Seminars

Dr. Jose Torres
MW 3:30 – 4:45 p.m.
3 Credits

It is almost impossible in the United States today to turn on the television, click on to social media or a news website and not come across another incident where racism or race seems to be an issue. With the inordinate number of violent police shootings involving people of color (most recently Sandra Bland and Samuel Dubose)—and other racialized events (for example, the Rachel Dolezal controversy; the Black Lives Matter movement; the Confederate Flag controversy after the Charleston shooting; the Ahmed Mohamed clock incident), it is not difficult for topics of race to surge into the nation’s collective discourse.

Although race and its counterpart “whiteness” are concepts that dominate the American socio-cultural landscape and imagination, it is surprising how little Americans actually know about the origins and history of these two concepts. Indeed, one realizes that what most Americans think they know about race and whiteness (when it’s even considered as a topic of conversation) is based on myths, misinformation, distortion, stereotypes and outright ignorance. Moreover, the majority of Americans do not know the global history of race and whiteness and their relationship to slavery as a continual worldwide human problem. This Honors Seminar primarily focuses on how “race” and “whiteness” are represented by various writers. Through the reading, critical analysis and discussion of these literary texts, you will acquire a stronger understanding of how these socially constructed concepts developed globally and how they continue to operate across cultural and social institutions with significant impact on every American’s life. Readings will include Ralph Ellison’s The Invisible Man and Piri Thomas’s Down These Mean Streets, among others. Students will write weekly reaction papers, a book review, and two other significant writing projects.

This course is designed to allow students:

To learn how “race” and “whiteness” have developed as socially constructed concepts and how they function within a European-centric society and culture.
To understand how literary texts represent, illustrate and illuminate the concepts of “race” and “whiteness.”

This seminar will satisfy the Humanities component of the Plattsburgh general education program.

This seminar will meet in the Honors Center — 121 Hawkins Hall, Seminar Room A.

HON 124HA — Language and Cultural Identity in the United States

Margaret Leone
TR 3:30 – 4:45 p.m.
3 Credits

Despite the burgeoning acceptance of cultural and ethnic diversity in the United States, the image of the monolingual American continues to prevail. The United States is the only developed country in which foreign language study is not compulsory before high school graduation. Yet, according to the 2002 Census, close to 10% of people living in this country spoke a language other than English in the home, and more recent census reports suggest that this percentage has doubled. Is there an emerging language based identity that competes with identification with being American? What are the implications and reactions to increasing linguistic diversity? How has language played a role in American cultural development?

The purpose of this course is to investigate the evolution of language use in the American context. Students will explore the nested socio-cultural contexts implicated in the question of language choice and learning. Perspectives taken from history, cultural studies, education and applied linguistics will provide ample discussion topics, allowing students to formulate their own informed opinions with regard to the following questions:

How have the practices of language learning and language maintenance evolved from Colonial America to the present?
What is the connection between language and identity in the US?
How has the concept of “cultural mosaic” come to replace the traditional image of America as a “melting pot?”
What are the optimal conditions necessary for an American to become bilingual?
What are the implications of the English Only movement on what it means to be an American?

The main topics for the course will include the relationship between language and identity, the value of diversity, language learning, the history of language in the U.S., the Ebonics Debate, the modern Official-English Movement, among others. Students will make presentations of articles they select related to course material and write a research paper.

This seminar will satisfy the U.S. Civilization component of the Plattsburgh general education program.

This seminar will meet in the Honors Center — 121 Hawkins Hall, Seminar Room B.

HON 132HA — Beyond Hate: Breaking Through Division

Michelle Ouellette
MW 2–3:15 p.m.
3 credits

America is a nation divided — and more so than at any other point in recent history, according to the Pew Research Center.

Effects are felt in the government, where legislation has slowed, parties quarrel and accuse, and faith from the electorate has crumbled. Effects may also be felt in America’s living rooms, on its streets and in its neighborhoods, where families, friends and colleagues argue or avoid discussion.

Compounding the issues, modern individuals often forgo conversations — especially unpleasant ones — turning instead to technologies, which can add to the problem as foreign trolls sow the seeds of dissent and algorithms, designed to feed people what they want to see, reinforce opinions. Meanwhile, the lack of conversation may be taking a toll as MDLinx, a service for health care providers, reports that loneliness now affects up to 47 percent of Americans — a number that has doubled in the last few decades.

This class will ask students to apply critical thinking and inquiry skills as they look at polarization and its effect on society. They will explore the impacts of system 1 and system 2 thinking; tribalism; technology; and moral value systems, in addition to considering what research has said about differences in brain structure and function.

Students will also study ways people have managed to bridge gaps and communicate effectively despite differences. In doing so, they will apply negotiation methods and tools from psychology. In addition to weekly reaction papers, they will be required to write a persuasive paper designed to open up conversation with someone whose views diverge from their own and will host an event where they practice skills discussed in the class.

This seminar will satisfy the Social Science component of the Plattsburgh general education program.

This seminar will meet in the Honors Center — 121 Hawkins Hall, Seminar Room B.

HON 158HA — Writing the Coming-of-Age Novella

Dr. Ann Tracy
TR 3:30 – 4:45 p.m.
3 Credits

Coming of age — the passage from childhood to full adolescence or adolescence to full adulthood — is often tumultuous, frightening and confusing. Yet what more universal experience is there? We all make the passage, more or less, and we all, or most of us anyway, come out on the other side. Small wonder then that this period of life and the experiences it brings are the subject of some powerful novels and stories. Gibson’s Ellen Foster, J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye and Ann Tracy’s What Do Cowboys Like? all fall within this genre. But many other writers from Hesse to Hemmingway to John Irving have been attracted to this unique period in life.

This seminar will engage students in reading and writing about the processes and experiences of coming-of-age. Students will be engaged with issues of identity: Who am I and who would I like to be?; growth and transition: How do I integrate the many changes of life at this period into my personality?; moral responsibility: To whom, besides myself am I responsible? How do I live a life of justice, integrity and courage?; innocence and experience: What do I allow myself to experience? How do I give up innocence and at the same time avoid becoming cynical about life and the world around me?; What should I commit myself to and what should I avoid? These and many other similar questions operate on the personal level and at the same time are universal to virtually all people, cultures and times.

As students explore and struggle with such questions they will try their own hand at writing their own coming-of-age novella. This writing may be entirely fictional or, more likely, may be drawn from personal experience. In this way the process of writing itself will be a path of self-discovery and self realization that will become part of the coming of age phenomenon. The work of this seminar will be intense, but exhilarating and the reward will be immense.

This seminar will satisfy the Art component of the Plattsburgh general education program.

This seminar will meet in the Honors Center — 121 Hawkins Hall, Seminar Room A.

HON 163HA — The Culture & Philosophy of Yoga

Tony D’Angelo
TR 2 – 3:15 p.m.
3 Credits

The popular conception of yoga may include people who manage to get their bodies into strange or unusual positions or postures, it may generate thoughts of exotic places, or, yet again, it may be associated with poorly understood practices of meditation. As with most popular conceptions there is some truth, but also much that is false in these ideas. This seminar provides students with an opportunity to explore and experience yoga under the guidance of a life-long practitioner of yoga.

To understand yoga entails a familiarity with the cultural, religious and historical contexts in which it arose. Students will be introduced to major themes of Indian civilization, especially as these are manifested in the beliefs of Hinduism. The seminar will be based on the concept of the “Yoga of Synthesis” which is the integration of the four main paths of traditional yoga:

Jnana Yoga — the path of knowledge, wisdom and discrimination
Bhakti Yoga — the path of transforming emotions into devotion and love
Karma Yoga — the path of selfless service to humanity
Raja Yoga—the science of control of mind and body

These paths will be the basis to inquire into the most fundamental questions of human existence: Who am I? Why am I here? How can I achieve health and peace of mind?

The philosophy of yoga introduces students to new perspectives on our perceptions of reality, values and the role of the ego or self in daily life. The practice of yoga provides concrete tools for bridging the discord between the mind and body. It strives for integration and new levels of physical mastery, body awareness and mental control. The objective of the seminar is to expose students to all levels of the yoga experience through readings, discussion, yoga exercise and meditation practice. Student evaluation will focus on written papers, class presentations and participation in seminar discussions.

This seminar will satisfy the World Systems component of the Plattsburgh general education program.

This seminar will meet in the Honors Center — 121 Hawkins Hall, Seminar Room B.

HON 174HA — Parenting and Evolution

Dr. Margarita García-Notario
MW 3:30-4:45 p.m.
3 Credits

Traditionally, parenting was considered to be one of humans’ natural purposes, something imbedded in human nature that guides the species toward the goal of reproducing itself. Not too long ago most humans would see parenting as an unavoidable outcome for the majority of men and women. However, with the advent of technologies that control or enable our life-conceiving capabilities, parenting is no longer unavoidable or “natural.” Nonetheless, most of us who become parents are not well prepared for the task.

Following bio-physical anthropologists, other scientists, and social thinkers, such as Sarah Hardy, David Loye, Rianne Eisner, Alice Miller, Gabor Mate, and Daniel Siegel among others, this seminar will examine the role that parenting plays in human life. We will reflect on the methods and ideas that guide childrearing today, in contrast with what was common in the past, and we will search for beneficial and enriching parenting and education habits and behaviors. We will explore the following questions:

How does the brain develop from conception to adolescence?
What role do feelings and emotions have in a healthy life?
What role does bonding and attachment play in determining human behavior?
How does one become a good parent?
What is the role of parenting in human evolution?

Students will read contemporary brain research focusing on emotions, and together we will explore the reinterpretation of Darwinian lessons. We will focus on the role of compassion and cooperation in natural selection and species survival. We will explore Alice Miller’s thesis that we are not born with a clean slate, but with a history of our own: the history of nine months from conception to birth. In addition to the genetic blueprint we inherit, we will consider the thesis that character depends crucially on the nature of the social surroundings in which one is raised.

At all stages students will take responsibility for defining the terms and boundaries of the discussions. Students will be expected to question the premises and conclusions of the authors they read. Discussion questions will be required for all readings. Presentations and participation are expected, and will occur in a supportive environment. A detailed, inquisitive and critical reflection will be required for all assigned readings.

This seminar will satisfy the Natural Science & Technology component of the Plattsburgh general education requirement.

This seminar will meet in the Honors Center — 121 Hawkins Hall, Seminar Room B

HON 306HA — East and Central Europe: from Communism to Democracy

Dr. Monica Ciobanu
TR 9:30 – 10:45 a.m.
3 Credits

In the last three decades the countries of East and Central Europe have undergone major upheavals and fundamental transformations. These included revolution, emancipation form the tutelage of the former Soviet Union, democratization and adoption of free markets, integration into the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and finally state-building. But the annexation of Crimea by Russia in 2014 and the ensuing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, together with the recently increasing turn towards illiberal right-wing populism in the region, shows that “the other half of Europe” still remains a mystery for historians, political scientists and the general public. This seminar will explore how communism ended and how democratic politics has emerged under Western guidance.

It will examine the reforms and processes that led to European integration, evolving relationships with the United States, how economic transformations have affected their populations, persistent problems of ethnicity and nationalism, the changing role of women, and post-accession democratic fatigue. Through the examination of these social, political, and economic developments, the seminar will expose the ongoing geo-political and cultural tensions facing countries in this region which are caught between Eastern and Western spheres of influence. Students will come to understand the similarities and difference in developments and responses to development in the region.

Some of the important questions to be examined in the seminar include:

What was the impact of communism on the various states in this region?
What is the relationship between ideology, policy, and social processes in the Soviet Bloc countries?
Why did the Soviet Empire collapse?
What was the impact of democratization and economic transformation after the collapse?
What are the differences between the Central European countries, the Balkan countries and the Baltic countries? Where does Ukraine stand?
How were the social and cultural lives of people affected by the changes that took place?
What accounts for the recent rise of nationalist movements in some of the countries of the region?
How do people today remember communism?

Participants in this seminar can expect an atmosphere of dialogue and discussion, with perhaps a bit of contentiousness, as the issues at hand can be emotionally loaded. The instructor will provide an inside view of life behind the Iron Curtain. Students will be expected to engage in class discussions, to complete two essays and a research paper examining one of the important issues raised by the seminar. In addition, everyone will make a presentation on their research.

This seminar will satisfy the Global Issues component of the Plattsburgh general education program

This seminar will meet in the Honors Center — 121 Hawkins Hall, Seminar Room B

HON 307HA — Politics of Corruption

Dr. Lucia Manzi
TR 2 – 3:15 a.m.
3 Credits

This seminar explores the nature, causes and effects of corruption from a global perspective. The course examines the ways in which political actors can design institutions and engage civil society to prevent the ensuing of corruption, or to fight its persistence. To this end, we will discuss the relationship between civil society, political institutions and corruption across different countries and regions of the world. In order to fully understand this criminal phenomenon, we will also survey the effect of international norms and institutions on international corruption.

We will start the seminar with a discussion of the several definitions of corruption found in the scholarly and policy debate. What is corruption? Is corruption always based on monetary exchanges? Why do political and economic actors engage in corruption? We will then discuss the relationship between corruption and different political regimes. Within the context of authoritarian regimes, we will discuss corruption as one of many available means of survival for authoritarian leaders. Within the context of democratic regimes, we will ask how corruption affects the relationship between citizens and political power.

We will devote a substantial part of the course to analyze the ways in which democracies can respond to corruption. In particular, we will explore the ways in which democratic institutions may create incentives toward corrupt political behavior, or instead make the latter especially hard to pursue on the part of elected officials. We will also survey the criminal justice system’s response to corruption, namely its ability to uncover illicit behavior and hold corrupt politicians accountable.

Finally, we will also address the effects of international norms on corruption, and examine the role of international agencies and institutions in the fight against this criminal phenomenon.

Throughout the course, we will look at several examples of corruption investigations and trials across different countries and regions of the world. Examples will include Brazil, South Korea, Italy, and the US, among others.

For this course, students will write a research paper, which they will present to their classmates at the end of the semester. Students will have a chance to develop several sections of the paper throughout the semester. In addition, over the course of the semester students will write several short papers discussing the readings for class. The purpose of these short papers is to facilitate students’ critical thinking and analysis toward the writing of the final research paper.

This seminar will satisfy the Global Issues component of the Plattsburgh general education program.

This seminar will meet in the Honors Center — 121 Hawkins Hall, Seminar Room A.

Seminars

Spring Semester 2020