Netherlands

This course focuses on cultural difference and identity in an era in which the nation seems to lose its unifying significance in matters of personal identity and group identity formation. It analyzes how globalization influences identity and culture and the ways in which these interact with social differences, gender, ethnicity, religion, and nationality. Students become familiar with theories of globalization and culture such as hybridization, McDonaldization, the clash of civilizations, and concepts such as orientalism, occidentalism, and multiculturalism. Its orientation is both practical and theoretical. 

This course looks at different ways of analyzing economic situations at a micro-level by building on microeconomic concepts learned from an introductory level Economics course. Familiar concepts are discussed in more depth and in a more mathematical way, while new concepts, such as the Slutsky equation, compensating, and equivalent variation are introduced. Game theory, the study of multi-person decision problems, and behavioral economics are also introduced. Behavioral economics adds insights from the field of psychology to the traditional economic rational-choice and equilibrium models. The course emphasis is on behavioral economics, for which students are required to carry out independent research.

This course provides students with a comprehensive overview of the concept of sustainable development and global sustainability challenges from economic, environmental, and social perspectives. Current sustainability challenges are explored through international case studies. The contributions of relevant disciplines such as demography, social and political science, ecology, energy and innovation, environmental science, agricultural science, and economy are explained. The core topics include energy and society, consumption and consumerism, risks and resilience, waste, water, and land. Concepts such as food security, environmental health, planetary boundaries, Climate change, world views, and ethics are also addressed.

This course provides students interested in Forensic Psychology and Law with an introduction to topics typical for this field. Examples of such topics are paraphilic disorders, substance use disorder, child abuse, the fallibility of eyewitness memory, lie detection, and alcohol-related amnesia. In each tutorial, research articles and case material descriptions related to a theme are studied and discussed. The examination consists of writing a paper about a topic related to the field of Forensic Psychology or Psychology and Law and active participation during the tutorials through giving presentations and actively discussing the reading materials.

This course is a study of grasslands and rangelands, which can be defined as the type of vegetation in which grasses and forbs are dominant. This course covers the importance of grassland as natural vegetation but also addresses the prevalence of semi-natural and agricultural grasslands, which are often managed by humans to provide food for domestic animals. This course explores a range of topics including the taxonomy and morphology of grassland species; the growth, development, and physiology of grassland species; grassland management, including aspects of grazing methods, botanical composition, soil quality, carbon sequestration, and the water and nutrient supply of soil; nutrition of ruminants, forage quality, forage conservation, and feeding systems; grass breeding, variety selection, and seed production; plant species diversity and productivity of semi-natural grasslands; and sports field turfgrass. Selected topics are highlighted for students through case studies and excursions. Amongst other skills, students learn to identify the most important grassland species using a classification key, understand grassland plant growth, production, and reproduction, and analyze societal, agronomic, and scientific problems related to grassland management and use.

This course demonstrates how social psychology can illuminate our understanding of social relationships and processes. It introduces the history, theories, and methods of social psychology and encourages a critical view of social psychological research. The course reviews classic and recent social psychology studies on social influence, interpersonal attraction, social cognition, aggression, and prejudice. Prerequisites for this course include Introduction to Psychology and Introduction to Research.

The course deals with multiple ontological models of the human person, developed in different traditions (Western, Indian, Chinese, and Japanese) and at different times. This course offers a survey of philosophical reflection on what it is to be human, based on primary philosophical texts from different philosophical traditions brought in dialogue with each other. It is philosophical anthropology, or theoretical philosophy, focusing on the human condition. Students become familiar with different ways of interpreting and answering the philosophical question "what is a human being?"