Updates to the 2004-2005 Oberlin College Catalog

AAST

New Courses

204.  African History   3hours
         3SS, CD, WR
Sem 2   CRN 12643   AAST-204-01   MWF--10:00-10:50    Mr. Searcy

205. Islamic Revivalism in 19th Century Africa     3 hours
        3SS
Beginning in the late 18th century and continuing throughout the 19 th century there were a series of Islamic revivalist movements in Africa that were characterized as jihads. The most successful of these movements took place in northen Nigeria and culminated in the formation of an Islamic state, the Sokoto Caliphate that existed for close to a century.   The course will treat the spread of Islam in Africa,   the impetus of the Islamic revivalist movement that resulted in the formation of the Sokoto Caliphate, in addition it will delve into the other African Islamic rebellions such as the Mahdist revolt in the Sudan and the rebellion staged by the "Mad Mullah" of Somalia.
Sem 2    CRN 12644    AAST-205-01      MWF--11:00-11:50    Mr. Searcy

352.  Running and Governing: Urban Politicking and Governance   1 hour
          1SS
Second semester, second module.   In this seminar, former Cleveland Mayor Michael White and Chris Carmody (OC'89), former Co-director of the Mayor's Office of Competitiveness, will explain the processes of campaigning for, and governing from, the mayoralty of a major U.S. City.   How is a campaign shaped and pursued?   What enables victory?   What were the White Administration's goals?   How were challenges met and managed?   Based on first-hand and original materials, students will produce analyses of what works and doesn't work in urban campaigning and governance.   Prerequisite: at least one course in American Politics.   Enrollment limit: 30. Idential to POLT 423.  CR/NE & P/NP grading.
April 13, 20, 27. May 4
Sem 2   Sem 2    CRN 11423   AAST-352-01   W--2:30-4:20   Mayor White, Mr. Carmody

Semester Change

245. The Harlam Renaissance will be offered during the 2005 spring semester.

745 01 - Baroque Orchestra
Spring 2005 - 1st Module
0-1 credit
DAYS - TBA
TIME -TBA
Description:
A baroque orchestra meeting in the first part of the Spring semester, providing students the opportunity to perform in a Baroque orchestra. Director: Jeanette Sorrell; administrator: David Breitman??.
Prerequisite: APST 242 (Baroque Violin for Violinists)
Consent of Instructor required. Limit: 50
Instructor: Jeannette Sorrell

Cancelled Courses

FYSP 192. Writing on the Walls.
065.  Probs: Intro Figure Painting.
313. Topics in American Architecture.
419. Yesterday's Tomorrows: The History of Visionary Architecture.

New Courses

225.  Approaches to Islamic Art and Architecture   3 hours
         3HU
An introduction to the architecture, painting, and decorative arts of the Islamic World, from Africa to India, between the seventh and eighteenth centuries. The course material is discussed chronologically with an eye toward stylistic change, and thematically in order to emphasize the central concepts of Islamic art, including sacred space, palace culture, the role of mysticism, the question of figural representation, the role of geometry, and the centrality of calligraphy and ornament. This course will provide a basic understanding of the historical evolution and regional variation of Islamic art and architecture and a deeper appreciation of its major themes and concepts.  Enrollment limit: 30
Sem 2   CRN 11986   ARTS-225-01    TTh--9:35-1050   Mr. Tabbaa

322.  Painting and the Arts of the Book in the Islamic World   3 hours
         3HU
This course discusses Arab and Persian illuminated manuscripts from the thirteenth to the sixteenth century, dealing primarily with their stylistic development, main
Themes, and patronage. It focuses in particular on fourteenth- and fifteenth-century Persian painting and literary culture, investigating their influence in later centuries and on neighboring regions. Thematically, the course emphasizes the most important genres of Persian manuscripts the epic, the amorous, and the mystic analyzing their patronage and cultural resonance.
Sem 2   CRN 12586   ARTS-3201   TTh3:00-4:15 pm    Mr. Tabbaa

415.  Orientalism and Occidentalism in Art and Architecture   3 hours
         3HU
This seminar discusses Orientalism in European and American art and architecture and the responses it elicited in the visual culture of the Middle East and North Africa. Dealing primarily with the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and covering a broad spectrum of the visual arts -- painting, architecture, and interior design -- the seminar explores the essentializing, exoticizing, and hegemonic perspectives that informed Orientalist art and examines its newly attested role in critiquing the social and religious constraints of western society. The seminar also discusses the contemporary "occidentalizing" and modernizing stances adopted in regional cultures, highlighting in particular the gaps, disjunctions, and misunderstandings separating Western and Eastern conceptions of often very similar ideas.  Enrollment consent of instructor: 15
Sem 2   CRN 12587   ARTS-415-01   W--2:30-4:20 pm    Mr. Tabbaa

465.   The Art of Ancient Spectacle    3 hours
           3HU
Second semester. Festivals, ceremonies, rituals, and other displays provide powerful ways to create and express a culture’s collective identity. This seminar will explore the relationship between the forms of ancient Greek and Roman spectacles (such as theater productions, banquets, funerals, religious festivals, combats in the arena, and political events) and the visual arts created to enhance them.  Enrollment consent of instructor: 15
Sem 2   CRN 12585   ARTS-465-01    T--1:00-2:50 pm   Ms. Kane

New Description

413.  Archeological Field Course      4 hours
        1.5HU/1.5SS, CD
A four week summer course (10 July 03 August 2004) in field archaeology offered in conjunction with the Sangro Valley Project, a joint archaeological project of Oberlin College and Oxford University <www.sangro.org> at the Samnite/Roman site of Monte Pallano in the Abruzzo, Italy. Participants will learn theoretical and practical aspects of excavation. There will also be field trips, lectures on the history of the region, and discussions of the current problems facing professionals in the field of heritage resource management. Identical to ACHS 200. CR/NE Prerequisite: consent of instructor. Enrollment Limit: 6. Ms. Kane

Cancelled Course

503.  Issues of Women in Sport.

New Course

411. Seminar: Conservation Biology      3 hours THIS COURSE IS CANCELLED
        3NS, WR
A discussion format is used to study important biological concepts pertaining to the conservation and management of natural animal and plant populations. Papers from the current primary literature are used to cover topics such as founder effect, inbreeding, genetic drift, and habitat fragmentation. Genetic and life history variation, species diversity, and community ecology are examined in relation to habitat conservation.  Students alternate as discussion leaders; term papers and oral presentations required of all students. Prerequisites: BIOL 120. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 12. Preference to juniors and seniors.
Sem 2    CRN 12309   BIOL-411-01   W--7:30-10:00 p.m.   Mr. Laushman

Cancelled Course

212.  Behavioral Ecology.

New Courses

100., 100B.  Introduction to Digital Video Production   1 hour
         1HU
An introduction to digital video production. Students will become familiar with the basics of camera, sound, and lighting equipment, and with iMovie editing software. Students will collaborate on focused production exercises and a larger final class project. This course will fulfill the prerequisite for advanced production courses in Cinema Studies, though it does not guarantee admission, which will remain at the instructor's consent.  Enrollment Limit: 16. [Cr/NE or P/NP]
Sem 2    CRN 12635  CINE-100-01   Th--7:30-9:30 p.m. Mr. Pingree, Ms. Malkowski MODULE 1
Sem 2    CRN 12636  CINE-100B-01 Th--7:30-9:30 p.m. Mr. Pingree, Ms. Malkowski MODULE 2

420.  Film Theory and Criticism Now    4 hou
         4HU
This course will analyze and critique contemporary film theory and criticism. Since the 1970s, film scholars have developed and modified a range of compelling critical methods for the study of media texts: psychoanalysis, feminism, Marxism, cultural studies, audience and star studies, postcolonialism, genre analysis, and many others. In recent years, progressive media scholars have reassessed these models to mobilize them for the present cultural and critical landscape. We will participate in this reassessment, looking for ways to do informed, socially engaged, productive media analysis and scholarship. Enrollment limit: 15.
Sem 2   CRN 12637   CINE-420-01   T--7:30-10:00 p.m.   Mr. Gallagher

New Description

241. History of German Cinema: 1989 to the Present 3 hours - See Germ 341.

New Course

207.   Roman Religion        3 hour
          3SS
The Romans lived in a world full of gods; religion affected every part of Roman life, from politics to warfare to entertainment.   Christianity took shape within this world, and Roman religion, especially the mystery cults, has often been regarded as a model for the early church.   Yet the Roman concept of 'religion' has very little in common with modern, Judeo-Christian-influenced notions.   In this class we will explore the theory and practice of religion in the ancient Roman world, as reflected in ancient literary texts, as well as in epigraphic and archaeological evidence.   Themes include the nature of Roman worship, from state cult to magic and mysteries; the interplay between religion and politics; and the development of Christianity in its pagan context.
Sem 2      CRN 12584     CLAS-207-01     TTh--1:30-2:45      Ms. Eshleman

Cancelled Course

100. The Internet & Beyond.

New Courses

130. Physical Wellness for the Musician's Life      2 hours
The musician's body and its state of physical health has a strong influence on his or her ability to play or sing. This course will emphasize physical restructuring, as well as practical methods for maintaining balanced physical health. Students will develop an increased understanding of the body's physical and muscular structures and its movement principles. Their everyday postural habits will be evaluated and corrective patterns explored. This is a practical course, with daily lab components which will allow the information to be integrated into their bodies, setting the foundation for physical health, and decreasing the possibility of injuries.
Sem 2    CRN 12615    CNST-130-01   TBA    Ms. Vogel

150 01- Introduction to Piano Technology
Spring 2005 - full semester
3 credits
DAYS - TBA
TIME - TBA
Instructor: John Cavanaugh
Consent of Instructor
Description:
Introductory course in equal temperament tuning theory and applicatin, piano nomenclature, basic piano repairs and modern action regulation. Introduction oto piano building materials and an overview of modern piano construction. Combination of lectures and hands-on shop training. Consent of instructor required. Limit: 10

New Course

395.   Special Topics in Choreography          3 hours
           3 HU
Second Semester.   This is an upper-level composition course for the student interested in creating performance works involving text, site-specific installations, music, and media.   This semester, internationally acclaimed artist Meredith Monk will work intensively with students for one week. Following that, students will create   and perform in a collaborative performance piece.   Vocalists, choreographers, media artists, dancers and actors are encouraged to apply; auditions/interviews will be held before pre-registration.   Notes:   May be repeated for credit.   CR/NE grading. Consent of instructor required.   Enrollment limit: 10.
Sem 2    CRN 11122    DANC-395-01    WF--9:00-12:00 am.   Ms. Martynuk

Cancelled Course

332.  Varsity Contact.

Cancelled Course

162.  Modern Korean History.

New Courses

172.  Korea Now: Society and Politics    3 hours
         3SS, CD
Second Semester.   In the past few decades, South Korea has undergone a deep and thorough transformation in its political and social structures as it has moved from a war-stricken country to an industrialized economy. This course will examine these changes and their consequences on the politics and culture of contemporary South Korea.   Special attention will be given to the effects that these compressed and foreshortened socio-economic changes have had on contemporary Korea at large. Topics include gender, kinship structure, regional politics, and democracy.   No prerequisites.   Enrollment limit: 25
Sem 2   CRN 12346   EAST-172-01   TTh--8:35-9:50   Ms. Chung

262.  Asia'sModern Wars    3 hours
         3SS, CD
This course will examine the relationship between militarism and nationalism in East Asia, focusing particularly on the question of how war-and the discourse about war-has shaped modern Chinese, Korean and Japanese identities. Wars that will be specifically address will include, the Sino-Japanese War (1894-95), the Russo-Japanese War, (1904-05), the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-45), the Chinese Civil War (1945-49), and the Korean War (1950-53). Counts towards the history major. Enrollment Limit: 25.
Sem 2   CRN 11389   EAST-262-01   TTh 1:30-2:45   Ms. Jager

274.  History through Film: Cinema in South Korea   3 hours
         3SS, CD
Second Semester.   Like Hong Kong film, South Korean cinema acts as a fine-grained reflection of constant changes and upheavals, both socio-economic and political. These include the liberation from Japan in 1945, the Korean War, the 1970s economic miracle and current transformations shaping Korea. More recently, movies are re-examining the Korean War and the Park Chung Hee era, examining Korean identity as well as the status of history itself.   The course will focus mainly on films of the past two decades, examining their historical background and analyzing their thematic content. Topics of investigation include the relationship between violence and history of Korea, gender and violence, and the problem of class.   No prerequisites.   Enrollment limit: 25
Sem 2   CRN 12347    EAST-274-01   TTh--3:00-4:15     Ms. Chung

Change of Title/Description

331.   Natural Resource Economics   3 hours
          3SS, QPh
Second Semester. The course applies microeconomic analysis to the allocation and management of natural resources. Economic modeling is used to analyze the optimal use of resources such as land, water, and fossil fuels.   Issues of land use and urban sprawl, efficient pricing for water and power, species extinction, optimal extraction of a mineral over time, and the reliance on natural resources in the context of growing populations will be explored. Prerequisites: ECON 253 and MATH 133. ENVS 231 recommended. Identical to ENVS 331. Enrollment Limit: 20.
Mr. Margolis

New Course

213. The Economy of China     2 hours
        2SS, CD
Second Semester. Second Module.   This course studies the Chinese economy from a historical, cultural, institutional and theoretical perspective.   It covers historical background, economic reform since 1978, and current issues.   Macro- and microeconomic analyses will be applied to different sectors of the economy, including industrial and financial, foreign trade and foreign investment.   Education and legal systems will be studied.   Prerequisite:   ECON 101.   Enrollment Limit: 40.
Sem 2    CRN 12631    ECON-213-01    W--2:30-3:20 & Th--1:00-2:50    Mr. Chow   MODULE 2

NOTE: Course Number Change - Contemporary Ethnic America listed in the 2004-05 catalog as 368 is now numbered 364.

Courses primarily for non-majors

144.    American Fiction and Its Publics.   3 hours
           3HU
"Literature" connotes a special kind of writing - sophisticated, meaningful, artistic, remote.   This course questions distinctions between the literary and the popular by examining how fiction is shaped by a presumed audience, how it is adapted to its readership.   Our exploration of how fiction is consumed will encompass best-sellers (from "Rip Van Winkle" to Tarzan) ; works treating the cult of the author (Philip Roth's The Ghost Writer, Henry James's "The Figure in the Carpet"); fiction about the importance of reading fiction (Susanna Rowson's Charlotte Temple ); books written to make certain kinds of political points (Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin , John Cheever's "The Enormous Radio").   This course, predominantly about readers, is also for readers; it features relatively little formal writing, relying instead on a series of response papers and exams.    Enrollment limit: 50.
Sem 2   CRN   12547   ENGL-144-01   MWF--1:30-2:20   Mr. Betjemann

190.    The "Great American Novel": The Unkillable Dream.         1 hour,
1 HU
Second semester, second module. Exploration of the persistent idea that certain American fictions define an "American" identity. Readings and discussion meetings with Oberlin faculty, to prepare for the residency of Prof. Lawrence Buell (Harvard University), who will give four public lectures and meet with students. Texts: Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter , Frederick Douglass' Narrative , Bharati Mukherjee's The Holder of the World, and Karen Yamashita's Tropic of Orange.   No prerequisites . Notes : Grading CR/NE or P/NP as appropriate for each student.   Bi-weekly discussions Apr. 5-25, public lectures Apr. 18, 19, and 20 (7:30 pm), and Apr. 22 (4:30 pm).    Enrollment limit: 25.
Mr. Jones and staff.
TR 12:15-1:15 (Apr. 5-25) and 4 public lectures
Sem 2      CRN 12858    ENGL-190-01

Introductory Gateway Courses

205.   Magic, Ritual, and Theater   3 hours
          3HU, WR
In 1888, Strindberg declared that theater, like religion, was dying: disenchanted modern audiences had lost the "primitive capacity for deceiving themselves." This course will investigate questions surrounding the persistent link between theater and "primitive" magic or religion: What is the relationship between theatrical experience and rituals such as ancestor-worship, sacrifices, or sacraments?   Can the "magic" of theater promote social and political change?   Do the sensory and embodied elements of performance--such as action, dance, and music--have special transformative powers?   We will focus on the Early Modern theater (Shakespeare's The Tempest and Marlowe's Dr. Faustus , for example), but with attention to plays from other periods as well (Tony Kusner's Angels in America , among others), and to short critical writings by playwrights, choreographers, anthropologists, theologians, revolutionaries, and others.   British, pre-1700.   D, EL.    Prerequisite: See headnote above. Enrollment limit: 30.
Sem 2   CRN 12548   ENGL-205-01   TTh--9:35-10:50   Ms. Waldron
Sem 2   CRN 12549   ENGL-205-02   TTh--1:30-2:45     Ms. Waldron

236.   Versions of Classic American Literature.   3 hours
          3HU, WR
This course has two goals: to introduce major texts and themes in American literature, and to consider how those texts and themes have been revised, critiqued, and rewritten from different perspectives.   We will pair works accorded "traditional" status with works by writers who engage and transform the terms of that tradition; for example, Herman Melville's Moby Dick with Sena Naslund's recent novel Ahab's Wife ; Henry David Thoreau's Walden with Annie Dillard's Pilgrim at Tinker Creek.   Other pairings may include the poetry of Walt Whitman and that of Allen Ginsburg; James Fenimore Cooper's The Last of the Mohicans and Sherman Alexie's Reservation Blues ; Ernest Hemingway's short stories and Chuck Palahniuk's Fight Club .   Reading across literary canons and across history, this "gateway" course seeks to model the terms by which literature can be critiqued and adapted, read and re-read from various points of view and various cultural situations.    American.   F, AL. Prerequisite: See headnote above. Enrollment limit: 30.
Sem 2   CRN 11949   ENGL-236-01   MWF--9:00-9:50       Mr. Betjemann
Sem 2   CRN 11950   ENGL-236-02   MWF--11:00-11:50   Mr. Betjemann

241.   Reading Queer Futures   3 hours
          3HU, WR, CD
What kind of a future is queer?  This course asks us to imagine questions of sexuality as, also, questions of temporality.   Queerness, after all, is a way for subjects to imagine themselves by terms other than the ones that they have been given, and so queerness engages futures that exceed familiar progress narratives.   But identifying as "queer" also might be a way of claiming an identity that is as-yet unknown to the subject who claims it. Is queerness, then, a way of casting into a future or a way of suspending presumptions about what that future might consist?   Does queerness consolidate new futures or put the category of "the future" itself under critical scrutiny?   In this course, we will read queer fiction and theories that push us to reconceive the relation between sexuality and time.   We will also read and think about recent activist work around issues like gay parenting/adoption/immigration, transgender, and AIDS and healthcare. Readings will include fiction and science fiction by "new narrative" experimentalists like Samuel Delany, Laurie Weeks, and Renee Gladman; theoretical work by Audre Lorde, Angela Davis, Dean Spade, Judith Halberstam, and Lauren Berlant; poetry by Eileen Myles, Pamela Liu, and John Ashberry, and visual art by the futuristic duo Nicholas Kahn and Richard Selesnick.   Diversity, Post-1900.   F. Prerequisite: See headnote above. Enrollment limit: 30.
Sem 2   CRN 12550   ENGL-241-01   TTh--9:35-10:50   Ms. Rosenberg
Sem 2   CRN 12551   ENGL-241-02   TTh--11:00-12:15 Ms. Rosenberg

267.    The Literature of 'Supplement': Representation &    3 hours
           Identity in Contemporary American Literature 
           3HU, WR, CD
This course will explore the question of representation in a variety of works by American authors, each of whom comes with what seems an uncomplicated adjectival 'supplement': Asian, Native, Latino/a, Chicano/a, to name but a few. We'll focus on how these unique supplements influence how we interpret literary work, asking what, exactly, it means to be representative of a particular culture or ethnicity. Possible authors include Sherman Alexie, David Wong Louie, Ana Castillo, and Jessica Hagedorn.   American, Post-1900, Diversity.   F, AL. Prerequisite: See headnote above. Enrollment limit: 30.
Sem 2   CRN 12552   ENGL-267-01   TTh--11:00-12:15   Mr. Liu

294.   The Lyric in English From Donne to Yeats  3 hours
          3HU, WR
An opportunity to consider major currents and counter-currents in English poetry from 1630 to 1939.   In addition to love, death, and the changing of the seasons, topics will include form, disorder, time, war, dream, intimacy, violence, reparation, alienation, reflection, the senses, and human and non-human life.   British.   P.      Prerequisite: See headnote above.   Enrollment limit: 25.
Sem 2   CRN 12553   ENGL-294-01   TTh--9:35-10:50   Mr. Harrison

Advanced Courses

313.   "Do, Pity Me": Sentimentality & Cultural Difference in 18 th -Century Narrative   3 hours
           3HU, WR, CD
When we think of sentimentality, we tend to think of feelings that are ascribed to women: weakness, weeping, and irrationality.   Indeed, most studies of the sentimental novel associate it with the development of a private, domestic, women's sphere of feeling.   But a closer study of the genre in the 18 th century reveals that sentimentality has its roots in racialized narratives of heroic, masculine suffering.   In this course, we will begin with travel narratives that showcase the aristocratic ideal of noble African princes suffering heroically at the hands of the Europeans.   We will follow the course of these narratives of masculine pain through the sentimental novel and the gothic towards the end of the 18 th century.   Our goal is to consider the transformation of the problem of cultural difference (in the figure of the native prince) into the "solution" of identification (in the suffering hero of the gothic genre).   How is it, we will ask, that the "exotic" native becomes an exemplar of masculine, white, English sensibility? Texts will include Aphra Behn's Ooronoko , Dryden's Indian Queen , Sterne's Sentimental Journey , Smollett's Humphrey Clinker , and theories of the sublime from Longinus and Burke.   British, 1700-1900, Diversity.   F, EL. Prerequisite: See headnote above. Enrollment limit: 25.
Sem 2    CRN 12554   ENGL-313-01   TTh--1:30-2:45    Ms. Rosenberg

332.   Modern Poetry And the End of the World as We Knew It   3 hours
          3HU, WR
Poetry in English during the period of the World Wars: chiefly Eliot, Pound, Frost, Williams, Stevens, Moore, Crane, Hughes, Auden.   We will contemplate the inner working of the poems, keeping in mind the conceptual and historical contexts from which they arise.   General concepts and (and specific phenomena) to be discussed: Destruction (War), Improvisation (Jazz), Plot and Disjunction (Cinema), Description (Photography), Abstraction (Nonrepresentational Art), Disclosure (Pornography), and Concealment (The Body's Unknowable Interior).   Post-1900.   P.   Prerequisite: See headnote above.   Enrollment limit: 25.
Sem 2   CRN 12555   ENGL-332-01   TTh--1:30-2:45    Mr. Harrison

359.   Literature, Race, and Justice 3 hours
          3HU, WR, CD
An exploration of law and legal themes in American literature, especially around the issue of race.    In context of key legal issues and rulings - from the Fugitive Slave Law to Brown v. Board of Education - the course considers how 19 th- and 20 th- century American narratives create and shape systems of justice and authority.   Authors may include: Harriet Beecher Stowe, Frederick Douglass, Herman Melville, Richard Wright, Gwendolyn Brooks, Charles Fuller, William Styron, Ishmael Reed, Philip Roth. American, post-1900, Diversity.   F, AL. Prerequisite: See headnote above. Enrollment limit: 25.
Sem 2   CRN 12556   ENGL-359-01   MWF--3:30-4:20   Ms. Searcy

360.   Unstable Subjects: The Idea of Ethnic American Experimental Literature   3 hours
          3HU, WR, CD
Through readings of works that de-stabilize, de-center, and de-naturalize our assumptions about what literature ought to be, this course will explore what it might mean to be an 'ethnic experimentalist' writing" in America today. We'll examine what "experiment" provides for ethnic American authors, and question how their works seek to reframe contemporary discussions of race, ethnicity and language. Possible authors include Nathaniel Mackey, Ricardo Cortez Cruz, Myung Mi Kim, Sesshu Foster, Tan Lin, and Harryette Mullen. American, post-1900, Diversity.   F, AL. Prerequisite: See headnote above. Enrollment limit: 25.
Sem 2   CRN 12557   ENGL-360-01   TTh--3:00-4:15   Mr. Liu

387.   Selected Authors:   Toni Morrison    3 hours
          3HU, WR, CD
A reading of Toni Morrison's oeuvre undertaken in light of a survey of some contemporary critical practices, including Black feminism, new historicism and cultural studies, and psychoanalysis.   The course explores how Morrison's novels and critical essays address the relation of history and literature through problems of identity, focusing on the thematic issues of African American women, individual and communal memory, migration and belonging.      American, post-1900, Diversity.   F, AL. Prerequisite: See headnote above. Enrollment limit: 25.
Sem 2   CRN 12558   ENGL-387-01   MWF--1:30-2:20   Ms. Searcy

Cancelled Courses

310.  Ecological Design.
320.  Gender, Nature & Culture.

Change of Title/Description

331.   Natural Resource Economics 3 hours - See Econ 331 for full description.

NOTE: All First Year Seminar Program courses are now offered for 4 semester hours of credit.

Cancelled Courses

192. Writing on the Walls.

New Course

318.  La Litterature migrante au Quebec       1 hour
         1HU, CD
Second Semester. This mini-course, offered February 14-18, featuring Guest Writer Marie-Celie Agnant, will address issues of collective identity, language, and belonging as represented among the "new" voices of recent immigrant writers in Quebec (Yin Cheng, Abla Faroud, Sergio Kokis, Regine Robin, Marie-Celie Agnant). Taught in French. Prerequisite: FREN 301 or the equivalent. Note: CR/NE or P/NP grading. Enrollment limit: 25.
Instructor: Nelson de Jesu
Meeting times: M 2/14 8-9; T 2/15-Th 2/17 7-9 pm; and F 2/18 4:30-6
Meeting place: Mon Craig Auditorium; T-F Peters 129
Sem 2     CRN 12669    FREN-318-01

Semester Change

301. Practicum in Women's Studies will be taught spring semester 2005.

New Course

186.    What's Gender Got to Do with It?   Girlie Men        3 hours
            Republican Dykes and the 2004 Election
            1.5HU, 1.5SS, CD
Second Semester.   What's up with Arnold Schwarzenegger calling Democrats "girlie men"?   Or with Bill Maher claiming that George W. Bush is "acting like a girl" when he criticizes John Kerry?   And why is Mary Cheney such a controversial figure?   In this colloquium, we will explore these and other questions related to representations of gender in the 2004 election.   Reading various cultural texts, we will consider what these representations tell us about the state of our nation in this historical moment.   Limited to first- and second-year students.   Enrollment limit : 15.
Sem 2      CRN 12639   GAWS-186-01    TTh--11:00-12:15    Ms. Germain

Cancelled Courses

121.  Geology in Our National Parks.
208.  Applications of GIS in Environmental Geoscience.
242.  Groundwater Hydrogeology.
361.  Igneous/Metamorphic Petrology.

New Course

359.   Igneous and Metamorphic Petrography   4 hours
          4NS
This course will emphasize the use of the petrographic microscope for the determination of minerals and the interpretation of igneous and metamorphic rock textures in thin section.   Related topics to be covered include phase diagrams, the classification of igneous and metamorphic rocks, and rock associations in plate tectonic and other settings.   Prerequisite:   Geology 201.
Sem 2  CRN 12663    GEOL-359-01     Lecture TR 1:30 & Lab TR 2:30-4:30   Mr. Skinner

New Section

117.  Meteorite Impacts in Space & Time   1 Hour
Identical to ASTR 117
Sem 2   CRN 12386   GEOL-117-01    MWF--9:00-9:50   Mr. Simonson    MODULE 1
Sem 2   CRN 12645   GEOL-117-02    MWF--1:30-2:20   Mr. Simonson    MODULE 2

New Descriptions

341. History of German Cinema: 1989 to the Present 3 hours
Second Semester. This course examines themes, styles, and institutional changes within German cinema since 1989. Unification and its aftermath, historical legacies (e.g., Nazism, left-wing terrorism), and multicultural issues form the compass of the course. A variety of genres (action, comedy, romance, road film, and documentary) are considered. Directors include: Tykwer, Akin, von Trotta, Haussmann and Kleinert. Identical to CINE 241. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 30.
Ms. Ricci

433.  Multicultural Aspects in Recent German Literature (Senior Seminar)   3 Hours
         3HU, CD
Second Semester. European nations - including Germany,   Austria, and Switzerland   - have become increasingly multicultural since the arrival of guest workers in the 1950s and 60s, a process that was greatly accelerated by the opening of the eastern borders after 1989. Literature increasingly reflects these developments, with some of the most interesting works being written by "minority authors." We shall examine works by authors of various backgrounds, e.g. Frischmuth, Rabinovici,   Jungk, Honigmann, Senocak, Özdamar, Said, and others.   Note:   Required of all German majors.   Prerequisite:   One 400-level course or consent of instructor.
Ms. Tewarson

New Course

332.    Memory, Truth, and Justice: Transitions to Democracy    1 hour
           1SS
Second semester, First Module. This interdisciplinary minicourse, taught by six Oberlin faculty and two outside speakers, deals with the many complex issues that arise when societies emerging from dictatorship become democracies.   How have different countries come to terms with their repressive or violent past? General aspects covered include the role of international justice; truth commissions; reconciliation vs. retaliation; the ethics of collective memory; and the role of literature, art, and film. The course will also include six film screenings about Germany, Spain, Argentina, Chile, South Africa, and Russia.   Note : This minicourse will meet March 7-19.   MTRF, 7-8:15 pm; Mar. 19, 2-5 pm.   Screenings TBA.   Enrollment Limit: 200.
Sem 2     CRN 12670     HISP-332-01      Mr. Faber

Cancelled Course

227.  Spanish Civil War.

New Courses

207. The Darwinian Revolution     3 hours
        3SS
This course examines the history of evolutionary thought from its origins in 18th century natural history, through the controversial publication of Darwin's famous theory of descent by modification via natural selection, to the acceptance of evolutionary theory by the general scientific community and the 'modern synthesis' of the early 20th century. The course will present the full spectrum scientific and socio-cultural responses to Darwinian theory, and will center on primary readings drawn from scientific, religious, and popular contemporary literature. Enrollment limit: 35
Sem 2   CRN 12423   HIST-207-01   TTh--11:00-12:15   Mr. Sepkoski

210.  The Two Cultures Science, Religion, and Humanism in Modern Society     3 hours
          1.5 NS 1.5 SS
In 1959, the English author C.P. Snow published a famous essay characterizing a split in education and intellectual culture between the humanities and the sciences 'two cultures' which he claimed offered mutually exclusive, contradictory worldviews. His hope was to initiate positive dialogue that could cross the gap between these cultures at a time when science and technology were becoming increasingly pervasive in society. Snow's essay was controversial, but it did indeed begin a dialogue which has persisted up to the present. This course will examine the 'two cultures' debate from a variety of perspectives historical, sociological, literary, and philosophical, and will encourage students to think about their own intellectual/cultural identification. We will examine the roots
of this debate in Renaissance humanism, proceeding up through the 20th century examining such topics as modern 'scientific' creationism and the so-called 'science wars' of the 1990s. The course will focus on readings and class discussion of primary texts in this tradition. Authors will include H.G. Wells, C.P. Snow, F.R. Leavis, Thomas Kuhn, Stephen Jay Gould, Alan Sokal, and others. This course is sponsored by the Mead-Swing Committee; in order to encourage in-class dialogue, enrollment will be limited to 10 students each from the physical/natural sciences and the humanities/social sciences.   Consent of instructor required.  Enrollment: 20.
Sem 2    CRN  12424   HIST-210-01   TTh--2:30-3:45   Mr. Sepkoski

332.  The Radical Challenge   3 hours
         3SS, WR
Second Semester. Throughout the American twentieth-century, radical movements have blossomed, flowered, and faded. From the foundation of the International Workers of the World (1905) to the Battle of Seattle (1999), these movements challenged established hierarchies of class, race, gender, sexuality, and nation. This course is particularly interested in how radicals reconceived these categories and understood interrelationships between them. It is also interested in the relationship between culture and radicalism, broadly defined.  Consent of the instructor required. Enrollment limit: 12
Sem 2   CRN 12544   HIST-332-01   T--7:00-9:00 p.m.    Mr. Maeda

326.  Waste and Hygiene in American History   3 hours
          3SS
Cleanliness is next to godliness; it also has a history.  We will consider how American notions of waste and hygiene have evolved since the colonial era, with attention paid to personal hygiene, household management, and public health programs.  We will also consider the extent to which conflicts over waste and hygiene reveal tensions in American society relating to gender, class, and ethnicity.  Assignments include a major research paper.  Consent of the instructor required.  Limit 12
Sem 2   CRN 12435   HIST-326-01    MW--2:30-4:30    Mr. Zimring

111 01 - Historical Performance in Context: Music of France
Spring 2005 - 1st Module
.5 - 1 Credit
DAYS - TBA
TIME - TBA
Instructor: David Breitman
Consent of Instructor
Description:
First of a projected set of four courses designed to introduce students to a wide range of styles. Each course focuses on the music of a different country and will include an overview of the significant repertoire as well as the historical context (art, politics, and society). NB students who participate as performers earn 1 credit; non-performers who do only the academic work receive .5 credit.
Consent of the instructor required. Limit: 30
David Breitman

New Course

193.   Resilience and Courage: Women, Men, and the Holocaust   1 hour
          1HU, CD
This course examines archival testimonies, wartime documents, and in depth interviews conducted by Nechama Tec with Jewish Holocaust survivors and rescuers as presented in Tec's most recent book in order to investigate the experiences and coping strategies of Jewish women and men in a variety of wartime settings. These include: the initial stages of the German occupation; ghettos created specifically for Jews; concentration and death camps with a range of   inmates; the forbidden Christian world in which some Jews sought to hide; resistance groups. Focusing on life in extremis, this course will also explore family relationships and friendship patterns, special attachments, and cooperative efforts.   Pass/Fail, Credit/No Entry grading.
Sunday, March 13     3-6PM         Mon.-Thurs. (March 14-17) 4:30-7PM.
Sem 2      CRN 12665   JWST-193-01    

399.   Seminar: Measure and Integration          3 hours
           3NS, QPf
This course will prove some fundamental facts of life, heavily exploited throughout contemporary mathematics. Lengths of intervals extend to a measure on the real line, and any measure gives integrals with far nicer convergence properties than the familiar Riemann integrals.   Probabilities, for instance, are measures; an integral with respect to a probability is called an expectation. Prerequisite: Familiarity with limits and the calculus.
Sem 2    CRN 11869    MATH-399-01    TTh--3:00-4:15    Mr. Lenstra

355.  American Classical Music   3 hours
A survey of American classical music, primarily since the late 19th century.   Discussion of works by the Second New England School, Charles Ives, the generations around Copland then Bernstein, West Coast composers, the avant-garde of the 1960s.   Also of more recent developments:   minimalism, the new romanticism, totalism.   Emphasis will be on the intersection of concert hall and stage music with popular and folk musics, and on the development of peculiarly American styles.  Prerequisites: 200-level MHST course.  Enrollment limit: 30                
Sem 2   CRN 12599    MHST-355-01   TTh--1:00-2:15  Claudia Macdonald

MUSIC THEORY

New Courses

310.  Advanced Eurhythmics     3 hours
Advanced Eurhythmics will build on the musicianship skills developed in the Aural Skills sequence (I-IV/(V)) as well as those established in MUTH 210/211 (Solfege Eurhythmics /Eurhythmics). In particular, the course will focus on improving facility in the areas of rhythm, solfege and improvisation according to the Method e of Emile Jaques-Dalcroze. It involves the combination of: plastique (movement), solfege-rythmique (the combination of pitch and movement), and piano improvisation (the self-realization of movement and pitch). The development and demonstration of pedagogical skills in Eurhythmics will be an integral part of this course.   Requirements: videotaped solo performance in plastique, teaching demonstration involving improvisation, and a research paper.  Prerequisites: MUTH 202, and Eurhythmics (210 or 211) or permission of instructor.  Enrollment limit: 12.   
Sem 2   CRN 12647   MUTH-310-01    MWF--11:00-11:50     Mr. Moore

317.  Music & Embodied Cognition   3 hours
This course will have twin focuses: the metaphoric conceptualization of music, and the generation of musical affect. Specific topics will include:  metaphoric spatialization of music (the reasoning behind concepts such as musical "motion,""high" and "low" notes, and musical "form/structure"); non-spatial metaphoric conceptualizations (the reasoning behind concepts of music as "sharp,""sweet,""dark," and "heavy," and music as gendered); the relationship between seeing and hearing, and the problem of musical knowledge in a culture where most knowledge is tied to what can be shown; mimetic participation: how imitative motor imagery not only generates empathy and musical affect but also motivates our metaphoric concepts. Readings will be multidisciplinary, including:  ancient and modern philosophy and music theory; perception and cognition (general and musical); human developmental studies; cognitive neuroscience; cognitive linguistics; and musicology. Students will learn how affect is generated in various types of music (within and beyond th canon); how affect motivates metaphoric conceptualizations; and how affect and metaphoric reasoning in turn motivate and constrain structural (formal) concepts. Students will write responses to weekly reading and listening assignments and they will compose an analytical term paper examining the generation of affect in relation to the formal structure of a given work.  Consent of instructor and limited to 20.
Sem 2   CRN 12642   MUTH-317-01   TTh--11:00-12:15   Mr. Cox

343.  The Neurobiology of Learning and Memory    3 hours
           3NS
The principles of neural plasticity -- how nervous systems change structurally in response to experience -- and how memories are accessed and used will be examined in a variety of systems.   Topics may include:   historical perspectives on memory, habituation and sensitization in aplysia, neural network models, Pavlovian conditioning, Hebbian plasticity, long-term potentiation/depression (LTP or LTD), the developing or aging brain, hippocampal function, methods in assessing learning, cortical re-mapping with experience, REM sleep and learning, etc.   In addition to readings in the textbook, students will read and analyze original research papers.   Second Semester.   Prerequisite: NSCI 201 or 204 or consent of the instructor. Enrollment Limit: 20. Neuroscience and Psychology majors given priority.
Sem 2 CRN 11994      NSCI-343-01    TTh--11:00-12:15 Mr. Myme

Semester Clarification - Physics

068. Energy Technology will be taught during the SPRING SEMESTER 2005 as originally listed in the 2004-05 course catalog.

New Section - Astronomy

117.  Meteorite Impacts in Space & Time   1 Hour
Identical to GEOL 117
Sem 2   CRN 12387  ASTR-117-01    MWF--9:00-9:50   Mr. Simonson    MODULE 1
Sem 2   CRN 12646  ASTR-117-02    MWF--1:30-2:20   Mr. Simonson    MODULE 2

Cancelled Courses

100.  The American Experiment.
101.  Colloquium: Race & Ethnicity.
201.  The Political Development of American Institutions.
211. Revolutions.

New Courses

102.  Introduction to American Politics: Separating Myths and Realities   3 hours
         3SS
If you read the newspapers, watch television, or talk about politics, you know the conventional wisdom. Sometimes conventional wisdom is correct, and sometimes it isn't. The aim of this course is to get beyond conventional wisdom and dispel myths. First, we will discuss Constitutional and theoretical foundations of American government. Then, we will cover voting behavior and the electoral process, including the role of parties, interest groups, and social and ethnic cleavages. We will then discuss the structure and operation of Congress, the executive branch, and the relationship between the two. Finally, we will discuss the role of the courts, and the debate over the involvement of the courts in public policy.   Enrollment limit: 25 per section.
Sem 2   CRN 12570   POLT-102-01   MWF--9:00-9:50       Mr. Buchler
Sem 2   CRN 12571   POLT-102-02   MWF--11:00-11:50   Mr. Buchler

270.   Law and the Supreme Court In American Political Development        3 hours
          3SS
Second Semester:  The place of law and the Supreme Court in American political development (APD). Topics include: defining American Political Development; examining relationships among the Supreme Court, Presidency, Congress, and advocacy groups; and evaluating these institutions' effects upon constitutional law and policy decisions.  We will look at the 2000 Presidential Election ( Bush v. Gore ), Presidential wartime powers, interracial marriage, affirmative action, Native American citizenship, same-sex marriage, abortion choice, labor and civil rights, and national and state power under the 14 th Amendment.  We will study major Supreme Court cases applicable to these topic areas. This is a core course in the Law and Society Program. Prerequisite : One course in Politics, or consent of instructor. Enrollment Limit : 40.
Sem 2      CRN 12567      POLT-270-01      TTh--11:00-12:15    Mr. Kahn

303.   Seminar on Equal Protection and Implied Fundamental Rights      3 hour
          3SS
Second Semester:   This year Politics 303 is an exploration of the constitutional rights of gay citizens under the Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses of the 14 th Amendment. Topics include: same-sex marriage; Don't Ask, Don't Tell in the military; gay rights in the workplace, equal protection versus a (Due Process) right of privacy basis for gay rights; sameness and difference under the law--gender, race, and sexual orientation; relationship of equal protection, due process, and freedom of speech and association, and impact of   Supreme Court on social change.   Students may choose widely in selecting paper topics. This is a core research seminar in the Law and Society Program.   Prerequisite: POLT 202, 103, 119, or ask consent of the instructor. Enrollment Limit : 15
Sem 2     CRN 12568     POLT-303-01     T--7:30-9:30pm        Mr. Kahn

423.  Running and Governing: Urban Politicking and Governance   1 hour
          1SS
Second semester, second module.   In this seminar, former Cleveland Mayor Michael White and Chris Carmody (OC'89), former Co-director of the Mayor's Office of Competitiveness, will explain the processes of campaigning for, and governing from, the mayoralty of a major U.S. City.   How is a campaign shaped and pursued?   What enables victory?   What were the White Administration's goals?   How were challenges met and managed?   Based on first-hand and original materials, students will produce analyses of what works and doesn't work in urban campaigning and governance.   Prerequisite: at least one course in American Politics.   Enrollment limit: 30.  Idential to AAST 352.  CR/NE & P/NP grading.
April 13, 20, 27. May 4
Sem 2   Sem 2    CRN 11422    POLT-423-01   W--2:30-4:20   Mayor White, Mr. Carmody

New Topic & Description

204.  Political Inquiry: Putting the "Science" into "Political Science"   3 hours
         3SS
Politicians and journalists like to cite research that bolsters their arguments. This class will help you separate the good research from the bad research by presenting a practical view of what good research is. The approach of the class will be to take a single research topic-- the role of campaign contributions-- and follow it through three stages: hypothesis formation, research design, and hypothesis testing. The first section will address the use of formal/game theoretic models to generate testable hypotheses. The second section will discuss issues such as sample selection, the uses of large and small samples, and the meaning of causation. The third section will go through some basic statistical tools for testing hypotheses. No previous background in math or statistics is required.   Enrollment limit 30.
Sem 2   CRN 12569   POLT-204-01   TTh--1:30-2:45   Mr. Buchler

219.  Mysticism in Christianity    3 hour
         3HU
A study of some of the classic texts of the Christian mystical tradition from its origins until the early modern era.   We shall examine mystical texts across the spectrum of Christian denominations (Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestant), eras (ancient, medieval, early modern), and experiences (cloistered and non-cloistered, male and female, lay and clerical) in an attempt to come to terms with such theoretical questions as the nature of the study of mystical texts, and the idea of "mysticism" itself.   Some figures to be studied include Gregory of Nyssa, Bernard of Clairvaux, Bonaventure, Catherine of Siena, Meister Eckhart, Teresa of Avila, and Jacob Boehme.   Enrollment Limit: 30.
Sem 2   CRN 12579   RELG-219-01   TTh--9:35-10:50   Mr. Chaplin

276.  Central Asian Islam and the Religions of the Silk Road     3 hours
         3HU, CD
Central Asia has long been a crossroads of peoples and ideas, connecting India, China, the Middle East, and the northern steppes.   This course explores this region's rich religious history and diversity in three parts:   1) Religions of the ancient Silk Road, including Zoroastrianism, Manichaeism, Buddhism, Eastern Christianity, and Turkic and Mongol religions.   2) The arrival of Islam and how it transformed and was transformed by this religious environment.   3) The encounter of Central Asian Islam with imperialism and modern ideologies.   Enrollment Limit: 30.
Sem 2   CRN 12580  RELG-276-01   MWF--2:30-3:20   Mr. Hatcher

376.  Seminar: Conversion in Comparative Perspecitve    3 hours
         3HU, CD
Conversion is the transformation of religious beliefs and practices or the acceptance of membership in a new religious community, exemplifying religion's power to reshape personal, cultural, and social identities. Using examples drawn mainly from Christianity and Islam, this seminar will examine conversion using several lenses, including theology, literary studies, psychology, sociology, anthropology, and history.    These approaches will be used to reveal diverse contexts of conversion, such as personal and historical narrative, state-building, missionary activity, and liberation movements.   Consent of instructor required.   Enrollment Limit: 15.Sem 2 CRN 1281 RELG-376-01 T--7:00-9:00 p.m.   Mr. Hatcher

384.  Seminar: Selected Topics in African American Religious History:         3 hours
         The Black Theology Movement                                                                                                    3HU, CD
An intensive study of the Black Theology movement from its early roots in nineteenth century African-American Christianity to its full blossom in the modern period.   The Black Theology movement, as a theology of liberation, had its modern beginnings in the late 1960's as a response by black Christian intellectuals and theologians to the civil rights and the black power movements.   Topics will include:   the historical and spiritual antecedents in 19th century African American Christianity; the 20th century stimuli which initiated the modern movement; responses from the white theological community; critiques from within the black theological and church community; assessments from black nationalist intellectual movements, i.e., Black Christian Nationalism and the Nation of Islam; its intersection with issues of gender and class; dialogue with other liberation theology movements, such as Latin American and African theorists; and its past and present relationship with and attempts to challenge the modern black church towards social action.   Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit 12.
Sem 2   CRN 12582  RELG-384-01   W--2:30-4:30   Mr. Miller