of cognitive psychology to collect and analyze data on a topic of their own choosing. Suggested background: PSY 1400.
PSY 1402. SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
Cat. I
Social psychology is concerned with how people think about, feel for, and act toward other people. Social psychologists study how people interact by focusing on the individual (not society as a whole) as the unit of analysis, by emphasizing the effect on the individual of the situation or circumstances in which behavior occurs, and by acquiring knowledge through empirical scientific investigation. This course will examine the cause of human behavior in a variety of domains of social life. Topics will include, but not be limited to, person perception, attitude formation and change, interpersonal attraction, stereotyping and prejudice, and small group behavior. Special attention will be given to applied topics: How can the research methods of social psychology be used to help solve social problems? Students will work together in small groups to explore in depth topics in social psychology of their own choosing. Suggested background: PSY 1400.
PSY 140X. DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY
PSY 1504. STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING COGNITIVE SKILLS
Cat. I
Life experience provides us with little insight into the basic workings of our own minds. As a result, we tend to approach many of the important problems and decisions of our professional and personal lives with only a dim awareness of the limitations and capabilities of the human cognitive system and how its performance can be improved. The purpose of this course is (1) to provide students with the basic psychological knowledge needed to understand and evaluate such important cognitive skills as memory, problem solving, decision making, and reasoning and (2) to provide students the practical skills and experience necessary to improve and assess their cognitive performance. Topics will include but not be limited to memory improvement, study skills, effective problem solving techniques, creativity, numeracy, making effective choices, risky decision making, dynamic decision making, intelligent criticism of assumptions and arguments, and evaluating claims about the mind. Suggested background: PSY 1400.
PSY 2401. THE PSYCHOLOGY OF EDUCATION
Cat. II
This course is concerned with the learning of persons in educational settings from pre-school through college. Material in the course will be organized into five units covering a wide range of topics: Unit 1: Understanding Student Characteristics - Cognitive, Personality, Social, and Moral Development; Unit 2: Understanding the Learning Process - Behavioral, Humanistic, and Cognitive Theories of Learning; Unit 3: Understanding Motivation to Learn; Unit 4: Understanding Student Diversity - Cultural, Economic, and Gender Effects upon Learning; Unit 5: Evaluating Student Learning - Standardized Tests, Intelligence, Grades, and other Assessment Issues. Students planning IQPs in educational settings will find this course particularly useful. Instructional methods will include: lecture, discussion, demonstration, and project work. Course will also focus on current issues in technological education and international higher education. Recommended background: PSY 1400 or PSY 1401. This course will be offered in 2013-14, and in alternating years thereafter.
PSY 2406. CROSS-CULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY: HUMAN BEHAVIOR IN GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE
Cat. II
This course is an introduction to the study of the ways in which social and cultural forces shape human behavior. Cross-Cultural psychology takes a global perspective of human behavior that acknowledges both the uniqueness and interdependence of peoples of the world. Traditional topics of psychology (learning, cognition, personality development) as well as topics central to social psychology, such as intergroup relations and the impact of changing cultural settings, will be explored. Cultural influences on technology development and transfer, as they relate to and impact upon individual behavior, will also be investigated. Students preparing to work at international project centers, International Scholars, and students interested in the global aspects of science and technology will find the material presented in this course especially useful. Recommended background: PSY 1400 or PSY 1402. This course will be offered in 2012-13 and in alternating years thereafter
SD 150X. SERIOUS GAMES
SD 1510. INTRODUCTION TO SYSTEM DYNAMICS MODELING
Cat. I
The goal of this course is to provide students with an introduction to the field of system dynamics computer simulation modeling. The course begins with the history of system dynamics and the study of why policy makers can benefit from its use. Next, students systematically examine the various types of dynamic behavior that socioeconomic systems exhibit and learn to identify and model the underlying nonlinear stock-flow-feedback loop structures that cause them. The course concludes with an examination of a set of well-known system dynamics models that have been created to address a variety of socioeconomic problems. Emphasis is placed on how the system dynamics modeling process is used to test proposed policy changes and how the implementation of model-based results can improve the behavior of socioeconomic systems.
SD 1520. SYSTEM DYNAMICS MODELING
Cat. I
The purpose of this course is to prepare students to produce original system dynamics computer simulation models of economic and social systems. Models of this type can be used to examine the possible impacts of policy changes and technological innovations on socioeconomic systems. The curriculum in this course is divided into three distinct parts. First, a detailed examination of the steps of the system dynamics modeling process: problem identification (including data collection), feedback structure conceptualization, model formulation, model testing and analysis, model documentation and presentation, and policy implementation. Second, a survey of the ?nuts and bolts? of continuous simulation modeling: information and material delays, time constants, the use of noise and numerical integration techniques, control theory heuristics, and software details (both simulation and model presentation and documentation software). Third, a step-by-step, in-class production of a model, involving the construction, testing, and assembly of subsectors. Students will be required to complete modeling assignments working in groups and take in-class quizzes on modeling issues. Recommended background: SD1510, or permission of instructor.
SOC 123X. AMER SOC & DIVSTY:INTRO TO SOC
SOC 124X. INTRO TO COMPRTV SOC & GLBLZTN
SOC 221X. LRNING STYLS, CREATVTY, & TMWK
STS 1207. INTRODUCTION TO THE PSYCHO-SOCIOLOGY OF SCIENCE
Cat. II
This course will describe how traditional issues addressed in the Sociology of Science dealing with science as an institution, social controversies involving science, priority disputes within science and process of scientific discovery are illuminated by studies using measures borrowed from psychology. Examples will involve measures of cognitive style, personality and openness to innovation. The scientific pipeline that runs through the science programs in the educational system and the experience of women as students and as practicing scientists will be addressed as a science and society equity issue. Problems balancing the roles of the scientist as expert and concerned citizen in a democratic but technological society will also be addressed. This course works equally well as a second course after PSY 1402, Social Psychology, or a first course in Social Science. This course will be offered in 2012-13 and in alternating years thereafter.
STS 2208. THE SOCIETY-TECHNOLOGY DEBATE
Cat. II
A course which considers what one means when they say that we live in a technological society, focusing on the characteristics of technology that humanistic critics find problematic or objectionable. In the course of the analysis, the nature of technology, its connection to scientific advance, as well as its relationship to the state, and the social role of scientists and technologists will be considered. Special attention is given to the behavior of experts in scientific and technological controversies, and to the debate about the ?technological mentality? said to pervade western societies. Utopian, Dystopian and Marxist interpretations of where technological development is taking us will be examined in an effort to understand the major themes in the larger debate about the social impact of technology. Computer science majors can take this course in place of CS 3043 if they write a term paper on a computer-related topic. Recommended background: SOC 1202. This course will be offered in 2012-13 and in alternating years thereafter.
