PrintFeatured Courses
Here's a sampling of the diverse and topical courses offered by LPS for Fall 2012.
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This course examines the United States conquest of the region from the Mississippi River to the Pacific coast, a physically varied and resource rich area incorporating the Great Plains, Rocky Mountains, Great Basin, Southwest, Pacific Northwest and California. Each of these sub-regions... |
Human evolutionary studies is a composite product of the fieldwork of both Paleolithic archaeology and human paleontology (or what we refer to as "stones and bones"). This marriage of two subdisciplines of anthropology produces a unique set of data that is intellectually managed and driven by... |
This is a double introduction: to looking at the visual arts; and, to the ancient and medieval cities and empires of three continents - ancient Egypt, the Middle East and Iran, the Minoan and Mycenaean Bronze Age, the Greek and Roman Mediterranean, and the early Islamic, early Byzantine and... |
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Fake!- In conjunction with Penn's 2012-13 "Year of Proof," this proseminar explores forgery, reproduction, and questions of authenticity in history, art, and film. We will read The Man Who Made Vermeers (2008) and Passing Strange (2009), watch The Return of Martin Guerre (1982) and The Thomas... |
Focusing on movies made after 1945, this course allows students to learn and to sharpen methods, terminologies, and tools needed for the critical analysis of film. Beginning with the cinematic revolution signaled by the Italian Neo-Realism (of Rossellini and De Sica), we will follow the... |
In a February 5, 2007 press release President Amy Gutmann stated that Penn will develope a "comprehensive sustainability plan by 2009.This includes completing a comprehensive inventory of all its greenhouse gas emissions; purchasing at least 15 percent of its electricity from renewable sources;... |
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Nationalism has been the most important geo-political phenomenon of the past two hundred years. Its continuing power has been amply demonstrated by recent events in many parts of the world. This seminar course will explore the ideology of nationalism, what it means, its philosophical... |
The course will provide an introduction to models of human decision making. One of the primary purposes of the course is to provide a set of basic tools that will help the student translate qualitative uncertainty into numbers. A substantial amount of the course will deal with the theory of... |
By most measures, Americans are among the most “religious” people in the world. But what is known about the actual extent and contours of “religion in America” today? How, if at all, do Americans’ respective religious identities influence their political identities, voting behavior,... |
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The course is organized around five classical theorists: Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim, Max Weber, W.E.B. Du Bois, Simone de Beauvoir and Erving Goffman -- each of whom represents a distinct classical tradition in sociology, namely: conflict, social stratification, race, gender, social solidarity,... |
The unequal distribution of wealth and income in the U.S. and other countries has become a topic of daily conversation and political commentary thanks to the world-wide “Occupy Movement” of 2011-2012 (and counting). Yet the slogan “we are the 99%” obscures as much as it enlightens. The Movement... |
The surviving plays of Roman comic playwright Plautus are a treasure trove of wit, wordplay, and an almost Vaudevillian hilarity. They also provide a fascinating window through which to glimpse the everyday experiences and concerns of the ancient Romans, via Plautus' sensitive treatment of... |
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Transportation affects every aspect of American society; from how we get to work or school, to how we shop and play. Transportation policy at all levels of American government has serious implications for social justice and economic development. Moreover, some of today’s most intense... |
The contributions of basic sciences (neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, neurochemistry, and neuropharmacology) to an understanding of behavior and behavioral disorders. Important psychiatric disorders are discussed primarily from the viewpoint of their biological aspects. Emphasis is placed on... |
China and America are now competing for dominance in the world of business. Many believe that China will soon achieve that goal, if it hasn't already, whereas others doubt it. Either way, it is helpful to understand this situation in terms of the cultural traditions that have helped... |
