Others, such as Caryl Churchill, will also be included as a way of extending the historicizing impulse as it is understood by modern and postmodern writers. The first half of the course will be devoted to providing students with sufficient understanding of the science of biotechnology, with topics including the composition of genes, molecular biology, reproduction, cell biology, and immunology. Following the general introduction into the science underlying the technology, we will focus on the ethical, financial, political, and sociological impacts of advances in biotechnology in society. Students will research and present on current topics in biotechnology, such as gene therapy for diseases, genetic engineering in agriculture, drug development for AIDS and cancer, and reproductive technologies. In the final segment of the term, groups of students will simulate the work of a congressional subcommittee by making decisions on how to allocate funding for a variety of biotechnology projects.
Most cultural encounters fail in treating others as a valuable and necessary resource.
Instead of treating the other's difference as something that might heal an internal wound or fulfill an inner emptiness, the other's difference is primarily seen as a threat. Indeed, regarding cultural others as threats remains social theory's dominant mode of understanding encounters. No doubt there are reasons for this dominance, as, for example, the theory of Realpolitik reminds us. Yet, perhaps it is also true that the actual context of cultural encounters reveals richer possibilities, deeper motivations, and alternative postures. The junior year seminar will serve as a sounding board for these resonant themes.