SNC 185 | THE BEATLES AND THE CREATIVE PROCESS | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
The Beatles are significant in many ways: they were an unprecedented show business phenomenon; they were leaders of Sixties cultural rebellion; and they stand, for many, as a signal instance of popular entertainment attaining the status of high art. This course will examine the musical craftsmanship of the Beatles, focusing on their work as songwriters and record makers. Recent audio and print releases documenting the group's performing and recording history provide a unique and detailed glimpse of the Beatles' creative process. We will utilize these materials to closely trace the development of the group's work while using other resources to place it in a larger historical and cultural context. The goal is to shed critical light on this recent chapter in cultural history. That discussion will, in turn, highlight questions about creativity in a modern context where commerce vies with art, technology redefines performance and an emerging global village culture transforms concepts of originality and tradition. Arts and Literature.
SCPS students cannot register for this class.
SNC 186 | SPIRITUALITY AND HOMELESSNESS | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course will examine the broad issue of homelessness by providing students the opportunity to reflect upon a service learning experience at a community-based organization that serves the homeless population in Chicago. Students will explore what can be learned about themselves as reflective practitioners, service learners, and spiritual human beings when reflecting upon this experiential learning process. Through the class discussions, assigned readings, invited speakers, and journal assignments, students will reflect on their own beliefs and perceptions of homelessness and analyze the history, causes, and policy associated with this societal problem. Junior Year Experiential Learning.
SCPS students cannot register for this class.
SNC 188 | PROBLEMS AND ISSUES IN CONTEMPORARY ETHICS | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
An introduction to moral philosophy with emphasis on the conflict between "moral relativism" (or "subjective" ethics) on the one hand and "moral realism" (or "objective" ethics) on the other. During the course you will be introduced to classic theories and leading figures in the history of ethics, from Plato and Aristotle to Kant and Nietzsche. Course content will focus on issues (e.g., poverty, drug use, capital punishment, sexual behavior, euthanasia, biomedical research, animal rights, political violence) at the center of contemporary ethical debate in the United States and throughout the world. Philosophical Inquiry.
SCPS students cannot register for this class.
SNC 190 | AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDIES IN CRITICAL PERSPECTIVE | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This interdisciplinary 19th and 20th century African-American studies course examines the role of protest and resistance, the media, and cultural and artistic expression in African-American history. Vis-a-vis readings, documentaries, and discussion, the course intends to illustrate the multiple ways in which African-Americans have protested and resisted oppression while examining how such efforts have been framed in the media during varying historical eras. It defines 'media' broadly and analyzes its role, both via its traditional forms (print, television and radio) but also vis-a-vis other forms of entertainment/infotainment that were particularly unique to 19th century U.S. society (i.e. minstrelsy [1830-1920]). The course concludes with a discussion of the role of art and culture in refashioning thinking and transforming experience. The latter discussion promises to be rich and thought provoking and unearths some of the works of the raw and revolutionary artists of the 1960s while taking a careful look at novel cultural practices that emerged during this period.
SCPS students cannot register for this class.
SNC 191 | ISSUES IN SCIENCE AND RELIGION | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course develops students' understandings of the scientific and religious constructions of self in the modern world (natural and social). The institutions and bodies of knowledge comprising science, religion, and their overlap are critically analyzed. Key historic debates are examined, for example: the Vatican's trial of Galileo for his teachings of a heliocentric universe; the controversial reception of Darwin's theory of evolution; and the 2001 U.S. policy on embryonic stem cell research. Through such analyses, the course develops students' skills in making ethically-informed decisions and thus recognizing their roles in the public debates involving the intersection of science and religion. Self, Society and the Modern World.
SCPS students cannot register for this class.
SNC 192 | NEW ORLEANS IN SONG, STORY & STRUGGLE | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
The tapestry of New Orleans culture is tremendously rich and varied. This course will concentrate on two strands in that tapestry - music from New Orleans and fiction about it. Students will learn about music forms which originated in the city or its environs and which have gone on to dazzle the world, including jazz, r&b, zydeco and funk. We will situate these art forms in social, historical and political context and examine the complex processes of invention and adaptation which have shaped them; in that regard, we will particularly highlight the development of early jazz in this unique metropolis which, though residing at the tip of North America, has been called "the capitol of the Caribbean." We will make use of Thomas Brothers' pioneering study Louis Armstrong's New Orleans as well as musical performances by the likes of Professor Longhair, the Neville Brothers, Wynton Marsalis and Dr. John. We will also learn about the carnivalesque culture of New Orleans, a pursuit that will take us into what might be called the secret history of Mardi Gras. In addition, we will read two striking literary works by artists who have a background in and fascination with the crescent city: Kate Chopin's groundbreaking novella The Awakening and Tennessee Williams' spine-tingling one-act play Suddenly, Last Summer. Moreover, we will consider the role played by New Orleans in American history and imagination as well as the role played by images and fantasies of New Orleans in struggles for social justice at the local and national level. Arts and Literature.
SCPS students cannot register for this class.
SNC 193 | SEXUAL ORIENTATION & SCIENCE | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course will engage you in scientific inquiry on the nature of sexual orientation. You will be challenged to master the scientific content of leading programs of research on twins, brain and other anatomical structures, hormones, genetic linkages, birth-order, and animal behavior through assigned readings, lectures, and multimedia resources. Moreover, you will also engage in the scientific process through a collaborative research project concerning an aspect of sexual orientation that leads you through the steps of stating a question, designing a study, collecting and analyzing data, and interpreting the results. You will also develop skills in identifying the limits to particular forms of scientific inquiry by recognizing the constraints of methods, sources of bias, reliability of results, and certainty of conclusions. This course will encourage you to place the modern research within ethical and social contexts in which to make judgments about the potential relevance and impacts of scientific knowledge about sexual orientation. Scientific Inquiry [SI].
MAT 120 is a prerequisite for this class.
SNC 197 | ANALYZING AUSTEN'S PRIDE AND PREJUDICE | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Jane Austen must have known something about universal truths. Her novel, Pride and Prejudice, which begins with the sentence quoted above, was first published in 1813. Still in print today, it has also been made into at least eleven movies, four of which were released since 2000, including a Mormon and a Bollywood version. In this class, we will read the novel in the context of the gender and class norms at the time Austen wrote her book and then consider how Austen's exploration of universal truths is reinterpreted in more contemporary film versions of this novel. In exploring Austen's creation and the many reinterpretations of her work, we will use both analytic and creative writing assignments as well as class discussion to examine how context informs creativity and how creativity informs analysis. You most definitely do not need to be a creative writer to take this class.
SCPS students cannot register for this class.
SNC 205 | RESISTANCE DURING THE HOLOCAUST AND WORLD WAR II | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course explores the history of the Holocaust in the context of the Second World War (1939-1945) with a central focus on examples of resistance to discrimination, fascism and oppression. We will explore varied forms of opposition including armed resistance, spiritual resistance, resistance through writing and identity preservation. We will read autobiographies, view documentary and dramatic films, and use museum resources to develop our understanding of resistance. Required activities include a visit to the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center (Skokie, IL). We will also consider the implications of this history for making ethical choices in our world today.
SCPS students cannot register for this class.
SNC 206 | THE FIGHT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS: ONE WOMAN'S CRUSADE | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Helen Prejean is a leading human rights activist in the United States. For the past 30 years, she has helped shape conversation about equal treatment for all within the criminal justice system, especially persons of color and the materially poor. Dead Man Walking, the eyewitness account of her experience accompanying condemned prisoners to execution, has had a major influence on discussion of violence, poverty, civil rights, criminal law, and social justice. In this course, we use her work and interact with her personally to study power inequities across race and class lines that perpetuate injustice and examine her strategies for reform.
SNC 209 | EXPLORING EARTH'S PHYSICAL FEATURES | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course advances student exploration of earth's 4.5 billion year geologic record in order to evaluate the planet's evolution and the interrelationships between humans and landforms. Through the application of scientific reasoning, mathematical inference, and prevailing technologies used by geologists, emphasis is on plate tectonics, geologic time, the rock cycle, weathering, earthquakes, fluvial features, rock structures, volcanoes, mountains, plateaus, plains, glacial features, deserts, caves, and coasts. Students also assess human reliance on landforms, the economics of landforms, and cases of earth pseudoscience. Learning is assessed through labs, fieldtrips, a scientifically-formatted research paper, an exam, and contributions to online discussions.
SCPS students cannot register for this class.
SNC 210 | PREHISTORIC LIFE | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course promotes students' investigation of fossils to interpret the character of 3.5 billion years of biological evolution and ecological change on earth. By way of scientific reasoning, mathematical inference, and applicable technologies, emphasis is on the exploration of the earliest evidence of life, development of multi-celled plants and animals, dinosaur evolution, mass extinction events, mammal diversification, human origins as well as appraisal of the societal reliance on fossil resources and the persistent debate over evolution versus creation. Learning is assessed through labs, a fieldtrip, an exam, video summaries, contributions to online discussions, and a research paper in a scientific format.
SCPS students cannot register for this class.
SNC 216 | LEISURE, RECREATION AND HEALTH | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course will stimulate your thinking about the meaning of leisure in your life. Leisure today and historically has been central to the human experience. It is an elemental experience, essential to the total well-being of every person; it is a reflection and expression of the cultural values of a society; it is an important vehicle for medical treatment. Leisure and recreation services are also essential for healthy communities in terms of social climate, environmental quality, and economic stability. Leisure services comprise one of the largest and fastest growing industries in the world, whether measured in dollars spent, persons served, hours of time devoted, or resources used. The study of leisure and recreation is a broad discipline, combining diverse fields of study and professional practice. This course will (1) illustrate the importance of leisure to you and your loved ones, (2) contribute to your ability to become an informed consumer of leisure, (3) question the binary relationship of work and leisure, (4) teach you how to use leisure to increase emotional and physical health, resulting in a higher quality of life and, (5) demonstrate social injustice related to leisure behavior and administration. The course will be interactive and.
SCPS students cannot register for this class.
SNC 221 | EVERYDAY EVIDENCE: HOW SCIENCE SHAPES DECISIONS IN EVERYDAY LIFE | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This is a science course designed for those majoring in non-science disciplines. In this class we will explore the nature of scientific debate by using selected debates that are taking place in our society right now, from ideas about nature and nurture, scientific progress and genetically modified foods, to the more personal issues of our diet, exercise habits, COVID-19 risk assessment and medical care for our kids. The question facing us is how, in the great flood of information available to us, do we decide what is right for us? To answer this, we will examine the natural science behind each of these issues. What constitutes good evidence? How do scientists know what they know? Why does science seem to always be changing, and why is it so hard to get a scientist to just state the facts? Each weekly topic will be used as an example of how science shapes what we know, and how to distinguish good science from sketchy. We will also explore the role media play in shaping the public understanding of science. In addition to the weekly discussions, students will pick a topic of their own choosing to research and will write a short literature review of that topic as their final paper.
SNC 223 | ACTIVE CITIZENS: MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE COMMUNITY, WORKPLACE WORLD | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Americans are known for active participation in organizations that strengthen our communities. We coach our kid's sports teams, take meals to members of our congregations, work for candidates that we believe in and join marches to support or oppose government action. With all these activities, we engage with other members of our community and workplace to make it better for ourselves and our families and to promote social justice. In this class, we will develop the knowledge and practice skills that enhance civic engagement and explore the role of citizens' voices in a democracy in the face of powerful political and economic interests. (For EL credit, students complete 25 hours of service in a Chicago community. Those unable to complete placement arranged by the Steans Center must submit partnership agreement with another organization by the end of the first week). (2-4 quarter hours)
SCPS students cannot register for this class.
SNC 225 | BIODIVERSITY | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
The science of Biodiversity is the study of life on earth, both past and present. It involves the exploration and measurement of the amount of genetic, species, and ecological variation on earth and is emerging as one humanity's most important and urgent endeavors. Scientific efforts to study earth's biodiversity have intensified because of our growing appreciation of the role human population growth and urbanization play in accelerating the extinction of plant and animal species. This course introduces students to the nature of science and the central issues concerning life on earth including: the current state of biodiversity, valuing life's variations, human dependence on biological diversity, the origin and extinction of species, mass extinction, critical habitats at risk, and policies and approaches to conserve biodiversity.
SCPS students cannot register for this class.
SNC 227 | BRAVE NEW WORLD AND 1984: DIVERGING DYSTOPIAS | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
On January 25, 2017, the New York Times published an article, "George Orwell's '1984' Is Suddenly a Bestseller," which reported that Orwell's classic novel had suddenly seen an enormous spike in sales, as had other dystopian novels, including Brave New World. Indeed, the adjective "Orwellian," a reference to the way language can be twisted into pretzel logic by the powers that be, has become a commonplace of contemporary discourse and, as anyone familiar with The Hunger Games can tell you, dystopian fiction has been big in young adult literature for a number of years. But Nineteen Eighty-Four and Brave New World stand, by a strong consensus, as the definitive dystopian novels of the last hundred-some years. This is at least in part due to the fact that both novels are so well written - such riveting pieces of literary art; but it is also due to the perceived prophetic power the novels seem to share, although each posits a different kind of grim future for humankind. This course will engage closely with these two masterworks (and related texts and subtopics) from the perspectives of artistic genre; fiction and social commentary; politico-historical context; and intertextuality.
SCPS students cannot register for this class.
SNC 230 | FRANCE AND THE SILVER SCREEN: MODERN HISTORY THROUGH FRENCH CINEMA | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course will explore central issues in the history of modern France through the lens of cinematic representations analyzed in historical context. Students will deepen their knowledge of the events and figures in French history and examine change and continuity in such phenomena as the rise of the politically-conscious urban working-class. We will also consider how French society has confronted gender difference and religious pluralism. This course also includes a focus on representations of war and militarism in film, particularly considering the rise of anti-militarist film in the aftermath of the First World War, and the role of violence in colonialism struggles in Algeria and Vietnam. This course will interpret the ways in which films portray historical events and how films contribute to public understanding of history. No prior knowledge of French language is required; all films will be in French with English subtitles.
SNC 231 | VISIBLE & INVISIBLE CITIES | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course looks at THE CITY through the lenses of four philosophical domains: ontology, epistemology, ethics and aesthetics. Through carefully curated short readings of the most important texts of classical, modern, and contemporary writers, students will be introduced to the big philosophical questions in these four domains as they apply to life in a great city.
SNC 233 | SLAVERY AND ABOLITION IN ILLINOIS | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course will unpack the complex history of the presence of African-American chattel slavery in Illinois in the early nation, including slavery in the Illinois Territory, proslavery forces in the nineteenth century, antislavery activists who fought against slavery in Illinois, Illinois stops on the Underground Railroad, and some of the first free Black communities in the nation. Established in 1818, the free state of Illinois was even at one point on the brink of changing its constitution to become a slave state. Through an examination of published historical interpretations as well as public and private first-person narrative accounts, we will learn about the little-known history of slavery practices, indentured servitude, Black Codes, and kidnapping of free Blacks in Illinois history. We will also hear the voices of proslavery and antislavery proponents in this time, in their own words, and learn about key figures who led change.
SNC 235 | FRANCE IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course will examine the major events and themes of twentieth-century French history, engaging with critical issues of war and society, empire, gender, citizenship, immigration, and the politics of memory. Topics will include the impact of the First World War on the French state and society; the political radicalization of the interwar period; the emergence of anxieties surrounding gender roles; the fall of France in 1940 and subsequent German occupation, with a particular focus on the politics of collaboration and resistance; the impact of colonialism and decolonization; the strikes and protest movements of 1968; and debates over immigration and multiculturalism in the 1980s and 1990s, including the rise in popularity of the extreme right-wing National Front and the activism of second-generation French citizens of North African descent.
SCPS students cannot register for this class.
SNC 306 | TRAVEL AND LEARN IN BOSTON: EXPLORING ITS ARTS AND HISTORY | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Boston is a city of many faces. It?s a world class city from a cultural and educational perspective by any standard, but it competes with New York City and Philadelphia for the title of best place for American history and art. Boston has fame for the riches made by old money profits but also for its colorful mob history. With such internal paradoxes and external competitors, why choose a travel course to Boston? Here's why: In this domestic travel course, participants will walk the famous freedom train and other historic sites, visit Boston's famous art collections, and experience its diverse neighborhoods like Boston Common, Beacon Hill, and the North End. Issues such as Boston's immigrant populations, its fame as a seat of American higher education, its connection to events in American history, and its stake in the meaning of freedom and democracy will be discussed in the preparatory classes as well as in post travel learning as students work on individual projects. (4 quarter hours)
SNC 320 | MAMMALOGY | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course will introduce you to the origins, evolution, ecology, and biodiversity of the class Mammalia. Key topics will include mammalian paleobiology, anatomy, classification, genetics, reproduction, thermoregulation, locomotion, behavior, ecology, and conservation. Special emphasis will be on investigating the connections of mammalian evolutionary biology to human health issues including disease, nutrition, physical activity, injury, and overpopulation. Online learning will incorporate readings, discussions, a science kit for hands-on labs, virtual labs using 3D mammals, and computer simulations. Student will also undertake collaborative experimentation and onsite inquiry of mammals at a zoological park, museum, and/or nature reserve. Prerequisite: None.