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April 3, 2018 at 3:56 am

Fall 2018 | Making and Breaking Law Theme Highlights Exciting Courses

Making and Breaking the Law logo

The Center for Law, Justice & Culture welcomes students of all majors to sign up for the many exciting Making and Breaking the Law theme courses in Fall 2018.

Please contact theme leader Dr. Haley Duschinski for more information about the theme and to receive a poster listing all Making and Breaking the Law courses offered in Fall 2018.

CAS 2500: Breaking the Law

Dr. Haley Duschinski, Associate Professor of Anthropology and Dr. Amanda Cox, Lecturer of Sociology-Criminology

Tu/Th 1:30 to 2:50 p.m.

This team-taught interdisciplinary course examines the complexities of law, justice, social change, human rights, globalization, and technology in the 21st century. It is open to freshmen and sophomores in any major, with no prerequisites. The 4-credit course satisfies Tier II Social Science or Humanities requirements.

AAS 3450: The Black Woman

Dr. Bayyinah Jeffries, Assistant Professor of African American Studies

M,W 3:05 to 4:25 p.m.

This course examines the complex experience of being a black woman in America. It addresses such topics as identify, black male-female relations, black feminism, social mobility and activism from a sociohistorical perspective.

AAS 3680 African American Political Thought

Dr. Daniel Moak, Assistant Professor of African American Studies

Tu,Th 3:05 to 4:25 p.m.

This course examines the basic tenets of black political thought and intellectual history in the United States from 1830 to 2000. This course investigates the influences of political thinkers of African descent who shaped several social and political movements and theories, including progressivism, liberalism, Marxism, Black Nationalism, feminism and womanism, existentialism, and anti-colonialism.

ANTH 3550: Medical Anthropology

Dr. Nancy Tatarek, Associate Professor of Sociology

M,W,F 10:45 to 11:40 a.m.

This course examines non-Western medical systems and theories of health and disease causation, social basis for diagnosis and cure, curing rituals, symbolism of health and illness. Ecological factors in health and non-health; systemic connections between health concepts, culture, and environmental situations are covered.

ECON 3200: Labor Economics

Dr. Olga Belskaya, Assistant Professor of Economics

Tu,Th 9 to 10:20 a.m.

This course examines demand for labor, supply of labor, household production, compensating wage differentials, education and training, discrimination, unions, and unemployment.

GEOG 3460: Environmental Law

Dr. Michael Hollingsworth, Visiting Professor in Geography

Tu,Th 4:35 to 5:55 p.m.

This course examines legal aspects of both individual environmental and societal environmental rights and duties with respect to constitution, private property, nuisance, negligence, statutes, regulatory agencies, and court decisions. Emphasis is on case study of federal, state, and local laws that shaped existing law and those that are likely to shape future legislative and administrative action.

HIST 3520: Roman Law & Society

Dr. Kevin Uhalde, Associate Professor of History

Tu,Th 10:30 to 11:50 a.m.

This is a historical introduction to Roman law, interpretation of legal sources, and especially the role of law in Roman society and culture. Chronological focus is on the Empire through the age of Justinian. After a survey of the origins of Roman law, lectures and readings use legal sources to look in two directions: downward to the way law affected social life; upward to how politics and governance affected law. Attention is given throughout to how the nature of different types of legal evidence affect our interpretation of the purpose and effectiveness of law. Specific topics of focus include the bearing of law on marriage and family life, slavery and freedom, surveillance, and religion.

POLS 2200: Politics of Law

Dr. Jennifer Fredette, Assistant Professor of Political Science

Tu,Th 1:30 to 2:50 p.m.

This course introduces the study of law as a political process with special emphasis on courts, legal ideologies, violence, and the mobilization of rights claims in social and political conflict.

POLS 4565: International Human Rights

Dr. Andrew Ross, Associate Professor of Political Science

Tu,Th 4:35 to 5:55 p.m.

This course studies human rights as a vehicle for moral and legal change in international politics. It considers various ways of thinking about what human rights are and how they work at the international level. With a focus on the United Nations system, the course assesses problems and debates concerning the implementation and enforcement of human rights. It addresses difficult questions such as: How well do treaties work in promoting human rights? How can human rights be enforced in the absence of higher authority? And what role do non-state actors play? Case studies are considered in a variety of issue-areas, such as: the use of torture, war crimes, indigenous rights, women¿s rights, and the right to development.

POLS 4739: Politics of Race

Dr. Kirstine Taylor, Assistant Professor of Political Science and Law, Justice & Culture

Tu,Th noon to 1:20 p.m.

This course examines various, intricate relationships between race and politics in the United States. It starts with a basic introduction to the concept of race, its origins and evolution. Attention is paid early on to the contradictory projects of democracy and racial hierarchy, specifically, the enterprise of white supremacy. It looks at past and present racial topographies, including, but not limited to, trends in partisanship, political ideology and voter turnout per racial group. It examines how the three branches of government have supported America’s war on drugs, and subsequently how this war has differentially impacted the American people on lines of race, gender, and class. Investigates how racial identity is shaped by varying economic, social and political contexts, and further how these identities can be mobilized for collective purposes. Students think critically about what is at stake in adhering to or diverging from particular racial identities in the political and social arena, how racial identities are policed by group members, and lastly, what is at stake in defining racial authenticity. The last set of readings treat the ways racial anxieties are manipulated during electoral campaigns as a strategy for specific political gains.

POLS 4751: Critical Race Theory 

Dr. Vince Jungkunz, Associate Professor of Political Science

M 5 to 7:45 p.m.

This course examines, analyzes, and theorizes race and racism from a critical and politicized perspective. This rich theorectical perspective points out that racism is still a pervasive part of contemporary societies and seeks out effective ways to challenge racism’s existence and impact on various groups and societies. It examines Critical Race Theory as a theoretical and political alternative for understanding and criticizing racism in contemporary settings. Critical Race Theory critiques perspectives that claim far-reaching progress has been made combating racism. It challenges students to think in new ways about contemporary manifestations of racism. It explores innovative ways to challenge the widespread prevalence of racism.

SOC 2600: Criminal Justice

Dr. Holly Ningard

M,W,F 12:55 to 1:50 p.m.

This course examines the structures and decision processes of agencies that deal with crime and people involved in justice process, including criminal justice personnel, people apprehended and convicted of crimes, and victims of crimes. An emphasis is placed on how practice is based on politically derived public policies, and how sociology can be used to analyze the practice of these agencies. Topics include but not limited to criminal law, policing, court systems, sentencing, and corrections.

SOC 3640: Police and Society

Dr. Holly Ningard

M,W,F 9:40 to 10:35 a.m.

This course examines the nature and development of policing in the United States from a sociological perspective. Students are introduced to a broad range of topics including police decision making, procedural law, police culture, types of policing, police-minority relations, and police misconduct. It examines the changing role of police in society and the potential consequences these changes have for the development of social policy.

SOC 3660: Punishment and Society

Dr. Nicole Kaufman, Associate Professor of Sociology

M,W,F 2:00  to 2:55 p.m.

This course examines the history, operation, and problems of punishment. Patterns of prison organization, inmate group structure, personnel organization, and racism are examined. Purpose and effectiveness of penal institutions are described. Prisons, juvenile institutions, parole, halfway houses, and alternatives to punishment are studied.

SOC 4620: Sociology of the Courts

Dr. Ursula Castellano, Associate Professor of Sociology

Tu,Th 1:30 to 2:50 p.m.

This course is designed to introduce students to a sociological perspective on the importance and impact of the court system in American society. It examines the court’s structural and cultural features as well as how court officials create and move cases through to various institutional outcomes.

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