Social Science - History / Geography / Political Science / Economics
Christopher PaulinDepartment Chair
Phone: 860-512-2770
Economics
The economics curriculum is designed to prepare and train students to be productive and efficient members of the U.S. economy as part of the rapidly changing global economy. Students are introduced to the basic theories, concepts, and analytical tools of economics. One of the virtues of economics is that it has, over the past 150 years, developed a set of analytical tools that may be applied to understand economic issues and to resolve economic problems. Our goal is to teach students how to use these analytical tools so that they may improve their understanding of economic issues and to be able to formulate their own solutions to economic problems. Economics also provides theories and concepts that help students to understand how different market structures, including global markets, function, and how the institutions of our national economy work. This kind of knowledge is vital for anyone working in business, public administration, social services, health care, communications, law and public affairs.
In our introductory economics courses we seek to introduce students to the basic tools of economic decision-making so that they may become more effective, efficient decision-makers in both their personal and professional lives.
Geography
Did you know that while US workers complain about jobs being lost to "cheap labor" abroad, Germany is losing jobs to cheap labor in the US?
Did you know that Indonesia has more people than both Russia and Brazil, but Canada has fewer people than the state of California?
Is there any validity to the theory of global warming?
The questions above are just few examples of the type of questions explored in geography. Geography examines how factors such as the physical environment, culture, economics and population interact to help explain the various patterns and places we see throughout the world. Geography enhances our understanding of the reasons behind much of the world's diversity. This allows us to deal more effectively with current crises and changes, and better predict how to prepare ourselves for the future.
Geography Career Opportunities
The field of geography offers a vast array of career opportunities. Geographers enter a wide range of careers in business, planning, government, and teaching. In private firms, geographers select locations for capital investment, determine market or service areas, assess impact on the environment of proposed changes in land use, and develop effective strategies for planning. At all levels of government, geographers work in teams with other disciplinary experts. Many geographers work for Federal mapping agencies, the Bureau of the Census, the Department of State, the U.S. Geological Survey, as well as local town planning agencies. Opportunities for geographers are numerous is both the public and private sectors.
Students that take geography courses at Manchester Community College can transfer this courses easily to the geography programs at both the University of Connecticut or Central Connecticut State University. Most other colleges accept our courses as well to fulfill social science requirements.
For more information, please contact Dr. Valerie R. Kier in the Social Sciences Division, 4th Floor Tower AST.
Geography Book List
At the suggestion of students, I have begun compiling books that are firstly, fun and secondly, informative. To begin, the focus is on books that tell us something about a region and/or historic period, but this will hopefully expand over time. As the list grows, it will be divided by topic. Student suggestions are encouraged! We are looking for books that are enjoyable enough to be worthy of any beach or airport terminal, yet "accidently" teach us a bit along the way.
Please e-mail any suggestions you may have. Right now we are focusing on novels that tell us something about a particular time and/or place. Include in your e-mail the title, author and a bit about the book.
Suggested Reading List
Historical Fiction
- James Mitchner—The Source (covers most of human history)
- Leon Uris—Armageddon (World War Two); Exodus (creation of the state of Israel, based on an actual event)
- Graham Greene—Travels with My Aunt or Our Man in Havana or just about any one of his novels
- Gore Vidal—Creation: a Novel
- Mary Renault—Persian Boy or any other of her novels (the time surrounding Alexander the Great)
- Caleb Carr—The Alienist (a mystery taking place in Victorian era New York City)
- Charles Dickens—A Tale of Two Cities (French Revolution)
- George Orwell—Burmese Days
- James Clavell—Shogun
—Johnny Tremain (young adult book about the American Revolution, but interesting) - Barbara Tuchman—Guns of August (non-fiction, but great account of events during World War One)
- Fiona Buckley- Any of the Ursala Blanchard Series (events in the court of and during the reign of Queen Elizabeth of England)
- Dianne Day- Any of the Caroline Fremont Jones Series (events in turn of the century (~1900) San Francisco)
- Robert Lee Hall- A series of mysteries solved by Benjamin Franklin
- Michael Clynes- Any of the Sir Roger Shallot Series(events during the reign of Henry VIII)
- Miriam Grace Monfredo- Any of the Glynis Tryon Series (events in the mid-1800s in Seneca Falls, NY. Each mystery has a background of abolition, women's suffrage and/or other social issues) Really Great!
Student Picks
- Anita Diamond—The Red Tent (an interesting rendition of the Bibilical Jacob story)
- Anne Perry—The Inspector Monk Series (mysteries taking place in Victorian London)
- Edward Marston—Doomsday Book Series(mysteries taking place in England during the reign of William the Conquerer)
- Michael Pearce- The Mamur Zapt and the Men Behind (takes place in Cairo, Egypt in 1910)
- P.C. Doherty- Any of the Hugh Corbett Series (events in the 13th century court of King Endward I)
History
Historian Helen Buss Mitchell wrote, “History is a dialogue between the past and the present. As we respond to events in our own world, we bring concerns of the present to our study of the past.” It is the goal of the History department that students should be able to discern that history does not repeat itself, but instead offers a vantage point from which to analyze the present.
The History department's mission is that the past is not studied simply as political development and change, dates, and famous names. Societies are considered rather in terms of the interaction of all activities of culture-politics, economics, the arts, religion, family structure-data from all these areas being presented to students as valid source material for the historian. Attention is devoted to issues relating to the role of race, class, and gender in history. The student is led to discern how to value systems of different societies-indeed how the same society of different epochs-may differ; and yet, how some values seem to be held by all societies throughout most of human history. The student should be able to follow threads of development throughout the course of history, to discern historically reasonable relationships, and to relate past happenings to the present.
It is hoped that the study of history will help the student confront the future with an historical perspective. Additionally, it is the mission of the History department that students may also appreciate studying history through non-credit offerings through the Institute of Local History and Continuing Education. Through the Institute, non-degree students have the opportunity to learn history and to follow the evolution of historical scholarship.
The History department maintains the highest standards of scholarship in the classroom to ensure that history courses taken at Manchester Community College will transfer throughout the Connecticut State University system, the University of Connecticut, private colleges and universities in the state and four-year schools throughout the country.
Furthermore, following the tradition established at this community college, the History department is committed to Access, Excellence, and Relevance.