Northern Studies
NORS 205 3
Credits
Leadership, Citizenship and Choice
(Cross-listed with PS 205)
History of democratic principles in America and how people
can contribute to political and community life in the local, state and national
arenas, as leaders and citizens. Examines ethical dilemmas of leadership and
politics and social issues facing Alaskan and American societies. Course
includes an experiential learning component. (3 + 0) Offered Spring
NORS 432 3
Credits
Literature of Science and the Environment (h)
(Stacked with NORS 632 and NRM 632 and cross-listed with
NRM 432)
Reading, analysis and discussion of classic and contemporary
works in science, natural history and environmental literature. Some semesters
all of the readings will follow one theme; other semesters a variety of
fiction, poetry, oral tradition and nonfiction will be considered. Readings are
selected from a spectrum of opinion on the relationship of people to the
natural world and both analytical and creative writing are required. Resource
management professionals and students in the sciences and humanities are welcome.
May be repeated once for additional credit. (Prerequisite: Senior standing or
permission of the instructor. Next offered: 2006-07.) (3 + 0)
Offered Alternate Spring
NORS 470 3
Credits
Oral Sources; Issues in Documentation
(Cross-listed with ANTH 470 and stacked with ANTH 670 and
NORS 670)
Preparation for recording and use of oral resources. Examines
how meaning is conveyed through oral traditions and personal narratives and the
issues involved with recording and reproducing narratives. Includes management
of oral recordings, ethical and legal considerations, issues of interpretation
and censorship, and the use of new technologies to access and deliver
recordings. (Prerequisite: At least one undergraduate ANTH course and one
undergraduate HIST course, or permission of instructor. Next offered: 2006-07.)
(3 + 0) Offered Alternate Fall
NORS 484W 3
Credits
Seminar in Northern Studies (s)
An interdisciplinary seminar focusing on topics relating to
the North with emphasis on the physical sciences, the peoples and the socioeconomic
and political aspects of the area. Specialists in the various fields will
assign readings and conduct discussions. (Prerequisites: ENGL 111X; ENGL 211X
or ENGL 213X; at least junior standing; or permission of instructor.)
(3 + 0) Offered Fall
NORS 486 3
Credits
Senior Seminar in Leadership and Civic Engagement (s)
Students are placed in contact with government and other
agencies where they will gain practical experience applying principles of
leadership and civic engagement. This is the capstone course for the minor in
Leadership and Civic Engagement. (Prerequisite: NORS/PS 205. Recommended: The
student's elective choices in the minor. Next offered: 2006-07.)
(3 + 0) Offered Alternate Spring
NORS 600 3
Credits
Perspectives on the North
(Cross-listed with HIST 600)
Basic knowledge of the circumpolar north—the social,
economic, political and scientific facets of northern life. Consideration of
major cultural groups of the north and their histories, the environmental
settings and patterns of settlement and development in northern regions and
systems of governance in different northern countries. Broad overview of the
major policy issues of the north in education, justice, health care, and
environmental and wildlife protection. Course is also available online.
(3 + 0) Offered Fall
NORS 601 3
Credits
Research Methods and Sources in the North
Development of students' research skills so they can engage
in their own research on northern issues. Includes techniques of interviewing,
conducting surveys and sampling; qualitative and quantitative methods of
research design; and familiarity with library sources and archival records.
Each student will develop a research project. Course is also available online.
(3 + 0) Offered Fall
NORS 610 3
Credits
Northern Indigenous People and Contemporary Issues
(Cross-listed with ANTH 610)
Comparative examination of issues affecting northern
indigenous people from Alaska, Canada, Greenland and Russia. Issues include the
impact of the alienation of land on which these people depend; the
relationships between their small, rural microeconomies and the larger
agroindustrial market economies of which they are a part; education, language
loss and cultural transmission; alternative governmental policies toward
indigenous peoples and contrasting world views. (Prerequisites: Graduate
standing or upper-division with permission of instructor. Next offered:
2007-08.) (3 + 0) Offered Alternate Fall
NORS 611 3
Credits
Environmental History
(Stacked with HIST 411)
Discussion of significant works of environmental history.
Cultural history of the landscape in world civilization with emphasis on
Western Europe and North America. Discussion of interdisciplinary approaches to
the history of the environment and cooperative work across disciplines.
(Prerequisite: Graduate standing or permission of instructor. Next offered:
2007-08.) (3 + 0) Offered Alternate Spring
NORS 613 3
Credits
Wilderness and Environmental Psychology
Examines the relationships between people and the natural and
built environments. Topics include the effects of arctic environments on
physical and psychological health, preferences for different types of natural
settings, the design of residential and community environments in northern
climates, and the symbolism of settings and effects on political controversies.
(Prerequisite: Graduate standing. Next offered: 2006-07.)
(3 + 0) Offered Alternate Fall
NORS 614 3
Credits
Human Adaptation to the Circumpolar North
(Cross-listed with PSY 614)
Individual and family adaptations to the distinctive stresses
and opportunities of life in northern regions. Students complete an original
research project examining a topic such as successful and unsuccessful
responses to northern work and economic cycles, adult development in sparsely
populated frontier settings, and the social problems characteristic of northern
settings. (3 + 0) Offered As Demand Warrants
NORS 616 6
Credits
Performance Studies Abroad
(Stacked with THR 416W)
Intensive course for actors, directors, designers,
technicians and playwrights interested in script development/training with the
participation of international theatre professionals. Develop new scripts and
performances in a multicultural environment under the supervision of a theatre
faculty member. Previous faculty and student work abroad includes: Russia,
Zambia, South Africa and Scandinavia. Course requirements vary according to the
project. (3 + 9) Offered As Demand Warrants
NORS 620 3
Credits
Images of the North
(Cross-listed with ENGL 620)
Emphasis on the variety of images created about the people
and environment of the circumpolar north. Examination and interpretation of
conceptualizations of the north as expressed in such different media as film,
art, literature, travel journals and oral traditions. (Next offered: 2007-08.)
(3 + 0) Offered Alternate Spring
NORS 624 3
Credits
Field Artists of the North
(Stacked with ART 424O and cross-listed with ART 624)
Study of field artists and their work, from the explorer
artists of yesteryear to today's field artists using a variety of traditional
and contemporary media in their creations. Students will conceive and conduct
their own study projects, producing a body of work that will demonstrate the
principles and practice of a field artist. (Prerequisites: ART 105 and a studio
art course (ART 161, 162, 163, 205, 211, 213) or JRN 203.) (3 + 0)
Offered As Demand Warrants
NORS 625 3
Credits
Visual Images of the North
(Cross-listed with ART 625)
Examination of the two-dimensional imagery of the people and
landscapes of the polar regions, centering on such issues as depiction of
arctic peoples and customs by Europeans, documentary vs. artistic goals,
translations from original sketches to published images, relationship of polar
imagery to prevailing historical styles, and the influence of changing world
views on modes of polar representation between the 16th and 20th centuries.
(Next offered: 2006-07.) (3 + 0) Offered Alternate Spring
NORS 627 3
Credits
Geography of Cold Lands
(Cross-listed with GEOG 627 and stacked with GEOG 427)
Comparative physical, human and economic geography of cold
regions in the north, especially Canada, Siberia, Greenland and Scandinavia.
Special attention given to spatial patterns of settlement and natural resource development.
(Prerequisite: Graduate standing or permission of instructor.)
(3 + 0) Offered Spring
NORS 632 3
Credits
Literature of Science and the Environment (h)
(Stacked with NORS 432 and NRM 432 and cross-listed with
NRM 632)
Reading, analysis and discussion of classic and contemporary
works in science, natural history and environmental literature. Some semesters
all of the readings will follow one theme; other semesters a variety of
fiction, poetry, oral tradition and nonfiction will be considered. Readings are
selected from a spectrum of opinion on the relationship of people to the
natural world and both analytical and creative writing are required. Resource
management professionals and students in the sciences and humanities are welcome.
May be repeated once for additional credit. (Prerequisite: Graduate standing or
permission of the instructor. Next offered: 2006-07.) (3 + 0)
Offered Alternate Spring
NORS 640 3
Credits
Ethics and Reporting in the Far North
(Stacked with JRN 440 and cross-listed with JRN 640)
Historical overview of media coverage of the northern
frontier with focus on journalistic ethics. A comparison is made to the media
climate in third world countries. (3 + 0) Offered As Demand Warrants
NORS 647 3
Credits
U.S. Environmental Politics
(Stacked with PS 447)
Examination of U.S. political institutions as they relate to
making policies for protecting the quality the natural environment. Issues
include the politics of nuclear waste, endangered species, air and water
pollution, and wilderness preservation. Includes analysis of the National
Environmental Policy Act, sustainable development, the limits to growth and
other topics. Course is also available online. (Prerequisites: Graduate
standing or permission of instructor. Recommended: PS 101.) (3 + 0)
Offered Alternate Spring
NORS 648 3
Credits
Environmental Politics of the Circumpolar North
(Stacked with PS 448)
Overview of how environmental politics and policy as a field
of study relates to the Arctic region. Analysis of various threats to the
northern environment, focusing on the policy making institutions at selected
Arctic rim nations, as well as strategies to deal with environmental problems
in an international context. Course is also available online. Check with
department. (Prerequisite: graduate standing or permission of instructor. Next
Offered: 2006-07) (3 + 0) Offered Alternate Spring
NORS 652 3
Credits
International Relations of the North
(Stacked with PS 452)
Examination of the international strategies of circumpolar
states. Consideration of theoretical and practical elements of strategy
formation in major issue areas such as national security, the political
economy, human rights and scientific exchange. (Prerequisite: graduate standing
or permission of instructor.) (Next offered: 2006-07.) (3 + 0)
Offered Alternate Spring
NORS 653 3
Credits
Greenland: Home Rule and Self-determination
The history and political economy of Greenland with emphasis
on development of the Home Rule government. Highlights Greenland's dynamic
relationship with the world economy and efforts of the Home Rule government to
pursue sustainable development. (Prerequisite: Graduate standing or permission
of instructor.) (3 + 0) Offered As Demand Warrants
NORS 654 3
Credits
International Law and the Environment
(Stacked with PS 454)
International environmental law. International case law
regulating the sea, airspace, outer space and the polar regions. Includes
comprehensive international regulatory legal instruments to protect the
environment (e.g. the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change),
and the doctrines, principles and rules of international law that are basic to
an understanding of international legal regimes and the environment. Course is
also available online. Check with department. (Prerequisite: Graduate standing
and permission of instructor. Recommended: Undergraduate course in
international law, organization or politics. Next offered: 2006-07.)
(3 + 0) Offered Alternate Fall
NORS 655 3
Credits
Political Economy of the Global Environment
(Stacked with PS 455O)
Exploration of the interactions between basic aspects of the
global economy (international trade, investment and development) and the
natural environment. Topics include the economic impact of global environmental
agreements and the environmental impact of global markets, transnational
corporations and development assistance by organizations such as the World
Bank. (Prerequisite: Graduate standing and permission of instructor. Next
offered: 2006-07.) (3 + 0) Offered Alternate Fall
NORS 656 3
Credits
Science, Technology and Politics
(Stacked with PS 456O)
Relationship of science, technology and politics: connections
among scientific knowledge, technology, technological innovations, politics and
power. Includes historical and comparative aspects. Course is also available
online. Check with department. (Prerequisite: Graduate standing or permission
of instructor. Recommended: PS 101.) (3 + 0) Offered Alternate Spring
NORS 658 3
Credits
Comparative Environmental Politics
(Stacked with PS 458)
Seminar with emphasis on enduring issues of the field of
comparative politics and their relation to global environmental problems such
as biodiversity, transboundary pollution and climate warming. Explores how
state-society relations, political institutions, national political capacity,
political processes and organizations, and international commitments
potentially shape the nature and dynamics of global environmental politics and
vise versa. Course is also available online. (Prerequisite: Graduate standing
or permission of instructor. Recommended: PS 201 or equivalent comparative
politics course.) (3 + 0) Offered Alternate Fall
NORS 660 3
Credits
Government and Politics of Canada
(Stacked with PS 460W)
A detailed examination of the Canadian political system,
covering the Canadian constitution, the federal structure, parliamentary
government and public policy, as well as contemporary issues concerning Native
rights and the Canadian North. Students will complete a major research paper on
specific policy areas (language, education, health care, environment, natural
resources, foreign relations). (Prerequisite: graduate standing or permission
of instructor. Next offered: 2006-07.) (3 + 0) Offered
Alternate Spring
NORS 661 3
Credits
History of Alaska
(Stacked with HIST 461W)
Alaska from prehistoric times to the present, including major
themes such as Native Alaska, colonial Alaska, military Alaska, statehood,
Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971 and the Alaska National Interest
Lands Act of 1980. Also available via Independent Learning. (3 + 0)
Offered Fall
NORS 662 3
Credits
Alaska Government and Politics
(Stacked with PS 462)
A comprehensive introduction to Alaska's government and
politics, in the context of American state and local government and politics
and governments of circumpolar northern nations. Topics include political
history, constitution, political parties, interest groups, elections, public
opinion, governor, legislature, judiciary, administration and local
governments. Compares Alaska to the contiguous 48 states and subnational
governments of the circumpolar North; examines how government institutions and
processes respond to social, environmental and political changes of Northern
communities. (Prerequisite: Graduate standing or permission of instructor. Next
offered: 2006-07.) (3 + 0) Offered Alternate Spring
NORS 663 3
Credits
Foundations of Russian History
(Stacked with HIST 463)
The foundations of Russian society and the modern Russian state
from the earliest recorded events through the early 19th century. Topics
include the Scythians and Khazars, the rise of the Kievan state, Mongol
domination of Russia, the rise of Muscovy, the creation of the Russian Empire
under the Romanov dynasty, ethnic and social diversity, the impact of the
Napoleonic invasion, and the influence of western European ideas in Russia.
(Prerequisite: HIST 275 or permission of instructor. Next offered:
2006-07.) (3 + 0) Offered Alternate Fall
NORS 664 3
Credits
Modern Russia (s)
(Stacked with HIST 464)
Russia from the early 19th century to the present. Themes
include politics, culture and society in the Russian Empire, the Russian
Revolution, the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation (Prerequisite: Graduate
standing or permission of instructor. Next offered: 2006-07.)
(3 + 0) Offered Alternate Fall
NORS 668 3
Credits
Government and Politics of Russia
(Stacked with PS 468W)
An examination of current developments in Russia from a
number of perspectives: the effect of history and geography on political
change; the nature of Russian government and society; the legacies of Lenin,
Stalin, Gorbachev and the ideological nature of regimes and leadership;
economic forces and the political struggle in governance; revolution, democracy
and reform; and the international role of Russia, particularly in relation to
the former Soviet republics, Eastern Europe and other border areas.
(Prerequisites: PS 201 or permission of instructor. Next offered:
2006-07.) (3 + 0) Offered Alternate Spring
NORS 670 3
Credits
Oral Sources; Issues in Documentation
(Cross-listed with ANTH 670 and stacked with ANTH 470 and
NORS 470)
Preparation for recording and use of oral resources. Examines
how meaning is conveyed through oral traditions and personal narratives and the
issues involved with recording and reproducing narratives. Includes management
of oral recordings, ethical and legal considerations, issues of interpretation
and censorship, and the use of new technologies to access and deliver recordings.
(Prerequisite: At least one undergraduate ANTH course and one undergraduate
HIST course, or permission of instructor.) (3 + 0) Offered Fall
NORS 672 3
Credits
Culture and History in the North Atlantic
(Stacked with ANTH 472 and cross-listed with ANTH 672)
Ancient Norse culture and society. Includes readings of Old
Norse poetry and Icelandic sagas in translation, with secondary analyses and
archaeological background. Includes Greenlandic myths and contemporary
ethnographic accounts of Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands.
(Prerequisite: Graduate standing or permission of instructor. Next offered:
2006-07.) (3 + 0) Offered Alternate Spring
NORS 680 3
Credits
Comparative Education
(Cross-listed with ED 680)
Focus on the comparative study and analysis of international
systems of public education. National issues to be addressed include social
context, gender, ideology, international power, level of development, current
issues and problems, and efforts toward reform. National systems to be studied
include Japan, the People's Republic of China and a variety of other national
or cross-national studies to be completed by course participants.
(3 + 0) Offered Fall
NORS 681 3
Credits
Polar Exploration and its Literature
(Stacked with HIST 481)
A survey of polar exploration efforts of all Western nations
from A.D. 870 to the present and a consideration of the historical sources of
this effort. Also available via Independent Learning. (Prerequisite: Graduate
standing or permission of instructor. Next offered: 2006-07.) (3 + 0)
Offered Alternate Spring
NORS 683 3
Credits
20th Century Circumpolar History
(Stacked with HIST 483W)
A comparative history of the circumpolar north, including
Alaska, Siberia, Scandinavia, Greenland and Canada. Focus on social, economic,
political and environmental issues of the 20th century, such as exploration,
aboriginal land claims, subsistence, military strategy, transportation, oil
development, Arctic haze and scientific research in the Arctic. (Prerequisite:
Graduate standing or permission of instructor. Next offered: 2007-08.)
(3 + 0) Offered Alternate Spring
NORS 687 2
Credits
Alaska Research Resources
(Stacked with LS 487)
Find, use and evaluate primary sources in the Alaska and Polar
Regions Department of the Rasmuson library over the Internet. Student pursues
own topics and findings may be used to support research in other courses.
(2 + 0) Offered Spring
NORS 690 3
Credits
Researching and Writing Northern History
(Stacked with HIST 490W)
Exploration of the craft and methodology of historical
research in the North. Course may be repeated for credit when content varies.
(Prerequisite: Graduate standing or permission of instructor. Next offered:
2006-07.) (1 + 3) Offered Alternate Spring