SOC4620 Sociology of Health and Medicine
4 Advanced Liberal Arts CreditsThis course exercises the sociological imagination in understanding how health, illness, and healthcare, are socially constructed. This construction occurs at a local, national, and international level, at the interplay of culture, policy, service, and business. By examining both health and health systems, students will gain an understanding of how an individual's health both shapes their navigation through society, and is affected by the society they navigate. We will examine this phenomenon at the interpersonal, structural, and international level. Our course will begin by understanding health and healthcare as a fundamentally social process - one that is affected by both the history of society at large and systems of inequality inherent to that society. We will then explore how these phenomena translate (or do not translate) in an international capacity. Finally, we will examine the process behind manufacturing health and healthcare, before exploring what can be done about health inequalities.

Through in-class discussions and writing assignments, students will gain a more critical understanding of health and health systems as a process, rather than as stagnant entities. We will analyze the intersecting roles of the family, culture, education, authority, gender, race, social class, ideology, economic commensuration, and nation of origin in the process of health - and how each of those in turn affect the business of healthcare and system of healthcare delivery.
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
v Explain sociological theories of illness in the context of real-world experiences
v Thoroughly understand the impact of the social world on the manufacturing of healthcare, the roles of health/illness to individuals, and the processes of (de)medicalization
v Describe the role of intersecting systems of disadvantage and cultural meanings on health treatments and outcomes
v Effectively critique competing mechanisms to address various 'health crisis'
v Responsibly apply empirical findings to current policies and discourse

Prerequisites: Any combination of 2 ILA (HSS, LTA, CSP, LVA, CVA)

HSS2006 South Asian History
4 Intermediate Liberal Arts CreditsHistory has been the unfortunate ground on which many of South Asia's fiercest political battles have played, and continue to play themselves out. This course considers a few of the key debates that have animated South Asian history. These include debates on the nature of colonialism, nationalism; the shape of a free India; the founding principles of the states of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan; and the legacy of colonialism on democracy, development, and globalization in these South Asian countries. We will also consider how recourse to certain interpretations of 'history' has influenced the crafting of policy and politics. Structured chronologically, the course begins with a study of colonialism in the early nineteenth century and ends by considering the challenges of deepening democratization, unequal development and the varied manifestations of globalization.

Prerequisites: (FCI1000 or AHS1000) and (WRT1001or RHT1000)

SPN4640 Spanish Cinema and Culture
4 Advanced Liberal Arts Credits

This course is designed as a conversation class, with a strong cultural component. The major course materials are contemporary Spanish language films and supplementary readings. Through the lens of ethical questions and concerns that surface in these films, students will study issues relevant to the history, culture, and politics of contemporary Latin America and Spain. Films and readings serve as the basis for debate, discussion, and written analysis. This course aims to ease the path towards greater fluency through improvements in accuracy and more spontaneous communication.

Open to students with an Intermediate level of Spanish, or higher.

Prerequisites: SPN4620, or equivalent proficiency as demonstrated through a placement test.

SPN2200 Spanish I

(Formerly SPN1200)
4 General CreditsThis is a fast-paced introductory course that prepares students for further study of the language. Through engaging, meaningful activities, students will learn to accomplish real-world communicative tasks. The course incorporates a wide variety of interactive and authentic materials to put language into practice. As the course adopts an intensive and immersive approach, it is recommended for students with some previous exposure to language learning and/or the highly motivated rank beginner.

SPN4610 SPANISH II
4 Advanced Liberal Arts CreditsThis is a fast-paced advanced beginner course. The course rapidly expands control of basic grammatical structures and vocabulary, with special attention to speaking and listening. Students consolidate their ability to communicate in Spanish through a wide range of highly communicative and interactive activities that encourage the development of real-world skills and abilities. Spanish II is the second course in the Proficiency Sequence, a program of study designed to bring students to proficiency in 4 semesters.

Prerequisites: SPN2200 Spanish I (formerly SPN1200), or equivalent proficiency as demonstrated through a required placement test. Not open to fluent speakers of Spanish.

SPN4620 Spanish III
(Formerly Borderlands)
4 Advanced Liberal Arts Credits

This course will provide an in-depth review and expansion of Intermediate-level Spanish grammar and vocabulary through oral and written practice. Through the use of selected readings, films and music, students will continue to develop their ability to communicate proficiently in Spanish. Supplementary materials will provide a jumping off point for discussions of immigrant experiences in the U.S., Spain, and Latin America. The course will explore the factors that motivate migration, as well the implications (economic, political, artistic, musical, culinary, linguistic, etc.) of immigrant experiences and cultural exchanges throughout the Spanish-speaking world.

Prerequisites: SPN1200 or SPN2200 (Accelerated Elementary Spanish at Babson), or equivalent proficiency as demonstrated through a required placement test. Not open to fluent speakers of Spanish.

POL4640 Sports and Global Affairs
4 Advanced Liberal Arts Credits

Can we leave politics out of sport? Should women receive equal pay? Are video games real sport? Today, it seems sport is highly associated with social, economic, and political issues of the world. Has this always been the case? Sports have existed as a social activity and developed as a form of human and country relations throughout history. In 2020 alone, the COVID-19 pandemic halted sport activities around the world and when they returned, athletes used their platform to protest racial injustice in the USA and Europe. The Tokyo 2020 Olympics were postponed to the summer of 2021 and E-games became the safest form of sports during the pandemic engaging more viewers and gamers across the globe.

This course will explore the connection between sport and global affairs currently and throughout history to answer the questions above. It will trace instances where sport collides with social, political, and economic issues around the globe since the inception of modern sport. It will also identify how global issues have impacted the development of sports and how sports have shaped global and national issues from the margins.

We will read scholarly books and articles from the fields and disciplines of sport, political science, women, gender and sexuality studies, critical race studies, sociology, and international relations. Together we will also watch films in line with the readings. Guest speakers will join us and contribute to discussions too. All this will be done to enhance critical and analytical skills and will challenge students to think with increased confidence, independence, and creativity about the material.

Prerequisites: Any combination of 2 ILA (HSS, LTA, CSP, LVA, CVA)

LIT4607 Sports and Literature
2 Advanced Liberal Arts Credits
Blended Learning FormatThe Ancient Greek lyric poet Pindar wrote victory odes for winners in the Olympian Games, whose "prizes [were] won in trials of strength." In doing so he forged a powerful connection between writing and sporting achievement. Long after Pindar, many writers have been drawn to sport, and many sports have rich and extensive literatures surrounding them. This course examines the varied representations that fiction writers, poets, memoirists, and essayists have made of individual and team sports and their players. This course also pursues theoretical examinations of sport and its place in culture, including Theodor Adorno's assertion that "sport is the imageless counterpart to practical life". We work within such areas as race, class, gender, politics, and aesthetics. Delivered online, this class includes multimodal assignment delivery, blending students' written texts with audio-visual methods of communicating meaning. We also host visiting writers from the field of sports and literature.

Prerequisites: Any combination of 2 ILA (HSS, LTA, CSP, LVA, CVA)

QTM2622 Sports Applications of Mathematics
4 Advanced Liberal Arts CreditsMathematicians and statisticians are playing an increasing role in shaping how athletic contests are played and how they are judged. This course examines some of the underlying quantitative principles that are routinely used. Students will apply some statistical techniques (expectations, probability and risk/reward judgments) and some that are deterministic (optimization, ranking and validation.) A variety of software packages will be used to demonstrate the many ways that a mathematical point of view can inform athletes, trainers, administrators and fans.

Prerequisites: QTM1010 or AQM2000

SEN1302 Sports Decisions Through Analytics(Senior Instructor: Ryan Duff) Course Description: With the new prominence of sports analytics (i.e. Moneyball, Numbers Never Lie (ESPN), and Accuscore), sports have become much more than just winning and losing. Statistical analysis can predict whether a team will become a dominant force, as well as a profitable franchise. In this hands-on course we will explore and practice sports analytics through statistical programs and techniques that analyze player and team stats in order to determine the keys to building a cohesive team. We will also learn how team owners are able to make strategic decisions using key statistical analyses. Students do not need advanced math or statistical coursework or knowledge to enroll in this course.

Course Schedule: Fridays: January 31, February 7, February 14, February 21, February 28 and March 7 (Showcase of all Senior-Led Seminars)