Semester in Prague

AHIS 2001 PRAG: Prague’s Art and Architecture throughout the Centuries (3 credits) VPAV
Architecture and art represent visual reflections of historical and social developments of any city, and Prague's picturesque streets and quarters, its museums and galleries are no exception. Using the city of Prague as a living gallery, this course presents historical and aesthetic concepts related to the development of artistic styles that found an expression in architecture and visual arts. In addition to examining global artistic styles, their roots and local developments, the course also explores various local ethnic, religious and societal facets, including Jewish art and architecture, different artistic representations that emerged at the turn of the 19th century, as well as the effects of the totalitarian system on the city through extensive construction of housing estates. In addition, the course also examines the development of Prague as a city, including the effects of technical advancements, philosophical and social concepts on city planning, housing and daily life in different time periods.

AHIS 3003 PRAG: Modern Czech Art (3 credits)
This course aims to acquaint students with significant aspects of Central European visual culture from the modern era onward. It introduces major art styles and personalities in Czech modern art, from Art Nouveau's Alphonse Mucha and the pioneer of abstraction František Kupka, to the contemporary provocations of David Černý. Deep changes that occurred in architecture, from Art Nouveau decoration through Functionalist utopia to the Postmodern deconstruction, are introduced and discussed. Many of the artworks examined within their broader cultural and historical context are exhibited in galleries and museums in Prague, which gives the students an opportunity to study the originals, rather than reproductions, during many field trips incorporated into the course.

AHIS 2001 and AHIS 3003 courses may count as replacements for ARTH 385: Medieval and Byzantine Art (AHIS 2001) or ARTH 312: History of Art & Arch II (AHIS 3003) or as elective credit toward the Art History major or Art minor with Art History concentration.

 

ECON 3003 PRAG: Comparative European Economic Systems (3 credits) 
The course focuses on differences in the functioning of national economies around the world and especially on differences between the national economies of individual EU member states and Central and Eastern European countries. It discusses the influence of culture, geography, abundance or lack of natural and human resources, and mainly economic institutions and policies on the economic development of those countries. Using Hofstede's dimensions, students explore cultural differences among European countries and discuss practical issues such as the differences in the style of management and differences in consumer preferences. In addition to other theoretical tools employed in the course such as contemporary population theories, natural resource abundance, and production theories, also statistical data are included, serving as supplementary information for the comparison. The course explains common generalizations and classifications of economic and social models (e.g. Atlantic capitalism vs. Rhine capitalism; Sapir's view: Anglo-Saxon model vs. Nordic vs. Continental vs. Mediterranean model) and analyzes the implications of differences between economic and social models used by individual member countries for competitiveness. In addition to helping students understand economies of different countries and their ability to do business, it also helps them gain an insight into European economic institutions and policies. Although the lectures and readings contain extensive empirical evidence and data, the emphasis is on understanding the logic and economics of the analyzed processes

ECON 3006 PRCZ: Economics of the European Union (3 credits)
The European Union (EU) as we know it has been formed by three creative processes: deepening of the integration, enlargement of the EU, and economic transformation in former socialist countries. In this course, after introducing those processes and some theoretical background, different EU economic policies are thoroughly analyzed. Considering that the participants are American undergraduates, this course systematically compares and contrasts the EU and its role in the world with the USA. Preliminary knowledge of principles of microeconomics is strongly recommended, but all necessary theoretical concepts are briefly summarized as part of this course.

ECON 3003 and ECON 3006 courses may count as elective credit for the Business Economics, Business Analytics, and Economics majors/minors.

 

ENVI 3001 PRAG: European Environmental Studies (3 credits) SIP
The course discusses environmental studies as an interdisciplinary field, exploring their intersection with other disciplines. The core of the course is focused on the current environmental issues in a global context, primarily within the conceptual framework of Anthropocene and Post-Anthorpocene. The Czech context is presented through an analysis of the most burning environmental issues, including brown coal mining, air pollution, carbonemissions, waste management, landscape transportation, soil erosion, and energy production, while offering students a unique opportunity to learn about some of these issues through first-hand experience gained during field trips to different sites around Prague. The interconnection of social, economic, and ethical context of theenvironmental issues is stressed throughout the course.

ENVI 2006 PRCZ: Climate Change Science and Policy (3 credits) SIP
This course examines the ongoing global challenge of anthropogenic climate change and the science/data behind it, as well as local, regional and international policy in response. Students study the fundamental science of climate and why it is changing. They investigate climate change drivers and their synergies mechanistically and empirically. Students apply scientific theory and supporting evidence to analyze links between climate changeand environmental changes, including changes to major biogeochemical cycles, fire intensity/frequency, species loss, sea level rise and more. Students also explore adaptation and mitigation of climate change in a cross-cultural context.
Prerequisite: One semester of physical science, biological science, environmental science, or environmental studies.

CEAS 2001 PRAG: History of the Czech Lands in Central European Context (3 credits)
Knowledge of a host country’s broader historical context is essential for gaining an understanding that country’s modern-day society, its politics, economy, and interpreting attitudes and behavior of its inhabitants. This course provides an overview of the milestones of the history of the Czech Lands going back to primeval times, exploring the highlights of Czech history, such as the empire under Charles IV, religious wars in the Middle Ages, the impact of world wars and the struggle of the Czech people under the communist regime, in the broader cultural context of Europe. It examines the different ethnicities that populated the territory, including Celtic, Germanic, and Slavic tribes, Czechs, Germans, Jews and Slovaks and the general features of their political, social, and cultural life, and their impact on historical developments as well as modern-day Czech Republic.

HIST 3006 PRAG: Cold War Confrontation, 1941-89 (3 credits) HP
Cold War Confrontation, 1941-1989 traces the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union, from the beginnings of their tense wartime alliance until the fall of Communism in Eastern Europe in 1989. The early part of the course concentrates predominantly on the Soviet-US confrontation in Europe following the establishment and consolidation of Communist regimes in Eastern and Central Europe from 1944-48. Particular attention is paid to the events of February 1948 in Czechoslovakia and to the Berlin Airlift crisis of 1949. The period of the relaxation of East-West tensions which followed Stalin's death in 1953 is examined through a focus on negotiations over the fate of Austria and Germany, and the upheavals in Poland and Hungary in 1956. From its European beginnings, the course branches out to consider the Cold War in its global context, especially in its relationship to Third World nationalism, non-alignment, and anti-imperialism. The final weeks examine the crushing of the Prague Spring, the period of Détente, and the sudden and largely unanticipated end to the conflict in the 1980s, with a particular emphasis on the revolutions in Central and Eastern Europe in 1989.

HIST 3003 PRAG: Tribal Myths and Traditions of the Czechs (3 credits) HP
Many historical figures and phenomena that Czechs know well may remain a mystery to foreigners because of the lack of context. These omnipresent fragments of history are shared by members of the society and are usually modified by various ideological and political intentions, which eventually results in the creation of a national myth/myths. This course focuses on various forms of myths: pre-Christian (arrival of Czechs), Christian legends (St Wenceslas), folk tales, the “national” myth of the Czech National Revival, modern state-forming myths (Czechoslovak legionnaires) and urban legend (the Springman), and connects them also to various traditions, such as folk traditions throughout the year, as well as traditional skills like beer brewing, fish farming etc. Students engage in a historiographical and partially also anthropological analysis and interpretation of selected past events. To decipher how they came into existence, it is necessary to understand their historical context and the way they were understood and explained by contemporaries, the way they were interpreted by their followers, the way they were used, misused and imposed by politicians. Moreover, the course discusses the role paradigm shifts played in these processes and closely examines and critique some of the relatively well-defined pillars of public knowledge and collective identity.

HIST 4001 PRAG: Racism and Anti-Semitism in Western History (3 credits) HP
This course explores the historical development of racial prejudice and antisemitism, from their roots in the classical and mediaeval worlds to the rise of National Socialism in the early 20th century. It analyses the way religious, cultural, linguistic and physical/biological forms of exclusion have overlapped and reinforced each other. It is one of the principal contentions of this course that National Socialism’s exterminatory antisemitism is not merely a product of centuries of anti-Jewish prejudice; rather, racial antisemitism must be understood as something which evolved in close symbiosis with racial prejudices directed against Indigenous Peoples, Africans (slave and free) and colonial peoples from the early modern period onward, culminating in the historically particular form of exterminatory racial antisemitism which formed the necessary precondition of the Holocaust. A focus of the course is the rise of exclusionary racial, anti-Semitic and nationalist discourses in Central Europe from the middle of the 19th century until the Final Solution. Throughout the course, students are expected to analyze disparate and contradictory perspectives on the history of racism using primary sources as well as theoretical conceptualizations. Students critically examine divergent conclusions and – through a focused, discriminatory and judicial critique of these sources – produce evidence to creatively integrate these divergences into something which reflects the student’s unique perspective.
Prerequisite: This course requires previous experience (at least two 200-level courses) in the following fields: history (European history or colonial history) or religious studies.

HIST 3006, HIST 3003, and/or HIST 4001 may count as elective credit for the History major and minor.

 

LITT 3002 PRAG: Interpretation of Czech Fairytales (3 credits)
Fairytales are a significant part of human culture and contain a lot of information about the world around us as well as about ourselves. This information may be distorted, masked, deformed or hidden, which is why fairytales have been attracting attention of various fields of knowledge. There are various theories searching for the disguised meanings of fairytales and the significance which they contain and refer to. This course seeks to introduce the area of Czech fairytales as a genre within its broader historical, geographical, and cultural context. Furthermore, it describes and surveys the changes in the approach to fairytales within the development of scholarship about them. The course presents historical, psychoanalytical, and philosophical interpretations, as well as anthropological and religious types of theories, and biological and gender or feminist methods of their interpretation. The course respects the connection of the fairytale to other folklore narrative forms like legends, fables and myths, however it defines the fairytale as a specific genre. It includes topics such as ethical or moral principles in fairytales, gender and social roles, or historical and political influences on fairytale adaptations.

LITT 3004 PRAG: Franz Kafka, A Prague Writer (3 credits)
Franz Kafka (1883-1924) has become recognized as one of the leading figures in world literature. Perhaps more than any other major author, Kafka is associated with one geographical location: the city of Prague. Kafka's works themselves are not explicitly about Prague, nor are they set in Prague. But we cannot say that Prague is irrelevant to Kafka's works, for Kafka spent almost all of his life in this city. Therefore, we cannot "read" Prague through or into Kafka's works but comparing the two is surely fruitful. The most obvious connection between Kafka's works and the city of Prague is Franz Kafka the historical person. While one always wants to be cautious about biographizing creative work, this course takes into consideration Kafka's life and times in reading and analyzing his fiction. Such an adventure is best undertaken in the city of Prague itself. Kafka's fiction, which is read in the course, is organized in a chronological manner, along with relevant critical material for each work. However, less time-bound thematic issues are also addressed in a less linear fashion, such as the cultural and historical interaction with the fiction, Kafka's development as a writer, the impact of Kafka's biographical story on his stories, Kafka's use of animal characters, and the narrative innovations that Kafka implemented. The course focuses on a selection from Kafka's many well-known short stories and one of his three novels. Kafka's works are studied in English translation; they were originally written in German.

LITT 3002 and LITT 3004 may count as electives for the English major/minor.

POLI 3003 PRAG: The Rise and Fall of Central European Totalitarianism (3 credits)
Liberal democracy seems to be the obvious winner of the ideological struggle of the twentieth century. It is therefore hard to understand why the two main alternatives to liberal democracy – Nazism and Communism – exercised such a power over the lives and minds of people of Central Europe throughout the larger part of the twentieth century. This interdisciplinary course aims to examine this conundrum through systematic study of totalitarian practices. Following a basic theoretical outline and criticism of the term “totalitarianism”, the course analyses the ideologies of the “Totalitarian Twins”, Communism and Nazism, which both grew from a perceived crisis of liberal democracy. The main focus of the course is on the methods the two regimes used to rule over their citizens, going beyond the obvious themes of fear and terror and looking at the role of economic policy, propaganda, leader’s cult, and media and art in securing the conformity of the citizens. By studying these methods the course touches upon the challenges liberal democracy faces in the current political situation. The course also includes the often overlooked issue of environmental destruction especially under communism, and the consequent rise of the environmental consciousness and movements, which contributed significantly to the eventual fall of communism. The course presents a "Prague perspective," examining the experience of the Czechs in the twentieth century as an example of a nation dealing with the two dictatorships.

Although the Nazi and Communist dictatorships are over, their residues remain in the collective memory, which influences everyday life. As mentality can only be explained against the historical backdrop, students undertake a journey into the minds of people who lived in these two destructive dictatorships and try to understand them.

POLI 3006 PRAG: Central European Politics (3 credits)
This course is designed to enhance students' knowledge of Central European developments during and after the democratic revolutions of 1989. The course examines the democratic revolutions in 1989, the institutional and international framework of the transition process, and specific problems of democratization in Central Europe. It discusses the main turning points of modern political history of the respective countries of the Central European geopolitical space and presents similarities and differences of such developments. In addition, the course explores the constitutional systems of the Central European countries (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Austria, and Hungary), the effects of the enlargement of the European Union towards Central European countries after May 2004 and the results of the elections into the European Parliament in Central Europe in May 2014. Special attention is paid to the current dramatic events on the European continent including the migration crisis, the British referendum (Brexit) in June 2016, and others.

INRE 3001 PRAG: Europe and the United States - Transatlantic Relations (3 credits)
This course focuses on a comprehensive study of history, ideology, and the development of the main characteristics and policies of the Old and New Europe and the European Anti-Americanism. It addresses Europeanism, Atlanticism, and Eurasianism and examines their historical development with regard to the institutionalization of transatlantic relations as well as the relationship between religion and politics in Europe and the U.S. Using the case study approach, the course specifically analyzes bilateral relations between the Czech Republic, Poland, UK and U.S. with regard to their pro-/anti-Americanism. Furthermore, the course examines the effect of the onset and end of the Cold War on transatlantic relations, the key divisive issues, as well as cooperative warm ties (including its origins), between Europe and the U.S., and the extent to which they have prevailed and developed in the contemporary context of geopolitical affairs.

IR/PSCI majors/minors may earn up to six elective credits by taking POLI 3003, POLI 3006 or INRE 3001.

COMM 3004 PRAG: American Media's Impact on Post-Communist Czech Media (3 credits)
The course explores the influence of American culture, specifically the American media model, on the post-communist Czech Republic. To do so, the course examines media in the Czech Republic after the fall of communism in 1989, focusing on all aspects of the media and presenting specific examples. Following an introduction to the American cultural influence on European culture and the developments after World War II in Western Europe, and after 1989 in Central Europe, life under communism is explored to illustrate the contrast between the East and the West in Europe. The course also covers the different existing media models and invites students to create an "American media model" with its specific characteristics. Through studying literature and news items in both the United States and the Czech Republic, students are challenged to answer questions about the methods and scope of the American culture's influence on European countries—specifically about the influence of the American media model on the media in the Czech Republic—and explore the identity of the Czech news and its challenges within this framework.

SOCI 3001 PRAG: Civic Engagement and Social Issues: Central European Perspectives (3 credits)
The course explores specific social problems in the Czech Republic, studying the historical context that generated them as well as critically discussing their impact on Czech society in comparison to other countries. The course also examines the interrelation of certain social issues and pays special attention to social exclusion and inequalities, exploring them in more detail through case studies. The overall theme of the course is to understand people's engagement in changing the society, primarily through their participation in non-governmental organizations and community initiatives. Students are invited to share their personal experiences in order to raise awareness. This course also serves as an interesting insight into the Czech culture and society from an unusual perspective.

SOCI 3001 course may count as elective credit for the Anthropology or Sociology major/minor. The Semester in Prague program fulfills the ANTH 331.Cultural Immersion Experience for the Anthropology major.

PHIL 3002 PRAG: Applied Contemporary Ethics (3 credits) PI
This course takes the most influential ethical theories and insights of the last 250 years (and particularly the last 50 years) and applies them to the current challenges that face contemporary societies in Europe and America. It is explores three broader topics – an individual as a moral subject; justification of a government and an individual as a moral actor in a state; and the concept of justice as a regulatory and an inspirational goal. In each topic the course examines the groundwork of modern ethical inquiries (such as Kant, Hobbes and Marx) and proceeds through the philosophical tradition, exploring its challenges. Accounts of a rational subject are contrasted with the problems of irrationality, the question of good with the reality of evil, ideas of justice with problems of everyday injustice. Thinkers discussed include Nietzsche and Freud as well as more contemporary ones such as Arendt, Havel, Fromm, Berlin and Rawls.
Prerequisite: Previous courses in one or more of the following fields are an advantage: Philosophy, Psychology, Sociology, Political Science, Economics, History, or the other humanities.

PHIL 3002 course may count as elective credit for both the Philosophy major and the Integrated Philosophy major and minor. However, it cannot count toward the 20 of the 32 hours of upper-division credit required for the major or the 16 of the 24 hours required for integrated major(s).