It's still spring, but it's already time to think about Fall 2024 course registration. As you plan your schedule, check out our list of classes that we're most excited about this term:
Election 2024 Prep
Climate Science & Policy (CH 410) | CRN 14102
This class offers a hard look at the present state of Earth's climate and the approaches available for minimizing the damage caused by fossil fuel burning and land use change. It is structured in two parts. An outward-facing portion of the course consists of three formal lectures directed to the broader PSU community and to interested government, advocacy and other organizations in the Portland area or statewide. The other portion of the class is a weekly lecture/discussion section for undergraduate and graduate PSU students in Chemistry, Political Science and other Departments. Discussions will focus on policy and technology options that the US may take to mitigate climate change at the local, state (Oregon) and national levels. Students enrolled in the course for credit will complete a comprehensive exercise using the En-Roads climate/energy policy modeling program, in which they propose and analyze a pathway of their choosing for limiting global warming to under 2 degrees Celsius compared to preindustrial temperatures. Students will also attend the three public lectures. Please reach out to perona@pdx.edu with any questions.
In-person
2 credits
Southwestern Borderlands (CHLA 375U) | CRN 10587
Social, economic, political organization, and representation of the United States/Mexico borderlands. While conflict characterizes the history of the interactions among border actors, the contemporary period reveals growing interdependence and economic integration. Explores cultural and social formations of Anglo- Americans and Mexican-Americans in a dynamic contact zone, as well as the continuities and discontinuities in popular and academic representations of the border experience.
Online
4 credits; Global Perspectives cluster
Media Literacy (COMM 312U) | CRN 10627
Focuses on building critical skills for evaluating mass media, going beyond the ways that messages represent the world to the ways that messages and the institutions that produce them actually constitute the social world. Primary issues include cultural domination and empowerment; public opinion and the legitimizing role of the media; mass culture and ideology; cultural opposition; the political-economy of news media; and the general role of media in political socialization. Extensive in-class and small-group media analysis.
Online
4 credits; Leading Social Change, Popular Culture, and Freedom, Privacy and Technology clusters
Nationalism & Ethnic Conflict (CR 427) | CRN 10692
Interdisciplinary inquiry into leading perspectives and theories of nationalism. Examined as a determinant factor of international and interethnic conflict. Analyzed through multiple case-specific conflict phenomena. Assessed in terms of its historical roots, evolution, structural patterns and socio-political antecedents and consequences. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
In-person
4 credits
Global History of Abortion (HST 299) | CRN 14301
“Abortion is on the ballot,” has become a rallying cry for those who support abortion care as we approach the US general election in November. The 2022 Dobbs decision, reversing the Supreme Court’s ruling in Roe v. Wade, was a turning point in the history of abortion in the United States. But what is the history of abortion and how might a global and historical perspective shed light on contemporary debates over reproductive rights and access to abortion care? Instead of tracing the legal battles over abortion rights, the course focuses specifically on how the politics of reproduction have and continue to intersect with colonialism and global health history around the world.
Hybrid
4 credits
History of Antisemitism (HST 372 or JST 372) | CRN 13971 or 13988
Surveys the development of hostility towards Jews from antiquity to the present day. We will explore how anti-Jewish hatred has persisted over millennia even as it has adapted to individual historical and geographic contexts. Topics include anti-Jewish bias in the ancient world and foundational Christian sources; social and economic marginalization in medieval Europe; the emergence of political and racial antisemitism in the nineteenth century; Nazi antisemitism; and contemporary developments, including left- and right-wing antisemitism.
In-person
4 credits; Race & Ethnic Studies Requirement (International)
Environmental Sociology (SOC 465) | CRN 12753
Examines the social and political-economic roots of current global and national environmental problems. Explores theoretical frameworks for understanding the relationship between environment and society, including how social inequality relates to (un)sustainability and environmental (in)justice. Examines environmental movements in the global South and North, as well as several substantive issues that illustrate society-environment linkages, including climate change. Finally, explores a range of models and approaches for resolving environmental problems. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
Online
4 credits
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Law & Order
Practicing Forensic Science (ANTH 379U) | CRN 10047
Survey of topics in forensic science: DNA, drug chemistry, toxicology, firearms, and latent prints. Focus on forensic anthropology and taphonomy, including assessment of age, sex, population-based skeletal variation, and effects of peri-/post-mortem environmental processes on forensic investigation. Course clarifies popular media misinformation with fact-based overview of real forensic analysis. Expected preparation: Anth 101.
Online
4 credits; Science in Social Context cluster
Communicating Murder (COMM 410) | CRN 13870
Forensic science is the unique application of science within the context of criminal justice, and public understanding of forensic science significantly impacts our criminal justice system. This course introduces students to the most common types of forensic science, including crime scene processing, fingerprints, blood spatter, and DNA analysis. Through a series of case studies, we examine how forensic science is communicated (through newspaper coverage, podcasts, and television), and the relationship between public (mis)understanding of forensic science and our criminal justice system.
In-person
4 credits
Language and the Law (LING 334U) | CRN 11500
Linguistic theory and practices used to provide evidence for the justice system.
In-person
4 credits; Leading Social Change and Freedom, Privacy and Technology clusters
Criminal Justice Psychology (PSY 410) | CRN 12681
This course will examine human behavior within the context of the five pillars (e.g., law enforcement, corrections, courts, forensic science, and academia) of the American criminal justice system. More specifically, attention will focus on the psychological construct of perception and its complicity in the formation of societal thoughts, feelings, and actions involved in the U.S. criminal justice system. Finally, students will be challenged to move beyond the cross-sectional and theoretical underpinnings of psychology and criminal justice to consider how implicit bias and other social psychological factors inform ethical behaviors in a real-world context. This may include information shared by individuals who have had personal and/or professional experiences at the county, state, and federal levels.
In-person
4 credits
Law & Society (SOC 417) | CRN 12750
Examination of different sociological and sociolegal theories and empirical research on the social origins, processes, functions, and actors of the social reality known as law. Consideration of law as a social institution that shapes and is shaped by society, including how law reinforces and/or ameliorates class, gender, and racial inequalities as well as fundamental issues such as free speech and privacy. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
In-person
4 credits
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We Are Family
Family Communication (COMM 318U) | CRN 10628
Focuses on the study of families from a communication perspective; that is, how families create, maintain and reinforce patterns of interaction through daily living, story-telling and other habitual forms of communication. Course applies theoretical frameworks such as family systems theory, social construction theory and dialectical theory to issues of courtship and relational development, the changes in the life of families, and family roles.
In-person
4 credits; Family Studies cluster
American Family History (HST 343U) | CRN 11327
Examines the history of the many types of the families in what is now the United States from the period of colonial settlement in the 1500s to the present day. Course utilizes primary source texts and recent scholarship on the family to understand not only the complexity and diversity of families, but also the varied impacts of historical change on the structures, meanings, and adaptations of families. Special focus on understanding the formation and changing nature of gender norms, family strategies, race, class, immigration, and ethnicity.
In-person
4 credits; American Identities, Family Studies, and Gender and Sexualities Studies clusters
Marriage & Intimacy (SOC 339U) | CRN 12742
Introduction to sociological and social psychological perspectives on intimate relationships, marriage, and diverse family forms. Examination of the effects of historical and current social contexts and the role of gender, race, and class in shaping personal choices and experiences. Emphasis is on sociological theory and research.
Online
4 credits; Family Studies cluster
Sociology of the Family (SOC 461) | CRN 12752
Sociological analysis of the structure and functions of the family institution and its relationship to external systems such as the economy and polity. Changing and diverse forms of family organization in urban society. Analysis of role relations in the family. Also offered for graduate-level credit as Soc 561 and may be taken only once for credit. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
Online
4 credits
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Tech Addicts
The Modern World in Anthropological Perspective (ANTH 300U) | CRN 10037
This course explores how science and technology are shaping our lives today. Topics include social media, the Internet, the Metaverse, genetics, artificial intelligence, and big data & surveillance.
In-Person
4 credits
Computer Ethics (PHL 314U) | CRN 12596
Examines the moral principles and judgments relevant for computer-related practices. Topics include: ethical aspects of new information technologies; are technologies value-laden; potential abuses and their social consequences; freedom, privacy, and control; security, reliability, and professional responsibilities; risks, control, and regulations; piracy and ownership; ethics of hacking; ethics of virtual environment; and international aspects of new technologies.
In-person
4 credits; Knowledge, Values, Rationality and Freedom, Privacy & Technology clusters
Behavioral & Technology Addiction (PSY 410) | CRN 12677
This online course provides a conceptualization of behavioral addictions & a brief overview of the varied forms of addictive behaviors & treatments, including gambling, online gaming, food addiction, pornography addiction, sex addiction, compulsive shopping, internet addiction & a variety of impulse control disorders, among others. Attention is given to the relationship between behavioral addictions & substance addictions across a number of domains, including their natural history, phenomenology, comorbidity, genetic predisposition, neurobiological mechanisms, & response to treatment. Substance addictions (drugs, alcohol, caffeine) are covered in relation to the DSM-5. Developments in the conceptualization, prevention, and intervention are addressed, as well, in relation to the rapidly evolving field of behavioral addictions.
Online
4 credits
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Global Perspectives
Intro to Intercultural Communication (COMM 215) | CRN 10625
Designed to give a theoretical understanding of the process and role of communication (both mass and interpersonal) when faced with cultural differences and plurality. Provides a background of classical theories in intercultural communication, and in interdisciplinary areas (cultural studies, gender studies, cultural anthropology, political science, and international development) where culture and communication have been theorized. Discussions will focus on the changing cultural terrain in the United States and upon internationalization and globalization of mass or popular culture as it impacts other parts of the world.
In-person
4 credits
Culture, Imperialism and Globalization (ENG 327) | CRN 11014
Examines cultural encounter and its effects. Topics may address various historical periods and geographical regions, but they will share a focus on connecting aesthetics to the political and institutional contexts of imperialism and globalization.
In-person
4 credits
Understanding International Experience (LING 471) | CRN 11512
Examination of communication-based dimensions of an international or intercultural experience, including teaching English to speakers of other languages. Development of strategies and activities required to meet the challenges of teaching, working, or doing research in an international/intercultural setting. Prerequisites: upper-division or postbac academic standing.
In-person
4 credits
Global Citizenship (WLL 371) | CRN 13631
Designed for students who are interested in developing a better understanding of today’s global issues and ascertaining possible strategies to be functional in a global setting. Through hands-on projects, students will develop strategies to help them break down cultural barriers, challenge stereotypes, appreciate differences and converge commonalities in people, cultures, and communities.
In-person
4 credits
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It's Scary Season
Ghosts and Hauntings (ENG 367U) | CRN 14290
Study of selected aspects of American literature and culture. Topics are unified by theme and may cover multiple historical periods.
In-person
4 credits; American Identities and Popular Culture clusters
Topics in Early Modern Europe: Witches and Witch-hunting (HST 457) | CRN 11339
This course explores the witch-hunting phenomenon in Europe (and, briefly in colonial New England) in depth. We will consider possible causes for the witch-hunts, its impact on individuals, institutions, and society, and the key conceptual issues and debates with which scholars are engaged in trying to understand this phenomenon. Finally, we will also explore the modern and contemporary echoes of witch-hunting for our own age.
Online
4 credits
Pop Culture: Jordan Peele (SOC 407) | CRN 12749
This one-credit course examines how the films of Jordan Peele, including Get Out (2017), Us (2019), and Nope (2022), can be examined as sociological texts that reveal important things about U.S. society. We will focus on how identities and systems of oppression (e.g. race, class, and gender) are portrayed and we will learn from existing scholarship on racial capitalism in our exploration of these films.
In-person (Oct. 5, 9AM-2PM)
1 credit
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More Cool Courses
Culture, Vulnerability and Disaster Resilience (ANTH 491) | CRN 10050
This class discusses the distinctions between natural hazards and disasters, human-made and natural events, and sudden and slow-moving catastrophes. It considers the effects of preexisting social inequalities (e.g., race) and vulnerabilities (e.g., poverty) and examines individual, household, and community resilience as a function of social networks and social capital. The class also explores the roles of perceived risk, connectivity, and social memory. It concludes with an analysis on the successes and failures of humanitarian aid. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
In-person
4 credits
Urban Farming (BI 410) | CRN 14193
This course introduces students to urban farming, focusing on sustainable, efficient and climate resilient methods to grow food in urban environments. The curriculum also emphasizes food sovereignty and Indigenous agricultural practices. Through lectures, discussions, site visits, and hands-on gardening activities, students will learn about different aspects of urban agriculture, including vegetable gardening, beekeeping, mushroom cultivation, poultry care, fruit tree maintenance, integrated pest management, and soil health. Lecture and lab. 3 credits. Please reach out to skautz@pdx.edu with any questions.
In-person
3 credits
History of the Black Panther Party (BST 466) | CRN 10376
Examination of historical conditions and context that gave birth to the Black Panther Party. Analysis of the political platform, work and ideology of the Party and governmental and societal responses. Issues of race, class, gender and sexuality, the intersections of identity, and the Party’s legacy nationally and globally. Prerequisite: Any BSt course or permission from the instructor.
In-person
4 credits
Peace Studies (CR 302U) | CRN 10687
This introductory course explores the general questions of war and peace with units on history of peace, nonviolent conflict resolution, religious and philosophical peace orientations, costs and benefits of war and peace, laws of war and peace, selected peace leader biographies.
Hybrid
4 credits
Intro to Creative Industries (ENG 299) | CRN 13835
In-person
4 credits
Geography of Food (GEOG 449) | CRN 11208
This class explores the geography of food: food production, distribution, preparation, and consumption; food politics, markets, urban and commercial farming; food movements, connections of cuisines and regions, and foods and farming in the Pacific Northwest. Prerequisite: Upper-division or graduate standing.
In-person
4 credits
Sex, Love and Gender: Israeli and Palestinian Experiences (JST 335U) | CRN 11484
Examines conceptions of gender in Israeli and Palestinian communities and explores a variety of Israeli and Palestinian women’s experiences, investigating topics such as conceptions of femininity and masculinity, sex, love, motherhood, and the impact of gender on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Online
4 credits; Gender and Sexualities Studies cluster
Resistance, Activism, and Social Change (WS 307U) | CRN 13712
Focuses on activism of self-identified feminists as they resist and transform oppression. Emphasizes queer and feminist activism allied with other social movements. Examines activists' strategies, tactics, organizations, goals, accomplishments, and unmet challenges. Topics may include reproductive justice, labor organizing, queer political movements, indigenous and transnational liberation movements, or climate justice.
In-person
4 credits; Gender & Sexualities Studies cluster; Race and Ethnic Studies Requirement (Domestic)
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