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ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
Birmingham-Southern College Catalog 2015-2016
HON 250 History of Documentary Film (1)
An introductory survey of documentary film. The course will focus on some
of the major developments in documentary practice, while also considering
a number of theoretical issues in the documentary tradition, including the
problem of objectivity, the relationship between the documentary image
and reality, and the mixing of fiction and nonfiction modes. The goals of
this course are to introduce students to the important historical trends and
concepts and to help develop the critical and analytical skills needed to
understand the structure, style, and rhetorical strategies of documentary
film. A Leadership Studies designated course. Prerequisite: Harrison Honors
Program.
HON 280 The Economics of Poverty (1)
An investigation of the tools and methods economists use to analyze the
causes and effects of poverty and discrimination. The course examines
economic theories and relevant empirical findings, analyzes poverty-related
data and measurements of poverty and discrimination, and examines the
effectiveness of public policies aimed at reducing poverty. Prerequisite:
Harrison Honors Program.
HON 282 Disputers of the Dao: Major Texts in the Confucian, Buddhist,
and Daoist Traditions in East Asia (1)
The historical development of the major philosophical and religious
traditions of East Asia (Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism) taught
through the reading of a selection of their fundamental texts. The focus will
be the texts, the major doctrines and schools of these traditions, and the
patterns of their historical development in China, India, Japan, and Korea.
Prerequisite: Harrison Honors Program.
HON 284 Psychology of Mass Media (1)
A seminar examining the intersection between mass media and human
psychology. The course explores how children, adolescents, and adults
process and respond to mass media with emphasis on cognitive, social,
behavioral, and personality theories. Topics include the impact of media
on identity development; the ways that media representations of gender,
race, and class affect our social and cognitive constructions of groups; the
influences of media exposure on human behavior; and the role of the active
audience in media consumption and creation. This course will highlight
the interaction between the media and audience, focusing not only on how
mass media shapes human psychology, but also how the psychology of the
audience shapes media. Prerequisite: Harrison Honors Program.