2017-2018 University Catalog archived
Course Descriptions
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Politics |
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POL 203 - State and Local Government
FDR: SS2
Credits: 3
An introduction to the structures and functions of United States subnational governments, with particular emphasis on the policy-making process and on the relationships between policy makers and the public. Computer-assisted analysis of survey-research data is included. Finch.
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POL 214 - The Conduct of American Foreign Policy
FDR: SS2
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: POL 100 or 105. Constitutional basis, role of the President and the Congress, the State Department and the Foreign Service, role of public opinion, political parties, and pressure groups. Relation to other political areas and to the United Nations and other international agencies. Strong.
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POL 215 - International Development
FDR: SS2
Credits: 3
A study of international development and human capability, with a focus on Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The course analyzes theories to explain development successes and failures, with a focus on the structures, institutions, and actors that shape human societies and social change. Key questions include measuring economic growth and poverty, discussing the roles of states and markets in development, and examining the role of industrialized countries in reducing global poverty. The course explores links between politics and other social sciences and humanities. Dickovick.
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POL 227 - East Asian Politics
FDR: SS2
Credits: 3
An investigation of East Asian political systems and the global, historical, and cultural contexts in which their political institutions have developed. Students consider the connections between political structure and the rapid social and economic changes in East Asia since World War II, as well as the effectiveness of varied political processes in addressing contemporary problems. Emphasis is given to China, Korea, and Japan. LeBlanc.
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POL 229 - Political Parties, Interest Groups, and the Media
FDR: SS2
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: POL 100. A study of the three central extra-constitutional mediating institutions in the American political system: political parties, interest groups, and the media. The course explores theoretical and practical, historical and contemporary developments in party politics, interest group politics, and media politics. Special attention to the debate between the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists. Connelly.
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POL 230 - Separation of Powers in the U.S. Constitution
(LEGL 230) FDR: SS2
Credits: 4
This course probes the origins, development, advantages, and disadvantages of the tripartite structure of the federal government, beginning with an examination of the background and text of Articles I, II, and III of the U.S. Constitution. We analyze structural explanations provided in the Federalist Papers, along with Classical and Enlightenment sources addressing the nature of political power, the problem of faction, the role of checks and balances, and the purpose of separated functions. In-depth analyses of leading U.S. Supreme Court decisions trace evolving conceptions of legislative. executive. and judicial powers along with attention to the relevance of war and economic crisis to the authority and function of each branch. In discussions of landmark decisions, students compare the legal thought of a number of Justices–John Marshall, William Howard Taft, Robert Jackson, William Brennan, Sandra Day O’Connor, Anthony Kennedy, and Antonin Scalia. We trace the creation of the so-called “fourth branch” of government–the administrative state– and examine whether this “branch” can be reconciled with ideas of representative democracy and constitutional text. Students prepare and deliver two oral arguments based on assigned cases and write an appellate brief on a separation-of-powers topic. Murchison.
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POL 232 - Public Policy
FDR: SS2
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: POL 100. Introduction to public policy formation and implementation, decision making in government, the concepts and techniques of policy analysis, and ethical analysis of policy. Policy issues such as education, the environment, and public health are used as illustrations. Harris.
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POL 233 - Environmental Policy and Law
FDR: SS2
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: ECON 100, ECON 101, or POL 100. A study of major environmental laws and the history of their enactment and implementation. Discusses different theoretical approaches from law, ethics, politics, and economics. Reviews significant case law and the legal context. Emphasis is on domestic policy with some attention to international law and treaties. Harris.
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POL 234 - Congress and the Legislative Process
FDR: SS2
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: POL 100. A review of the constitutional origins and historical development of Congress as a representative and deliberative institution. Course focus includes the relation between the President and Congress, bicameralism, congressional elections, congressional reform, legislative rules and procedures, and the policy process. The course follows the current Congress using C-SPAN and Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report. Connelly.
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POL 235 - The Presidency
FDR: SS2
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: POL 100. A review of the origins and development of the office of the presidency from Washington to the present, with an emphasis on post-war administrations. Topics include constitutional issues arising from presidential powers, policy making within the executive branch, and modern presidential leadership styles. Connelly, Strong.
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POL 236 - The American Supreme Court and Constitutional Law
FDR: SS2
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: POL 100. A survey of the development of American constitutional law and a study of the role of the Supreme Court as both a political institution and principal expositor of the Constitution. Staff.
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POL 240 - Elections and Law in Comparative Perspective
FDR: SS2
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: POL 100 or 105 or instructor consent. A comparative analysis of the constitutions, elections, and political processes around the world. The course addresses issues of election law, theories of good government, issues of political and institutional reform, and the debates about democratization. McCaughrin.
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POL 245 - European Politics and Society
(SOAN 245) FDR: SS4
Credits: 3
A comparative analysis of European political systems and social institutions. The course covers the established democracies of western and northern Europe, the new democracies of southern and east-central Europe, and the post-Communist regimes in eastern and southeastern Europe. Mechanisms of European integration are also discussed with attention focused on institutions such as European Union, NATO, OSCE, and Council of Europe. Jasiewicz.
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POL 246 - Post-Communism and New Democracies
(SOAN 246) FDR: SS4 as sociology only
Credits: 3
A comparative analysis of transition from Communism in the countries of the former Soviet bloc. Cases of successful and unsuccessful transitions to civil society, pluralist democracy, and market economy are examined. The comparative framework includes analysis of transition from non-Communist authoritarianism and democratic consolidation in selected countries of Latin America, the Mediterranean, Southeast Asia, and South Africa. Jasiewicz.
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POL 247 - Latin American Politics
FDR: SS2
Credits: 3
This course focuses on Latin American politics during the 20th and 21st centuries. Major topics include: democracy and authoritarianism; representation and power; populism, corporatism, socialism, and communism; and questions of poverty, inequality, and economic growth. The course places particular emphasis on the Cuban and Mexican Revolutions, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Guatemala, and Peru. In addition, the course examines political and economic relations between the United States and Latin America. Dickovick.
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POL 249 - African Politics
FDR: SS2
Credits: 4
This course focuses on the politics, society, and economy of Africa during the 20th and 21st centuries. Major topics include: politics and economics of development, poverty, and human capability; authoritarian rule and transitions to democracy; causes and consequences of social change; and relations between Africa and the rest of the world. The course enables students to select country case studies for individual and group research, with a view toward testing hypotheses and formulating theories about comparative politics in Africa. Dickovick.
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POL 250 - Black American Politics
FDR: SS2
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: POL 111 or AFCA 130. A study of important black figures in American political thought. The course focuses on the intellectual history of black Americans but also considers contemporary social science and public policies dealing with race in America. Morel.
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POL 251 - Social Movements
(SOAN 251) FDR: SS4
Credits: 3
Prerequisites: POL 100, 105 or 111 or instructor consent. A survey of American social movements, including an evaluation of competing theoretical approaches to the study of social movements and an examination of the strategies, successes, failures, and political and social consequences of the civil rights, labor, student, and women’s movements. Close attention is given to factors contributing to the rise and decline of these LeBlanc, Eastwood.
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POL 255 - Gender and Politics
FDR: SS2
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: POL 100, 105 or 111 or instructor consent. This course investigates the gendered terms under which women and men participate in political life. Attention is given to the causes of men’s and women’s different patterns of participation in politics, to processes that are likely to decrease the inequalities between men’s and women’s political power, and the processes by which society’s gender expectations shape electoral and institutional politics. The different effects of gender on the practice of politics in different nations are compared, with a special emphasis placed on advanced industrial democracies. LeBlanc.
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POL 265 - Classical Political Philosophy
FDR: SS2
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: POL 111. An examination of some of the central questions and concerns of classical political philosophy. The course is not restricted to a historical period but extends to classical themes within contemporary culture. A mixture of plays, novels, epics, dialogues, treatises, and films are used. Authors, texts, and themes vary from year to year. Consult with the instructor for specific course details. Hale.
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POL 266 - Modern Political Philosophy
FDR: SS2
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: POL 111. An examination of some of the central questions and concerns of modern political philosophy. The course is not restricted to a historical period but extends to modern themes within contemporary culture. A mixture of plays, novels, epics, dialogues, treatises, and films are used. Authors, texts, and themes vary from year to year. Staff.
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POL 268 - Migration, Identity, and Conflict
(SOAN 268) FDR: SS4
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: SOAN 102, POV 101, or POL 105. This course focuses on the complex relationship between migration, political institutions, group identities, and inter-group conflict. The course is a hybrid of a seminar and research lab in which students (a) read some of the key social-scientific literature on these subjects, and (b) conduct team-based research making use of existing survey data about the integration of migrant populations into various polities. Eastwood.
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POL 270 - Modern Islamic Political Thought
(HIST-270) FDR: HU
Credits: 3
This course investigates Islamic political thought and action from the 18th century to the present. The course begins with an examination of the commentaries, treatises, and debates among Muslim political thinkers in light of their historical context and the writings on Islamic politics from the classical and middle ages. Then, students compare historical case studies of modern Islamic political movements in practice in Pakistan, Syria, Egypt, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, France and the U.S. Throughout the course, we contemplate a variety of themes: the relationship of Islamic law to the state, the meaning of “lslamism” and fundamentalism, the relationship of democracy and constitutionalism to the Islamic tradition, the influence of women’s changing participation in the public sphere, the impact of colonialism, technology and new media. and the limits placed on political speech. the place of non-Muslims and Muslim minorities in the West. and the changing role of religious education and traditional authority. Blecher.
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POL 272 - Social Revolutions
(SOAN 272) FDR: SS4
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: SOAN 101, 102, or instructor consent. This seminar provides an in-depth exploration of a variety of social revolutions. The overarching goal of the course is to discern whether or not a single “theory of revolutions” can be constructed. Are there common patterns to be observed in (and common causes behind) events as separated by time, place, and ideology as the 17th-century “Glorious Revolution” in England, the French Revolution, Latin American revolutions (including the Wars of Independence and the Mexican Revolution), the Russian Revolution, and more recent events such as the revolution that brought the current regime in Iran to power? To this end, students read and discuss a variety of such theories that have been put forward by sociologists, historians, and political scientists and then consider case studies of the aforementioned social revolutions in order to scrutinize these theories. Eastwood.
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POL 274 - Terrorism
FDR: SS2
Credits: 3
The principal goal of this course is to help students understand the complexities of contemporary terrorism. We discuss definitional issues, the historical roots of modern terrorism, and various micro- and macro-explanations for this form of violence. We also investigate the life cycles of terrorist groups: How do they emerge? What kinds of organizational challenges do they face? How do they end? Other topics include leaderless movements (e.g., “lone wolves”) and state sponsorship. Throughout the course, students observe that terrorism is not a phenomenon unique to one class of people. The course ends with three weeks focused on a certain kind of terrorism which some have called violent Islamic extremism. Cantey.
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POL 276 - Intelligence in Practice
FDR: SS2
Credits: 4
Additional course fee required, for which the student is responsible after Friday of the 7th week of winter term. This course examines the responsibilities of, and challenges faced by, today’s intelligence community (IC). Drawing on current literature and case studies, topics include intelligence collection and analysis, ethical and moral issues, oversight and accountability, covert action, and the increasing role of “cyber” in espionage. Through an intelligence lens, we explore the rise of al Qaeda and the global jihadist movement, the run-up to 9/11, intelligence failures (and successes) associated with the Iraq war and the Arab Spring, and the role of the IC in future scenario planning. One week is spent in and around Washington, DC, where we tour the National Spy Museum, meet with intelligence officials, and visit other intelligence-related sites. Cantey.
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POL 283 - Minority Voting Rights and Fair Redistricting
FDR: SS2
Credits: 4
No prerequisite. Meets the American politics field requirement in the politics major. This course introduces students to the redistricting process and election law by engaging them in a lab setting in which they use geographic information systems (GIS) software to develop alternative election district plans for the Commonwealth of Virginia. In addition to learning basic GIS skills, students also study voting rights case law, electoral systems and electoral reform. Staff.
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POL 285 - Contemporary Britain
FDR: SS2
Credits: 3
Prerequisites: Acceptance into the London Summer Internship Program. Corequisite: INTR 453. A summer course taught in Britain, this is an introduction to some key features of contemporary life in the United Kingdom (UK). It focuses on political institutions and processes and extends to take in wider British society. Consideration is given both to the history of recent decades in the UK and to currently prevailing circumstances. Class meetings are combined with a series of visits to relevant sites of interest intended to enhance and expand upon the learning experience. Blick.
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POL 288 - Supervised Study Abroad
FDR: SS2
Credits: 4
Prerequisites: Instructor consent and other prerequisites as specified in advance. This spring-term course covers a topic of current interest for which foreign travel provides a unique opportunity for significantly greater understanding. Topics and locations change from year to year and is announced each year, well in advance of registration. This course may be repeated if the topics are different. Offered when interest and expressed and department resources permit.
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POL 290 - Seminar in Politics, Literature and the Arts
FDR: SS2
Credits: 3
Prerequisites: Set by instructor, varies with topic. In this course, we study how literature, film, and other media are used to examine political themes and how they are used to achieve political ends. We address how politics shapes the arts and how the arts shape politics. The topic is announced at registration. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different. Only one such seminar may be counted towards the politics major.
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POL 291 - Special Topics in American Government: Washington and the Arts of Leadership
Credits: 1
A seminar in political science for students at the introductory or intermediate level. Topic, hour, and instructor are announced prior to registration. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.
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POL 292 - Topics in Politics and Film
FDR: SS2
Credits: 4
Prerequisites: Vary by offering. Open to non-majors and majors of all class years. This course examines how film and television present political issues and themes. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.
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POL 294 - Spring-Term Topics in Public Policy
FDR: SS2
Credits: 3-4
This course is designed to give students additional expertise and awareness of discrete policy challenges in the United States. Students learn to explain current policy systems, including political institutions and political behavior by political actors. Students also formulate policy evaluations acknowledging the strengths and the weaknesses in the policy system.
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POL 295 - Special Topics in American Politics
FDR: SS2
Credits: 3 in fall and winter, 4 in spring
Prerequisite: May vary with topic. A seminar in political science for students at the introductory or intermediate level. Topic, hour, and instructor are announced prior to registration. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.
Spring 2018, POL 295-01: In it to Win It: Planning and Financing Successful Political Campaigns (4). Prerequisite: Preference given to Strategic Communication and Politics majors; instructor consent required. Cycle after cycle, the price tag for competitive races for elective office continues to grow. Tens of millions are committed on both sides of the partisan divide with the hopes of persuading a diminishing group of uncommitted voters. As the influence of big dollar donors and the outside groups they fund are playing a greater role, competition for their attention is fierce among political candidates. In this course, students will learn about the pursuit of financing by being divided into teams tasked with developing a comprehensive campaign strategy to be presented to a panel of “influencers” who will decide which candidate to support financially. (EXP) (SS2) Allen.
Spring 2016, POL 295-02: Special Topics in American Government: Business, Government, and the International Economy (3). Prerequisite: POL 100 or instructor consent. This course examines the evolution of the relationship between businesses, governments, and the international economy. Emphasis is on how technological innovation has disrupted established relationships, leading to new forms of regulation, law, and competition, as well as how constitutional and legal norms shape political economy policy making. Examples are drawn from financial crises, the politics of globalization, and trade and development, with a particular focus on the post-1980 economy. (SS2) Bragaw.
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POL 296 - Special Topics in Global Politics
FDR: SS2
Credits: 3 in fall and winter, 4 in spring
Prerequisites vary by topic. Meets the global politics field requirement in the politics major. A seminar in political science for students at the introductory or intermediate level. Topic, hour, and instructor are announced prior to registration. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.
Winter 2018, POL 296-01: Special Topics in Global Politics: Global Challenges to Democracy (3). Prerequisite: POL 100 or 105 or instructor consent. This seminar explores contemporary challenges to democracy from theoretical and practical perspectives. Following an examination of the theoretical foundations of democracy, students then analyze measures of democratic performance around the world, and how the structure of governmental systems conditions that performance. We then assess shifts in global attitudes towards traditional visions of liberal democracy, including notions of sovereignty and, in the current global context, secession. (SS2) Rush.
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Spring 2018, POL 296-01: Special Topics in Global Politics: International Crises and National Security (4). Prerequisite: POL 105 or instructor consent. This course examines international crisis behavior through a combination of classroom instruction and participatory National Security Council simulation scenarios. Students study theories of international crisis alongside historical case studies such as the July Crisis of 1914, the Suez Crisis, and the Cuban Missile Crisis, among others, with students assuming a role on a model National Security Council. Using crisis scenarios derived from the Council on Foreign Relations Model Diplomacy series, students research past and present policymakers on the NSC, adopt a policy persona, and work toward the resolution of crises guided by the instructor and guest participants from the policy community. The combination of readings and enactment encourages critical examination of both theories of national security and the vicissitudes of its practice. Multiple outside-of-class meetings are required. (SS2) O’Dell.
Spring 2018, POL 296-02: Special Topics in Global Politics: Comparative Constitution-Building (4). This course introduces students to how a constitution is formed. Constitution-building processes have played a critical part in the history of many countries, including the USA, Spain, and Germany. Often they marked an important break with the past, leaving behind authoritarian rule or colonial government. Constitution-building may take place in the wake of traumatic events such as military defeat or revolutionary upheaval. It can have powerful consequences–both good and ill–for the future of the country in which it takes place. Through historical analysis, case studies, and international comparison, students investigate different processes of creating a constitution. (SS2) Blick. Spring 2018 only.
Summer 2017, POL 296-01: Special Topics in Global Politics: South Africa (3). This course provides students with an introductory account of the post-apartheid political landscape in South Africa. The course gives an overview of the political and economic forces that shaped South African society during the colonial period. It examines the Apartheid era, emphasizing the domestic and global politics that led to the rise and fall of the National Party Government, and it examines the system of apartheid and how the transition process structured the post-apartheid political system and societal landscape. The course also considers key questions facing South Africans, from national identity to economic inequality. (SS2) Le Blanc. Summer 2017
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POL 297 - Special Topics in Political Philosophy
FDR: SS2
Credits: 3 in fall and winter, 4 in spring
Prerequisites: First-year or sophomore standing or instructor consent. A seminar in political science for students at the introductory or intermediate level. Topic, hour, and instructor are announced prior to registration. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.
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POL 342 - Seminar: Law and the Judicial Process
FDR: SS2
Experiential Learning (EXP): Yes
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: POL 100 or POL 111, or instructor consent. A survey of legal theories and the problems of reconciling such theories with the realities of administering a legal system. The course draws upon readings from literature, philosophy, legal scholarship, and political science. Topics include the nature of law and justice, constitutionalism, the role and power of courts and judges, and the function of a legal system. Note: re-numbered from POL 237. Harris.
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POL 360 - Seminar: Lincoln’s Statesmanship
FDR: SS2
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: POL 100. This seminar examines the political thought and practice of Abraham Lincoln. Emphasis is on his speeches and writings, supplemented by scholarly commentary on his life and career. Morel.
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POL 370 - Seminar in American Political Thought
FDR: SS2
Credits: 3 credits in fall or winter; 4 credits in spring.
Prerequisite: POL 100 or POL 111. An examination of classic themes and current issues in American political thought. Depending on the instructor, emphases may include the Federalists, Anti-Federalists, Alexis de Tocqueville, Abraham Lincoln, and voices from the Progressive and civil rights eras. Course readings stress primary sources including speeches, essays, and books by politicians and theorists. The course explores the effort to reconcile liberty and equality, individualism and community, liberalism and republicanism, politics and religion, among other themes. The course highlights the contemporary relevance of the enduring tensions between political principles and practice.
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POL 380 - Global Politics Seminar
FDR: SS2
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: Normally POL 105 or instructor consent, though prerequisite may vary with topic. Open to majors and non-majors of all classes. Meets the global politics field requirement in the politics major. Examination of selected topics dealing with international and comparative politics. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.
Winter 2018, POL 380-01: Nationalism and Global Crises (3). Prerequisite POL 105 or instructor consent. This course examines the recent resurgence of nationalism, populism, militancy, and nativism around the world. It examines the extent to which these resurgent viewpoints present challenges to modern liberalism. Students in the course will identify country-based case studies and will bring these into a collective conversation that informs theories about social and political change. Students will be expected to take the lead in classroom conversations, and the format of the course will replicate aspects of academic publication, to include drafting of case studies, revision and resubmission, double-blind peer review, and efforts to construct an edited volume of essays. (SS2) Dickovick.
Fall 2017, POL 380-01: The Global Politics of Churchill (3). Prerequisite: POL 105 or instructor consent. Open to majors and non-majors. Meets the 300-level seminar requirement for the politics major. Winston Spencer-Churchill was one of the most significant figures of early 20th-century global politics. The breadth of his experience—journalist, parliamentarian, soldier, government minister with responsibility for the Royal Navy and later the British economy, and ultimately prime minister—helped to shape the contemporary world. He was also an author and historian who famously proclaimed that history would be kind to him because he would write it. This course uses his extensive writings to examine the global politics of his time, pairing them with selections drawn from international relations theory and comparative politics. Topics include the twilight of European colonialism (1890-1955), the British political system and the Irish question, the gold standard and free trade, the origins and conduct of both World Wars, and the postwar international order. (SS2) O’Dell.
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POL 381 - Seminar in International Political Economy
FDR: SS2
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: ECON 100, ECON 102, or POL 105, or instructor consent. Meets the global politics field requirement in the politics major. This course provides an intermediate-level introduction to the major actors, questions, and theories in the field of international political economy (IPE). Course participants discuss political and economic interactions in the areas of international trade, fiscal and monetary policy, and exchange rates; discuss globalization in historical and contemporary perspectives; and examine the international politics of the major intergovernmental organizations, multinational corporations, states, and other institutional actors in the global economy. Dickovick.
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POL 384 - Seminar on Middle Eastern Politics
FDR: SS2
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: POL 105 or instructor consent. This course examines contemporary politics in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Topics include the role of colonial legacies in state formation, the region’s democratic deficit, nationalism, sectarianism, and the influence of religion in politics. We explore inter- and intrastate conflict, including the use of terrorism, economic development and underdevelopment, and the recent Arab uprisings (commonly referred to as the Arab Spring). Throughout, we consider why the Middle East attracts as much attention from policymakers and scholars as it does, how analysts have studied the region across time and space, and why understanding different cultural perspectives is critical to understanding the region. Cantey.
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POL 392 - Seminar in Asian Politics
FDR: SS2
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: Vary with topic. A topical seminar focusing on Chinese politics, other Asian countries, or selected subjects in Asian politics. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.
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POL 401 - Directed Individual Study
Credits: 1
Prerequisites: Grade-point average of 3.000 in politics and permission of the instructor. This course permits a student to follow a program of directed reading, library research, or data collection and analysis in some area not covered in other courses. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different. Staff.
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POL 403 - Directed Individual Study
Credits: 3
Prerequisites: Grade-point average of 3.000 in politics and instructor consent. This course permits a student to follow a program of directed reading, library research, or data collection and analysis in some area not covered in other courses. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.
Winter 2018, POL 403-01: Directed Individual Study: Party Machines and Institutional Effectiveness (3). A canvas of the literature of American political development on the subject of Progressive-era machine politics, pairing it with directed original research comparing the activities of the Byrd Machine in central and southwestern Virginia with its near contemporaries in the Deep South. Students address fundamental questions about the institutional effectiveness of state and local government through a critical examination of how state machines concentrated and dispersed authority to obtain and retain political power through constituent service. O’Dell.
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POL 453 - Internship
Credits: 3
Prerequisites: Grade-point average of 3.000 in politics and 3.000 overall, and permission of the instructor. Supervised off-campus experience in a governmental agency or political institution. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different. May be carried out during the summer. Connelly.
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POL 456 - Internship
Credits: 6
Prerequisites: Grade-point average of 3.000 in politics and 3.000 overall, and permission of the instructor. Supervised off-campus experience in a governmental agency or political institution. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different. May be carried out during the summer. Connelly.
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POL 466 - Washington Term Program
Experiential Learning (EXP): Yes
Credits: 6
Prerequisites: Grade-point average of 3.000 overall and in politics courses; POL 100, 105, or 111. Competitive selection process each October. The Washington Term Program aims to enlarge students’ understanding of national politics and governance. Combining the practical experience of a Washington internship with academic study, it affords deeper insight into the processes and problems of government at the national level. A member of the politics faculty is the resident director, supervising students enrolled in this program while they are in Washington, D.C. Connelly.
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POL 493 - Honors Thesis
Credits: 3-3
Prerequisites: Grade-point average of 3.300 overall and 3.500 in politics major. Honors Thesis.
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Portuguese |
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PORT 113 - Accelerated Elementary Portuguese
Credits: 4
Prerequisite: Romance Language placement into FREN 161 or SPAN
161 or higher, or by instructor consent for students with prior experience in Portuguese. An accelerated course in elementary Portuguese emphasizing grammar and the skills of speaking, writing, reading, and listening comprehension and meeting five days per week. Pinto-Bailey.
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PORT 163 - Accelerated Intermediate Portuguese
FDR: FL
Credits: 4
Prerequisite: PORT 113 or equivalent. This course develops intermediate communicative Portuguese vocabulary and active intermediate competence in the language. The traditional skills of foreign language instruction (structure, listening comprehension, reading, writing, and speaking) are stressed. This course meets five days per week. Pinto-Bailey.
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PORT 261 - Advanced Conversation and Composition
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: PORT 163 or equivalent. Further development of conversational skills and beginning work in free composition, with systematic grammar review and word study in various relevant cultural contexts. Pinto-Bailey.
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PORT 295 - Topics in Brazilian Culture
Credits: 3
A second-year topics course focusing on issues and texts related to Portuguese literature and culture. All discussion, writing, and exercises are in Portuguese. May be repeated for degree credit with permission and if the topics are different.
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PORT 401 - Directed Individual Study
Credits: 1
Prerequisites: Two terms of Portuguese language or equivalent and consent of the department head. Taught in Portuguese. The nature and content of the course is determined by the students’ needs and by an evaluation of previous work. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different. Staff.
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PORT 402 - Directed Individual Study
Credits: 2
Prerequisites: Two terms of Portuguese language or equivalent and consent of the department head. Taught in Portuguese. The nature and content of the course is determined by the students’ needs and by an evaluation of previous work. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different. Staff.
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PORT 403 - Directed Individual Study
Credits: 3
Prerequisites: Two terms of Portuguese language or equivalent and consent of the department head. Taught in Portuguese. The nature and content of the course is determined by the students’ needs and by an evaluation of previous work. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different. Staff.
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Poverty and Human Capability Studies |
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POV 102 - Fieldwork in Poverty and Human Capability
Experiential Learning (EXP): Yes
Credits: 1
Prerequisites: Prerequisite or corequisite: POV 101. Not eligible for POV 102 if POV 103 completed. Sustained critical reflection on pivotal issues in poverty studies based on supervised volunteer work, journals, and weekly discussions and papers related to the readings in 101. Pickett, Staff.
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POV 103 - Poverty and Human Capability: An Interdisciplinary Introduction and Fieldwork
FDR: HU
Credits: 4
Students may not take for degree credit both this course and POV 101 and 102. An exploration of the nature, scope, causes, effects, and possible remedies for poverty as a social, moral, political and policy, economic, legal, psychological, religious, and biological problem. The course focuses on domestic poverty in the United States but also considers poverty as a global problem. This spring term version of the course integrates service fieldwork into the introductory course taught in the fall and winter and offers the same credit as POV 101 and 102 combined. Pickett, Staff.
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POV 241 - Poverty, Ethics, and Religion
PHIL 241 FDR: HU
Credits: 3
This course introduces students to some of the most influential and compelling ethical arguments (both secular and religious) about our moral obligations regarding poverty. The course also examines the benefits and challenges of doing comparative religious and philosophical ethical analysis of a pressing moral and social problem. In particular, students will consider the arguments for and against including religiously inflected arguments in public deliberation about anti-poverty policy. Pickett
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POV 243 - Martin Luther King Jr.: Poverty, Justice, and Love
(PHIL 243) FDR: HU
Credits: 3
This course offers students the opportunity to examine the ethics and theology that informed the public arguments about poverty made by one of the 20th century’s most important social justice theorists and activists, Martin Luther King Jr., as well as the competing views of his contemporaries, critics, forebears, and heirs. The course asks the following questions, among others: How do justice and love relate to one another and to poverty reduction? What role should religion play in public discussions and policies about poverty and justice? Are the dignity and the beloved community King championed the proper goal of anti-poverty efforts? Pickett.
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POV 245 - Poverty, Dignity, and Human Rights
(PHIL 245) FDR: HU
Credits: 3
Is severe poverty a human rights violation? This course examines that question and others by means of an investigation of the main philosophical and religious debates about human rights. More broadly, the course provides students with the opportunity to examine our duties (individually and collectively) to those said to suffer from any human rights abuse. Questions considered include: Are human rights universal or culturally specific? What (if anything) grounds human rights? Are religious justifications of rights permissible in a pluralistic world? Is dignity a useful concept for defending and/or discerning human rights? Do we only have liberty rights (to be free of mistreatment) or do we also have welfare rights (to claim certain positive treatment from others)? What are the practical (moral, political. and legal) implications of identifying severe poverty as a human rights violation? Pickett.
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POV 247 - Medicine, Research, and Poverty
(PHIL 247) FDR: HU
Credits: 3
This seminar introduces students to central ethical issues in the provision of medical care and the conduct of medical research in the context of poverty. Specific topics include medical research on prisoners and the indigent; ancillary care obligations in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs); meeting the standard of care in LMICs; access to essential medicines; allocation of scarce medical resources; and compensated donation for organs or tissues. Taylor.
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POV 295 - Child Abuse and Neglect Seminar
(LAW 221)
Credits: 2
Prerequisites: POV 101 and at least junior standing or instructor consent. This seminar examines the response of the legal system to issues of child abuse and neglect. Attempts by courts and legislators to define abuse and neglect are reviewed and critiqued. The seminar also explores the legal framework which governs state intervention to protect children from abuse and neglect. Attention is paid to both state and federal law, including the federal constitutional issues which arise in many child abuse and neglect proceedings. Issues relating to the professional responsibilities of lawyers involved in abuse and neglect proceedings are examined. Shaughnessy.
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POV 296 - Special Topics in Poverty Studies
Credits: 4
An intensive, in-depth examination of particular thinkers, approaches, policies or debates in the field of poverty and human capability studies.
Spring 2018, POV 296-01: Special Topics in Poverty Studies: Martin Luther King Jr.: Justice, Love, and Forgiveness (4). Prerequisite: POV 101. This interdisciplinary, community-based seminar takes place at Augusta Correctional Center in Craigsville, VA (approx. 35 miles from campus). a level 3 (out of 6) medium-security state prison. W&L undergraduates attend class with inmates who are pursuing higher education. Participants read and discuss together the writings of Martin Luther King Jr, a great social-justice thinker and practitioner. We ask: What is justice and what does it require from us, individually and collectively? What does love have to do with justice? Does love require forgiveness? Is forgiveness sometimes unjust? What role should non-violence and religion play in the pursuit of justice and love within a pluralistic society? How might one’s view of human dignity and community inform that pursuit? Are love and justice ever In conflict? If so, how then should we live? (HU) Pickett.
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POV 423 - Poverty and Human Capability: A Research Seminar
(LAW 391)
Credits: 3
Prerequisites: At least junior standing, POV 101 or POV 103, POV 453, or instructor consent. An inquiry into principal factors or agents responsible for the causes, effects, and remedies of poverty. This examination is conducted through reading appropriate in-depth studies from various disciplines and perspectives, and it culminates with an independent research project into specific aspects of poverty drawing on students’ internships and respective areas of study and looking forward to their professional work and civic engagement. This seminar serves as a capstone for undergraduate poverty studies and includes second- and third-year law students in Law 391. Pickett, Staff.
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POV 450 - Shepherd Summer Internship
Experiential Learning (EXP): Yes
Credits: 0
Prerequisites: POV 101 or POV 103 or POL 215 or SOAN 268. Graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory. Eight-week summer internship working with individuals and communities. Supervised work with agencies in business and economic development, community organizing, education, environmental advocacy, health care, law, religious ministry, and social services that engage impoverished persons and communities. Eight weeks of full-time work is preceded by an orientation to prepare the interns to reflect critically on what they have learned. W&L students work with students from other participating colleges. Students keep journals reflecting on their work. Financial support is available; in rare instances the Shepherd Program director may approve other internship programs to meet this requirement, but approval must be in advance with special conditions and stipulations. Pickett, Staff.
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POV 453 - Shepherd Summer Internship
Experiential Learning (EXP): Yes
Credits: 3
Prerequisites: POV 101 or POV 103 or POL 215 or SOAN 268. Graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory. Eight-week summer internship working with individuals and communities. Supervised work with agencies in business and economic development, community organizing, education, environmental advocacy, health care, law, religious ministry, and social services that engage impoverished persons and communities. Eight weeks of full-time work is preceded by an orientation to prepare the interns and followed by a closing conference for interns to reflect critically on what they have learned. W&L students work with students from other participating colleges. Students keep journals reflecting on their work. Financial support is available; in rare instances the Shepherd Program director may approve other internship programs to meet this requirement, but approval must be in advance with special conditions and stipulations. This course may not be repeated, but students who complete POV 453 may apply for a different second internship and receive recognition without credit for POV 450. Pickett, Staff.
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PSYC 110 - Brain and Behavior with Laboratory
FDR: SL
Credits: 4
An introduction to behavioral neuroscience, including the physiological bases of sensation, learning and memory, motivation, cognition, and abnormal behavior. The laboratory component extends classroom materials to include experiential learning with comparative neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, and research techniques in behavioral neuroscience. Schreiber.
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PSYC 111 - Brain and Behavior
FDR: SC
Credits: 3
An introduction to behavioral neuroscience, including the physiological bases of sensation, learning and memory, motivation, cognition, and abnormal behavior.
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PSYC 112 - Cognition
FDR: SC
Credits: 3
An introduction to human information processing, including an examination of perception, attention, memory, problem solving, and language. Johnson, Whiting.
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PSYC 113 - Principles of Development
FDR: SS3
Credits: 3
An introduction to the development of individual capacities from conception through the life span. Analysis of thought and behavior at different stages of growth with special emphasis on the period from infancy through adolescence. Fulcher.
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PSYC 114 - Introduction to Social Psychology
FDR: SS3
Credits: 3
The scientific study of how individuals’ feelings, thoughts, and behavior are affected by others. Topics include prejudice, the self, interpersonal attraction, helping, aggression, attitudes, and persuasion. Woodzicka.
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PSYC 118 - Psychology Mythbusters
FDR: SC
Credits: 4
Prerequisite: First-year standing. In this course, students learn how to test psychological myths and to determine a status: confirmed, plausible, or busted. We explore a variety of myths, including the existence of the unconscious mind, relationship myths, brain myths, psychology and law myths, social myths, personality myths, and mental-illness myths. Students critically evaluate psychology myths by 1) gathering and writing about empirical evidence; 2) designing, running, and analyzing an experiment on a particular psychology myth; and 3) making class presentations. Johnson.
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PSYC 120 - Statistics and Research Design I
FDR: SS3
Credits: 3
Students learn the basics of collecting, interpreting, and presenting data in the behavioral sciences. Data from a variety of sources, such as questionnaires, psychological tests, and behavioral observations, are considered. Students learn to use and to evaluate critically statistical and graphical summaries of data. They also study techniques of searching the literature and of producing written reports in technical format. Individual projects include oral presentations, creating technical graphics, and publishing on the World Wide Web. Staff.
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PSYC 150 - Psychoactive Drugs and Behavior
FDR: SC
Credits: 3
An introduction to broad psychological perspectives of drug use, misuse, and abuse. The pharmacological and physiological actions of psychoactive drugs, as well as personality and social variables that influence their use, are considered. Emphasis is given to historically significant and currently popular drugs of abuse. Stewart.
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PSYC 180 - FS: First-Year Seminar
FDR: SS3
Credits: 3
First-year seminar. Prerequisite: First-year class standing. Topical description when offered.
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PSYC 210 - Introduction to Clinical Psychology
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: PSYC 110, 111, 150, or NEUR 120. This course is an empirically informed exploration of the characteristics, course, and treatment of psychological disorders as they are currently defined. A biopsychosocial framework is utilized to examine the continuum of psychological functioning, from psychopathology to flourishing. Murdock.
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PSYC 213 - Development of Human Sexuality
FDR: SS3
Credits: 4
Prerequisite: PSYC 113. This course examines the fundamentals of the development and practice of sexuality in the human being and the historical, psychological, and psychosocial aspects of human sexuality from childhood to old age. The course covers major theories of the development of sexuality in heterosexual, gay, and lesbian people. Students also explore how sexuality itself may be “constructed” as a result of culture, media, and gender. Primary source material as well as popular media depictions of sexuality are examined. Students engage in the creation of a comprehensive sexual education program which involves contact with parents, teachers, and experts in the field. Fulcher.
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PSYC 214 - The Psychology of Humor
FDR: SS3
Credits: 4
This course focuses on theoretical and empirical approaches to understanding humor, covering traditional and contemporary theories of humor, along with social psychological, developmental, biological, and cognitive perspectives on humor. In addition, humor as a moderator of life stress is examined. Disparagement humor is a central topic, along with nonverbal markers of humor elicitation. Woodzicka.
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PSYC 215 - Seminar in Evolutionary Psychology
FDR: SS3
Credits: 4
Prerequisite: PSYC 110, 111, 112, 113, or 114. The purpose of this course is to examine evolutionary theory as a means of explaining human behavior. The main premise is that behaviors such as cooperation, aggression, mate selection, and intelligence exist because individuals exhibiting these behaviors were more likely to produce healthy offspring that perpetuated those behaviors (i.e., natural selection). We evaluate the validity of this argument in a number of areas of human behavior and also discuss how culture has shaped our genes. Evolutionary psychology is not an area of psychology, like social psychology or cognitive psychology, but is instead a lens through which all human behavior can be explained. Though it is tempting to engage in “arm chair” application of evolutionary theory to behavior, this is a science course; all arguments must be backed up with data. Whiting.
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PSYC 216 - Health Neuroscience
FDR: SC
Credits: 4
Prerequisite: one course chosen from PSYC 110, 111, 150, BIOL 111, CHEM
110, or NEUR 120. This seminar provides an introduction to the scientific study of physical and mental health using research methods in neuroscience. We examine the effects of exercise on the brain (from the cellular/molecular to systems-level perspective), how neuroplasticity contributes to both the etiology and treatment of neurological and psychological conditions. and extensively discuss the effects of stress on the brain. The course features comprehensive readings of popular psychology/neuroscience books, as well as empirical reports and reviews published in peer-reviewed scientific journals. A background in neuroscience is recommended. as well as additional experience with psychology and/or biology prior to enrollment. Schreiber.
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PSYC 223 - Toys and Playful Learning
FDR: SS3
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: PSYC 113. This course examines the fundamentals of the development and practice of play, with emphasis on toy play. The course covers major developmental theories of the development of skills through playful learning. Students explore how gender and gendered toys impact children’s play, skills, visions of the future, and body image, and how toy play can be used to intervene with childhood developmental issues. Primary source material is examined along with popular media depictions of toy play. Students engage in the creation of skill building which involves contact with parents, teachers, and experts in the field. Staff.
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PSYC 230 - Contemporary Issues in Child Development
Credits: 3
Prerequisites: PSYC 113 and instructor consent. The specific topic in this course will vary from year to year. However, each involves seminars on current problems or issues related to the development of children. Examples include issues in child and family policy; effect of media on children; and effects of poverty on families. Some topics require students to participate in observation and/or testing of children in addition to classroom work. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different. Fulcher.
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PSYC 235 - Effects of Poverty on Families and Children
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: PSYC 113 or POV 101. This course explores the problem of child and family poverty, the issues it raises for psychologists and social policy makers, and the implications that poverty and social policy have for children’s development. This class explores how children’s perceptions of the world, or their place in it, are affected by economically stressed families. Staff.
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PSYC 250 - Statistics and Research Design II
Credits: 4
Prerequisite: PSYC 120. Corequisite: PSYC 250L. Students learn about the design and analysis of psychological research, with particular emphasis on experimentation. Students learn statistical inference appropriate for hypothesis testing, and they use standard statistical packages to analyze data. Laboratory course. Johnson, Murdock, Whiting, Woodzicka.
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PSYC 252 - Sensation Measurement and Perception
Credits: 3
Prerequisites: NEUR 120 or PSYC 110 or 111, and PSYC 250 (as corequisite with instructor consent). Problems associated with sensory encoding, scaling, contextual and social determinants of perception are considered. Special emphasis is placed on the role of the senses in daily life. Lorig.
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PSYC 253 - Neural Mechanisms of Motivated Behaviors
Credits: 3
Prerequisites: NEUR 120 or PSYC 110 or 111, and PSYC 120. The anatomical, physiological, and neurochemical bases for behaviors are considered. Some examples of behaviors to be discussed include thirst and drinking, ingestion, reproduction, and learning. Stewart.
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PSYC 254 - Attention
Credits: 3
Prerequisites: NEUR 120 or PSYC 112, and PSYC 120; and at least junior standing. An examination of the theories and mechanisms associated with attentional processes. Topics include: selective attention, divided attention, inhibition, working memory, and the application of these processes in human/machine interfaces. The functioning of the above processes in abnormal patient populations is also examined. Whiting.
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PSYC 255 - Cognitive Neuroscience
Credits: 4
Prerequisites: NEUR 120 or PSYC 110 or PSYC 111; and PSYC 250 (as prerequisite or corequisite). Corequisite: PSYC 255L. An examination of the role of the central nervous system in the production of human behavior. Special emphasis is placed on the contribution of the cerebral cortex to cognitive activity and to the effects of brain injury on psychological processes. Laboratories focus on neuropsychological testing and basic concepts in the brain’s distribution of complex function. Laboratory course. Lorig.
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PSYC 256 - Neuropharmacology
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: NEUR 120 or PSYC 110 or PSYC 111, and PSYC 120. This course combines lecture and seminar elements to explore the physiological bases for drug action in the nervous system with emphasis on molecular mechanisms. The course begins with an overview of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics and then proceeds to examinations of major neurotransmitter classes, functional neural circuits, and a survey of recreational drugs, drug abuse, and drug dependence. The course concludes with a consideration of pharmacotherapies for selected disorders of cognition and affect. The role of neuropharmacology in the growth of our understanding of normal neurochemical function is stressed throughout. Stewart.
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PSYC 259 - Cognition and Emotion
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: PSYC 250. This course challenges the notion that cognition and emotion are fundamentally opposing psychological systems and explores how they function together to influence attention, memory, thinking, and behavior in our social world. Coverage includes contemporary theory, research, experimental design, and application on topics regarding both healthy individuals and those with psychological disorders. Johnson.
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PSYC 261 - Socioemotional Development
Credits: 3
Prerequisites: PSYC 113; pre-or corequisite: PSYC 250. Exploration of children’s understanding of emotions and how socialization and cognitive development contribute to the creation of different emotional styles and experiences. Examination of the theoretical and developmental aspects of emotions. Topics include understanding emotional states and the role of socialization practices on emotional expression. Fulcher.
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PSYC 262 - Gender-Role Development
Credits: 3
Prerequisites: PSYC 113, PSYC 250 or WGS 120. This course provides the student with an overview of gender-role development: How do children learn to be boys and girls? What role do biological factors play in different behaviors of boys and girls? Does society push boys and girls in different directions? We discuss children’s evolving ideas about gender, and what can be done to change these ideas (or whether they need to be changed at all). Through the examination of these questions and issues, the course introduces students to the major theories of gender-role development, the research methods used to measure children’s gender-role behaviors and attitudes, and the current research in the field. Fulcher.
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PSYC 265 - Developmental Psychopathology
Credits: 3
Prerequisites: PSYC 113, 210 and 250. This course utilizes a biopsychosocial perspective to explore atypical developmental processes. The course examines risk and protective factors that contribute to the development of social, emotional, behavioral difficulties and competencies in childhood and adolescence. Conceptualization, assessment, and treatment of children’s and adolescents’ psychological disorders is also discussed. Murdock.
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PSYC 269 - Stereotyping, Prejudice, and Discrimination
Credits: 3
Prerequisites: PSYC 114 and PSYC 250 (as co-req or pre-req) or instructor consent. This course examines cognitive and affective processes involved in stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination. Causes and social implications of prejudice involving various stigmatized groups (e.g., African-Americans, women, homosexuals, people of low socioeconomic status, overweight individuals) are examined. Participants focus on attitudes and behaviors of both perpetrators and targets of prejudice that likely contribute to and result from social inequality. Woodzicka.
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PSYC 280 - Science and Policy
Credits: 4
Students in this course adopt the role of consultants for a hypothetical legislator who must make a decision on a matter of public policy. A clear understanding of the scientific background and consequences of the policy must inform the legislator’s decision. Each student works as a part of the consulting team and creates a document on a narrow aspect of the science related to the public policy. The policy being evaluated changes each term. Examples include: funding for mental health care, enactment or suspension of motorcycle helmet laws, establishing or abolishing court awards for mental suffering, and similar topics.
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PSYC 295 - Current Advances in Psychological Science
FDR: SC
Credits: 3 credits in fall or winter, 4 credits in spring.
Prerequisites vary; Determined at time of offering; First-year or sophomore standing. Seminar topics and specific prerequisites vary with instructor and term. These seminars are designed to introduce students to an area of current interest in the field of psychology. Students receive an overview of the experimental research and/or applied practices that have advanced an area of psychological science. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.
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