Political, Social Sciences & Society   

Stories encourage us to wander in our imaginations, connecting metaphorical phrases to our own identities and lived experiences. Myths and fairy tales provide fertile ground for our psychological selves and can be helpful containers to understanding the joys and conflicts in life. This course will explore lifelong social, emotional, and cognitive developments through the lens of developmental psychology across the lifespan, using myth and fairy tale as our guides.

This course explores the development, process, and issues of conflict and peace in Northern Ireland and Ireland focusing on the periods of Irish Rebellion (1870s-1920s), the Troubles (1960s-1990s), the Good Friday Agreement of 1998, and continuing problems from 1998 to the present. The course will first begin with an exploration of Ireland under British rule through the 19th century leading to the early conflicts of the 20th century. Significant emphasis is on the status of Northern Ireland after 1921 and into the 21st century.

This course explores the geography of Africa, the Americas, and Australia/Oceania. Each class will highlight a different region of the globe as we discuss the land, resources, borders, languages, cultures, flags, and history of every country. This is the second part of a two-part course. The two parts can be taken in any order. 

The nation is poised for a pivotal midterm election, a battle for control of Congress, and a referendum on the current administration. The election punctuates a tumultuous era in American politics, marked by a nearly successful insurrection, dismantling of longstanding political party and congressional roles, unprecedented upheaval in American government, challenges to Constitutional precedents, and profound effects on campaigns and media driven by the meteoric rise of artificial intelligence technology. This course offers real-time analysis of forces shaping the vote.

Artificial super intelligence will be here soon and could threaten democracy. The technology could destabilize democracies by eliminating mass employment, particularly white-collar jobs. It could become autonomous and take over society. Totalitarian states could use it to dominate the world through biological, cyber, and military attacks, influence operations, and economic disruption. Authoritarian and democratically-elected officials could use it for domestic mass surveillance and propaganda. Tech companies could use it to control society and government. This course will describe artificial super intelligence and its rapid development and threats to democracy.

This course will explore Pittsburgh's environmental history from industrial devastation in the 19th century to economic decline and eventual renewal. Members will learn about the environmental dilemmas of air, water, and land pollution, and the impact of industry on the city's landscape.

Course Materials: Devastation and Renewal, by Joel Tarr.  ISBN: 978-0822941569 ($15.00 on Amazon. 

                             Beyond Steel, by Christopher Briem. ISBN: 1-60635-502-2 ($25 paperback).

How did Freud's nephew convince American women to start smoking cigarettes? Who started the rumor that HIV doesn't cause AIDS? Did Putin try to convince us that Pfizer vaccines cause autism? This course explores the evolution of persuasive communication and propaganda drawing on psychology, sociology, and communication theory. Case studies include (but are not limited to) Nazi Germany and Cold War propaganda, Putin's strategy, and contemporary Iranian propaganda. We will also discuss recent government strategies involving A.I. images, social media manipulation, and influencer campaigns.

During its 2025-2026 term, the U.S. Supreme Court heard cases raising significant issues involving Presidential power, gerrymandering of Congressional districts, birthright citizenship, voting rights, gun rights, and transgender rights. In this class, we will analyze the Supreme Court's most important rulings of 2026.

NOTE: This course will be offered twice: once in person and once online. It is the same course.