395H Seminars - Summer/Fall 2023

This course will provide a one-semester overview of the historical development of the contemporary United States. We will first explore the pre-history of the country, focusing on the Enlightenment, the Protestant Reformation, European colonialism, the African slave trade, and the American Revolution. Next we will examine the creation of the powerful modern American state, digging into the processes of continental expansion, industrialization, immigration and the two World Wars. Finally, we will wrestle with key contemporary challenges, most notably the Cold War, struggles for social justice, globalization, climate change, and technological innovation. Students will write three brief papers, co-lead one week's discussion, and give an oral presentation on a research topic of their choice. This seminar offers an opportunity to examine the most important historical themes and issues of the past 500 years-a foundation for an educated citizen.

The nuclear weapons enterprise is unique in that it appears to be the only human endeavor that, if used, could wipe every living thing off the face of the earth. Yet nuclear weapons themselves and the doctrine that dictate their use have been credited with the dramatic drop in interstate war since 1945. States with nuclear weapons demand an unparalleled level of respect, yet obtaining and maintaining a nuclear arsenal is expensive and hazardous. Why do states seek nuclear weapons? What role do they play in the maintenance of international peace and security? Are they an effective tool or war or diplomacy? And should states have them at all? This course will dig into the history of the nuclear arms race and dissect the theories of deterrence, assurance, and mutually assured destruction. We will learn by reading, discussing, and participating in simulations.

For American culture, the crisis of Civil War was crucial and remains a matter of current tension as monuments, meanings, and memory are debated anew. Class discussions will explore how various writers analyzed and contributed to fundamental transformations in U.S. society. We will examine how these writers reacted to the implications of a war that (for the north) changed as the war progressed— Abraham Lincoln’s crucial shift in emphasis from the preservation of the union to the liberation of three million people. As Lincoln noted, Southerners and Northerners “prayed to the same God” and invoked the same founding fathers, yet ultimately understood the meanings of freedom and democracy quite differently. For much of the twentieth century the consensus opinion was that no literature emerged from the war commensurate with the magnitude of the human toll. That conclusion is now being critiqued as canonical and non-canonical writers are reevaluated in light of new studies of regionalism, sentimentalism, and realism as seen in both books and the periodical press.

This class will examine current issues in theory and research in developmental psychology (e.g., nature vs. nurture). The course is an intermediate level study of developmental issues. We will also learn about theories and methods of developmental psychology.

By the end of the semester, you will have developed:

1. Critical thinking and understanding in key selected topics in developmental psychology.
2. Basic knowledge about cognitive, social, emotional, moral, and cultural development.
3. An understanding of the roles of biology, families, media, peers, and other developmental agents.
4. Learn to conceptually integrate and apply developmental knowledge to real world issues.