FYSE 1058 Contemporary Studio Art (Spring)
In this seminar we will focus on the practice of contemporary studio art through the media of sculpture and video. Students will create sculpture using nontraditional materials and will relate their work to its environment. Video projects will emphasize non-narrative structures and alternatives to mass media. Writing assignments will develop and deepen the students’ artwork, and critique the work of prominent artists. 3 hrs. sem. ART NOR (J. Huddleston)
FYSE 1192 Politics and Culture of the French Resistance (Spring)
In this seminar we will explore the French Resistance to the Vichy regime and the German occupation through exemplary works of history, memoirs, fiction, and film. Topics will include forms of activism, daily life in the underground, the moral ambiguities of the period, and the role of the war experience in French collective memory. Recent controversies that have surrounded the history and interpretation of the Resistance and Vichy legacy will also be discussed. Although our focus will be World War II France, we will consider issues of broad ethical significance that transcend this specific time and place. Readings by Camus, Duras, Vercors, and others. 3 hrs. sem. HIS LIT EUR (P. Schwartz)
FYSE 1259 Science and Science Fiction (Spring)
More than just rocket ships, ray guns, and robots, science fiction frees us from the bounds of Earth’s present condition and allows us to explore worlds with alternate possibilities and futures, both positive and negative, for humankind. Often through interactions with and examples of things decidedly non-human we discover more about what it means to be human. We will read both science fact and science fiction (but not fantasy) literature to try to understand more about our humanity, our present world, and what might become of each in the future. Topics will include space travel, energy and the environment, the nature of the universe, and the meaning of life. We will write both fact-based essays as well as fictional stories. 3 hrs. sem. (R. Bunt)
FYSE 1260 Holocaust Landscapes (Spring)
The Holocaust was a profoundly geographical event that caused mass displacement and migration, destroyed or fundamentally changed communities, and created new places to control, exploit, or kill millions of people. In this seminar we will focus on material and mental landscapes – the places and spaces – of the Holocaust, particularly as victims experienced these landscapes, and how such landscapes have been selectively re-imagined as sites of memory. History, geography, autobiography, and visual sources will provide material for class discussion, research, and writing. Students in this course will have a unique opportunity to engage with students at the University of Bristol in England who will also be studying the Holocaust. 3 hrs. sem. HIS SOC EUR (A. Knowles)
FYSE 1261 Bollywood and Beyond: Topics and Themes in Indian Cinema (Spring)
Bollywood, the term given to the Indian film industry juggernaut in Bombay, India, has gained an avid following of millions of viewers world-wide. In this seminar we will provide a critical consideration of the history and development of the popular Indian film industry. We will focus on such topics as the construction of an Indian national identity, notions of gender, idealized beauty, caste, class, religion, social norms, globalism, modernity, nationalism, and fundamentalism. Films are subtitled and no knowledge of another language is expected. Lectures, discussion, and readings will accompany evening screenings. 3 hrs. sem./screening ART AAL (C. Packert)
FYSE 1262 Energy, Environment, and Climate (Spring)
Large-scale energy use distinguishes humans from our fellow animals. Energy brings high living standards and lets Earth support a large human population. However, energy use has significant deleterious effects on the environment. These include pollution and various consequences resulting from extraction and transportation of energy resources. But today these effects are overshadowed by a truly global impact of energy consumption, namely climate change. In this seminar we will examine energy’s environmental impacts, explore energy alternatives, and then focus on the energy-climate link. We will read, explore web sources, write, write, write, and do some quantitative analysis as well. 3 hrs. sem. SCI (R. Wolfson)
FYSE 1263 America's Constitutional Democracy (Spring)
America’s constitutional democracy rests on a foundation of political theory, constitutional law, and historical experience. By examining the writings of John Locke, James Madison, Alexis de Tocqueville, Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, Susan B. Anthony, and many others, and by reading a series of key Supreme Court rulings, we will explore how Americans have grappled with key questions involving liberty, equality, representation, and commerce. 3 hrs. sem. SOC (B. Johnson)
FYSE 1264 Being Muslim Today: Modern Islam (Spring)
In this seminar we will consider the intellectual movements of the Islamic world during the last two centuries. The course readings will reflect how Muslim thinkers in Egypt, the Indian subcontinent, the Ottoman Empire, and Iran responded to political and cultural challenge and change. We will examine what it means for a religious tradition to consciously attempt to redefine itself, and will address the contribution of Muslim scholars living in the West. Finally, we will examine the emergence of the jihadist movement, and will situate organizations such as al-Qaeda within trends already present in the 19th and 20th centuries. 3 hrs. sem. PHL AAL (J. Stearns)
FYSE 1265 Learning About Learning (Spring)
What is learning? How do people learn? In this seminar we will survey learning theory from both historical sources and contemporary research. We will write about our educational experiences and reflect on ways that we believe we learn “best.” How do we know? Activities and assignments will include self-inventories, reflective and critical essays, online discussions and the construction of lessons that might empower K-8 students to envision themselves as self-directed learners. We will examine writings from theorists such as Piaget, Vygotsky, and Skinner as well as the ideas of Marzano, Gardner, Duckworth and the National Research Council. 3 hrs. sem. SOC (G. Humphrey)
FYSE 1266 Literary Narratives (Spring)
Centered on a series of works composed of multiple and sometimes radically divergent narratives, this course will explore ways in which authors working in a variety of traditions succeed in creating unified literary experiences that exceed their individual parts. We will pay particular attention to matters of sequencing, pacing, juxtaposition, and repetition, as well as shifts in narrative pattern, perspective, and tone. Among the authors whose works we will consider are Poe, Flaubert, Dostoevsky, Joyce, Sherwood Anderson, Hemingway, Faulkner, and Nathanael West. Especially recommended for students contemplating a major in literary studies. LIT (S. Donadio)