Ethics

This interdisciplinary course will cover the theoretical foundations and history of the gender discourse, and address topics central to the discipline of gender studies. The economic, political, ideological and social forces that shape the cultural construction of gender will be discussed and the consequences examined. The discussion will also include the intersection of gender, race, and socioeconomic class, biology and gender, and the gendered body. Through a variety of exercises/discussions and works of fiction, attention will be given to the connection between gender issues and life experiences. Students will also engage with course topics via lectures, readings, and films.

The collective body of Catholic Social Teaching and its ongoing examination of issues such as economic & ecological justice, poverty, war & peace, discrimination, human rights, and labor conditions are the focus of this course. It will also highlight key members of the Catholic community who have modeled its values & themes such as Dorothy Day, Thomas Merton, and others.

Course explores moral issues both personal and social, in light of Christian Scriptures, tradition and human experience. A Roman Catholic perspective on these issues is emphasized. 

This course addresses the complex agenda of issues such as the role of business in society, the nature of corporate responsibility, the ethical environment of business, the relationship between government and business, and the impact of business on the natural environment. Attention will be given to the impact of these issues on a business and its stakeholders (managers, consumers, employees, and community members). Case studies will be used to highlight each area of concern.

This course introduces students to the issue of ethics in the profession of computing. These include: electronic privacy, security, information ethics, existing and emerging cyber law, environments of trust, risk management and operation feasibility issues.

This course balances theoretical principles and practical issues as they relate to the administration of justice. The focus is on the movement toward professional ethics and the growing emphasis on value-laden questions and policy decisions among scholars, researchers, and criminal justice practitioners.

This course introduces students to economic theories of poverty, ways to measure it (and the problems associated with these measures), and a description of the success and failures of public policies designed to curtail it. It features a blending of economic reasoning from theoretical and empirical perspectives, which will become part of the students' toolkits in their further endeavors, and a critical comparison of the economics approach and Catholic social teaching. The students will come out of the course becoming critical and intelligent participants in public policy debates and learn to form their own policy recommendations based on their analysis.

An examination of the unique ethical dilemmas encountered in professional practice in a wide range of professions, including business, law, education, journalism, science, medicine and health care, and politics and government. Critical scrutiny is given to the specialized norms and values that govern professionals in their institutional practices, as well as to those points at which professional ethics conforms to and conflicts with the more general norms of social morality. Additional issues for examination include professional autonomy and self-regulation, the social status and responsibilities of professional expertise, and the unique opportunities for social service provided by professions. Lecture and discussion.

In the face of oppression, people of faith and people of good will have argued for a principled world of peace and justice for all. This course examines how it is that oppressed people and groups have grounded the pursuit of peace and justice in terms of social and spiritual liberation. This course will explore global and domestic cases of oppression, which may include: imperialism and exile, racism and civil rights, sexism and homophobia. Diverse religious responses to oppression may include: Jewish, Christian, Islamic, Buddhist, and Hindu views. 

This course is designed to provide students with a knowledge base concerning human diversity from a sociological perspective. Diversity is broadly defined to encompass many aspects of social life, including gender and sexuality, social class, race and ethnicity, and ability. Students will learn how to use each of these concepts in conversation and in writing, and to view them in combination using an intersectional lens. Phenomena such as stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination will be studied. The dynamics of oppression will be examined and ways to create a more just society explored.