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technology, literature and the
arts. Folklore’s reach is global, ranging from
villages, towns and cities in Africa, Asia, the
Americas, Australia and Europe to migrant and immigrant
communities in the megalopolitan and rural regions of
the world, and spanning divergent population groups as
well. The field of study is vast, cross-cultural and
interdisciplinary.
French Studies
The French language and French
civilization have long been dominant influences on
world culture, and France has played a major role in
world history. French is spoken not only in Europe
(France, Belgium, Switzerland) but also in North
America, the Caribbean, South America, Africa,
Southeast Asia and the Pacific. France exerts a strong
cultural influence throughout the world and is a
leading trading nation, excelling in such areas as
aviation, public transportation, military hardware,
food, wine and fashion, to name only the most highly
visible. France is also a leader in the fields of
science and medicine. A sound knowledge of the French
language and of French culture is therefore of great
advantage to students majoring in diverse areas
(political science, international relations,
literature, cinema, art history, psychology). French
is, after English, the second truly global language.
Geology
Geology is a dynamic and rapidly
evolving physical science. The theory of plate
tectonics gives new meaning and new impetus to areas of
investigation such as mineralogy, petrology,
volcanology, stratigraphy, economic geology and
paleontology. Due to its interdisciplinary nature,
geology includes subjects as varied as environmental
geology, evolutionary biology, solid-state chemistry,
oceanography, mineral economics and geochronology. A
student may major in geology in preparation for
graduate work, for a professional career in a branch of
geology, or to obtain background for further studies in
medicine, environmental law, oceanography or city and
regional planning. Intermediate and advanced classes
are small, and students work in close contact with the
faculty. Excellent library facilities, laboratories and
rock and mineral collections offer students ample
opportunities to pursue special interests. Field trips
are required as integral parts of several courses.
Germanic Languages and
Literatures
Over the centuries, German art,
literature, music, philosophy, religion and research in
the sciences have profoundly influenced the cultural
traditions of other countries. The political events of
Germany’s past frequently affected the entire
world. The increasingly dominant
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role in international affairs and the
global economic environment played by a unified Germany
will be of critical importance to all of us. The study of
German culture and literature enables students to
understand the spirit of Germany, to trace its roots in the
past, to comprehend the cross-currents in its thinking, and
to experience the contributions of German poets, novelists,
film-makers and authors.
The Department of Germanic
Languages and Literatures offers language courses in
German, Yiddish, Dutch and Swedish, and a wide array of
exciting courses in German and in English that deal
with German literature and culture in the European
context, as well as Yiddish literature both in Yiddish
and in English translation.
Health and Societies
The interdisciplinary Health and
Societies Program offers a major designed to make
undergraduates a part of the network of scholars and
programs at Penn that share a focus on health, the
social sciences and the humanities. Building upon a
long tradition of research and teaching excellence in
these areas, the major allows students to explore
serious intellectual questions while acquiring the
skills necessary to participate in 21st-century health
care and public health decision-making.
The Health and Societies major is
part of the University’s response to the global
nature of modern health problems and to the steadily
expanding reliance on a multidisciplinary approach to
their solution. It is recommended to students preparing
for careers in the health professions; for a
health-care specialization in fields such as law,
government, journalism and business; and for any
student seeking a solid liberal arts perspective on
disease, health and medicine in changing
socio-historical contexts. By bringing together
scholars from medicine, the humanities, and the social
sciences, this major provides an exciting,
intellectually coherent, and practical education.
Course offerings are drawn from such departments and
programs as Anthropology, Bioethics, Economics,
Environmental Studies, History, STSC (Science,
Technology and Society), Sociology, Urban Studies and
Women’s Studies. Other Health and Societies
courses are offered through the Wharton School and the
Schools of Nursing and Medicine.
Hispanic Studies
The demographic, economic and
political realities of the United States, the
articulation of a mainstream English culture with an
ever-increasing diversity of Hispanic and Latino
cultures, and the ongoing forging of strong cultural
and economic ties throughout the Americas have moved
Spanish out of the bounds of the category of
“foreign” language
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