Humanities department course offerings are predominately discussion classes. The discussions are essential to the examination and development of one’s ideas, one’s position in society, and one’s goals and values. These can then be evaluated against the philosophies of great thinkers, writers, and artists as well as the forces of today’s society. Lectures are given when background material is needed. Student evaluation is based on classwork—readings, class participation, and assignments—and oral or written presentations such as term papers, group or individual projects, and/or essay examinations.

This course surveys fundamental topics in psychology, the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. The topics covered include neuroscience, states of consciousness, developmental psychology, theories of personality, abnormal psychology, sensation and perception, memory, learning, and motivation. The emphasis of the course is more on personality theories and developmental psychology than on the biological aspects of human behavior. This is an interactive class in which students are encouraged to take part in experiential exercises and contribute to discussions. Students who opt to take the Advanced Placement Psychology examination will need to put additional time into studying selected topics not covered in this course.
Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.

This course approaches issues of gender, sex-role stereotyping, and the shifting roles of women and men in society by examining patterns that profoundly affect the tone and fabric of our culture. Students study who men and women are, how they communicate and relate, and what makes for similarities and differences between genders. The reading consists of: powerful short works of literature; psychological, biological, anthropological, and sociological studies; and both historical and biographical works. Media and culture are analyzed from a gender perspective. Student papers examine gender issues in relation to the readings as well as in their own lives. Students host Women’s History Week in March by preparing artwork, helping plan the assembly program, and hosting the guest speaker at the assembly and reception.

Against the backdrop of ethical writings from the fifth century BCE to philosophers of today, students examine moral issues of everyday life and ask questions about character and conduct. Major ethical theories are discussed and applied to situations that are present every day. A range of right actions in response to personal issues of integrity, respect for others, sexual morality, and relationships are studied and debated; students work on major ethical issues through this method of critical thinking and analysis. The goals of the course are to sharpen the process used to make moral decisions, to be able to employ the wisdom of the past, and to develop critical thinking and clear expression in order to deal responsibly and morally with conflicts and moral dilemmas of today.

How do you see your world, and why do you see it the way you do? These questions are at the heart of this course, which works its way freely through those critical junctures that mark our life’s passage. The course utilizes fiction, dramatic literature, and film to help the student see the world clearly and selflessly. Authors, filmmakers, and philosophers studied in the course include Plato, Aristotle, Sophocles, Shakespeare, Wordsworth, Milton, Russell Banks, Sidney Lumet, and Naomi Foner Gyllenhaal. Writing assignments focus on having students look at their own experiences with an objective eye and at the experiences of others with an empathic eye. Shakespeare’s Seven Ages of Man charts what linear aspect there is to this decidedly nonlinear course. E. M. Forster could be said to have summarized the course when he enjoined us to “Only connect … .” Connecting the dots is what this course is all about. Two term papers are required. There is no final examination.

* Indicates a course that does not fulfill the University of California system’s Subject requirement.

The upper school Health and Human Development program is designed to afford opportunities for the exploration and discussion of the central issues of human relationships and personal growth. Students are encouraged to consider the importance of careful and effective decision-making and to grow in their ability to make choices that are consonant with their true values. At the same time, students also explore the challenges of caring for others and the complexities, responsibilities, and rewards that come from such relationships.
The goals of the upper school Health and Human Development program are to:

• stimulate thoughtful, sound, and responsible decision-making;
• examine and discuss ethical questions and the moral components of various situations to foster moral reasoning and awareness;
• encourage the development of self-awareness and self-acceptance;
• foster an understanding of how to help oneself and others through times of stress, pressure, depression and suicide, and loss and grieving;
• disseminate clear and accurate information about sexuality, reproduction, birth control, health, communicable diseases, and substance abuse;
• encourage understanding of and respect for others regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, or other differences;
• promote an understanding and appreciation for students’ various communities and their roles, relationships, and responsibilities within them—the community of the home, the community of the school, and the community of the world.

(from the 2008-2009 Curriculum Guide)