This course explores the experiences and understandings of class among Americans positioned …
This course explores the experiences and understandings of class among Americans positioned at different points along the U.S. social spectrum. It considers a variety of classic frameworks for analyzing social class and uses memoirs, novels, and ethnographies to gain a sense of how class is experienced in daily life and how it intersects with other forms of social difference such as race and gender.
This class examines how anthropology and speculative fiction (SF) each explore ideas …
This class examines how anthropology and speculative fiction (SF) each explore ideas about culture and society, technology, morality, and life in "other" worlds. We investigate this convergence of interest through analysis of SF in print, film, and other media. Concepts include traditional and contemporary anthropological topics, including first contact; gift exchange; gender, marriage, and kinship; law, morality, and cultural relativism; religion; race and embodiment; politics, violence, and war; medicine, healing, and consciousness; technology and environment. Thematic questions addressed in the class include: what is an alien? What is "the human"? Could SF be possible without anthropology?
Over the years researchers have found the necessity to develop theories of …
Over the years researchers have found the necessity to develop theories of behavior that are specific to family settings. These theories have been developed by people with a variety of areas of emphasis, from family therapists to gerontologists to child development specialists. In this chapter we will briefly discuss six such theories: Bioecological Model, Family Systems, Functionalism, Conflict Theory, Symbolic Interactionism, and Psychological Perspectives.
Concentrates on specific periods of Classical Greek and Roman Literature in translation …
Concentrates on specific periods of Classical Greek and Roman Literature in translation with attention to cultural, political, and social influences. Topics vary from year to year chosen from among fifth-century Athens, the Golden Age of Latin Literature, the Silver Age, and Late Antiquity. Roman Literature of the Golden Age of Augustus Caesar, produced during the transition from Republican to Imperial forms of government, was to have a profound and defining influence on Western European and American societies. These writings ultimately established lasting models of aesthetic refinement, philosophical aspiration, and political ambition that continue to shape modern cultures. This class will be exploring the Golden Age of Latin Literature from an historical perspective in order to provide an intensive examination of the cultural contexts in which these monumental works of classical art were first produced. Readings will emphasize the transition from a Republican form of government to an Empire under the rule of Augustus Caesar and the diversity of responses among individual authors to the profound structural changes that Roman society was undergoing at this time. Particular attention will be devoted to the reorganization of society and the self through textuality, the changing dimensions of the public and the private, the roles of class and gender, and the relationship between art and pleasure. Writings covering a wide variety of literary genres will include the works of Caesar, Cicero, Catullus, Livy, Virgil, Horace, and Ovid, with additional readings from Cassius Dio for background.
In this interdisciplinary seminar, we explore a variety of visual and written …
In this interdisciplinary seminar, we explore a variety of visual and written tools for self exploration and self expression. Through discussion, written assignments, and directed exercises, students practice utilizing a variety of media to explore and express who they are.
Critical review of works, theories, and polemics in architecture in the aftermath …
Critical review of works, theories, and polemics in architecture in the aftermath of WWII. Aim is a historical understanding of the period and the development of a meaningful framework to assess contemporary issues in architecture. Special attention paid to historiographic questions of how architects construe the terms of their "present." Required of M.Arch. students.
This course enhances cross-cultural understanding through the discussion of practical, ethical, and …
This course enhances cross-cultural understanding through the discussion of practical, ethical, and epistemological issues in conducting social science and applied research in foreign countries or unfamiliar communities. It includes a research practicum to help students develop interviewing, participant-observation, and other qualitative research skills, as well as critical discussion of case studies. The course is open to all interested students, but intended particularly for those planning to undertake exploratory research or applied work abroad. Students taking the graduate version complete additional assignments.
Ethnic and racial conflict appear to be the hallmark of the new …
Ethnic and racial conflict appear to be the hallmark of the new world order. What accounts for the rise of ethnic/racial and nationalist sentiments and movements? What is the basis of ethnic and racial identity? What are the political claims and goals of such movements and is conflict inevitable? Introduces students to dominant theoretical approaches to race, ethnicity, and nationalism, and considers them in light of current events in Africa, Europe, and the Americas. Discerning the ethnic and racial dimensions of politics is considered by some indispensable to understanding contemporary world politics. This course seeks to answer fundamental questions about racial and ethnic politics. To begin, what are the bases of ethnic and racial identities? What accounts for political mobilization based upon such identities? What are the political claims and goals of such mobilization and is conflict between groups and/or with government forces inevitable? How do ethnic and racial identities intersect with other identities, such as gender and class, which are themselves the sources of social, political, and economic cleavages? Finally, how are domestic ethnic/racial politics connected to international human rights? To answer these questions, the course begins with an introduction to dominant theoretical approaches to racial and ethnic identity. The course then considers these approaches in light of current events in Africa, Asia, Latin America, Europe, and the United States.
From pineapples grown in Hawai'i to English-speaking call centers outsourced to India, …
From pineapples grown in Hawai'i to English-speaking call centers outsourced to India, the legacy of the "Age of Imperialism" appears everywhere in our modern world. This class explores the history of European imperialism in its political, economic, and cultural dimensions from the 1840s through the 1960s.
" This course explores the foundations of policy making in developing countries. …
" This course explores the foundations of policy making in developing countries. The goal is to spell out various policy options and to quantify the trade-offs between them. We will study the different facets of human development: education, health, gender, the family, land relations, risk, informal and formal norms and institutions. This is an empirical class. For each topic, we will study several concrete examples chosen from around the world. While studying each of these topics, we will ask: What determines the decisions of poor households in developing countries? What constraints are they subject to? Is there a scope for policy (by government, international organizations, or non-governmental organizations (NGOs))? What policies have been tried out? Have they been successful?"
This module discusses gender and its related concepts, including sex, gender roles, …
This module discusses gender and its related concepts, including sex, gender roles, gender identity, sexual orientation, and sexism. In addition, this module includes a discussion of differences that exist between males and females and how these real gender differences compare to the stereotypes society holds about gender differences. In fact, there are significantly fewer real gender differences than one would expect relative to the large number of stereotypes about gender differences. This module then discusses theories of how gender roles develop and how they contribute to strong expectations for gender differences. Finally, the module concludes with a discussion of some of the consequences of relying on and expecting gender differences, such as gender discrimination, sexual harassment, and ambivalent sexism.
Does it matter in education whether or not you've got a Y …
Does it matter in education whether or not you've got a Y chromosome? You bet it does. In this discussion-based seminar, we will explore why males vastly outrank females in math and science and career advancements (particularly in academia), and why girls get better grades and go to college more often than boys. Do the sexes have different learning styles? Are women denied advanced opportunities in academia and the workforce? How do family life and family decisions affect careers for both men and women?
The course will focus primarily on contemporary discourses concerning gender inequality. Most …
The course will focus primarily on contemporary discourses concerning gender inequality. Most of the readings assigned will be recent articles published in U.S. and British media capturing the latest thinking and research on gender inequality in the workplace. The class will be highly interactive combining case studies, videos, debates, guest speakers, and in-class simulations.
This course includes an introduction to the anthropological study of human sexuality, …
This course includes an introduction to the anthropological study of human sexuality, gender constructs, and the sociocultural systems that these are embedded in. Examines current critiques of Western philosophical and psychological traditions, and cross-cultural variability and universals of gender and sexuality.
This course examines relationships between identity and participation in Japanese popular culture …
This course examines relationships between identity and participation in Japanese popular culture as a way of understanding the changing character of media, capitalism, fan communities, and culture. It emphasizes contemporary popular culture and theories of gender, sexuality, race, and the workings of power and value in global culture industries. Topics include manga (comic books), hip-hop and other popular music, anime and feature films, video games, contemporary literature, and online communication. Students present analyses and develop a final project based on a particular aspect of gender and popular culture.
This course explores stereotypes associated with Asian women in colonial, nationalist, state-authoritarian, …
This course explores stereotypes associated with Asian women in colonial, nationalist, state-authoritarian, and global/diasporic narratives about gender and power. Students will read ethnography, cultural studies, and history, and view films to examine the politics and circumstances that create and perpetuate the representation of Asian women as dragon ladies, lotus blossoms, despotic tyrants, desexualized servants, and docile subordinates. Students are introduced to the debates about Orientalism, gender, and power.
Gender and Sexualities: An Inquiry was created to accompany UNST 231 Sophomore …
Gender and Sexualities: An Inquiry was created to accompany UNST 231 Sophomore Inquiry: Gender and Sexualities at Portland State University. Several of the articles mentioned within this text are only accessible to students, faculty and staff at Portland State University.
This course will introduce the student to the psychology behind gender and …
This course will introduce the student to the psychology behind gender and sexuality. In this course, the student will take a look at how our understanding of one's own gender and sex can affect different aspects of our functioning, while also identifying the factors in our lives that can impact oneĺÎĺĺÎĺs gender and sex. This course will begin by introducing and defining the concepts of gender and sexuality, then looking at the similarities and differences between sexes in terms of biological and neurological functioning and development, as well as gender and sexual identity. Also, the student will discuss why and how the sexes are psychologically and cognitively different. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to: define and explain specific terms that relate to gender and sexuality; define and explain influences that impact homosexual and heterosexual gender identities; define and explain sexual stereotypes; explain the biologically based characteristics, including differences and similarities, between genders; explain the differences between gender identities, including theoretical approaches; explain the sociobiological and psychoanalytic approaches to sexuality and gender identity; define and explain the social learning and cognitive developmental approaches to gender and sexuality; explain the commonalities and differences between the cognitive abilities of genders; explain the commonalities and differences between gender and aggression. (Psychology 406)
Gendered Lives takes a regional approach to examine gender issues from an …
Gendered Lives takes a regional approach to examine gender issues from an anthropological perspective with a focus on globalization and intersectionality. Chapters present contributors' ethnographic research, contextualizing their findings within four geographic regions: Latin America, the Caribbean, South Asia, and the Global North.
What makes a novel Gothic? In this course, the student will explore …
What makes a novel Gothic? In this course, the student will explore various definitions as he or she reads a number of novels (and screens several films). The student will supplement these studies with critical literature on the Gothic genre, critiquing and adapting their approaches and theories as the student sees fit. Upon completion of this course, students will be able to: provide a general description of the Gothic novel, with specific examples of literary themes, conventions, and tropes from the novels we have read; participate in the critical discourse that surrounds the issue of whether it is better to classify Gothic novels in terms of literary themes or historical context; explain how the Gothic novel both extends and breaks from the traditions of earlier genres; explain the historical development of the novel out of a specific political, social, and economic context; explain the themes of Gothic novels as reflections of prominent social, political, and economic concerns contemporaneous with their development; discuss the significance of the Gothic spaces in novels such as The Castle of Otranto and The Mysteries of Udolpho and explain the psychological implications of the representation of these spaces; critically discuss the theme of otherness in the Gothic novel, with attention to both the historical significance of the other, and the supernatural representation of the monster figure; identify themes of sexuality, gender, and feminism in Gothic novels as part of the novels' creation of psychological terror; explain how themes of sexuality, gender, and feminism in the Gothic novel comment on and respond to Victorian morality and notions of family; define the key terms associated with the Gothic novel and cite examples of these terms from texts read in the course; distinguish between terror and horror in the context of Gothic literary studies and cite examples of each. (English Literature 403)
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