The Byrne Seminars (Spring 2010: Social Sciences)

Spring 2010: Social Sciences

Other Areas: Humanities • Sciences

Is This Any Way to Spend Tax $? Policy Mechanisms and Public Policy Outcomes
Edmund M. Tavernier (Agricultural Food and Resource Economics)

Policymakers routinely utilize policy mechanisms such as subsidies, tariffs, and quotas to intervene in the market. Those mechanisms have the effect of changing behavior and may be considered "social engineering" efforts. Although such efforts are well meaning, they are often pursued with little input from the constituents on whose behalf they are proposed and without examining the outcomes of such policies. The range of topics addressed in this seminar will help you think critically about those policies and their effects. The seminar sessions will combine lectures and debates, and will foster vibrant discussions of current policy issues.

section 08, index 70843

Pleasure of the Senses: How Evolution Has Shaped Our Tastes and Behaviors
Lee Cronk (Anthropology)

Why do we find some people attractive, some landscapes pleasant, and some foods tasty? Evolutionary theory suggests that our tastes have been shaped by natural selection. For example, new research shows that humans and other species are attracted by symmetry in faces and body shapes; these preferences may have developed in response to the challenges our ancestors faced in surviving and reproducing. In this seminar, students will explore ideas about how our sense of the aesthetically pleasing—what we find beautiful or sexy or delicious—has roots in our evolutionary development. We'll read and discuss articles in experimental psychology and biology and take a field trip to New York City to look for evolutionary theory as expressed in natural history, art, and nature (in museums, parks, and maybe a restaurant).

section 07, index 69760

Health, Healing, and Asian Cultures
Louisa Schein (Anthropology; Women’s and Gender Studies)

How do health care providers care for immigrant groups with different perspectives on their bodies? How do immigrants seeking health reconcile their own traditions with Western medicine? This seminar considers these questions through a case study of Hmong refugees from Southeast Asia, subjects of the bestselling book The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. We’ll read and view films about dilemmas of health and healing for Asian immigrants; and about the diverse traditions (such as shamanism, acupuncture, ritual treatments, and herbal medicine) they employ alongside Western care. Through viewing rough cuts and research footage from a documentary in progress made by the professor and a Hmong filmmaker, we will intimately encounter the world of Hmong health and healing.
section 68, index 74781

Anonymous Communication in an Information Society
Craig Scott (Communication)

Although anonymous communication has existed in various forms for centuries, the growth of new information and communication technologies has made anonymity—and its detection—increasingly possible. Because anonymity may be used for both anti- and pro-social purposes, it is vital that informed citizens develop a better understanding of this topic. This seminar will introduce students to the complex issues surrounding anonymity, especially as it relates to new communication technologies used in a variety of contexts. Our sessions will examine research about the dangers (and benefits) of anonymity and whether it constitutes a form of free speech.

section 51, index 69812

Political Women: Some Who Dared
Ruth B. Mandel (Director, Eagleton Institute of Politics; Board of Governors Professor of Politics)

The landscape of politics has changed dramatically in recent decades. Moving onto a field once occupied almost exclusively by men, women are staking a claim on political power. While the ratio of men to women in elective and appointive positions remains heavily skewed, a generation of pioneering, risk-taking, inspiring women has set an example for others to follow. In this seminar, we will acquaint ourselves with their stories, discuss challenges they have encountered, observe their achievements...and with any luck, meet some of them in person. Our case studies will focus on women who have reached powerful positions such as governor, senator, congresswoman, cabinet officer, Supreme Court justice. For background and context, we will look at shifting attitudes toward women in politics over the past thirty-plus years and review their changing political roles and status.

section 34, index 74113

Economics in the Laboratory
Barry Sopher (Economics)

This seminar will teach students how to make decisions as economic agents in various environments. The seminar will combine brief lectures, active participation in computerized decision-making sessions, and discussions of the results. The topics will range from personal investment choices to large-scale market decision making, such as trading financial assets in a double auction. Students will analyze data from the decision making sessions and read about relevant theory and empirical phenomena. Students may also attend outside lectures or participate as a subject or helper in an actual economics experiments.

section 54, index 69815

Decision Making, or Don't Buy a Stock on the Advice of Your Brother-in-Law!
Clark Chinn (Education Psychology)

We try to make decisions rationally, yet many factors commonly influence our decisions in ways that produce sub-optimal outcomes. For example, a rational approach to buying a car or a share of stock typically involves gathering information before making a decision. We might collect the views of friends as well as objective data. While using objective data may lead to a superior outcome, even "objective" data may have biases unknown by the user. Further, even when we make simple decisions, we often have incomplete information, leading us to take rule-of-thumb short-cuts. In this seminar, we'll look at research from the fields of psychology and education to discover common biases and fallacies in human reasoning. You will learn practical techniques to improve your reasoning and decision-making ability.

section 05, index 69759

The Power of One: Understanding Resilience and Relationships
Caroline S. Clauss-Ehlers (Education Psychology)

No matter who you are or where you come from, your life is bound to be crowded with challenges. How do individuals successfully overcome challenges? This is the central question of resilience research: research on how people “bounce back,” adjust to change, and overcome adversity. This research shows that having just one important personal relationship is the most important factor that promotes individual resilience. In this seminar, we’ll explore resilience and relationships in the lives of students. After briefly reviewing the history of resilience research, including the professor’s own investigations in this area, our class discussions will connect resilience research with many types of relationships: mentors and peers in college; family relationships; relationships at work; and romantic relationships. We’ll also touch on resilience and gender identity.

section 62, index 74378

Collaboration for the Enhancement of Learning and Performance
Angela M. O'Donnell (Education Psychology)

Why is it that some groups work and others don't? This seminar will introduce students to the role of collaboration among learners and workers for the enhancement of learning and performance. Students will learn how to construct effective groups and manage their activities. They will study groups that work and those that don't, and discuss why some groups are dysfunctional even when participants are working together to accomplish their goals. The focus will be on how to make the most of collaborative contexts in both instructional environments and the workplace.

section 42, index 69809

Double Exposure: Global Environmental Change in an Era of Globalization
Robin Leichenko (Geography)

This seminar explores connections between two of the most transformative processes of the twentieth century, namely climate change and globalization. The notion of "double exposure" serves as a metaphor for cases where a particular region, sector, social group, or ecological area is simultaneously confronted by exposure to these global processes. The seminar will examine Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, droughts in India, the melting of the Arctic ice sheet, and coastal zone development in New Jersey. We will focus on both the challenges associated with these two global processes, and the opportunities for positive action.

section 30, index 69778

Explorations in Play and Creativity: Research and Experiential Practicum
Robert Kubey (Director, Center for Media Studies; Journalism and Media Studies)

What is creativity and where does it come from? We will study the sociology and psychology of human creativity, invention, and innovation—and how "play" is involved in creativity. Each student will choose a well-known creative person (such as an artist, musician, scientist, philosopher, or teacher) and will examine that person's history and "life themes." How did they come to be who they are? Meanwhile, we'll be thinking about our own life themes. Discussions will revolve around sharing our research findings and comparing them with our course readings about the nature of human creativity and how it displays itself.

section 46, index 70006

Irish Identity: From Storytellers to Digital Natives
Claire McInerney (Library and Information Science)

For centuries Ireland was an economically deprived, colonized country. Before that, it was largely a rural society where storytellers were honored, and the land was ruled by chieftains. This seminar will focus on the emergence of Ireland as a leading high-tech nation that retains its love of stories. We will read works by author Sebastian Barry (nominated for the Booker Prize for literature in 2008) and Brian Friel, one of Ireland's notable playwrights. We may travel to New York City to attend a play at the Irish Repertory Theater.

section 36, index 69779

Race, Politics, and Crime in HBO's The Wire
Lisa L. Miller (Political Science)

This seminar will use the HBO series The Wire as an opportunity to delve into questions about crime, drugs, politics, and race in urban America. One of the program's strengths is its ability to take seriously each character and context in which he or she lives and works. Why is the drug trade so alluring for young black men in Baltimore? Why don't the police do more to stop the illegal drug markets since they know so much about them? What is the role of city politics in addressing the drug problem? We will watch the first few episodes together, but students will then be responsible for watching the remainder of the first season on their own time. Be prepared for lively class discussions!

section 39, index 69782

The Psychology of Medical Decision Making
Gretchen Chapman (Psychology)

How do patients, physicians, and policy makers make decisions? What errors or biases do their decisions display, and what do those biases indicate about the psychological processes that underline decision making? In this seminar we will read journal articles reporting empirical psychological studies of medical decision making. We will contrast how patients and physicians actually make decisions with rational models of how decisions ideally should be made. We will discuss the implications of these findings for the basic science question of understanding the psychology of decision making and also the applied question of how to improve medical practice and health policy.

section 05, index 69759

So You Want to Change the World, Now What?
Maurice Elias (Academic Director, Civic Engagement and Service Education Partnerships Program; Psychology)

Does this describe you? Many college students today have a desire to make positive change in the world, yet are deeply suspicious of conventional politics. Instead, they are turning out in droves to perform service activities aimed at helping communities in what they perceive as a direct, meaningful way. Is this a "band-aid" approach, or an alternate form of politics? What do you think? This seminar will examine the concept of service-politics, the intersection of direct service and civic engagement, through established democratic mechanisms, and the role of an engaged university—such as Rutgers—in preparing you for civic life.

section 13, index 69766

Understanding Perception in Humans and Machines
Eileen Kowler (Psychology)

Human beings have an extraordinary array of perceptual skills that allow us to rapidly perceive, comprehend, and react to our immediate environment. In this seminar we will explore how teams of Rutgers psychologists, computer scientists, cognitive scientists, and engineers are joining forces to understand this ability and apply this knowledge to creating new perceptual technologies. The seminar includes five presentations on perceptual science and supplemental discussion sessions led by faculty and graduate students that probe topics in more depth, develop a broader context, and introduce you to research opportunities at Rutgers.

section 26, index 69775

What is Autism?
George C. Wagner (Psychology)

This seminar will cover the childhood disorder, autism, from its genetic and neuro-anatomical basis to its symptoms and therapy. Important issues and theories about the origins of autism will be presented and then critically reviewed. Additional topics will include symptoms and epidemiology of autism, animal models of autism, and theory of mind.

section 56, index 69817

Making Sense of the Family's Insanities
Yvonne M. Johnson (Social Work)

For some, the family is a safe haven. For others, the family is a discomforting environment. How do we understand, and try to improve, painful family life? This seminar will critically examine a number of theories of family dysfunction. You will learn how to create and interpret genograms—symbolic representations of family relationships and medical history—as well as other diagrams used to understand family communication patterns. We may dissect videos of family therapy sessions and the film Home for the Holidays (1995). The seminar will also briefly introduce students to research and career paths open to those interested in family therapy, social work, and other helping professions. A trained family therapist may join us for a class meeting, offering the opportunity to ask questions.

section 22, index 69773

Who was Adam Smith, and Why Should We Care?
Paul McLean (Sociology)

In today's economic crisis, the assumption that the best market is an unregulated market has been challenged; and the idea that rational self interest and competition will lead to economic prosperity has been questioned. Where did these ideas come from? Most educated people today have heard of Adam Smith (1723-1790), the Scottish author of Wealth of Nations and the father of modern economics. However, few people know what Smith actually said, nor do they know the full extent of his philosophy. Opposed to slavery, colonialism, and the building of empire, Smith was also a moral philosopher whose work on "the moral sentiments" shows him to be an insightful observer of human nature. Find out what Adam Smith, one of history's most influential thinkers, really thought.

section 37, index 69780

"A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy": Creating Your Own Maps
Lyna Wiggins (Urban Planning and Policy Development)

Neogeography is the "new" geography of people creating their own maps and sharing them over the Web. For example, cyclists familiar with day-to-day traffic, road hazards, and scenery in a city can create user-friendly maps for fellow cyclists that go far beyond "official bike routes." These techniques and tools fall outside of traditional GIS (Geographic Information Systems). This seminar will examine this recent phenomenon through the study of online sites, and students will create their own web maps from primary data collected in the field. We will explore how "Volunteered GIS," in which people create knowledge about the places they know, differs from conventional map-making; and the consequences of those differences. The seminar will also consider the technology behind the base maps used by Google Earth, and the approaches used by GIS professionals in practice.

section 58, index 69819

Sexuality and Migration
Carlos Ulises Decena (Women's and Gender Studies)

In the contemporary world, it is often assumed that people migrate from one country to another in search of economic opportunities. While this is largely true, scholars have begun to study the role that sexuality plays in the migratory process. In this seminar, we will begin by examining established models for the study of migration and sexuality. Through discussion of case studies, we will press on these traditional models as we discover ways in which sexual identities, practices, and meanings shape migration and vice versa. Case studies will include the lives of Filipino gay men in New York City, the role of sexuality in the shaping of U.S. immigration policy, and the shifting meanings of sexual practices among Mexican immigrant men and women in the U.S.

section 08, index 69761



Main Menu Home Fall '09 Seminars Humanities Sciences Social Science Spring '10 Seminars Humanities Sciences Social Science News & Events Student Resources How to Register Books Great Idea? Faculty Call for Proposals Enhancement Resources Faculty Surveys Great Idea? Book Orders & Photocopies Rosters/Grades Scheduling Time Social Events Team Teaching Workshops Quick Links Undergraduate Education Learning Communities RU-info		Spring 2010: Social Sciences Other Areas: Humanities • Sciences Is This Any Way to Spend Tax $? Policy Mechanisms and Public Policy Outcomes Edmund M. Tavernier (Agricultural Food and Resource Economics) Policymakers routinely utilize policy mechanisms such as subsidies, tariffs, and quotas to intervene in the market. Those mechanisms have the effect of changing behavior and may be considered "social engineering" efforts. Although such efforts are well meaning, they are often pursued with little input from the constituents on whose behalf they are proposed and without examining the outcomes of such policies. The range of topics addressed in this seminar will help you think critically about those policies and their effects. The seminar sessions will combine lectures and debates, and will foster vibrant discussions of current policy issues. section 08, index 70843 Pleasure of the Senses: How Evolution Has Shaped Our Tastes and Behaviors Lee Cronk (Anthropology) Why do we find some people attractive, some landscapes pleasant, and some foods tasty? Evolutionary theory suggests that our tastes have been shaped by natural selection. For example, new research shows that humans and other species are attracted by symmetry in faces and body shapes; these preferences may have developed in response to the challenges our ancestors faced in surviving and reproducing. In this seminar, students will explore ideas about how our sense of the aesthetically pleasing—what we find beautiful or sexy or delicious—has roots in our evolutionary development. We'll read and discuss articles in experimental psychology and biology and take a field trip to New York City to look for evolutionary theory as expressed in natural history, art, and nature (in museums, parks, and maybe a restaurant). section 07, index 69760 Health, Healing, and Asian Cultures Louisa Schein (Anthropology; Women’s and Gender Studies) How do health care providers care for immigrant groups with different perspectives on their bodies? How do immigrants seeking health reconcile their own traditions with Western medicine? This seminar considers these questions through a case study of Hmong refugees from Southeast Asia, subjects of the bestselling book The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. We’ll read and view films about dilemmas of health and healing for Asian immigrants; and about the diverse traditions (such as shamanism, acupuncture, ritual treatments, and herbal medicine) they employ alongside Western care. Through viewing rough cuts and research footage from a documentary in progress made by the professor and a Hmong filmmaker, we will intimately encounter the world of Hmong health and healing. section 68, index 74781 Anonymous Communication in an Information Society Craig Scott (Communication) Although anonymous communication has existed in various forms for centuries, the growth of new information and communication technologies has made anonymity—and its detection—increasingly possible. Because anonymity may be used for both anti- and pro-social purposes, it is vital that informed citizens develop a better understanding of this topic. This seminar will introduce students to the complex issues surrounding anonymity, especially as it relates to new communication technologies used in a variety of contexts. Our sessions will examine research about the dangers (and benefits) of anonymity and whether it constitutes a form of free speech. section 51, index 69812 Political Women: Some Who Dared Ruth B. Mandel (Director, Eagleton Institute of Politics; Board of Governors Professor of Politics) The landscape of politics has changed dramatically in recent decades. Moving onto a field once occupied almost exclusively by men, women are staking a claim on political power. While the ratio of men to women in elective and appointive positions remains heavily skewed, a generation of pioneering, risk-taking, inspiring women has set an example for others to follow. In this seminar, we will acquaint ourselves with their stories, discuss challenges they have encountered, observe their achievements...and with any luck, meet some of them in person. Our case studies will focus on women who have reached powerful positions such as governor, senator, congresswoman, cabinet officer, Supreme Court justice. For background and context, we will look at shifting attitudes toward women in politics over the past thirty-plus years and review their changing political roles and status. section 34, index 74113 Economics in the Laboratory Barry Sopher (Economics) This seminar will teach students how to make decisions as economic agents in various environments. The seminar will combine brief lectures, active participation in computerized decision-making sessions, and discussions of the results. The topics will range from personal investment choices to large-scale market decision making, such as trading financial assets in a double auction. Students will analyze data from the decision making sessions and read about relevant theory and empirical phenomena. Students may also attend outside lectures or participate as a subject or helper in an actual economics experiments. section 54, index 69815 Decision Making, or Don't Buy a Stock on the Advice of Your Brother-in-Law! Clark Chinn (Education Psychology) We try to make decisions rationally, yet many factors commonly influence our decisions in ways that produce sub-optimal outcomes. For example, a rational approach to buying a car or a share of stock typically involves gathering information before making a decision. We might collect the views of friends as well as objective data. While using objective data may lead to a superior outcome, even "objective" data may have biases unknown by the user. Further, even when we make simple decisions, we often have incomplete information, leading us to take rule-of-thumb short-cuts. In this seminar, we'll look at research from the fields of psychology and education to discover common biases and fallacies in human reasoning. You will learn practical techniques to improve your reasoning and decision-making ability. section 05, index 69759 The Power of One: Understanding Resilience and Relationships Caroline S. Clauss-Ehlers (Education Psychology) No matter who you are or where you come from, your life is bound to be crowded with challenges. How do individuals successfully overcome challenges? This is the central question of resilience research: research on how people “bounce back,” adjust to change, and overcome adversity. This research shows that having just one important personal relationship is the most important factor that promotes individual resilience. In this seminar, we’ll explore resilience and relationships in the lives of students. After briefly reviewing the history of resilience research, including the professor’s own investigations in this area, our class discussions will connect resilience research with many types of relationships: mentors and peers in college; family relationships; relationships at work; and romantic relationships. We’ll also touch on resilience and gender identity. section 62, index 74378 Collaboration for the Enhancement of Learning and Performance Angela M. O'Donnell (Education Psychology) Why is it that some groups work and others don't? This seminar will introduce students to the role of collaboration among learners and workers for the enhancement of learning and performance. Students will learn how to construct effective groups and manage their activities. They will study groups that work and those that don't, and discuss why some groups are dysfunctional even when participants are working together to accomplish their goals. The focus will be on how to make the most of collaborative contexts in both instructional environments and the workplace. section 42, index 69809 Double Exposure: Global Environmental Change in an Era of Globalization Robin Leichenko (Geography) This seminar explores connections between two of the most transformative processes of the twentieth century, namely climate change and globalization. The notion of "double exposure" serves as a metaphor for cases where a particular region, sector, social group, or ecological area is simultaneously confronted by exposure to these global processes. The seminar will examine Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, droughts in India, the melting of the Arctic ice sheet, and coastal zone development in New Jersey. We will focus on both the challenges associated with these two global processes, and the opportunities for positive action. section 30, index 69778 Explorations in Play and Creativity: Research and Experiential Practicum Robert Kubey (Director, Center for Media Studies; Journalism and Media Studies) What is creativity and where does it come from? We will study the sociology and psychology of human creativity, invention, and innovation—and how "play" is involved in creativity. Each student will choose a well-known creative person (such as an artist, musician, scientist, philosopher, or teacher) and will examine that person's history and "life themes." How did they come to be who they are? Meanwhile, we'll be thinking about our own life themes. Discussions will revolve around sharing our research findings and comparing them with our course readings about the nature of human creativity and how it displays itself. section 46, index 70006 Irish Identity: From Storytellers to Digital Natives Claire McInerney (Library and Information Science) For centuries Ireland was an economically deprived, colonized country. Before that, it was largely a rural society where storytellers were honored, and the land was ruled by chieftains. This seminar will focus on the emergence of Ireland as a leading high-tech nation that retains its love of stories. We will read works by author Sebastian Barry (nominated for the Booker Prize for literature in 2008) and Brian Friel, one of Ireland's notable playwrights. We may travel to New York City to attend a play at the Irish Repertory Theater. section 36, index 69779 Race, Politics, and Crime in HBO's The Wire Lisa L. Miller (Political Science) This seminar will use the HBO series The Wire as an opportunity to delve into questions about crime, drugs, politics, and race in urban America. One of the program's strengths is its ability to take seriously each character and context in which he or she lives and works. Why is the drug trade so alluring for young black men in Baltimore? Why don't the police do more to stop the illegal drug markets since they know so much about them? What is the role of city politics in addressing the drug problem? We will watch the first few episodes together, but students will then be responsible for watching the remainder of the first season on their own time. Be prepared for lively class discussions! section 39, index 69782 The Psychology of Medical Decision Making Gretchen Chapman (Psychology) How do patients, physicians, and policy makers make decisions? What errors or biases do their decisions display, and what do those biases indicate about the psychological processes that underline decision making? In this seminar we will read journal articles reporting empirical psychological studies of medical decision making. We will contrast how patients and physicians actually make decisions with rational models of how decisions ideally should be made. We will discuss the implications of these findings for the basic science question of understanding the psychology of decision making and also the applied question of how to improve medical practice and health policy. section 05, index 69759 So You Want to Change the World, Now What? Maurice Elias (Academic Director, Civic Engagement and Service Education Partnerships Program; Psychology) Does this describe you? Many college students today have a desire to make positive change in the world, yet are deeply suspicious of conventional politics. Instead, they are turning out in droves to perform service activities aimed at helping communities in what they perceive as a direct, meaningful way. Is this a "band-aid" approach, or an alternate form of politics? What do you think? This seminar will examine the concept of service-politics, the intersection of direct service and civic engagement, through established democratic mechanisms, and the role of an engaged university—such as Rutgers—in preparing you for civic life. section 13, index 69766 Understanding Perception in Humans and Machines Eileen Kowler (Psychology) Human beings have an extraordinary array of perceptual skills that allow us to rapidly perceive, comprehend, and react to our immediate environment. In this seminar we will explore how teams of Rutgers psychologists, computer scientists, cognitive scientists, and engineers are joining forces to understand this ability and apply this knowledge to creating new perceptual technologies. The seminar includes five presentations on perceptual science and supplemental discussion sessions led by faculty and graduate students that probe topics in more depth, develop a broader context, and introduce you to research opportunities at Rutgers. section 26, index 69775 What is Autism? George C. Wagner (Psychology) This seminar will cover the childhood disorder, autism, from its genetic and neuro-anatomical basis to its symptoms and therapy. Important issues and theories about the origins of autism will be presented and then critically reviewed. Additional topics will include symptoms and epidemiology of autism, animal models of autism, and theory of mind. section 56, index 69817 Making Sense of the Family's Insanities Yvonne M. Johnson (Social Work) For some, the family is a safe haven. For others, the family is a discomforting environment. How do we understand, and try to improve, painful family life? This seminar will critically examine a number of theories of family dysfunction. You will learn how to create and interpret genograms—symbolic representations of family relationships and medical history—as well as other diagrams used to understand family communication patterns. We may dissect videos of family therapy sessions and the film Home for the Holidays (1995). The seminar will also briefly introduce students to research and career paths open to those interested in family therapy, social work, and other helping professions. A trained family therapist may join us for a class meeting, offering the opportunity to ask questions. section 22, index 69773 Who was Adam Smith, and Why Should We Care? Paul McLean (Sociology) In today's economic crisis, the assumption that the best market is an unregulated market has been challenged; and the idea that rational self interest and competition will lead to economic prosperity has been questioned. Where did these ideas come from? Most educated people today have heard of Adam Smith (1723-1790), the Scottish author of Wealth of Nations and the father of modern economics. However, few people know what Smith actually said, nor do they know the full extent of his philosophy. Opposed to slavery, colonialism, and the building of empire, Smith was also a moral philosopher whose work on "the moral sentiments" shows him to be an insightful observer of human nature. Find out what Adam Smith, one of history's most influential thinkers, really thought. section 37, index 69780 "A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy": Creating Your Own Maps Lyna Wiggins (Urban Planning and Policy Development) Neogeography is the "new" geography of people creating their own maps and sharing them over the Web. For example, cyclists familiar with day-to-day traffic, road hazards, and scenery in a city can create user-friendly maps for fellow cyclists that go far beyond "official bike routes." These techniques and tools fall outside of traditional GIS (Geographic Information Systems). This seminar will examine this recent phenomenon through the study of online sites, and students will create their own web maps from primary data collected in the field. We will explore how "Volunteered GIS," in which people create knowledge about the places they know, differs from conventional map-making; and the consequences of those differences. The seminar will also consider the technology behind the base maps used by Google Earth, and the approaches used by GIS professionals in practice. section 58, index 69819 Sexuality and Migration Carlos Ulises Decena (Women's and Gender Studies) In the contemporary world, it is often assumed that people migrate from one country to another in search of economic opportunities. While this is largely true, scholars have begun to study the role that sexuality plays in the migratory process. In this seminar, we will begin by examining established models for the study of migration and sexuality. Through discussion of case studies, we will press on these traditional models as we discover ways in which sexual identities, practices, and meanings shape migration and vice versa. Case studies will include the lives of Filipino gay men in New York City, the role of sexuality in the shaping of U.S. immigration policy, and the shifting meanings of sexual practices among Mexican immigrant men and women in the U.S. section 08, index 69761

		For technical questions or comments about this site, contact vmars@echo.rutgers.edu. © 2008 Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. All rights reserved. Last Updated: 11/16/2009