2011 - 2012 Premier PLS Cluster Course Options
In the 2011 - 2012 academic year, Clark will premiere four new PLS clusters, a "linked course" approach to fulfilling PLS requirements. Professors involved in the cluster courses will work with students to understand how different disciplines, like the humanities and social sciences, approach the same topic. One of the goals of the PLS clusters is for Clark students to develop their abilities to observe and understand the world from multiple perspectives; another goal is for them to learn to integrate across disciplines.
Students who were sophomores in the fall of 2011 will be given priority in registering for these course clusters. The course schedule will list these classes as co-requisites, so if students register for one, they must also register for the other. Students who wish to register for only one of the pair must obtain online instructor permission. Non-sophomores may enroll in one or both courses, with instructor permission. Students who take a PLS cluster will receive credit for two courses and fulfill two of their PLS requirements.
Class sizes are initially limited to 20 students; enrollment is first come, first served.
The cluster course options and descriptions for the fall and spring are listed below.
Spring 2012 PLS Cluster Course 1
Theme: Is All of the Political World a Stage and We the Players?
- Contemporary Political Plays (TA205) with Gino DiIorio
Tuesday 2:50-5:50 p.m.
Fulfills verbal expression requirement (VE) - Comparative Foreign Policy (PSCI169) with Michael Butler
Wednesday 9:00-11:50 a.m.
Fulfills global comparative perspective (GP)
Can a play, such as "The Normal Heart," show us the effects of HIV/AIDS on the political system and foreign policy of countries such as Brazil or South Africa? Are the enduring effects of nationalism on British foreign policy reflected in Shakespeare's treatment of said theme in "Henry V"? With these linked courses, we will observe how the drama of world politics can be intertwined into the politics of a play. We will also discover ways the political play serves as a propaganda piece, a springboard for revolution and social change, as well as a new lens through which pressing global political issues and the conduct of statecraft and diplomacy can be viewed.
Spring 2012 PLS Cluster Course 2
Theme: The Language of Art in Latin-American Culture
- Latin American Art (ARTH159) with John Garton
Monday, Thursday 1:25-2:40 p.m.
Fulfills aesthetic perspective (AP) - Intermediate Spanish (SPAN106.3) with Constance Montross
Tuesday, Thursday 9:00-10:15 a.m.; discussion section Wednesday 4:15-5:05 p.m.
Fulfills language and culture perspective (LP)
Want to be enriched by Latin-American culture? In these linked courses, we will expand our breadth and depth of knowledge in the history, politics and religion of Latin America by diving into the numerous Spanish short texts and works of art. We will work to analyze the relation of word and image, literature and visual arts and the role of language in "giving voice" to Spanish history. From Mayan writings and sculptures and the Mexican "retablos" of Colonial America (and their re-invention by Frida Kahlo) to the poetry of Nicanor Parra and the collages of his daughter, the visual artist Catalina Parra, we will explore continuity, convergence and innovation in visual and literary art.
Fall 2011 PLS Cluster Course 1
Theme: American Cinema and the Urban
- The History of U.S. Film Until 1950: "Sin Cities" (SCRN119) with Hugh Manon
M/W: 12 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.
Fulfills historical perspective (HP) - Cities and Suburbs (SOC125) with Robert Ross
T/R: 10:25 a.m. – 11:40 a.m.
Fulfills global comparative perspective (GP)
Which environment intrigues more: urban or rural? Hollywood has long been preoccupied with the dichotomy of the corrupt, debased and too-sexy "sin city" versus the supposed wholesomeness of rural life. In this unique combination of classes, we will deconstruct the cinematic city, while analyzing immigrant, racial and other societal structures and their developmental stories. By investigating sociological perspectives on real urban problems, while simultaneously analyzing Hollywood's fictions of urban strife, we will have the opportunity to better understand our world, the places in which we live and fear to live, and the great issues of equity and equality that come with modern urbanization.
Fall 2011 PLS Cluster Course 2
Theme: Crossing the Lines of Science, Practice, Policy and Values
- Global Environment Justice (GEOG179) with Dianne Rocheleau
W: 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. Fulfills values perspective (VP) - Health and the Urban Environment (EN177) with Barbara Goldoftas
M: 2:50 p.m. - 5:50 p.m. Fulfills global comparative perspective (GP)
How do issues of social justice and health relate to environmental science, ecosystem health and values? With these linked courses, we will enter the laboratory of the mind where the sciences and social sciences converge so we can understand and begin to shape issues ranging from global change to agriculture to urban sprawl. We will examine national and international case studies while being introduced to topics such as susceptible populations, the effects of urbanization on human health, the links between urban and rural domains, and environmental justice.