English

This course examines human relationships with ecological and material environments. It looks at diverse cultural perceptions of and approaches to the environment, the relationship between nature and culture, and anthropology’s contribution to contemporary ecological and climate debates.

This interdisciplinary course, which draws on social psychology, political and social theory, and sociology, explores what it is to live in a multicultural world where identities are in flux. The first part of the course introduces the main debates of one of the most dynamic areas of contemporary inquiry: multiculturalism, diversity, and gender. It explores how categories of difference (race, gender, ethnicity, nationality, and sexuality) are complex and interrelated. It considers the theoretical underpinnings of multiculturalism to explore the normative as well as pragmatic arguments for and against it. The concept of culture is explored in depth by drawing on sociological studies that try to help better understand cultural differences. The course then considers the question of intercultural dialogue and how it can be used as a resource to facilitate communication between different cultural groups. The second part of the course considers actual cross-cultural case studies to explore how states have developed diverse policies related to cultural pluralism. It also explores how gender and other categories of difference interact with modern institutions in contemporary society. Throughout, the course analyzes various ways of looking at power and political culture in modern societies with the objective of developing the ability to think critically about mechanisms for change. Students read relevant texts from a wide diversity of literature. Each session focuses on a particular theme and includes a student presentation that communicates and argues persuasively one's viewpoint on a topic.

The conflict environment in which peace mediators operate has changed considerably since the end of the Cold War. The discrete Cold War conflicts between a state and a major political rebel group, each backed by a Cold War power, have fragmented into localized, urbanized, and criminalized conflicts of the kind we see in Syria, Afghanistan, Mali, and South Sudan today. At the same time, peace mediation as a field has become increasingly professionalized and standardized through the international codification of peace mediation norms and techniques of peace process design. This course considers how the process design tools, concepts of conflict analysis, and norms underpinning "peace mediation" are evolving to negotiate peace in increasingly complex intra-state conflicts. The course begins by examining the traditional realist and liberal concepts of conflict analysis and techniques of peace process design developed to understand and manage conflict during the Cold War and immediate post-Cold War era. Using critiques from peace studies, comparative politics, global IR theory, sociology and post-colonial theory, the course highlights the weaknesses of these traditional IR approaches to peace mediation in the post 9/11 international security environment.

This course focuses on the psychology behind athletic performance, as well as on physical (in)activity levels in the general population. Sport and exercise are often considered a largely physical endeavor (strength, speed, stamina, flexibility etc.). However, it is widely acknowledged that sport performances and physical activity behavior are also influenced by psychological factors. Therefore, the course attends to the biology of sport performances and physical exercise, primarily on their behavioral determinants, motivations, pressure and stress, and ultimately looks at possible venues for behavior change.

This course examines the triangle of politics, public policy, and implementation. It looks at the issues of making policy work in practice; the academic perspective on everyday government practice; the promises and pitfalls of policy implementation; professional relationships; autonomous agencies; public management; and policy implementation theory.

The life of the ancient Romans was guided by two important concepts, otium, or leisure time, and negotium, a more structured use of time that may be associated with work of varying kinds. A good Roman life could, and often did, include both. This course explores Roman daily life and the many activities associated with both otium and negotium. The business of ancient Rome was largely conducted in the central and market areas of the city, and students study the ancient Roman Forum, the ancient river port in Rome and its associated features (wharves, warehouses, and rubbish heaps), as well as the ancient port city of Ostia. The leisure time of the aristocracy was noticeably different than that of the poor. They often spent leisure time in a relaxing environment outside of the city, such as villas, where they could pursue all types of activities deemed beneficial to the mind and body. The poor, instead, tended to stay in Rome, and spend their unstructured time at state-sponsored events and venues such as the games held in the Flavian Amphitheater, or at a monumental bath complex, such as the Baths of Caracalla. Alternatively, they would congregate in small taverns or popinae, or they might just sit on the stairs of a city building and play a game. Students visit and study the places where the Romans spent their leisure time looking closely at the leisure activities. As students get to know the Romans by studying what they have left us in terms of physical and literary remains, they discuss how much of what is "reconstructed" from the evidence can be certain, and how much must remain debatable. This course includes visits to Rome-area museums and sites, and special outings to the Roman cities of Ostia and Pompeii.