University of London, Queen Mary

This course examines the historical and philosophical foundations of economics. It discusses how the history of economic thought has evolved throughout the years by placing the various approaches and methods in economics in their historical context. At the end of this course, students are aware of the rich variety of approaches to analyze economic problems of interest and understand the historic roots of many concepts used in modern economic analyzes.

Taught by numerous site visits to historic buildings alongside lectures and seminars, this course introduces students to the study of architecture by exploring buildings in the London area from the start of the 17th century to the accession of Queen Victoria in 1837. During the course, students witness London burn to the ground, be comprehensively rebuilt, and then expand from a small European capital into the largest city in the world. Along the way, students encounter a wide variety of buildings including cathedrals, palaces, churches, synagogues, breweries, shops, and hospitals. Students  acquire skills in looking at, reading, and understanding buildings and become adept at using them as historical evidence. Students also learn how to relate architecture to its social, political, and intellectual context, and develop insights into the ways that buildings may carry and convey meaning, whether to an expert or to a more general audience. No prior knowledge of architecture or architectural history is required to undertake the course.

As for other species, many abilities and behaviors that we take for granted - from perception to learning, communication, handedness and sexual preferences - are the result of our evolutionary history. Our history has shaped our psychology and influences our daily behavior. Are we the only species that is deceived by visual illusions? Who is the most intelligent species? Are we the only ones that exhibit handedness? Which are the mechanisms of learning? To understand what makes as human, we have to look at ourselves from a broader perspective. In this course, students explore differences and similarities between humans beings and other species. Students learn how to access and compare the mind and behavior of individuals that do not possess language such as human neonates, newly-hatched chicks and other models currently used in understanding of healthy and pathological behavior.

This class explores advertising as an evolving category of social communication within a convergent media landscape. It takes a strategic managerial perspective to generate insight into the development of advertising and the roles and processes so entailed. Students consider the consumer perspective in the light of advertising's role as a vehicle for cultural meaning. They also look at media consumption issues given the rapid growth in expenditure on digital (especially mobile) advertising communication. The course takes a multidisciplinary approach drawing on sociocultural, psychological, and anthropological perspectives.