Fall 2007 FIG Offerings

Only students admitted in the FALL 2007 term are eligible to apply for these FIG Clusters.

UFIG 0001 FIG Group 1  “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly:  History through Literature Since the 17th Century”
CRN:  82962

Although it would be fun, we won’t be studying old Clint Eastwood movies or the American Old West in these courses.  What we will focus on is the history of the even older West -- Western culture in Europe, starting in mid-1600 -- and we will consider how what happened so long ago and far away has everything to do with how we see the world today.  As Western culture evolved, things looked pretty good at first: philosopher John Locke proposed that all men (not just nobility) had “natural rights”; this led to the prime socio-political movement of the 18th century, the Enlightenment, which was quite radical compared to previous thought in that it focused on the goodness of man, man’s abilities to act in his own best interest, and the primacy of science even outside of the laboratory.  As with all things, however, there was a down side:  The changes brought about by the Enlightenment, with all of its good will, inadvertently led to some less palatable events in the following centuries.  In the 19th century, the bad appeared in reaction to the Enlightenment. This included conflicts in politics (Liberalism vs. Conservatism), the exploitation of the working class during the Industrial Revolution, the annihilation of native cultures through a new wave of Western Imperialism, and the inevitable competition among European nations over “spheres of influence” and “balance of power.”  These events ultimately led us to the ugliness of the 20th century with its two World Wars, the rise of totalitarian dictatorships, the Holocaust, and the Cold War.  By looking at literary works from these time periods we will trace the good, the bad, and the ugly that came with Western civilization’s increased reliance on science and technology and how that impacted the politics, economies, and societies of Western countries.    The courses will have literary texts in common, although some works will be read only in the literature class, where we will also consider how some 20th and 21st century filmmakers have depicted these tumultuous events.   Ironically, we may even find a reason to study a new Clint Eastwood movie. 

UFIG 0001 FIG Group 2 “Justice for All?:  America, Violence and Crime”
CRN:  82963

Violent crime in America – it is splashed across our headlines, and the fear it inspires can govern our daily behavior.  However, media and public debate provide only part of the story.  This course seeks to contextualize crime by investigating acts of violence, their interpretations, and subsequent criminal justice responses.  Additionally, we will interrogate dominant social constructions of gender, race and class and how they affect perpetration, victimization and responses to violent crime.

Questions to be considered include: Is there a relationship between meanings of gender, race and social inequality?  What is socialization and how does it affect identity and action? How might existing assumptions and stereotypes shape crimes, victimization, and legal and public responses?  Finally, what are the social and political consequences for our existing understanding of America, violence and crime?  

UFIG 0001 FIG Group 3 “What Did You Say?  Communicating Effectively in Every Situation”
CRN: 82964

This is an introductory class that explores the broad field of communication studies and English composition. We will look at how culture impacts the way individuals use media, talk within organizations, and communicate via a multiplicity of channels. Topics will include media and mass communication, relationships and family communication, and mediated communication. This class will enable student to better understand the process nature of human communication.  We will explore, analyze, and discuss the unique facets of how humans engage in symbolic interaction. The course will stress writing as a form of communication and improve both written and verbal communication by emphasizing the importance of awareness of audience and purpose, clarity of expression, and precision of language.  Students will learn research methods and various writing formats.

UFIG 0001 FIG Group 4 “City and Society”
CRN: 82967

Seventy-nine percent of Americans, and half of people worldwide, live in cities and urban areas. How is urban life changing our society? This course takes up that question from a sociological perspective, beginning with fundamental changes that have accompanied the move from rural, agricultural societies to modern, industrial and urban societies. We will then look at contemporary urban social interactions and social problems, including street harassment, gangs, residential segregation, homelessness, class inequality, and urban dimensions of globalization. The course will provide a fundamental understanding of sociology as a discipline, and will develop students’ abilities to read, write and reason critically.

UFIG 0001  FIG Group 5  “Aging:  The Mind/Body Connection” 
CRN: 82968

By the year 2030, the last of the Baby Boomers will have reached old age.  What do we know about this large segment of the population?  And what do we know about the aging process itself?  In this Freshman Interest Group (FIG), we will explore both the biological and psychological aspects of aging.  More important, we will attempt to understand how mind and body interact as a person grows older.  Among the psychological topics covered are changes in cognitive function, personality, intellect, and social interaction with age.  Biological topics will address how aging occurs, as opposed the results of aging, and will focus on current animal studies with the ultimate goal of slowing human aging. Aging will also provide a context for building college-level writing and research skills; this FIG's composition component (ENC 1101) will help students investigate and write about issues and policies having to do with the impact of aging on today's society.  This FIG may be particularly attractive for students who plan to major in a health-related discipline.

UFIG 0001 FIG Group 6  “Social Problems and Community Engagement”
CRN:  82969

This class is designed to introduce students to the Sociological study of Inequality to examine how inequality is experienced within our community.  In this class, we will examine a number of issues facing our community and how these issues are inter-related. Special emphasis will be placed on discussing and writing about how problems of inequality are (or are not) dealt with in our society.  Special emphasis will be placed on problems of poverty and homelessness, and how direct community engagement can help address these issues, and improve students’ perceptions and sense of engagement.  In addition to more traditional classroom lecture and presentation, students in this seminar will engage in several community service activities during the semester.  After the semester, Students will also be invited to participate in an on-going, hands-on research project assessing the homeless issue in Northeast Florida in Spring 2008.

UFIG 0001 FIG Group 7  “GLOBALIZATION AND BUSINESS” 
CRN: 82970

Why study international business?  In order to compete in the job market and to succeed in twenty-first century business, students must understand international business, from free trade areas to global competition to currency crises to foreign investment opportunities. This FIG will address an overview of the way in which diverse cultures organize themselves spatially to form geographic regions, and will analyze functional areas of business to provide a general framework for understanding the development, structure, and social responsibility of business. Emphasis will be placed on the analysis of geographic regions of culture and economies, and on the interaction of management, marketing, transportation, finance, accounting and insurance within the business environment. 

UFIG 0001 FIG Group 8  “GLOBAL WARMING” 
CRN: 82961

Global warming is the most important issue of our lifetimes, for it involves the general future of the planet.  For thirty years scientists and others have warned that it is in progress; other have claimed that it is a fraud.  In the biology course we shall examine the roots and effects of climate change; in political science we shall consider what steps might be taken to deal with the threat, what steps have been taken, and what is involved in large-scale political action; and in the composition course we shall examine arguments on both sides of the issue.  Our particular interest will be in global warming as it may promise changes for our region, and the steps we are and are not taking to plan for those changes.

For additional information contact:  Dr. Leslie Kaplan, FIG Coordinator,
at (904) 620-4035 or lkaplan@unf.edu.