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Lasell University
Lasell University

2014 - 2015 Academic Catalog

Diversity & Inclusion Minor

The diversity and inclusion minor is designed to prepare graduates to work with diverse groups of people. There will be an emphasis on exploring issues of diversity in the United States related to difference in power dynamics. Students may choose to concentrate their studies within the minor on a particular topic under the umbrella of diversity. Such topics may include race, class, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, physical abilities, intellectual abilities, immigration status, age, etc.

Students pursuing this minor will be required to complete at least one service learning or social justice linked credit working on a topic or with a population representing diversity that is different in some ways from the student’s identities. Special topics courses related to diversity, either in the U.S. or globally, may be counted with permission by the Social Sciences Department Chair.

Course Code Course Title Credits
Choose 2 from the following:
CJ323 Justice, Class, Race & Gender 3
PSYC316 Psychology of Diversity 3
SOC301 Race & Ethnic Relations 3
Choose 4 from the following:
CJ303 Domestic Violence 3
CJ319 Victimology 3
COM212 Intercultural Communication 3
ECON103 Economics of Social Issues 3
ENG313 American Multiethnic Literature 3
HIST203 The History of Women in U.S. 3
HIST207 African American History 3
HIST337 History of Everyday Life 3
PHIL106 World Religions 3
PSYC111 Generations in America 3
PSYC205 Human Sexuality 3
PSYC220 Social Psychology 3
PSYC241 The Psychological Life of Girls & Women 3
SOC102 Introduction to Women's Studies 3
SOC214 Family Diversity 3
SOC221 Contemporary Social Problems 3
SOC335 Social Policy 3
SPAN314 Cinemundo 4

1 Social Justice or Service Learning Linked Credit*, working with a diverse population: 1 credit**

*Note: When a linked credit is attached to a class that, in itself, is not related to diversity, only the linked credit will count towards the minor, not the credits for the class.

**The linked credit requirement can be waived for another practical experience such as a departmental internship or a Service Learning Internship (SVL 201 or SVL 301), provided that experience involves issues of diversity.

Credit Requirements for minor: 19 credits

CJ323 - Justice, Class, Race & Gender

This course explores issues unique to individuals of different classes, gender, and/or races or ethnic groups. The course focuses on these issues specifically in the context of the American criminal justice and legal systems. Issues of diversity relevant to all aspects of the criminal justice system are examined. Prerequisites: CJ 101, LS 101, PSYC 101 or SOC 101, Sophomore standing.

PSYC316 - Psychology of Diversity

This course explores diversity and its relation to identity, relationship, and power. Areas of diversity that may be a focus of the course include race, class, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, immigration status, disabilities, aging and/or health status. Students study diversity on micro, meso and macro levels including perspectives on individual and group identity, prejudice and discrimination, and psychological well-being. Students are challenged to explore their own identities and the assumptions they make about various forms of diversity. Prerequisites: Any 200 level Social Science course.

SOC301 - Race & Ethnic Relations

This course examines the changing nature of race and ethnic relations with primary emphasis on the United States. Topics include: the origins and consequences of racial/ethnic discriminations; immigration policies; movements for integration and separatism; the role of class, religion, and gender on issues of race/ethnicity; the impact of widely differing cultural heritages on our national life: and specific present day problems and trends. Prerequisite: Any 200 level Social Science course.

CJ303 - Domestic Violence

This course introduces students to the basic concepts of the law relating to domestic violence. In addition the course examines the existence of violence among family members and in relationships in today's society. Topics include child abuse, partner abuse, and elder abuse. Prerequisite: LS 101, CJ 101 or any introductory social science course.

CJ319 - Victimology

This course presents an overview of the history and theories of victimology. Students analyze victimization patterns with special emphasis on types of victims and crimes. The course also examines the interaction between victims of crime and the criminal justice system, the victim’s rights movement, and services offered to victims of crime. Prerequisite: CJ 101, LS 101, PSYC 101 or SOC 101.

COM212 - Intercultural Communication

This course examines communication issues that arise from contact between people from different cultural backgrounds in everyday life, social encounters, and business transactions. Interdisciplinary approaches are applied to the study of how verbal and nonverbal presentation, ethnic, gender, and cultural differences affect communication. The course provides exercises in participation, analysis, and criticism of interethnic and interracial communications in small group settings. Students examine factors of international communication; such as the cultural, economic, political, and social influences and the role of communication in affecting social change in a wide variety of cultures and countries. Prerequisite: COM 101 or SOC 101 or PSYC 101.

ECON103 - Economics of Social Issues

This course examines a broad range of social issues from an economics perspective. Designed for non-business majors, the course provides an introduction to economic reasoning and to some basic economic concepts which are then used to analyze a variety of social problems. Possible topics include poverty, unemployment, agriculture, discrimination, crime, pollution, education, health care, social security, and third world development. .

ENG313 - American Multiethnic Literature

This course focuses on the history, variety, and aesthetic conventions of one or more racial-ethnic traditions in American writing. Individual courses might focus on key forms or authors; distinct traditions such as African-American, Latino, Asian-American, or Native American literature; or a survey across several traditions. Examples include Barack Obama and the African-American Tradition, Contemporary Latino Literatures, or Haiti and the US in Haitian-American Writing. This is a writing-intensive course. Prerequisite: Any 200-level English course.

HIST203 - The History of Women in U.S.

This course explores the social history of women in the United States, beginning in the colonial period and ending with an examination of twentieth-century issues. Emphasis is on the image of women held during these periods, in contrast to actual conditions. Contributions of women to social change and the growth of women’s movements are also analyzed. Prerequisite: a 100-level history course or ENG 102.

HIST207 - African American History

This course explores the history of African Americans in the United States from their African beginnings to the present. It traces the lives and status of African Americans, enslaved and emancipated, as they confronted the barriers of legal, institutional, and cultural prejudices; it examines the socioeconomic and political experiences of blacks in America and investigates strategies of accommodation, resistance, and protest in the struggle of African Americans to gain human and first-class citizenship rights. This is a writing-intensive course. Prerequisite: a 100-level history course or ENG 102.

HIST337 - History of Everyday Life

This seminar introduces students to the work and methodologies of social and cultural historians. The main focus of these historians is on certain social groups, such as peasants, slaves, poor workers, and women, who have been seemingly powerless for much of history. This course explores the significant roles these groups have in fact had in the development of human history. In studying these roles, students gain a better understanding of the continuities and changes in daily life among ordinary people. Last, since this course takes a comparative approach, students develop a heightened consciousness of contemporary social and cultural structures. Prerequisite: a 200 -level history course or permission of instructor.

PHIL106 - World Religions

This course provides an overview of the major religious traditions: Taoism, Confucianism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Central themes from these traditions are studied through selected scriptures and texts of each tradition.

PSYC111 - Generations in America

This course offers a social-developmental, multidisciplinary overview of issues related to the expanding age population in the United States. Students examine aging stereotypes, characteristics of aging populations, and the impact of age-related forces on individuals in American society. The course is geared toward students in a variety of disciplines and provides a knowledge base that can be applied to other areas of study.

PSYC205 - Human Sexuality

This course is designed to introduce factual information about gender identity and gender role theories, sexual preference and sexual orientation, and psychosexual development. The course examines issues related to research on human sexuality and behavior, as well as sexual education, sexual disorders, and societal impacts on sexuality. Students are challenged to think critically about many issues surrounding human sexuality and all of its manifestations. Prerequisite: PSYC 101.

PSYC220 - Social Psychology

This is an introduction to the study of social interactions from a psychological perspective. Research reviewed focuses on topics such as: social perception, group interaction, attitude formation, attitudinal change, aggression, conflict, and pro-social behavior. Prerequisite: PSYC 101.

PSYC241 - The Psychological Life of Girls & Women

This course utilizes intrapersonal, psychosocial, and sociocultural perspectives to explore the psychological strengths and problems experienced by girls and women. Topics may include the mental health system, eating disorders, depression, women in families, violence against women, friendship, identity and diversity, immigrant experiences, biological influences, sexuality, issues at school and in the workplace, leadership, and research bias. Literature is examined critically for gender, racial, ethnic, and sexual preference biases, power dynamics, and limitations imposed on both females and males by gender imperatives. Prerequisite: PSYC 221 or PSYC 223, or permission of the instructor.

SOC102 - Introduction to Women's Studies

This course is designed to help students develop a critical framework for examining feminist thought and gender-related behaviors. Utilizing sociology, anthropology, history, and literature the course examines the roles and stereotypes society ascribes to women and how those roles impact the development of a feminist perspective in a contemporary world.

SOC214 - Family Diversity

This course explores the meaning of "family" in a historical and cross-cultural context - it looks at the way families and households are constructed, and at how these institutions are impacted by social forces including demographic, ideological, and economic changes in societies. Family diversity is discussed in the context of social constructions such as race, class, and gender. Current themes in family sociology that are covered include, amongst others, sexuality, marriage, parenting, violence, divorce and remarriage, and family policy. Prerequisite: SOC 101.

SOC221 - Contemporary Social Problems

This course examines conditions and issues that result in tension and disorder. Examples drawn primarily from American society include: labeling and social control of deviants, oppression of minorities, poverty, violence, ageism, and ecological concerns. Prerequisite: SOC 101.

SOC335 - Social Policy

This course examines historical and contemporary factors influencing the making of social policy and introduces the student to processes used to identify and solve social problems. Special attention is given to the relationships of values to social policy and the impact of social policy decisions on the provision of social and human services. Approaches to the analysis of social policy are examined. Prerequisite: Any 200 Level Sociology course.

SPAN314 - Cinemundo

This course is designed as an advanced seminar in Spanish. Discussions focus on films, historical writings, and literary texts, as four general categories are explored: memory and oblivion, immigration and exile, identities marginalized, and the Hispanic in the globalizing world. Native speakers are welcome, and the course offers a special opportunity for Honors students to complete an Honors component. Prerequisite: SPAN201or SPAN211 (with C or better) or permission of instructor.