Ireland

This course introduces students to the classic and current personality theories and theorists in an in-depth manner, and encourages critical evaluation and reflection. The major theories include: psychoanalytic theory, evolutionary theory, humanistic and existentialist theories, social cognitive theory, behaviorist perspectives, and biological and trait theories. Additionally, the course reviews taxonomies such as the DSM-V.

This course introduces students to the history of political thought, with a focus upon the ancient world of classical Greece. Topics include the birth of politics in ancient Athens; Plato’s critique of democracy; the justification of political rule; the role of virtue in political life.

This course examines some of the wealth of artistic production in the Netherlands in the 17th century. The course is based around the study of Rembrandt and Vermeer as contrasting and complementary figures who represent some of the diverse tendencies of the time. This entails the study of the development of individual styles and subject matter ranging from history painting to portraiture, landscape, and genre painting. The distinct artistic character associated with centers of production, even ones that were geographically close, is assessed with an emphasis on Amsterdam, Delft, and Utrecht. The final block of the course looks at the posthumous reputations of Rembrandt and Vermeer, examining questions of attribution, authenticity, canonicity, and rediscovery. 

This course examines a variety of theoretical perspectives on the reasons why people commit crime, what constitutes crime, and how states respond to crime. Students explore a range of theories from classical and positivist approaches, to sociological theories, to feminist approaches, and contemporary research. The relevance of these theories to the case of Ireland, and aspects of criminal justice internationally are also assessed.