This course examines the impact of media on religious belief, practice, and institutions in an American context. We cover the rise of evangelicalism; the development of religious denominations and political parties; the birth of religious broadcasting including the rise of televangelism; and the decline of institutional religion with the emergence of a "spiritual marketplace." We examine religious representations in popular film, music, and news, and ask whether digital technologies have become imbued with religious meaning.

This course grounds the study of interaction in groups via theories of inter-organizational collaboration. Students will leave this course with a very specific set of knowledge and skills related to dialogue, principled negotiation, constructive conflict, consensus decision making and appreciative inquiry. Lessons focus on the development of a responsible ethic regarding how to share power among diverse group members. This ethic prepares you to lead collaborative groups in organizations, communities, and as family members.

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to contemporary critical scholarship on the construction of gender, race, and class in the media - particularly popular media. Subjects such as the portrayal of ethnic groups, ideal body image, blue collar men, and gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender groups are case studies. This course is one that introduces students to performing communication analysis.

The ability to lie is a defining feature of the social life of higher order primates and humans. Deceiving, concealing, lying and evading are forms of communication which are a basic part of everyday human life. This course will explore the structure and function of lying, deception and evasion in the course of communication. As we do so we will also explore the nature of truth as it applies to human interaction in the world.