2007-2008 Academic Catalog

Course descriptions

Northern Studies

For information on studying at McGill University, Montreal, Canada; the University of Copenhagen, Denmark; or opportunities for study in Russia, see Study Abroad.

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 political and social issues facing Alaska 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: 2008-09.) (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: 2008-09.) (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: 2008-09.) (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 603 3 Credits
Public Policy
(Cross-listed with PS 603)
Major policy models used in contemporary political science and application of these models to environmental sustainability and other social policy issues. (Prerequisites: Graduate standing. Next offered: 2007-08.) (3 + 0) Offered Alternate Spring

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 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: 2008-09.) (3 + 0) Offered Alternate Fall

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: 2008-09.) (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: 2008-09.) (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 and cross-listed with PS 647)
Examination of U.S. political institutions as they relate to making policies for protecting quality of the natural environment. The politics of nuclear waste, endangered species, air and water pollution, and wilderness preservation. Analysis of the National Environmental Policy Act, sustainable development, 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 and cross-listed with PS 648)
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. (Prerequisite: Graduate standing or permission of instructor.) (3 + 0) Offered Alternate Spring

NORS 652 3 Credits
International Relations of the North
(Stacked with PS 452 and cross-listed with PS 652)
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.) (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 and cross-listed with PS 654)
International environmental law. Includes international case law regulating the sea, airspace, outer space and the polar regions; comprehensive international regulatory and legal instruments to protect the environment (e.g. the U.N. 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. (Prerequisite: Graduate standing and permission of instructor. Recommended: Undergraduate course in international law, organization or politics.) (3 + 0) Offered Alternate Fall

NORS 655 3 Credits
Political Economy of the Global Environment
(Stacked with PS 455O and cross-listed with PS 655)
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.) (3 + 0) Offered Alternate Fall

NORS 656 3 Credits
Science, Technology and Politics
(Stacked with PS 456O and cross-listed with PS 656)
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. (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 and cross-listed with PS 658)
Enduring issues of the field of comparative politics and their relation to global environmental problems. 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 vice 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 and cross-listed with PS 660)
The Canadian political system, covering the Canadian constitution, 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. (Prerequisite: graduate standing or permission of instructor.) (3 + 0) Offered Alternate Spring

NORS 661 3 Credits
History of Alaska
(Stacked with HIST 461W and cross-listed with HIST 662)
Alaska from prehistoric times to the present, including major themes such as Native Alaska, colonial and 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 and cross-listed with PS 662)
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.) (3 + 0) Offered Alternate Spring

NORS 663 3 Credits
Foundations of Russian History
(Stacked with HIST 463 and cross-listed with HIST 663)
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: 2008-09.) (3 + 0) Offered Alternate Fall

NORS 664 3 Credits
Modern Russia (s)
(Stacked with HIST 464 and cross-listed with HIST 664)
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: 2008-09.) (3 + 0) Offered Alternate Fall

NORS 668 3 Credits
Government and Politics of Russia
(Stacked with PS 468W and cross-listed with PS 668)
Current developments in Russ ia 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: 2008-09.) (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: 2008-09.) (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 and cross-listed with HIST 681)
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: 2008-09.) (3 + 0) Offered Alternate Spring

NORS 683 3 Credits
20th Century Circumpolar History
(Stacked with HIST 483W and cross-listed with HIST 683)
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 and cross-listed with HIST 690)
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: 2008-09.) (1 + 3) Offered Alternate Spring