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Scribner Seminars
Director of the First-Year Experience: Beau Breslin
Student Academic Development Coordinator:Marla Melito
All Scribner Seminars are interdisciplinary. The seminars invite
students to think about the liberal arts as a whole, to challenge
their preconceived notions about inquiry and knowledge, to examine
issues from multiple perspectives, and to make connections across
disciplines. Faculty instructors participate not only as specialists
in particular fields of knowledge, but as models of people who have
themselves been liberally educated, and are thus able to apply their
thinking to a variety of new as well as familiar experiences.
Seminar topics change from year to year; students should consult the online Catalog
for the latest offerings.
SSP 100. SCRIBNER SEMINAR 4
These interdisciplinary seminars introduce students to perspectives on
a particular subject of inquiry. Each seminar, limited to 1516 first-year students, allows participants to work together closely and
also acts as a foundation and context for future college studies.
Faculty instructors develop the seminar theme around their research
and scholarly interests. In addition, faculty instructors serve as
mentors and advisors to the students enrolled in the seminars. During
each seminar, students enhance their abilities to read critically,
communicate ideas both orally and in writing, and relate the seminar
to their educational goals. All first-year students must
take one Scribner Seminar in their first semester. This course must be
taken for a letter grade.
Afterlives: Cultural Constructions of Life After Death
What happens to the soul—the breath—that goes away when the body
dies? Where does consciousness go? What happens to it? Since no one
knows, everyone has imagined. Neurophysiology tells us about near-death
experiences, and the process by which the brain shuts down, but
what then, and why do we care? Western views of the afterlife have
shifted and multiplied, from dismal undergrounds, transmigrating
souls, nothingness or endless sleep, blissful heavens, horrible
hells, to playful inventions. Students will look at classical and
biblical texts, visual representations in medieval Christianity and
medieval Buddhism—some heavens but mostly hells—and twentieth- and
twenty-first century fiction and film to see what they tell us about
our own beliefs, hopes, fears and values. Do we need concepts of an
afterlife to behave morally? What does the proliferation of make-your-own
afterlives in current popular cultural tell us about ourselves? R. Janes, English
Africa Through Its Changing Cinema
In this seminar, we explore through film and other visual documents the
causes and effects of colonialism on the African people, their society,
and their culture. The colonial experience, in all its political and
psychological aspects, provides a historical, economic, social, and
aesthetic context in which to study and understand African film.
Although our main focus is Sub-Saharan Africa from the Second World War
to the present, we will refer, whenever pertinent, to the North African
filmmaking experience in our discussions. We will examine the practice
of filmmaking in Africa, the forces that shape this practice, and
strategies of reading this creative medium. H. Jaouad, Foreign Languages and Literatures
American Liberty: Our Enduring Struggle Over Our Constitutional Rights
Why are Americans so obsessed with the idea of individual liberty?
Where did this fixation come from? Is it healthy for an American
Republic to be so protective of the rights of the individual citizen?
If not, what can we do to stem the tide and return to some notion of
community to the center of our constitutional discourse. In this
course, students will explore the concept of American freedom by
examining the constitutional, historical, and philosophical
foundations of our liberal experiment. We will focus on how
institutions-in particular the U.S. Supreme Court-have
shaped America's unique conception of liberty. In our examination of
American liberty, students will explore the right to privacy, the
right to free speech, and the protections afforded by the equal
protection and due process clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment,
including those rights afforded individuals on America's death row. As
an integral part of the seminar, students will work on an actual death
penalty defense. Students will be responsible for conducting primary
research with the aim of providing the most effective defense possible
for a specific death row inmate. B. Breslin, FYE Government
American Memories
How does memory work? What is the relationship between the past and
memory, between memory and history? How do individual and collective
memories influence, complement, and contradict one another? How are
memories reconstructed, interpreted, transmitted and transformed? In
this seminar, we explore disciplinary and interdisciplinary
perspectives on American memories, personal and public, considering
some of the many ways Americans have remembered (and forgotten)
specific people, places, and events in our national past, such as
Abraham Lincoln, colonial Williamsburg, and the Oklahoma City bombing.
Students will examine various cultural mechanisms of memory
production—monuments, museums, and movies—and will explore the
historically distinct ways in which memories have been reconstructed,
used and abused. D. Nathan, American Studies
Buzz: The Visual and Material Culture of Caffeine
What keeps you awake? Caffeinated substances have been consumed in
many societies for hundreds of years, but the form and significance of
the "buzz" have varied greatly. In this seminar, students explore how
coffee, tea, chocolate and Coca-Cola have been presented to consumers
in different places and times, and how these modes of presentation
have engaged diverse cultural values. We will focus on the visual and
material aspects of caffeinated products: how they are packaged,
advertised, prepared, and served; the environments in which they are
sold and consumed; and their depiction in prints, paintings, and film.
We will discover how these representational strategies both express
and actively shape how people think about their bodies, their social
identities, and the world in which they live. Our investigation will
take us from coffeehouses in 17th century Europe to the ritual of the
Japanese tea ceremony to the design of Godiva chocolate boxes to the
marketing of Coca-Cola. Through a range of learning experiences, this
course will wake you up to new ideas about the history and meaning of
"buzz." M. Hellman, Art History
Dangerous Earth: Climatologic and Geologic Disasters Who will be the victims of the next natural disaster? When, where, and
why will it occur? Can we safeguard our communities? In this seminar,
students examine the diverse ways in which climatologic and geologic
phenomena influence human lives and activities, the root causes of
disaster phenomena, and the principles that render seemingly random
natural disasters comprehensible and predictable. Through case studies
and research projects, students will investigate a variety of hazards,
such as floods, droughts, hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes,
and tsunamis, and will explore the extent to which these events are
regulated by cyclic and/or periodic earth processes. This will enable
students to make predictions and develop scenarios to mitigate against
potential effects of future natural disasters. We will also examine the
influence of diverse cultural perspectives about the causes and effects
of natural disasters on a community's ability to respond effectively to
a disaster event. A. Frappier, Geosciences
European Integration
Will the new Europe challenge U.S. supremacy as a superpower, or is it
destined for global irrelevance? Students will explore the process of
European integration from the wars of the past century through the
establishment of the European Union, from the destruction of the
Berlin Wall through the adoption of a common currency. How will Europe
face the important challenges that remain? How will the member
countries define their common interests and deal with their remarkable
diversity? Students will examine these issues through the varied
lenses of history, geography, political science, and economics. J. Bibow, Economics
The Garden of Forking Paths: Interpreting Latin American Images and Realities
Why do societies that emerge in similar circumstances evolve so
differently? Why is Latin America today so different from the United
States after having started its development in similar conditions
during the era of discovery and colonization? What makes it possible
to refer to "Latin America" at all—are the peculiarities and
common features that make up this region the result of stereotyped
(mis)perceptions, or do they correspond to reality? In this seminar,
we will address these and other questions, analyzing the geographic,
ethnic, gender, political, economic, religious and artistic
characteristics that signify Latin America. Using an
interdisciplinary perspective that draws on anthropology, art
history, economics, literature and music, political science,
sociology and religious studies, we will focus on issues such as: Is
Latin America a "racial democracy"? Why are income and class
inequalities in this region so pronounced? Is "machismo" still the
defining characteristic of gender relations in Latin America and
Catholicism still the main religious component of Latin American
identity? Is politics in the region as unstable and violent as is
often depicted in movies and novels? And how does soccer contribute
to and define Latin American identity? A. Vacs, Government
Human Dilemmas
As you begin college, you are confronting the recurring dilemmas that
define and shape our lives: Who am I? What exactly am I? What is my
relationship to others? What is my responsibility to them and to the
world? As biologist E. O. Wilson contends in his 20022003 book, The Future of
Life, life is "an insoluble problem, a dynamic process in search of an
indefinable goal. [It is] neither a celebration nor a spectacle but
rather, as a later philosopher put it, a predicament" (xxii). "Human
Dilemmas" will challenge your conventional assumptions surrounding these
predicaments as we focus our attention on interdisciplinary readings,
critical thinking, and academic inquiry. Debates, field trips, and
writing will move us toward an understanding of what it means to be
human in our contemporary world. C. Berheide, Sociology; J. Casey, English; J. Delton, History; M. DiSanto-Rose, Dance; R. Giguere, Chemistry; P. Hilleren, Biology; S. Layden, Student Academic Services; P. McCarthy, Social Work; I. Park, Studio Art; S. Sheldon, Psychology; M. Youndt, Management and Business
Human Colonization of Space
Our current exploration of space points to eventual extraterrestrial human colonies. In fact, much of the technology to begin small colonies already exists, and some anthropologists argue that it is the nature of humankind to explore and settle new "lands," even when that means leaving the earth. In this seminar, students explore the issues involved in making policy decisions in this area, including technological limitations, political and economic motives, the possible catastrophic destruction of earth, and the biological and psychological development of individuals within a small, extremely isolated society. M. Crone Odekon, Physics
Italian Cinema
What do Rossellini, De Sica, Visconti, Fellini, Wertmuller, Scola,
Tornatore and Benigni have in common? Students in this seminar will
examine 20th century Italian society's crises and transformations by
analyzing the social, political and cultural movements that have
defined Italian culture through film and literature. Students will
view and explore Italian cinematic Neorealism, examine the role in
Italian cinema of director-authorsDirector-Authors, analyze Italian 20th century and
classical literary works, and discuss cinematographic adaptations of
those works. In addition, students will learn how to read a film and
analyze the translation process from a literary text to film. Films in
Italian with English subtitles. G. Faustini, Foreign Languages and Literatures
Law, Religion, and Society
Do public school students have to pray before an athletic competition
because the coach wants them to? Conversely, can those students start
a public school Bible Study group? Does a Muslim woman have any
recourse if her civil lawsuit is dismissed by a judge because she is
wearing a headscarf that obscures most of her face? Can the Ten
Commandments be posted on the walls of public buildings? Questions
such as these have been faced by the courts, and the culture, since
the founding of our republic. Students in this seminar explore the
place of religion in our society as it has been addressed, shaped,
and interpreted by the courts, the Constitution, and the American
people. Students themselves will address these issues as they
actively engage in discussion and writing, conduct a mock trial,
participate in debates, compose legal briefs and craft trial strategies. C. Kopec, Management and Business
Leather, Paper, Lead: Artists' Books, History and Process
What do books mean to you? The development of writing, printing,
visual text and book forms reveals a wealth of sociopolitical,
cultural, economic, and religious identity at any given place and
time. Students will combine an interdisciplinary examination of books
with the design of books in the studio to examine the role that books
have played throughout history, with a particular emphasis on the 20th
century artist's book as an intersection of literature and art. We
will investigate rare, unique books from the Scribner Library Special
Collections to decipher their history and context in order to develop
an appreciation of books as objects, historical documents, and
significant intellectual and cultural resources. Through critical
study of these original works as well as creative bookmaking
assignments, students will experience the unique interplay between
word, image, page, identity, and meaning that the genre of artist's
books reveal. K. Leavitt, Studio Art
Living our Choices: Queenship and Change: Wisdom for Today from Early China How can we make good decisions and cope with the results of poor ones? What skills help us live and work effectively with others? How can we get the most out of our lives in college and after? We will use the I ching (Yijing, Book of Changes), recent information on queens in early China, and the works of Lao-tzu (Laozi), Confucius and others to reach deeper understandings about the dilemmas we face and the wide array of choices students have at Skidmore and in Saratoga. M. Pearson, History
Location, Location, Location: Mapping and GIS
Do you think that the people of New Orleans think that location
matters? Location does matter, and throughout history people have
devised ever more complex and innovative ways of mapping their
location. In this seminar, we examine the various historical modes
that people have used to map the world around them, including the most
important contemporary mapping technology, GIS (Geographic Information
Systems). All forms of mapping, including GIS, draw from sociology,
economics, business, political science, history, biology,
environmental science and geosciences. Students will explore the
theory behind and the applied applications of GIS and other mapping
systems within and across these different fields of study. We will end
the course with an examination of the role GIS and other mapping
technologies played in predicting and tracing the path of Hurricane
Katrina, and how it may help in the reconstruction of the Gulf Coast. R. Jones, Economics
Mother Russia's Daughters: Gender and Power in Russia's Past and Present
What explains the fact that in a country famously and widely known as
"Mother Russia," one of the most enduring proverbs is "Just as a crab
is not a fish, a woman is not a human being"? In this seminar,
students will apply the powerful tool of gender analysis to Russia's
past and present, exploring such topics as Catherine the Great's
exalted and controversial reign, and the demonization of Tsarina
Alexandra, last empress of Russia. We will also look at changing
notions of womanhood during the Bolshevik and Stalinist revolutions,
gender politics during WWII, and the crises of femininity and
masculinity that emerged in the mature Soviet and post-Soviet era.
Here we will pay special attention to the problems of contraception,
prostitution and trafficking of women, as well as the gendered nature
of Russia's transition to capitalism and "democracy." Letters,
diaries, works of fiction, works of art, literary criticism,
anthropological works, and films produced by and about Russian women
will provide an interdisciplinary perspective on Mother Russia. K. Graney, Government
The Music Between Us: The Culture of Musical Creation and Consumption
Music can bind us together and drive us apart. Music is an element of our individuality and can help us disappear into a group. How do individuals define themselves in the context of musical communities? What kinds of communities are there? How can we describe musical communities? What is the relationship between musical change and social change in the context of these communities? What is the role of music in the relationship between the self and society? This seminar will reason through a number of descriptions of how humans employ music to define themselves. G. Thompson, Music
Nothing Doing: The Space of Modern Thought
What does nothing have to do with anything? When merchants from Muslim
lands introduced nothing (zero) into Christian Europe in the 13th
century, they brought with them an Eastern concept that would
revolutionize Western thought. In this seminar we will consider the
history of nothing—be that nothing zero, the void, space, absence or
privation—to see how and why this dangerous idea would become the
foundation of modern thought. Two great literary works—Shakespeare's As You Like It and Cervantes's Don Quixote—will serve as a springboard
for our analysis of how Early Modern writers, artists, philosophers
and mathematicians used the concept of nothing to re-imagine their
world. We will end the semester with a consideration of how the very
nothing that structures modern thought becomes the "nothingness" that
serves as Postmodernism's principle critique of modernity. G. Burton, Foreign Languages and Literatures
Perception and Reality: Psychology and Artistic Expression "Seeing is believing." We typically trust our perceptions of the
world, but is that trust justified? In this seminar, we will use
psychological research, plays, novels, artwork, and movies to explore
a number of questions. How does your visual system construct the world
you perceive? What might visual illusions tell you about your visual
system? What roles do artists play in allowing you to see the world
differently? Do your unconscious thoughts and desires influence your
behavior? How important are your memories for determining who you are
and what would happen if you lost them? Would the world look the same
to you if you were autistic? Through the exploration of such questions
we will gain a better understanding of the complexities and
ambiguities involved in "seeing." By the end of the seminar, you may
come to believe that "seeing is deceiving." H.
Foley, Psychology
Plagues and their Power on Human Society
What determines the fate of human societies? Since the beginning, humans have had to deal with diseases which developed alongside humankind. Some diseases seem to have been around forever whereas others developed more recently. How did major outbreaks of diseases shape the historical events of their time? From the six plagues of antiquity we will move to the first recorded incident of biological warfare and the disease causing the death of one third of the European population of the 14th century. Students will study disease-linked historical events including the impact of present-day diseases like AIDS and TB. Students in this seminar will explore human diseases and their influence on historical events and impact on society. Topics include biological, medical, historical and social aspects of these diseases as well as their influence on literature and art. S. McDevitt, Biology
Popular Kabbalah and Contemporary Culture
Why does kabbalah, a medieval system of Jewish mysticism, suddenly
seem to be everywhere in popular culture? How do these popular forms
of kabbalah compare with its traditional practice? Does Madonna do
"real' kabbalah? Is the Kabbalah Center a cult? Is Superman a Golem?
At the end of the 19th century, artists began to use kabbalistic texts
and images imaginatively, as they created literature, film, comic
books, and art. Today, emerging Jewish and non-Jewish groups and even
conventional congregations use kabbalistic texts and images as the
basis for New Age religious practices, using portions of traditional
texts to generate new understandings of the self and of the cosmos. In
this seminar, we will study a small selection of traditional Jewish
mystical sources in historical and cultural context, and then trace
their use in 20th and 21st century culture. Students will learn to
evaluate popular artistic use of kabbalah in the creation of new
public symbols, and will also critically examine the cultural
production of new religion as old forms interact with contemporary
cultural forces. M. Segol, Religion
Psychological Theories of Social Justice
In this seminar, students will learn to think critically about a variety
of social justice issues and policies in the areas of redistributive
justice, procedural justice, distributive justice, and expressive
justice. These theories have relevance to issues related to criminal
justice, justice in the course and in legal proceedings, justice in the
workplace, justice in war, and politics and justice in international
affairs. Using different social and psychological frameworks, students
will analyze theories of punishment and the use of the death penalty,
ideas of what it means to be responsible for a crime and competent to
testify in court, analyses of affirmative action policies,
considerations of justice warfare and problems of global poverty, and
definitions of human rights. In our analyses, we will consider multiple
questions such as: What is a just way to punish people who commit
crimes? Do tough prison policies help deter crime and make society
safer? Is the "not guilty by reason of insanity" verdict just? Can young
children serve as credible witnesses in court? How fair is affirmative
action? Are human rights culturally universal? Is justice gender biased?
Why do we go to war, and is there such a thing as a "just war"? V. Murphy-Berman, Psychology
Purple Nation: Welfare and Politics In this seminar, students study the history of social policy in the United States, the everyday lives of poor and working class people, and current policy debates in the press and Congress. Students consider how conservatives and liberals think about the following questions. What causes poverty and inequality? Why does inequality persist during prosperity? Should government intervene in the economy to produce a more equitable distribution of wealth? Do social programs work? Are some programs more effective than others? Is political consensus about the role of government possible or necessary to ensure prosperity and a more equitable distribution of wealth in the 21st century? P. Oles, Social Work
Race in the Obama Era: Building Community through Cross-Racial Dialogue An intergroup dialogue on race. How do people of different racial identities experience race in the U.S.? What does interpersonal and institutional racism look like in the 21st century? With the election of President Obama, is it possible (or even ideal) to achieve a post-racial society? And, how do we move beyond politically correct discourse to meaningful cross-racial dialogue? In this course, students participate in semi-structured face-to-face meetings across racial identity groups. Through relevant historical, sociological, and psychological reading materials, interactive activities, in-class dialogues, and self-reflective journal assignments, students learn about pertinent issues facing different races on campus and in U.S. society. The goal is to create a setting in which students engage in open and constructive dialogue by exploring issues of inter-/intra-group relations, conflict, and social change. K. Ford, Sociology
Rich, Free, & Miserable: The Failure of "Success" in America
Why is the American Dream in trouble? With unparalleled resources and
opportunities, this should be the best time and place to live in human
history. Despite may positive signs, the social fabric of American
society is thinning. Decreasing time devoted to family and neighbors,
increasing energy spent working and shopping, widespread patterns of
unhealthy and damaging consumption, and growing distrust and
incivility in public life are all too common patterns reflecting this
decline. Students will examine the deteriorating state of community in
America, focusing on the lack of balance between the three great
spheres of social life: the economic sphere, civil society, and the
polity. More specifically, students will pursue the following
questions: What are the most important strengths and weaknesses of
American society? What are the realistic possibilities for retaining
the strengths and addressing the weaknesses? How can we as individual
citizens help restore balance to our society and in our own
lives. J. Brueggemann, Sociology
Self and Desire
What do we mean by the desiring self, the topic of this seminar?
Students in this seminar will examine the nature and different forms
of desire and its role in the constitution of the human subject, as
well as the destabilizing force desire exerts on the self. The figure
of Don Juan—often presented in literature, opera and film—introduces
the question of the relation of the self to the self, of the self to
the other, of desire to (self-)mastery, of pleasure to pain, and of
imagination to reality. Students will use philosophical, literary
and psychological readings as well as films to bring critical
concepts to bear on the phenomena of the desiring self. R. Lilly, Philosophy
Sexualities/Textualities An exploration of the centrality of writing to the creation,
promulgation, and enforcement of human sexualities. We will focus on
the written word as a place where an otherwise amorphous network of
desires gets clarified and organized, deployed and policed. From Plain
Talks on Avoided Subjects, a popular nineteenth-century guidebook for
the young, to The Flame and the Flower, a Harlequin romance from the
early 1970s, we will explore the ways in which sex becomes text. We
will position these sometimes-bizarre popular texts in the context of
medical, scientific, and philosophic discourses, including the work of
Freud, Foucault, and Kinsey, in an attempt to understand the relation
between the written word and the ways in which we live and imagine
human sexual identity. M. Stokes, English
Shakespeare was Jewish?
Perhaps not, though a case can be made. Shakespeare and Judaism do,
however, intersect in a number of ways. The study of Shakespeare's The
Merchant of Venice will play a central role in this seminar. Students
will encounter a number of film versions and stage adaptations of the
play while grappling with the question of whether Shakespeare's work
was anti-Semitic. Students will explore concepts of justice and mercy,
racial stereotypes, usury, the history of anti-Semitism, Shakespeare's
knowledge of the Old Testament and the Talmud, and his influence on
Yiddish theater. L. Opitz, Theater
Twentieth Century Apparel in the United States
How has history helped shape the dress of contemporary men, women, and
children? Through critical reading, films, expert speakers, and field
trips, students will examine the social, cultural, economic, artistic,
and technological forces that have helped shape apparel in the U.S.
through the 20th century and beyond. Students will explore American
dress from 1898 to 2008 to identify the conformists and rebels of
every era: from the Arrow Collar Man and the Gibson Girl to
bell-bottom-clad hippies and Jackie Kennedy. Students will also
consider influences from Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas.
Coursework will also focus on changes in manufacturing, marketing, and
retailing, from the U.S. sweatshops of yesterday to the Internet
shopping of today. B. Balevic, Management and Business
Waging War, Making Peace
Wars have taken 140 million lives in the past thousand years. Is war
inevitable? This timeless question is the central focus of this
seminar. We begin by exploring the political, economic, and other
major causes of war and its effects on individuals, cultures,
environments, and nation-states. It continues by examining how and why
nation-states make peace through such means as diplomacy, treaty,
reconciliation, and regional integration. The key concept of this
seminar is international learning—the process by which the public and
political leaders in the world's nation-states learn to avoid the
mistakes of wars past. Students analyze case studies of war and peace
through a wide variety of creative media such as art, biography, film,
novel, photography, and poetry. R. Ginsberg, Government
Ways of Seeing: Image, Text, Illumination Ways of Seeing will introduce students to disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives about the intersections of text and image. The task of seeing inevitably forces us to read subtle or explicit visual cues while understanding the role of spatial dynamics and language in message-making and knowledge formation. We will discover what happens when a visual artist incorporates words onto a painted canvas or when an author surrounds an image with language in a work of literature. Analyzing film, graphic novels, concrete poetry, illustrations, advertisements, and other mixed media projects, we will ask: Is there a power balance as a text or image struggles to come to the fore? How does one illuminate the other? Marshall McLuhan’s famous dictum, “The Medium is the Massage,” will guide our discussions as we examine how a message is formulated by the way our senses are massaged or manipulated. The course will take place in the Tang Museum, where students will not only have regular access to the current exhibits but will also have the opportunity to contribute to the Winter Gallery in the museum. This seminar will include a visit to the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in Manhattan. M. Rhee, English
Where Are We?
How did Columbus run into North America when he was trying to
establish a route to India? How could pirates accurately predict where
merchant ships would be when the merchant ships themselves found it
difficult to determine their own position? Why did some believe that
the yelps of wounded dogs might help to establish a ship's position at
sea? In examining these questions, students will explore the science
that is involved in determining longitude and latitude, in determining
time and also the nature of time itself. In learning the story of
British clockmaker John Harrison who won "The Longitude Prize" in 18th
century Britain, students will consider the social, political, and
economic consequences of accurate navigation and of mapmaking in the
context of British and European history in the 18th and 19th
centuries. Students will also explore the science of determining time
and place in the 20th and 21st centuries. M. Hofmann, Mathematics and Computer Science
Almodovar Dialogues with Hollywood
Provocative, outlandish, and often controversial because of his portrayals of gender and violence in relationships, the Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar is more popular abroad than in his own country. This paradox may be due to his dialogue with the Hollywood film tradition, whether via direct citation or oblique allusion. By viewing classical Hollywood films like Some Like It Hot, Rear Window, Johnny Guitar, and Annie Hall alternated with some of Almodóvar's most well-known films, students in this course will discuss such concepts as intertextuality, postmodern aesthetics, the representation of masculinity and femininity, transvestism and transexuality, psychoanalytic theory, parody and framing, along with cinematographic techniques and how to "read" and write about film.
American Dreams What are the dreams of 21st century America? What do these fantasies reveal about our values, and what role do these dreams play in the construction of our personal and collective identities? America is a country long mythified as a place where dreams come true, a land that boasts a signature fantasy called the American Dream. In this seminar, we explore the places of the American dream-world where our fantasies are scripted and squandered, fought for and fulfilled. These sites will be diverse, ranging from the suburbs to the city, from the hip world of advertising and the seductive realm of cinema to the planned community of Celebration, Florida, from McWorld to a museum of old bones. Topics up for discussion include nostalgia in the Natural History Museum, cool architecture and hipster style at Rem Koolhaas' Prada store in Soho, and convenience and speed in a "fast food nation."America is a country long mythified as a place where dreams come true, a land that boasts a signature fantasy called the American Dream. What, however, are the dreams of 21st-century America? What do these fantasies reveal about our values, and what role do these dreams play in the construction of our personal and collective identities? This seminar will begin with mythic America to reconstruct the historic promise of social mobility in America. But we will move swiftly to our current cultural moment to investigate the nature of happiness and desire today. Why is the allure of cool so hot? Why are we susceptible to nostalgia? Given our culture’s obsession with dream houses and dream bodies, is the “makeover” story America’s favorite fairy tale? Other topics up for discussion might include consumption, American-style—from food to dollars to coal and energy; the Google guys and the Silicon Valley version of the American dream that they embody; community-building on craigslist.org; and the promise of speed and convenience in a digitized culture. This course will draw from art, film, music, advertising, the web, fiction, and particularly the very best and provocative of contemporary American journalism. B. Black, English
American Taste
An interdisciplinary analysis of the evolution of American cuisine from 1600 to the present. Beginning with a taste of Native American food, we will explore regional food patterns of the colonial period, consider the development of distinctively American styles of cooking and eating in the nineteenth century, and pay special attention to the effects of immigration. We will then explore the impact of science, business, technology, globalization, and changing family patterns on food in the United States in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. M. Lynn, American Studies
Animals in History
What is an animal? Do animals have a history? Students in this class will address these and other provocative questions about animals, humans and the history the two groups share. Students will probe into the philosophical, theological, and historical distinctions that have been made between humans and animals; study the impact that European imperialism had on the animal world; and explore animals as historical actors and agentive subjects. The abiding purpose of the course will be to have students finish their semester thinking about agency, subjectivity, mastery and identity in new and creative ways. T. Nechtman, History Detective Fictions, Dark Designs
An introduction to the interdisciplinary study of crime fiction. Students will examine crime fiction's history and evolution, particularly with regard to the genre's status as popular literature. Simultaneously, we will study its sociological dimension, which makes of detective fiction the morally ambiguous site for the representation of criminals and of behavioral taboos. Finally, we will experience its cross-cultural dimension, with London and Los Angeles serving as geographical counterpoints for comparing British and American examples of the genre. Beginning with the invention of the armchair detective in several tales by Edgar Allen Poe, we will study sleuths and gumshoes in writers such as Arthur Conan Doyle, Josephine Tey, Dorothy Sayers, Raymond Chandler, and Michael Connelly; and in films such as Chinatown, L.A. Confidential, and The Usual Suspects. J. Anzalone, Foreign Languages and Literatures, and R. Copans, College Librarian
Diabesity: Diabetes and Obesity in America
Why has the prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes dramatically increased in the last decade? This course is designed to provide students with an in depth understanding of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Students will examine obesity and diabetes by considering physiological, psychological, epidemiological, and evolutionary factors that control body weight and therefore control obesity and diabetes. Particular attention will be given to the causes (genetic or environmental) of type 2 diabetes in an attempt to identify potential reasons for the large increase in the prevalence of this devastating disease. Students will discuss, evaluate and debate potential treatments for obesity and type 2 diabetes (diet, exercise, drugs, surgery). Students will also spend time analyzing the efficacy and feasibility of different “fad” diets used to promote weight loss (Atkins, South Beach, Zone Diet, etc.). A portion of the class will be dedicated to laboratory methods used to assess body composition (% body fat) and glucose metabolism. T.H. Reynolds, Exercise Science
Diversity, Intercultural Understanding, and You: Why Does Skidmore Care?
This course explores issues of diversity, specifically within American
higher education and particularly within Skidmore College. The course
will introduce students to theory, research, and practice related to
diversity topics and will encourage them to develop their own
understandings of historical and contemporary issues. Students will
examine how we research and think about race, class, gender,
sexuality, and other relevant issues. Considering the historical
context of diversity in American higher education and increasingly
global diversity, students will work toward understanding why
Skidmore has set Intercultural and Global Understanding as a goal for
student learning and engagement and in what ways curricular and
cocurricular programs contribute to meeting that goal. L. de la Luna, Education Studies; M. Martin, Campus Life
Earth System Evolution: The First Four Billion Years
Are there golden threads permeating Earth's history that could contribute to the optimization of the human condition and the longevity of our species? If so, where are they preserved and by what signs might we recognize them? The Earth System has evolved over the past 3.5 billion years through interactions between the planet's solid surface, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere. While changes in the planet's inanimate components have been predominantly cyclic in character, biospheric components ranging from bacteria to ecosystems have evolved by adapting to global change through the development of synergistic survival mechanisms. This course is a study of global evolution from prebiotic times to the present to seek out modes of change and adaptation within the Earth System that may be applicable to envisioning a sustainable future for Homo sapiens. R. Lindemann, Geosciences
Eros and Belonging: On Love, Affection and Community
What is love? What and whom do we love? To what ends are our erotic longings to be cultivated and what is the role of the community in this process? Students will explore the nature of love as well as the manner and proper setting for its cultivation. They will investigate the beauty and depth of writings that include Plato's dialogues, Shakespeare's comedies, Rousseau's philosophical reflections, and the novels of Jane Austen. F. Taylor, Government
Food, Self and Society
This course examines the relationship between food, the self and society both in the United States and throughout the globe. If eating is the act of taking the world into our bodies, are you what you eat, don’t eat, or how you eat? Is every bite you take a vote for a certain world? Drawing on cultural roles of food throughout the world, students will consider various approaches to food through an examination of current topics such as globalization, the environment, genetically modified foods, vegetarianism/veganism, the “obesity crisis” and disordered consumption. Students will also examine numerous perspectives including anthropology, sociology, women’s studies, psychology, history, literature, popular memoirs and mass media. K. Tierney, Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work
Gendering God and "God-Talk"
Is the God of the three great monotheistic traditions—Judaism, Christianity and Islam—an affirmative action, equal opportunity Creator? Or is there something about the theology ("god-talk") undergirding monotheism that necessitates gender inequality? A generation ago, the radical feminist Mary Daly remarked, "As long as God is male, the male is God." Is this true? What about God the Mother? Students in this seminar explore women's religious and social experience in the three great monotheistic traditions, paying particular attention to the ways in which gender roles and expectations both give shape to, and are legitimated by, theological discourse. Students will employ primary and secondary sources from a variety of media, and will engage in hands-on study, via such means as field research, role-playing, and creative writing exercises, to frame the contemporary issues surrounding gender, God, and god-talk in the context of two millennia of Western monotheism. M. Stange, Women's Studies
The Good War? World War Two in Literature, Film and Art The history of the Second World War is far from settled. From Studs Terkel’s oral history The Good War (1984) to Steven Spielberg’s film Saving Private Ryan (1998) and Ken Burns’ 2007 documentary The War, new stories of the war continue to be told, and as with the recent disagreement between the film-makers Spike Lee and Clint Eastwood over the portrayal of African-American soldiers in Hollywood movies, they continue to inspire debate. Students will examine the Second World War from a range of different perspectives; we will think as historians, as literary critics, as moviegoers, and as journalists. Students will read political speeches about the war as well as novels and poetry. Students will analyze the photographs of Robert Capa and Margaret Bourke-White alongside journalism and memoirs. Students will also watch training and recruitment films produced by the American and British governments. At all times, students will consider what can be learned from approaching a historical event from multiple viewpoints. The 1939 Hollywood melodrama Gone with the Wind, for example, was the favorite movie of Joseph Goebbels, Hitler’s minister for propaganda, and also played to packed audiences in London throughout the Blitz.D. Swift, English
Hollywood's Portrayal of Science Can glaciers advance to New York City in just a few weeks? Can a car drive over molten lava? Is a magnitude 10.5 earthquake possible? Can we really travel to the center of the earth? Hollywood would lead you to believe that the answers are yes; however scientists would most likely respond with "Are you serious?" Sometimes the portrayal of science in Hollywood is accurate, while other times science is trumped by poetic and artistic license. In this seminar, we will watch some of Hollywood's most successful "science-based" movies, identify the fiction therein, learn the real science behind these stories, and discuss Hollywood's role in science education, shaping how the public perceives science, and portraying non-traditional scientists. For additional perspective, we will watch documentaries and other visual media that are thought to portray science accurately. Through these investigations, we will explore the role of visual media in science communication or miscommunication. K. Nichols, Geosciences
How Computers See
Students will learn about applications of computer vision, both the technical details of the algorithms as well as the societal implications of these systems. Students will also study the history of and current trends associated with these applications. Computer vision involves interpreting information obtained from the extraction of content from images and video. Students will discover that computer vision entails ideas from computer science, mathematics, biology, psychology, physics and neuroscience. The societal implications of computer vision applications (e.g., face recognition and surveillance) will be explored as well. M. Eckmann, Mathematics and Computer Science
The Hudson: Science, Society & Art
The Hudson River plays a critical role in the life and history of both New York State and the United States. We use it for transportation, energy, drinking water and recreation. We tame and pollute it. In this interdisciplinary, multiple-perspective course, students will examine the nature science of the Hudson River and as well as the interaction of human beings and their social, political, and economic institutions with the Hudson over the last 400 years. Beginning at the Headwaters in the Adirondack Park and moving through the Upper and Lower Hudson we will explore the river and its watershed through a geographic information system as well as through readings, films and art work presenting the human history of the river. We will consider the role of various art forms in expressing the human relationship with the Hudson, including the Hudson River School of painters and 19th century American landscape photographer Seneca Ray Stoddard. J. Halstead, Chemistry
Human Origins: An Interdisciplinary Inquiry
This course will focus on questions stemming from universal human
efforts to understand who/what we are. Were we created on the sixth
day, or have we evolved over hundreds of thousands of years? How has
thinking about these questions changed over time? What can archaeology
tell us? What, more recently, genetics? What have been the
difficulties in gaining persuasive answers to these questions? In
addition to the option of having their own DNA analyzed by the
Genographic Project under the aegis of National Geographic, students
will engage in reading, laboratory work, field trips, focused
discussions, and several and varied writing assignments to gain
informed perspectives on disciplinary differences in posing and
answering such questions, as well as a clearer sense of how we imagine
and understand ourselves to be. ; P. Roth, English
Industry and Innovation
Did anyone envision the personal debt crisis when the credit card was
invented in 1951? Did anyone anticipate that cafés and hotels would
use WiFi as a competitive advantage when the Internet was developed in
1980? Students will examine the connection between innovation and
industry in this course. Drawing upon disciplines such as management
and business, economics, government, law and information science,
students will explore Disruptive Innovation Theory; Resources,
Processes and Values Theory and Value Chain Evolution Theory. Students
will also engage in a service learning project that will involve
analyzing and assessing the benefits and costs of real-time
innovations associated with sectors such as alternative energy, campus
safety and business communications. T. Harper, Management and Business
Ireland: Myth, Reality, Conflict, Identity
Ireland did not really enter the 20th century until nearly the end of it. Yet, when it did so, it was at a dizzying pace. We will explore, in a broad interdisciplinary manner, patterns of modern and contemporary Irish life and culture, Ireland's unique "sense of place," and finally, the issue of Irish identity (including the conflict between the "two traditions" in Northern Ireland). We set aside simplified stereotypes of the Irish and explore instead the diversity and plurality of Irish identity. Ultimately, we seek to answer such questions as: What does it mean to be Irish in an Ireland that has radically changed the way it views itself and the world? Can the Irish remain the most "globalized" economy in the world, without becoming less Irish? If the country buries its past, what will replace it? J. Kennelly, Management and Business
Italy, Fascism, and Jews
Mussolini marched on Rome in 1922 with a group of Black Shirts. What happened before and after this historic moment is the subject of this seminar. Who challenged the legitimacy of the government? How was Mussolini's Fascism able to last twenty-two years? Italian Jews were an integral part of the political process until the Racial Laws in 1938, but who are Italy's Jews? We explore the history and culture (holidays and cuisine) of Jews from the first colony in Rome till the end of World War II. Historic texts, novels, memoirs, films, and political science treatises uncover different perspectives on the rise and fall of Fascism, anti-Semitism, and the survival of Italy and the Italian Jewish community. S. Smith, Foreign Languages and Literatures
Japanese Animation
What is anime and what are its origins? Why does it appeal to audiences beyond Japanese cultural boundaries? In this seminar, students will explore the world of Japanese animation, one of the most important and popular cultural products in contemporary Japan. After examining the origins of anime and its relationship to the traditional picto-centric culture in Japan, students will study some of the prevailing themes and genres of anime (i.e., apocalypse, gender and sexuality, and metamorphosis) in their cultural and historical contexts. Through this exploration, students will learn about some of the most important Japanese social and historical conventions that inform anime. M. Inamoto, Foreign Languages and Literatures
Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Capitalism: Free Market Societies in Practice and Imagination
What is capitalism and where is it headed? Not only do we live in a society that is held up as a model of capitalism and free market society, but the entire world seems to be increasingly enchanted with the capitalist way of life. In the midst of capitalism's apparent unrivalled triumph, however, a chorus of critical voices also prophesies its destructive capacities and its uncertain future. Who are we to believe? Capitalism's advocates or its detractors? What are the more lasting effects of capitalism on crucial dimensions of society including personhood, family and identity; the nature of work; the democratic process; race, gender and ethnicity; the biospheric environment and so on? What are some of the different ways capitalism gets enacted across the globe? The seminar addresses some of this questions by drawing on a wide range of texts and case studies from multiple academic fields and sources of popular culture. P. Prasad, Management and Business
Lives of the Husdon
Far more than a short river flowing through New York State, the Hudson is a thread that runs through the fabric of four centuries of American history and civilization -- its culture, its community, and its consciousness. Building upon the "Lives of the Hudson" show in the Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery, the seminar will explore several themes that trace their way through the history of the river, including the natural river, imagined river, the human river, and the working river. Activities related to the course will include meetings with contemporary artists and writers who have made the Hudson the subject of their work. T. Lewis, English
Living in a Green World: Plants and Humans in the 21st Century
The 21st century offers many opportunities and challenges for humans and their interactions with plants, fungi and protists. Do genetically modified crops provide the answer for world agriculture? Are the ever-increasing harmful algal blooms creating an environmental menace to our oceans, fisheries and drinking water? Can "pharming" the rainforests provide new and improved medicines? Do the extirpation of living resources and the prolific bioinvasion of exotic species present untenable ramifications for our ecosystems? The origin and development of civilization ultimately has relied on humankind's interactions with, and harnessing of, plants, fungi and protists. Students in this seminar will explore present and future applications of these organisms in human affairs. Topics include modern agricultural, medicinal, and ecological aspects of applied plant science and mycology. D. Domozych, Biology
Love and Lust: The Biopsychology of Sexual Desire
Students will examine human sexual desire and behavior from a scientific perspective. Why do we reproduce through sexual intercourse? What do men and women find attractive, and why? Are humans monogamous or polygamous? Students will draw on evidence from across the sciences, including sociology, anthropology, psychology, evolutionary biology, ethology, neuroscience, endocrinology, and genetics, to make sense of human courtship behavior. Students will discuss the fundamentals of natural selection and Darwinian evolution, which provide an indispensable theoretical framework for understanding human mating strategies and the psychology of romantic attraction. Sources will include recent scientific papers on the hormonal regulation of sexual desire, parts of the brain that may control our experience of love and lust, and the biological basis of sexual orientation. H. Lopez, Psychology
Made in God's Image? Women and Men in Medieval and Renaissance Europe
Were males and females created equal, according to Genesis and its later interpreters? This seminar explores ways in which early Christian, medieval and Renaissance societies (from ca. 100 C.E. to 1550) constructed gender difference and expressed those ideas publicly through painting and sculpture. The topics we will examine include what the Christian Church taught about gender and human nature; what philosophers and scientists believed regarding male and female bodies; and what social practices and customs can reveal about marriage and domestic life. While examining gender difference from these several perspectives, our focus will be on how artists expressed these various ideas visually, especially in cautionary representations of Adam and Eve and exemplary scenes of Christ and Mary. Our explorations will extend from Early Christian catacombs through Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling. P. Jolly, Art History
Making Theater in the Digital Age
Students will examine the intersection of contemporary theories of theater and acting with brain science, quantum mechanics and human consciousness. Students will also investigate the role of the theater maker in the 21st century in the context of these arenas and disciplines. Students will encounter issues surrounding artists’ responsibilities with respect to groundbreaking discoveries in the nature of the human mind and how to best contribute to the understanding of the unfolding universe as they produce works in the digital age. Students will engage multiple learning environments including podcasts, campus performances and research settings. W. Bond, Theater
Mind Design
What are the critical components of "mind"? Can words like mind, conciousness, behavior, and awareness be adequately defined in order to properly answer this question? In this seminar, we survey the philosophical, psychological, biological, computational and design notions of what it would take to implement a mind. Discussions of the current and future state of our understanding of mind are replete with such notions as "artificial intelligence," "expert systems," and other trans- and post-human concepts. Are any of these existing frameworks adequate to yield a veridical implementation of mind? Will some other approach be necessary? Or are we ultimately destined to fail at this task? F. Philips, Psychology
The Philosophic Basis of the American Founding
What are the philosophic principles of the liberal democracy under which
we live? After examining the thought of the Christian political thinkers
who had originally guided political life in the new world—the political
thought that our founders rejected—we turn to the work of John Locke,
the philosopher who laid out most clearly and explicitly a wholly new
understanding of political life, especially through his argument for
individual natural rights. We then turn to the writings of the American
founders, especially of Jefferson, Madison, Hamilton, Jay, and the
"Anti-Federalists," to see how Locke's understanding of human beings
came to guide those who were victorious in the debate over what the
guiding principles of the new American regime would be. We conclude the
seminar with an examination of slavery in the writings of Fredrick
Douglass, and with Lincoln's attempt to defeat slavery by appeal to the
original principles of the founding. The seminar will introduce students
to the close study of texts in political philosophy, political theology,
constitutional thought, political rhetoric, history, and literature. T.
Burns, Government
Pixelated: The New Photography
Pixel by pixel, contemporary photography is reshaping our concept of truth and identity. With the loss of the photographic object, both our idea of representation and the role of the image is shifting. Students will create digital photographs while considering both photographic history and current trends. Through an interdisciplinary lens that includes reading poetry, essays, films and psychological studies on photography, students will consider the social, historical and psychological impact of an image. How does reproduction and the concept of the "original" change our perception of a work? Focusing on both the content and aesthetics in this new chapter of photography, our investigation will take us from the environmental photography of Eugene Smith to Andres Serrano and the study of semiotics, to the effect a self-portrait on Facebook might reveal about one's identity. D. Hall, Art
The Search for Pattern and Symmetry
Students in this seminar examine the role and significance of symmetry and pattern in diverse domains of nature and of human endeavor. It is surprising how broad a variety of disciplines share a common canon of criteria for a "good" design: repetition, harmony, and variety. The study of examples from the earth and the heavens, from human visual and auditory art, from language and literature, and from rhetoric and reasoning will show symmetry (or a lack of it) as a crucial component of form and content. D. Hurwitz, Mathematics and Computer Science
Serious Games: The Mathematics of Conflict, Voting and Political Power
Why didn't the United States and the Soviet Union enter the 1973 Yom Kippur War? Is plurality voting the fairest way to choose the President of the United States or other elected officials? In the United Nations Security Council, exactly how much more power do the permanent members have than the other nations? In this seminar, students explore how mathematicians have contributed to the analysis of political questions like these. Game theory is a field of mathematics that was developed to study conflict and competition. The players (which can be individuals, teams, corporations, or entire nations) have conflicting interests and attempt to determine the best course of action without knowing what their opponent(s) will do. Game theory can be applied in a wide variety of situations, such a choosing a location to open a business, understanding tactical choices made in World War II battles, analyzing the nuclear arms race, deciding how to vote in an election, or arbitrating a labor dispute. In this seminar, students will apply game theory and related aspects of voting theory to address the questions raised above and others like them in a variety of fields from anthropology to politics and international relations. D. Vella, Mathematics
Sex and the Ancient City
What do we know about the sexual culture of ancient city dwwellers? Do modern representations of sex in ancient cities bear any resemblance to the cultural and historical reality? What fantasies did the ancients themselves construct about sex in their cities, and do these fantasies cohere with our fantasies about them? Students will examine the sexual culture of the ancient Greeks, Graeco-Roman Egyptians and Romans through the study of texts, material remains and art. Our discussions will focus on the various ways that sexuality and sexual experiences were constructed in the three major cities of the ancient Mediterranean world: Athens, Alexandria and Rome. Students will consider what sexuality has to do
with knowledge and power int hese ancient cities. We will pay particular attention to the way the construction of each city's sexual culture informs the construction of its cultural identity through time. J. Murray, Classics
Travel Writing and Gender: Identity, Place, and Power
What does travel writing have to do with identity, knowledge, and
power? Focusing on women's travel writing during two distinct
historical periods, students will read representative narratives from
the period of "high imperialism" (mid-19th to early 20th century) when
European women recorded their voyages to Africa and the Middle East.
These travel narratives will serve as a point of departure for
examining the multiple and sometimes conflicting relationships between
place, politics, and identity. Students will also study the ways in
which these narratives serve today as evidence in a range of
disciplines, including history, geography, women's and postcolonial
studies. Turning to the contemporary period, we will read travel
narratives by "Other" women, typically silent in colonial travel
accounts, who speak of their experience of boundaries, dislocation,
and exile. We will ask what location and identity mean in the era of
globalization. Throughout, this seminar will encourage students to
analyze and interrogate the perceived oppositions between
colonizer/colonized, self/other, home/elsewhere center/margin taking
into account how other features of authorial identity, including
class, ethnicity, and sexuality, shape women's travel experiences and
narratives. A. Zuerner, Foreign Languages and
Literatures
An Unsettled Place: 400 Years of Remaking the Hudson River Landscape
How does an ecological locale—a "landscape"—become geographically, socially, and temporally special? How does a people manage to keep it that way or change it? Many regions in the United States supply answers to these questions of space, time and place, but one of the oldest and most complex sets of responses emerges from the landscape that is home to Skidmore College. In 2009 the Hudson River will have existed for 400 years in the Euro-American consciousness, which makes this a unique moment to explore the region's landscape as a history of place-making. In this seminar, we will examine how and why both the conceptual understandings and the physical realities of the Hudson Region have changed the way the have over the past four centuries. The landscape's ecology is its lifeblood, and we will continually return to it. Yet human societies and their ecologies co-evolve, so we must look elsewhere to tell a complete ecological story. As such, we will explore the Hudson landscape as it has evolved through art, literature, warfare, technology, and shifts in culture and laws. (Includes three required Saturday field trips.) R. Scarce, Sociology
Wagner's Ring of the Nibelungs
In this seminar, students will explore one of the great epic dramas of
Western culture, Wagner's Ring of the Nibelungs. Few artworks in any
medium have been more admired and reviled, more imitated and
repudiated, in short, more influential and controversial, than
Wagner's four-opera cycle. Students will explore these rich works
through study of their texts (in translation), of their music and
staging (through audio and video recordings), and of a wide range of
critical commentaries and primary sources. Readings will reflect the
cross disciplinary approaches to the work, and will include, among
others, excerpts from the Nibelungenlied, the Edda, and the Saga of
the Volsungs. Additional readings, including Wagner's own prose works
and letters, will come from writers such as Arthur Schopenhauer,
Joseph Campbell, Robert Donington, George Bernard Shaw, and Friedrich
Nietzsche. No prior study of German or music is needed for this
course. T. Denny, Music
Seminars in London Den of Antiquities: The Illicit Market in Ancient Art
What is the difference between collecting and looting antiquities?
What constitutes ownership of an art object? What distinguishes
individual from museum collections? What are the ethical obligations
of collectors? Students will examine the trade in antiquities
stretching from the first "collector," a Roman general who stole art
from Sicily after sacking it in 212 BCE, to Lord Elgin's "purchase" of
the Parthenon marbles in 1806, to the current scandals in the trading
of ancient art that have embroiled NYC's Metropolitan Museum and the
J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles. Our discussions will include the
most recent controversies that have embroiled the museum, gallery and
auction house worlds, pitting national interests against private
enterprise. Various collections housed in London will serve as a laboratory for the study of these questions: the Victoria & Albert Museum; the British Museum; the Sir John Soames Museum; the Museum of London; and Christie’s and Sotheby’s, London’s two premier auction houses. In addition, we will visit the Ashmolean and the Pitt Rivers Museums in Oxford, two superb examples of the art of collecting in the 19th and 20th centuries.M. Arnush, Classics L. Mechem, Classics
The Empire Strikes Back: Imperial Ambitions of Athens, Rome, Britain and the US
How would YOU rule an empire? What kind of empire would you oversee, how long would it last, and would people hold it in esteem? The city and museums of London provide a rare opportunity for students to examine four distinct yet similar empires that left an indelible mark on western culture and, indeed, the entire world. Students begin their study of empire with ancient Athens, whose emblematic imperial expressions appeared on the Elgin Marbles, now housed in the British Museum. From there we travel to the Roman empire, which stretched from Syria to Britain and is captured in full at the BM, the Museum of London and in sites outside of London. These two ancient cultures then provide the backdrop for our study of the rise of imperialism in 18th century Britain, specifically the creation of Neo-Classical architecture and fine arts as captured in the streets of London and the Victoria & Albert Museum. Students conclude their study of empire through a comparison of these examples with the American empire of the postwar era, culminating in discussions centering on the contemporary status of America’s presence overseas. M. Arnush, Classics
Contemporary British Politics from an Outsider’s Perspective
What can we learn about Britain’s politics by living there? Like the protagonist of Mark Twain’s 19th century novel A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court who awakens to find himself in medieval England, we find ourselves in a foreign land with a different political system from our own. However, the current issues are familiar: popular dissatisfaction with political elites; economic globalization and increasing economic inequality; immigration and the rise of a multicultural society; balancing threats from terrorism with civil liberties; and how to enhance local democracy. In this course, we will study the institutions and activities of the British national government, focusing on contemporary British politics and policy. Students will study the Monarchy, Parliament, political parties, the role of the Prime Minister, political ideology, political institutions, and public policies. The American political system will be used as a point of reference and contrast in order to understand what is similar and different about British politics. R. Turner, Government
Paint, Potential, and Power: The London Experience for American Artists
Why was is it so difficult for American painters to sever their umbilical relationship to British Art, London and the European Tradition given Colonial America’s thrust toward independence? Students will be introduced to Art History as well as Studio Practices. Students will examine how Modernism, the rise of Paris and the World Wars influenced the British/American cultural relationship. Students will also analyze the experiences and expressions of painters such as Benjamin West and compare them to 19th century artists including John Singer Sargent and James Whistler. Students will learn the basics in the crafts of drawing and watercolor through repeated visits to London’s seminal collections of painting and have the opportunity to observe instructional methods of London’s Royal Academy of Art. P. Sattler, Art
