LA - Social Sciences

This introductory course in psychology teaches the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. In this introductory course, emphasis is placed on the basic principles of human perspective, theories of learning, personality development, emotions and health, and abnormal/clinical psychology. Students are introduced to tests, measurements, and research in the field.

This introductory course in sociology studies human behavior in the context of group situations and relationships. This course investigates the nature and structure of social groups and studies how certain social institutions function. Complete with a community service component, this course allows students to see beyond themselves to the greater society in which they live, encouraging social engagement and a commitment to the betterment of society.

This course provides students with a fundamental understanding of the political structure of the United States and the powers of the three branches of government at the federal, state, and local levels. Special emphasis is placed on the arrangements and procedures developed to effect the principle of separation of powers, to ensure popular control of governments, and to formulate public policy.

This course examines the family as an institution: its roles, authority patterns, and functions. Topics studied include the comparison of various family systems, alternate marriage styles, and variations according to class, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, and marital adjustment.

This advanced social science course explores how sex, gender roles, and the expressions of masculinity and femininity are built into the social structures of American life and various cultures around the world. Analysis of prejudice and discrimination as they exist in social institutions are addressed, as well as ideas for appropriate change for the future.

This course studies the historical development of the Civil Rights Movement and the Civil Rights Law. This course examines the fundamental concepts of civil rights law and the violations that led to watershed cases and legislation.

This course examines certain types of abnormal behavior, with a focus on classifying the development, maintenance, and effects of the behavior.  The major areas covered include anxiety and stress, dissociative and somatoform disorders, personality and impulse control disorders, psychoactive substance use disorders, sexual disorders, schizophrenia, and suicide.

This course investigates social organizations and systems of thought and values that reflect social practice in different cultures. This course provides an introduction to the discipline of anthropology and provides students with an enhanced understanding of human cultures through analysis of the religious, economic, social and political practices of diverse societies.

This course examines New York City in detail from sociological, historical, geographical, political, and cultural perspectives. Topics include the geography of New York City, its unique historical growth and development as a multi-ethnic metropolis, an examination of New York's economy and political system, and an overview of the many cultural achievements that New York and New Yorkers have given to the world.

This survey course students introduces some of the highlights and major works of western music since Bach and Handel. The course presents composers and their works in their historical and geographic frameworks and examines their relationship to other art forms such as literature and painting. New York City offers students an unparalleled opportunity to experience live music.

This course provides an introduction to dramatic art as presented on the stage. Students learn theatre terminology and gain a deeper appreciation for this art form through participation in creative exercises and assignments. Students explore genre, character development and script analysis through the reading and discussion of plays, the attending outside performances, in-class presentations, and their own presentation of a 4-5 minute monologue.

This introductory course in human communication explores the theories and practice of oral and written communication. Students hone practical skills such as working in groups, giving speeches, and making presentations. This course focuses on defining an audience, finding and evaluating information for a presentation, selecting a suitable structure and medium for presenting it, and using language in a clear, concise, and creative manner to communicate ideas effectively. Students develop a digital portfolio as well as research and present a project related to their academic majors.

This survey course presents students with a broad overview of the people and events that have shaped America from 1776 to the Civil War. Major ideas, institutions, social groups, and crises are examined in historical context.

This survey course offers a broad overview of the people and events that have shaped America from Reconstruction to the present. Emphasis is on the major ideas, institutions, social groups and crises that have helped to shape contemporary America.

The Caribbean is a region that has experienced unique major historical and geographical changes. Various populations of people have migrated into the region. Over the years, these groups have interacted with the landscape and transformed it in many ways. This course uses the "eye" of the historian to survey some of these transformations, from the advent of the Amerindians around 500, to the Twentieth Century.

Since ancient times, humans have puzzled over “the mind-body problem.” In modern times this puzzle is described as the relation of the brain to consciousness. This class is entertained by the power of the human brain through revelations of what its parts are and how they work as best we can tell at present. The class demonstrates the findings on how consciousness comes and goes or fades and sharpens.  Explanations of dreams are described and related to students’ experiences. Fluctuations of memory, sensation, perception, and attention will be demonstrated along with the brain and body mechanisms that support those mental processes. Expressions of mental states in bodily reactions are examined in the cases of psychosomatic illness, biofeedback training, and yoga. Debates about emotion as bodily states vs. qualities of consciousness are introduced. This course utilizes a combination of lectures, discussions, videos and Internet research.  Students are given both verbal and multimedia content in order to improve their analytical and critical thinking abilities.  Emphasis is on both specific content and the big picture of the evolution and evolutionary potentials of mind/body.

This course explores the psychological properties and impact of video games. From the history of arcade play, through to home-consoles, MMO’s and virtual reality; we will discuss how interface and gaming features influence perception, emotion and cognition; including video games’ capacity to cause and/or treat certain mental disorders.

In this advanced communication course, a variety of speech communication topics are studied with an emphasis on intercultural communication, conflict management, and small group dynamics. A major component of the course is argumentation and debate. Students research and prepare several oral and multimedia presentations, engage in debates, and participate in group projects.

This course is designed to investigate contemporary social issues, policies and problems and their impact on American social structures. Society’s attempts to solve these social problems are also examined. Students are asked to assess issues in terms of their origins, extent, impact, implications, and various possible avenues of resolution.

This course is an introduction various types of drugs and their impact on behavior. Special attention is paid to the physiological, psychological, and societal effects of psychoactive drugs; patterns and causes of their use and abuse in individuals and societies; and methods of education, prevention and treatment.

This course examines the behavior of individuals at different ages, from the prenatal period through adolescence. Topics include: caretaker-child relationships, unusual parenting, maternal deprivation, and the effect of environment. Developmental, psychoanalytic, and cognitive theories are discussed.

This course covers all the aspects of the play production process (play writing, directing, acting, and designing); it provides foundation to analyze the structure and building blocks of dramatic plays (acts, scenes, beats, exposition, development, rising action, climax, and resolution) it analyzes the roles of all the collaborating artists involved (playwright, director, actors/actresses, and set, costume/make-up, lighting and sound designers.) This course actively demonstrates how team work lies at the core of the creation of theater as an artistic endeavor. Students read and analyze scripts during the play selection process; and prepare scenes and monologues as part of the audition process, and acquire basic acting technique to approach and develop characterization. This literature-based course includes the study of additional concepts which add depth to the creative process (germinal idea, production concept, play rhythm, scene tightening, tension release, audience-centered performance.) The course culminates with a public performance.

This course is an introduction and overview of crime as a social phenomenon from an interdisciplinary perspective. Classical concepts of criminal behavior are discussed followed by a more detailed exploration of the contemporary major biological, psychological, and sociological explanations of criminal behavior.

This course focuses on the nature of juvenile delinquency in society. It addresses the nature and extent of delinquency, its causes and correlations, and contemporary social, political, and legal techniques and strategies to reduce and eliminate the problem.

This course examines the nature of victimization, including the demographic and geographical patterns and trends associated with victimization, the nature of risk and the potential for victimization, the relationship between victims and offenders, and the interactions between crime victims and members of law enforcement. Research methodologies and victim support services are considered.

This course is an introduction to contemporary counseling theories and techniques, and their applications, including a review of major behavioral models from both traditional and non-traditional perspectives. Emphasis is placed on conditions for an effective helping relationship, attending and interviewing skills, basic theoretical assumptions, ethical principles, and professional orientation, including the attributes necessary for the practice of counseling.

This course explores the dynamics of child abuse, maltreatment, and neglect. The course provides a historical perspective of child abuse and society's response. The different types of abuse, as well as, the process of identifying and assessing child abuse are covered. This course provides students with the principles of the mandated reporting procedures for child abuse and neglect as it pertains to students seeking employment in the legal and social service professions.

This course examines the dynamics of persons in crisis and the various intervention modalities. Areas of focus include theoretical, historical, ethical, and cultural considerations. Students are provided with the knowledge, values and skills of working with people in crisis.

This course examines the nature and causes of HIV Disease and AIDS from a variety of perspectives. The course investigates the scientific and humanistic approaches to understanding the current epidemic. Emphasis is placed on the impact of community and worldwide response, civil rights, legal aspects, harassment, prevention measures, education, counseling, confidentiality, testing, and other vital issues as it relates to HIV/AIDS. Students are expected to communicate among themselves and the instructor in a manner that encourages open and respectful dialogue, appreciates diversity, and tolerates disagreement.

This course examines human lifespan development. It covers the psychological development of human life from conception to death.  Physical, cognitive, and social modes of development are explored in the stages of infancy, preschool, middle childhood, adolescence and adulthood, and old age. The course explores the psychological approaches to development by major theorists. Pertinent and contemporary topics such as autism, adolescent suicide, midlife crisis and Alzheimer’s disease are studied and classic psychological studies in this field are examined. 

This course explores the cognitive and affective dimensions of child and adolescent development, including the analysis and appreciation of principles of learning and motivation. Special attention is paid to the application of psychology to learning processes and theories. Topics include student behavior patterns in the school environment, theoretical concepts of learning and personality, implications for learning, and assessment of behavior for English Language Learners and special needs learners.

This course provides students with an overview of the clinical issues associated with psychological disorders of childhood, including definitions and classifications, theoretical and historical perspectives, as well as related assessment, diagnostic, and treatment methods. Specific disorders include: behavioral and emotional disorders, developmental and learning disabilities, as well as problems related to physical and mental health in children. Recent studies in the field of psychological disorders of childhood are also examined.

This course covers the core functions of case management through discussion and exploration of fundamental concepts, components, principles and models of case management in various settings. Students learn best practices associated with effective management of the whole person from intake through termination. An emphasis is placed on current issues, trends, and approaches. The tasks associated with case management such as treatment planning, documentation and recording are also covered with specific case studies incorporated to help students with skill development.

This course provides a thorough review and critical evaluation of the major areas of personality theories and the work of major theorists. The course examines the various ways psychological researchers have developed theories of personality. Students learn to analyze, critically review, and apply personality theory to everyday life. Also, students develop their critical thinking skills as they conduct research and write about personality theory.

This course discusses the scientific study of the numerous ways that other people influence our thoughts, emotions and behaviors. One of the main themes in the course is the constant tension between being an individual and yet being subject to pressures from others. Students learn to analyze these situational forces that impinge on their everyday lives and in the process become able to choose how to respond.

This course is designed to introduce students to the field of vocational rehabilitation counseling and the foundations of the vocational rehabilitation process. It examines the historical, social, and political forces that led to the development of this field. These subjects are examined as a part of the human services continuum, including community based resources for clients, professional opportunities for counselors, as well as related ethical considerations and diversity issues.

This course discusses the biological and psychological intersections underlying perception, motor control, memory, and emotion. This course introduces students to cell structure, nervous system, brain, and basic physiology. Each of these systems gives students the foundational knowledge which underlie psychological behaviors and disorders. In addition, students examine various research methods and experiments to measure various aspects of biopsychology.

This course examines deviance as social phenomena with particular attention to its causes and to the methods society has developed in response to deviant behavior. The course addresses the nature of both criminal and non-criminal forms of deviance, a variety of theoretical perspectives to address etiological causes of such behaviors, and the role of society in labeling certain segments of the population.

This course provides an orientation to group dynamics and group leadership. Various kinds of groups, group leadership styles, and basic skills for group leaders are studied, with special attention given to group intervention strategies for the beginning stage, the middle stage, and the closing stage of a group. Emphasis is placed on helpful skills and strategies for dealing with problem group situations and group work with specific populations.

This course, divided into four units, provides an in-depth understanding of cities, their unique qualities, and persistent problems. In the first unit, students explore the historical evolution of human settlements and the emergence of urban society. In the second unit, the rise of urban America is examined including the structure and organization of cities in the United States and how they compare and contrast to their suburban counterparts. The third unit examines the social environment of large cities by looking at race, ethnicity, gender, class, and how they shape the urban experience. The fourth unit examines the causes and potential solutions to some of the major social and economic issues confronting large cities today.

This course examines the reciprocal interactions between parent and child from birth to adulthood including consideration of cross-cultural, historical and societal influences, and various family characteristics. The principles and theoretical foundations of parent-child relationships are explored, including establishing and maintaining a nurturing relationship between parents and children, and parent-child communication. Current issues affecting parenting are also studied.

This course explores the dynamics of cultural diversity and the competencies needed to work effectively in human service domains. The shared values, traditions, norms, customs, religion, art, history, folklore, and language of specific cultural groups are covered with a focus on race, gender, sexual orientation, and ethnicity. Students examine language barriers, stereotyping, prejudice, and value differences and gain an appreciation of the need for tolerance and the acceptance of cultural diversity in relation to the provision of services to people in society.