TSEM 102.022 African American Arts: From Bearden to Basquiat, Be Bop to Hip Hop
A sociological analysis of the artistic and cultural contributions of African Americans
throughout the 20th century. Special emphasis will be placed on the dynamics of racial
stratification, rural experiences, urbanization, socio-economic status, identity,
the "entertainment industrial complex," social commentary, social integration, innovation,
and the global repercussions that extend beyond the United States. The curriculum
will encompass a comprehensive examination of music, dance, visual art, literature,
and culinary arts, drawing from various regional perspectives across the century.
TSEM 102.027, 028, 029, 030, 031, 032 America in the 1960s: Decade of Conflict and
Change
An introduction to the cultural, political, social conflicts of the 1960s in America,
with emphasis on development of research and critical thinking skills. Through their
study of major figures, movements and events of this period, as well as through guided
study of research methodology, students will become acquainted with historical ways
of thinking and writing.
TSEM 102.026 America’s War on Drugs
Exploration of American drug policies. Emphasis on treatment and prevention options,
debates regarding decriminalization and legalization, and the domestic and international
drug trade. Attention to popular perceptions of addicts, the flaws in those perceptions,
and how perceptions shape policies. The historical context of current drug policy.
TSEM 102.005 American Murals
Murals are paintings placed on culturally meaningful walls. “American Murals” will
examine the creation and use of murals across many American ethnic and racial groups
from pre-Colonial Native Americans, through the Colonial period, to the 21st Century
including the 1930s Mexican Mural Movement, Works Progress Administration and mid-20th-century
Civil Rights Movements.
TSEM 102.042 Baseball: Beyond the Game
An interdisciplinary exploration of the game of baseball and its impact on American
culture. Will study the history and development of the game, key figures in the game,
the growth of the game, the effects of integrating the game, the cultural impact of
the game, the sense of community the game gives, the ethical debates of performance
enhancing drugs, labor relationships between owners and players, and the future of
the game.
TSEM 102.103 Body Image Through History
A survey of attitudes toward the human body in different fields, eras, and cultures.
TSEM 102.021, 022 By Any Means Necessary: African-American Literature and Social Activism
in the 20th Century United States
African-American Literature and Social Activism in the 20th Century United States"
Description: This course analyzes 20th-century African American literature as social
artifacts that reflect and shape their cultural contexts. We will explore the intersections
of race, gender, class, identity, and ideology, examining how these works demonstrate
resistance, assimilation, and dissimilation in a racially stratified society. We will
examine the relationship between the author, the text, and society, considering the
author’s background, publication history, and the social and cultural factors that
influence how these texts are received and interpreted by readers and institutions.
TSEM 102.903, 904 Earth's Changing Climate
Understand the critical and often contentious issue of climate change, and to introduce
students to scholarship. Scientific evidence and analysis, and an interdisciplinary
perspective are needed to deal with the pressing issue of global climate change. This
course will provide students with the critical thinking and analytical skills needed
to weigh the evidence supporting or refuting claims of climate change or its consequences
and to help students develop the research and writing skills required of college graduates.
TSEM 102.107 Excitement and Challenge of Extreme Teaching
Explores teaching - a most exciting and challenging profession – through inspiring
examples of excellent teaching practices in order to incorporate these best practices
into every challenging teaching situation. Introduction to effective strategies for
gathering, evaluating and communicating information. Students will use critical thinking,
team collaboration and problem solving to examine the most current scholarship surrounding
these topics.
TSEM 102.035, 036 Family Risk and Resilience
Focuses on the ways in which families experience risk. Places emphasis on the diversity
of risk both within the family unit as well as how risk is perceived by social forces
outside the family. Introduces multiple perspectives on risk and resiliency using
a multidisciplinary approach. Special attention will be paid to how individual differences
have the potential to increase risk for individuals, families and communities.
TSEM 102.002, 003 Getting Down to Business
Provides an integrated view of business organizations and prepares students to critically
analyze business problems and develop effective solutions. Includes study of the structure
and organization of businesses, common business processes, and the interrelationships
among business functions.
TSEM 102.015, 016 Learn in Digital Society
Current issues in education related to living and learning in a digital society. This
course emphasizes that critical, self-reflective understanding of the contexts of
our technology use is central to becoming digital practitioners and effective teachers
in a participatory culture. Students will be introduced to effective strategies for
gathering, evaluating and communicating information.
TSEM 102.007, 008, 009, 010, 013, 101 The Limits of Reason
The role of reason throughout the history of Western philosophy, beginning with the
Platonic formalism of the ancient era, continuing into the Renaissance and Age of
Enlightenment with Rene Descartes’ rationalism, David Hume’s empiricism, and Immanuel
Kant’s transcendentalism, and culminating in the contemporary perspectives of Friedrich
Nietzsche, Jean-Paul Sartre, Emmanuel Levinas, and Alphonso Lingis on the limits of
reason.
TSEM 102.011 Literary Experiences and Philosophical Concepts
Literature is a discipline that presents experiences and conceptualizations to its
readers. Philosophy is a discipline that questions, analyzes and reflects in order
to discover the meaning of things. Use the power of literature to create a common
reference fund to use for our philosophical reflections. These reflections will consider
the thoughts of various philosophers as pathways for coming to our own insights and
developing ways to articulate them. Among the themes to be considered are the meanings
of: death, joy, freedom, fate, obsession, social relations, rationality, humanity,
work, love, alienation, the absurd, justice, and pleasure.
TSEM 102.106, 905 Living a Meaningful Life: Well-Being and Occupation
Introduces students to skills needed to function successfully at college, in the
context of an exploration of the relationship of occupational engagement to well-being.
Students will gain an understanding of the concept of occupation, and investigate
the influence of various occupations on health, happiness, and well-being.
TSEM 102.043, 044 Making Schools Work
This first-year seminar course will explore the various ways that personnel and families
work together to create a meaningful experience for students in P-12 schools. Course
requirements include a research paper, annotated bibliography and group presentation.
TSEM 102.023, 024, 025 Mass Media and Medicine
Through reflective writing, roundtable discussions, skills workshops, a research paper,
and a group presentation, students will be introduced to the rigors of academic scholarship,
explore collaborative learning, and engage in critically evaluating the content and
impact of mediated messages on the practice and consumption of health care across
cultures.
TSEM 102.900 Media Literacy
Seminar emphasizing active learning, with a focus on examining and analyzing the mass
media as tools of education, socialization, and indoctrination that influence our
understanding of the world.
TSEM 102.020 Notable Music Makers: Antonio Carlos Jobi, Brazilian Musical Innovator
Immersive study of composers/performers/improvisers, their creative output, their
historical and cultural context, and their continuing relevance in today’s music cultures.
Jobim is one of Brazil’s most influential composer-songwriters of the latter twentieth
century. Students will explore Jobim’s compositions, his central role in the development
of bossa nova, and his enduring influence on the international music community.
TSEM 102.017 Notable Music Makers: John Williams, Soundtracks of a Century
Immersive study of composers/performers/improvisers, their creative output, their
historical and cultural context, and their continuing relevance in today’s music cultures.
A study of film composer John Williams’ career and influential film soundtracks including
Star Wars, Harry Potter, Jurassic Park, Jaws, and Indiana Jones, grounded in historical
and social context.
TSEM 102.018 Notable Music-Makers: Music Under Soviet Tyranny
Immersive study of composers/performers/improvisers, their creative output, their
historical and cultural context, and their continuing relevance in today’s music cultures.
This course explores the development of Russian classical music as affected by the
totalitarian regime of the Soviet Union after Lenin and before perestroika. Special
attention will be paid to the lives and works of Dmitri Shostakovich and Mieczyslaw
Weinberg.
TSEM 102.019 Notable Music-Makers: Nina Simone: Singer, Songwriter, Pianist, and Civil
Rights Activist
Immersive study of composers/performers/improvisers, their creative output, their
historical and cultural context, and their continuing relevance in today’s music cultures.
This course explores the development of Soviet classical music as affected by the
totalitarian regime.
TSEM 102.006 The Object is the Object: Judaism
Focuses on the study of material culture and religion through the examination of objects,
spaces, bodies, senses, foods, and related items. Study will include primary and secondary
readings and films about these objects, their histories, and uses, as well as direct
interaction and experience with some of them in the classroom, through digital means,
and/or through site visits. Introductory studies of material culture and religion
will be introduced.
TSEM 102.014 Perspectives on the Self
A philosophical examination of the nature of the human self, with emphasis on three
fundamental and interrelated issues: the identity of a person over their lifetime;
the nature of free will and autonomy; the nature of human consciousness.
TSEM 102.039 Religion and Politics
An examination of how religion and politics influence each other in the United States,
with attention given to civil religion, the First Amendment, and religious activism,
among other issues. Draws on materials from political science, history, and religious
studies.
TSEM 102.105 Science Fiction and Society
Science fiction and speculative fiction in relation to social, political, cultural,
and technological issues. Topics vary but may include: environment/ecology, computers/technology,
race, gender, alienness, or dystopia/apocalypse.
TSEM 102.033, 034 The U.S. Constitution
Study of the U.S. Constitution and how it has been interpreted and amended over the
years. Emphasis on debates at the Constitutional Convention, the role of checks and
balances, and the division between state and federal control. Discussions of judicial
review and landmark Supreme Court decisions. Analysis of the circumstances in which
amendments have been added, their impact, and resistance to them. Exploration of relevant
topics of debate, including citizenship, gun rights, abortion rights, affirmative
action, and the Electoral College.
TSEM 102.038 Vampires on Campus: Exploring the Roles of the Vampire in Social Issues
of Western Culture
Examines contemporary society’s fascination with vampires, and explores how the lore
of the vampire, from Count Dracula to Edward Cullen of the Twilight series, captivates
our attention. The vampire, as a liminal figure, embodies or symbolizes a myriad of
wide-ranging social themes including capitalism, human sexuality, life/death, illegal
immigration, racism, HIV/AIDS, feminist ideologies, good vs. evil, identity, and adolescent
angst. This reading- and writing-intensive course includes in-depth critical analysis
and research projects.
TSEM 102.104, 901, 902 Writing Baltimore
Baltimore is a city of connections and contradictions. This class looks closely at
texts written about the city from diverse perspectives: historical, sociological,
environmental, journalistic, and literary. Approaches the city itself as a text to
be explored; students will generate their own texts in response to their encounters
with the city. Various themes will include the Chesapeake Bay, the sights and sounds
of Baltimore, and urban history.
TSEM 190.001, 003, 004, 005, 006, 007, 008 Honors College TSEM: Water
Multiple sections linked by a connecting theme. Explorations of the social, political,
cultural, creative, environmental, and legal constructions of water and its uses.
Individual sections emphasize a particular approach. Limited to students in the Honors
College.
