From Wrexham FC to Formula 1 Racing, sports reality shows are growing in popularity. This class will examine these reality television shows as a tool to market their sport, or team. Students will also assess the cultural effects of this television genre. Finally, the class will decide if these shows are actually reality, or just cleverly disguised 45-minute commercials.

As the success of Oceans Eleven suggests, many of us are captivated by heists. But why? I doubt we condone theft, but heists seem to capture something different: that rare combination of unusual daring, tremendous skill, and careful execution. In this class we will look beyond traditional bank heists to more unusual robberies of orchids, feathers, paintings, maps, cheese, and more! We will examine what is at stake in these heists: should we see them as relatively innocent capers or full-blown crimes? These heists also will give us glimpses into subcultures that revolve around rare objects and will prompt us to explore what we value and why.

Music is a universal human experience. Come explore how humans perceive music and use it to find meaning in life. We'll study a variety of topics, including music and the brain, music in society, and music's ability to bring people together. Through writings about music and scientific research, we will investigate how humanity is enriched by this complex and powerful art form.

Animated films and television shows have been a part of our cultural consciousness for over a century now. From the early Disney films and Pixar, to Saturday morning cartoons, to the Simpsons, to Star Wars, you can’t get away from it. And from day one, their creators have used the medium to examine adult themes. But is the medium successful in doing this? Or do we view them as “Cartoons for Grown Ups?” In this class we’ll examine the cultural impact and (sometimes) hidden adult themes of animated films and television shows, and how they impact American Society as a whole!

What do our friends and neighbors do that draws our attention and ire? What are the 'kids' doing these days? Are they normal, or is everything we know and love just doomed? In this course, we will survey a history of moral panics. We will discuss the sources of these folk beliefs as well as the public policies which have resulted from them. What stereotypes do we share that are not reflective of reality? Can learning facts alter our core understanding about an issue, group of people, or behavior?

In this course we will explore the construction of twentieth- and twenty-first-century American identity against the backdrop of physical, psychological, racial, sexual, and even perhaps justifiable violence. We will discuss how artistic representations of violence do far more than simply shock and titillate: they help us to better understand the connections between identity, culture, history and art. Note: As the title suggests, a significant portion of the course content entails visual or narrative depictions of graphic violence and controversial subject matter.

Gladiators were an ancient Roman phenomenon that continues to wield a strong grip on the current imagination. But what exactly do we talk about when we talk about gladiators? To what degree are contemporary ideas about the gladiators actually reflective of the ancient historical realities? What do these modern myths about the gladiators say about our own society and sporting culture? How do we explain the seemingly endless delight that audiences take in watching sporting violence? Finally, is there any ethical way to be a spectator/consumer of sporting violence? We'll examine depictions of gladiators in entertainment, mass media, and pop culture, along with scholarly sources, in exploring these questions.

What tunes are on your smartphone's playlist? Who is your favorite artist or group? What appeals to you most about the music? Are the lyrics deep or just for fun? What amount of time do you spend with your AirPods/earbuds in? What meaning do you find in the music to which you listen? These are just a few of the questions that we will consider in our survey of the many facets of American popular music, from its roots to contemporary rap, alternative, country, etc. The course will proceed in reverse chronology, starting with the music and musicians with which you are most familiar, then turning back the hands of time, focusing also on the social trends that have influenced the growth of this music. You will have assigned readings and listening examples, and will, over the course of the semester, have the opportunity to discuss, research, write and present on a wide variety of topics associated with the music, the musicians, and the meaning of America's popular music from the last 70 years.

We will examine the rise and rule of modern dictators. What do we mean by ''dictator''? What are the essentials to dictators’ accession to power, and how do they keep power once they have it? What do attacks on legislators, judges, the media, political opponents, and elections look like in the 21st century? How do dictators attract supporters, and how do they define their necessary scapegoats? Prepare to learn how to become a dictator (or at least how to recognize them).

Novels give us a glimpse of other people's lives. By reading Charles Frazier's Cold Mountain, we will see the world through the eyes of Ada, Inman, and Ruby and discover how historical fiction enriches our present by telling stories from the past.

We will consider travel, particularly international travel, from several points of view. While travel increases our ability to think critically, our creativity, and our open-mindedness, it can also harm the people and places that we visit, contribute to climate change, and challenge our moral behavior. Further, travel is the privilege of the few, creating disparity between the ''travelers'' and the ''travel nots.'' We will engage with psychological and philosophical research as well as travel literature to investigate the ''best practices'' of travel, travel equity, and, to a lesser extent, globalization.

At least a hundred years ago, an unidentified armchair psychologist (not Sigmund Freud) quipped that ''sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.'' With apologies to the forgotten speaker, we will investigate a plethora of literary and popular culture objects that do appear to possess more than mere face value: artificial limbs, fire sale dolls, UFOs, laundered counterfeit money, human test subjects, MREs, flask-hiding Bibles, family heirlooms, Infinity Stones, biomechanical robots and maybe even Ken. Among the texts we will analyze and discuss are short fiction by Tim O'Brien, Raymond Carver, Alice Walker, Sandra Cisneros and Flannery O'Connor, films such as NOPE, the Avengers saga and Barbie, and television shows like Good Girls, Westworld, and Stranger Things. You will also have an opportunity to explore the meaning and significance of ''things'' in your own life, including a grade school throwback Show-n-Tell.

We will explore our obsession with true crime in American culture. Through documentaries, readings, and podcasts we will examine sociological perspectives, motives, and typologies of criminal behavior and bust popular myths. Throughout the course we will investigate serial killing, murder, domestic terrorism, cults, and more.

In 1692, 19 people in Salem, Massachusetts were hanged as witches. What caused the hysteria that led to the accusations, prosecutions, and deaths of Salem residents? We will explore over fifty years of scholarship that has attempted to explain the Salem Witch Trials, along with trial transcripts, artwork, films, and works of fiction. Our study will survey the witchcraft craze of the 1600s and will explore issues of religion, superstition, legality, economics, and gender.

Utopia, a term that paradoxically means "no place," has captivated the minds of intellectuals and visionaries throughout history. But why the fascination? This class will explore some of the many works of influential writers and artists across time from each of the four approaches stressed in the Baker Core. By critically examining selected texts, which aimed at capturing better – possibly even perfect – societies, students will form, record, and report their own conclusions about what constitutes the most viable societal framework and why.

Competing narratives in the United States and Europe define whether we live in a “Secular” world or a Christian world. However, neither and both would be the appropriate answer. The religious history and atmosphere of a community is defined by that group, i.e. Christians think America was founded on Christian ideals. Christians make up the predominate number of both Europeans and Americans; however, both areas have historically non-Christian religions from around the world. The purpose of this class is to analyze the idea of the secular world, cultural and sociological responses to religion/secularity, and basic laws for the freedom/discrimination of religion.

Revel in the pleasures of reading! This is an opportunity to explore some of the many ways reading great literature enriches our human experience. We'll share our chosen works and identify real-world applications for the universal truths we discover. Through deep reading, discussion, and research, we'll make connections between your self-selected text, your recent past, and the future you imagine for yourself.

Germany is often considered an international leader in environmental policy. Is it deserving of this reputation? In our research, we will see how Germany stacks up against the United States and other countries when it comes to addressing the climate crisis, developing renewable energy sources, recycling, and more. Our investigations will incorporate the history of ecological thought and the environmental movement in Germany, and will delve into the realms of technology, politics, economics, ethics, the culture of daily life, the media and the arts. These investigations will lead to informed policy recommendations for Germany, the U.S. and beyond.

The anthology series Black Mirror explores not-so-distant futures in which various forms of technology, social media, and entertainment media lead to, for the most part, dystopian societies. From the familiar machine rebellion narratives to more nuanced, less apocalyptic portrayals of technology's impact on our daily lives, the series provides a starting point to reflect on relationships to technology at the individual and societal level. We'll analyze current events, trends, and developments mirrored in the show and consider the potential impacts and implications across multiple contexts. Content Warning: Many episodes of Black Mirror contain graphic violence and disturbing themes.