Social Sciences Courses

The study of Italian culture helps the student to acquire a deep awareness of both cultural unity and regional diversity. This course is intended to provide students with an in-depth introduction to Italian culture and to broaden one’s awareness and understanding of the role of cultural heritage in customs and lifestyles. Lectures will provide students with an organized, focused, and academic understanding of Italian history, art, architecture, food, religion, and culture. The course provides additional enrichment through basic notions of Italian language and terminology along with assigned readings and a final paper. On-site teaching is a significant part of this course and is aimed to provide the student with an incomparable experience of studying important sites of artistic architectural and social relevance in present-day Italy. Students are encouraged to observe the sites through active participation and to discuss their observations using specific and analytic social assessment skills.

This course includes an Italian language component for beginning-level students.

This module focuses on the ways in which non-fiction media such as news, documentary, lifestyle journalism and popular factual television articulate and explore contemporary experiences of profound social change. It focuses especially on the changing landscape of social class, race, ethnicity and gender and asks how the media engages with these changes and presents them to its publics.
Topics include: narratives of social aspiration and social mobility, class labelling, depictions of the upper and elite classes, rhetorics of race, immigration, home and belonging.

This module has been designed with ‘murder in mind’! Murder and why individuals commit such heinous crimes is a fascinating topic of study. Throughout history scholars have tried to understand the motivation behind taking another person’s life. The principal aim of this module is to introduce you to the psychology of murder. Initial sessions will provide a background through exploring the importance of psychology in the field of criminology and what exactly do we mean by murder. Our intellectual journey will then progress to delve into the most fascinating area of murders: the world of the serial killer, mass murderer and the growing issue of terrorism. From exploring actual crimes, we will gradually build up a picture of the psychological motivations behind such serious crimes – are murderers mad, sad or bad? To further understand the motivation behind murder we will explore why certain victims are selected (female, homeless, children) and debate how such crimes should be punished in our society. The module will comprise of lectures, workshops, and debates as well as a walking tour of some of the famous London murder sites.

Prerequisites: a background in politics/ international relations/ history

The European Union started in 1951 as an attempt to prevent a new World War in Europe. No other region has displayed similar willingness to give up important parts of national sovereignty in pursuit of a stronger global competitive positioning.

The European Union keeps pressuring the integration-process at a pace which is too fast for some and too slow for others. This integration has a direct impact on the daily lives of all citizens in Europe. The accession of the new Central and Eastern European Member-States poses new challenges for the EU. The East-West labour migration, which is driven by wage differentials creates both opportunities and problems. The free movement of people, and the current refugee crisis, has strained social welfare systems in some of the richer Member-States. Political pressures and the credibility of the EU integration system question the present forms of integration. Pressure such as Brexit, the Eurozone crisis and the related high-unemployment figures make national sovereignty more attractive for some voters.

The course offers a comprehensive coverage of the key political and economic policy areas of the European Union with analysis of the different approaches to regional integration throughout the history of the European Union. The course analyses the historical, political and economic bases for the rise of the European Union from its origins in the post-World War II recovery, to its historic enlargement in 2004 and 2007. Most of the present tensions inside the EU directly relate to the economic integration process and reflect on all other fields of European integration.

Further attention is paid to the protection of human rights within the European integration process. A comparison between the European and UN-framework for the protection of human rights will be made and practically applied to specific cases.

The course will give students an in-depth look at the European legal, economic and political landscape. The course contains academic classes around these themes, as well as field trips to a number of relevant institutions.

This intensive course includes two course related field trips to Brussels and The Hague.

Prerequisite: a background in psychology

Positive psychology was introduced by Martin Seligman around 2000 and can be viewed as a supplementary approach to clinical psychology. The positive psychological movement formulated three aims: (1) to focus on well-being and happiness instead of abnormal behaviour and psychopathology, (2) to be concerned with building positive qualities and strengths instead of repairing damage, and (3) to prevent future problems instead of correcting past and present problems.

The course will start with a general introduction to the field of positive psychology. The main concepts will be introduced and clarified, and an overview of the results of happiness studies will be presented. In subsequent meetings, various more specific topics will be discussed by means of lectures and group discussions. There will be ample room to gain hands-on experience with positive psychological techniques ranging from simple journaling exercises to mindfulness meditation. A scientific evidence-based approach will be leading. Students will be provided with the tools to be able to evaluate and design research in the area of positive psychology, and also with the skills to apply some (basic) intervention techniques.

The instructional approach will include lectures, interactive meetings, group discussions, practical workshops and student presentations. Final assessment will be by means of an individual paper on a topic of choice. On the last day of the course, a student conference is held where each student presents their paper (review or research proposal) either by poster or an oral presentation.

This intensive course includes one course related field trip.

This course will examine the physical and anthropogenic geographical aspects of global environmental change, focusing on natural variations of the environment over time, the impact of human activities on the Earth’s systems, and the projection of future environmental changes.

Course syllabi are provided as a guide only. Class timetables are released closer to program start date.

While the public is captivated and horrified by mass violence, there is disagreement among academics and criminal justice practitioners about how best to define mass shootings. This course begins by examining definitional issues and why these issues matter to our overall understanding of mass violence in the U.S. and abroad. During the course, we will also examine how news media has influenced the public’s understanding of mass violence and their causes in the U.S., contributed to many widespread myths about mass violence, and possibly contributed to the phenomenon of “fame-seeking” mass shooters. In this class, we will also focus on typologies of mass murderers, work toward an understanding of correlates of mass violence, and take a special look at the topic of school violence. As we conclude the term, we will look at evidence and debates about prevention strategies including threat assessments, firearms legislation, and zero-tolerance policies.

PREREQUISITES: None

Course syllabi are provided as a guide only. Class timetables are released closer to program start date.

Despite ancient roots, the term ‘mindfulness’ shows up in surprisingly contemporary contexts. Corporations use it to increase worker productivity; law enforcement uses it to reduce incidents of police violence; couples’ therapy uses it as a way to improve couples’ communication. In this course, we will explore the historical roots of mindfulness and meditation in ancient philosophy and religion, contrasting the technique of mindfulness meditation in the past with its more contemporary versions. We will grapple with the issue of whether mindfulness can be effective, and to what extent, in a culture characterized by a deep commitment to the idea of ‘self’ and the narcissism that tends to go with it.

PREREQUISITES: None

Course syllabi are provided as a guide only. Class timetables are released closer to program start date.

The Wire is arguably the greatest television program ever made. Written by David Simon, a former Baltimore Sun journalist, and Ed Burns, a former Baltimore homicide detective turned public-school teacher, The Wire is a literary television series which unflatteringly eulogizes the city of Baltimore, Maryland and its sprawling web of bureaucracy that mystifies, demonizes, and ultimately ensnares its most vulnerable and disadvantaged citizens. An extremely diverse group of sociologists and philosophers including the likes of Sudhir Venkatesh, Frederic Jameson, and Slavoj Zizek, have treated The Wire to a range of academic interpretations. Former President Barack Obama’s favorite TV show is The Wire; his favorite character is the magnanimous robber of drug dealers Omar Little. The Sociology of The Wire will focus on four key sociological themes that are prominently represented in the show including deindustrialization and the decline of the labor movement, urbanization and the postindustrial city, the failed policies of the War on Drugs and their impact on policing and low income and minority communities, and racial and economic disparities in the educational system. We will analyze these themes in the relevant sociological literature while simultaneously examining how they are unflinchingly captured in The Wire. Alongside the academic literature on these topics, we will also read excerpts from Homicide and The Corner, two books written by David Simon and Ed Burns that inspired the show.

PREREQUISITES: None

Course syllabi are provided as a guide only. Class timetables are released closer to program start date.

This course examines risk factors that affect development during childhood as well as effective interventions that can support children and families in the early years. The impact of risk factors as well as the interaction between and among these factors will be explored.

PREREQUISITES: None

Course syllabi are provided as a guide only. Class timetables are released closer to program start date.

This course is a survey of Japanese popular culture with particular topics covered such as anime manga, fashion, music, art and food. Part of the course will focus on Japanese animation within a historic and popular cultural perspective. Both anime and manga will be examined with particular emphasis on the art, culture and national and international popularity.

This course will examine various aspects of the relationship between food, culture and society in the Mediterranean basin, where eating is not a simple act of survival but rather a cultural and social activity. Looking at the local culture through the lens of food allows us to discover and understand social constructs, values and even the history of Europe, from ancient Greece to the great chefs of the 21st century such as Ferran Adrià. Through this we will discover the similarities and differences between how the Spanish, Italian and Greece societies work.

In this course we offer a cross-cultural perspective that will focus on history, anthropology, sociology, literature, gastronomy and the business that works behind the food industry.

Italian destination cities immediately conjure up images of the art, food, fashion, wine, and culture in which their fame lies: fashion shows and La Scala in Milan, Renaissance art in Florence, Brunello wine in Montalcino, the Biennale and Carnevale in Venice. This course will explore how creative advertising strategies have been produced and implemented, their effect on city identity, the proliferation of creative areas in destination cities, and the future of creativity and creative marketing. Case studies of both well-established metropolises and developing destinations will be examined.

This course presents the specific structural and phenomenological aspects of the various types of mafia operating in Italy and internationally. Topics analyze contemporary criminal, social, cultural, and political features of mafia-related groups and explore traditional and emerging illegal markets. The course describes main Italian and international law policies and legislations to contrast this type of organized crime and the experiences of leading individuals and groups developing a culture of legality to combat the mafia.

The study of Italian culture helps the student to acquire a deep awareness of both cultural unity and regional diversity. This course is intended to provide students with an in-depth introduction to Italian culture and to broaden one’s awareness and understanding of the role of cultural heritage in customs and lifestyles. Lectures will provide students with an organized, focused, and academic understanding of Italian history, art, architecture, food, religion, and culture. The course provides additional enrichment through basic notions of Italian language and terminology along with assigned readings and a final paper. On-site teaching is a significant part of this course and is aimed to provide the student with an incomparable experience of studying important sites of artistic architectural and social relevance in present-day Italy. Students are encouraged to observe the sites through active participation and to discuss their observations using specific and analytic social assessment skills.

This course includes an Italian language component for beginning-level students.

This course examines the practice and basic principles of addiction to drugs of abuse such as heroin, alcohol, tobacco, cannabis or cocaine. Course topics will cover the epidemiology of drug abuse, the experimental models used in brain research, and the pathological consequences of drug addiction (including heavy drinking and smoking). The course will extend the concept of addiction to pathological behaviors such as compulsive consumption of palatable food, physical exercise dependence, compulsive shopping, sexual hyperactivity, internet abuse, and gambling. The neurochemical mechanisms that are shared and lead from reward to positive reinforcement, loss of control, and dependence will be examined. The symptomatological and neurochemical similarities and differences between drug and behavioral addiction will be addressed, along with the self-destructive behaviors, tolerance, craving, and withdrawal symptoms that both types of dependence produce.

The course traces also the basic aspects of human biology and physiology that are needed to fully comprehend the topics at hand, including the neuronal circuits and neurotransmitters that are altered by both natural and artificial rewards. Students will also learn how to analyze scientific data and correctly interpret the information that is published in peer-reviewed international scientific journals. Finally, students will gain an understanding of the social and ethical implications of drug and behavioral addiction and of the peculiar features of this problem in different countries, with an emphasis on the European and Italian approach as compared with other areas of the world.

This course examines the context in which the Italian fashion system was born. Topics begin from the evolution of fashion from the post-WWII period to the present and address the role and influence of media and culture on factors such as economic and social status, the arts, and other issues that influenced fashion. Students explore fashion’s connection to identity, body, politics, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, class, and how fashion and media are interrelated with these aspects of culture.

This course focuses on different aspects of regional food in Italy. Emphasis is placed on how food relates to the local lifestyle. Regional economy and local resources are analyzed and compared. Students are introduced to a diversity of local products. Lectures will be complemented by student cooking labs and/or tastings.

Though food diversifies throughout the world according to local cultural backgrounds, there is a common ground in the universal approach to food: it is a part of everyday life and sharing food is still one of the greatest examples of humans acting as social creatures. Italy represents a unique case for now food is both celebrated and is involved in cultural celebrations that are still fundamental in Italian society. This course will provide students with a full immersion in the relationship between food and the local community in Italy, focusing on the many moments that represent conviviality in Italian culture and society. Coursework includes a wide variety of field learning activities through which students will be introduced to local and traditional crafts, food markets, typical street food vendors, local purchasing groups, community-supported agriculture, and countryside food festivals as fundamental milestones in the Italian gastro-social tradition. Through hands-on experiences and on-site activities students, will learn the fundamentals of community-geared food production and will acquire a deeper understanding of food as an essential element of society. This class includes experiential learning with CEMI.

This class includes food labs, food tours, and one aperitivo project per session. Uniform required for food labs, rental available upon arrival.

This course is targeted towards students with an interest in Italian food traditions, society, and culture. The main focus consists of what is generally defined as “made in Italy” culture and style in post-war Italy. Also covered are the relationships between Italian traditions, folklore and contemporary Italian society drawing from examples including festivals, food, tourism, and economy, and the influence of foreign civilizations. Students will be asked to regard the subject of food outside of the context of ingredients and the procedures used to create a dish; we will instead examine a large scale context in which food is either featured as a main component or an integral element in cultural situations. Thus the student is asked first and foremost to observe the presented material across an anthropologic lens that roves over the entire Italian peninsula. Lectures will be complemented by student cooking labs and/or tastings.

This course includes cooking labs, tastings, and visits.

This course is targeted towards students who are interested in the Italian traditions and the pivotal role that Italy has played in the evolution of food and wine culture. Italy is in fact the oldest wine-producing nation in the world where grapes are grown in almost every region of the country. This course will consider and analyze the various influences and cultural overlaps that this ancient tradition has brought to contemporary Italian culture. The course will also feature an Italian language component in order to better understand and appreciate the elements of contemporary Italian culture which will be discussed during the course. This course includes an Italian language component for beginning-level students and field learning activities. Field learning is a method of educating through first-hand experience. Skills, knowledge, and experience are acquired outside of the traditional academic classroom setting and may include field activities, field research, and service learning projects. The field learning experience is cultural because it is intended to be wide-reaching, field-related content is not limited to the course subject but seeks to supplement and enrich academic topics. Students will have the opportunity to integrate theory and practice while experiencing Italian culture, art, and community within the Italian territory. Faculty will lead students in experiencing Italian culture through guided projects and field experiences as planned for the course. Field learning will be developed through classroom preparation, follow up projects, and guided learning outcomes. Field learning will provide students with the opportunity to develop skills and appreciate the multifold components of Italian Culture through direct experience. Field education will advance student learning as a relationship-centered process.

This course is targeted towards students who are interested in the Italian traditions and the pivotal role that Italy has played in the evolution of food and wine culture. Italy is in fact the oldest wine-producing nation in the world where grapes are grown in almost every region of the country. This course will consider and analyse the various influences and cultural overlaps that this ancient tradition has brought to contemporary Italian culture. The course will also feature an Italian language component in order to better understand and appreciate the elements of contemporary Italian culture which will be discussed during the course.

This class includes field learning hours. Field learning is a method of educating through first-hand experience. Skills, knowledge, and experience are acquired outside of the traditional academic classroom setting and may include field activities, field research, and service learning projects. The field learning experience is cultural because it is intended to be wide-reaching, field-related content is not limited to the course subject but seeks to supplement and enrich academic topics. Students will have the opportunity to integrate theory and practice while experiencing Italian culture, art, and community within the Italian territory. Faculty will lead students in experiencing Italian culture through guided projects and field experiences as planned for the course. Field learning will be developed through classroom preparation, follow up projects, and guided learning outcomes. Field learning will provide students with the opportunity to develop skills and appreciate the multifold components of Italian Culture through direct experience. Field education will advance student learning as a relationship-centred process.

This course includes an Italian language component for beginning language students + 90 field learning hours.

This course discusses the origins and development of the Mafia in the context of Italian politics, economics, and society from the nineteenth century to the present day. It analyzes the nature of Mafia activities and their international relevance. Special focus will be given to judicial procedures against the Mafia and the experiences of key individuals and groups contrasting their illegal activities.

The course focuses on the fundamentals of social work, exploring the values, the code of ethics, and the types of services of this practice-based profession. Various social work spheres are explored throughout the course, including services for the underprivileged, children, older adults, women, disabled individuals, people suffering from mental health issues, drug addicts, and convicts. The course provides tangible illustrations of social work institutions, with particular emphasis placed on the social fabric of Florence, to show how this discipline contributes to the well-being of both individuals and societies. At the same time, the course also investigates social work in relation to globalization and multiculturalism, to showcasing transnational shared goals and objectives.

Pre-requisite: Tradition of Italian Food I or equivalent.

The survey of the most representative Italian preparations and ingredients continues as well as a deep analysis and application of Italian cuisine. Traditional preparations, characterizing ingredients and culinary movements will be fully covered during this course. The aim of this course is also to give students a complete overview of Italian cuisine evolution through the knowledge of XIX and XX century cultural influences such as futurism, nouvelle cuisine and present day innovations. This course is meant to help students understand the current Italian culinary trends as a continuous evolution of the different regional cooking traditions. The course will include an overview of the major Italian cuisine chefs styles and how they contributed to the mentioned evolution thanks to creativity and knowledge. Students will learn how to compose a menu in order to express a cooking philosophy and will also experience Italian fine dining standards through the practical application of learned concepts. This class includes experiential learning with CEMI.

This module provides an interdisciplinary perspective on sex, sexuality and gender in London from 1880 to the present. Taking approaches from history, sociology, law, politics and literature, it covers topics such as Victorian sex scandals, the gendering of public space; masculinities and femininities; the impact of the law; Queer London; ‘Women’s Work’; the Swinging Sixties’ and ‘sexual liberation’; the making of cultures of sexuality in Soho and policing sexuality in Central London.

This module is an introduction to the visual culture of London, including painting, architecture, photography and contemporary media. Students will visit the major art galleries to examine how art works, exhibitions and cultural organisations can be understood within wider social contexts. The sessions also include museums and historical sites. The classes will explore how these institutions reveal the complex cultural identity and history of London.

Site visits: typical visits include the British Museum, Tate Modern, Victoria and Albert Museum, Museum of London, National Portrait Gallery, Wallace Collection, Tate Britain, Whitechapel Gallery, Serpentine Galleries, Wellcome Collection. Note: these visits are subject to change.

This module places communities of colour, often marginalised, at the very centre of London’s history from the Tudors to today. It explores the long and rich history of black and brown communities in London, from immigrant communities originating from Africa, South-East Asia and the Caribbean, to colonial and African-American soldiers in the modern period. In doing so, it raises important question about race, diversity and multi-culturalism. It looks at questions of exclusion and racism; agency and activism; diversity and multi-culturalism. Crucially, it shows students how black and brown communities have shaped – and continue to shape – London.

This module is rich in theory from consumer studies, psychology and sociology explaining why consumers behave the way they do and how marketers can use this information. Both customer and organisational decision-making processes are explored.

This module aims to provide students with the opportunity to engage with a range of topics and issues in psychology that relate to growing up and living in or visiting a large global city such as London, England. It will bring together research and theory from a number of areas of psychology including social psychology, health psychology, cognitive psychology and forensic psychology. Topics include: Stress & Wellbeing; Crime & Aggression; Loneliness, Pro-social Behaviour and Resilience. Lectures will discuss recent research and seminars will provide students with practical activities, visualisation through documentaries and guided discussions related to each topic.

Site visits: students will visit the Museum of London. Note: site visits are subject to change.

Analysis of how following personal lives of media-created celebrities impacts self-esteem, connectedness, and personal relationships from cultural studies and social sciences perspectives, and how entities cultivate celebrity for financial gain. Topics include celebrity gossip and privacy, news sharing, public relations, and impact of social media on fan support, image construction, and damage control.

Introduction to development of rap music and hip-hop culture, with emphasis on musical and verbal qualities, philosophical and political ideologies, gender representation, and influences on cinema and popular culture. P/NP or letter grading.

Comparative survey of basic concepts and theories in sociology from 1850 to 1920.

Multidisciplinary examination of history of Asians and Pacific Islanders in U.S. Throughout the course students will learn about how intersecting formations of race, class, gender, sexuality, and citizenship, among other identities, forged the experiences of Asian Americans. As a result, students will come away with a greater appreciation for the diversity and complexity of the history and contemporary conditions of Asian Americans.

Basic institutions and processes of democratic politics. Treatment of themes such as constitutionalism, representation, participation, and leadership coupled with particular emphasis on the American case.

Survey of urban history and evolution in U.S., urban social theory, current growth trends, system of cities, urban economy and economic restructuring, traditional and alternative location theories, urban transportation, and residential location and segregation.

Introduction to history, politics, culture, and scientific study of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgendered, and queer people; examination of sexuality and gender as categories for investigation; interdisciplinary theories and research on minority sexualities and genders.

Introduction to methods used in contemporary sociological research, with focus on issues of research design, data collection, and analysis of data.

Examination of key issues (work, housing, and neighborhoods) in urban poverty, with particular focus on Mexican and Central American immigrant populations in Los Angeles. Exploration of major theoretical models that explain urban poverty and application of them in comparative context while exploring differences between Mexican and Central American immigrants. Social conditions and forces that help us understand lives of poor people in comparative context while looking at differences between two major Latino-origin populations in Los Angeles. Critical analysis of new forms of urban poverty in contemporary American society.

Theoretical and empirical overview of Chicana/Chicano educational issues in U.S., with special emphasis on disentangling effects of race, gender, class, and immigrant status on Chicana/Chicano educational attainment and achievement. Examination of how historical, social, political, and economic forces impact Chicana/Chicano educational experience.

Genealogy of autism as diagnostic category and cultural phenomenon from its historical roots as new, rare, and obscure condition in early 1940s to its current contested status as minority identity and/or global epidemic. Examination of material sourced from various fields and disciplines invested in autism, including psychology, neuroscience, arts and humanities, popular media, anthropology, activism, and critical autism studies. Students encounter and analyze multiple perspectives on autism and put them in conversation with one another. Attention paid to way people on spectrum define, explain, and represent their own experiences of autism and discussion of what ramifications of these multiple framings are in context of autism intervention strategy and disability policy today.

Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Contributions of sociology to study of politics, including analysis of political aspects of social systems, social context of action, and social bases of power. P/NP or letter grading.

Broad overview of scientific study of sexual behavior, with emphases on evolutionary, biological, psychological, and social considerations. Topics include historical antecedents of sex research, evolution of sex, influence of sex hormones on brain and behavior, sexual development, and roles of genes and hormones on sexual orientation.

Lecture, three hours. Requisite: PSYCH 115. 

Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Role of race and ethnicity in the U.S., including interplay between racial and ethnic structures and meanings. Special attention to comparison of African American and European American experiences and to transformation of Asian American and Latino communities and the nation generally, wrought by renewal of mass migration in second half of the 20th century. P/NP or letter grading.

The aim of the course is to familiarise students with applications of psychology to the legal system and to raise awareness about the problems that arise when psychology is applied to law in practice.

In the course of 3 weeks, students will take part in an intensive educational program that covers the most important topics in the field of Forensic Psychology. During the course four main themes within the field of forensic psychology will be addressed.

1. Eyewitness memory, which consists of eyewitness identification and (false) memories.
2. Interviewing and interrogation. Within this topic,the students learn about police interrogation techniques, deception detection and (false) confessions.
3. Cognitive biases in the legal context. Students will get acquainted with the interpretation and reliability of forensic evidence and the role of biases in experts’ decisions.
4. Association of mental illness and crime. Within this topic students will examine the psychopathic mind and the psychology of sex offenders.

Different case studies, tools and experiments will be discussed in order to allow the students to get acquainted with the methods used in this discipline. In each tutorial, research articles and case material descriptions related to a theme will be studied and discussed. The examination will consist of question-based tests taken throughout the course, a final symposium where students will present and discuss topics related to Forensic Psychology and a final paper.

Sociologists suggest that the origins and causes of social problems lie outside of individuals, even though the effects of such problems influence the behavior of individuals. This course examines a variety of contemporary social problems, such as health and health care, addictions, poverty, unemployment, crime, violence, family issues, racism and ageism. After examining social issues, their causes and consequences, we will discuss possible interventions that could alleviate each problem.

In the relationship between people and physical environments, not all people experience or impact environments in the same way or suffer the same degree. This course investigates how people in different places modify, know about, and are affected by environmental change in various ways according to gender. The theories and case studies covered are selected to encourage an understanding of how gender relations shape and are shaped by the rest of nature. Such an understanding provides the basis for gender-sensitive methodologies that can be crucial to addressing environmental problems.

This module explores contemporary issues and debates that shape world politics today. It starts by introducing International Relations (IR) theory before turning to two broad themes that dominate IR: conflict and peace. We will apply these themes to a case study of the Northern Ireland conflict exploring the key political developments and the transition to a post conflict settlement. This module will also include a workshop that examines the use of wall murals to articulate conflict/post-conflict identity in Northern Ireland.

Excursion(s): This module includes a day trip to St Andrews, where we’ll undertake a tour of Scotland’s Secret Bunker – an underground compound built to safeguard Scotland during the Cold War.

Recent advances in feminist and LGBT+ liberation movements have had a visible and global impact on culture, literature, politics and commerce. This module examines gender and sexuality in a Scottish context. As binary understandings of gender and sexuality are increasingly shown to be outdated and outmoded, developments in our understanding of gender and sexuality are making headlines and becoming a regular part of our daily discourse in both our social and working lives. This course enables students to apply their knowledge of identity politics to a dynamic range of relevant texts.

The texts in this module examine the decline of traditional, industrialist, ‘hard man’ masculinities in Scotland. Through an exploration of dynamic, contemporary and highly acclaimed texts, this course examines broken masculinities, resistant femininities, and resurgent Scottish LGBT+ fictions. A select range of relevant secondary sources will accompany this exploration of primary literature, introducing students to iconic theorists, as well as relevant contemporary critics examining Scottish literature from a gendered perspective.

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the sociological and analytic study of religion, identity, conflict and violence within a local, national and global context. It will examine issues such as nationalism, colonialism, international affairs and the role of those charged with reporting such conflicts. Extensive attention will be paid to the representation of religious conflict in the arts, such as literature and films, alongside a detailed examination in of the violent groups that have arisen as an apparent reaction to religious fundamentalism as a rising narrative of a new cultural war.

Excursion(s): Students will attend a guided visit to Stirling Castle.

For the past decade, Scotland’s national status has been ‘both dangled before us and tantalizingly withheld’ (poet Don Paterson). With attention focused on the question of independence, recent debates concerning Scottish culture and identity gain a heightened political charge. Literature has not only reflected but actively shaped such debate. In the year the new Scottish Parliament was established (1998), Christopher Whyte argued that ‘in the absence of elected political authority, the task of representing the nation has been repeatedly devolved to its writers’. But what influence have writers played in recent political change, and to what extent has Scottish culture escaped its own stereotypes?

This course examines the literary and political currents shaping contemporary Scottish identity, introducing students to key twentieth- and twenty-first century texts. We encounter and explain a range of cultural debates concerning language, class, democracy and nationhood, attending to the urgency as well as the complexity of recent Scottish writing.

Excursion: There will be an excursion to Edinburgh, visiting the Scottish Parliament building and Scottish Writers Museum.

As Scotland’s University of Sporting Excellence, the University of Stirling is the perfect place to learn about the integration of culture, management and sport. The aim of this module is to teach you about how sport is managed in Scotland and in the UK mode widely, and about how it is incorporated into the thread of Scottish culture. The module will include a mixture of lectures and seminars accompanied by academic field trips, providing you with an understanding that sport is influenced by cultural traditions, social values and economic factors.

This course introduces important issues and major topics in modern international relations and with discussion on Japan and it’s relation to course content. Current events will be discussed and how states interact with each other. Subjects covered will be international cooperation, trade, international law, security, conflict and human rights issues.

This course is a survey of Japanese popular culture with particular topics covered such as anime manga, fashion, music, art and food. Part of the course will focus on Japanese animation within a historic and popular cultural perspective. Both anime and manga will be examined with particular emphasis on the art, culture and national and international popularity.

This course will provide a general overview of Japanese society and culture in the postwar period. This course will introduce students to the historical background and modern social implications of contemporary Japanese culture. We will explore a wide range of artistic mediums including music, art, manga, animation, fashion, advertising, and film. Topics will include hikikomori (shut-ins that refuse to leave the home for work or school), chronic over-work including karoshi (death from overworking), declining population and the population bomb, and extreme population density in cities. In addition, the concepts of kaizen (continuous improvement), and wa (social harmony) will be introduced and analysed.

The focus of this course is to give an expansive outline of gender, sexuality and society with a specific spotlight on contemporary Japanese society. Class content exposes material from sociologists, historians, journalists, and literary scholars to analyse how gender and sexuality have been socially developed and experienced in post war Japan.