Fall 2021

Examination of social conflicts and political controversies in American culture through the lens of visual art and photography.

Analysis of race and the economic, political, gender, and social dimensions of contemporary Los Angeles including topics such as residential segregation, economic inequality, and city politics.

This course examines black social movements for freedom, justice, equality, and self determination. Beginning with Reconstruction, movements include labor, civil rights, radical feminism, socialism, reparations, Black Nationalism, prisoners' rights, and Hip Hop.

Examination of the constructions of American ethnicity/race in film.

Exploration of the major social, political, economic, religious, and philosophical disagreements that exist between scholars, leaders, and citizens concerning today's most serious environmental issues and problems. Not available for credit to environmental studies majors and minors.

A thematic approach to California history from precontact to present; focus on peoples, environment, economic, social, and cultural development, politics, and rise to global influence.

Basic concepts of world affairs for non-majors. Development ofcompetency to understand and critically evaluate global relationsand international events, stressing empirical approaches. Not available for major credit.

Historical background and responses to the Holocaust, withspecial emphasis on ethical implications.

Discourse patterns among diverse social groups in institutional and interpersonal settings; interrelationships among language practices and gender, socioeconomic status, ethnicity; social structures and cultural values as reflected in language policies and practices.

Interaction between law and politics; overview of the American legal system; value conflicts and public policy questions which arise within it.

Examination of the challenges of environmental problem-solving at the personal, local, national and global scales, focused on the issue of climate change.

Examination of the historical continuities and disjunctions between "spiritual but not religious" Americans; the relationship between spirituality, politics and social change, and the role of media.

Examination of the immigrant experience in the United States. Comparative analysis of social context of migration, formation of immigrant communities, and social integration of immigrants.

The peculiarity of the "modern" Western family system in historical and cross-cultural perspective; focus on the "postmodern" family crisis in the United States.

Sociological and demographic concepts focusing on the causes of disease, health and wellness. Empirical analysis of population composition and its connection to health.

Theory and history behind the ideal of "the local, grassroots volunteer": a direct link between theory and research using Los Angeles as a case study.

The influence of sustainability science on public policy and vice versa in the context of social/ethical theories, analytical methods and solutions.

Multidisciplinary survey of gender assumptions in relation to sexuality, mental health, social and political relations, and artistic expression.