courses of instruction - Lafayette College

022. Of Males and Men: Myths of Mas
culinity. Myths of masculinity are arche
typal stories of men's understanding of
their inner selves and their social behav
ior the Wild Man or the Second Self, the
King, the Warrior, and the Lover. These
foundation stories of manhood, recorded
in poetry, drama, and prose, from Gil-
gamesh and Enkidu to Butch Cassidy and
the Sundance Kid, from Herakles to the
Green Hornet, offer perspectives on sex
and gender, masculinity, and humanity.
Mr. Marblestone
023. The Human Resource: Population,
Economics, and the Family. Population
and the family have received much atten
tion from the press. This seminar covers
the causes and consequences of popula
tion growth and decline. Factors deter
mining an individual's decisions about
child bearing, marriage, divorce, migra
tion, labor, and investments in education
and health are examined. Some of the pol
icy issues addressed include welfare and
the choice of household structure, and the
relationships between women's status, ed
ucation, labor supply, and fertility in de
veloping and developed countries.
Ms. Averett
024. Human Aggression and Social Pa
thology. General theoretical models for
human aggression are examined, includ
ing both those that suggest instinctual or
genetic bases for aggression and those that
propose learning and observation. Stu
dents analyze specific forms of human ag
gression athletics, sexual aggression,
television and aggression, wars, and social
upheavals and suggest solutions. The
course uses original sources as well as
novels, short stories, essays, films, news
magazines, and newspapers. Mr. Childs
025. The College Student in America.
This seminar examines the nature of the
college student in America, in conjunction
with the U.S. system of higher education.
It includes a historical overview of higher
education in America; the impact of col
lege on students; students' psychosocial,
cognitive, ethical, and career develop
FIRST-YEAR SEMINAR
ment; and an examination of student cul
tures and subcultures. Special attention is
given to the research on college student
characteristics, attitudes, and values.
Mr. Krivoski, Mr. Roth
026. Abortion, Morality, and the Law. At
the core of the abortion controversy reside
two fundamental and related issues. The
first concerns the moral and legal status of
the fetus that is, whether human fetuses
are legal and moral persons possessing le
gal and moral rights. The second concerns
the relationship between the moral and le
gal rights of pregnant women and the per
missibility of abortion. This seminar pro
vides a critical examination of these and
related issues. Mr. Panichas
027. Life, Liberty, and Equality: Contem
porary Political Controversies. Contro
versies surrounding political and moral is
sues continue to dominate contemporary
public debate and influence policy. This
seminar offers students the opportunity to
evaluate the many sides of current battles
over issues relating to life, liberty, and
equality. In particular, the examination
covers such issues as abortion, euthanasia,
the death penalty, pornography, drug test
ing, affirmative action, and sexual prefer
ence. Ms. Silverstein
028. Windows and Mirrors: Through the
Perceptions of Artists. This seminar fo
cuses on the visual arts, music, and theater
as vehicles of perception and knowledge.
Performances and gallery exhibitions at
the Williams Center for the Arts provide
much of the framework for the course syl
labus, and visiting artists will be available
for classes, workshops, and discussions
with students. Mr. Finger
029. Mind Benders, Ways of Knowing, or
a Course in Paradigms. The flash of in
sight when something that was confusing
suddenly becomes blindingly clear is
called the "Eureka Phenomenon" by
some, "conversion" by others. These flash
es liberate us from previous assumptions
and lead to revolutionary discoveries. This
seminar discusses how shifting your para-
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