Utrecht University

This course examines different ideas as to why some countries have flourished and others have failed to do so. Why are few countries rich and many poor? How can we explain big differences in wealth even within countries? If the turbulent development of countries like China and India is any measure to go by, we are likely to see major changes in the future. To understand how such economic transformations work, and what their effects might be, this course looks to the historical record. Why did the Industrial Revolution take place in England and not in China? Why could other western countries easily catch up with England, while large parts of Asia, Africa, and South-America remained underdeveloped? Many theories and concepts have been developed to help answer these questions, ranging from the role of climate, culture, or population, to the institutional approach that is currently fashionable. In this introductory course students discuss an overview of these theories and concepts, and analyze the social, economic, and political development of societies in different parts of the world from the Middle Ages to the present.

This course reviews the interdisciplinary view on happiness which includes different theoretical perspectives (e.g., on micro-, meso- or macro-level factors) as well as different methodological approaches to understanding well-being of individuals and societies. Broad views on complex societal issues are adopted and how to evaluate scientific evidence from various domains is learned. This interdisciplinary course, with contributions from psychology, public administration, and interdisciplinary social science, focuses on happiness in its broadest sense. Key questions are: What factors influence individuals' subjective well-being, why are some societies happier than others (and why are some individuals within these societies affected more by these factors than others?) What can we do to foster happiness in our future generations? There are four specific themes of interest: health, education, finance, and sustainability.

This course offers a broad overview on the fossil record of plants with special emphasis on evolution and biodiversity changes since the Palaeozoic. In this course basic principles of plant evolution from the Palaeozoic to present-day are discussed. The major steps of terrestrialization are placed into a comprehensive overview on feedbacks between large-scale geosphere processes such as plate tectonics, atmosphere-biosphere interactions, and the global carbon cycle through time. The second goal is to critically reflect on natural dynamics of biodiversity versus modern biodiversity loss, the human induced “mass-extinction” of the 21st century. The course includes assignments such as rock and fossil labs, computer aided labs, and a one day practical held in the botanical garden.

This course explores theories of justice. It does this by engaging in a discussion with one of the most rewarding authors on how to interpret and understand theories of justice: Michael J. Sandel. In JUSTICE. WHAT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO? he introduces a selective number of theories of justice, from classical to modern and contemporary thinkers that can be used to better understand contested issues such as surrogate motherhood, equal rights, obligations regarding poverty eradication, and all kinds of everyday ethical dilemmas. The book of Sandel is supplemented with texts that highlight, criticize, or complement elements of the ethical theories as presented by Sandel. The course exists of a series of lectures as well as a series of seminars, meant to discuss and reflect upon the themes discussed in the book and the additional texts.

This course covers the basic concepts and principles of the methods and techniques used in social neuroscientific research, which include electroencephalography, structural and functional neuroimaging, non-invasive brain stimulation, hormone administration, eye scanning, and measurements from the autonomic nervous system. This course provides a basis for other courses including neuropsychology, biological psychology, clinical and health psychology, cognitive neuropsychiatry, and cognitive neuroscience. The following topics are reviewed: functional electroencephalography, structural and functional neuroimaging, psychophysiology, non-invasive brain stimulation, psychoneuroendocrinology, and integrative neuroscience.

This course examines the role of multinational corporations in history. It covers the economic and social contribution of big corporations to home and host countries; the damage the multinational corporations may have done to the world through their handling of natural resources and the environment; the contributions these companies may have made to inequality by their activities in the Global South; and how these huge and powerful organizations contribute to solve the ecological and social challenges we face today.

Upon completion of the course, students are able to …..

1.. understand and apply key concepts and ideas relating to food and nutrition from a social science/human geography approach.
2.. understand and analyze food issues from a relational perspective, in terms of both its geographical dimensions as well as systems thinking.
3.. understand food as a contested domain, and being able to identify and analyze major issues of social justice and sustainability relating to food.
4. reflect critically on social and geographical issues of food, and develop and communicate an informed argument about them (academic skills).
5. apply a set of specific analytical tools with respect to food and nutrition issues.