Spring 2001

HNR 094-001
How to do Things with Emotions
Liz Constable
MW 5:10-7 pm-146 Robbins
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Emotions have been experiencing a comeback in the States, if we are to judge by recent key publications in our bookstores: Daniel Goleman's Emotional Intelligence (1995), Nancy Chodorow's The Power of Feelings (1999), and Elisabeth-Young-Bruehl and Faith Bethelard's: Cherishment A Psychology of The Heart (2000). Central to these and other explorations is a focus on emotions as relational forces, rather than innate attributes, and forces that structure relationality itself. From this perspective, this seminar sets out to examine "how to do things with emotions," giving particular emphasis to the dynamics of dependency. Our contemporary culture most often defines dependency restrictively, and associates dependency with pathology (as in addiction). In this seminar, we will examine instead the ambivalence of dependency, our roles as dependents and providers, as subjects and objects of our own desires and needs and of those of others. Central to our seminar exploration will be the following questions: How do we live our dependencies (on ideals, on people, on goals, on identity, on art, on religion, etc) responsibly and responsively? What does it mean to live emotional interdependency well? How do we live in a network of different dependencies without violence and abuse to ourselves or to others? We will approach these questions through literature, psychology and film.

HNR 94-002
Hoteling, Hot-desking, and Home-officing: What's it Like to Work in the Office of Future?
Kim Elsbach
M 12:10-3:00 pm AOB IV 161
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This seminar will introduce students to a variety of alternative work arrangements used by modern corporations, small businesses, and entrepreneurs. Students will explore the costs and benefits to both employees and organizations of instituting work arrangements such as home-officing, hoteling, hot-desking, and other shared work space formats. Students will develop a website that will answer users' questions about implementing a number of these arrangements. In particular, students will focus on the social and psychological costs and benefits of such arrangements. Social costs might include loss of group and organization identities, and greater turnover in organizations, while psychological costs might include damage to employee identities, status, and distinctiveness at work. Social benefits might include reduced energy usage, lessened need for real estate development, reduced pollution, and reduce social stress, while psychological benefits might include an enhanced sense of empowerment, greater self-esteem, and lowered stress. Weekly readings and cases will introduce students to these issues. Class discussions will include debates in which students are assigned to take extreme positions for and against each alternative work arrangement. Students will interview and observe users of alternative work arrangements in several Sacramento Corporations. The goal is to create a Website that answers questions about the social and psychological costs and benefits of alternative work arrangements (compared with traditional dedicated offices) for employees considering jobs that involve such arrangements.

HNR 94-003
What Price Freedom?
Richard R. Freeman
TR 1:10-3:00 pm
Location: Academic Center at The Colleges
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Even a cursory reading of world history, or even just American history, will reveal that societies have always faced the dilemma of security (be it personal or "national") vs. freedom from intrusive and often arbitrary interference by government. What we are taught in school is that in the United States, freedom is our absolute right, and that any action on the part of government to reduce this freedom is strictly limited by our constitution and courts. In other words, we are raised with the fundamental tenant that the United States is special, wholly unlike any previous large-scale society in history. In this seminar, we will explore what is, unfortunately, the truer, darker side of our society: The apparent willingness of our government representatives to abandon the constitution whenever it suits the needs of "national security". From the internment of Japanese-Americans in WWII to the recent jailing of Won Ho Lee at Los Alamos National Labs, we will attempt to rationalize this history of (nominally) illegal behavior on the part of our government in terms of our citizen's inherent need to "be secure". In so doing, we will have to redefine what "security" really means to individuals and societies, and decide how to control the ever more powerful and ubiquitous modern technology (read computers!) that is dramatically blurring the line between what a reasonable person would label necessary government action versus unconstitutional behavior. This is a seminar only for those of you who are willing to take on a problem of this magnitude, starting from no preconceived notions, and build a case for how the line should be drawn for modern America. You will be required (in teams) to assemble, in historical context as well as modern international trends, a position that you can and will defend in public.

HNR 94-004
Should we Give Human Rights to the Great Apes?
Lynne Isbell
TR 9:00-10:50 am-176 Kerr Hall
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We will explore the idea that chimpanzees, gorillas, bonobos, and orang utans should be accorded the rights of humans. It is particularly appropriate for those interested in law, ethics, conservation, behavior, or ecology. The seminar will result in a position paper that can be submitted to an appropriate journal for publication or that can be presented at an upcoming conference on this issue.

HNR 94-005
Compulsory Vaccination Programs: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Jerry Last
MW 3:10-5:00 pm 1134 Bainer
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Link to Class Web Page
Mass vaccination programs in the United States have been a major public health triumph. Diseases like polio, smallpox, diphtheria, and whooping cough no longer strike fear into parents and have all but disappeared. Proof of vaccination is now required for children to enter the public-school system. This requirement is pretty much absolute, even if it conflicts with the wishes or religious beliefs of the individual or their parents. So, this policy raises some complex civil rights issues where the wishes of the individual may come in conflict with the perceived needs of society as a whole. Adults may face the same issues, as anthrax vaccination is compulsory in the U.S. military, despite anecdotal evidence of significant morbidity and mortality in a small percentage of those who receive the vaccine. Concerns have also been expressed about possible linkages between vaccination of infants and young children and autism (and other developmental disorders). A current request for grant applications to study new approaches to causes of autism from the U.C. Davis M.I.N.D. Institute (recently featured as the cover story in Newsweek Magazine) addresses this theory. It summarizes, "It has recently been proposed that some forms of autism may be associated with vaccines, combinations of vaccines or products used in the production or preservation of vaccines, such as Thimerosal, aluminum and live viruses. However, there is a paucity of scientific evidence to support or refute the link between vaccines and autism...". There is a large economic benefit of these programs to drug companies who manufacture the vaccines, and a large aggregation of power to schools and government agencies who enforce these programs. This seminar will examine the complex medical, ethical, legal, and social issues that surround this policy. Our final product will be a report to the National Institutes of Health that analyzes the issues and makes recommendations to the Agency on what is the best policy for the future.

HNR 94-006
Intergalactic Relations: Is Their Life Beyond Earth?
Isabel Montanez
MW 9:00-10:50 am
Location: Academic Center at The Colleges
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Instructor's Web Page
Scientists have been searching for signs of extraterrestrial life for decades and have not yet found an alien microbe let alone intelligent life. On the other hand, millions of humans believe in alien sightings and interactions with humans. Astronomers estimate that there may be between 10,000 and 1,000,000 technological civilizations existing in our galaxy alone. And there is a scientific hypothesis that suggests that extraterrestrial beings deliberately seeded our planet with human life many hundreds of millions of years ago, thus making us aliens to Earth! Despite the uncertainties and absence of evidence, extraterrestrial life has become an increasingly exciting area of scientific inquiry. Recently, scientists have discovered that planetary systems analogous to our solar system, and potentially capable of supporting life, are much more common in the Milky Way than was previously believed. Coupled with this discovery is the fact that present-day planetary and interstellar space probes are a hundred trillion times what they were 40 years ago, and cutting edge technology in transmission and processing of signals is allowing scientists to probe deeper in our galaxy than ever before searched. Will we find evidence of life on planets in other solar systems or on moons of other planets in our life-times? And what is the likelihood that it will be intelligent and communicative life? NASA's current budget (several billion dollars/yr) for space research and travel is driven by the search for extraterrestrial life within our galaxy. This budget includes future plans to build a super telescope called the Terrestrial Planet Finder to search for Earth-like planets, and examine them for evidence of life. This portion of NASA's budget is comparable to the gross national product of many developing countries, and could support several of the existing social programs in the U.S. In this context, is the search for extraterrestrial life a human indulgence unlikely to produce substantial results or are we currently at the brink of an epochal and culturally challenging discovery? This seminar has been recruited by the White House as a panel of expert witnesses commissioned to assess whether the level of U.S. government support for the search for extraterrestrial life should continue at the current level or should be increased or decreased. Should the 'search beyond' be 'privatized' so that government monies can be redirected to other social programs? That is, the decision as to whether the evidence and arguments for extraterrestrial life justifies our continuing search is in your hands.

HNR 94-007
Cloning animals - Blessing or Curse
Ellen Sutter
MW 4:10-6:00 pm 290 Gym
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The cloning of the sheep "Dolly" several years ago demonstrated the possibility of cloning mammals. Now scientists are using cloning to preserve rare species and provide organs for transplants for humans. These experiments as well as other with the potential for reconstructing one's dead pet, bringing back extinct species and the like are creating a great deal of controversy and raising a myriad of questions. Can a species be 'saved' by cloning even if its habitat no longer exists? Is cloning "unnatural"? If the process falls into the wrong hands can it be harmful? What about the prospect of eugenics in which specific traits are selected and only highly desirable humans are cloned? Because one can do something scientifically, does it mean it should be carried out? What are the implications of England's stand on cloning humans? These issues and the scientific reality behind them will be examined with the objective of producing a 'position paper' that will put forth a statement of the problem as well as recommendations for the National Science Foundation in its funding of experimental cloning. There may be a web site established if enough interest is generated.

HNR 94-008
The Global AIDS Pandemic: How Bad is It?
Catherine A. Toft
TR 10:00-11:50 am
Location: Academic Center at The Colleges
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We are fairly insulated here in the United States. Most Americans think that AIDS is an affliction limited to certain segments of our society, such as gay men or drug users. However, much of the population of Africa is being ravaged by AIDS, which is a heterosexual disease there penetrating all levels of society but wreaking the most damage on the poor, who cannot afford the expensive medications to fight it. Some epidemiologists projected in 1990 that the human population in Africa will be extinct in 200 years, should the current infection and mortality rates continue. The purpose of this seminar is to prepare a report for 1. The World Health Organization or 2. The United Nations reviewing the current status of AIDS world wide and the impact it is having on the human population. Is a medical breakthrough our only answer? What about the role of pharmaceutical companies and pricing of drugs-is this "fair"? What can be accomplished for prevention measures, such as changing sexual mores and family planning practices? What are the societal and global political consequences of AIDS, such as when children raise children in many societies, as large families are orphaned by the death of young parents? What do our perspectives and the solutions that we propose say about our social views and possible prejudices? Your recommendation will be used to implement medical, economic and social measures to fight the AIDS epidemic worldwide.

HNR 94-009
The National Missile Defense System
Mani Tripathi
MW 11:00-12:50 am 152 Roessler
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This proposed plan, which aims to provide protection to the United States from ballistic missile attacks, has been a subject of much debate in the scientific community but has not fully registered among the public. It has its roots in the Reagan administration's Strategic Defense Initiative (or "star wars" program) which is generally credited to have been a major factor in ending the cold war. The new missile defense program is a scaled-down version that is designed to protect the US from limited attacks from certain "rogue" states. Last summer, following a string of failed tests of prototypes, President Clinton postponed the decision regarding the approval of this project to his successor: during the Spring quarter when this seminar is offered, it is expected that this issue will once again be hotly debated. We will examine the need for this system in the context of the geo-political environment following the end of the cold war and the viability of this system given the state of present day technology. Possibility of benefits from generic developments associated with this program will be evaluated. We will also consider the repercussions such an initiative will have on various Arms Control Treaties and the possibility of embarking on a new global arms race. Alternative methods of achieving national security, including peaceful approaches, will be discussed. The end result of the seminar will be a position paper that will argue for or against the development and eventual deployment of the national missile defense system.

HNR 94-010
Free SocietyFree Press: The Media and Presidential Politics
Barbara Sellers-Young
TR 7:10-9:00 pm 129 Wellman
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Did Kennedy really win in 1960 because of a televised debate? Was Ronald Reagan a "Great Communicator"? These are questions Louis Liebovich asks in The Press and the Modern Presidency. Today one might add, Did the media's call of Florida for Gore and then Bush in the 2000 election contribute toensuing argument over who would be President? This seminar is an examination of the presidential elections and the media over the last four decades. It considers how the different media formats (press to internet) impact the election process through distinct modes of representation and interlocking distribution systems. Within the seminar, students will work in teams to examine the historical context, note areas of controversy, define the pertinent questions, choose the appropriate elections to act as case studies, and present the relevant data to each other. Ultimately, the seminar, as a whole, will define a joint position on the role of the fourth estate in the presidential elections. The seminar will then tackle the problems of representation by constructing a website that distributes its findings.

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HNR 094-001 (4 units)
Does Parenting Matter? Facts and Fiction
Keith Barton
MW 3:10-5:00 PM ­LaRue Academic Center {GE: Wrt}
Class Webpage
Most people when faced with this question would probably express confusion and respond in a way that implies anything less than an endorsement is missing the point. Of course parenting matters! Do not parents spend so much of their time in "making a mark on their children"? Such commitment must be worthwhile!

However, if we take a scientific look at the question quickly an agnostic quality slows the speed of a fast answer. Questions such as "what is parenting?" quickly arise. Then soon after "how do we measure this?" emerges, followed by 'what does "matter" mean?' How do we choose the effects of parenting and how do we measure them?

Quickly the simple question shows its complexity. In this seminar we will explore definitions of parenting and its correlates. We will attempt to evaluate the research literature and answer the above questions.

A possible product might be the development of a syllabus for a practical course on 'How to be a good parent'. A movie is also a possibility. Conclusions might well be arranged along a continuum of 'facts we are really sure of' to 'myths of parenting' In between we might categorize correlates with various degrees of scientific worth.

HNR 094-002 (4 units)
The Cosmos and the String Theory (the Theory of Everything)
Ling-Lie Chau
TR 2:10-4:00 PM­Roessler 158
{GE: Wrt}
Instructor's Web Page
Class Web Page
In the last few decades our understanding of the Universe has drastically advanced. It has been established that our universe started with a big bang of pure energy. While the universe expanded and cooled, that pure energy turned into matter, through Einstein's E=mc2 that equates mass and energy. Recent data show that, not only our universe is expanding, the expanding is accelerating. Finding out the future of our universe is the hot top of research in cosmology, the study of the cosmos through observations and theoretical work. (A harder and more intriguing question is what the universe was like before the big bang.)

It has been established experimentally that there are four basic forces in nature: 1. gravity, the weakest of all, but the force that dictate the dynamics of the cosmos due to its universality and the massiveness of the stars and galaxies; 2. weak interactions, the second weakest force that is very short-range and is an important contributing force to the energy generation in the sun and other stars; 3. electromagnetism, the force that is indefinitely long-range like the gravity but much stronger and is responsible for our being and for many of the things that we use daily; 4. strong interactions, the nuclear force that holds the nucleus of an atom together, produces energy in a nuclear reactor and contributes to the generation of energy in the sun and other stars. A crowning achievement of the last quarter of the 20th century is that physicists found that the weak force and the electromagnetic force can be unified and put on the same footing, just like electricity and magnetism were put on the same footing in the 19th century. The quest now is to find out if all forces can be all put on the same footing. The string theory is a popular candidate theory. That is why it is called the theory of everything. To understand the dynamics of the cosmos we need a theory of everything.

The goal of this seminar is to let students find out and learn the current status of our understanding of the workings of the universe. There are many excellent popular books and web sites on the topic. During the first week of the course the students will discuss and pick a specific problem from this vast topic that is most interesting and suitable for the students as a group to investigate for the quarter.

Final Project : Making a slide show or a movie on the subject.

HNR 094-003 (4 units)
Take My Wife, Please: The biology and sociology of laughter
Tom Famula
TR 9:00-10:50 AM­LaRue Academic Center
{GE: Wrt}
Instructor's Web Page
"Get a sense of humor!" This common rebuke suggests that you are missing something. But what? If you had to go out and buy a sense of humor, what items do you put in your shopping cart? What makes something funny and how and why do we laugh at it? What role does laughter play in human evolution? Is laughter beneficial to our health? Are humorous people more successful? And why is a television show without a laugh track "missing something?" This seminar will explore these and other questions related to the social
and neurophysiological components of laughter.

HNR-094-004 (4 units)
Is There Inappropriate or Overuse of Psychotropic Drugs Such as Ritalin or Wellbutrin to Manage Behavioral Problems and Improve Learning in Elementary School Children with ADD/ADHD?
Jack Goldberg
MW 5:10-7:00 PM ­Olson 263
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Advances in understanding the complex chemical interactions among neurons in the brain have elucidated how subtle changes in the neurochemistry of neurons can affect behavior. Drug companies have identified how older drugs produce their effects on the central nervous system, and they have developed new classes of psychotropic drugs that target and correct specific imbalances in the neurochemistry of the brain. These psychotropic drugs are quite effective in correcting "inappropriate" behavior and the consequent learning difficulties present in ADHD (Attention Hyperactive Disorder) or ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) in children, adolescence and adults. The use of these drugs has increased dramatically and has supplanted traditional counseling, psychotherapy and behavior modification. In order to maintain control in the classroom and enhance learning by hyperactive children, teachers are encouraging parents to have their children evaluated for ADHD or learning disabilities for possible treatment by their family physician. Parents are seeing other children who previously had difficulty concentrating and learning become more focused and show dramatic improvements in their learning. The competition to succeed has pushed some parents to seek out physicians who will diagnose their children as hyperactive so that their children's performance in school might benefit from these psychotropic drugs. With the availability of these drugs that have the potential to correct behavior problems, there is also some expectation that differences in behavior among children are not normal, but the result of some underlying pathology or disease. There are anecdotes and a perception that psychotropic drugs are over-prescribed for elementary school children. The Web site, familyeducation.com, is polling visitors to their site on the following question, "Should schools have the power to ban students' use of psychotropic drugs (such as Ritalin) when the drugs are prescribed by a family physician and approved by parents?" However, an article published in April, 1998 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association presented results from a study indicating that there is not an over-diagnosis or misdiagnosis of ADHD in children, and that there is not overuse of drugs such as Ritalin. Some issues surrounding the use of psychotropic drugs include; Are children being misdiagnosed, and is there excessive or inappropriate use of psychotropic drugs? What level of differences in behavior should be accepted as normal and what represents pathology? Should parents be able to put their children on medication, if the parents can find a physician to prescribe it, if such treatment might improve their children's chances to succeed or excel?

HNR 094-005 (4 units)
Alien Ecologies
Jeff Granett
MW 9:00-10:50 AM -Hunt 139
{GE: Wrt}
(Knowledge of high school level biology and geology is sufficient for this seminar as long as your imagination works overtime.)

Life probably exists beyond earth. On candidate astronomical bodies, the likelihood of such life being limited to single-celled or otherwise simple organisms is strong. More complex, plant-like, animal-like, or other types of organisms may have had sufficient time and appropriate conditions to evolve as well, somewhere in the galaxy, though we might not recognize such life as intelligent. Whether intelligent or not, these organisms will be subject to potentially complex ecologies, possibly as complex as the ecologies we see on earth.
In this seminar we will first choose a real (e.g., Europa or Titan) or hypothetical astronomical body as our setting. We will then establish ground-rules on what restraint we will exercise regarding the nature of imagined life forms (e.g., Will we restrict ourselves to carbon/water-based life forms?). We will determine what abiotic constraints exist for life on earth, and hypothesize constraints for alien life forms in our chosen alien world. Aspects of the biological interactions crucial to understanding earth's ecologies must then be catalogued so we can explore the nature of our alien ecologies. We can then construct a planetary life history for our hypothetical alien world.

The class will determine the nature of the End Project. We might decide to remain technical and derive universal ecological principles (though we might decide to illustrate our document with visual records of the life forms). Alternatively, we could compare the planetary life history we imagine with those portrayed in science fiction literature or movies. Another End Project could be to create the outline for a science fiction story scenario based on our planetary life history and ecologies.

HNR 094-006 (4 units)
Music, What Is It Good For?
Susan Kauzlarich
MW 11:0 0 AM-12:50PM -Chemistry 161
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Instructor's Web Page
Class Web Page
Music in the classroom, music in the hospital recovery room, music in the dentist's office: how do these thing effect our learning, our health, our attitude? Can music cure Cancer? Does it really enhance our mathematical abilities? What is the Mozart Effect? Should you be listening to Mozart or to new wave music while studying to enhance your memory. Does the music in the Dentist's office sooth your tensions and provide more meaningful oral care? Is any of this true? This class will explore these questions and more in determining the effect of music on our lives and well-being. The goal is to outline up to 5 possible areas that research has presented strong evidence for the benefits of music.

HNR 094-007 (4 units)
Gun Control
Rance LeFebvre
TR 10:00-11:50 AM -Haring 1132C
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The issue of gun control is one of the key political issues in the current presidential race. Some argue that the second amendment protects our rights to own and bear arms. Others say that the amendment should not extend to certain firearms and that all firearms should be registered. When all is said and done will only the criminals have weapons or will this society become a better and safer place to live by stopping the sale of some firearms and registering all others? On the other side of the coin, is the state of Texas a good model for protecting the second amendment and the right not only to own firearms but to bear them in public places?
 
HNR 094-008 (4 units)
Racial Profiling: Fact or Fiction
Krishnan Nambiar
TR 2:10-4:00 PM -LaRue Academic Center
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Racial profiling by the law enforcement personnel is a concern raised by most ethnic minorities. Is it real or imagined? Does similar profiling happen in other arenas of our society? This seminar will explore all aspects of this important race relations issue and make a recommendation to the President's Commission on Race Relations.
 
HNR 094-009 (4 units)
Perspectives on Games and Gambling
Frank Samaniego
TR 12:10-2:00 PM -Wellman 201
{GE: Wrt}
Games and gambling have become permanent features of the American landscape. The national debate about the affect of violent or otherwise provocative video games on children, and the more local debate regarding the pros and cons of legalized gambling on Indian reservations in California, are examples of how this subject has invaded our consciousness. Gambling, in particular, is a subject that can be studied from many different perspectives, including mathematical (i.e., game theoretic, analyzing odds vs. payoffs), sociological (e.g. risk aversion vs. addiction to gambling), legal (e.g., what's the proper role of government here?, to what extent is organized crime involved?, etc.) and economic (e.g., who's making the BIG BUCKS here, and how BIG is BIG?). This seminar will develop through the work of several small groups of students, each group focusing on a particular perspective. Work on each perspective, when appropriately distilled, will constitute the contents of a chapter of a "book manuscript" which will serve as the goal and final product of the course.
 
HNR 094-010 (4 units)
what is net.art ;-)?
Blake Stimson
MW 7:10-9:00 PM - Olson 117
{GE: Wrt}
Instructor's Web Page
Looking back in time, we can see tremendous changes in cultural understanding about what art should be and do resulting from the emergence of new technologies such as printing, photography and television. The goal of this course is to begin a similar analysis of the impact of the internet. What is the place of art on the internet? What impact is the internet having on the production of art, the meaning of art, the social function of art? Our task will be, first, to gather information about existing and historical net art practices through focused surfing, and, second, to begin to evaluate the implications of these developments for the history of art and the history of the internet. Art has traditionally presumed to say something meaningful about who we are, where we come from and where we are going. How, we will ask, are art's answers to these questions changing under the impact of the internet?

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