Spring 2023 Honors Program Course Information

ANTH 2100: Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
Kate Fischer
This course is an introduction to the discipline of cultural anthropology and the substantive issues, methods, and concepts of the discipline. Cultural anthropology is the study of how human beings organize their lives as members of society, and the ways in which they make their lives meaningful as cultural individuals. This field of study involves encountering, interpreting, and communicating about the human situation in all its variety. Cultural anthropology is a vast discipline with far reaching objectives. Cultural anthropologists study and apply their expertise to many problems worldwide. While we cannot possibly cover the breadth and depth of the discipline during one semester, this course will offer an appreciation and understanding of culture and different ways of thinking about the diversity we encounter in our everyday lives. Therefore, the primary goal of this course is to provide you with the ability to apply an anthropological perspective to understanding how people are influenced by and are part of the historical, social, economic, ecological, and political processes that occur across the globe. It is my hope that this course will instill in you a sense of curiosity about people and cultures around the world, provide you with a set of tools for understanding difference, and offer you a deeper insight into your own experience as a cultural being.

 Classics
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CLAS 3119-880 & 881:  Archaeology of Death (+ recitation)
Sarah James
Mortuary archaeology is primary to both field and theoretical archaeology because of the invaluable information it provides about the human past. This seminar’s goal is to give you a solid grounding in archaeological approaches to the study of funerary practices in order to elucidate aspects of pre-modern societies. While this course focuses on the cultures of the ancient Mediterranean and their neighbors (from ca. 3000 BCE-400 CE), we will also integrate case studies from around the world to illustrate core concepts. Each culture has unique processes to deal with death that are often a reflection of long-standing traditions, customs, and beliefs. The physical traces of these practices survive as tombs, cemeteries, individual burials, and other ritual markers and tell us much about past behavior, social structures, and concepts of the afterlife.  Same as ANTH 3119.  *Please note:  Our CLAS offerings are in a larger setting for the main course (CLAS 3119-880), and the recitation is taught by the professor instead of a Teaching Assistant (CLAS 3119-881).  The recitations are limited to 17 students in the traditional discussion-based Honors class style.

 Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
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EBIO 1220: General Biology 2
Robert Buchwald
Are humans currently evolving? Should you be concerned about eating genetically modified plants? What, exactly, is a cephalopod? We will answer all these questions and more in EBIO 1220 – a concentrated introduction to evolution, the diversity of life, and ecology & conservation biology. As an honors class, we will also incorporate several outside readings, critical thinking exercises and presentations, such as “Biology in the News,” “Nutrition Myths, Truths & Quackery,” and “Natural Selection Misconceptions.” This course is intended for EBIO (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology) majors, other science majors (such as Psychology, Kinesiology, Biochemistry, etc.), as well as other majors for which biology is a requirement. EBIO 1240 (laboratory) is a co-requirement for potential EBIO majors and as specified by your particular major (please see your departmental advisor if you have questions). Students who simply need to satisfy the Natural Sciences core requirement should consider taking EBIO 1030, 1040, & 1050, “Biology—a Human Approach,” which are lecture/lab courses for non-Biology majors. If you have questions about this, please see me or your departmental advisor. Although it is not a pre-requisite, this course assumes that you have taken EBIO 1210 or its equivalent, since lectures in EBIO 1220 often rely on knowledge gained from EBIO 1210. If you have not taken EBIO 1210 or the equivalent or are concerned about your background, please see me.

 English
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ENGL 4098-880: Special Topics in the Novel Post-1900:  The Irish Novel
Jeremy Green
During the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries Irish fiction has flourished. As the country has gone through enormous historical upheavals, culminating in the emergence of a modern nation, old and new cultural strains--sometimes repressive, sometimes liberating--have shaped a vital and inventive body of literature.  Major themes: the informing presence of the past; religion and identity; the ‘Big House’ novel; the satirical and experimental tradition; and the challenges of late modernity. Authors under study: James Joyce, Elizabeth Bowen, Samuel Beckett, Edna O’Brien, Aidan Higgins, Anne Enright, and Eimear McBride.  Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Juniors or Seniors).  Check out the flyer here.  Read Dr. Green's bio here.

 Geography
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GEOG 1972-880: Environment-Society Geography 
Abby Hickcox
Students will develop an appreciation for, and experience with, diverse perspectives. In particular this includes: racial/ethnic, gender, sexual orientation, and class perspectives, for constructing knowledge as they proceed through their undergraduate studies. Three themes provide the framework for the course: education for the next century, the 21st century citizen, and the modern individual in a diverse society. Topics explored include privilege, stigmatization, targeted and nontargeted grouping, and oppression. Engaging in independent research and experiential, empathetic experiences is required.  Formerly GEOG 2412. Meets MAPS requirement for social science: geography.

GEOG 3742-880: Place, Power, and Contemporary Culture
Abby Hickcox
This course takes a geographic approach to place, power, and culture, examining different ways to understand each and how the three relate to each other to shape our society and ourselves.  By the end of course, you will be able to discuss the complexity of culture as a “way of life” and as a lens through which to understand the way we live in our world.  You will see the role of culture in creating a “sense of place,” even while dynamics of globalization move through places, and people move from place to place.  You will develop the tools to analyze spatial inclusion and exclusion as cultural operations of power.  The first part of the course introduces key terms such as culture, place, and globalization.  Part 2 focuses on material culture, the study of how objects shape our lives.  Part 3 introduces space, landscape, and power and explores their relationship with one another.  The final part of the course is devoted to students developing their own case study analyses of culture, place, and power.

HONR 3220‐880: Advanced Honors Writing Workshop
Andrea Feldman
This course introduces honors students to an analysis and argumentation as they are rendered in longer prose forms. As such, the course provides excellent preparation for writing an honors thesis. With the collaboration and thoughtful feedback of your colleagues in class, you will have the opportunity to engage in independent scholarship in your area of expertise. Our informal theme for the semester will be cultural rhetoric. In responding to texts that represent cultural diversity, students will evaluate issues and relate them to their own experiences. Through these readings as well as class discussion of written assignments, students will learn to make reasoned arguments in defense of their own opinions. By examining diverse voices, this course helps students meet the challenges of academic writing. This course will extend your ability to adapt rhetorical strategies and arguments on cultural issues and diversity to address the needs of a range of different audiences and stakeholders. Writing Process and the Workshop Format: The course offers an opportunity to understand writing from the audience or reader perspective by focusing on the peer review of work in progress. Through this approach, you will discover how revision is central to the writing process. Your own writing will be the principal text; we will all work together as a team to improve each paper. We will adopt the attitude that any paper can be improved, and give constructive criticism to everyone. Your job will be to provide oral and written commentary on other students' papers when assigned to do so. Approved for Arts and Sciences Core Curriculum: Written Communication.  Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Juniors or Seniors).  Must be taken for credit. No P/F.

 Mathematics
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MATH 2510-880:  Introduction to Statistics
Braden Balentine
This is an introductory course in statistics. We will cover some of the fundamental ideas and tools used in statistics. Topics that we will cover include elementary statistical measures, statistical distributions, statistical inference, hypothesis testing and linear regression. We will also go over some of the basics of probability as they are necessary for our understanding of statistics.  Check out the MATH 2510 class flyer here

 Philosophy
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PHIL 1000-880: Introduction to Philosophy
Matthias Steup
In this course, we will read and discuss a new book—Knowledge, Reality, and Value—by Michael Huemer, a well-known colleague of mine in the Philosophy Department here at CU Boulder. You’ll find information about the author here: https://www.colorado.edu/philosophy/people/faculty/michael-huemer and here:  https://spot.colorado.edu/~huemer/

The course will cover questions like: Is there absolute truth? What is knowledge? Do we know anything at all? Does God exist? Where does the universe come from? Do we have free will? Are you identical to the person you were 15 years ago? What makes an action morally right? Is it morally permissible to eat animals?  As for the mechanics of the course, I require a 350 word summary of the assigned reading for each class period (to be submitted via Canvas), and there will be five online exams (to be taken on Canvas).    

PHIL 3000-880:  History of Ancient Philosophy
Dom Bailey
Surveys developments in metaphysics, ethics, logic, and philosophy of mind from the Pre-Socratics through Hellenistic philosophy, focusing primarily on the arguments of the philosophers. Topics may include: Zeno’s paradoxes of time and motion; Democritean atomism; Plato on knowledge, reality, ethics, and politics; Aristotle on logic and natural philosophy; Epicurus on pleasure and friendship; Epicurean atomism; the Stoics on materialism, determinism, and vagueness; and the coherence and practicality of global skepticism. Recommended prerequisite: 6 hours of philosophy coursework.  Restricted to students with 27-180 credits (Sophomores, Juniors or Seniors) only.

PSCI 2004:  Survey of Western Political Thought
Jeffrey Chadwick
Studies main political philosophies and political issues of Western culture, from antiquity to 20th century.

PSCI 2116:  Introduction to Environmental Policy and Policy Analysis
Jeffrey Chadwick
Teaches a systematic general framework for the analysis of environmental policy issues. Analyzes the interaction of environmental sciences, ethics, and policy across a range of environmental policy problems. Stresses critical thinking and practical applications.

PSCI 3206-880:  The Environment and Public Policy
Nancy Bilica
Environmental challenges abound. While there are many who focus on identifying and defining environmental problems, this course will focus on solutions: What is being done through public policy to address environmental issues, what are the options for further addressing environmental issues, and what are the steps for achieving policy change?

Environmental policy is a very broad field.  We will investigate a range of environmental issues and options through class readings and discussion, individual environmental policy research and analysis, and class sharing of individual policy findings.  A key outcome of the course will be the development of a professional-quality policy document to be developed through several stages of the policy analysis process, including: problem definition, construction of policy alternatives, selection and application of evaluative criteria, assessment of the alternatives, and statement of recommendations. Our goal is to untangle the many issues and elements of environmental policy and to develop the skills needed for interpreting, evaluating, and communicating policy options.  See the flyer here.  Recommended prerequisite: PSCI 1101 or PSCI 2012.  Restricted to students with 27-180 credits (Sophomores, Juniors or Seniors) only.

PSYC 1001:  General Psychology
Jennifer Schwartz
How are we able to perceive the world around us? Why do we dream? How does alcohol impact the brain? What makes each individual’s personality unique? Do young children think differently than adults? How do we learn? Are people with psychological disorders dangerous? How do psychologists help people lead richer more fulfilling lives?   This course is designed to address these and other questions by giving you an introduction to the content and methodology of the field of psychology.  It will give you an overview of some of the major sub-disciplines within psychology. It will also expose you to both seminal and cutting-edge research studies within these domains, as well as encourage critical interpretation of research findings. To guide and integrate our exploration, we will focus on several theoretical frameworks and ongoing debates that cut across specific sub-fields and define the study of psychology as a whole. You will be connecting these ideas to your own life by applying class content to the reading, listening, watching, interacting, and experiencing you do every day.  The goals of this course are to stimulate you to further explore the field of psychology and to provide a foundation of knowledge and critical thinking skills that will benefit your academic, career, and personal paths, whatever they may be.

PSYC 3303-880:  Abnormal Psychology
Jennifer Schwartz
This course provides an introduction to the field of abnormal psychology:  the scientific study of abnormal behavior.  The class will provide a survey of mental disorders, including clinical presentation, major etiological theories (biological, psychological, and psychosocial approaches), and the most widely used and empirically supported approaches to treatment.  We will also discuss relevant research. You will be encouraged to think about not only what we know about abnormal behavior, but also what we don’t know.  We will tackle some of the major controversial issues and unresolved questions that psychologists face as they seek to better understand, prevent, and treat mental disorders.  While the course emphasizes a critical thinking and scientific approach to the understanding of abnormal behavior, it also aims to provide students with a rich understanding of the human experience of psychopathology, enabling all of us to be more empathic toward, and inclusive of, those who struggle with mental illness and their friends and loved ones. Thus, an additional theme of the course is to explore the stigma surrounding mental illness, and how it can be exacerbated and/or eliminated. To these ends, the class will culminate with presentations in which students analyze a portrayal of mental illness found in popular culture (recent selections include Kanye West, the main character, Rebecca, in the television show, “Crazy Ex Girl Friend,” and “The Bachelor” franchise).  Requires a prerequisite course of PSYC 1001 (minimum grade of C-)

 Sociology
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SOCY 1006: Social Construction of Sexuality
Ali Hatch
This is an introductory course on the sociology of sexuality. As opposed to thinking of human sexuality as the inevitable expression of biological instincts or drives, we will use a social constructionist framework to explore the ways in which we as a society create our sexual reality. Throughout the course we will explore the construction of sexual orientation and gender as they impact our cultural and individual understandings of sexuality. Additionally, we will examine the roles institutions and individuals play in creating and maintaining sexual hierarchies and policing sexual choices.  

SOCY 3314-880: Violence Against Women and Girls
Ali Hatch
This course is an overview of gender-based violence. We will analyze the political and cultural structures that perpetuate gendered violence, and explore how gendered violence intersects with race, class, and sexuality. This course focuses on violence against women and girls, and the relationship between gender inequality and violence. Specifically, utilizing a feminist sociological lens, this course will cover various manifestations of gender violence, including (but not limited to): hate crimes motivated by trans and homophobia, rape and sexual assault, domestic violence, trafficking, pornography, and femicide.

 Women & Gender Studies
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WGST 2600-880: Gender, Race, and Class in a Global Context
Kate Fischer
This introductory course examines how constructions of gender, race, and class are structurally determined and lived through in today’s global society. It applies an interdisciplinary perspective to identify how history, politics, culture, economics, and social life converge with and shape the way gender, race, and class are understood. While the course primarily focuses on women, it is impossible to ignore how race and class articulate with ideas about gender and how these socially determined characteristics form a triad for identity construction and subjectivities. The goal of this class is to create awareness of the contemporary inequities that plague our global society and develop a critical understanding of how forms of privilege and exclusion based on gender, race, and class are written about, comprehended, and contended with. To that end, we will read a novel, a graphic novel, and two academic books as well as a number of scholarly articles during the course.