Environmental Crisis Study -- With a focus on the People's Republic of China

Course Description:
Our environmental crisis is a very complicated issue that no one academic discipline can resolve entirely. Utilizing multidisciplinary research to end our environmental crisis has become a new trend in academia worldwide. This course will help students to gain a better understanding of the different disciplines of environmentalism and how they interact with one another. We will also discuss many popular environmental issues through these different disciplines. Eventually students will utilize what they have learned from this seminar to investigate environmental cases from China.
Some students might have an undeclared major but would like to study in an environmental field. This seminar will help those students to find their fields of interest which can ultimately help them to choose their majors. I hope it will be a pure learning experience for the students. There will be no essay assignments, no quizzes, and no exams.

Globalization and Infectious Diseases

Course Description:
As the world becomes more interconnected through travel, trade, and technology the spread of infectious diseases has changed enormously. This class will examine the role social factors, particularly those related to globalization, on infectious disease transmission. Individual diseases such as tuberculosis and historical epidemics such as the Black Death will be covered to explain how economic, political, and other social forces influenced disease spread and how infectious disease shaped society. No prerequisite knowledge is required, as the course will introduce all necessary information. The biology of various infectious diseases and epidemiological methods will also be touched upon during the course. Class discussion will revolve around controversial issues surrounding the topics discussed such as forced vaccinations, disease eradication and vector control. Students should expect to leave the course with basic knowledge of infectious diseases, public health and globalization that will help them understand current events involving infectious diseases such as the recent H1N1 pandemic and threat of SARS.

Beyond Play

Course Description:
Games are often viewed as a form of amusement, but if one looks beyond the play activity, something else seems to be communicated. We will examine games as texts as a method to uncover any latent cultural values, skills rewarded, and narratives that play conveys to the participants. The course uses mostly tabletop games as a way to explore concepts that can also be seen in today’s video games. While fun is co-mingled with discussion, the focus is on serious issues concerning the public and ways in which people engage and view the medium. By reading games contextually, we can examine the concerns that arise over genres of play. Critical looks at such types of games will allow one to discuss the skills, cultural values, and narratives embedded in games. To this end, the study begins with very basic games and the fundamental concepts they contain and progresses through games of growing complexity. No gaming experience required.

The Art and Craft of Sewing

Course Description:
The Art and Craft of Sewing is not just a class that will discuss the history of sewing in its various manifestations. It is a class in which you will be learning basic sewing skills or get the chance to further develop skills you may already have. All levels of proficiency are admitted and encouraged! You will also be learning about three fields within sewing: craft, fashion, and art production. There will be an emphasis on construction in this class as a result of both sewing procedures and our class discussions. What are the steps it takes to construct a sewn project? In the same vein, how does that understanding allow you to conceive the world as a constructed space? We will be investigating the social aspects of sewing while taking part in it. This shall be a place and space for community building and practicing acquired skills. It may be frustrating. It will be fun.

Empires and Others

Course Description:
Empires and Others is a course that seeks to explore the relationship between Greco-Roman civilization and the barbarians who surrounded it between 500 BCE to 600 CE. Throughout the course, we will ask “Who were these barbarians? In what ways did they interact with the Greeks and the Romans? What resulted from these interactions?” While the class is certainly about ancient history, the importance of understanding cannot be understated. Problems which existed for the Romans still exist today, and looking at the issues which the Romans and the Greeks faced when dealing with outsiders allows us some capacity for better understanding of our own contemporary situation. The class will be delivered with discussions focused around readings from a variety of primary sources, both well known and obscure. In so doing, Empires and Others will not only build an appreciation of ancient history, but also build awareness of source documents and teach how to read them.

Mind/Man/Machine

Course Description:
How can an artificial intelligence be conscious or possess 'genuine’ intelligence? Is there a unique capacity humans have that cannot be replicated by technological means? What distinguishes human brains and bodies from computers and robots? This course will acquaint students with the studies of biological and computational intelligence can and will influence their fields of study, examine A.I. and robotics’ state-of-the-art, engage students with computer lab software demonstrations of the concepts we learn, and incorporate student responses into lectures. The content of the course will be approached from, among others, philosophy, literature, current events, and science. In taking this course, students will develop insights enabling them to approach the topic of machine intelligence and human-computer interaction with a diverse arsenal of views. Interested students are encouraged to contact me and attend the first meeting. This course will prioritize student questions, discussion, and insight and introduce various avenues for investigating the questions of the class, with the aim of students understanding the impact of intelligent systems on society and themselves.

Design Narrative in Video Games

Course Description:
Video games are amazing. As a format, they’re extremely versatile, as a system, they’re incredibly complex, and as a simulation, they’re eerily life-like, but how well do they work as a story? Video games are just one part of the digital revolution, ushering in a new interactive medium where the possibilities for narrative are endless. Despite the potential, just how far have developers come to crafting stories comparable to ones told in film, television, or novels? We will try to answer this question starting from the very beginning, from the days of Atari to today’s modern next-generation machines. We will see how storytelling can be achieved through gameplay, and how techniques have evolved with each successive generation. The ultimate goal of this course is to change the way you play video games.

South Asian Cinema

Class Description:
This course will analyze cinema from South Asia and its diasporas. We will examine the films as historical, social and cultural texts that represent a national or a diasporic consciousness. Each specific film will have a topic that will be discussed and analyzed: Topics include: Queer identity, interracial relationships, Religion, and the Indian Courtesan. However, the topic and focus are not exclusive this class urges broad discussions. This course will foster students’ ability to analyze film narrative and its historical context.
The course will look at the diasporic Indo-Pak/family/community and how they deal or try to hold on to traditional Indo-Pak values and traditions outside of India/Pakistan and how they reconstruct ‘home land’ in their lives. Most of the films will take place in the UK, Canada, and US. Further Questions that will be addressed are: How are these films interconnected not only through a diasporic lens, but also through a nationalistic thread. Also introduce a new filmic vocabulary concomitant to South Asian cinema, and its filmic constructions.

Philippine Mythology

Course Description:
Prometheus, Zeus, Olympus, Ananzi the Spider, Icarus--these are names that you are no doubt familiar with as they have become part of our vocabulary when we use the term "myth." By the end of this quarter, you will also quiver at the thought of the terrifying fetus devouring Manananggal. You will be charmed by tales of Juan, a pleasant fellow who only seeks to help those around him--only to be tricked by his seductive qualities into giving up your most prized possessions! We'll retrace the steps of the Santo Nino and the miracles performed in its wake. We’ll visit Mt. Makiling, said to the be the form of a sleeping Goddess whobegan her slumber in times now forgotten. We find our origin in the creation of the first man and woman, Malakas and Maganda--who were created from the splitting of the same bamboo pole. These tales, and many more, await you this quarter.
This class, however, is not just a storytelling exercise. Armed with the aid of scholars on mythology, we will deconstruct these stories and, amid the adventure, use them as a reflection into the societies of those who told them. We will use these insights to answer the final question of this course: Do we have mythologies today? Join me as we traverse diverse landscapes, populated by terrifying demons, benevolent gods and silly monsters. A world filled with magic--wielded by daring heroes and the most vile villains. We'll start by diving straight into the depths of stories of creation and progress chronologically until we return to the surface with new lenses in our eyes. Welcome to the world of myth!

Queer Images

Course Description:
Woman. Man. Butch. Femme. Drag king. Drag queen. What images just popped into your head? Why do you think that is? Our society has a history of being saturated with imagery that upholds ideals of being either male or female, feminine or masculine, gay or straight. But are these categories always sufficient modes of representation? How do you visualize being transgender, intersexual, genderqueer, androgynous, and/or sexually fluid? In this class, students will be encouraged to adopt a critical queer perspective of media imagery. We will exercise our abilities to expose, analyze, and ultimately challenge conventionally oppositional binaries of sex, gender, and sexuality within American media culture. Visual content will include cinema, television shows, commercials, music videos, photography, and more. Get ready to deconstruct gender and sexuality through the power of images.
Note: This course will contain graphic material (visual and textual). Do not enroll unless you are prepared to discuss explicit content in a mature and insightful manner.

2009

Atwood's Dystopian Worlds

Course Description:
Dystopian literature creates visionary, corrupted worlds that often comment on society. This seminar will consider Margaret Atwood’s two dystopian novels, The Handmaid’s Tale and Oryx and Crake, and if and how they relate to our current world. We will discuss the implications that arise in the dystopian worlds Atwood creates, comparing and contrasting the novels’ themes, narratives and protagonists. Our lens of examination will be the self and how it is defined by context and construct. Topics of discussion will include: government, religion, sexuality, gender roles, commodification, social hierarchy, biological-engineering and more. Overarching themes that may emerge are the self and the other, art versus science, restriction versus freedom and the creation of society and belief. Relevant secondary materials will allow an outside perspective of Atwood’s work. The ultimate goal of this course is to inspire serious consideration on what a dystopian future entails, hopefully raising questions and further interest in the subject.

From Irvine to Developing World: Access to Essential Medicines

Course Description:
How many times have we become frustrated with the lines extending from our local pharmacy especially during the holidays? How many times do our health insurance policies fluctuate to the point of defeat? How many hours have you wasted at the emergency room for a minor but immediate injury or ailment? Unfortunately, the majority of people living in developing countries do not have even the chance to make such complaints. Ten million people die each year from diseases that have available cures. Nearly a third of humanity does not have regular access to essential medicines, and in the poorest parts of Africa and Asia this figure rises to over 50%. No market currently exists for these essential medicines in developing countries, and pharmaceutical companies in the United States are hesitant to begin making drugs more accessible for these regions with the greatest need. What kinds of solutions can we formulate to solve perhaps one of the most pressing moral issues of our time? During such economic strife, is it an appropriate approach to reach out internationally when our own domestic healthcare plans are uncertain? Theoretically, if medicines are made available to developing countries, who would regulate the proper distribution of these drugs considering the different political systems of each nation and country? This course will address the economical, political, and ethical issues surrounding essential medicine access in developing world nations. We will demystify the role of intellectual property policies, as well as the importance of the pharmaceutical industry and its effects today. Some topics that we will cover include the basics of intellectual property, drug development and delivery, and proposed solutions to the access gap. Class meetings will consist of differential media with an initial lecture followed by discussion. For students interested in learning more about medical ethics concerning developing countries, this seminar will be an excellent opportunity to become well-informed about increasingly pressing international health issues and to apply this knowledge towards future pursuits.

Film and Gender

Course Description:
The “Film & Gender” seminar provides an introduction to the detailed study of cinema and its social influence in relation to the rise of mixed gender identities within the visual narrative. It is designed to teach students to analyze film not merely in terms of story, but the stylistic devices of cinematography, editing, mise-en-scene, and sound. Examining a range of different films, from blockbusters to documentaries, this course introduces students to the basic methods and terminology of filmmaking and its social commentary upon the world in which we live. Therefore we will address, what are the cultural implications / consequences of gender misrepresentation amongst the world of the media? The course will focus on how such influential figures as Marylyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, and Angelina Jolie have defined the female sex on film as either frail or masculine. Where such actors as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, and Keanu Reeves have assimilated to stereotypical masculine identities, associating themselves either with violence, war, or dual personalities thus splitting the male sex into two distinctive spheres: the muscle-bound die hard versus the conflicted superhero. Seeing as though the movies play such an influential role upon our lives, students will learn not only how to identify stylistic approaches but the cinematic process through which film addresses modern-day society. Ultimately the goal of this course is to motivate students to take film as a serious artistic medium concerning gender, race, and sexuality.

YouTube Culture

Course Description:
This course covers the effects of YouTube.com as a social medium in our culture. We will examine the types of social, political and cultural changes that have occurred over the past several years. For being a fairly new program for streaming content, YouTube has changed the way in which videos from television programs to amateur productions are being uploaded, watched, and shared through access to the Internet. In doing so, we will discuss the issues of copyright, censorship and privacy that have resulted from the creation of YouTube. We will learn about such subject matters as politics, autoethnography, and visual education. We will also look at examples of self-exploitation and fandom found on YouTube. The main requirement of this course is for students to put into action what they have learned from lecture. Students will search for videos on YouTube to represent the weekly discussion topic. The purpose of this seminar class is to enlighten students on the positive and negative implications of YouTube as a cultural influence both on new media and society. We will then connect ways in which YouTube can serve as an educational tool for improving our visual literacy.

Artificial Intelligence, Technology and Society

Course Description:
Can an artificial intelligence be conscious or ‘genuinely' intelligent?
Can it have its own identity or free will? The answers to these questions, and others, do not only reveal our philosophy about computers; they reveal how we think of ourselves. The rapidly expanding possibilities of technology are and have been changing society in apparent ways and transforming the way people approach science and the humanities. The core purpose of this course is to introduce students from all departments with an understanding of why questions of technology and machine intelligence are important, and students will leave the course able to research such issues informatively. We will approach the material from the perspectives of philosophy, literature, science, mathematics, politics, and current world events. Students can expect to learn as much about their own views as they will about technology and its evolution.

Korean Unification

Course Description:
Korean Reunification will explore the causes and consequences of a divided and unified Korea. With the use of two very short monographs from the RAND Corporation (a policy think tank), students will discuss and debate the likelihood and importance of the four most probable scenarios for unification on the Korean peninsula. Other topics will include a brief history of Korea, a comparative study of the German and Vietnamese unifications, and during week 10, students will take part in a mock debate that will resemble a multilateral negotiation undertaken by both Korean countries and major international actors. Any student who is interested in Korean affairs or international politics in general will enjoy this class.

Louder than a Bomb: 20th Century Music and Politics

Course Description:
When the external forces of the world collide with the internal forces of the individual, music results. As with all art forms, music is the cultural byproduct of governmental systems, social movements, and major political events – as well as being the personal byproduct that these external forces exert on an individual’s emotions. In this class, we'll be investigating three still relevant branches of American popular music: Jazz, Rock, and Hip Hop. Additionally, we'll be looking at the social trends and political events that helped inspire and create these genres of music, as well as important academic questions about how to interpret these genres in light of these "external factors." The class is not reading intensive, but it will be discussion intensive. Expect a 4-5 page paper at the end of the class, and pizza. Lots of pizza.

Environmental Reporting

Course Description:
In recent years, technological advances and new discoveries have helped us learn and understand the impact we have on the Earth and our environment. As a result, environmental issues have been thrust into the spotlight and have become the main beat or “story theme” for many journalists today. Environmental journalism has a rich history starting with Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring” and can be reported on in an international, national, and local level, as well as political and arts/entertainment. In this course, students will pick their own “Environmental Beat” to report, whether they choose to follow the story of the endangered Polar Bears or talk about the latest Environmentally conscious designs major labels are debuting. This course is highly individualized with a lot of feedback. Students will learn reporting and story developing techniques specific to reporting the environment and by the end of the quarter have produced one short narrative about the environment.