TUJBP0899 - UG Course

Have you ever wondered why musical compositions from different parts of the world sound so dissimilar? Discover how an artist's creative imagination is molded by the cultural values of the society at large. Listen to guest musicians demonstrate different styles of playing and attend a live concert. Examine folk, art and popular music from around the world and discuss the wonderful sounds that are produced.

Instructor: Giarratani, N.

Who are Asians, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) in the American context? How have AAPIs shaped the making of state and society in the United States in terms of culture, law, economics, and politics? What major crises and historical events have generated racism and racialized stereotyping against AAPI communities? How have AAPI minorities mobilized against exclusion, racism, and marginalization to advance new interests and goals, especially when juxtaposed with other minority groups and social forces? What is the future of AAPIs in America? This course introduces students to the tapestry of AAPI experiences in America. It recovers their importance through lectures and discussions, based upon careful analysis of written texts and creative materials. 

Instructor: Higgins S.

This course provides students with an understanding of the underlying foundations of technology that have an impact on their lives and integrates those principles with real-world activities. It promotes information fluency by giving students an understanding of the foundational concepts from which the technology is derived and helping them to develop higher-level intellectual capabilities for applying the technology. The class is broken into three sections - technology principles, technology's impact in society and labs. It is the combination of these three sections that will enable students to understand the foundation and the implementation of technology in their daily lives. Class lectures incorporating a myriad of digital technologies including computer hardware, readings, labs and student discussions will be utilized to integrate the application of technology and the impact facing society. 

Instructor: Schwier N.

For living things the ability to hear sounds is an essential tool for survival, and sound is central to speech and languages. In the arts sound also plays a fundamental role, above all in music. The close connection between music, mathematics, and physics has long fascinated scientists. Advances in electronics and computing are revolutionizing the composition, production, and recording of sound. Science of Sound is an interdisciplinary course involving elements of physics, physiology, psychology, music, and engineering. After a four-week introduction to the fundamental physics of sound waves, we will consider human hearing and the human voice; scales, harmony, and sound production by musical instruments; architectural acoustics; and the electronic reproduction of sound. The course includes many in-class demonstrations.

Instructor: Azari M.

Movies, cinematic arts, episodic narrative, and media arts have played a central role in how we understand diverse racial and ethnic identities. The course will study Hollywood as well as more recent streaming studios such as Amazon and Netflix as they engage in evolving portrayals of African American, Indigenous, Asian American, South American and Mexican descent, Italian American identities and more. From early cinema to the present the course will ask critical questions such as: How are stereotypes built upon century-old cinematic and moving image traditions and how are they functioning still today? What cinematic representations of "self" have creators from marginalized racial and ethnic groups developed as a source of engagement and resistance to mainstream commercial views? How do diverse racial and ethnic cinematic representations intersect with gender, class, sexual orientation, religion, disability, and age? The course will trace the impact of racism throughout the history of cinematic arts as well as provide opportunities for group discussion to share personal experiences with diversity through viewing, researching, and critiquing cinematic and media arts. 

Instructor: Schulz M.

We are in the midst of vast global change. How does it impact cities like Philadelphia and the people who live here? In this course we focus mainly on education in the city, but this doesn't mean we look only at schools. Globalization is creating new possibilities for learning: we have instant access to vast networks of information, migration is bringing rich cultural diversity to our doorsteps, and we learn in many different types of schools and communities. But globalization is also creating new problems that education must address: new kinds of poverty, increasingly separate lives, mounting intolerance, a digital divide. This course explores what education in all its forms can do to support the American dream for people in the city, nation, and the world. Our exploration goes beyond the classroom, linking academic and community-based learning.

Instructor: Meyer T.

Explore the current global scope and reach of advertising in our connected, digital age. Study major interdisciplinary themes related to the spread of consumerism, self and social identity, global consciousness, and cross-cultural effects as a result of the worldwide spread of advertising as part of the free market system. Particular attention is given to cross-cultural issues related to cultural imperialism, legal and societal constraints, ethical questions, universal values and green marketing. Course work includes comprehensive survey of print and broadcast advertising found in other countries. 

Instructor: Foster J.

How does a computer store information? Do humans and other animals see color the same way? What is stopping terrorists from developing nuclear weapons? What makes certain musical notes sound good together? What are the facts about global warming? Does the radiation from cell phones cause cancer? A basic knowledge of science is essential to being a smart consumer, an informed voter, and a full participant in society. How Things Work will survey a variety of important, topical questions relevant to technology, the natural world, and current events using lectures combined with illustrative in-class demonstrations such as a rocket powered by water, a magnet made to levitate using superconductors and liquid nitrogen, a crank-operated electric generator, a CT scan machine, and an engine fueled by ice. 

Instructor: Azari M.

You have decided to go to college. But why? What role will college and in particular Temple University play in your life? Reflect on this important question by looking at the relationship between higher education and American society. What do colleges and universities contribute to our lives? They are, of course, places for teaching and learning. They are also research centers, sports and entertainment venues, sources of community pride and profit, major employers, settings for coming-of-age rituals (parties, wild times, courtship, etc.), and institutions that create lifetime identities and loyalties. Learn how higher education is shaped by the larger society and how, in turn, it has shaped that society. Become better prepared for the world in which you have chosen to live for the next few years. 

Instructor: Sudo, K

Why were relations between Native Americans and whites violent almost from the beginning of European settlement? How could slavery thrive in a society founded on the principle that "all men are created equal"? How comparable were the experiences of Irish, Jewish, and Italian immigrants, and why did people in the early 20th century think of them as separate "races"? What were the causes and consequences of Japanese Americans' internment in military camps during World War II? Are today's Mexican immigrants unique, or do they have something in common with earlier immigrants? Using a variety of written sources and outstanding documentaries, this course examines the racial diversity of America and its enduring consequences.

Instructor: Numata C.