Potential Courses

BIO 112 Biology of Infectious Disease
John Ferguson
. T . Th .
. T . . .
8:30 - 10:20 am
1:30 -4:30 pm
Cross-listed: GISP; STS Both morbidity and mortality due to infectious disease declined steadily during the 20th century in developed nations, but remain high in poorer nations. Students examine the reasons for this tenuous disparity as they study the agents of bacterial, viral, protozoan, and metazoan disease. Diseases covered include anthrax, typhoid fever, cholera, botulism, tetanus, bubonic plague, Lyme disease, leprosy, tuberculosis, influenza, smallpox, rabies, yellow fever, polio, AIDS, malaria, African sleeping sickness, and schistosomiasis, among others. Many of the readings are relatively nontechnical case histories, but the biology underlying each condition is thoroughly developed. This course is of interest to those aiming for a career in the health professions, but is also designed to provide liberal arts students with some degree of medical literacy in these health issues. The laboratory portion introduces students to bacteria and viruses that are relatively nonpathogenic for humans. Prerequisite: experience in high school biology and chemistry.

ANTH 350 Contemporary Cultural Theory
Laura Kunreuther
M . . . .
10:30 - 12:50 pm

OLIN 303
Cross-listed: Human Rights This course is intended as an introduction to advanced theories of culture in contemporary anthropology. Required of all anthropology majors, this course will also be of interest to students wishing to explore critical innovations in the study of local, national, and mass culture around the world. In contrast to early anthropological focus on seemingly isolated, holistic cultures, more recent studies have turned their attention to contest within societies and the intersection of local systems of meaning with global processes of politics, economics and history. The class will be designed around an influential social theorist, such as Bourdieu, Bakhtin, or Marx, and the application of their theories by anthropologists, such as Aihwa Ong, Judith Irvine, or Michael Taussig. The seminar will involve participation from all of the faculty in the anthropology department. It aims to inspire critical engagement with an eye towards developing theoretical tools and questions for a senior project that makes use of contemporary theories of culture. Required for all moderated Anthropology majors.

HIST 3112 PLAGUE!
Alice Stroup
M . . . .
1:30 -3:50 pm
OLIN 308
HIST
Cross-listed: Human Rights; Medieval Studies The cry “Plague!” has struck fear among people around the world, from antiquity to the present. What is plague? How has it changed history? Starting with Camus’ metaphorical evocation of plague in a modern North African city, we will examine the historical impact of plague on society. Our focus will be bubonic plague, which was epidemic throughout the Mediterranean and European worlds for four hundred years, and which remains a risk in many parts of the world (including the southwestern United States) to this day. Topics include: a natural history of plague; impact of plague on mortality and socio-economic structures; effects on art and literature; early epidemiology and public health; explanations and cures; the contemporary presence of bubonic plague and fears about “new plagues.” Readings include: literary works by Camus, Boccaccio, Manzoni, and Defoe; historical and philosophical analyses by ancients Thucydides and Lucretius; contemporary literature on history, biology, and public health. Upper College Seminar: open to fifteen moderated students.


SOC 205 Intro to Research Methods
Yuval Elmelech
. T . Th .
1:00 -2:20 pm
OLIN 101 &
HDRANX 106
MATC
Cross-listed: Environ. Studies, GIS, Human Rights, Social Policy The aim of this course is to enable students to understand and use the various research methods developed in the social sciences, with an emphasis on quantitative methods. The course will be concerned with the theory and rationale upon which social research is based, as well as the practical aspects of research and the problems the researcher is likely to encounter. The course is divided into two parts. In the first, we will learn how to formulate research questions and hypotheses, how to choose the appropriate research method for the problem, and how to maximize chances for valid and reliable findings. In the second part, we will learn how to perform simple data analysis and how to interpret and present findings in a written report. For a final paper, students use survey data on topics such as attitudes toward abortion, sexual attitudes, affirmative action, racism, sex roles, religiosity, and political affiliation. By the end of the semester, students will have the necessary skills for designing and conducting independent research for term papers and senior projects, as well as for non-academic enterprises. Admission by permission of the instructor.

PHOT/ ARTH 328 Photography, History
And News
Luc Sante
. . . Th .
1:30 -3:50 pm
OLIN 304
AART
Ever since the Civil War, photography has been recording great events, and at least since the 1890s it has been chronicling those smaller events we call news. Arguably, everything that has passed before the lens since the beginning can qualify as history of some sort. This course will consider war photography, tabloid photography, disaster coverage, photojournalism, and propaganda, as well as the role of photography in preserving evidence of changes in daily life over the past two centuries. Special attention will be given to objectivity, rhetoric, chance, and the ambiguity of the photographer's position in a crisis. Participation in classroom discussion is mandatory, as are one research paper or audiovisual presentation, and a take-home exam at semester's end.

LIT 2182 Nonfiction Workshop:
Writing Science
Elizabeth Frank
. . W Th .
10:30 - 11:50 am
OLIN 303
PART
This is a course for both science and humanities students who share a fundamental belief in the importance of science literacy. To laypersons, contemporary science is often impenetrable. They need clear, informative, and engaging explanations of contemporary work in science, particularly as these affect ethical and political decisions at every level of society. Students in the class will write about science in a number of formats: for example, essays, editorials, feature articles and book reviews, all of varying length and complexity. We will try to solve the problems that must inevitably arise when the search for voice confronts subject matter that is hard to simplify or explain. Limited to 15 students who have each passed a lab and/or quantitative science course at Bard. (Applicants submit email indicating that they have passed a lab and/or quantitative science course.)