FOUNDATIONS OF INQUIRY [BSC 101]
Spring 2010 Section Sub-Titles and Descriptions
The Foundations of Inquiry (BSC 101) is a course in critical thinking, research skills, and the liberal arts as seen through interdisciplinary themes selected by each instructor. The interdisciplinary theme and sub-title chosen by each BSC 101 instructor for spring 2010 is listed below.
Philosophical Bedrocks: An Introduction to Critical Thinking in the Liberal Arts
Barish Ali {MW 3:00-4:15, CRN 1607. TR 9:25-10:40, CRN 4485}
In a broad sense the theme of this course will be the diversity of ideas. By reading some of the most inspirational and intriguing ideas from great thinkers of antiquity and today we will achieve a better understanding of the intellectual foundations of our world. Not only will we read selections from the bedrock of Western philosophy, science, social theory and religion, we will also read ideas and examine art emerging from Buddhist and Islamic societies. For instance, we will be reading writings by great women and men who shaped our intellectual world. Take, for instance, Charles Darwin, Karl Marx, and Sigmund Freud – three great minds of modern Western thought who, over the period of 1850-1920, transformed our entire way of looking at reality. Darwin created doubt that we were created in the image of God; Marx dismantled what we thought were traditional economic certainties, and Freud discovered the unconscious, causing us to question whether or not we know what we are thinking and what we desire. This course will therefore initiate students into the Liberal Arts, with a particular focus on critical and creative thinking; the course will also teach students how to apply research skills to interdisciplinary topics. By the end of the course, students will develop greater intellectual curiosity and will be eager to explore different beliefs and values.
Holistic Inquiry: Authoring Your Identity, Refining Your Voice, Crafting Your Future.
Catherine G Ansuini {TR 10:50-12:05, CRN 1691; TR 12:15-1:30, CRN 1693; TR 1:40-2:55, CRN 1702}
Approaching inquiry from a holistic stance, dignifies the acquisition and processing of all stimuli and arrival at "knowledge: as personal, unique, and resulting from the integrative association of each individual’s mind, body and spirit. The "whole" or totality of a person is different from the sum of their parts. Everything matters in some manner. The task at hand is to develop a better understanding of how various academic disciplines speak to the world, determine the personal relevance of this information, demonstrate the capacity to craft a position on issues, and cogently articulate your views.
Technology and Our Planet
Proves Banks, Jr. {MW 10:00-11:15, CRN 1300}
Dorothy stated in the Wizard of Oz, "Lions, Tigers, and Bears, Oh My." Technology makes our lives more comfortable, but at what cost? We will critically examine issues concerning our comfort--Lions, Tigers, and Bears: where are they?
Planning For the Future -- Business
Richard Bihr {MWF 10:00-10:50, CRN 4355; MWF 11:00-11:50, CRN4356}
We will consider topics like: Planning for College Success; Differences in Culture, Ethnicity, Age, Gender, and Ability; Understanding the Financial Planning Process; Managing your Money; and selected topics in Intercollegiate Athletics, Wellness, Hospitality and Tourism.
Are We Free or Are We Slaves?
Daniel Blum {TR 9:25-10:40, CRN 1628; TR 10:50-12:05 CRN 1621; TR 3:05-4:20, CRN 1626}
We enslave ourselves in a myriad of ways but, primarily, through inadequate critical thinking. Students will explore their self-enslavement and will be confronted with the possibility that they are slaves to unexamined prejudices and passions. By critically examining the world of Plato, Blake, Delacroix, Lincoln, Dostoyevsky, Darwin, Camus, and others, students can acquire the tools of emancipation and attain personal and intellectual freedom.
Visual and Performing Arts: How do they impact our lives?
Ann Emo {MWF 9:00-9:50, CRN 2994 .Theater majors should use CRN 1709 for this section}
Buffalo State College is rich with visual and performing arts. Using observation, research and critical thinking we will explore how the arts affect our day to day lives. Are we better students, teachers, citizens? We will look at the differences and similarities of different art forms and ask ourselves: What is art and do we need this?
Creative Process in the Fine Arts
Carolyn Guzski {TR 3:05-4:20, CRN 3031}
The process of creating enduring art is one that continues to fascinate across boundaries of time, culture, and medium. We will explore a representative sampling from the classical worlds of music, dance, literature, theater, the visual arts, and film from a variety of perspectives that incorporate research findings in psychology, neurology, education, performance theory, and the economics of arts administration and management. All inquiry will serve the overarching concept: What is the nature of human creativity and how can it be defined and expressed?
Global Warming
Camille Holmgren {TR 9:25-10:40, CRN 3956}
Thinking critically about global warming. We’ll look at global warming from different liberal arts perspectives and tackle questions like: What is the science behind global warming? Will an increase in global temperatures affect our way of life as individuals and as a society? Will global warming impact the economy? Is global warming an important issue in politics? How is global warming portrayed in art?
Citizenship, Politics and Religion
Anthony Hotchkiss {TR 10:50-12:05, CRN 1375}
We shall explore ways of using critical thinking to distinguish between the good, the bad and the ugly in government and religion.
The Difference Linguistic Difference Makes
Gary Jones {MWF 8:00-8:50, CRN 4357; MWF 10:00-10:50, CRN 4358}
We talk all of the time and we say things based on our experiences. We don’t think about it but we switch our communications systems linguistically in response to our audience. If we don’t make the correct switch the audience may just get the wrong impression. When was the last time someone said to you, “What do you mean by that?” Semantics rests on linguistics.
Race, Racism, Racist
Douglas Koritz {TR 10:50-12:05, CRN 1616}
In The Souls of Black Folk (1903) W.E.B. DuBois famously wrote "The problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color line.” He must have meant the "long" twentieth century. Immediately following Barak Obama’s election as President of the United States the incidence of hate crimes exploded and television commentators openly used racist language. We have not returned to the bad old days when the United States was effectively an apartheid regime, but neither have we escaped the problem of the color line. In this course we shall explore the meaning of race from the emotive to the social to the scientific. We’ll use of concepts like structure and agency, alienation and social class to study the development and contemporary realities of racism and racists.
Law versus Politics versus the Media versus Ethics: The Liberal Arts
Jon Lines {MWF 10:00-10:50, CRN 1705; MWF 1:00-1:50, CRN 3108}
There will be a basic introduction to critical thinking: what is critical thinking, different kinds of arguments, logical fallacies, and the use (and misuse) of knowledge and evidence in argumentation. We will apply this knowledge to a critique of everyday things we are exposed to in life (such as advertising, the practices of the mass media, ethics, science, and politics). Students will also apply critical thinking skills to their academic (or personal) interests and have the opportunity to educate the class about these interests. Students’ interests will guide much of the content of the class and, along the way, all students will get at least some exposure to different areas of knowledge.
Global Heritage
Susan E. Maguire {MWF 9:00-9:50, CRN 1632. Anthropology majors should use CRN 1634}
What role do archaeology, architecture and landscape play in understanding of our heritage and history? In this class we will explore the impact of the past on the present. How do we use archaeological sites, historic buildings, or sacred landscapes to shape our identities in the world today? Who owns the past? Who has the right to claim ancient cultures as their own? Who, if anyone, should be responsible for safeguarding heritage resources? We will explore these questions by examining some recent, and some not-so-recent national and religious conflicts.
Urban Sustainability -- Oxymoron?
Wende Mix {MWF 11:00-11:50, CRN 4019}
Worldwide, the majority of the humans live in locations that are urban in character. In the United States, 80% of the population lives in cities. Urban areas are complex systems that constantly adapt to economic, political, social, and environmental stresses; whose problems cannot be siloed into any one discipline, but must be addressed in the context of many disciplines. A common definition of sustainability is meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs ("Brundtland definition" of the 1987 Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development). In order for cities to become truly sustainable, how must individuals as well as organizations and businesses change? This class will explore how past urban planning and policies, although well intentioned, may not have resulted in sustainable practices. We will learn how sustainability is often driven by a bottom up, not top down, process. We will discuss how the actions and efforts of individuals (joined by a common belief) have been changing our urban scenes. We will focus on the power of the human voice. We will consider what each individual can do to make the future brighter and we will discuss motivational strategies for individuals and organizations that may be effective in bringing change. We will explore how effective new Urbanism, Smart Growth policies and LEED design standards are changing for urban environments. The class will critically evaluate these policies using case studies from Edens Lost and Found, a PBS series on urban sustainability, and The Greening of Southie, a film examining LEED design from the professional planning and common man perspectives. Other topics we may debate include: How does wealth influence individual roles in sustainable practices? What are the crucial equity issues that come to play in supporting sustainable development? Are capitalism and sustainability complementary or inharmonious?
Lies My Teacher Told Me: Deconstructing Myths, Propaganda and Conflicting Truths.
Michael Niman {TR 1:40-2:55, CRN 1399}
Did we win all the wars? Were we always the good guys? This course employs multidisciplinary approaches to examine public education's role in stifling critical inquiry and perpetuating a simplified whitewashed American history. We will also examine the concept of truth and it's role in a Liberal Arts education.
Representations of Power
Susan Mary Paige {MWF 1:00-1:50, CRN1677; MW 3:00-4:15, CRN 1681} TR 10:50-12:05, CRN 1675; TR 1:40-2:55, CRN 1636}
An exploration of representations of power while integrating the elements of critical thinking into the liberal arts. Students will use written media (City of Light; The Art of War; Up from Slavery; Civil Disobedience) as well as movies (V for Vendetta, The Producers, Braveheart, The Great Debaters) to discuss and write about these topics with a formal debate as a culminating activity.
A Course on Life: The Laws of Success
Constance Payne {MW 3:00-4:15, CRN 4388}
This course provides instruction in how to make the right choices that will help you navigate a successful path through likfe when confronted with personal and professional storms -- which will happen. It includes lessions that will take you from "Poverty to Power" and present guidelines to help you formulate your life goals. success or failure in life is a direct result of your thoughts, value system, and respones to life's challenges. "It is not necessarily the problems you have in likfe, but how you handle them that are a measure of who you are." This is a great course to use as a compass throughout your college career and life's journey.
Power, Vision, and the Individual
Alice C. Pennisi {MW 3:00-4:15, CRN 4387}
Power; Empower; Powerful; Powerless; Power Hungry; Power Broker; Power Source; … What is power? How is it manifested, and how is it used (or abused) by society and by individuals? What are the results? This course deals with the concept of power and how it permeates, affects and even defines human interactions, both at the individual and societal levels. "Whoever has the power has the privilege of naming the 'truth.' Power produces reality." -- Michel Foucault (1995) "Power is the ability to take one’s place in whatever discourse is essential to action and the right to have one’s part matter." -Carolyn Heibrun (Writing a Woman’s Life , 1988, p. 18)
School Shootings - Who are the perpetrators and why did they do it?
Debra A. Piotrowski {M 4:30-5:45, CRN 3270}
How much do we know about the perpetrators of school violence? This class will research school shootings in the United States. Students may investigate police reports, witness testimony, victim families' statements and a host of other documents to understand these violent acts. Students will study the work of noted researchers in the field of aggression, violence, bullying, and interpersonal relationships. This will enable the class to connect theory with the causes of school violence. This critical inquiry will result in the development of methods to prevent school violence.
Einstein’s Big Idea: E = mc2
Ram C Rai {MWF 2:00-2:50, CRN 1703}
We will explore the impact of the Einstein’s most celebrated equation E = mc2 on science and society. It is natural to wonder how Einstein derived such a simple but powerful equation that indicates mass and energy are equivalent. We will also discuss the minds behind Einstein's great discovery.
Sports from a Liberal Arts Perspective
Howard Reid {TR 8:00-19:15, CRN 4389}
Sports are entertaining as well as a big business. This section of BSC 101 will review how a liberal arts perspective can enhance one’s understanding of athletics and the role that sports play in our, as well as other, societies. While many expected issues will be addressed, such as the history of sports and how sports have been portrayed in the arts, I also anticipate that topics such as the physics of sports and ethical issues will be explored.
How will you be remembered? Celebrating life and leaving a legacy
Susan Schroeder {MWF 12:00-12:50, CRN 1613}
We aim to think critically about legacies left by various individuals. Then we build a case for the way in which we want to be remembered. Students explore possibilities by means of journal entries, reading logs, interactive discussion, inquiry-based collaboration and multi-modal respresentations of findings.
Ideas Matter
Paul Theobald {MWF 9:00-9:50, CRN 4404}
A key element in critical thinking is identifying core ideas that motivate human behavior. Utilizing historical and contemporary perspectives, we will examine a range of such ideas as they relate to how politics, economics, and education get done in the twenty-first century.
Dating: The Mating Rituals of a Global Phenomenon
Barry Yavener {TR 9:25-10:40, CRN 1618}
We will explore a number of dating traditions from other cultures and compare them to the traditions, issues and challenges of our day. We will openly discuss and critically examine how values, morals, expectations, fears, personal experiences and societal pressures effect our decisions and behavior.