PREREQUISITE or COREQUISITE: ENG101
This survey course begins with the origins of humanity in Africa and ends with the year 1500, as seen from the perspective of non-Western traditions. Several "cradles of civilization" in Africa, Asia, the Americas, and Europe are compared. Students will examine various aspects of the struggle of nations and classes, including those of the Egyptians, Babylonians, Chinese, Indians, Greeks, Romans, Aztecs, Incas, and Moslems.
PREREQUISITE or COREQUISITE: ENG 101
In this course, students will examine questions raised by the development and underdevelopment of several different types of socioeconomic systems, including early communes, slave societies, feudal societies, and capitalist societies. The course will emphasize relationships between Europe, Africa, the Americas, and Asia, with a focus on how the economic interests of the developed Western industrial nations and European capitalism have influenced world events.
PREREQUISITE or COREQUISITE: ENG 101
History I addresses U.S. History from the time of the European invasion to the U.S. Civil War. The course examines problems and interrelationships of African slaves, European invaders and immigrants, and native American inhabitants.
Prerequisite or Corequisite: ENG101
This course presents an overview of American History since the Civil War. Focusing on the myth or reality of the "American Dream," students will examine the history and sociopolitical implications of the industrial revolution, urbanization, immigration, racism, and the development of the United States as a major imperial power, as well as current inequalities and issues within the United States.
PREREQUISITE: ENG 091 Dev Reading and Writing
This course offers an overview of the United States labor history, with an emphasis on the issue of working people in Boston Neighborhoods. Topics include an examination of prejudice and racism among Boston working people, the problems of immigrant populations, and the changing role of women in the workforce.
PREREQUISITE: ENG101
This course examines both the immense diversity and the common origins of African descendants in South, North, and Central America and the Caribbean. Emphasis will be placed on recounting American history (North, Central, and South) and conceptualizing the essential features of the
American hemisphere in order to establish the intellectual and academic environment within which students can learn their own history.
PREREQUISITE: ENG101 or Concurrent
As a continuation of Black Studies I, this course focuses on the history and achievements of African Americans from the time of Reconstruction to the present. Students will gain an appreciation for the vast contributions and accomplishments of African Americans, and by examining the theory of underdevelopment, students will come to understand how the social and economic exploitation of one group by another has influenced the body of knowledge about African Americans in American history and culture.
PREREQUISITE or COREQUISITE: ENG 101
This course provides an introduction to the political, economic, and sociological history of the Caribbean region from prehistoric times to present. Topics discussed in depth include revolutionary and urban guerrilla movements, the forces of neocolonialism and racism, and the American role as an agent of economic disintegration in the Caribbean.
PREREQUISITE: ENG 101
The focus of this course is an examination of the comparative literature and historiography of slavery with an emphasis on slave regimes found in North, South and Central America.
PREREQUISITE: No Pre-requisite
This course surveys the theory and practice of politics and its organizational structure in society. Topics include the nature of political power and influence; the role of ideology; constitutions and other law as the basis for legitimate political authority; legislative, judicial, and executive functions of government; foreign policies and international politics; political parties and other interest groups; elections and other forms of political participation.
PREREQUISITE or COREQUISITE: ENG 101
This course examines the interaction of the United States government, businesses, and other interest groups that shape the American political system. Discussion will focus on three major questions: who governs the United States, how is it governed, and what are the possibilities for change? A traditional approach to understanding United States government will be augmented by the pluralist view and radical critique.
PREREQUISITE OR COREQUISITE: ENG 101
In this course students will be introduced to major and selected minor schools of psychology. Topics include the history of psychology, learning, motivation, emotion, perception, and personality development.
PREREQUISITE: ENG 101
This course introduces students to the basic theories, concepts, and research methods of society and social systems. Topics include culture, socialization, social stratification, urbanization, modernization, and social change.
PREREQUISITE: ENG 101 AND at least one other Social Science course.
A comparative study of different cultures and their learned behaviors. Kinship and family, language and cultural meaning, gender, sexuality, sexual behavior, war and violence, religion, work, education, and socialization will be studied in this course. Students will compare and contrast these different elements in order to gain insight into and appreciation of their own cultural background and the cultural backgrounds of others. Students are introduced to ethnographic research methods.
This course focuses on the historical and social conditions that gave rise to African underdevelopment. Issues addressed include economic imperialism and colonialism in Africa and the extent to which these forces influenced the course of African underdevelopment.
PREREQUISITE: ENG101
This course is an introduction to the history of Roxbury, Massachusetts. The class will explore Roxbury from the 17th century colonial history to its suburbanization in the 19th century, through its rich Irish, African, and Jewish heritage in the 19th and 20th centuries, to its present-day struggles
to achieve both social justice and economic and political equality. The class will visit important sites in Roxbury's history, including several trolley tours. Successful completion of the course for credit will include the submission of a research paper about a Roxbury historical site or event.
PREREQUISITE: ENG 101. General Psychology is suggested, but not required.
This course examines psychological theories specifically related to gender with an emphasizing biological, environmental and sociocultural perspectives. Special attention is given to the issues and concerns of women, femmes, and nonbinary individuals throughout various stages of life. (Formerly titled "Psych and Women")
PREREQUISITE: SSI 122
Students enrolled in this course will examine the interaction of the social and physiological foundation of behavior. Topics covered in this course illustrate the dynamics of these two inter-related components.
PREREQUISITE: ENG 101 and SSI 122
Abnormal Psychology is a study of a wide range of psychological disorders. Topics include significant research and theories relating to psychological disorders, with an emphasis on the development of symptoms and on a variety of psychotherapeutic treatment modalities.
PREREQUISITE: ENG 101
This course examines the mental and behavioral characteristics of racism. The course seeks to uncover the roots racism and discuss how racism perpetuates social, economic and political domination. Students will explore ideas to counteract and eliminate racism in our society.
PREREQUISITE: ENG 101. Recommended: SSI 209, Human Growth and Development
Society as a whole is rapidly aging at an unprecedented rate. Using a multi-disciplinary approach, the aging process is examined from a variety of perspectives, including contemporary, biological, psychological, and social theories. This course will explore trends pertaining to health, social, economic, political, and other age-related issues. Course content also includes dispelling myths and stereotypes, and the stages of grief and loss. (Formerly named Adult Development & Aging)
PREREQUISITE: ENG 101
Human Relations provides students with an understanding of the key concepts of human behavior, interpersonal dynamics, communication styles and skills, and managing the change process. This course takes a skills approach to human relations training and emphasizes the application of knowledge through practice, along with teaching techniques such as group methods, role playing, field interviews, dyads, and videotaping.
Prerequisite: SSI 123
This course focuses on the structure and dimensions of social problems confronting populations both in the United States and across the globe. Emphasis is placed on the problems of global poverty, work and unemployment, gender and racial inequities, environmental degradation, crime and drug addictions, disease and health care delivety, civil conflicts, and terrorism. The course attempts to understand the social structural causes of these problems and explores potential solution.
PREREQUISITE: MAT 101 Eligible and ENG 101.
**Section DH = course meets both online and on campus**
This course provides an in-depth study of monetary theory and policies and their effect on the banking system of the United States. The course focuses on the Federal Reserve System and looks briefly at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank and their effect on the Third World, consumer credit, and minority banking.
This course introduces the basic techniques and skills of the social sciences through an interdisciplinary, topical approach. Skills practiced include case study and qualitative and quantitative research. Topics include ethnography, statistics, construction and interpretation of questionnaires, interviewing, social observation, historical cause and effect, social analysis, formulating social science hypotheses, identifying variables, conducting controlled experiments, and interpreting experimental findings.
PREREQUISITE: ENG 101
Life span development is the term used to describe the biological, cognitive, social, and psychological changes that take place as humans grow from the prenatal stage through birth, infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood and move toward death. Students enrolled in this course will explore both the historical views and contemporary approaches to life span development as they trace human growth from a single-celled organism to the complex interaction of elements that shape adult behavior.
Prerequisite: English Comp I Eligible
An in-depth examination of the complex sociological issues of urban areas is the unifying theme of this course. Students will investigate the sociocultural, political, and economic forces that give definition to many problems facing today's urban communities.
PREREQUISITE: ENG 101
This course introduces students to micro-economic theory, with an emphasis on the U.S. economic system. Topics include a comparison of the neoclassical theories of marginal utility and marginal productivity with the Marxist theories of labor value and surplus value. Students will examine the growth of monopolies and government response to monopolies, the distribution of wealth and income, poverty, and the economic origins and implications of racism. (Fulfills Social Science requirement.)
PREREQUISITE: ENG 101
This course introduces students to macro-economic theory, with an emphasis on the concepts of unemployment, inflation, and growth in capitalist and non-capitalist economic systems. Students will explore the "boom and bust" cycle from both Keynesian and Marxist points of view, and will briefly examine the issues of underdevelopment and international trade from the neoclassical and Marxist points of view. This course fulfills the social science requirement.
PREREQUISITE: English Comp I
Students enrolled in this course will examine problems of urban economics, such as poverty, discrimination, housing, education, health, transportation, and crime, using Boston (especially the Roxbury and Dorchester neighborhoods) as a case study. Additional topics include a brief overview of urban location theory and an examination of conservative, liberal, radical, and Black Nationalist economic theories in relation to the identification and solution of economic problems. The issues and problems of specific topics such as housing will be explored in class.
Prerequisite: ENG 101 Eligible
Topics included in this course are theories of community organizing; assessment and use of various organizing styles and campaigns to fit specific cultural and situational needs; analysis of economic, social, and ethnic interests; targeting different constituencies; strategizing, developing and meeting time-lines; fund raising; coalition building; and leadership skills development. Students are required to apply community organizing skills in an actual community organization.
PREREQUISITE: ENG 091
This course provides an overview of labor and work issues and the role of unions in the workplace, with the focus on union relationships with Black and Hispanic constituents in Boston. Media materials, guest speakers, and the student's own experience provide the topics for classroom discussion.
PREREQUISITE: ENG101
Advanced Social Science Course reviewing current topics in Social Science.
To give students a relevant and “authentic task”—a real world problem or challenge [such as health care inequality within poor urban communities]—that they, as a team and as individuals, must explore and solve with cross-disciplinary thinking. Instruction will be filtered through this authentic task with students seeing what they are learning and why they are learning. Students will complete a project that they will present publicly at the end of the semester. It is noted that the project could be completed by the whole class, or groups of students working on individual projects.
This course requires the student to be either a Liberal Arts or Social Science major. Course prerequisites: General Psychology and Human Growth and Development.
Students must have a GPA of at least a 2.2, with at least one recommendation letter from a Full-Time Social Science Professor, as well as permission of the Internship/Program Coordinator. This three-credit course is designed for students to gain hands-on experience in a Mental Health/Therapeutic setting. Students will meet with the Internship Coordinator and an assigned Internship Faculty Advisor from their program of study during the semester to monitor the interns' progress. Students are required to complete 120 hours (minimum of 10 hours per week), assigned readings, a mid-term project and a final project that will include a PowerPoint/ Oral Presentation. Students currently employed in their program of study may be eligible to combine an internship with employment.
