Fall 2017 HNRS Courses

What is science? What do scientists do? Why does so much of science seem controversial these days? How much of your behavior is in your genes? (And what exactly is a gene?) Are there really genes for infidelity? aggression? novelty seeking? How do we choose our mates? Do human genes... Read More...

The last year has seenthe resurgence ofnationalist political movements around theworld. Some of these advocate new ethnocentric visions and others express longstandingdesires for sovereignty. All of them are rooted in a political order of autonomous nation-statesthat developed in the nineteenth century. Students in this course will explore this pivotal moment,when... Read More...

Does CEO character determine company strategy or is the strategy determined by the fit between company resources and the environment? Is it both? In what proportions? 

We will investigate the determinative role of character in the strategy of 20th Century U.S. corporations. What does character account for? Are the strategies... Read More...

This class will give students an opportunity to explore in-depth the interrelationship between art and the Western colonial conquests in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia between 1750 and 1950 from a variety of perspectives (art history, history, political economy, social studies, etc.). We will investigate in particular Napoleon Bonaparte’s... Read More...

This course aims to introduce and contextualize twentieth-century music through the backdrop of visual arts. We will survey artistic movements from impressionism through post-modernism to deepen our understanding of twentieth-century music from social, political, and artistic perspectives. The course will be driven by weekly source readings, critical blog posts, and... Read More...

In this course, we'll write about FILMS & make films about POEMS. We'll explore the realm of the image-makers where the pen becomes a camera and the camera, a pen. A CREATIVE CLASS for Louisiana's image-makers by Louisiana's image-makers.

This is a broad introductory course in the current research into the biological underpinnings and evolutionary origins of morality. The course is interdisciplinary, combining psychology, biology, neuroscience, and philosophy; it is both an introduction to cutting-edge research and a chance to revisit perennial questions.

This course will explore the development of Christian beliefs through examining the process of debate and disagreement from the origins of the movement through the Reformation. We will consider the intertwined nature of heresy and orthodoxy, as well as the role of religious and secular authority. Questions we will keep... Read More...

Since the beginning of the global economic crisis in 2007-2008, there has been much debate on the nature of capitalism, its benefits and pitfalls, and its sustainability.  This course is designed to address these and other questions, including what exactly is capitalism?  What are its intellectual and historical origins? What... Read More...

The aim of this course is to familiarize students with the U.S. Constitution and its role in provoking, shaping, and (sometimes) resolving high-profile conflicts throughout U.S. history. Each week, we will consider a different such “constitutional conflict,” studying both the political and historical context in which the conflict arose and... Read More...

Why do governments violate human rights? What impacts do repressive acts (such as torture, disappearances, surveillance, and genocide) have on society? And what can be done to improve human rights across the globe? In this course, we will explore issues related to the development of international human rights standards. We... Read More...

Reacting to the Past is an innovative way to study history. The dynamics of history come alive through elaborate simulations in which students play the roles of historical characters. In Fall 2017 the course focuses on two key moments in modern history:

Rousseau, Burke, and Revolution in France, 1791... Read More...

Interested in going to graduate school in psychology? Want to get one on one mentoring in a psychology research project? This is the class for you! This is the first class in a four semester sequence designed to enable you to write an upper division honors thesis in psychology. You... Read More...

This course is designed to introduce students basic and relevant knowledge on selected technologies and technical gadgets described in films. A brief history and examples of modern technologies, such as electronics, microtechnology, and nanotechnology, will be concisely introduced. Principles and reality of selected technologies described in films will be reviewed... Read More...