National University of Singapore

This course focuses on the political evolution of the US. The pre-eminence of the US in world affairs suggests that knowledge of the evolution of American society and its culture is crucial to understanding American motivations and actions. In tracing how Americans have, from 1776, resolved issues and debates regarding the role of the federal government, racial and economic justice, gender roles, and political participation, budget and resource allocation and environmental concerns, students will gain insight into the historical processes which have shaped the US. By the end of the semester, students would have the necessary perspectives and contexts to assess and interpret American cultural, social and economic developments, as well as the continuing dialogue that Americans have about the nature of their society and democracy. This course is designed for students throughout NUS with an interest in American history.

This course introduces contemporary debates in population from a geographical perspective. It focuses on the ways that geography contributes to, and is reinforced, in the processes and meanings of life and death. Besides examining historical and contemporary population trends and demographic transitions, this course also investigates the discourses and politics of fertility and women's bodies, migration and transnational life, disease and health-care, and ageing, death and dying. The course provides understanding of contemporary population problems and solutions, and analyzes how these influence policies and everyday lives.

This course introduces contemporary geography, involving processes and problems, socio-economic and environmental issues/processes shaping our world, and the geographical perspectives needed to understand them better. Starting with how geographers view the world, the course offers a spatial lens to analyze such issues as climate change, urban flooding, human-environment relations, challenges of migration, economic production and consumption, and so forth. Each lecture discuss contemporary scenarios that students are familiar with alongside geographical analyses of and approaches to the issues. Students are also exposed to field work techniques, mapping skills and strategies of project management in small group discussions and project assignments.

The Roman empire was one of the longest-lasting in global history. Its enduring impact can be seen, heard and felt today, from language and architecture to film and video. This course examines Rome’s rise and fall, and asks how it successfully ruled over so many peoples for so long, in comparison with other world empires. It considers who made up empire emperors, ‘barbarians’, slaves and ordinary people. It also uncovers the background to early Christianity, Roman legacies inherited through European colonialism, and the numerous references to Rome in both high and popular culture today.

This course provides fundamental concepts in 3D modeling and animation. This course covers building or working with digital models, manipulating the models by means of computer deformation and animation, and using lighting and rendering techniques to create appealing scenes. Topics include coordinate spaces, transforms, 3D model representations, hierarchical structures, deformation, procedural modelling, particle systems, character animation, shading networks, lighting, and scripting concepts.

This course begins with an understanding of age as a social variable and the life-cycle approach. It then examines the social construction of childhood from a historical and cross-cultural perspective. The central focus of this course is youth as a particular stage of the life-cycle. Topics such as the life cycle approach in Sociology; the social construction of childhood: children and the state; the social construction of adolescence: images of youth will be addressed. 

This course introduces a revisionist fashion history that decenters the West (Europe and North America) and places the East as its equal counterpart. Sartorial cultures in Asia are studied in their own right and on their own terms. It explores the history of global cultural exchange through the lens of fashion, covers the differences and similarities between Eastern and Western sartorial cultures, and provides critical insights into contemporary fashion consumption and industry. The course follows a chronological and thematic approach that examines fashion’s intersection with other domains of social life such as class, identity, and politics.

This course explores significant genres, styles, and representative chamber works from the common practice period to the present day. It also covers relationships between chamber music and its socio-political and cultural contexts; the changing social function of chamber music and musicians; various performance contexts; trends in musical aesthetics; and the evolution of chamber music’s languages and styles. Students undertake individual research projects on selected chamber works, and lead discussions on their chosen work in weekly seminars.