With readings, documentary films, discussions, and lectures, this course will examine the complex spiritual beliefs and expressions of peoples of African descent in Brazil, Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, and North America. The course surveys African diasporic religions such as Candomble, Santeria, Voodoo, Shango, and African American religions. Attention will be paid to how diasporic Africans practice religion for self-definition, community building, and sociocultural critique, and for reshaping the religious and cultural landscapes of the Americas.

A survey of the development of archaeology. The methods and techniques of archaeology are presented through an analysis of excavations and prehistoric remains. Materials studied range from the Bronze Age and classical civilizations of the Old World and the Aztec and Inca empires of the New World to the historical archaeology of New England. Students are introduced to techniques for reconstructing the past from material remains. The course includes a field trip to a neighboring archaeological site.

The identification of human remains for criminological and political purposes is widespread. This course explores issues in the identification and interpretation of human bones including methods for determining sex, age, stature, and ancestry as well as for identifying pathologies and anomalies. The course will pay particular attention to those anatomical elements, both soft tissue and bones, that aid in the reconstruction of individuals and their lifestyles. In addition, the course explores search and recovery techniques, crime-scene analysis, the use of DNA in solving crimes, and the role of forensic anthropology in the investigation of mass fatalities from both accidents and human rights violations. It also addresses ballistics and the use of photography in forensic investigation.

A foundational course that introduces observation strategies while examining theories of perception. The studio work  is focused on observational drawing with attention to the articulation of line, shape, space, time, form, gesture, perspective, and value. The course introduces a range of traditional and new media drawing tools and observational methods in 2D, 3D, and 4D while exploring a variety of approaches to image making and visual expression. In-class drawing exercises, weekly homework assignments, and group critiques address a range of subjects including the human figure.  Aimed at firstyears and sophomores and those considering majors in Studio Art, Art History, Media Arts and Sciences, or Architecture.

All Summer 2022 courses are taught remotely.

Introduction to artistic production through electronic imaging, manipulation, and output. Emphasis on expression, continuity, and sequential structuring of visuals through the integration of image, text, and motion. Image output for print, screen, and adaptive surfaces are explored in conjunction with production techniques of image capture, lighting, and processing. Lectures and screenings of historic and contemporary uses of technology for artistic and social application of electronic imaging.

All Summer 2022 courses are taught remotely.

This course will examine the scientific facts behind phenomena portrayed in a variety of Hollywood and foreign movies. We will cover topics ranging from the definition and recreation of life, genetics and behavior to evolution and environmental issues. The course will include weekly screenings of movies outside of class time as well as lectures, assigned readings and discussions. While obtaining an introduction to key concepts in biology, students will also explore misconceptions about science and scientists that are perpetuated by these movies.

This course focuses on human anatomy, physiology, and evolution. Lecture topics will include: human origins and evolution; the structure and function of the major physiological systems; exercise physiology; and human genetics. Laboratories explore human physiology, focusing on the development and application of skills in experimental design, statistical analysis, and scientific writing.

Photo I is a foundational studio course exploring key methods and concepts in photography. Technical skills will be addressed through camera work, lighting, and the discussion of photographic images. Studio assignments, readings, discussions, lectures, virtual gallery visits, and critiques will help students build the conceptual, aesthetic, and critical skills essential to understanding photography's broader role in contemporary art, history, and society. Aimed for first year and sophomore students, and those pursuing majors in Studio Art, MAS, or CAMS.

A survey of the development of archaeology. The methods and techniques of archaeology are presented through an analysis of excavations and prehistoric remains. Materials studied range from the Bronze Age and classical civilizations of the Old World and the Aztec and Inca empires of the New World to the historical archaeology of New England. Students are introduced to techniques for reconstructing the past from material remains. The course includes a field trip to a neighboring archaeological site.

Human-Computer Interaction is one of the areas that have transformed the way we use computers in the last 30 years. Topics include methodology for designing and testing user interfaces, interaction styles (command line, menus, graphical user interfaces, virtual reality, tangible user interfaces), interaction techniques (including use of voice, gesture, eye movements), design guidelines, and user interface software tools. Students will design a user interface, program a prototype, and test the results for usability.

This seminar will focus upon children and youth as both objects and subjects within societies. Beginning with consideration of the social construction of childhood, the course will examine the images, ideas, and expectations that constitute childhoods in various historical and cultural contexts. We will also consider the roles of children as social actors who contribute to and construct social worlds of their own. Specific topics to be covered include the historical development of childhood as a distinct phase of life, children's peer cultures, children and work, children's use of public spaces, children's intersectional experiences of inequality, and the effects of consumer culture upon children. Considerable attention will be given to the dynamics of the social institutions most directly affecting childhood today: the family, education, and the state.

An examination of the principal characteristics of the search for identity and independence of the emerging Latin American nations as expressed in literary, historical, and anthropological writing. We will examine the experience of each of four distinct regions: Mexico and Central America, the Caribbean, the Andean countries, and the Southern Cone. Readings will include the works of contemporary Latin American writers, filmmakers, and historians. Special attention will be given to the relationship between social issues and the evolution of literary form.

The course begins with applications and techniques of integration. It probes notions of limit and convergence and adds techniques for finding limits. Half of the course covers infinite sequences and series, where the basic question is, What meaning can we attach to a sum with infinitely many terms and why might we care? The course can help students improve their ability to reason abstractly and also teaches important computational techniques. Topics include integration techniques, l'Hôpital's rule, improper integrals, geometric and other applications of integration, infinite series, power series, and Taylor series. MATH 116 is the appropriate first course for many students who have had AB calculus in high school.

An introduction to some of the major subfields of psychology, such as developmental, personality, abnormal, clinical, physiological, cognitive, cultural, and social psychology. Students will explore various theoretical perspectives and research methods used by psychologists to study the origins and variations in human behavior.

An introduction to the major religions of India, Tibet, China, and Japan with particular attention to universal questions such as how to overcome the human predicament, how to perceive ultimate reality, and what is the meaning of death and the end of the world. Materials taken from Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, and Shinto. Comparisons made, when appropriate, with Hebrew and Christian Scriptures.

Thinking sociologically enables us to understand the intersection of our individual lives with larger social issues and to grasp how the social world works. Students in this course will become familiar with the background of sociology and the core analytical concepts employed by sociologists. Students will also gain familiarity with the major substantive topics explored by sociology, with focused attention given to the study of social structures, material, cultural, and institutional explanations of social action, and using concepts for real world problem solving.

All Summer 2022 courses are taught remotely.

This course investigates why certain problems become matters of significant public and policymaking concern while others do not. We do not focus on a predefined list of social problems but rather on the process by which some issues capture more attention than others. Our discussions analyze the actions of those institutions involved either in calling public attention to or distracting public attention away from particular problems in our society. This focus enables students to acquire a perspective toward social problems that they are unlikely to gain from the many other forums where people discuss social problems, such as journalism or politics.

All Summer 2022 courses are taught remotely.

This course explores the powerful roles that technology plays in contemporary social life and suggests that some of the impacts that our ever-greater reliance on, and faith in, technology might have upon our lives. The course begins with a critical overview of the heralded promises that technology often carries; here, we explore some of the undersides of so-called "technological progress." The remainder of the course examines a variety of salient contemporary issues concerning the social implications of technological change.

All Summer 2022 courses are taught remotely.

Topic: Culture, Politics, and Creativity

This course studies cultural expressions as invigorating glimpses into socio-political realities of Latin America and Spain. We will explore how writers, film directors, poets, and artists respond to social demands, political changes, and cultural shifts in particular times, places, and communities. Selected works engage students with diverse cultural repertoires of the Hispanic world in interdisciplinary ways. We will spotlight the relationship between political violence and literature in Argentina and Chile; displacement and photography in Spain and Uruguay; domestic workers and film in Mexico and Peru; education and artistic activism in El Salvador and Nicaragua; and exile and poetry in Cuba and Paraguay.

Imagine you are the designer for an immersive visual production that takes place in Harlem, New York in the 1920's. The buildings, art, clothing, lighting and sounds of the neighborhood must be recreated to transport the audience to another time and place. In this course you will work individually or in groups to create complete environments representing periods and cultures such as the Harlem Renaissance or the French Art Nouveau. Students will be introduced to a range of major artistic styles throughout history and interpret those in to a set, lighting, costume and sound design. This is a project based course that culminates in an immersive digital exhibit.

Using examples from everyday life, this course investigates how preferences for certain technologies are shaped by social arrangements that reflect power relations, including genetic testing, social media, and the construction of a wall on the US/Mexico border.By considering the origins, materiality, and practices of use for a diverse range of technologies, from the telephone to the underwire bra, this course will interrogate the socio-political and ethical fallout of consumer and medical technologies. Within the context of this history of technology as a means of manipulating nature and maintaining control over groups of people, we will also consider how users, tinkerers, and hackers challenge and negotiate the meanings and usage of technology in ways that contradict the intended use.

This course will examine the recent, dramatic rise in the numbers of women writing and publishing the essay. This new wave of literary production, driven in part by the spirit of the #metoo movement, has inspired Cheryl Strayed to call it the essay’s “golden age.” Through studying the works of contemporary prose writers, we will explore the causes and effects of this phenomenon. We will also investigate how women are using and re-shaping the essay to foreground female experience and to confront difficult topics such as rape, harassment, abuse, and the silencing that so often surrounds those experiences. This rise in women’s voices is changing our literary and social landscape, and it is even shifting the form of the essay itself. Students will study this movement and contribute to it through their own writing.

Wellesley Online courses are designed to be highly interactive and encourage group discussion; they require participation through live online class meetings throughout the semester, as well as work in a collaborative environment.