This course will discuss the history of the development of the atomic bomb. Number of scientific breakthroughs in atomic and nuclear physics during 19-th and the first part of 20-th centuries led to possibility of the making of the atomic bomb. We also discuss the political context in which the bomb was developed, and personal stories of the leading scientist involved and corresponding moral issues arising from the development and use of the bomb. There is no development in modern history that has had more impact on man’s scientific, political, and moral consciousness than the making of the atomic bomb and its use against the Japanese at the end of WWII. It is a singularity of such power that its ultimate consequences for humanity are still beyond our perception. This course attempts to tell the story primarily from the point of view of the history of the science involved. Also the students will see the need for the integrated perspective in order to understand how science, political history, ethical values and personal motivations are interconnected in this story. To understand this story is to understand the complexities and responsibilities that have accompanied the emergence of modern society.

This class will trace the roots of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict back to late Ottoman Palestine, Istanbul, and Europe. During this period, we will observe how the Palestinian-Israeli conflict developed as a regional conflict as both these nascent movements took form. The class will then move on to the British mandate period, taking into consideration the major impact the Holocaust had on the conflict and how following Israeli independence this conflict transformed into a full-fledged Arab-Israeli conflict. The last section will cover events in Israel and the Palestinian territories once the land was united following the 1967 war. It will address the return of Palestinian local nationalism, the rise of the PLO, and its impact on Israel. Further, it will move on to the First Intifada, the rise of Hamas, the Oslo Accords and its eventual failure. Then it will go beyond the Second Intifada, pondering on new challenges presented during the last two decades.

This class will focus on three main historical periods: the late Ottoman Empire, the transformation from Empire to Nation State, and the history of Turkey until the present. The first section will concentrate on the reforms of the 19th century, the rise of nationalism and modern Islamism in the Ottoman Empire, and on how this relates to the rise of Turkish nationalism. From there, we will focus on the Second Constitutional period, the Armenian Genocide, and consolidation of the Ottoman territories which would incorporate Anatolia as the Turkish heartland. From there we will move on to the Turkey's war of independence, the Turkish-Greek population exchange, and the status of the religious minorities. The last section will concentrate on the Republican years, the role of the military (and the coup d’états), secularism, the rise of Political Islam, and the Kurdish question. It will then address the almost twenty years of AKP rule: the brief turn to a multi-cultural/ethnic state and the European Union, the Gezi Park protests, and the 2016 failed Coup.

Through the textbook readings, academic articles, examination of primary sources, music and literature, this class will survey the Arab East (Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Palestine, and Jordan), Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Israel, and Iran. Following World War One, the region met new realities as the Ottoman Empire saw its last days and the British and French divided up the Arab East into independent countries under their occupation, with Turkey emerging as a nation-state. Egypt, from the late 19th century—already under British occupation—would begin a decades long struggle for independence. Meanwhile, the end of the Qajar Empire would also lead to the establishment of Iran. Following World War II, the Arab states received independence, Israel was established, and the Palestinian-Jewish conflict in British mandate Palestine would turn into a regional one, marking the birth of the Palestinian refugee crisis. The region also saw the rise (and decline) of revolutionary parties as it faced Cold War divisions. Both Turkey and Iran remained independent, however, internal strife would lead to coup d’états in Turkey and revolution in Iran. The region would also be witness to a civil war in Lebanon, an American occupation of Iraq, and years later, the civil war in Syria. Despite Israel achieving peace with Egypt and Jordan, now maintaining good relations with Saudi Arabia and some of the Gulf States, there is no end in sight to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict with Israel continuing to occupy Palestinian territory. No less important, we will track the role of the Islamist movements in these states. In addition, we will explore questions related to the different societies, such as gender, identity, and alternative voices.

Bringing together MA and MFA students from Brooklyn College and CUNY in PIMA, Screen Studies, Film, Art History, Queer and Feminist Studies, and related disciplines, this team-taught course engages closely with twelve AIDS activist videotapes from the first decade of the crisis to raise and respond to questions about videotape, analogue records, the archive, research, performance, and AIDS. The Spring 2020 class will sit and be built out here, in this growing Scalar "book," taking and growing the form of a student-generated, online, openly-available resource for more teaching, learning, and activism about the 12 tapes under consideration. In Spring 2019, the course was built in and using Omeka, and some of what remains is available there. An article about the first iteration of the experimental class by Professors Juhasz and McCoy is available on this site here (in Readings). In Spring 2020, students will build from the research, performance, art, and activism of the previous cohort, whose work focused on three current and past concerns raised by the selected tapes: prostitutes’ and sex workers rights and AIDS; art, voice, education, authenticity, and children in relation to AIDS and queerness; and community-based activism for and about communities of color, with a particular interest in the Brooklyn-based activist group, VOCAL, and their commitments to housing and safe consumption spaces for people affected by AIDS (see Student Projects).

All scholars, activists, researchers, and artists of a certain age and inclination are burdened with a soon-to-be-obsolete but always-beloved, carefully tended but perhaps recently quieted, collection which most likely sits on an office shelf gaining dust: their VHS Archive. Not a personal collection, but a professional one of continuing or even growing value if not usability, this archive has been lovingly built and used, probably over decades, for teaching and research and in support of the movements and issues that have mattered most to the collector. The Brooklyn College graduate course in Film and Art, VHS Archives, models how to store, transfer, share, research, teach and make art from, and reactivate one such archive: 12 videotapes focusing on AIDS, gender, sexuality and bodies selected from Dr. Alexandra Juhasz’s 300+ scholarly collection of VHS tapes recently gifted to the Brooklyn College Library where they will be housed, and digitized, for further use for teaching and research.

Over a semester, the class will take the form of a student-generated, online, openly-available resource for teaching, learning, and activism about 12 tapes under consideration. In Juhasz's recent book, AIDS Crisis Revisitation: conversations on HIV, Media, and Memory, co-written with AIDS activist Theodore Kerr, we contemplate the liabilities of the up-to-now patrimonial stewardship of the AIDS media archive, and posit activist interventions to find, share, and learn from holdings more complex than the recently revisited experiences and legacies of gay white men. This class activates one portion of just such archive, ready to be enjoyed, used, and mined by women, people of color, students, scholars, activists, and others curious to attend to the histories and current realities of HIV—and VHS–in America.

During the months ahead, you will develop a screenplay suitable for production in Film 3300W Thesis Film Production. To help accomplish this, you will be discussing various aspects of screenwriting and filmmaking, doing appropriate reading, screening films, completing exercises meant to develop your ideas and, most importantly, writing a five-to-ten page screenplay.

All assignments must be typed. Spelling and grammar count. Assignments are due at the beginning of each class.

Course Objectives and Goals

To complete a series of writing exercises
To present selected scenes from your screenplay to the class
To write a 5-10 page screenplay in proper format for production in an advanced film production class

The Documentary Production class is devoted to the development and production of short 5-10 minute documentaries.

The course promotes the idea of learning production skills through direct practice. Students in the class will be required to demonstrate an understanding of documentary research and development, camera techniques, location sound for documentary, as well as editing both picture and sound.

Students will consider important questions when developing their ideas for a documentary topic.

Course Goals:

Documentary Production will instill in film and television students an understanding and respect for the documentary format and medium.
Documentary Production will encourage students to explore various aesthetic options when shaping a documentary topic.
Students will learn the fundamental technical skills required to thoroughly research and develop a short documentary topic.
Students will learn the fundamentals of camera, sound, and editing considerations necessary for completing a short documentary.
Students will gain an appreciation of the role documentary can play in purposeful forms of filmmaking, with an emphasis on community engagement and community outreach.

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are pervasively used in most every discipline such environmental management, archeology, social sciences, business, marketing, and land use planning. In this course you will learn basic GIS concepts and gain experience in hands-on data collection, management, and analysis of data to produce information for better decision making and interpretation.

There are many books on global warming written entirely from a layman's perspective, and there is a great deal of scientific literature on this subject. But few if any books attempt to bridge the science to those who lack a rigorous background in mathematics, physics and chemistry-but who may be working on careers in environmental science and policy. The new text is designed to introduce the field of global climate change from a scientific perspective-but written in a way that is accessible to students with some or little science background. It reviews the basic principles of climatic thermodynamics and atmospheric chemistry and then goes on to explain historic trends and changes due to the burning of fossil fuels and other human-based activity on earth.

Through the use of an interactive website, this course introduces students to several important topics in geology. These include the distinctive characteristics of rocks and minerals,the interpretation of specialized maps, the theory of plate tectonics and the processes by which rocks form from earth materials. It provides on-line exercises to present and explain each topic. The website provides all the resources and information required to gain mastery of the subject matter. Links to the on-line exercises and to course information (such as the course calendar, exam and assignment due dates, grading practices, etc.) are found on the course home page.

The nineteenth century in England saw the blossoming of the novel as an art form. In this reading and writing intensive class we will study several prime examples of the genre. The novels we will read reflect Victorian customs and beliefs regarding social class, marriage, religion, politics, science, and gender roles, during a time of unprecedented change. We’ll consider the ideas presented in these works in view of their historical contexts, with a particular emphasis on the novel as social critique and agent for change.

Welcome to ENGL 3141: Victorian Poets
This course is being taught in the Spring 2021 Semester by Prof. Justin Gallagher of Brooklyn College.

This is an introductory creative writing class in which you will read and analyze great writing, and have a go at writing your own great fiction, plays, and poems. We will consider how these forms of creative expressions of operate— what can we learn from the poet's attention to language and imagery, from the fiction writer's development of character and plot, from the playwright's skill with dialogue, pacing and engaging an audience? We will examine exemplary texts and discuss how and why the author made particular craft and technical choices. We will also see what happens when a short story, a play or a poem is interpreted in film.

The goal for this class is for you to find a way to tap into, and become acquainted with, your creative voice. You’ll learn methods to help you turn off your pesky self-editor and you will be encouraged to take risks. Analyzing and experimenting with new modes of storytelling will help you gain a deeper understanding of your own writing process, and in turn, will offer you so many new creative possibilities for your own work.

This site is the OER for Martha Nadell's English 7320 at Brooklyn College. Here's what Dead Girls is all about:

Young flirts. Debutantes. Street Walkers. In the nineteenth century, or at least in its novels, consumption, Roman fever, and madness claim these girls quite young. This class focuses on the surprisingly common figure of the dead girl in nineteenth-century American literature. We investigate the death of the young girl through a range of issues, including the construction of femininity and maternity, the intersection of class and ethnicity, the contrast between urban and rural space, and the formation of national identity. We speculate about the nature of realism and naturalism and explore the visual culture of dead girls of the time. We focus on the work of Louisa May Alcott, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Henry James, Edith Wharton, and others.

Bulletin description: Essentials of the structure and nature of the English language. A systematic study of English grammar: the elements and processes of the sound system, the system of grammatical markers, the syntax and the semantic systems of English.

3 hours and conference; 3 credits

Workshop in expository writing: strategies of, and practice in, analytical reading and writing about texts. Fundamentals of grammar and syntax. Frequent assignments in writing summaries, analyses, comparisons of texts, and such other expository forms as narration, description, and argumentation. Emphasis on writing as a process: invention, revision, editing. Satisfies Pathways Required Core English composition requirement. (Not open to students who have completed English 1.7.)

Prerequisite: Placement in the course on the basis of 480 or higher on the verbal SAT or 75 on the New York State Regents Examination in English, or a score of 56 on the CUNY CATW writing examination.

U.S. media law. First amendment. Intellectual property. U.S. media policy history. Digital and satellite challenges for policy and law. Theories of public interest and deregulation. Cultural and political implications of law and policy.

Prerequisite: Television and Radio 1165 or permission of the instructor

COMM 3300/CASD 3235/TVRA 3535 is an introductory course in United States communication law that examines the legal limitations on communication as well as the rights and responsibilities of professional communicators.

This is a descriptive course, not a “how-to” course. This course will not qualify you to provide legal advice. It will, however, provide you with a basic understanding of the law and in some cases may provide you with enough information to know when you might need to contact an attorney for legal assistance.

This site is for those interested in ancient medicine and the medical humanities, both at Brooklyn College and around the world. It features open access web resources and other resources available to the City University of New York community. It is committed to the use of Open Educational Resources (OER).

The medical humanities is a multidisciplinary field that embraces the study of medicine through the lenses of literature, history, philosophy, the social sciences, and the arts in the context of applied medicine and bioethics. It draws upon these diverse disciplines in pursuit of medical educational goals, and in its continued valuation of liberal arts education supports the classical ideals of critical analysis and cultural awareness concerning the sickness and health of society and the individual.

A combination of ART 1010 and CLAS 1110

Art 1010
Art, Its History and Meaning
This course will introduce students to major works of art from cultures around the world, spanning ancient to modern periods. We will focus on developing skills of formal analysis by closely studying works of painting, sculpture, and architecture. We will also discuss the objects chosen in their historical, political, sociological, and religious contexts in order to better understand their meaning and significance.

CLAS 1110 Classical Cultures

3 hours; 3 credits

Introductory study of ancient cultures through close reading of a variety of texts; most sections will focus on Greece and Rome, but some may explore other classical traditions such as those of India, Mesopotamia or China. Attention to such questions as literary genre, material and performance contexts, gender, political institutions, religion, philosophy, models of culture and the creation of a classical tradition. Practice in close reading and communication by means of critical writing, class discussion and other methods, such as collaborative group work. (Not open to students who have completed Core Studies 1, 1.1, 1.2, or CORC 1110.) Prerequisite: None.

This course fulfills the World Cultures and Global Issues requirement of the Flexible Common Core of the CUNY Pathways General Education Requirements.

Considers literal and figurative perversions of the human ideal. Themes to be explored may include transcendence and degradation, nature and civilization, gender, and fears of miscegenation. (Not open to students who have completed Core Curriculum 3113.) 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 Satisfies Pathways College Option requirement.

Welcome to Magic in the Ancient World, a course designed to introduce you to the main themes and ideas of ancient magic from the eighth century B.C.E. through the sixth century C.E. We will explore the social, ritual, and ideological contexts of Greco-Roman magic, with a particular emphasis on ancient practitioners and their wares. Additionally, we will compare Greco-Roman magical practices with those of other contemporary traditions, including ancient Judaism and Christianity, and will explore where these traditions overlap and intersect. Through a combination of lectures, peer-facilitated discussions, and student writing assignments, we will actively engage and critically analyze the documents left to us by or about ancient "witches, warlocks, seers, and saviors." By the end of the term you, the student, will possess the skills needed to study ancient magic academically and will have expertise in various methods used to analyze and discuss ancient texts and their relevance within contemporary contexts. Readings from BC Library will require a BC email login; it is advisable to log in to the library reources at the start of each session. For external links you will be directed outside of this site.

Department-wide resource for this core curriculum class.
Catalog description:
Introductory study of ancient cultures through close reading of a variety of texts; most sections will focus on Greece and Rome, but some may explore other classical traditions such as those of India, Mesopotamia or China. Attention to such questions as material, historical, or performance contexts, gender, political institutions, religion, philosophy, models of culture and the creation of a classical tradition. Practice in close reading and communication by means of critical writing, class discussion and other methods, such as collaborative group work. Satisfies Pathways Flexible Core World Cultures and Global Issues requirement. (Not open to students who are enrolled in or have completed CORC 1110).

This introductory graduate level three-credit course is taken in the first semester of the interdisciplinary, collaborative Advanced Certificate Program in Autism Spectrum Disorders. The course also serves as an elective in the Master’s Program in Speech-Language Pathology. Contemporary issues in autism spectrum disorders across the lifespan are addressed from an interdisciplinary, inter-professional cross-paradigm perspective. Key units include historical perspectives on autism, theoretical models, core characteristics and co-morbid features, lifespan issues including the concerns of families from diverse backgrounds, and ASD culture and identity from a strengths-based perspective. The resources on this site are curated links from the World Wide Web as well as from the Brooklyn College Library. Readings from BC Library will require a BC email login; it is advisable to log in to the library reources at the start of each session. For external links you will be directed outside of this site.

Course description:

This online course is an introduction to criminal forensics. Topics will include some basic principles of chemistry, criminal investigative procedures, evidence identification, sample analyses, fingerprints, drug testing, and case studies.

Learning objectives:

Practice observation and reasoning skills.
Understand some basic principles of chemistry.

Upon completion of this course, students should:

Understand the basic physical principles underlying chemistry and be able to apply them both to qualitatively explaining phenomena and quantitatively predicting or interpreting outcomes.
Understand and be able to explain fundamental ideas in the practice of science, including the nature of scientific evidence, the scientific method, and appropriate practices with respect to record-keeping, safety, and treatment of data.
Students should be able to apply principles of chemistry to understanding its role in other fields (e.g. biology), while understanding its underpinnings in physics and mathematics.

About Urban Archaeology
Archaeology is undoubtedly most famous for its exploration and discovery of “wonderful things” from the deep past in “exotic” places: Tutankhamun’s tomb! Lost Maya cities! Archaeologists are also keen sift through and ask questions of ancient garbage: What do these tools at Stonehenge suggest about Neolithic and Bronze Age social networks? These discoveries and questions are important for understanding where we came from. However, more and more archaeologists are turning their attention, their theory, and their methods to the recent past and contemporary worlds. This course explores a body of work that advances these efforts in American urban places and considers debates that make the more recent American urban world its object. The course then asks students to assess and evaluate various aspects of American urban life through exposure to a broad range of archaeological case studies.

This graduate session is a studio class on the topic of video art. Students, through creative projects, readings, and screenings, will develop a practical and conceptual approach to the medium. Video, although used as an artists' material since the late 1950's, has undergone many transformations both due to technical innovation and shifting cultural and artistic landscapes. Video art today is in such wide use by artists in general that it can seem barely noteworthy beyond a materials footnote. However, Video Art, born during a time of the intersection of television culture, conceptual art, and performance art, retains traces of all of these today. This seminar will provide a useful introduction to Video Art's history, methods, and expressive capacities. Technically, we will look at digital editing and compositing techniques as well as mining the characteristics of the many camera technologies available today.

This session will be a studio based model in which students will complete 2D animation projects using multimedia elements such as images, sound, music, and text. These images can be drawings, photographs, or three dimensional materials. The course will help students develop a facility with tools and will steer them towards a personal animation style. Class time will be used to show works in progress, ask questions, get and give feedback, view historical examples, and work on animations in class. There will be opportunities for both individual and collaborative projects. Pre-production techniques like storyboarding and animatics will be covered. Both low and high-tech animation will be examined including cell animation, stop-motion, and motion graphics.

This course focuses specifically on the Western region of Africa and will examine a diverse range of arts and cultures from the following countries: Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Mali, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Burkina Faso, and Senegal. By focusing on a specific geographic region, students will be able to better understand the arts of the aforementioned countries and how they are interrelated. Students will be further encouraged to examine how African cultures and their respective art forms have been represented by Western academics and the Western art historical canon. The course will include both historical and contemporary art forms, such as masks and masquerades, textiles, wood carvings/sculptures, and architecture. Contemporary works of art will also be discussed, with an emphasis placed on artists who are influenced by historical forms of African art (such as El Anatsui and Yinka Shonibare).

Global Contemporary Art from the Postwar/Postcolonial era to the present. It will consider the historical and contemporary contexts of the countries and artists discussed as well as theoretical issues of globalism, diaspora, and hybridity. While it would be impossible to cover all of global contemporary art in a course such as this, case studies involving different artists and regions will afford the opportunity to seriously investigate different artistic movements and cultures and address global and diasporic issues.

The course will look at the postwar or postcolonial periods in the various countries and then address more contemporary art that is global and often diasporic.

This course will combine art history with gender studies. It will be a balancing art between art historical discussions of key women artists from the Renaissance to the present, problematizing issues and reading theoretical texts. (Not open to students who have completed Art 15.6.)

This class is an OER class—all assignments can be found online here on this site.

This seminar aims to channel the excitement and interest generated by the film Black Panther into a course that utilizes its themes, design elements, and costumes as a means to explore the art and culture of the African continent. This course will provide students with the tools to assess how African cultures are referenced and reimagined in the film, ultimately allowing them to assess if these allusions are informed and appropriate and how they shape our understanding of the film. The course begins by providing students with several theoretical frameworks for understanding the film and its use of African cultures, followed by an exploration of ancient and historical African empires that served as the inspiration for the mythological empire of Wakanda. The majority of the class focuses on specific characters, examining the actual culture practices and forms of dress that influenced their characterization, providing students with a more nuanced and informed understanding of African cultural practices. Students will examine a diverse range of visual art forms throughout the African continent, with an emphasis on textiles, dress and adornment. Most importantly, this course will encourage students to interrogate and question how African cultures are frequently referenced in American popular culture.

This course is an introduction to American Studies through the questions of identity. How are our identities formed and how do they function? What does it mean to be “American,” who claims this identity, and on what terms? How do American identities shape—and how are they shaped by—factors such as class, race, ethnicity, gender, language, nation, and sexuality?

This semester, we will examine diverse American identities, with an emphasis on the social and cultural forces that mold them. We will explore the structural differences that divide individuals and groups, and ways that people challenge or transcend these divisions. This interdisciplinary course integrates materials from literary studies, history, ethnic and gender studies, and sociology. We will read some academic theories about identity, but will more often read what a wide range of Americans have written about their own individual and collective identities.

The aim is to help you better understand your own and other people’s identities, the languages and conventions that writers use to analyze identities, and how varied perspectives on identity in the United States and the Americas speak to—and at times against—one another. Rather than settle on a final definition of either “America” or “identity,” we will explore both as products of on-going dialogue, debate, and change.

Matrix algebra. Systems of linear equations. Determinants. Vector spaces. Linear independence. Linear transformations. Inner product spaces.

This is an inter and trans-disciplinary course, which has two main objectives. The first is to serve as an introduction into the current realities and challenges of the LatinX community within the criminal justice complex in the United States. The course seeks to critically examine the misconceptions and realities of the LatinX community within the larger discussion of mass incarceration and prison reform in the United States. Close attention will also be paid to the use of criminalization as a form of social control and the proliferation of regulations, ordinances, and legislative acts that give legal form to such methods of discipline and punishment. The course will address dynamics and phenomena of racial profiling; juvenile justice; drug criminalization; and the intersection of immigration law with criminal law. In concluding, the course will shift to understanding and connecting the prison-industrial complex to what the future holds for marginalized communities within the current movement and crisis of global capital.

The course also seeks to improve your skills in critical reading, writing, and thinking. Paper assignments and essay exams will provide opportunities to develop your own interpretations systematically and polish your writing skills.

While there undoubtedly exists an infinite research agenda when it comes to the study mass incarceration and the ongoing challenges of the LatinX community within the criminal justice system of the United States, it is only possible [in 15 weeks] to cover a limited surface/amount of such complicated history and realities of these topics. However, I have provided a list of suggested/recommended readings for additional literature to be consulted.

An introduction to concepts of program planning for health education in the community. Program development, implementation, and evaluation of currently functioning community health education programs.

Identification and analysis of various techniques, media, and approaches used in community health education.

Elementary statistical techniques applied to tests and measurements in health education. Design and evaluation of tests to measure health attitudes, knowledge, and behavior. Development and use of tests to augment the teaching of health. After taking this course you should be able to understand and interpret statistical results of health research studies, and be able to perform descriptive and basic inferential statistical analyzes on health data. Practical applications regarding contemporary health issues are emphasized.

Development of awareness and understanding of the aging process. Health and health-related needs of the aging. Preventive, restorative, and rehabilitative services for the aged.

America’s tradition as a pluralistic society dates back to before its birth as a modern nation state. Before the first European outposts of Jamestown and Plymouth were erected, North America was already populated with nearly 160 culturally different Native American tribes — without a common language. The introduction of European culture to North America only injected more diversity into an already competitive pluralistic society. The objective of this course will be to examine how such diversity influenced the arc of American history and society through a careful analysis of the people, events, themes, and consequences that shaped the American experience from the pre-Columbian to the post-Civil War period — with special attention paid to religion, culture, language, and politics, as well as class, gender, and ethnicity. At the end of the semester, you will have enough knowledge to identify recurrent themes and events in American History. You will also have the opportunity to improve your critical thinking, reading, research and writing skills through assignments where you will have to identify, contextualize, and analyze events, sources, and viewpoints within US history.

Course offers a one-semester overview of American history through a combination of lectures, reading, written assignments, and discussion. This site provides access to open print and multimedia resources; selected course readings are available via password-protected pages accessible to enrolled students.

Supports the teaching of HIST 3401, 'American Pluralism to 1877,' by offering materials for customizable syllabi. These include open source textbooks, databases, primary source documents, videos and more.

ART 3164 (undergrad) course will explore the history of architecture and urbanism in New York City from the colonial period through the present day. We will study well-known monuments along with lesser-known but important works, and consider the political, cultural, and economic factors that fueled the development of New York’s built environment. This course will situate the architecture of New York City within the broader discourse of American architectural history, and will examine the impact that New York had on nationwide architectural trends. Classroom lectures will be supplemented regularly with site visits across the city.

ART 7097 History of Architecture and Urbanism in New York City
This course will explore the history of architecture and urbanism in New York City from the colonial period through the present day. We will study well-known monuments along with lesser-known but important works, and consider the political, cultural, and economic factors that fueled the development of New York’s built environment. This course will situate the architecture of New York City within the broader discourse of American architectural history, and will examine the impact that New York had on nationwide architectural trends. Classroom lectures will be supplemented regularly with site visits across the city.

Entails exploration of a variety of methodological approaches to object-based learning within a museum setting. Our goal is the achievement of a comprehensive understanding of methods in museum education.

Introduce students to major works of art from cultures around the world, spanning ancient to modern periods. We will focus on developing skills of formal analysis by closely studying works of painting, sculpture, and architecture. We will also discuss the objects chosen in their historical, political, sociological, and religious contexts in order to better understand their meaning and significance.

An introduction to the study of art and its history from ancient times to the present. In this course, we will study the history of Western art, beginning with the first objects created by prehistoric humans around 20,000 years ago and ending with the art and architecture of contemporary times.

The information presented in this course will provide you with the tools to recognize important works of art and historical styles, as well as to understand the historical context and cultural developments of Western art history through the end of the modern period. Introductory readings paired with detailed lectures will provide you with a well-rounded sense of the history, art, and culture of the West up through modern times.

At the end of this course, you will be able to identify key works of art and artistic periods in Western history. You will also be able to discuss the development of stylistic movements and relate those developments to important historical events.

What is art? Why is it created? What is its meaning? These are some of the questions we will ponder in this class. This course serves as an introduction to art, with an emphasis on visual literacy and historical context. We will explore major works of art and architecture, drawn from a wide range of world cultures and periods, from ancient times to the present.

An introduction to the history of art, emphasizing visual literacy in an historical context. Major works of art and architecture, drawn from a wide range of world cultures and periods from ancient times to the present, will be explored.

Students will learn to analyze works of art critically from both an historical and an interpretative point of view; in addition, they will gain an understanding of the importance of cultural diversity through exposure to the arts of many different times and places.
Students will have extensive practice in articulating aesthetic judgments effectively in spoken and written form.
Students will learn how to draw upon the cultural riches of New York City to enhance their learning within and outside the classroom.
Identify unique characteristics of several artistic traditions, and recognize and analyze the differences among the major periods, artists, genres, and theories of art.
Use terms of art historical analysis correctly and be able to apply them to unfamiliar works.

Examine the history of visual art across world cultures from the fourth millennium BCE to the twentieth century CE. Starting with the early civilizations of ancient Mesopotamia, we will explore the ways in which art has shaped, and been shaped by,the development of empires, cities, religions, politics, and social life through history. Our focus will be on major monuments and artworks that are exemplary of their time and place, but we will also look at lesser known objects to nuance and deepen our historical understanding. Classes will be primarily lecture-based, with time for discussion and questions as we explore the issues raised by both the artworks and the required readings.

Introductory course offers various windows into the development of human expression through the arts, spanning prehistory to the 21st century. Using art from diverse cultures and time periods, we will explore the way that art functions within broader societal trends and ideas, both reacting to and influencing major historical moments. Students will become comfortable with speaking and writing about specific art-historical styles, issues and key terms, and be able to approach art in both a formal/visual and historic context. They will also learn how to navigate and explore their own specific interests within the history of art and become aware of resources that will guide them to further complexify their own research and writing.

What is art? Why does it matter? This course presents a general global view of art history through slide lectures, class discussions, video resources and a museum visit. It selectively surveys the visual arts, beginning with the first objects created by prehistoric humans around 20,000 years ago and ending with the art and architecture of today, covering concurrent historical periods in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas.

Using art from diverse cultures and time periods, we will explore the way that art functions within broader societal trends and ideas, both reacting to and influencing major historical moments.

You will become comfortable with speaking and writing about specific art historical styles, issues and key terms, and be able to approach art in both a formal/visual and historic context. You will also learn how to navigate and explore your own specific interests within the history of art and become aware of resources that will guide you to further your own academic pursuit

Chris Richards' course at Brooklyn College offers a thematic examination of African art with an emphasis on the importance of women, a group recognized for their influence on and creation of artistic forms, yet seldom the exclusive focus of academic inquiry. Students will examine a diverse range of visual art forms throughout the African continent, in both historical and contemporary contexts. Although the course is organized thematically, students will be encouraged to interrogate these categories, exploring how specific art forms can fit into multiple categories. The thematic structure will allow students to compare similar art forms from different African cultures, such as pottery and masquerades. Lastly, this course will encourage students to question academic sources for potential biases, particularly in regards to the representation of women.

Survey and theoretical foundations in Puerto Rican and Latin@ Studies. Case study on Puerto Rico. Pertinent themes in Puerto Rican and Latin@ history, culture, literature, contemporary society, and politics. Impact of the United States? economic policies on Puerto Rico and the causes of Puerto Rican and LatinX migration to New York City and urban centers. Satisfies Pathways Flexible Core US Experience in Its Diversity requirement.
This is an inter— and trans-disciplinary course which has two main objectives. The first is to critically introduce students to the theoretical foundations in Puerto Rican and Latinx Studies, both broadly defined. While the course places Puerto Rico as the central focus and as a case study of the class, corresponding spaces within the Spanish Caribbean will also be placed into analysis in order to examine the pertinent and current themes in Puerto Rican and Latinx history, culture, literature, and politics. Specific focus will be placed on the impact of the complex relationship of Puerto Rico with the United States since 1898 related but not limited to the economic, cultural, psychological, and political impacts on the Puerto Rican people both on the island and within the Union. In addition, the investigation will explore the multi-faceted causes of Puerto Rican and Latinx migration to New York City and urban spaces in the U.S.

Basic descriptive and inferential statistics including the elements of experimental designs in psychological research. STEM variant course - Satisfies Pathways Required Core Math and Quantitative Reasoning requirement

Introduce the student to a sociological approach to Public Health. The course can be divided in two parts. In the first one, we analyze the impact of different social factors on the health of individuals and different communities. We use the social determinants of health framework to understand why Black and Latinx communities have worse overall health indicators, or how gender oppression translates into adverse health outcomes for women. Social class is recognized as a major determinant of health: an individual’s place in society, their role in the production process, and their situation within capitalist property relations conditions their habits, their ability to adopt a healthy lifestyle, and their access to quality health care.

In the second part of the course we take a deep dive into the madness of US Health Care. It is a well-known fact that the US health care system is the most expensive in the world and performs much worse than other systems spending roughly half as much per capita. A look into the different healthcare components and actors will allow the student to get a grasp of the “dysfunctionality” of US health care. The readings in class provide a framework and compelling empirical evidence to identify the economic interests lying behind the reluctance to implement a less expensive, more equitable, and more efficient health care system. We analyze on of the ‘single-payer alternatives’, Medicare for All.

Application and interpretation of basic descriptive and inferential statistical methods for the analysis of public health and other health-related data.
After taking this course students should:
Be familiar with how inferences are made using data from research studies
Be able to understand and interpret statistical results of nutrition and health research studies
Be able to perform basic descriptive and inferential statistics using a calculator, spreadsheet software and statistics software.

The course contributes to the following ACEND knowledge requirement:
KRDN 4.6 Analyze data for assessment
Evaluate data to be used in decision-making for continuous quality improvement

An introduction to the major facts, principles, methods, and theories of psychology. Topics include the history of psychology, sensory and perceptual processes, learning and cognition, motivation and emotion, psychological development, clinical and abnormal psychology, and biological, social, and personality determinants of behavior.

A studio course in which students will work together to create co-authored artworks. Emphasis will be placed on the creation of experimental, performative, and process-based works bringing together disparate media. The role of collaboration in contemporary art will be discussed, including examples of important collaborative groups and different models for collaboration. Particular emphasis will be placed on the theoretical examination of the collective dimension of social experience by artists working with participatory projects.

To work in the arts, it is of utmost importance to begin to recognize how artwork is contextualized by and often an integral part of the social and political world in which it was created. Through working together in groups, and encountering texts, screenings, and current art exhibitions we will investigate the impact of artistic speech. We will explore questions such as: Can art act as a vehicle for communication? Can art effect change? Can art be truly autonomous?

Phonological theory and research of typical articulation and phonological patterns; perceptual and motor development; phonological processes; evidence-based assessment and intervention; etiologies and characteristics of speech sound disorders; relationships to phonological awareness and literacy; culturally and linguistically appropriate practice.

This is an inter and trans-disciplinary course, which has two main objectives. The first is to serve as an introduction into the current realities and challenges of the LatinX community within the criminal justice complex in the United States. The course seeks to critically examine the misconceptions and realities of the LatinX community within the larger discussion of mass incarceration and prison reform in the United States. Close attention will also be paid to the use of criminalization as a form of social control and the proliferation of regulations, ordinances, and legislative acts that give legal form to such methods of discipline and punishment. The course will address dynamics and phenomena of racial profiling; juvenile justice; drug criminalization; and the intersection of immigration law with criminal law. In concluding, the course will shift to understanding and connecting the prison-industrial complex to what the future holds for marginalized communities within the current movement and crisis of global capital.

The course also seeks to improve your skills in critical reading, writing, and thinking. Paper assignments will provide opportunities to develop your own interpretations systematically and polish your writing skills.

While there undoubtedly exists an infinite research agenda when it comes to the study mass incarceration and the ongoing challenges of the LatinX community within the criminal justice system of the United States, it is only possible [in 15 weeks] to cover a limited surface/amount of such complicated history and realities of these topics. However, provided is a list of suggested/recommended readings for additional literature to be consulted.

Examination of experimental design as applied to nutrition research, including intervention, observational, survey, and animal models. Development of research topics; methods of data collection; interpretation and presentation of results; ethical considerations; application of principles for development of research proposals and evaluation of the nutrition literature. (Prerequisites: advanced coursework in Nutrition and a course in Biostatistics)

Examine critical research issues in Puerto Rican and Latinx studies. Introduce students to a variety of ways of thinking about “knowledge" and to specific ways of knowing and making arguments in Puerto Rican and Latinx studies using key humanistic, social science, and "interdisciplinary methodologies."

How do we study U.S. Latino and Caribbean populations and cultures? Some read literature, watch a film, read a history book… and others conduct interviews, do field work to identify and describe social and cultural practices, or collect oral histories and traditions. Are you interested in learning how to use different sources and methods to learn more about ethnic communities in the United States? What is the contribution of ethnic studies to our knowledge about migrant and underrepresented populations and their cultural manifestations? This class is a basic introduction to cultural and social science research methods with a focus on Caribbean and Latino Studies. Course includes library workshops, and class visits by professors and students who will discuss how they use different methods in their research and teaching.

Furthermore, the course will introduce you to the research process, including how researchers select topics, formulate research questions, design research, and analyze and interpret data. It will explore differences in how these issues present themselves and are addressed in designs that are quantitative, qualitative or both.

Matrix algebra. Systems of linear equations. Determinants. Vector spaces. Linear independence. Linear transformations. Inner product spaces.

Trigonometric and inverse trigonometric functions, techniques (closed form and numerical) and applications of integration for functions of one variable, improper integrals, l'Hopital's rule, sequences, series, and polar coordinates.

Mathematics 1201, 1206 and 2201 constitute a three-term sequence. Mathematics 1201 is an introduction to calculus: limits and continuity; derivatives and integrals of algebraic, exponential, logarithmic, and trigonometric functions of one variable; methods of numerical approximation, and applications of the derivative to mathematics, physics, engineering, biology, chemistry, and other fields. STEM variant course - Satisfies Pathways Required Core Math and Quantitative Reasoning requirement.

Introduction to Calculus flipped classroom. In a “flipped classroom” students watch online video lectures, demonstrations, and explanations of assignments before class. (All videos are closed captioned). Class time is spent doing what is traditionally called “homework." The teacher in a flipped classroom is able to spend time working one-to-one with students, clarify assignments, and offer help as needed. Classmates can work together on in-class assignments, engage in discussions, or collaborate on projects. A major benefit is that teachers spend more time working directly with students instead of lecturing to them.

Preparation for calculus with more introductory material than Mathematics 1011. Mathematics 1021 and 1026 constitute a two-term sequence for students who are not prepared for Mathematics 1011 or who wish a review. Real numbers. Complex numbers. Graphs. Functions, especially linear and quadratic functions. Polynomials and rational functions. Introduction to logarithmic and exponential functions.

Real Numbers, Sets and Intervals, Absolute Value, Exponents and Radicals, Algebraic Expressions, Polynomials, Rational Expressions, Factoring, Solving Basic Equations, Solving Equations Involving Radicals, Solving Quadratic Equations, The Coordinate Plane, Lines, Introduction to Functions and Relations, Linear Functions in Two Variables, Systems of Linear Equations, Graphs of linear and quadratic functions. Starting Fall 2019 qualifies as STEM variant course - Satisfies Pathways Required Core Math and Quantitative Reasoning requirement.

Math 1011/ Math 1012:
Preparation for calculus. Trigonometry. The concept of function, including, linear and quadratic functions, composition of functions, polynomials and rational functions, exponential, logarithmic, trigonometric, and inverse trigonometric functions. Conic sections. Binomial theorem. Introduction to limit ideas.

Analysis and discussion of ethical issues related to television, Radio and Emerging Media. Case histories and role playing provide value judgments concerning entertainment, information, and advertising functions of mass media.

This course is the same as Philosophy 3319.
This course is the same as Television, Radio and Emerging Media 3223.

As organisms, humans need to eat to live. As cultural beings, eating and food provide some of the most basic ways in which humans define themselves. One group’s delicacies are another’s taboos, and what defines comfort foods and favorite dishes shifts drastically across cultures and individuals. Eating and food are simultaneously profoundly personal, deeply cultural, inherently economic, and increasingly political. This course is organized around the production, circulation, and consumption of food, and the political and economic effects of those processes. Students will learn to use food as an analytical entry point for thinking about relationships among humans and with non-human beings.

Introduction to the discipline of sociology. Simply put, sociology is the scientific study of society and of social life – the organization and operation of society, the social institutions, relationships, norms and cultures that undergird social life and which we, as members of society interact with and respond to in our everyday lives. The promise of sociology is a rethinking of “common sense”; it involves a reexamination of our everyday assumptions of social dynamics and social life. We will therefore explore the structuring of society that contextualizes our lives, how institutions and structures shape individuals who in turn recreate these institutions – in short, we will develop what C. W. Mills called a “sociological imagination”. Sociology is a very broad discipline. We will not be able to cover all topics that are of interest to sociologists in this course. Therefore, in this course we will focus on mastering three broad themes in sociology:

sociological imagination and thinking
power and structural inequality
lived experience in institutions.

Within these broad themes we will examine what sociology entails, the key theoretical perspectives through which social life is analyzed the intersectional operation of power and inequality through race/ethnicity, class, gender, sexuality, nation, (dis)ability, age among others, and how social life is lived through key social institutions like families, workplaces, public space etc.

In her Introduction to Women in Theatre: Compassion and Hope, Karen Malpede quotes Barbara Ann Teer as saying: “My ancestors say there is something within—it banishes all pain. That energy—that life force—that’s inside us is there. It’s given, and it’s in everybody. Everybody wants to experience themselves as able to generate their power and to experience the validation of that power.” The purpose of this course is to explore the rich and myriad ways that women and gender non-conforming artists have expressed that “life force” throughout the history of theater. We will draw on a diverse cross-section of materials to foster discussion about gender, race, identity, sex and performance, and to celebrate, and gain a deeper knowledge and appreciation of women’s role in the development of theater.

An introduction to C++ and its roles providing support for object-oriented programming, generic programming, procedural programming, and low-level programming. The C++ memory model, and topics in explicit memory management. Storage classes, scope, and compilation stages. The Standard Template Library. Comparison with Java.

Is life worth living? Why? Or why not? What if the answer is 'maybe'? Why do we, human beings, struggle to answer this question? Why do we often answer by searching for the meaning of life? Why do we often say that a good life is happy or just or committed to doing what is good? Why do so many of us pursue wealth, fame, status or power instead?

In spite of all the ways in which our world is changing right now, these perennial questions of human living have become ever more relevant. Through the practice of philosophy, human beings investigate these questions in reasonable and sensible ways.

We will study major historical examples of Western philosophical inquiry into these questions, so that we can both:

learn about the intellectual history that has helped to shape some ways in which we view the world today and
develop our own skills for careful and methodical philosophical inquiry.

Students will learn to ask philosophical questions like the ones above, to articulate their own answers, to read and understand the way some philosophers have answered them in the past, and to revise or develop their own views in response.

We will aim to create a community of inquiry into these questions which are central to human experience.

In-depth study of tools and techniques for designing dynamic and interactive multimedia systems for use in live performance situations. Emphasis will be on student creation of custom computer software to realize interactive projects. Video, audio, three-dimensional computer images, and alternative computer-human interfaces will be addressed. Extensive instruction in graphical computer programming; no experience required.

An introduction to the field of gender studies as it is approached in the discipline of sociology. We will examine how sociologists have come to theorize about gender and how gender effects both social institutions and our everyday lives. Gender, as a social category and its consequences are so pervasive in the world around us that it is often taken for granted. In this course, you will be introduced to concepts, theories and facts which will enable you to render gender visible as it operates in society and in your lives. Because gender is an organizing principle in society, a sociological examination of gender necessitates that our primary concerns remain inequalities and power relations in our undertaking of this discussion. Therefore, an intersectional perspective will be taken in the class wherein the intersection of gender will race, ethnicity, social class, sexuality, and nationality will be examined.

Addresses foundational knowledge related to many aspects of clinical practice in speech-language pathology. It has been developed to support students entry into their first clinical practicum and supervision experience.

This is an advanced inter and trans-disciplinary course which has two main objectives. The first is to demonstrate applied research and methodology, through social-historical analysis, to pressing and relevant phenomena of inquiry in Puerto Rican and LatinX Studies. The course is heavily focused on examining pertinent issues as it exists within Puerto Rican and LatinX communities in the United States and in Puerto Rico. Students will engage critical and contextualized analyses within the multi-faceted realities of LatinX population in the United States. The course also seeks to demonstrate the cross-analytical understanding of the various frameworks that can be employed to conduct social analysis (i.e.,, literary, social-historical, and cultural) although the central lens of the course is its social-historical variant.

Syllabus for course: Language development in relation to motor, perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and social development from birth to age five; language sampling. Implications for individual, cultural, and linguistic variation and emergent literacy.

Sociological approaches to the study of racial and ethnic relations. Historical and contemporary constructions of identity, assimilation, stratification, and interaction between groups.

Survey of the concepts, methods, theories, and principles with which sociology interprets social behavior. Emphasis on the structure and problems of contemporary society.

What are social statistics? How are they produced? How are they used? And why are they important? The second course in the methods sequence in Sociology, this course introduces students to basic quantitative methods commonly used in the social sciences. Students will develop their “quantitative literacy” by identifying research questions best suited to quantitative methods, understanding the logic of statistical methods, analyzing quantitative data in Excel, and communicating those findings. After completing this course, students will have the skills to pursue and critically evaluate research using quantitative methods in future academic and career settings, as well as be critical readers of sociological literature and press reports that use statistics.

Overview and examination of problems in health care delivery in the United States. Introduction to the fundamental characteristics and organizational structures of the. health system. Study of the historical, political, ethical, and economic, and regulatory aspects of the public and private health systems. Critical evaluation of the quality, organization, and accessibility of health care services, and the role of different agencies and branches of government. Comparison of health care policy and systems in different countries.

Survey of speech, language, and communication disorders for educators. Consideration of varied disorders that might be encountered in educational settings; application to children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

Syllabus Description: This course is an overview of speech, language, and hearing disorders. It will investigate the impact of communication on children with developmental disabilities and enable non-specialists to work effectively with this population. Throughout this course, we will consider a range of problems (i.e. neurological and physiological disabilities), as well as applications to children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

Survey of speech, language, and communication disorders for educators. Consideration of varied disorders that might be encountered in educational settings; application to children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

This course is an overview of speech, language, and hearing disorders. It will investigate the impact of communication on children with developmental disabilities and enable non-specialists to work effectively with this population. Throughout this course, we will consider a range of problems (i.e. neurological and physiological disabilities), as well as applications to children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

Survey of speech, language, and communication disorders for educators. Consideration of varied disorders that might be encountered in educational settings; application to children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

This course is an overview of speech, language, and hearing disorders. It will investigate the impact of communication on children with developmental disabilities and enable non-specialists to work effectively with this population. Throughout this course, we will consider a range of problems (i.e. neurological and physiological disabilities), as well as applications to children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

Special programs, modifications of curriculum in the content areas, teaching strategies and approaches designed to meet the individual and group needs of culturally and linguistically diverse young children with special needs including giftedness, across the developmental spectrum in early education settings. Focus on family, community, and interagency partnerships; appropriate use of technology, including assistive technology, multiple assessment strategies.

This course includes supervised observation and experience in educational and clinical settings. Students in the field will work with individuals, groups, and families in counseling situations. Course discussions will combine theory with clinical work to insure a best practice approach to services for these populations.

Etiologies, characteristics, and evidence-based assessment and intervention of speech, literacy and language-based learning disabilities in school-age children and adolescents; theoretical paradigms used in identification, assessment and intervention; interdependence of language, literacy, and academic achievement; culturally and linguistically appropriate practice.

This open educational resource / zero-cost textbook (OER/ZTC) course site was created as part of the CUNY and SUNY 2017-19 Open Educational Resources Initiatives.

Course Description: What does it mean to lose or risk losing your language? What is the value of language, to speakers, to experts like anthropologists, to humanity more broadly? This course explores answers to these questions through thinking about language as a cultural practice and object, a political activity and topic, and something that is deeply entwined with speakers’ senses of self. We will consider case studies from the US immigrant experience as well as cases of language endangerment and loss around the globe. To analyze these issues more immediately, you will do a research project about a multilingual community to which they have access. You will collect online and/or offline evidence to tell a story about the ways multilingual practices shape relationships, life trajectories, collective histories, and material and symbolic spaces in a community.

Resource URL: https://anth3360.commons.gc.cuny.edu/syllabus/

This OER (open educational resource) is made to be used while teaching Anatomy and physiology of the auditory mechanism, pathology of the ear, assessment of hearing using behavioral, electroacoustic and electrophysiological measures with related instrumentation; Interpretation of audiometric test results. Experiential clinical-related activities.

This is a treasure hunt game that simulates various disabilities and gives a sense of how frustrating non-accessible content can be for people with disabilities. Suitable for a general audience, no programming experience necessary.
An editable copy is also given, along with ideas about how to make it more accessible.

This course provides an in-depth look at the main critical and theoretical approaches to studying television in particular, and the mass media in general. Students will learn the key concepts of theoretical approaches such as semiotics, ideological analysis, narrative theory, audience studies, psychoanalysis, feminism, and cultural studies and will learn how to use these theories to understand and critically analyze media texts, industries, audiences, and institutions. This is a writing-intensive course, and we will pay considerable attention to the process of researching, writing, and editing critical essays.

During this semester we will:
1) Trace the diaspora of folk and popular music traditions to the U.S. from various parts of the world.
2) Analyze the survival, transformation, and hybridization of those musical practices and their impact on American popular music.
3) Explore how and why American music is globalized; the role of the Internet and mass media in this process; and the ways in which local cultures around the world adapt American music to their own society and traditions.

This course takes a critical examination of sports and society from the standpoint of nation formation. Sports as a product of history are inherently political and a product of culture, power relations, and society. Common social beliefs: democracy, merit, rights, and nationality are troubled from the perspective of the United States rooted in settler-colonialism and sports as a site of conflict and potential social change. This course requires a view of sports that is necessarily different from what is typically expressed in mainstream media.

Because this is an introductory level course the basic goal is for students to demonstrate a sociological perspective. One does not need to be a sports fan or to even know a lot about sports. Conversely, an encyclopedic knowledge of sports does not necessarily give one an advantage in the course. All students will be assessed by their ability to examine the context of society, social issues, and themselves that arise in the world of sports.

Buried in the many headlines of 2017 was this news story about America’s music consumption: for the first time hip-hop was more popular than rock. This fact reflects hip-hop’s contemporary evolution into a multi-billion-dollar industry consumed worldwide. It also obscures hip-hop’s modest beginnings as the art form of choice for marginalized black and brown youth living in the disinvested 1970’s South Bronx. Though often reduced to rap alone, hip-hop is much more than a musical genre. It is also “a style of dress, dialect and language, way of looking at the world, and an aesthetic” (Aldridge and Stewart, 2005).

With that understanding as our foundation, this class uses a sociological lens to explore hip-hop’s significance beyond mere beats and rhymes. Through films, songs and critical readings we will discuss the social forces that influenced hip hop’s formation and evolution as well enable and constrain its future. This is not a music appreciation course so a love of hip hop is not required. Instead, what is required is the ability to think critically about how hip hop culture and music address race, class, gender and sexuality, inequality, police brutality and capitalism among other social issues. Our analysis will not only help you to develop a robust sociological imagination but also to become a more critical cultural consumer.

In this course students will become familiar with the history, current industry practices, and controversies involved in the mainstream mass media (newspapers, magazines, books, radio, television, film, recordings, and the Internet), their information and persuasion industries (news, advertising and public relations) and media issues (including impact, legal, and ethical issues).

In doing so, students will come to understand the relationships among the history of the media, their current industry practices, and the controversies that arise from these practices. A series of reading assignments, lectures, discussions (online, groups, pods) make up the course material. You are expected to read the assigned material before class and bring any questions or items for discussion. Following that discussion, we will explore areas in class that are beyond the readings.