Category Archives: Societies & the Social Sciences

Elective Courses in Liberal Arts & Sciences

Food and the City (FOOD-UE 1050)

Credits: 4
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates:

Food is all around us. It influences who we are and how we related to our surroundings. This course explores food in the city from multiple points of view. Students observe and analyze various aspects of food in the city, from personal experiences to large social issues such as gentrification and food insecurity, and examine the cultural, social, and political aspects of food systems. Students acquire familiarity with basic ethnographic skills and methods such as interviews, observations, visual ethnography, and virtual ethnography Liberal Arts Core/CORE Equivalent – satisfies the requirement for Society & Social Sciences for Steinhardt students.

Food Studies (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Fall 2025 Liberal Arts & Sciences - Electives Societies & the Social Sciences Spring 2026 Undergraduate

Global Media Seminar: Britain and Europe (MCC-UE 9457)

Credits: 4
Duration: 14 Weeks
Dates:

With an emphasis on British and European news and journalism, this course explores globalization from a wide range of theoretical frameworks including political economy, cultural analysis, theories of representation, and critical race and postcolonial studies. It considers how technologies, diasporic and transnational communities, and international institutions impact global communications, and how these networks and organizations are challenging, re-imagining and re-shaping social, cultural and geographic boundaries via mediated discourse.

Media, Culture & Communication (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 14 Weeks

Fall 2025 Liberal Arts & Sciences - Electives Societies & the Social Sciences Spring 2026 Undergraduate

Management & Organizations (BUSOR-UH 1003)

Credits: 4
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Tue,Thu
Credits: 4
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Tue,Thu

Why do some organizations succeed while others flounder? Whether it be as an employee within a traditional for-profit business, or within one of the wide spectrum of alternative career paths, all of us will ultimately be a part of organizations. This course will help illuminate the key processes and factors that determine why organizations function as they do, drawing upon the fields of management, strategy, sociology, and psychology in the process. Specific topics covered include: Corporate strategy and achieving competitive advantage, Organizational structure and design, Organizational and national culture, Leadership, Motivation and incentives, Groups dynamics, Power & politics within organizations, including a discussion of persuasion & influence and social networks, Judgment and decision-making.

Business & Organizational Studies (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Fall 2025 Liberal Arts & Sciences - Electives Societies & the Social Sciences Spring 2026 Undergraduate

Intro to Marketing (MKTG-UB 9001)

Credits: 4
Duration: 14 Weeks
Dates: Thu
Credits: 4
Duration: 14 Weeks
Dates: Thu,Tue,Thu
Credits: 4
Duration: 14 Weeks
Dates: Thu,Tue,Thu
Credits: 4
Duration: 14 Weeks
Dates: Thu,Tue,Thu
Credits: 4
Duration: 14 Weeks
Dates: Thu,Tue,Thu,Mon
Credits: 4
Duration: 14 Weeks
Dates: Thu,Tue,Thu,Mon,Tue
Credits: 4
Duration: 14 Weeks
Dates: Thu,Tue,Thu,Mon,Tue
Credits: 4
Duration: 14 Weeks
Dates: Thu,Tue,Thu,Mon,Tue,Wed

This course evaluates marketing as a system for the satisfaction of human wants and a catalyst of business activity. It presents a comprehensive framework that includes a) researching and analyzing customers, company, competition, and the marketing environment, b) identifying and targeting attractive segments with strategic positioning, and c) making product, pricing, communication, and distribution decisions. Cases and examples are utilized to develop problem-solving abilities.

Marketing (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 14 Weeks

Fall 2025 General Elective Societies & the Social Sciences Spring 2026 Undergraduate
Fall 2023

Economics of Media and Entertainment (ECON-UB 120)

The media and entertainment industries (including professional sports) share a series of peculiar features: essentially, they (a) produce an intangible output (e.g., a music recording), which can be distributed in a variety of forms and (b) do so based on an input which is extremely idiosyncratic: the creative output of a person or group of persons (e.g., a singer or a band). Finally, (c) recent technological innovation has changed the balance of power between the various players and led various industry segments to re-invent their business model. This course provides an introduction to the businesses of media and entertainment: value chain, key players, significant trends, etc. It takes a distinctive economics perspective to understanding how the forces of supply and demand have changed the business model of various industry segments.

Economics (Undergraduate)
3 credits – 14 Weeks

General Elective Liberal Arts & Sciences - Electives Societies & the Social Sciences Undergraduate
Fall 2023 Spring 2021

Entertainment Law (MULT-UB 48)

This two-credit course is about key legal aspects of the entertainment industry. Entertainment law is not a separate legal discipline. There is really no such thing as entertainment law. Instead, it lies at the intersection of several areas of law and applies those disciplines to the diverse entertainment industry of products and services. The course will involve a foundational coverage of the following areas: contract, advertising, protection of ideas by contract, copyright and trademark (including the concepts of parody and fair use), rights of publicity and privacy, defamation, and artist representation. This course should prepare you to analyze a wide variety of entertainment law issues at a general level. Entertainment law does not tend towards an orderly system because it lacks overriding organizational principles that would tie together its myriad facets. As such, this course will appear to lack a logical outline in its progression and instead, will examine this corner of law in separate pieces, which will cover doctrine, analytical problem-solving, practical skills related to law (e.g., analytical writing, reasoning skills, argument structure, etc.), and the particular contexts in which issues arise in the entertainment industry. Dealing with more narrow topics, such as constitutional concerns or union representation, or obtaining a much deeper knowledge of specific topics discussed in class, will require additional, specialized study. This class also helps students further develop their reasoning, communication, and listening skills.

Multidisciplinary (Undergraduate)
2 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2021)

MULT-UB 48-000 (10639)01/28/2021 – 05/10/2021 Thu2:00 PM – 3:00 PM (Early afternoon)at Washington SquareInstructed by

MULT-UB 48-000 (10725)01/28/2021 – 05/10/2021 Thu3:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Late afternoon)at Washington SquareInstructed by

General Elective Liberal Arts & Sciences - Electives Societies & the Social Sciences Undergraduate
Fall 2024 Spring 2023

Film, Literature and Mental Health (UNDSW-US 89)

Artists often explore powerful issues of mental health through literature and film. “No form of art goes beyond ordinary consciousness as film does, straight to our emotions, deep into the twilight room of the soul.” (Ingmar Bergmann 1918-2007) In this course, we will draw on classic examples from literature and film to highlight and understand aspects of mental health in ways that are more vivid and visceral than any text book can illustrate. Materials will be chosen from novels, poems, and films to illustrate various mental health issues, such as anxiety, depression, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), dissociative identity disorder (DID), and schizophrenia. We will look at how some of the disorders fare in psychological treatments that either succeed or fail. Guest speakers may be invited to highlight some topics.

Undergrad Social Work (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 14 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2024)

UNDSW-US 89-000 (16283)09/03/2024 – 12/12/2024 Mon11:00 AM – 1:00 PM (Morning)at Washington SquareInstructed by Michaels, Vera

Expressive Culture Liberal Arts & Sciences - Electives Societies & the Social Sciences Undergraduate
Fall 2023

Ethnicity & The Media (SCA-UA 232)

Examines media images in relation to the making of ethnic and racial identities in the United States. Surveys some of the theoretical approaches to the study of images, paying particular attention to the intersection of history and ideologies or representation. Looks into the nature and politics of stereotypes; inquires into their reproduction through discourses, representations, and practices; and then moves to a comparative examination of media images in relation to the making of African American, Latino, Asian, and Native American images in the media, looking specifically at changes and continuities in the representation of these four minority groups in the media.

Social and Cultural Analysis (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 14 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2023)

SCA-UA 232-000 (20866)09/05/2023 – 12/15/2023 Tue,Thu3:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Late afternoon)at Washington SquareInstructed by Davila, Arlene

Societies & the Social Sciences Undergraduate
Spring 2022

Principles of Macroeconomics (ECI-UF 101)

This course provides an introduction to the fundamental topics in macroeconomics, the analysis of the economy as a whole. After an overview of introductory economic concepts, such as comparative advantage, opportunity costs, and supply and demand, the course focuses on the determinants of aggregate income, employment, and prices. Other topics include the study of long-run economic growth, the business cycle, the financial system, as well as monetary and fiscal policy. *ECI-UF 101 and ECII-UF 102 may meet some of the equivalent course requirements for the College of Arts and Science. Students may take ECI-UF 101 and ECII-UF 102 in any order; neither course is a pre-requisite for the other.

Economics I (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2022)

ECI-UF 101-000 (19798)01/24/2022 – 05/09/2022 Tue,Thu12:00 AM – 1:00 PM (Early afternoon)at Washington SquareInstructed by Mejorado, Ascension

ECI-UF 101-000 (13426)01/24/2022 – 05/09/2022 Tue,Thu11:00 AM – 12:00 AM (Morning)at Washington SquareInstructed by Mejorado, Ascension

ECI-UF 101-000 (13352)01/24/2022 – 05/09/2022 Tue,Thu2:00 PM – 3:00 PM (Early afternoon)at Washington SquareInstructed by Mejorado, Ascension

ECI-UF 101-000 (19799)at Washington SquareInstructed by

ECI-UF 101-000 (19800)at Washington SquareInstructed by

Liberal Arts & Sciences - Electives Societies & the Social Sciences Undergraduate

Urban Ethnography (SCA-UA 9868)

Credits: 4
Duration: 14 Weeks
Dates: Mon,Wed

Through a focus on contemporary Paris, this course aims to explore the insights offered by anthropological approaches to cities and urban life. We will consider the relationships between urban spatial organization and an array of social, economic and political phenomena; the relevance of consumption and display to the shaping of urban identities; and the shifting dynamics of social groups and boundaries within the urban context. This will be accomplished through course readings and also through training in urban ethnographic research methods, supporting each student’s own systematic observation over the semester of one locus of everyday Parisian life. The final project for the course will be a piece of ethnographic analysis based on this field research.

Social and Cultural Analysis (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 14 Weeks

Fall 2025 Societies & the Social Sciences Spring 2026 Undergraduate
Fall 2023

Quantified Self (CCOL-UH 1059Q)

Self-tracking. Biohacking. Personal informatics. Quantified self. The contemporary “quantified self” movement makes claims of “self-knowledge through numbers” and improving health and human welfare. There are clearly other elements to self-tracking culture that deserve critical investigation. What does the self become through the lens of data? What is the dark side of data that can be used against us, and without regard for social justice and equality? This multidisciplinary course takes both a theoretical and a practical look at the pressing issue of data aggregation about human beings. It looks to the past for historical forms of self-quantification and to the future of a rapidly expanding globalized landscape of app tracking and wearable technologies. With the question of human data in mind, the course examines the unsure futures of humanity in a variety of domains: medicine and aging, education, the arts, marketing, and the Internet of Things. Students will situate themselves critically within this increasingly dense data landscape by creating data about themselves that can be analyzed and interpreted using a variety of data visualization and storytelling frameworks.

Core: Colloquium (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2023)

CCOL-UH 1059Q-000 (22917)08/29/2023 – 12/15/2023 Tue,Thu12:00 AM – 2:00 PM (Early afternoon)at Abu DhabiInstructed by Wrisley, David

Societies & the Social Sciences Undergraduate
Fall 2023

Conserving Our Global Heritage through Science (CCOL-UH 1006)

What is “global heritage”? Is it simply our collective legacy as human societies – how we want to be remembered by future generations – or must we confront more difficult questions about identity, the ownership of culture, and conflicts between local and global stewardship of the cultural treasures and historical evidence? With time, negligence, and even military conflict working to erase the past, we must ask: Can a better understanding of our shared heritage assist us in addressing cultural differences in the present day? And how can science both help us understand the historic record and work to preserve it? This class examines ways in which scientific methods can help define “global heritage” and protect it for future generations. Students explore the history and the science behind the creation of paintings, frescoes, parchments, sculptures, ancient mummies, historical buildings, musical instruments, and other artifacts. They will also examine the methods used to differentiate between an authentic object and a fake and ask how some objects come to be valued more than others: distinctions that can lead, and have led, to cultural conflict in recent years.

Core: Colloquium (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2023)

CCOL-UH 1006-000 (17210)08/29/2023 – 12/15/2023 Mon,Wed11:00 AM – 12:00 AM (Morning)at Abu DhabiInstructed by Arneodo, Francesco · Parthesius, Robert

Societies & the Social Sciences Undergraduate

Cultural Appropriation (CCEA-UH 1069)

Virtually unknown outside of academic discourse until recently, the term cultural appropriation has become a commonplace in social and popular media, as activists and public intellectuals have highlighted what they see as problematic uses (or abuses) of cultural symbols, artifacts, or expressive modes connected to marginalized groups. But what exactly is cultural appropriation, and under what circumstances can it be said to constitute a form of exploitation or violence? This course approaches these questions both philosophically and empirically, asking, on the one hand: What is culture, and how can it be “owned” or “stolen”? and on the other: How have practices of adopting or using culture been implicated in processes of social subjugation or marginalization? Course readings are drawn from a range of disciplines across the humanities and social sciences, including cultural anthropology, art theory, music studies, and philosophy. By engaging with a rich corpus of ideas through in-class discussions, oral presentations, and written reflections, students will develop critical perspectives on cultural appropriation as well as the broader concepts of culture, race, and ethnicity.

Core: Cultural Exploration & Analysis (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2025)

CCEA-UH 1069-000 (20400)08/25/2025 – 12/10/2025 Tue,Thu11:00 AM – 12:00 AM (Morning)at Abu DhabiInstructed by Eisenberg, Andrew Jarad

Fall 2025 Societies & the Social Sciences Undergraduate
Spring 2023

Introduction to Psychology and Its Principles (APSY-UE 2)

Introduction to the fundamental principles of psychology, emphasizing both the unity & the diversity of a field that spans major theoretical & research areas, including biological bases of human behavior, learning, development, motivation, & social and abnormal behavior. Links between theory & classic as well as contemporary research are a recurrent theme. Liberal Arts Core/MAP Equivalent – satisfies the requirement for Society & the Social Sciences

Applied Psychology (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2023)

APSY-UE 2-000 (11013)01/23/2023 – 05/08/2023 Tue,Thu9:00 AM – 10:00 AM (Morning)at Washington SquareInstructed by Brito, Natalie

APSY-UE 2-000 (12169)01/23/2023 – 05/08/2023 Thu7:00 PM – 7:00 PM (Evening)at Washington SquareInstructed by Collado, Amarfi

APSY-UE 2-000 (12170)01/23/2023 – 05/08/2023 Thu8:00 PM – 8:00 PM (Evening)at Washington SquareInstructed by Collado, Amarfi

APSY-UE 2-000 (12171)at Washington SquareInstructed by

APSY-UE 2-000 (12172)at Washington SquareInstructed by

APSY-UE 2-000 (12337)01/23/2023 – 05/08/2023 Fri10:00 AM – 11:00 AM (Morning)at Washington SquareInstructed by Sanchez, Nathalia

APSY-UE 2-000 (12338)01/23/2023 – 05/08/2023 Fri11:00 AM – 12:00 AM (Morning)at Washington SquareInstructed by Sanchez, Nathalia

APSY-UE 2-000 (21776)at Washington SquareInstructed by

Liberal Arts & Sciences - Electives Societies & the Social Sciences Undergraduate

Disability Justice and Radical Inclusion (OT-UE 1403)

Explores the implications and meaning of having a disability in global contexts by introducing students to experts’ voices, especially disabled activists, as they seek to advance disability justice and inclusion and demand systemic change in spheres of influence including education, politics, healthcare, the arts, culture, social welfare, and everyday life. Examines how public (government) and private (outside of the government) policies and practices in these sectors affect the inclusion of persons with disabilities. Students explore and identify how international trends in disability and inclusion, local cultural beliefs, and biases influence inclusion.

Occupational Therapy (Undergraduate)
2 credits – 7 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2025)

OT-UE 1403-000 (12899)09/02/2025 – 10/21/2025 Wed11:00 AM – 12:00 AM (Morning)at Washington SquareInstructed by Onwumere, Dora

Fall 2025 Liberal Arts & Sciences - Electives Societies & the Social Sciences Undergraduate

Abrupt Climate Change (OART-UT 1058)

Credits: 4
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Tue

Combining science and the art of storytelling, this course will tackle one of the most pressing issues facing the future of humanity: Abrupt Climate Change. In a unique collaboration with NYU physical climate scientist Professor David Holland, students will research and create work that bridges the divide between science and the public through accurate, creative science-based storytelling. This highly multidisciplinary, hands-on course welcomes students from all backgrounds and fields of study to imagine and invent creative ways of telling stories about this global phenomenon and to investigate solutions. Weekly assignments will lead to a final collaborative project and an exhibition open to the public.

Open Arts Curriculum (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Societies & the Social Sciences Spring 2026 Undergraduate

Feminist Filmmakers (FMTV-UT 1156)

Feminist Filmmakers examines gender constructs in narrative film and episodic work. We will explore how gender constructs in film and television influence societal views of gender roles, as well as contextualize gender in the era and cultures specific films were made. The vehicle through which this course will examine gender will be the history and work of female directors around the world. Screenings, critical reading in film and gender studies, articles and interviews on current debates regarding gender and diversity inclusion in the film industry, make this class valuable for everyone.

Undergraduate

Class #
Section #
Meets

Class #: 12875
Section #: 001
Meets: T 3:30-6:10p

Expressive Culture Fall 2025 Fall 2026 Liberal Arts & Sciences - Electives Societies & the Social Sciences Spring 2025 Summer 2025 Summer 2026 Undergraduate
Spring 2023

Consumer Behavior (MKTG-UB 2)

This course presents a comprehensive, systematic, and practical conceptual framework for understanding people as consumers—the basic subject matter of all marketing. It draws on the social sciences to evaluate the influence of both individual and ecological factors on market actions. Students discuss relevant psychological and sociological theories and study how they can be used to predict consumers’ reactions to strategic marketing decisions. Basic methodologies for research in consumer behavior are developed and applied. Course emphasis is on developing applications of behavioral concepts and methods for marketing actions.

Marketing (Undergraduate)
3 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2023)

MKTG-UB 2-000 (18452)01/23/2023 – 05/08/2023 Mon,Wed9:00 AM – 10:00 AM (Morning)at Washington SquareInstructed by Watson, Jared

MKTG-UB 2-000 (18466)01/23/2023 – 05/08/2023 Mon,Wed11:00 AM – 12:00 AM (Morning)at Washington SquareInstructed by Watson, Jared

MKTG-UB 2-000 (18486)01/23/2023 – 05/08/2023 Mon,Wed3:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Late afternoon)at Washington SquareInstructed by Pham, Ngoc

Societies & the Social Sciences Undergraduate
Spring 2023

Transgender Youth (CAMS-UA 154)

Transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) youth are quickly becoming more visible in society. Parents of gender non-conforming children are coming to mental health providers in increasing numbers and are often met with stigma and bias and a lack of education on TGNC health. TGNC youth are turned out of their homes at disproportionate rates and harassed and bullied in school at higher rates than their gender conforming peers. They have higher rates of suicide, depression and substance abuse and face unique medical, legal and social barriers. They also have produced their own cultures and communities to face these challenges. This course will examine the scientific research on TGNC youth in the context of the practical challenges faced by these individuals and their families. Students will hear from experts in the field, receive personal accounts from TGNC teens and transgender adults, and take field trips to social services agencies and events produced by TGNC teens themselves.

Child/Adoles Mental Hlth Stds (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2023)

CAMS-UA 154-000 (8893)01/23/2023 – 05/08/2023 Tue,Thu8:00 AM – 9:00 AM (Morning)at Washington SquareInstructed by Glaeser, Elizabeth

Societies & the Social Sciences Undergraduate
Spring 2023

Poverty and Inequality Around the Globe (SOCS-SHU 326)

This seminar examines the causes and consequences of poverty and rising inequality around the globe. Students will study the ways in which poverty and inequality are shaped by multifaceted contexts; understand the theories underlying strategies and programs which address key poverty and inequality issues faced by many developed, developing and least developed countries; and learn about different countries’ experiences addressing their own poverty and inequality issues. We consider philosophies of global justice and the ethics of global citizenship, and students are expected to critically reflect upon their own engagements with poverty relief activities and aspirations for social changes. Students should be prepared to tackle advanced social science readings, analysis, and writing. Open to seniors, and to other students with instructor’s permission. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or above. Fulfillment: Social Science Focus Political Economy/Sociology 300 level.

Social Science (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2023)

SOCS-SHU 326-000 (20242)01/30/2023 – 05/12/2023 Wed8:00 PM – 9:00 PM (Evening)at ShanghaiInstructed by Zelleke, Almaz

Societies & the Social Sciences Undergraduate