If you are interested in the topics addressed by the Institute for the Study of the University in Society, you may also be interested in several courses offered by the academic units of the University. Examples are listed below, and others will be added as they are identified. Note that the Institute does not itself offer academic courses, though individuals associated with the Institute participate in courses offered through departments and other academic units of the University.
Economics 386. Urban Economics (3)
Microeconomic theory as taught in principles (and even intermediate) does not usually take into account the fact that goods, people, and information must travel in order to interact. Rather, markets are implicitly modeled as if everyone and everything is at a single point in space. In this course, we examine the implications of spatial location for economic analysis. One of the most important implications is that households and firms can find it advantageous to cluster together in cities in order to reduce transportation costs. The course will emphasize applying the theoretical analysis to real world issues, with a special emphasis on important problems facing the Cleveland metropolitan area. Prerequisite: Economics 102.
History 204. Introduction to the Nonprofit Sector (3)
The United States has by far the largest and most important "nonprofit sector" in the world, a sector consisting of voluntary non-governmental organizations that provide health care, education and social services as well as arts, religious, and advocacy activities. Using mostly primary sources, this course considers the significance of the nonprofit sector in the U.S., its advantages and disadvantages, its uses for different groups of Americans, and current trends. Students have the option of writing either a standard term paper, or a study of strategic challenges facing a contemporary nonprofit organization.
History 356. Industrial America: 1880-1940 (3)
The social, economic, and political adaptation of American society to the industrial age. The impact of industrialism on such recurrent historical problems as technological change, race relations, social reform, urbanization, and political participation.
History 362. American Social and Cultural History since 1865 (3)
History of the nationalization of new economic, political, social, scientific, and aesthetic ideas and their embodiment in the development of professions, social movements, and cultural institutions.
History 451. Seminar in the History of European Technology (3)
A graduate-level, research seminar on the history of European technology from the Industrial Revolution to the present. Special emphasis is on cultural history of technology with a transatlantic view. The themes of the seminar vary from year to year, but include: communications, industrialization, control, cultural and intellectual approaches to the history of technology. Required work includes a research paper based on original sources.
History 477. Modern Policy History of the United States (3)
This course offers a historical perspective on policy and policy making in the United States since the late nineteenth century. It emphasizes the increasing role of the federal government, the persisting importance of the states, the significance of the courts, the revolutionary impact of the women's and civil rights movements, and the consequences of the growth and transformation of the American economy. Each student selects a policy area for detailed exploration; students often choose topics related to civil rights, women's rights, health care, environmental reform, non-profit and non-governmental organizations, the arts, and education, but other topics are also appropriate. Prerequisite: Consent of department for undergrads.
Mandel Center 401: Introduction to the Nonprofit Sector (3)
An examination of the social history of nonprofit organizations in the United States, to develop an historical perspective and a sense of magnitude, scope, and functions of the nonprofit sector and its relationships with business and government. This course will explore the theoretical bases upon which social scientists have sought to understand the role of the nonprofit sector in our economy and in our political and social systems, and will explore the issues that will shape the future of the sector.
Political Science 365. Science, Technology, and Government (3)
Traces the development and influence of federal technology and science policies from colonial times to the present, with emphasis on the 20th century. Cross-listed as History 366.
USSO 215. Forever Young: A Social History of the University (3)
Traces the history of Case Western Reserve University from 1826 to the present, with opportunities to experience differences and similarities between historic and contemporary learning approaches. The course will prepare students to examine their own educational environment in the larger social context, and to share this with local and national audiences via papers, presentations, and web content that will contribute to the updated historical record of Case Western Reserve University, including a book to be published in 2006-07. Prereq: USFS 100. (Note: This course is a "University Seminar" in the SAGES Program.)
USSO 269. Create-A-College (3)
In seminar format, students will develop plans for a new institution of higher learning, shaping and communicating in several different formats its mission, goals, academic focus, and physical and financial needs. Supporting the course's research, writing, and presentation expectations will be documents from existing colleges, information on the policy and social environment for such a venture, and requirements imposed by external entities such as governmental and accrediting agencies. The course will include interactions among two sets of student teams and several intermediary presentations, culminating in a group presentation of plans for the new college to a panel of experts including current or former members of the University's Board of Trustees and the Ohio Board of Regents.