Spring 1998

HNR 094-001
What is a Learning Disability?
Kathy Baynes
TR 3:10-5pm, Olson 5
Our educational and legal systems try to safeguard equal opportunity to education by providing special programs for students with special needs. The schools must respond to the needs of their students, but what do we really know about defining differences in the ability to learn? Are these disorders of thinking and learning like physical disabilities? Who is a slow reader and who is dyslexic? Is that child curious and energetic or does he or she have Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity? If these are diseases, should they be treated with medication? And if we can't define these problems well, how do we know what special treatment makes sense or whether it is effective? Do children who receive special help fare any better in the world and in the workplace than those who do not? What happens to them as adults? We will look at these and other aspects of learning disabilities using books, journal articles, relevant government and legal publications, the Internet, and interviews with teachers, parents, students and adults with learning disabilities.

HNR 094-002
Privacy
Richard Falk
MF 1:10-3pm, Hutchison 102
Many individuals today are very concerned about erosions of individual privacy. Consider that a National Identification Card has been recently proposed by some members of Congress, that airlineseither are presently or will shortly be "profiling" passengers, that when you accept a new position, your employer must post information about you to a national database, that many occupations and many firms require random testing of bodily fluids for the presence of illicit drugs, and that part of the Health Care Portability Act recently enacted by Congress requires all private medical records be linked to a federal medical database. Do these incursions violate an individual's privacy? Are they in keeping with any notion of a free society? Do they fall into any proper role of government? Is it possible to implement adequate safeguards for access to such databases? How do we stand relative to other nations of the world relative to privacy? Our goal will be to examine privacy and produce a position paper with appropriate recommendations.

HNR 094-003
Virtual Universities
Ken Joy
MW 12:10-2pm, Olson 60
We are living in an age where advanced technology together with new technology-based teaching methods make it possible to think about a post-secondary education that can be delivered from anywhere, to anywhere, and at anytime. These "virtual universities" could enable a significant portion of our society to access higher education, at a much lower cost to the student. They could provide opportunities for students to learn from the best teachers, resulting in a better education. What will a virtual university look like? Will it replace the traditional university? How will classes be held? What will be the community of students? What are the advantages of a virtual university? Will we have "UC Cyberspace" as our tenth campus? Students in this seminar will examine the concept of a virtual university and attempt to answer these questions.

HNR 094-004
Chills, Thrills, and Spills: Americans and Their Need for Speed
Maureen McMahon
TR 9-10:50am, Academic Surge
Whether you find yourself seeking the sensation of the wind whistling through your hair as you speed down a hillside trail on your mountain bike or simply enjoy watching a track event or drag race on television you are one of many Americans who have a need for speed. Americans spend many hours and many dollars watching, participating, and even betting on events and experiences surrounding people, animals, and things that go fast! Why? What drives and sustains this need? Is it healthy or hazardous? This seminar will focus on the psychological, physiological, cultural, historical, and economic issues surrounding Americans' thrill-seeking need for speed.

HNR 094-005
Experimenting with Human Embryos
Rich Nuccitelli
TR 2:10-4pm, Wellman 211
The President and Congress have banned all federally funded research on human embryos. Scientists receiving government funding to conduct research are not even allowed to do in vitro fertilization to help infertile couples, contrary to the recommendations of a broadly based federal advisory panel to the President which included members representing all major religious denominations. We will determine the pros and cons of conducting experiments on pre-sentient human embryos, including in vitro fertilization and organ cloning. We will also consider the use of tissues from aborted fetuses for transplantation into patients who would die without them. By the end of the course, we will write a position paper that clearly identifies both the problems and benefits of these types of experiments and make a recommendation to Congress.

HNR 094-006
Paparazzi, Celebrities and the Media
Barbara Sellers-Young
MW 5:10-7pm, Bainer 1128
Defining media to include the paparazzi (independent photographers), main stream press (New York Times, Newsweek, Life), the tabloid press (National Inquirer), television news (NBC, CNN), television news programs (Today, 60 minutes, Dateline), tabloid television (Extra) and related Internet news sites, this seminar will seek to explore the increasing complex relationship between people and the media. The objective of the seminar will be to examine the multiple viewpoints represented in the interaction between public figures, media figures, the media and the general public.Questions the seminar could consider are: What is the history of relationship between the press and the public? How has the constantly changing technology of the twentieth century influenced this relationship? What is the function of the media in a democracy? How is a public or media figure constructed and by whom? What makes a good media performance?

HNR 094-007
The Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Public's Health
Larry Stark
R 6:30-9:30pm, Tupper Hall 2419: MED (additional hour TBA)
On August 28, 1996, the FDA began restricting the sale and promotion of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products for the first time. Similarly, the FDA has recently exerted its authority to regulate both non-prescription drugs (EX-LAX) and prescription drugs (FEN-PHEN) as well as to oversee the potential marketing of a drug previously banned in the U.S. (THALIDOMIDE). The participants in the seminar will explore the history and nature of this agency, the scope of its authority, how it interacts with the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry, the types of evidence it evaluates, and why the Congress is attempting to alter the way it functions. These are complex contemporary problems with ethical, legal, medical and sociological implications for the health of the public.

HNR 094-008
Herbal Medicine: A Role in U.S. Health Care?
Steven A. Weinbaum
MF 11am-12:50pm, Olson 5
Historical texts thousands of years old refer to the use of botanical (herbal) medicines by numerous cultures around the globe. Eighty percent of the world's population still depends primarily on botanical medicine, and the use of botanicals is widespread even in the industrialized countries of western Europe. In contrast, the conservatism of the U.S. medical establishment, the intransigence of the FDA toward botanical products in any form, and the economic vested interest of pharmaceutical conglomerates have conspired to keep purportedly useful herbal medicines outside our health care system. Nevertheless, sales of herbal products in the U.S. reached $1.5 billion in 1993, and annual sales have increased briskly since then. This has been ascribed to the aging of the U.S. population, the associated increase in chronic disease load and patient dissatisfaction with the results of conventional treatment. Our goal will be to dissect the complex issue and work toward development of a position paper which charts a reasoned course of action.

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Winter 1998
HNR 094-001
The Fat Free Fantasy: Obesity in America
Mike McCarthy
MW 12:10-2 pm, Storer 1342
While food companies focus our attention on fat free alternative fun foods and advertisers continue to utilize trim and athletic models, the reality is that many Americans are obese. Recent U.S. government studies found that 33% of adults and 27% of the children in the U.S. are obese. Obesity has been directly related to many health problems including diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some forms of cancer. We will examine the influence of obesity on society, including the costs for obesity related medical problems, the emergence and role of diet specific foods, the rapidly expanding market for bigger sizes, the causes of obesity (e.g. genetic, lifestyle) and the treatments for obesity. The goal of this seminar is to explore this major issue in the United States.

HNR 094-002
Genes: Medical Issues and Ethical Choices
Joanne Feit Diehl
MW 11-12:50 pm, M: Voorhies 278/W: Voorhies 156
As result of a genetic test, a couple finds out that one of them carries a genetic disease. How does this affect their decision to have a child? Should they tell their families? What are their responsibilities to their children, their parents and each other? The aim of this seminar is to focus on the ethical and moral issues associated with genetic research, technology, and testing to investigate the impact such issues have on our lives. Among topics open to discussion and research are the personal decisions surrounding genetic testing, the ethical choices associated with cloning, and the moral problems posed by recent advances in genetics. Students will be encouraged to formulate and refine their own views on the genetic-related issues we increasingly face.

HNR 094-003
Endangered Species: Definition, Recognition, Evaluation, Protection
Dan Potter
MW 4:10-6 pm, Bainer 1128
The loss of biological diversity through habitat destruction and extinction of species is a growing concern among biologists, environmentalists, and others worldwide. Numerous philosophical and practical questions surrounding this problem remain controversial, however. How should the phrase "endangered species", as well as the individual words "endangered" and species", be defined? Do humans have a moral obligation to preserve other species? What are the most effective strategies for protecting endangered species? What strategies have been adopted by individuals and groups interested in raising awareness about endangered species? How should we handle conflicts between protection efforts and economic interests and/or cultural practices? Do organisms other than humans have "rights"? In this seminar, we will explore some of the biological, ethical, legal, political, and economic issues raised by these and other questions relevant to endangered species.

HNR 094-004
Global Warming
Daniel L. Cox
TR 5:40-7:30 pm, Art 204
Global warming may be the most complex problem to ever confront our species. Serious consideration of this issue raises deep questions about the most basic assumptions of our society. Negotiations on a worldwide treaty to mitigate possible ill effects of global warming will take place in Kyoto, Japan in December. Going into this process, all parties agree on just this: continued growth in emissions of carbon dioxide (mostly through burning fossil fuels) can raise average global temperatures. Understanding the issue further requires input from science (Will it occur? Can it affect ecosystems and vice versa?), technology (can we employ, e.g., biomass fuel to reduce emissions?), economics (will we bust our economic engine to avoid it?), politics (carbon dioxide knows no boundaries!), and ethics (how responsible are we for climate change that may be decades off?). In this class, students will explore the many dimensions of the global warming problem and develop a class position paper as if to advise the Clinton (and future) administrations.
Global Warming Seminar - Political Action Website

HNR 094-005
Drug Abuse in America: Fact, Fiction, and Fantasy
Richard Vulliet
TR 2:10-4 pm, Olson 167
Drug abuse is paradoxical. Successful athletes who have more money than they can spend and all that society has to offer, abuse drugs. In fact, the relatively affluent United States, where cocaine is expensive, has a cocaine problem while relatively poor Colombia, where cocaine is readily available and cheap, does not. For the past twenty years every American president has promised to control the drug problem, yet drug abuse continues to increase. At the same time, some people are suggesting that the solution is to legalize certain drugs that are currently illegal. What are the reasons for these apparent contradictions? This seminar will examine the history and patterns of drug use and drug abuse with the goal of understanding the reasons behind the failure of our current drug policy.

HNR 094-006
Justice, Incorporated: The Private Management of Public Responsibility
Jay Lund
TR 3:10-5 pm, Wellman 207
Education, environmental regulation, welfare, water supply, waste disposal, prisons, police, fire, health, and transportation are historically public responsibilities, overseen by governments. Recently, there have been moves to grant private firms increased authority in these areas. Is this desirable? How might it work? When should it be avoided? What should be the limits of public responsibilities? What are the roles of private initiative in fulfilling these public responsibilities?

HNR 094-007
Selling the Public?
Evelyn Silvia
MF 3:10-5 pm, Olson 60
Do we quit smoking, practice safe sex, and moderate alcohol intake because clever marketing techniques have shown us the way? To what extent are our beliefs and practices based on misinformation that has been cleverly packaged and tacitly accepted? On a daily basis, we are bombarded with messages concerning how we should look, eat, behave, think, and treat each other. The messages are delivered via such things as billboards, posters on buses, and television commercials. How effective are such media campaigns and why are we being subjected to so many of them? With this seminar, we will study the "selling the public" phenomenon. Our study may look into its historical development, the psychological and sociological impact, the ethics of such media campaigns, and the economics. We will also use two or three class selected examples to compare, contrast, and develop an understanding of such efforts and to answer some of the questions that have been posed in this abstract.

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