0847. American Military Culture (3 s.h.) Core: AC.

(Formerly: GE-US 1172.)

You live in a country that possesses the world’s strongest military forces. Up through the Vietnam War, Americans viewed military service in wartime as a basic obligation for all adult male citizens – the ultimate test of their patriotism and manhood – but a temporary sacrifice that ceased for most on the return of peace. Today, the American people have outsourced their awesome war-making power to a restricted number of men and women, many of whom consider military service their career. We will explore the distinctive culture that shapes the composition and behavior of America’s armed forces and probe how it reflects the strengths and weaknesses of American society.

Note: This General Education `United States Society` pilot course fulfills the Core American Culture (AC) requirement. This course is offered by the following departments: American Studies, History.

0848. American Revolutions (3 s.h.) Core: AC.

(Formerly: GE-US 1171.)

From the first encounters with Native Americans to the present, a series of pivotal moments have had an enduring influence on American society, culture, and politics. In each class, three modules will focus on three pivotal moments, such as King Philip’s War, Nat Turner’s Rebellion, the Scopes trial, the Civil Rights movement, the women’s movement, the emergence of Elvis Presley, the sexual revolution, the rise of environmentalism, the Reagan Revolution, and 9-11. In each module, students will first place the main subject of the module in context, and then seek to understand how it changed American society. The last week of each module will be devoted to a consideration of how the subject of that module has become part of American collective memory.

Note: This General Education `United States Society` pilot course fulfills the Core American Culture (AC) requirement. This course is offered by the following departments: American Studies, Anthropology, Geography & Urban Studies, History, Sociology.

0849. Dissent in America (3 s.h.) Core: AC.

(Formerly: GE-US 1072 (0061).)

Throughout American history individuals and groups of people have marched to the beat of a different drummer, and raised their voices in strident protest. Study the story and development of dissent in America. How has dissent shaped American society? In addition to studying the historical antecedents of dissent, students will have first-hand experience visiting and studying a present-day dissent organization in the Philadelphia area to investigate connections between the history of dissent and the process of making dissenting opinion heard today.

Note: This General Education `United States Society` pilot course fulfills the Core American Culture (AC) requirement. This course is offered by the following departments: History, Sociology.

0853. Doing Justice (3 s.h.) Core: AC.

(Formerly: GE-US 1071 (0060).)

Justice agencies – the juvenile justice system, police, judges and juries in courts, and prisons – are expected to create justice in response to lawbreakers. These agencies, however, often operate under enormous political, cultural, social, organizational and economic pressures. Further, what citizens or local leaders sometimes want from these agencies may create challenges and temptations. Thus, just outcomes are sometimes elusive. Focusing on the period 1925-2025 and largely on Philadelphia data, students will explore conceptual frameworks in the sociology of law, research articles, movies, maps, Census data, historical documents and newspaper archives to help understand these outcomes.

Note: This General Education `United States Society` pilot course fulfills the Core American Culture (AC) requirement. This course is offered by the Criminal Justice department.

0854. Education in the Global City (3 s.h.) Core: AC.

(Formerly: GE-US 1074.)

What is the digital divide and how is the Digital Miracle project impacting it? What can we do about increasing violence in our schools? These questions relate to a vast global change, and cities are its frontlines. There are more immigrants and more access to information, but there are also more problems: new kinds of poverty, increasingly separate lives, mounting intolerance. What does all this mean for how, what, and where we learn? How is education changing and how it can help fulfill the American dream for all the people in our cities? Working in teams, we will extend our classroom into the city`s schools, cultural organizations, and neighborhoods. We will find out who is doing something about the issues we raise, and bring that knowledge back in our worlds.

Note: This General Education `United States Society` pilot course fulfills the Core American Culture (AC) requirement. This course is offered by the Urban Education department.

0855. Higher Education and American Life: Mirror to a Nation (3 s.h.) Core: AC.

(Formerly: GE-US 1076.)

You have decided to go to college. But why? What role will college and in particular Temple University play in your life? Reflect on this important question by looking at the relationship between higher education and American society. What do colleges and universities contribute to our lives? They are, of course, places for teaching and learning. They are also research centers, sports and entertainment venues, sources of community pride and profit, major employers, settings for coming-of-age rituals (parties, wild times, courtship, etc.), and institutions that create lifetime identities and loyalties. Learn how higher education is shaped by the larger society and how, in turn, it has shaped that society. Become better prepared for the world in which you have chosen to live for the next few years.

Note: This General Education `United States Society` pilot course fulfills the Core American Culture (AC) requirement. This course is offered by the following departments: American Studies, English.

0856. Law and American Society (3 s.h.) Core: AC.

(Formerly: GE-US 1075.)

An intruder rushes into class, hits the professor in the face with a pie, and runs out. You are asked to provide a description of the assailant--and now you realize this was a demonstration of the faultiness of human memory in making eyewitness identification. Develop your understanding of the historical, socio-political and ethical context of the U.S. legal system as you follow the misadventures of a fictional family that gets caught up in various legal problems. Current events inform every assignment; you might analyze, for example, the case against MacDonalds brought on behalf of obese children, and then research legislation known as the “Cheeseburger Bill,” prohibiting such lawsuits. An exciting, multimedia environment makes learning vivid.

Note: This General Education `United States Society` pilot course fulfills the Core American Culture (AC) requirement. This course is offered by the Legal Studies (Law S.B.M.) department.

0857. Sport & Leisure in American Society (3 s.h.) Core: AC.

(Formerly: GE-US 1077.)

Explore the complexity and diversity of American society through the study of sport and leisure. To what extent does the way we play or spectate sports, the way we plan or experience leisure time, reflect American values? As we trace a brief history of the United States through the lens of sport and leisure, we will observe how concepts of freedom, democracy and equality are tested through time. Issues of race, ethnicity, gender, age, disability, and socio-economic class will be prominent, as we observe American ideals both upheld and contradicted in the context of the way Americans recreate.

Note: This General Education `United States Society` pilot course fulfills the Core American Culture (AC) requirement. This course is offered by the following departments: Sociology, Tourism & Hospitality Management.

0858. The American Economy (3 s.h.) Core: AC.

(Formerly: GE-US 1073.)

Should the federal government more forcefully engage health care issues, or are its current obligations a hidden time bomb facing the federal budget? Should we be concerned about the outsourcing of U.S. jobs? Is the minimum wage too low, or will increases in the minimum simply lead to greater unemployment? Students will engage these and other pressing issues, write position papers advocating specific actions that governments or firms should take, and debate these recommendations. While economic theory is not the centerpiece of this course, students will learn enough economic theory to be able to discuss policy in an informed manner. They will also be introduced to important sources of “economic” information, from government websites to major publications.

Note: This General Education `United States Society` pilot course fulfills the Core American Culture (AC) requirement. This course is offered by the following departments: Economics, Sociology.

0859. The Making of American Society: Melting Pot or Culture Wars? (3 s.h.) Core: AC.

(Formerly: GE-US 1079.)

Terrorism, illegal immigration, gay marriage, religious conflict, political in-fighting, corporate corruption, racial animosities, civil liberties assaults, media conglomeration, Wal-Mart goes to China and the rich get richer. America in the 21st Century is a contentious society. How did we get to this place in time? This course examines what makes American society distinctive from other advanced industrial democracies. Specifically, we study the philosophical origins of America, the development of social and economic relationships over time, and the political disputes dominating contemporary American life. The course relies heavily on perspectives from History, Sociology and Political Science to explain the challenges facing contemporary American Society.

Note: This General Education `United States Society` pilot course fulfills the Core American Culture (AC) requirement. This course is offered by the following departments: American Studies, History, Philosophy, Political Science, Sociology.

0861. Urban Dynamics: Global, Regional, and Local Connections (3 s.h.) Core: AC.

(Formerly: GE-US 1078.)

U.S. cities in the twenty-first century face enormous challenges as globalization shapes flows of people, capital, information, resources, and ideas/culture in an increasingly interconnected, yet geographically dispersed world. The course asks: What is globalization? How are different people’s lives in cities shaped by these flows? How do gender, age, race/ethnicity, class, and citizenship status affect people’s experiences in different urban contexts? How do urban interventions—from public policy to social movements—advance social justice across groups, places, and spaces? Topics include economic and political restructuring, the globalization of ethnic/racial relations, citizenship and public space, the spatial dynamics of uneven development, and urban inequalities.

Note: This General Education `United States Society` pilot course fulfills the Core American Culture (AC) requirement. This course is offered by the Geography & Urban Studies department.

0949. Honors Dissent in America (3 s.h.) Core: AC.

(Formerly: GE-US 1972 (H061).)

Throughout American history individuals and groups of people have marched to the beat of a different drummer, and raised their voices in strident protest. Study the story and development of dissent in America. How has dissent shaped American society? In addition to studying the historical antecedents of dissent, students will have first-hand experience visiting and studying a present-day dissent organization in the Philadelphia area to investigate connections between the history of dissent and the process of making dissenting opinion heard today. Students will also do an oral history project by interviewing a participant in one of the dissent movements of the past fifty years: civil rights, anti-Vietnam war, feminism, gay rights, environmentalism, etc. (This is an Honors course.)

Note: This General Education `United States Society` pilot course fulfills the Core American Culture (AC) requirement. This course is offered by the History department.
[Back] [Top]