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HSS 125 Introduction to Humanities and Social Sciences
2 Credits
This course places the intellectual disciplines of the social sciences and the humanities in the global context of the world of work. Students come to appreciate the extraordinary versatility and the enormous scope afforded a person educated in culture and heritage and social and community research.
Prerequisite(s): COL 120
HSS 200 Social and Economic Trends in the Gulf
3 Credits
Explores the many facets of social and economic trends that are emerging in modern Gulf societies. Raises students' awareness of the dynamics of globalism and how its forces impact local and regional communities. Identifies new socioeconomic trends and analyzes their causes and implications for the Gulf region as a whole and the U.A.E. in particular. Students are then guided through a process of critical evaluation in examining the importance of these trends, their continuity, and the prospects they hold for the future.
HSS 200AL Arabic Lab
1 Credit
This lab is taken in conjunction with HSS200 Social and Economic Trends in the Gulf. It is designed to support students‘ competency in Modern Standard Arabic. Students are trained to read critically, describe, debate, discuss, analyze, and convey oral messages following the canons of the M.S.A. Emphasis is also placed on enhancing the skills of summarizing, essay writing, research and presenting evidence in the Arabic Lab portfolio.
HSS 201 History of the United Arab Emirates
3 Credits
This course begins with a survey of the rich archaeological record of the area and what we consequently know of the prehistoric periods of human habitation. Then we will examine the historical events from the arrival of Islam, the latter incursion into the area by the Dutch, Portuguese and the British. Particular attention will be given to the influence exerted by the British is the political and economic life of the Trucial States. The crucial period of the 1950s and 1960s will be examined in detail as changes that occurred during those years shaped what would become the federated United Arab Emirates. Important topics for reading and discussion will be the oil concessions, the rapid urbanization of the coastal cities, the influx of foreign workers the globalized economy and the development visions of Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid.
HSS 211 Windows on American Society
3 Credits
Introduction to the study of American society by examining the nature of its geographic, cultural, socioeconomic, political, educational, racial and ethnic diversity throughout history. Students examine the United States and U.A.E. societies comparatively.
HSS 251 World History
3 Credits
This course will consider how social, economic, political and geographic formations have steered the course of progress and change in different regions across time. Through an exploration of the development of civilizations, the rise and fall of empires, patterns of settlement and migration, and cross-cultural exchange and trade, students will gain a better understanding of the legacies that have shaped the world‘s most formative intellectual traditions.
HSS 252 Comparative Intellectual Traditions
3 Credits
This course will consider key intellectual traditions across history, comparing ideas of morality, social justice, political organization, and the relationship between the individual and community, and the self and the divine. Selecting philosophical writings from various traditions, including Asian, Indic, European and Islamic, the course will examine these traditions in their classical contexts and then move on to consider how they evolved in both the early modern and modern periods. The course will give particular attention to how these intellectual trends shaped and responded to changes across time, including, but not limited to, the rise and fall of empires, the formation of nation-states, colonialism, and processes of modernization.
HSS 261 Introduction to Culture and Society
3 Credits
This course is an introduction to major theoretical debates, key concepts and methods of analysis in the social sciences and humanities. It aims at providing students with the theoretical tools to analyze complementary and contrasting viewpoints about people, societies, cultures and ideas, and their interactions across time. Drawing its examples from everyday life, literature, popular culture and other sources of cultural expression, the course invites students to critically engage with pressing issues of today‘s world, including questions of power and authority, identity, gender, race and class.
HSS 282 Film and Literature
3 Credits
Moving pictures depicted on film have become an enormous force in the history of our time. Basic to most great films is a gripping narrative, often a story familiar to readers of literature. This course connects superb literature and wonderful films in an effort to understand their relationship and the beauty of each art form.
HSS 293 Drama
3 Credits
Contemporary cultures still read and perform plays written by the ancient Greeks. Those plays and the plays created in the twenty-five subsequent centuries dramatically illustrate the power of language and the universality of communication. Through readings, discussions, and performance, students enlarge their own effectiveness in language and communication as they engage substantial dramatic texts.
HSS 301 Geography: People, Places and Power
3 Credits
Examines the relationship between geography, power and people. We learn the basics of geography and map reading and then explore how the search for natural resources (e.g., salt, spices, oil) has cut up the earth into countries and political spheres.
HSS 311 Comparative Social Policy
3 Credits
Introductory course in policy studies. What is policy? How can it be described and analyzed? How do new forms and ideas of management affect the organization and delivery of public services such as health, social services, criminal justice and education? A comparative approach draws on examples from Europe, the U.S.A., Asia and the Gulf.
HSS 314 Peoples of the World
3 Credits
Surveys major cultural norms and values of different ethnic groups to determine patterns of their similarities and differences in our modern world society. Adopts a regional comparative approach that combines analysis and synthesis of characteristics that are distinctive to principal world cultures.
HSS 321 Heritage of the Gulf
3 Credits
Focuses on the rich heritage of the Gulf and the U.A.E. in particular, addressing primarily issues of identification, conservation, and management of heritage sites and material culture. Assessment of Cultural Resource Management strategies for the Gulf states.
HSS 322 Creative Writing: Experiments in Genre
3 Credits
This course provides students with opportunities to use traditional and contemporary forms in fiction, poetry, and nonfiction prose. Models for each genre provide structures on which the student can develop individual writing proclivities and a "voice." Revision, editing, and reworking of ideas receive substantial emphasis.
HSS 323 Introduction to International Relations
3 Credits
Introduction to the basic concepts and processes in the relations between nations provides an introduction to the issues, events, laws, and traditions that shape the modern international system.
HSS 324 Contemporary World Issues and Problems
3 Credits
Examines some major problems in global society such as globalization, nationalism, ethnicity, environmental issues, international migration, why states go to war and how economics are vulnerable to financial crisis.
HSS 325 Comparative Political Systems
3 Credits
Compares and contrasts different political systems with the aim of assessing the differences and similarities in states from a comparative perspective. Both Western Europe and the developing world are examined. May be repeated for credit if a different region is taken.
a) Europe
b) Americas
c) Middle East
d) Africa
e) East Asia
f) South & South East Asia
HSS 327 Introduction to Political Science
3 Credits
This is an introduction to the concepts and ideas of political science. The course focuses on the question of what is politics. Additional concepts of power, justice, and the distribution of goods and services are examined.
HSS 330 International Law and World Politics
3 Credits
This course is a survey into the way in which international politics has shaped the emergence, and the development of a modern international legal system. The course covers the history and major sources of the modern international legal system from multilateral conventions, state practice, court decisions, and the writings of publicists. Parallel to the legal study, the course will explore the challenges and contradictions that world politics impose on the development of an international legal system.
HSS 331 Introduction to Linguistics
3 Credits
This course introduces students to the basic concepts that define the various systems of language: phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics and pragmatics. It also examines the social and cultural aspects influencing language use in the classroom, as well as in everyday life.
HSS 332 International Relations in the Gulf Region
3 Credits
The course explores the evolution of politics in the Gulf Region from the withdrawal of the British Empire, the Iranian Revolution, the two Gulf Wars, and the emergence of the Gulf Cooperation Council. Common challenges and opportunities to the Gulf countries are explored in this course: Legal and illegal immigration, a common monetary policy, the political situation in the broader Middle-East, and the development of the Iranian nuclear program among others.
HSS 333 Foreign Relations of the United States
3 Credits
This course explores the role of the American Foreign Policy in the world, and the Middle East in particular. Special attention is placed on the study of the formal and informal sources of production of foreign policy decisions; the economic and political impact of the US foreign policy in the world, and the ideology behind the US foreign policy.
HSS 334 The Politics of Oil
3 Credits
The course explores the evolution of the oil industry. Students will explore the origins of the oil industry in the United States and Russia at the beginning of the 20th century. The latter expansion into other regions will follow especially in regards to the Middle East, and Latin America. A final chapter will explore the growth of the oil industry in Africa in the early 21st century. Particular attention would be played to the political effects that the expansion of the oil industry had on the politics and societies of the producing countries. Parallel experience between different regions will be drawn in an effort to understand the local impact of a global industry.
HSS 335 Implicit English Grammar
3 Credits
This course examines the structure of English sentences and texts in order to discover implicit grammar rules. In the process, students learn how to analyze language structure and how varying the structure conveys different meanings.
HSS 341 Development and Underdevelopment
3 Credits
Examines a wide range of conceptual and practical problems associated with development principles and strategies. Emphasis is on non-industrialized countries and the role of international development agencies.
HSS 343 International Political Economics
3 Credits
Examines theories and practices of international economic relations. Attention is given to trade, finance and international business as well as the policy instruments of subsidies and quotas. Political issues and processes are emphasized.
HSS 352 The State, Society and the Economy
3 Credits
This is an investigation of contemporary debates on state-society relations, civil society, nation building, governance, and economic systems. Identifies and explores connections between the forces that influence national development such as imperialism, capitalization and globalization.
HSS 353 Politics of Identity
3 Credits
This course examines the social, historical and political processes which have influenced identity formation in various regions of the world. The course will explore the intersection between religion, law, culture, gender, globalization and identity within the contexts of empires, states, diaspora communities and popular culture.
HSS 361 World Cinemas
3 Credits
This course will examine the relationship between cinema and culture in different societies around the world. Using an interdisciplinary approach, the course will explore the aesthetics of cinema as art and its relation to other artistic forms as well as the historical contexts of movie-making and movie-watching. Topics include post-colonialism and articulations of national identity, constructions of gender and race, concepts of good and evil, and censorship. Notation for area: a) Europe b) Americas c) Middle East d) Africa e) East Asia f) South & South East Asia.
HSS 362 Popular Cultures
3 Credits
This course will investigate the intersection between everyday life, mass media, and broader political and historical contexts in different societies. The course will explore how meaning is created and received through various forms of popular media and cultural expression, such as television drama, music, advertisement, novels, fashion, the Internet and others. We will consider key theoretical readings and different methods to studying popular culture, using an interdisciplinary approach.
HSS 363 Social Psychology
3 Credits
Theories and research findings of social psychology, including areas of animal social behavior, socialization language and communication, attitudes, and group processes. Overview of conditions that affect individuals in a social context. Examines themes such as attitudes, impression formation, interpersonal relations and group membership. Topics also cover socialization processes and dynamics, social cognition, perception of self and others, attributions and organizational processes.
HSS 371 Organizational Behavior
3 Credits
Course allows students to explore the impact that individuals, groups and structure have on behavior within organizations. Topics such as motivation, leadership, power, interpersonal communication, conflict and work stress are discussed.
HSS 372 Modern and Contemporary Literature
3 Credits
Students read fiction, poetry, and drama from the modern and contemporary periods. Students study the aesthetic attributes of major authors. Cultural significance, historical context, and philosophical concerns receive attention as students explore how literature, and the other arts, dramatically changed in and around the twentieth century. Moreover, they learn how modern and contemporary writers maintain the traditions of classicism, romanticism, and realism in the twentieth century.
HSS 374 Comparative Sociology
3 Credits
Study of human societies emphasizing sociocultural origins and consequences of modernization as a sociological phenomenon. Special attention to social changes in rapidly developing societies such as the U.A.E.
HSS 375 The Novel
3 Credits
Noting the formal characteristics and the enduring popularity of the novel, students read exemplary novels. By studying several examples placed within a critical framework, students consider form, content, style, contexts and periods.
HSS 391 Research Methods
3 Credits
Introduction to the research methods used in the humanities and social sciences. Students will learn how to design and implement research using both qualitative and quantitative strategies.
HSS 391AL Arabic Lab
1 Credit
Arabic Lab for HSS 391 Research Methods.
Corequisite(s): HSS 391
HSS 395 Independent Study
3 Credits
A student may, with the permission of the department, study a particular field, issue or problem under the guidance of a member of the academic staff.
HSS 397 Special Topics
3 Credits
This course is offered to meet special needs of students and staff, satisfying a demand for a special topic or area course.
HSS 421 Policy Case Study I
3 Credits
Who is involved in policy-making and implementation? What policy instruments are selected in different places and circumstances? Problems of implementation. Social, cultural, economic impacts and how we measure them. Includes case study on Eco-Tourism and Heritage Tourism in the U.A.E. and Oman. Field evaluation relates to the tourism industry in the U.A.E.
HSS 422 Policy Case Study II
3 Credits
Builds upon HSS 421 Policy Case Study I and further explores policy-making and implementation.
HSS 423 Issues in National Development
3 Credits
Considers the economic, social and cultural dimensions of development and encourages a more interdisciplinary perspective on national development and change. Contemporary issues in growth are considered, with special reference to economies in transition and the sustainability of development initiatives.
HSS 453 Women, Society and Politics
3 Credits
Examines women in the non-industrialized countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America. Explores the dynamic relationship between economic, social, cultural and political forces that influence women's lives in modern societies.
HSS 455 People and Cultures of the Middle East
3 Credits
This course explores the social and cultural similarities that Middle Eastern societies share and the many differences that separate regions and countries. We study a wide range of social, historical and political influences that have shaped the modern Middle East.
HSS 458 World Regions: Societies and Cultures
3 Credits
Using different regions of the world, including Asia, Africa, and the Americas, this course examines the cultural and social diversity in each area. Emphasis is on social change, globalization, women in economy and political life.
a) Europe
b) Americas
c) Middle East
d) Africa
e) East Asia
f) South and South East Asia
HSS 461 Classical Literature
3 Credits
Students encounter literature written throughout the world before 100 CE. They enlarge their appreciation of ancient cultures and discover the inspiration for subsequent literature.
HSS 466 Applied Research Methods
3 Credits
Concentration upon applied research methods used to understand socioeconomic issues and public policies. Research skills taught are sampling, questionnaire, design, interviewing, focus groups and field research.
HSS 472 World Poetry
3 Credits
This course explores the rich array of poetry from a variety of world cultures. Superb translations ensure a global perspective. Students gain an invaluable insight to the influences felt by every writer of stature.
HSS 479 World Fiction
3 Credits
This survey of fiction from around the world and from different time periods concentrates on short works but recognizes as well the special power of the novel. Students read fiction as a way of learning about the culture that produced the work.
HSS 490 Internship
6 Credits
Opportunity for the student to gain practical experience of the workplace relevant to their major, with employers in the public or private sector. Internships are intended to match the academic backgrounds and strengths of students, their interests and future career ambitions.
HSS 498 Capstone I
3 Credits
In this course the student will prepare the research design for a Capstone project that will be completed in the HSS 499 Capstone II course. The course requires students to integrate and demonstrate the knowledge, skills and professional competencies they have developed through the major program. The course aims to enhance the skills of students to understand the conceptual, theoretical and historical context of a research topic, do an adequate literature review, and prepare feasible research.
HSS 499 Capstone II
3 Credits
In this course the student will research and write a major seminar thesis that integrates different perspectives from the student‘s previous academic work
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