A sampling of offbeat - pop culture courses offered at Tristate colleges. These courses are listed in the schools' current course catalogs but are not necessarily held every semester or every quarter.
College of Mount St. Joseph
America at Play: Baseball, Bare Knuckles and Back Seats: Examines history of sports, recreation and leisure, exploring how these elements have changed over time and now affect class identity, gender construction and race relations.
Arachnology: Look at spider biology that addresses spider folklore and movies.
History of the Motion Picture: Course looks at how movies have impacted trends and styles.
Information: 244-4805; http://www.msj.edu
Miami University
Geography of the Automobile: Attempts to understand production and distribution of motor vehicles. Origin and growth of motor vehicle production in the United States, diffusion of Japanese production methods, global interdependence of automotive production . . . and impact of demand for quality and satisfaction.
Social Psychology of Sports Fans: Examines sports fans and their behavior from a social-psychological perspective.
Social Psychological Aspects of Clothing: Study of human behavior associated with what people wear and why.
Information: 529-8711; http://www.muohio.edu/courses/index.html
Northern Kentucky University
Organized - White-Collar Crime: History, scope and methods of control of organized crime; emergence of white-collar crime as increasingly significant and sophisticated independent problem and as a facet of organized crime.
Elite Deviance: Examination of corporate and governmental deviance.
Stage Combat I and II: Introduction to stage combat; hand fighting, quarterstaff, broadsword and rapier and dagger; the stage fight in various periods and styles of dramatic literature. Advanced stage fighting techniques; preparation for certification test with the Society of American Fight Directors.
Information: 572-5220; http://www.nku.edu
University of Cincinnati
Basketball and American Society: Looks at game in terms of race, gender, violence and globalization.
Cyberpunk Movement: English course offered at UC's Clermont College introduces cultural movement of the 1980s that fused street life with high technology.
Hitchcock: An in-depth look at the life and career of one of the film industry's pre-eminent directors.
In the Beginning: Honors course that's based entirely on the first three minutes of the universe.
Sleep: Characteristics and variation of sleep, sleep disorders, the effect of drugs and the environment on sleep.
Social History of Baseball: Examines larger historic and modern social trends such as immigration, economic development, race relations and social mores against the backdrop of baseball.
Information: 556-6505.
Xavier University
The Horror Film: History of the Detective Film: The Western Film: Analysis and history of the genre with emphasis on the myths behind the subject matter.
Skeletons in the Classroom: Lectures and lab work to demonstrate how skeletal material can be used in the classroom.
Magic and Witchcraft: Mysticism and the supernatural in social context. The meanings and functions of witchcraft within various cultural contexts.
Information: 745-3301.
