PENN SUMMER - University of Pennsylvania

well as on nonfictional accounts (journals, diaries, and documentaries)
that explore the emotional and somatic aspects of conditions
such as cancer, plague, hysteria, syphilis, madness, and homosexuality.
As a trans-historical study of Western medicine from classical
influences through the innovations of Paris Medicine and then to the
present day, we will be concerned with the power of narratives to
bring coherence and meaning to lives at moments of great physical
and emotional crisis. Inspired by recent historiographical trends to
study the history of medicine from the bottom up, this course moves
away from a methodology that emphasizes the great men of science
to one that centers on the concerns of sick persons. In reading
works of literature by authors such as John Milton, Molie, Frances
Burney, Daniel Defoe, William Wordsworth, Sigmund Freud, Sylvia
Plath, and others, we will study contemporaneous medical topics,
including quackery, the history of midwifery, humoural theories of
the body, advancements in autopsy, the elevation of the professional
surgeon, the birth of sexology, the rise of psychotherapy, and the
clinical gaze.
enVironMenTal STUDieS
enVs 200 900 T 5:30pm–8:30pm staff
Introduction to Environmental Analysis
Fulfills Physical World Sector, Quantitative Data Analysis Requirement
Introduction to Environmental Analysis will expose students to the
principles that underlie our understanding of how the Earth works.
The goal of Earth Systems Science is to obtain a scientific understanding
of the entire Earth system by describing its component parts (lithosphere,
hydrosphere, atmosphere, biosphere) and their interactions,
and describe how they have evolved, how they function, and how
they may be expected to respond to human activity. The challenge
to Earth Systems Science is to develop the capability to predict those
changes that will occur in the next decade to century, both naturally
and in response to human activity. Energy, both natural and humangenerated,
will be used as a unifying principle. Knowledge gained
through this course will help students make informed decisions in all
spheres of human activity: science, policy, economics, etc.
GeoloGY
geol 100 900 W 5:30pm–8:40pm omar
Introduction to Geology
Fulfills Physical World Sector, Quantitative Data Analysis Requirement / Field
trips required.
An introduction to processes and forces that form the surface and the
interior of the Earth. Topics include, changes in climate, the history
of life, as well as earth resources and their uses.
healTh & SoCieTieS
hsoC 131 900 W 6:00pm–9:10pm Mackenzie
Sustainability and Public Health
This course will explore how the goals of the sustainability movement
affect public health policy. It asks the question, “To what extent
is sustainability the most important public health issue of our
time?” We will examine issues related to climate change, peak oil,
environmental toxins, ecosystem destruction, water availability, and
food production through the lens of public health policy. On a more
positive note, we will learn about how applications of whole systems
thinking are transforming our culture, creating a more sustainable
and healthier society, and how these cultural trends will transform
public health policy in the future.
hiSTorY
hIsT 323 900 MW 6:00pm–7:40pm Thompson
American Cultural History to 1865
This seminar will examine the everyday lives of early Americans as
well as the key sources of cultural change between 1600 and 1865.
We will look at a range of issues, including: sexuality; changing conceptualizations
of death and childhood; the rise of consumer culture;
and the racialized and gendered politics of early modern identity. We
will visit halls, taverns, city streets, churches, slave quarters, shops,
and bed chambers where we will observe the comings and goings of
some fascinating people. We will also interrogate the pivotal interdisciplinary
methods and theoretical approaches scholars have used
to write early American cultural history. Readings will comprise a
sampling of recent scholarship as well as a variety of colorful primary
sources such as diaries and private correspondences. We will also
study objects, 18th-century prints, and photographs. Requirements
for the course include active discussion, critical reading, a mid-term
paper (3–5 pages), and a seminar paper (10–12 pages).
PhiloSoPhY
PhIl 002 900 W 6:00pm–9:10pm Meyer
Ethics
Fulfills Society Sector
How should we go about morally evaluating our actions? We will
read, discuss, and critique historical and contemporary answers to
this question. Some moral philosophers focus on evaluating our actions
in terms of their consequences, while others believe the intentions
motivating our actions are of crucial moral importance. Still
others recommend that we attend to the meaning of our actions—
what we say by acting as we do. We will also look at historical and
contemporary theories that focus on evaluating ourselves rather than
our actions. Readings in this class will concern both practical problems
(such as cosmetic surgery, abortion, affirmative action, and war)
and theoretical issues.
PoliTiCal SCienCe
PsCI 116 900 T 5:30pm–8:30pm sil
Political Change in the Third World
Fulfills Society Sector
This course will be provide a broad overview of political economy
and social change in countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. This
is not, however, a current-affairs course; the emphasis is on tracing
how historical forces have influenced political, economic, and social
institutions (or lack thereof) in countries that have endured colonialism.
Although we will study such political phenomena as nationalism
and democratization in some detail, we will also consider the linkages
between these and economic, socio-cultural, and international
factors.
UnDERgRADUATE 12-WEEK SUMMER SESSIOn • MAY 24-AUgUST 13, 2010 13