Wellesley College
AC-1: Academic Courses

ES 101 Fundamentals of Environmental Science with Laboratory How can we understand environmental problems if we don't understand the environment? In this course, we will approach environmental issues as scientific investigators: What do we need to know in order to understand ozone depletion? Mercury pollution? Ocean acidification? Habitat degradation? These are complex issues that are distinct in many ways, but which often share fundamental concepts that draw from many scientific disciplines. By examining the science behind these problems, we will develop the skills required to address them and begin to build a toolbox to tackle new and different problems. Laboratories examine the relationship between humans and the environment by exploring the campus and beyond. We will investigate important issues through hands-on physical data collection, high tech analysis, and modeling/mapping. ES 101, ES 102, and ES 102 Environment and Society: Addressing Climate Change This course offers an interdisciplinary introduction to environmental studies, with a focus on a climate change. Major concepts that will be examined include: the state of scientific research, the role of science, politics, and economics in environmental decisionmaking, and the importance of history, ethics and justice in approaching climate change. The central aim of the course is to help students develop the interdisciplinary research skills necessary to pose questions, investigate problems, and develop strategies that will help us address our relationship to the environment. ES 103 FYS: Environment and Society: Food, Agriculture, and Sustainability Where does our food come from? Is the way we grow, distribute, and consume it sustainable? What is the difference between organic and conventional agriculture? Are technologies, such as genetic modification, ethically defensible? How does our assessment change if we consider agriculture in a developing country in Africa? To answer these questions, students will take an interdisciplinary approach to environmental studies that draws on economics, politics, history, ethics, and the sciences. Students will actively investigate these questions through activities such as hands-on research on a long-term agricultural research plot on campus, field trips to investigate practices at nearby farms, and policy-relevant debates in class. ES 201/GEOS 201 Environmental, Health, and Sustainability Sciences with Laboratory more Problems in environmental, health, and sustainability sciences are inherently transdisciplinary and require a diverse skill set to frame, analyze and solve. This course will focus on developing a toolbox of skills including; systems level thinking, field and analytical methods, biogeochemical analysis (natural waters, soils, and other environmental materials), and modeling with a goal of building a science-based foundation for the analysis of complex issues at the interface between humans and the environment. Students will conduct semester-long research projects and will present their results in a final poster session. ES 203 Cultures of Environmentalism What is environmentalism? This course explores how different communities of people have answered that question in the United States and abroad. It focuses on the mainstream environmental movement and other formulations of environmentalism, such as environmental justice, deep ecology, animal rights, and indigenous peoples' concerns for the environment. This course takes an interdisciplinary approach to examining the role of culture in shaping how people have valued the environment and organized to protect it. What role do the arts, popular culture, and literature play in environmental activism? What are the ethical and philosophical foundations of modern environmental movements? How is environmental activism historically specific and shaped by particular constructions of race, gender, religion, and nature? The goal of this course is to consider how environmental activism and decision making can and must be sensitive to cultural context. Students are required to undertake a 15-20 hour service-learning project with a Boston-area environmental group. ES 209 Agroecology. The Science of Sustainable Food Systems with Laboratory Agricultural production is embedded within, and interacts with, ecological, economic, and social systems. How do we know what impact food production has on the ecosystem, farmers, consumers, and others? Agroecology is a field that applies ecological principles to agricultural systems, explores social implications of food systems, and seeks solutions to food production and distribution through quantitative and qualitative analysis. The objectives of this course are to understand the fundamentals of agroecology, learn research design techniques to test questions related to these fundamentals, and understand analytical tools that reflect a whole-systems approach to evaluating the food system. We will pair lectures and discussions in the classroom with research on local farms, including farmer interviews, farm mapping and analysis of ecological factors on the farm. ES 210/GEOS 210 Hydrogeology- Water and Pollutants with Laboratory Clean water supply is a high priority for both developed and underdeveloped communities worldwide. Limits to supply and their implications for an increasing population make a clear understanding essential for citizens. Water sources and movement of water from the atmosphere through the earth's surface and subsurface will be examined. Laboratory will include field and laboratory analyses of physical and chemical properties and pollutant issues of local community supplies including the Wellesley campus, and Towns of Wellesley, Natick, and Norwell. ES 212/RAST 212 Lake Baikal: The Soul of Siberia Preference will be given to students who have also taken HIST 211. Application required. Dist: Natural and Physical Science; Language and Literature ES 214/POL2 214 Social Causes and Consequences of Environmental Problems Maps are more than a means of getting around - they have become vital tools for addressing some of the world's most pressing environmental, social, and public health problems. This course introduces students to Geographic Information Systems (GIS), a modern approach to spatial analysis that has opened up new ways to identify and predict complex interactions. Many problems have a spatial component, and GIS provides a common framework to understand complex patterns. GIS is used in diverse disciplines, from economics and sociology to biology and geosciences to understand issues such as environmental justice, human ecology, pollution, epidemiology, and biodiversity conservation. Students will learn how to analyze problems in a GIS environment. They will gain hands-on experience with spatial analyses and data visualization and develop conceptual tools for spatial and quantitative reasoning. The combined lecture/lab format of the course will guide students in how to design, execute and present original research using methods from this evolving and important field. ES 219/ANTH 229 Mapping Society, Public Heath, and the Environment: GIS Approaches This course focuses on the social science explanations for why environmental problems are created, the impacts they have, the difficulties of addressing them, and the regulatory and other actions that succeed in mitigating them. Topics include: externalities and the politics of unpriced costs and benefits, collective action problems and interest group theory, time horizons in decision making, the politics of science, risk and uncertainty, comparative political structures, and cooperation theory. Also addressed are different strategies for changing environmental behavior, including command and control measures, taxes, fees, and other market instruments, and voluntary approaches. These will all be examined across multiple countries and levels of governance. ES 220 Environmental Limits and Conservation with Laboratory The growing use of global resources challenges our ability to conserve resources themselves, as well as species, ecosystems, and environmental quality. This brings up fundamental questions regarding limits to the sustainability of human and natural systems. This course investigates these far-reaching concepts by examining topics such as fundamentals and implications of thermodynamics, energy and material flow through human and natural systems, conservation of resources and biodiversity, and natural resource management. We will also explore the role of science and technology in surmounting previous limits (e.g. energy consumption and agricultural yields), as well as the implications of inherent limits that may never be broken. Laboratory work will focus on quantitative skills and tools used to assess the sustainability of different systems. ES 226 Archaeology of Environmental Change Modern concerns about climate change and human impacts on the environment are the most recent in a long history of human – environmental interactions. Closer attention to long-term human-environmental interactions shows we have a constant history of impacting environments —both subtle and profoundly—throughout the world. This class will examine such interactions from a long-term perspective spanning the past 10,000 years. Through case studies in Environmental Archaeology, we will examine notions of ―"pristine wildernesses", how past cultural adaptations have created sustainable environments or caused environmental deterioration, and will scrutinize environmentally-driven models of societal change. With this focus on anthropogenic environments, we will look critically at models that externalize humans as ecological forces. We will also explore selected multidisciplinary approaches to reconstructing past human – environmental dynamics. ES 228/ECON 228 Environmental and Resource Economics This course considers the economic aspects of resource and environmental issues. After examining the concepts of externalities, public goods, and common property resources, we will discuss how to measure the cost and benefits of environmental policy, in order to estimate the socially optimal level of the environmental good. Applications of these tools will be made to air and water pollution, renewable and nonrenewable resources, and global climate. In addressing each of these problems we will compare various public policy responses such as regulation, marketable permits and tax incentives. ES 229 Latin America: Topics in Food Systems and the Environment From an ecological perspective, Latin America is a vast region composed of numerous biomes: tropical forests, savannas, deserts, mountains, and temperate forests and grasslands. Culturally, this region is home to diverse human communities including 600 indigenous groups. Economically, many countries in Latin America depend upon the export of natural resources and agricultural products. Growing populations, increased global trade, and a complicated history of colonization put pressure on all of these areas, creating a fascinating and important backdrop for exploring issues in food systems and the environment. Topics will be guided by student interest, but may include food justice, agroecology, water rights, biodiversity conservation, biopiracy, transnational agreements, farmer networks and social movements. ES 247/BISC 247 Plant Diversity and Ecology with Laboratory This course is a combination of "What's that wildflower?" and "Why does it grow over there and not here?" We begin by examining large-scale patterns of plant diversity from an evolutionary and phylogenetic perspective and then shift to an ecological perspective. Along the way, we zoom in to specific concepts and processes that help us understand overall patterns. Laboratories will primarily be taught in the field and greenhouses and will include plant identification, observational and experimental studies, and long-term study of forest communities on the Wellesley campus. Laborities will also include aspects of experimental design and data analysis. The goal of the course is not only to train students in botany and plant ecology, but to engage them in the world of plants every time they step outside. ES 267/ARTH 267 Art and the Environmental Imagination Nature, according to the environmental historian William Cronon, "serves as the mirror onto which societies project the ideal reflections they wish to see." Focusing on the land of the United States as it has been shaped into forms ranging from landscape paintings to suburban lawns, national parks, and our own Wellesley College campus, we will investigate the social, political, economic, religious, scientific, and aesthetic imperatives that have underlain these creations and molded our responses to them. Among the questions we will consider are: What is "nature"? What do we value in a landscape and why? How have artists and architects responded to environmentalist concerns? ES 289 Environmental Mapping and Analysis Today's maps are much more than a means to get from here to there—they are rich with information and have become vital tools for addressing some of the world's most pressing environmental problems. Modern spatial analysis and mapping methods, including Geographic Information Systems (GIS), have opened up new ways to discover, interpret, and predict complex spatial patterns and systems. This course offers students hands-on experience with state-of-the-art spatial tools, statistical analyses, and data visualization in order to study multidisciplinary topics such as environmental justice, natural resource management/economics, environmental pollution, and biodiversity conservation. The combined lecture/lab format of the course in addition to its two instructors provides a thorough immersion into an evolving and exciting field. ES 299 Environmental History This course examines the relationship between nature and society in American history. The course will consider topics such as the decimation of the bison, the rise of Chicago, the history of natural disasters, and the environmental consequences of war. There are three goals for this course: First, we will examine how humans have interacted with nature over time and how nature, in turn, has shaped human society. Second, we will examine how attitudes toward nature have differed among peoples, places, and times and we will consider how the meanings people give to nature inform their cultural and political activities. Third, we will study how these historical forces have combined to shape the American landscape and the human and natural communities to which it is home. While this course focuses on the past, an important goal is to understand the ways in which history shapes how we understand and value the environment as we do today. ES 300 Environmental Decisionmaking An interdisciplinary seminar in which students work together in small groups to understand and develop solutions for current environmental problems. Each year, we focus on a given environmental issue of concern to our community, e.g. environmental implications of building design, energy use, or water quality. In particular, we work to understand its scientific background, the political processes that lead to potential solutions, and the ethical and environmental justice implications. Student-led research provides the bulk of the information about the issue and its role in our local environment; lectures and readings provide supplementary information about the local situation and the global context. ES 307/BISC 307 Advanced Topics in Ecology with Laboratory Topic for 2015-16: Freshwaters: Ecology & Conflicts. Freshwater ecosystems support a myriad of fascinating biota, many with links to the terrestrial realm, and are essential sustainers of human societies. Increasingly, freshwaters are threatened with multi-source pollution, and diversion to industry and agriculture. What is the fate of freshwater resources as the human population surges toward 9 billion or more by 2050? How will humanity cope with impending water shortages as climate change proceeds? And, what of the freshwater biota? Through discussions of the primary literature and student research presentations, we will explore the effects on freshwater ecosystems of climate change, pollutants, invasive species, and water use policy, as well as the societal implications of such challenges. From a local perspective, we'll sample several New England freshwater ecosystems to study their current richness and temporal dynamics, as a baseline for future change. ES 312S/POL2 312S Seminar: Environmental Policy ES 313 Environmental Impact Assessment Our environment is constantly changing as a result of anthropogenic events; we can apply scientific principles and assessment tools to reduce the adverse impacts that our actions have on the environment. Environmental impact assessment is the systematic identification and evaluation of the potential impacts or effects of proposed projects, products, and decisions relative to the current state of the total environment. This course teaches the scientific fundamentals of environmental impact assessment, along with the related approaches of environmental risk assessment, life cycle assessment and industrial ecology, that can help us make informed choices about how to minimize environmental harm and make informed choices about alternatives. These tools will be applied to case studies in class, and a semester-long team project. ES 325/POL3 325 International Environmental Law For international environmental problems, widespread international cooperation is both important and quite difficult. Under what conditions have states been able to cooperate to solve international environmental problems? Most international efforts to address environmental problems involve international law—how does such law function? What types of issues can international environmental law address and what types can it not? This course addresses aspects of international environmental politics as a whole, with particular attention to the international legal structures used to deal with these environmental problems. Each student will additionally become an expert on one international environmental treaty to be researched throughout the course. ES 327/BISC 327 Seminar. Topics in Biodiversity Topic of 2015-16: Conservation Biology. This course will examine biological communities along a gradient from natural ecosystems to the built environment. What can we learn by applying concepts from community ecology to human-dominated landscapes? How important is biodiversity in urban and suburban settings, and how is human health connected to the biological communities we inhabit? Students will discuss primary literature, explore and describe a range of biological communities on and around campus, and, as a final projectm design small-scale ecosystems (aka gardens, indoors or out, terrestrial or aquatic). ES 347/BISC 347 Advanced Plant Diversity and Ecology with Laboratory This course meets along with ES 247/BISC 247 and offers an opportunity for students to engage more deeply with the material and perform independent research. Students will be expected to more thoroughly review and reference peer-reviewed literature and assist in leading in-class discussions. Additionally, each student will develop and conduct an experiment (or observational study) over the course of the semester that examines mechanisms of plant diversity and coexistence. ES 381/POL1 381 United States Environmental Politics This course examines the politics of environmental issues in the United States. The course has two primary goals: First, to introduce students to the institutions, stakeholders, and political processes important to debates over environmental policy at the federal level. Second, to develop and practice skills of analyzing and making decisions relevant to environmental politics and policy. Drawing on the literature of environmental politics and policy, this course will consider how environmental issues are framed in political discourse, various approaches to environmental advocacy and reform, and the contested role of science in environmental politics. The course will be organized around environmental case studies, including endangered species conservation, public lands management, air and water pollution, and toxics regulation. ES 383 The Science of Compliance For more than 40 years U.S. environmental policies have been passed, amended and enforced with the purpose of protecting human health and preserving the environment. This course will examine the evolution of technologies to meet the goals of major U.S. environmental policies including the Clean Air Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation, and Liability Act and the role that available technologies play in setting the enforceable standards within policies. We will learn fundamental scientific principles of water treatment, wastewater treatment, and air pollution control technologies and examine how scientists and engineers employ these technologies to meet policy goals. Students will further examine the relationship between a recent or future environmental policy and technological evolution. ES 399 Calderwood Seminar in Public Writing: Environmental Synthesis and Communication more Tax carbon? Label genetically modified crops? Ban endocrine disruptors? In this course, we will engage with such questions and related environmental sustainability issues as public writers. Students will choose one environmental issue, which will be the focus of their environmental “beat” during the semester. They will draw on an interdisciplinary toolset from environmental studies to analyze and communicate the scientific, economic, political, and ethical dimensions of pressing policy issues. Students will conduct independent research to produce weekly articles, such as op-eds, blog posts, press releases, book reviews, policy memos, and interviews with environmental professionals. Class sessions will be organized as writing workshops focused on the interdisciplinary analysis and content of student work. Individual Study ES 250 or 350 (Research or Individual Study) can be advised by any member of the advisory faculty in environmental studies. They may count towards the area of concentration. A half-unit course may only count as credit towards the major when combined with another half-unit course. Only two units of independent study may be counted towards the major. ES350 courses may not be used to fulfill the minimum requirement that two electives be at the 300-level. ES 250GH Environmental Studies Reading Group ES 250 Research or Individual Study ES 250H Research or Individual Study ES 350 Research or Individual Study ES 350H Research or Individual Study ES 360 Senior Thesis Research ES 370 Senior Thesis AFR 226 Environmental Justice, "Race," and Sustainable Development An investigation of the extent to which the causes and consequences of environmental degradation are influenced by social inequality and the devaluation of indigenous peoples. The course will examine how the poor, indigenous peoples and people of color are subjected to environmental hazards. Topics include the link between negative environmental trends and social inequality; the social ecology of slums, ghettos and shanty towns; the disproportionate exposure of some groups to pollutants, toxic chemicals, and carcinogens; dumping of hazardous waste in Africa and other Third World countries; and industrial threats to the ecology of small island states in the Caribbean. The course will evaluate Agenda 21, the international program of action from the Earth Summit designed to halt environmental degradation and promote sustainable development. ASTR 223/GEOS 223 Planetary Climates Have you wondered what Earth's climate was like 3 billion years ago? What about weather patterns on Titan and climate change on Mars? In this course, we'll explore the structure and evolution of atmospheres and the climate on four worlds: the Earth, Mars, Venus, and Saturn's moon Titan. We'll examine the techniques and tools that geologists use to learn about the history of the Earth's climate and that planetary scientists use to learn about the atmospheres and surface environments on other worlds. Students will also gain experience simulating the climate system and computing atmospheric properties. Other topics include: the super-rotation of Venus's atmosphere and its Runaway Greenhouse climate, the destruction of atmospheres on low-gravity worlds, and the future of Earth's climate as the Sun grows steadily brighter. ASTR 323: Advanced Planetary Climates This course meets with ASTR 223/GEOS 223 (see description) and on alternate Wednesdays for additional instruction and seminar-style discussions exploring special topics in planetary climates. Students will read and discuss journal articles and advanced texts, and will produce a final project that involves an in-depth treatment of a topic of their choosing. Possible topics include: atmospheric escape mechanisms, physics of planetary exospheres, the anti-greenhouse and methane cycle on Titan, planetary global climate models, structure of the Venusian atmosphere, modern ice ages on Mars, evolution of the early Martian climate, spacecraft instrumentation, and remote sensing techniques. BISC 108 Environmental Horticulture with Laboratory This course will examine how plants function, both as individual organisms and as critical members of ecological communities, with special emphasis on human uses of plants. Topics will include plant adaptations, reproduction, environmentally sound landscape practices, urban horticulture, and the use of medicinal plants. The laboratory involves extensive use of the greenhouses, experimental design, data collection and analysis, and field trips. BISC 201 Ecology with Laboratory An introduction to the scientific study of interactions between organisms and their environments. Topics include evolutionary adaptation in dynamic environments, behavioral ecology and life-history strategies, population growth and regulation, species interactions (competition, parasitism, mutualism, predation) and their consequences, and the structure and function of biological communities and ecosystems. Emphasis is placed on experimental ecology and its uses in addressing environmental issues such as biological control of pests, conservation of endangered species and global climate change. Laboratories occur primarily in the field where students explore and study local habitats, including meadows, forests, alpine tundra, bogs, dunes, marshes, lakes, and streams. BISC 202 Evolution with Laboratory Examination of evolution, the central paradigm of biology, at the level of populations, species, and lineages. Topics include the genetics of populations, the definition of species, the roles of natural selection and chance in evolution, the reconstruction of phylogeny using molecular and morphological evidence, and patterns in the origination, diversity, and extinction of species over time. BISC 210 Marine Biology with Laboratory Oceans cover more than 70% of the earth's surface and are our planet's primary life support system. This course examines adaptations and interactions of plants and animals in a variety of marine habitats. Focal habitats include the photic zone of the open ocean, the deep-sea, subtidal and intertidal zones, estuaries, and coral reefs. Emphasis is placed on the dominant organisms, food webs, and experimental studies conducted within each habitat. Laboratories will emphasize primarily field work in marine habitats as well as hands-on study of marine organism and adaptation anatomy. BISC 308 Tropical Ecology with Laboratory Tropical rain forests and coral reefs seem to invite superlatives. They are among the most fascinating, diverse, productive, but also most endangered ecosystems on earth. These topics are addressed during the fall lectures in preparation for the laboratory part of the course which takes place in Central America during wintersession. We first travel to a small island part of an atoll bordering the world's second longest barrier reef off the coast of Belize. In the second half of the field course we explore an intact lowland rain forest in Costa Rica. Laboratory work is carried out primarily outdoors and includes introductions to flora and fauna, and implementation of research projects designed during the fall. Normally offered in alternate years. Subject to Dean's Office approval. BISC 314 Environmental Microbiology and Laboratory A field-based exploration of the microbial world centered on distinct microbial habitats visited locally. Short lectures and readings from primary literature will be combined with trips to visit a diverse set of microbial environments where students will collect samples for microbial isolation as well as culture-independent community assessment. In the laboratory, students will learn how to identify and design media for selective isolation of microbes involved in processes such as: methanotrophy, sulfur oxidation, nitrogen fixation, syntrophism and symbiosis, fermentation of ethanol and aging of cheese. Student participation and discussion of original scientific literature will be emphasized. BISC 319 Evolution and Conservation Genetics with Laboratory Oceanic archipelagos such as Galápagos stand at a crossroads: while many still retain most of its original species, ecological degradation is proceeding rapidly. We will focus on the study of the components of accumulation of species diversity in island systems and of the forces or agents that can threaten that endemic diversity. By looking at relationships between organisms, populations and species, we can interpret how historical processes can leave evolutionary footprints on the geographic distribution of traits. Additionally, analyzing genetic patterns within island populations we can detect signals of demographic growth or decline and evaluate the role of genetic factors in population persistence. After a series of introductory lectures, the course will involve student presentations and discussion of primary literature examining cases in archipelagos (Hawaii, Canaries and Galápagos). In the laboratory, we will explore computational biology tools for analysis of DNA sequences, and apply methods of phylogeny, phylogeography reconstruction and population demographics. We will also explore the growing field of molecular dating of evolutionary events. GEOS 101 Earth Processes and the Environment with Laboratory Geologic processes both rapid (earthquakes and landslides) and slow (mountain building and sea level rise) are intimately linked with sustaining the diversity of life on the planet. This course will examine these and other processes in which the atmosphere, geosphere, and biosphere are linked via the flow of energy and mass. Laboratory exercises and field trips will introduce skills needed to observe and document processes shaping our environment. Problem solving in small groups during class time will foster critical thinking, and classroom debates between larger teams will focus research and communications skills on current issues in geosciences such as building and removing dams, and the science surrounding global climate change. GEOS 102 The Dynamic Earth with Laboratory The Earth is a dynamic planet - driven by processes that operate on its surface and within. In this course we study these processes as well as interactions between the solid earth, the hydrosphere, the atmosphere, and the biosphere that together produce the environment we live in. Topics covered include the origin and history of the earth, plate tectonics, the distribution of earthquakes and volcanoes, hydrology, landscape evolution, and global climate; these processes influence our lives daily. Laboratory exercises, project work, and local field trips provide hands-on opportunities to develop key concepts and hone observational and analytical skills. GEOS 208 Oceanography Prereq: Any 100-level GEOS, ES or BISC course, or permission of the instructor Dist: Natural and Physical Science GEOS 304 Sedimentology and Stratigraphy with Laboratory more Prereq: GEOS 200, GEOS 203, or permission of the instructor Dist: Natural and Physical Science GEOS 315 Environmental Geochemistry with Laboratory Accurately predicting the fate and transport of naturally occurring toxic elements and anthropogenic compounds in the environment requires a broad set of multidisciplinary skills. This course introduces geochemical approaches including mass balance, residence time, isotope fractionation, and thermodynamic and kinetic modeling necessary to fingerprint sources of pollutants and track them in water, soil, and plants. These fundamentals will be explored in several classic case studies and in semester-long geochemical research projects conducted by small groups. GEOS 320 Isotope Geochemistry This seminar-style course will use the primary literature to study state-of-the-art techniques in isotope geochemistry. Radiogenic, cosmogenic, and stable isotope systematics will be explored with applications ranging from geochronology, tectonics, fate and transport of pollutants, and the use of isotopes to trace biogeochemical processes. Field trips to Boston area isotope labs and opportunities for collaborative research projects will complement the seminar. PHIL 233 Environmental Ethics Do non-human animals, plants, species, ecosystems or wilderness have moral value beyond their relation to human interests? Do we have moral duties to refrain from harming the natural world or to preserve it for future generations? How should we weigh up environmental concerns against other concerns (such as the elimination of poverty or economic growth) in cases where they come into conflict? How should the benefits of the environment, and the burdens of conserving it, be shared across individuals or countries? Does recognition of the importance of the environment call for a brand new kind of moral philosophy or merely a more sophisticated application of an old one? This course will examine a variety of philosophical answers to these questions and apply those answers to a set of pressing current issues, including global climate change; population policy and reproductive freedom; the local food movement; and the use of non-human animals for food, research and entertainment. AMST 274 Rainbow Cowboys (and Girls): Gender, Race, Class, and Sexuality in Westerns Westerns, a complex category that includes not only films but also novels, photographs, paintings, and many forms of popular culture, have articulated crucial mythologies of American culture from the nineteenth century to the present. From Theodore Roosevelt to the Lone Ranger, myths of the trans-Mississippi West have asserted iconic definitions of American masculinity and rugged individualism. Yet as a flexible, ever-changing genre, Westerns have challenged, revised, and subverted American concepts of gender and sexuality. Westerns have also struggled to explain a dynamic and conflictive "borderlands" among Native Americans, Anglos, Latinos, Blacks, and Asians. This team-taught, interdisciplinary course will investigate Westerns in multiple forms, studying their representations of the diverse spaces and places of the American West and its rich, complicated, and debated history. ANTH 104 Introduction to Cultural and Social Anthropology A comparative approach to the concept of culture and an analysis of how culture structures the worlds we live in. The course examines human societies from their tribal beginnings to the postindustrial age. We will consider the development of various types of social organization and their significance based on family and kinship, economics, politics, and religion. ANTH 204 Physical Anthropology This course will examine the evolutionary foundations of human variability. This theme is approached broadly from the perspectives of anatomy, paleontology, genetics, primatology, and ecology. For this purpose, the course will address the principles of human evolution, fossil evidence, behavior, and morphological characteristics of human and nonhuman primates. Explanation of the interrelationship between biological and sociobehavioral aspects of human evolution, such as the changing social role of sex, are discussed. In addition, human inter-population differences and environmental factors that account for these differences will be evaluated. ANTH 281 Ancient South America: Society, Politics, and Ritual The Andean, Amazonian, and Caribbean regions of South America present a rich archaeological heritage that is often overshadowed by their Colonial and post-Colonial past. We will emphasize how economy, ritualized ancestry and politics, and social differences created a mosaic of civilizations that transformed the societies and landscapes of this region, from its earliest occupation to the Spanish Conquest. The course will explore the cultural and historical uniqueness of South America while analyzing anthropological concepts such as the development of social differentiation, how gender roles and ethnic groups interacted, and what happens as civilizations develop and wane. We will also look at the contemporary salience of these cultures for modern economic development and tourism, nation-state identities and international policy, and environmental management. EDUC 216 Education and Social Policy An examination of education policy in recent decades as well as the social, political, and economic forces that have shaped those policies over the years. We will analyze the different—and sometimes conflicting—goals, motivations, and outcomes of educational policies. Who designs educational policy and for whom? Whose interests are served and whose interests are unmet? Using a case study approach, we will discuss major topics of debate in American education, including equal educational opportunity, school desegregation, bilingual education, school choice, and education standards and testing, and consider new policies. PEAC 104 Introduction to the Study of Conflict, Justice, and Peace An interdisciplinary introduction to the study of conflict, justice, and peace. The course engages students in developing an analytical and theoretical framework for examining the dynamics of conflict, violence, and injustice and the strategies that have been employed to attain peace and justice, including balance of power, cooperation, diplomacy and conflict resolution, law, human rights, social movements, social justice (economic, environmental, and race/class/gender), interpersonal communication, and religiously inspired social transformation. SOC 221 Globalization McDonald's, Starbucks, and the Gap; are now common features on the street corners of Europe, South America, and Asia. Arnold Schwarzenegger enjoys unprecedented popularity in the Far East while Americans are fascinated by karaoke and Indian films. Does this globalization of production and consumption mean that people all over the globe are becoming the same? In this course, we will explore the globalization of social organization. We will examine the different ways in which economic, political, and cultural institutions are organized in the increasingly interdependent world in which we live, compare them with those in the past, and explore their consequences. SOC 307 Learning by Giving: Nonprofit Organizations and American Cities in the Twenty-First Century The goals of this experimental team-taught course are several: 1) to develop a community-based research experience that will strengthen students’ substantive understanding of American cities and the organizations that serve their populations; 2) to offer students the opportunity to hone their social science research skills; 3) to strengthen students’ communication skills by offering them an alternative venue and audience for their writing; and 4) to foster collaboration among students on a project of consequence. Students will work in teams to research, write, and submit a grant application for a nonprofit organization. Course participation will require travel to Boston. Preference will be given to students who have a demonstrated commitment to service. SUST 201: Introduction to Sustainability This case‐based course introduces students to the basic concepts and tools that business, engineering, and the liberal arts (science, social science, and the humanities) bring to a consideration of sustainability. It is team‐taught by three faculty members, one from each institution, with coursework fully integrated across the three approaches. The course will draw empirical material from, and apply concepts and tools to the sustainability of a city block. SUST 301: Sustainability Synthesis This case‐based course introduces students to the basic concepts and tools that business, engineering, and the liberal arts (science, social science, and the humanities) bring to a consideration of sustainability. It is team‐taught by three faculty members, one from each institution, with coursework fully integrated across the three approaches. The course will draw empirical material from, and apply concepts and tools to, a semester‐long case (such as the sustainability of a city block, the transition to clean energy worldwide, or the life‐cycle of a common consumer product). WGST 212: Feminist Bioethics How would bioethics differ if it took seriously the experiences and needs of women and other marginalized social groups? This course engages the works of feminist theorists and practitioners in philosophy, religion, law, medicine, public health, and the social and biological sciences—works that develop more inclusive bioethical theories and practices in the service of the health and well-being of all persons and communities. Feminist bioethics is both critical and constructive in its attention to moral frameworks, principles, norms, and values related to the conditions for human health including health care's professions, practices, and institutions. Also addressed are gender, race, and class disparities in health status, clinical care, and biomedical research. EXTD 125: Making a Difference through Engineering Fieldwork Fieldwork experience over Wintersession for implementing and assessing projects developed in EXTD 120. Students will spend the majority of Wintersession in a developing country (e.g., Nicaragua or El Salvador), primarily living with community members. They will deliver projects developed in EXTD 120, assess these and previously delivered projects, and identify new projects. Development and practice of skills needed for engineering fieldwork: interview methods, cross-cultural observation, creative capacity building, rapid design iteration, device building with limited supplies, and co-creation. AFR 306: Urban Development and the Underclass: Comparative Case Studies Throughout the African Diaspora, economic change has resulted in the migration of large numbers of people to urban centers. This course explores the causes and consequences of urban growth and development, with special focus on the most disadvantaged cities. The course will draw on examples from the United States, the Caribbean, South America, and Africa. EXTD 128: Coastal Zone Management This course presents a survey of the coastal environment and its physical characteristics, natural systems, economic uses, and development pressures. Lectures examine strategies formulated in the United States for land and water-resource management in the coastal zone. The roles of federal, state, and local governments, environmental groups, and resource users are also explored. Finally, by comparing coastal-zone management problems in the United States to those elsewhere in the world, students gain a global perspective. Offered by the Marine Studies Consortium. PHIL 236: Global Justice An introduction to recent work in political philosophy on the ethics of international relations. The course will discuss some of the main theoretical approaches to the topic: realism, cosmopolitan egalitarianism, political liberalism, utilitarianism, and nationalism. We will also consider how these different approaches might be applied to some central moral controversies in international politics, including those relating to global poverty, human rights and humanitarian intervention, immigration, climate change, and fair trade. ANTH 299: Home and Away: Human Geography and the Cultural Dimensions of Space and Place Why are myths often tied to geography and why are particular locations charged with powerful cultural meaning? This anthropological field course in Iceland explores the diverse ways that humans interact with their surroundings to create culture. This intensive two-week excursion (followed by two weeks of follow-up assignments) examines the cultural and geographic significance of Iceland's unique landscape and settlements. Glacial lakes, bustling cities, remote fishing villages, and eerie lava fields provide the setting for an introduction to the fascinating field of cultural geography. Students gain hands-on experience with methods of cultural anthropology, including participant-observation, interviewing, writing field notes, photography, and critical analysis. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, this course offers students a rare chance to conduct ethnographic research in one of the most stunning places on Earth! SUST 220: Paradigms, Predictions, and Joules: A Historical and Scientific Approach to Energy and the Environment This interdisciplinary course, involving faculty and students from Olin, Babson, and Wellesley Colleges, will focus on “grand challenges” at the interface between energy and the environment through the disciplinary lenses of the history of technology and environmental science. We will study the changing relationship between human societies and their natural environment, examining the consequences of human energy use (agricultural production, power generation, and other forms of energy) at the local, regional, and global scales. By combining the tools, analytical frameworks, and skills found in the history and environmental science fields, we will build models that explain the observations and trends that we observe from historical case studies. BISC 322: Designs for Life: The Biomechanics of Animals and Plants with Laboratory This course will focus on how organisms cope with a complex physical world. Their sophisticated designs withstand large environmental forces, caused by gravity, wind, and water flow. Animals, as well as confronting the problems of not falling over or apart, must overcome additional challenges associated with locomotion. Biomaterials, including spider silk that is stronger than steel and springy tendons that power prodigious jumps, help make this possible. Topics for discussion will include how biomaterials give organisms structure and strength, how muscle acts as a biological motor during locomotion, how animals swim and fly, and how they run, walk and jump effectively on land. Class discussion and student presentation of recent primary literature will be an integral part of the course. Labs will include the analysis of video images to calculate accelerations and power during movement, and the use of force plates to quantify contact forces during running and jumping. CLSC 214: Evolution and Human Behavior Evolutionary Psychology is the scientific study of human nature as shaped by natural selection. It is grounded in evolutionary biology and the psychological sciences with connections to disciplines ranging from neuroscience to anthropology and economics. Topics covered will include adaptive solutions to major life challenges including survival, mating, family relations, and group living (e.g., cooperation, aggression, and status). POL 310: Seminar. Politics of Community Development Focuses on strategies for poverty alleviation, employment generation, promotion of social opportunity, and empowerment. Emphasis is on development in Asia (especially South and Southeast Asia), Africa, and Latin America. Considers women's leadership in social change, local control of resources, faith-based activism, and collaboration between activists and researchers. Examines activities of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and their relations with funders, governments, and other NGOs. Specific NGOs and development programs will be closely examined. AFR 238: Womanism In this class, we explore womanism as a distinct perspective. " Womanism is a social change perspective rooted in Black women's and other women of color's everyday experiences and everyday methods of problem solving in everyday spaces, extended to the problem of ending all forms of oppression for all people, restoring the balance between people and the environment/nature, and reconciling human life with the spiritual dimension." (Phillips, The Womanist Reader, p. xx). We examine the origins of contemporary womanism in the works of Alice Walker, Chikwenye Okonjo Ogunyemi, Clenora Hudson-Weems, and others whose work has influenced contemporary womanism. We consider how African women’s cosmology and history have impacted the evolution and expression of womanism in the New World, giving womanism a different platform than other critical theories rooted in Western/European frames of reference and linking womanism to transnational indigenous and “fourth world” perspectives. Through diverse case studies, we explore womanist methodology, praxis, and activism, and engage questions of how womanism differs from other critical theories and social movement modalities. Finally, we examine the womanist social vision and womanist notions of community, including human, ecological/environmental, and cosmic. POL2 310: Seminar. Politics of Community Development Focuses on strategies for poverty alleviation, employment generation, promotion of social opportunity, and empowerment. Emphasis is on development in Asia (especially South and Southeast Asia), Africa, and Latin America. Considers women's leadership in social change, local control of resources, faith-based activism, and collaboration between activists and researchers. Examines activities of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and their relations with funders, governments, and other NGOs. Specific NGOs and development programs will be closely examined. POL2 336: Transitional Justice Transitional justice concerns the pervasive psychological, social, and political effects of past injustices and on the mechanisms aimed at dealing with these injustices. We will consider the theory and practice of transitional justice, which includes such mechanisms as criminal prosecution; the disqualification from public office of those associated with past injustices;; truth and reconciliation commissions; reparations; revisions of national-historical narratives; official apologies; and, public commemoration. Our focus will be on understanding the nature of the political and moral dilemmas encountered by countries that apply these mechanisms. We will consider broad theoretical questions as well as specific examples, such as Germany after World War II; South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission; and the International Criminal Tribunals for the Former Yugoslavia and for Rwanda. SOC 108: Thinking Global: An Introduction to Sociology How are your personal problems related to larger issues in society and the world? In what ways do global economic and political shifts affect your personal trajectory as a college student in the United States? In this course, you will come to understand sociology as a unique set of tools with which to interpret your relationship to a broader sociopolitical landscape. By integrating classic readings in the discipline of sociology with the principles of global political economy, we will analyze and contextualize a range of social, economic, and political phenomena at the scales of the global, the national, the local, and the individual. SPAN 245: Maps and Minds: Inventing the Americas Through Geographic Imagination This course explores the mapping of the Americas from the pre-Columbian times until today through the study of the making of maps, both visual and conceptual, as well as of mapping space in literary works. Students will be introduced to the fundamentals of the history of cartography and the notion of mapping in literature. Visual materials will range from maps drawn on sand, trees, cloth, and pottery from pre-Columbian societies, such as the Inca, the Aztec, and the Nazca; medieval, Renaissance, and contemporary maps and map art; and the most recent examples of mapping in scientifically "accurate" maps and Latin American city subway maps. We will read works by Christopher Columbus, Jorge Luis Borges, and Belén Gopegui, and view The Motorcycle Diaries. BISC 308: Tropical Ecology with Wintersession Laboratory Tropical rain forests and coral reefs seem to invite superlatives. They are among the most fascinating, diverse, productive, but also most endangered ecosystems on earth. These topics are addressed during the fall lectures in preparation for the laboratory part of the course, which takes place in Central America during Wintersession. We first travel to a small island, part of an atoll bordering the world's second longest barrier reef off the coast of Belize. In the second half of the field course we explore an intact lowland rain forest in Costa Rica. Laboratory work is carried out primarily outdoors and includes introductions to flora and fauna, and implementation of research projects designed during the fall. GEOS 238: Regional Geology Southwest USA

The course catalogue was reviewed by staff from the Environmental Studies Program and the Office of Sustainability.