Honors Program

HON201. The Individual and Society. 3 Credits.

Investigates the relationship between the individual and society through discussion of the philosophic, literary, and historical aspects of major texts.

HON202. Work. 3 Credits.

Learning to do a job is one thing; learning to appropriate and affirm meaningful work for oneself is another. A focus on the broad concept of work invites consideration of a range of conceptual and policy-related questions.

HON203. What Causes Cancer?. 3 Credits.

There is no simple answer to the question of what causes cancer. Cancer is not a single thing; it manifests itself differently in each individual. After an introduction to the basic science necessary for understanding the development of cancer, a series of popularly held beliefs regarding cancer causation will be critically analyzed. With these examples as a foundation, students will research and report on a topic on their own choice.

HON293. Selected Topics Honors. 1-12 Credits.

Selected topics courses are regularly scheduled courses that focus on a particular topic of interest. Descriptions are printed in the Schedule of Classes each semester. Selected topics courses may be used as elective credit and may be repeated for credit, provided that the topic of the course changes.

HON295. Honors Indep Study. 1-12 Credits.

HON303. Education and Poverty. 3 Credits.

This course offers an interdisciplinary exploration of poverty -- its causes, consequences, representation in public discourse, and complicated relationship to schooling.

HON309. 20th Century Word and Image. 3 Credits.

Approaches the "sister arts" of poetry and painting from a variety of angles asking how poets and artists make meaning in language and in visual form.

HON315. Modern Self and Society. 3 Credits.

An exploration of the origins, evolution, and contemporary significance of modern intellectual thought, from the triumph of classical liberalism in the nineteenth century to challenges of postmodernism in the mid-twentieth century. Borrowing from the fields of Literature, Philosophy, History, and Psychology, the seminar will provide a chronological examination of major works that both construct and critique the modern self and society.

HON316. Debates in U.S. History. 3 Credits.

An exploration of selected and pivotal topics in the history of the United States from the colonial period through today. Politics, economics, society, and culture will be examined focusing on primary source documents and images.

HON317. Modern Western Aesthetic Theory. 3 Credits.

Investigates the nature of aesthetic experience and its historical, philosophical, phenomenological and psychological underpinnings. Explores the concepts of taste, quality and value in works of art and for cultures at large.

HON318. Racism and the Social Sciences. 3 Credits.

An investigation of the history of race and racism within the social sciences, with a focus on the varied theories of race, racial construction and racial formation as used within social science literature.

HON323. West African History and Perspectives. 3 Credits.

Discussions and texts will introduce students to theories that inform interpretations of Ghanaian history and culture, identify the most convincing sources and accounts of history, and propose ways to inform citizens about African history.

HON325. Origins of "Evil Incarnate: The Grim Adventure". 3 Credits.

Students will explore how major writers of the Western tradition have considered the role of evil in human experience. Specifically, students will study how our understanding of evil has shaped philosophical, theological, and artistic thinking throughout the ages and across cultures.

HON371. Education Across Borders. 3 Credits.

Exploration of the culture and history of selected non-Western countries - initially, China, South Africa, and Afghanistan - and of how the cultural/historical context affects schooling in these countries, past and present.

HON372. U.S. Drug Education and Policy. 3 Credits.

Explores historical, psychological, sociological, legal, and moral perspectives on drug education and policy in the U.S. Develops critical, international, and comparative perspectives on racial, gendered, class-based, and ethnic inequalities in drug policy and enforcement.

HON374. The Materials of History, Thought, and Art. 3 Credits.

An interdisciplinary seminar in material cultural studies, this course examines how human interactions with objects and the lived environment have shaped culture and intellectual endeavor through time.

HON375. Doing Race and Gender. 3 Credits.

Using feminist and critical racial theories we will analyze how gender, race, and class oppression shape the experiences of poor white women and women of color, and how we, as agents of social change, can translate these theoretical insights into methodological strategies to create a more just society.

HON376. Indigenous Ways of Knowing. 3 Credits.

Discussions and texts will introduce students to indigenous perspectives on contemporary social issues, global indigenous knowledge systems, and indigenous critiques of Western thought.

HON377. Cigarettes and Nylons - Postwar Realities in Occupied Germany after World War II. 3 Credits.

Scholars from various disciplines seek to reevaluate neglected discourses on the Nazi past. The suffering of women as victims of rape, hunger and prostitution has become a contemporary focus in World War II studies. Students must be members of the Honors Program. Students outside the Honors Program may enroll if the class does not fill and at the discretion of the professor.

HON378. Humans at Play. 3 Credits.

An exploration of play across the human lifespan in all of its myriad forms, including play's possible functions, subjective experiences, communities, and the influence of culture and technology.

HON379. Love and Heartbreak. 3 Credits.

Romantic love is one of the most fundamental aspects – perhaps the most fundamental aspect – of being human. We will explore love and heartbreak as media and literary narratives, psychological phenomena, and lived experience.

HON380. Cherokee History, Politics, and Culture. 3 Credits.

This course examines the history of the Cherokee nations before colonization through the present moment. It will focus on cultural, social, and political history to understand the contemporary issues that confront citizen Cherokees. Particular attention will be given sovereignty, citizenship, gender, and race.

HON381. Ethical Fashion. 3 Credits.

An interdisciplinary seminar in material culture studies and object-based research through the lens of textiles, dress and the fashion system. This course examines the ethics and sustainability of apparel, consumerism and social responsibility from the personal to the global.

HON382. Introduction to Sustainability. 3 Credits.

An exploration of regenerative, just and sustainable strategies for the environment and society.

HON383. Human Ecology: Humans and Nature in a New Millennium. 3 Credits.

In this course, students will combine scientific knowledge and methods, field experiences, philosophical arguments, social theories, and their own disciplinary expertise and creativity to explore contemporary and perennial questions about humans and nature.

HON393. Selected Topics Honors. 3-12 Credits.

Selected topics courses are regularly scheduled courses that focus on a particular topic of interest. Descriptions are printed in the Schedule of Classes each semester. Selected topics courses may be used as elective credit and may be repeated for credit, provided that the topic of the course changes.

HON399. Honors Module. 1 Credit.

HON494. Fieldwork in Honors. 1-12 Credits.

Fieldwork in Honors.

HON495. Honors Program Ind Study. 1-4 Credits.