When we think of politics, we usually think about how people relate to each other within our own nation. We focus on some military, political, economic, and cultural issues, such as the question of abolishing nuclear weapons, the politics of economic globalization, and the cultural politics of ethnic and religious conflicts. Psychologists have examined the formation of the self from its first emergence in infancy to its continuing expression across the life span. This course focuses on current events with an emphasis on controversial issues in the news. Students research, prepare, and deliver public speeches as they examine and discuss the issues.
Emphasis is on class participation.
Courtrooms and Communication From classical times to our own era, trials have produced moments of great human drama, significant social change, and materials for films, plays, fiction. In this seminar we investigate trials and legal advocacy from the perspective of communication. We examine topics like argument, evidence, burdens of proof, judgment, juries as human decision making groups, the ethical responsibilities of advocates, and the importance of trials as historical and cultural artifacts. We also look at Ithaca College's policies for dealing with such things as academic integrity, student behavior on and off campus, sexual harassment, speech codes, and drug and alcohol policies. In this course, we investigate how imagination and intellect combine to help create community and how identity helps to shape community.