2017-2018 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Courses of Instruction
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Religion Studies |
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REL 102 - Religion & Violence 1 course unit
Religious ideology and rhetoric play a significant role in violent conflict in the modern period, a phenomenon that we are only now coming to appreciate fully. In this course we will examine some of the central religious issues that have been at the forefront of modern conflicts. We will consider some of the ways that religious terminology, symbolism, and myth have been employed as a way of marking difference and setting identity boundaries from the First World War to the current “War on Terror.”
Meets general academic requirement HU.
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REL 104, 105 - Sex, Gender, & Religion 1 course unit
Gender and sexuality as fundamental aspects of human experience play important roles in all major religious systems whether explicit and positive or suppressed and denigrated. In this course we will explore how the varied understandings of gender and sexuality in different cultures and at different times have influenced religious practice and belief and how, in turn, religions have affected these understandings. We will also consider how this interaction between gender and sexuality and religion has affected the status of men and women in their various roles and orientations.
Meets general academic requirement HU and DE and is a cluster course when offered as 105.
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REL 107 - Jews & Christians in the Twenty-first Century 1 course unit
Students will study the distinctive relationship between these two religious traditions in recent decades. Topics will be drawn from the current public discourse of Judaism and Christianity. Among the many factors shaping the self-understandings and mutual understandings of the two communities we will consider particularly the legacy of the Holocaust, increased religious diversity in Europe and North America, the State of Israel, and the postmodern critique of religious claims. Both Jews and Christians ground their religious self-understandings in biblical revelation - however conceived. Both receive that revelation mediated through an interpretive tradition - however explicit. This opens an avenue to introduce the ideas of revelation, hermeneutics, tradition, social location, and identity politics in relation to significant theological and communal factors in both traditions.
Meets general academic requirement HU.
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REL 115, 116 - Monotheism: Creating God 1 course unit
O sole God, like whom there is no other! The idea of one God was first expressed by the pharaoh Akhenaten who lived between 1352-1336 b.c.e. Over 3000 years later, three major world religions are still struggling to understand and incorporate this seemingly simple concept of monotheism. In this course we will explore some of the issues that surround monotheism and examine how the idea of one God has shaped the development of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam individually and in relation to each other. In doing so, we will attempt to gain a better understanding of the nature, role, and meaning of the ideas of God in western consciousness and culture.
Meets general academic requirement HU and is a cluster course when offered as 116.
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REL 117 - Animals & the Sacred 1 course unit
Religious myth and ritual is full of allusions to animals. From the “Scapegoat” and the “Lamb of God” to the “Sacred Cow” and the “Chinese Dragon” animals are central to the symbolic representation and language of almost every religious tradition. This course will compare and contrast the way animals are imagined and used in the beliefs and practices of several religious traditions.
Meets general academic requirement HU.
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REL 131 - Myth, Religion, and Creation 1 course unit
From Genesis’ depiction of the divine organization of the universe in the Hebrew Bible to Hindu traditions of creation’s emanation from Brahma, narratives concerning the origin of the world have attracted devotional and scholarly attention from around the globe since ancient times. In this course, we will use the comparison of creation stories as an introduction to the study of myth, its relationship to ritual, and its place and function in religious traditions. Furthermore, we will critically examine the ways in which different cultures have used stories of origins to address questions regarding contemporary political, social, or religious contexts. Particular emphasis will be placed on creation stories from the ancient Near East and Bible, and the symbolic and literary connections between them.
Meets general academic requirement DE and HU.
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REL 133 - Pilgrimage: Rites of Way 1 course unit
Why is travel almost universally understood to hold the potential for significant transformation? How do various communities and individuals define sacred travel through their own practice, and how does it define them in turn? This course employs the many methodologies of Religion Studies in investigating pilgrimage around the world. We will look to a number of modern theoretical interpretations of sacred journey, and will examine ethnographic accounts of pilgrimage primarily in the contexts of Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. Pilgrimage will serve as our window onto these traditions’ ethical systems, cosmologies of space and time, religious art and aesthetics, and views of the body’s agency and power, and in some cases, onto the contested space of multiple traditions’ holy ground.
Meets general academic requirement DE and HU.
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REL 135 - Religion in America 1 course unit
This course will explore the evolution of religious life in the United States and of American ideas about the nature and place of religion within American society. Beginning in the colonial period and continuing through the present, this class will examine the phenomenon of religion in the United States and consider the ways that immigrants, atheists, and founders of new religious movements have changed and challenged established assumptions about what it means to be an American. Using primary documents, and particularly court cases, the class will explore the contested terrain of American religious life and ask how our understanding of religion has shaped notions of statehood, citizenship, and equality in the United States.
Meets general academic requirement HU.
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REL 201, 202 - Theory & Method in the Study of Religion 1 course unit
In this course, students explore the methodological and theoretical frameworks that define the academic study of religion. Coverage includes analysis of multiple disciplinary perspectives including sociology, anthropology, history, phenomenology, and psychology. Additionally, students will put the theoretical into practice by using the methods studied in class to analyze the beliefs and practices of various religious traditions.
Meets general academic requirement HU (and W when offered as 202).
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REL 203 - Religions of India 1 course unit
A survey of the forms and images of religion in the Indian subcontinent, concentrating on Hinduism and Buddhism. The religious spirit, ancient and modern, will be examined through a study of mythological, scriptural, historical, cultural, and artistic phenomena.
Meets general academic requirement HU and DE.
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REL 207 - Religions of China 1 course unit
This course will address the origins and development of Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism and trace the interactions of these religions as they have shaped the spiritual and ethical environment that exists in China today. The course will also consider material culture, popular forms, and folk traditions and, finally, the unique challenges posed by the modern Chinese political situation.
Meets general academic requirement HU and DE.
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REL 208 - Religions of Japan 1 course unit
Students will study the native Japanese religious tradition, Shinto, as well as the Chinese traditions that have become fundamental to Japanese religion (Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism) as they have been interpreted in Japan. The course will also consider material culture, popular forms, folk traditions, and the “new religions” of modern Japan as well as attitudes toward religion in today’s Japan.
Meets general academic requirement HU and DE.
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REL 225 - Buddhist Traditions 1 course unit
From its origins in India to its development throughout East and Southeast Asia and beyond, Buddhism has prospered in a wide variety of cultures and environments. This course will introduce students to the origins, evolution, and manifestations of Buddhism in scripture, practice, and artistic expression.
Meets general academic requirement HU and DE.
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REL 227 - Islamic Traditions 1 course unit
This course will survey the beliefs, practices, and history of Islam, focusing on how Islam has evolved over time and culminating in a close examination of the forms Islam takes today and the place of Islam in current events. Special consideration will be given to what it means to consider Islam as a religion rather than a cultural or political entity. Attention will also be given to Islam’s relationship with other monotheistic traditions and to American Islam.
Meets general academic requirement HU and DE.
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REL 229 - Jewish Traditions 1 course unit
Judaism has ancient roots and encompasses a multifaceted array of rituals, laws, holidays, and life-cycle events. Using “Time” and “Space” as the dual focal points of our course, we will examine the development of diverse Jewish communities from antiquity to the modern era in order to better understand the origins and practices of the spectrum of Jewish groups encountered today. Consequently, this course will emphasize the heterogeneity of Judaism as a religious system throughout history, while also examining what makes this diverse group of traditions and texts “Jewish.”
Meets general academic requirement HU.
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REL 233 - Christian Traditions 1 course unit
Christianity is not and never has been a single set of beliefs and practices; instead, the religion is marked by diversity of thought and action. The purpose of this course is to engage the variety in the tradition through the exploration of rituals and beliefs held by different Christian communities around the world and through time. In addition to primary and secondary readings, students will also explore the visual arts, architecture, and music as manifestations of Christian diversity. Additional themes for consideration will include the place of the Bible and its interpretation, the role of church leaders and their relationship to the divine, and ethical/moral differences that are present within the tradition.
Meets general academic requirement HU.
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REL 252 - Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) 1 course unit
Jews and Christians alike regard the books of the Hebrew Bible as scripture. Yet, modern scholarship has sought an alternative approach to understanding this complicated collection of ancient texts that sets aside its identification as revelation and attempts to grasp the historical, political, and cultural contexts that surrounded its composition. Consequently, this course will introduce students to the Hebrew Bible as a repository of ancient Israelite traditions that were developed and shaped in specific historical and social contexts. To that end, rather than read the Bible from front to back like a novel written of whole cloth, we will begin by reading the final portion of the Bible, known as the “Writings,” first and work our way back through the Prophets, finishing with the Torah. By doing this, we will examine first those biblical books that provide the clearest glimpse of the scribal practices that framed production of the Hebrew Bible as a whole, as well as its compositional complexity. In addition, students will place particular biblical passages in dialogue with texts from Mesopotamia, Egypt, Moab, and Ugarit, illuminating Israel’s place in the religious and political world of the ancient Near East.
Meets general academic requirement HU.
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REL 254 - New Testament 1 course unit
This course studies the distinctive scriptural foundation of Christianity in its literary, historical, and theological contexts. Topics may include Jesus as an historical figure and as the object of early Christian faith; the relationships of various early Christian communities to one another and to contemporary Judaisms, Greek religions, and philosophies; the place and role of Paul; the gospel genre and its several examples; the definition of the canon; approaches to interpreting the New Testament. No prior study of the New Testament is expected.
Meets general academic requirement HU.
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REL 262, 263 - Religion & Literature 1 course unit
This course provides an exploration of the ways in which literary imagination (metaphor, literary style, narrative voice, description, creative manipulation of time and place) interacts with religious imagination (projections of tradition, expression of mystical experience, ritual, symbolic phenomena) to produce works of a transformative nature. Examples from both Eastern and Western literary traditions may be chosen.
Meets general academic requirement HU (and W when offered as 263).
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REL 264 - God, Self, & Other in Judaism & Christianity 1 course unit
Human identity, individually and collectively, is shaped in significant ways by the presence, the perception, and the definition of the Other. In the case of Jews and Christians, the mutual heritage of biblical Israel and its covenant with God demands that each continue to articulate its relationship to the other explicitly or implicitly. In this course, we examine the dynamics of the relationship from antiquity to the present, focusing on key transitional periods and major figures and analyzing the impact of “the other” on their respective self-understandings and interactions.
Meets general academic requirement HU.
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REL 308 - Scrolls, Scribes, and Scriptures 1 course unit
Did you ever wonder how ancient texts, like the New Testament, reach the modern world? In this course, students will explore the challenges and opportunities of studying New Testament and other ancient Christian materials in their oldest forms. Central to this examination will be how the texts were read, interpreted, and transmitted within Christian communities over time. This course will include an introduction to several techniques used to analyze ancient scriptural materials as well as the basic syntax and vocabulary of Koine Greek. No previous language skills are expected or required.
Meets general academic requirement HU.
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REL 314 - Death and Desire in Tibetan Buddhism 1 course unit
This course examines the practices of death and desire in the unique traditions of Tibetan tantra, a form of Himalayan Buddhism. Tibetan tantra involves practices of wrathful deities, sexual yogas, and subtle body technologies to produce a unique understanding of mind and body and their potential for transformation in both sexual union and in death. We will look at the foundational Tibetan Book of the Dead cycle of texts, as well as explore their evolving meanings in contemporary, non-Buddhist contexts like American Hospice. How have Tibetan Buddhists associated desire, power, and knowing? How might investigations of Tibetan practices of death and desire inform our own?
Meets general academic requirement DE and HU.
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REL 353 - Gender & Sexuality in Judaism 1 course unit
In this course we will examine how issues relating to gender and sexuality have influenced Jewish experience. We will discuss a wide range of Jewish history and literature, extending from the Bible to contemporary Jewish culture, in order to gain a broad perspective on how gender and sexuality have played a role in Jewish life and thought over time. We will consider how gender and sexuality relate to questions of power and authority and discuss the ways that bodies, both gendered and sexual, become meaningful in different Jewish contexts.
Meets general academic requirement HU.
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REL 355 - Christianity at the Crossroads: The Emergent Church in Late Antiquity 1 course unit
Until the rise of the Roman Emperor Constantine, the history of Christianity was marked by a plurality of belief structures, a constant threat of persecution, and a fluid leadership structure. With the imperial patronage of Constantine the face of ancient Christianity changed forever, embracing a close relationship between the church and the state, instituting particular formulas of belief, and solidifying the hierarchy of the ecclesiastical structure. Among other important developments in this period is the construction of the first grand Christian worship structures, the composition of the Nicene Creed, and the development of the canon of the New Testament. This class will examine these changes in the context of late antique society and politics and trace the influence of these changes across the span of Christian history.
Meets general academic requirement HU.
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REL 357, 358 - The Holocaust: Nazi Germany & the Jews 1 course unit
This course will examine the Holocaust and its historical context by considering both the pre-war position of Jews in Europe and the factors that led to the destruction of European Jewry during WWII. Religious context and responses to these events within affected communities will be studied through a variety of sources, including literature, film, and memoirs.
Meets general academic requirement HU and is a cluster course when offered as 358.
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REL 363 - Islam in America 1 course unit
American Muslims come from a wide diversity of backgrounds and cultures. In this course we will explore the historical contexts and current realities of Muslim communities in the United States . Questions to consider will include: How have traditional Islamic and Muslim doctrines and practices converged with American ideals of pluralism and secularism? Is there a distinctive “American Islam”? How have Muslim culture and Islam enriched the broader American culture?
Meets general academic requirements HU and DE and W.
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REL 365 - Gender & Sexuality in Islam 1 course unit
Islam presents a particular challenge for Women’s and Gender Studies. A submissive, veiled woman is often the first image that comes to mind when Westerners think of Islam. Paradoxically, the oppressed Muslim women have become for non-Muslims a primary symbol of the perceived dangers of Islam, even as that image is used to represent disempowerment. Yet Islam is a major world religion with over 1.6 billion adherents, approximately half of whom are women, and all of whom are sexual beings whose religious positioning intersects with their gender and sexuality in myriad ways. So what do Muslims really believe about gender and sexuality? And what do they do? In this course, we will examine constructions of gender and sexuality in Islam by investigating both traditional sources such as the Qur’an, Hadith, and Islamic Law; and also by considering how Muslim women today are challenging the patriarchal structures of authority, while at the same time critiquing Western feminism.
Meets general academic requirement DE and HU and W.
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REL 371 - Paths in Jewish Thought 1 course unit
Writers, philosophers, and scholars have engaged a fascinating array of questions from within the Jewish tradition since before the Common Era. In this seminar, we will survey the works of particular Jewish thinkers, from antiquity to the modern day, with special attention to certain topics and historical developments. Subjects to be considered include the Jewish people’s encounter with the religious or cultural “other,” the opposition or congruence of faith and reason, the persistence of evil, the nature of God and scripture, and what it means to be “Jewish.” The structure of the course will constitute a “who’s who” of Jewish thinkers through history, such as Philo of Alexandria, Moses Maimonides, Baruch Spinoza, and Ahad ha-Am. The final project will also allow you, the student, to discover and present the thought of a Jewish intellectual not included in this selective survey at the end of the semester.
Meets general academic requirement HU.
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REL 450-469 - CUE: Capstone Seminars in the Study of Religion 1 course unit
The seminars are a capstone experience for our majors and other advanced students. Faculty and students work together to explore a research topic in depth. Each course offers both theoretical and methodological content.
Meets general academic requirement W.
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REL 470 - Honors Thesis in Religion Studies 1 course unit
This project is designed for Religion Studies majors who have consistently proven to be excellent students. It offers them the opportunity to pursue a self-designed major research and analysis thesis in close consultation with a faculty member.
Prerequisite(s): Instructor permission required.
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REL 960 - Religion Studies Internship 1 course unit
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REL 970 - Religion Studies Independent Study/Research
Each independent study/research course is to be designed in consultation with a faculty sponsor.
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Russian |
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RUS 101 - Elementary Russian I 1 course unit
An introduction to basic grammar and vocabulary as well as communication skills in Russian within its cultural contexts. Students will use a variety of authentic text and media resources to acquire and enhance linguistic skills. The first semester is designed for students with no prior knowledge of Russian; the second is for students with limited background in Russian. Assignment by placement test. Four class hours per week plus Language Learning Center assignments.
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RUS 102 - Elementary Russian II 1 course unit
An introduction to basic grammar and vocabulary as well as communication skills in Russian within its cultural contexts. Students will use a variety of authentic text and media resources to acquire and enhance linguistic skills. The first semester is designed for students with no prior knowledge of Russian; the second is for students with limited background in Russian. Assignment by placement test. Four class hours per week plus Language Learning Center assignments.
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RUS 203 - Intermediate Russian I 1 course unit
An accelerated review of basic Russian grammar through speaking, reading, writing, and other linguistically appropriate activities. The introduction of more advanced grammatical structures and a variety of authentic text and multimedia resources will enhance the students’ linguistic skills and sociocultural awareness of the Russian speaking world. The development of functional skills and communicative ability is emphasized. Students also acquire the linguistic tools needed to continue learning Russian as it pertains to their fields of interest. Assignment by placement test. Three class hours per week plus Language Learning Center assignments.
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RUS 204 - Intermediate Russian II 1 course unit
An accelerated review of basic Russian grammar through speaking, reading, writing, and other linguistically appropriate activities. The introduction of more advanced grammatical structures and a variety of authentic text and multimedia resources will enhance the students’ linguistic skills and sociocultural awareness of the Russian speaking world. The development of functional skills and communicative ability is emphasized. Students also acquire the linguistic tools needed to continue learning Russian as it pertains to their fields of interest. Assignment by placement test. Three class hours per week plus Language Learning Center assignments.
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RUS 302 - Russian Conversation & Composition 1 course unit
Students watch and discuss feature films produced in Russia. Extensive practice in the development of conversational and writing skills based on the analysis and synthesis of cultural information from a variety of authentic sources, including texts, film, newscasts, and TV. Increased acquisition of vocabulary, expansion of listening comprehension, stylistic analysis of contemporary film texts.
Prerequisite(s): RUS 204 - Intermediate Russian II .
Meets general academic requirement W.
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RUS 303, 304 - Advanced Russian Conversation & Composition 1 course unit
Students watch and discuss feature films produced in Russia. Advanced practice in the development of conversational and writing skills. In-depth study of idiomatic expressions and advanced lexical and stylistic analysis of contemporary literature and film.
Prerequisite(s): RUS 302 - Russian Conversation & Composition .
Meets general academic requirement W when offered as 304.
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RUS 305, 306 - Readings in Russian Literature 1 course unit
An introduction to Russian literature from Pushkin to the present with emphasis on developing the students’ command of language skills. Selected readings in Russian will include poetry, prose, and drama.
Prerequisite(s): RUS 204 - Intermediate Russian II .
Meets general academic requirement HU (and W when offered as 306).
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RUS 320 - Russian Culture & Civilization 1 course unit
Students study and discuss selected topics in Russian intellectual thought and artistic self-expression in their historical contexts and engage in cross-cultural analyses of Russia vis-à-vis the West. Readings, lectures, and discussion range from early Russian social practices to today’s Russia and from national identity to ethnic conflicts, injustice, violence, and crime. We will examine cultural artifacts, short stories, documentaries, scholarly articles, and up-to-date media commentary. Taught in English.
Offered in alternate years.
Meets general academic requirement HU and DE.
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RUS 402 - Twentieth Century Russian Literature in Translation 1 course unit
Students study the works of Bunin, Sholokhov, Pasternak, Solzhenitsyn, and Brodsky as well as their experiences with and relationship to the Bolshevik revolution, ethnic and religious prejudice, censorship, the GULAGs, violence, and injustice. Harshly persecuted, self-exiled, or expelled from Russia, these philosophical frontrunners earned Nobel Prizes and recognition by the West. Short stories, novels, poetry, as well as literary criticism from 1917 to the present will be analyzed and discussed.
Meets general academic requirement DE and HU.
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RUS 490 - CUE: Russia & the Near Abroad .5 course unit
Advanced study and analysis of selected areas in Russian Studies designed for majors and other qualified students. Students complete a CUE project linked to any Russian course listed higher than 304. Students write an integrative research paper and conduct a formal presentation connecting content from at least two upper-level Russian courses. Special emphasis is placed on advanced textual analysis, scholarly discussion, and writing. Project proposals are approved by a CUE faculty advisor prior to course registration. Required for all majors in Russian Studies.
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RUS 970 - Russian Independent Study/Research
Each independent study/research course is to be designed in consultation with a faculty sponsor.
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Semester in Washington |
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WSH 950 - Special Topics for the Washington Seminar 1 course unit
The course will vary considerably from semester to semester and will utilize the variety of interests and specialties of the consortium faculties. The topic for the semester will be announced in advance. Visits to offices and agencies will be included as will meetings with officials and experts in Washington. Some examples of special topic courses are Public Relations Seminar, Violence and Values, Photojournalism, and Controversy & the Supreme Court.
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WSH 960 - Washington Semester Internship 2 course unit
Each student will serve 25 to 30 hours each week in an internship in an office or agency in Washington, usually in a field related to the student’s major. A formal written report will be submitted to the Muhlenberg supervising faculty member at the conclusion of the internship. Pass/fail only, except for students enrolled in a practicum where letter grades A through F are assigned.
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Sociology |
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SOC 101 - Introduction to Sociology 1 course unit
What is sociology? How do sociologists go about their work? How is society structured? Is inequality an inherent part of human life? How and why do societies change? This course introduces the central concepts and principles of major sociological perspectives. It provides an overview of the study of social institutions, social stratification, and social change.
Taught every semester.
Meets general academic requirement DE and SL.
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SOC 224, 225 - American Ethnic Diversity 1 course unit
This course is designed to provide a general overview of the field of the sociology of race and ethnic relations with a particular emphasis on the historical situations and experiences of various immigrant and minority groups in American society. We will first examine the socio-political and economic history of a variety of minority and immigrant groups. A substantial amount of course material will then focus on analyzing the varying structural conditions and institutional barriers that affect the different strategies by which various minority and immigrant groups have sought entry and success in dominant society. Finally, throughout the course, discussions will be devoted to examining specific institutions and the various ways in which constructions of racial and ethnic categories and hierarchies are produced and reproduced in the U.S.
Prerequisite(s): SOC 101 - Introduction to Sociology .
Meets general academic requirement DE (and W when offered as 225).
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SOC 235 - Inequality & Power 1 course unit
The study of inequality (how it emerges, its various manifestations, and why it persists) is a cornerstone of sociology. This course is designed for those who are interested in the theoretical conceptions and critiques of power and privilege and their combined effects on socio-political and economic life. The course is divided into three parts: a brief survey of the various theoretical perspectives of inequality and stratification; an examination of the complex intersections of race, ethnicity, and class structures in American society; and a discussion of gendered effects of migrant work within a global and comparative perspective.
Prerequisite(s): SOC 101 - Introduction to Sociology .
Meets general academic requirement DE.
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SOC 243 - Sexuality & Gender 1 course unit
In this class we will use sociological perspectives to explore sex, sexuality, and gender. We will examine the mechanisms of power that construct and regulate our identities, behaviors, and very bodies. In particular we will look at how sex, sexuality, and gender are shaped by law, research, medicine, “sexperts,” the media, and our family and friends. We will also look at how sex, sexuality, and gender permeate our daily lives, often in ways we do not even see.
Prerequisite(s): SOC 101 - Introduction to Sociology .
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SOC 270-279 - Topics in Sociology 1 course unit
Selected courses with a specialized focus that are not contained within the regular sociology curriculum. Such topics might include Urban Sociology or Criminology.
Prerequisite(s): SOC 101 - Introduction to Sociology .
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SOC 302 - Sociological Theory 1 course unit
An investigation of the classical foundations of social thought in sociology. The course concentrates on the original works of theorists such as Marx, Weber, Durkheim, and other important authors from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as well as contemporary theorists. Analyses of central theoretical paradigms and questions are explored.
Taught every fall semester.
Prerequisite(s): SOC 101 - Introduction to Sociology .
Meets general academic requirement W.
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SOC 311 - Research Design in Sociology 1 course unit
This course provides experience in the design and implementation of sociological research. It introduces quantitative and qualitative techniques for collecting, analyzing, and reporting data. The epistemological issues that underlie sociological research, the ethical questions involved in research, and the assumptions on which various research strategies are based are examined. The strengths and weaknesses of the most commonly used methods are evaluated. Students will design an original research project.
Prerequisite(s): SOC 101 - Introduction to Sociology and one elective.
Meets general academic requirement W.
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SOC 312 - Quantitative Methods for Social Data 1 course unit
This course focuses on quantitative methods. Students will learn how to use statistics to address research questions in sociology, using popular statistical packages such as SPSS to analyze data.
Prerequisite(s): SOC 311 - Research Design in Sociology .
Meets general academic requirement W.
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SOC 313 - Qualitative Methods 1 course unit
This course provides a theoretical and practical introduction to multiple forms of qualitative research methods and the numerous phases of conducting a qualitative research project, including project proposal, data collection, data management, analysis, interpretation, linking findings to theory, and presenting data. It will also engage questions about what we can know, strategic and ethical concerns, and the use and impact of self in doing research. The course assignments include a series of structured exercises to provide experience in collecting and analyzing data, as well as an original research project.
Prerequisite(s): SOC 311 - Research Design in Sociology .
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SOC 317 - Sociology of Health 1 course unit
In this course we will explore the social aspects of health, illness, and the health care system in the contemporary United States. This will include an introduction to the theoretical underpinnings of medical sociology and health disparities as well as examinations of the social and historical construction of medical problems and disease, the relationship between health care providers and patients, the health care system, and pressures that are transforming the medical sciences. This seminar provides a survey of a number of topics related to health, illness, and the health care system. Students will have the opportunity during the semester to delve more deeply into an issue of special interest or importance to them.
Prerequisite(s): SOC 101 - Introduction to Sociology .
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SOC 320 - Environmental Sociology 1 course unit
This course analyzes the social causes and consequences of environmental change. We explore the relationships among production, consumption, population, technology, and environment. The major theoretical paradigms in environmental sociology are used to analyze environmental issues. Some of the questions we address include: Is “green” capitalism possible? Does population growth lead to environmental degradation? Can technical fixes solve environmental problems? Has the environmental movement been successful?
Taught every other year.
Prerequisite(s): SOC 101 - Introduction to Sociology .
Meets general academic requirement SL.
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SOC 323 - Sociology of Food 1 course unit
This course relies on a sociological lens to uncover the complexity behind what is an everyday activity by examining the inter-related systems of production, processing, marketing, and consumption of food across and within international, national, regional, and local markets. We will consider what, when, how, and with whom we eat and discover how various aspects of food consumption and production can be understood in terms of the organization of society’s social institutions as well as the structure of social relations among the individuals that comprise that society.
Taught every other year.
Prerequisite(s): SOC 101 - Introduction to Sociology .
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SOC 325 - Imagined Communities: The Sociology of Nations & States 1 course unit
This course aims to elucidate the complex interactions between nation and state by examining the nationalist experiences of several post-colonial and non-Western societies in Southeast Asia. A central part of this examination will entail addressing questions of citizenship and identity amidst contemporary socio-political and economic changes. Readings will focus on some of the central debates in the sub-field of political sociology as well as the dominant theoretical paradigms in the study of nations and nationalisms. A substantial part of the course will focus on a critical analysis of the institutional processes underlying state formation and nation-building as well as assessing the impact of globalization on institutional and group-level definitions of national, ethno-cultural, religious, and gender identities.
Taught every other year.
Prerequisite(s): SOC 101 - Introduction to Sociology .
Meets general academic requirement DE.
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SOC 340 - Development & Social Change 1 course unit
This course analyzes development from a sociological perspective. It examines different theoretical models for understanding macro-level social change, such as modernization theory, dependency theory, and world-systems theory. Possible topics for exploration include the environment, economic development, revolution, urbanization, population, and poverty.
Taught every other year.
Prerequisite(s): SOC 101 - Introduction to Sociology .
Meets general academic requirement SL.
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SOC 342 - Boundaries & Belonging: Sociology of Diasporas 1 course unit
This course will investigate the impact of historical and contemporary movements of peoples across international borders and on definitions of citizenship and identities by raising questions about the permeability of national borders and the fluidity of cultural boundaries. A close examination of how globally dispersed peoples maintain and cultivate real and imagined ties to the ideals of a “homeland” or “place” reveals the cultural and institutional productions of transnational migrant communities that challenge the binary boundaries of “home” and “abroad.” Relying on a sociological perspective, we will consider the negotiations of belonging within and between these peoples and their host societies and study the different forms of transnational, diasporic, and cosmopolitan identities that result from such negotiations. In particular, case studies will include, but are not limited to, that of the Chinese and African Diasporas.
Prerequisite(s): SOC 101 - Introduction to Sociology .
Meets general academic requirement DE.
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SOC 350 - Social Movements, Protests, & Conflicts 1 course unit
A sociological investigation of the causes and consequences of social movements. The course will examine both historical and contemporary social movements in the United States and elsewhere to understand the underlying social, economic, political, and demographic factors that cause their emergence and that influence their evolution. Movements as diverse as the Civil Rights movement and the White Supremacy movement will be examined.
Taught every other year.
Prerequisite(s): SOC 101 - Introduction to Sociology .
Meets general academic requirement SL.
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SOC 450 - CUE: Senior Seminar in Sociology 1 course unit
A sociology seminar in which students participate in a collective research and/or applied project. Open only to sociology majors and minors or by permission.
Taught every spring.
Prerequisite(s): SOC 302 - Sociological Theory and SOC 311 - Research Design in Sociology .
Meets general academic requirement W.
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SOC 970 - Sociology Independent Study/Research
Each independent study/research course is to be designed in consultation with a faculty sponsor.
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Spanish |
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SPN 101 - Elementary Spanish I 1 course unit
An introduction to basic grammar and vocabulary as well as communication skills in Spanish within its cultural contexts. Students will use a variety of authentic text and media resources to acquire and enhance linguistic skills. The first semester is designed for students with no knowledge of or with a weak background in Spanish; the second is for students with limited but residual previous exposure to Spanish. Assignment by placement test. Four class hours per week plus Language Learning Center assignments.
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SPN 102 - Elementary Spanish II 1 course unit
An introduction to basic grammar and vocabulary as well as communication skills in Spanish within its cultural contexts. Students will use a variety of authentic text and media resources to acquire and enhance linguistic skills. The first semester is designed for students with no knowledge of or with a weak background in Spanish; the second is for students with limited but residual previous exposure to Spanish. Assignment by placement test. Four class hours per week plus Language Learning Center assignments.
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SPN 203 - Intermediate Spanish I 1 course unit
An accelerated review of basic Spanish grammar through speaking, reading, writing, and other linguistically appropriate activities. The introduction of more advanced grammatical structures and a variety of authentic text and multimedia resources will enhance the students’ linguistic skills and sociocultural awareness of the Spanish speaking world. The development of functional skills and communicative ability is emphasized. Students also acquire the linguistic tools needed to continue learning Spanish as it pertains to their fields of interest. Assignment by placement test. Three class hours per week plus Language Learning Center assignments.
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SPN 204 - Intermediate Spanish II 1 course unit
An accelerated review of basic Spanish grammar through speaking, reading, writing, and other linguistically appropriate activities. The introduction of more advanced grammatical structures and a variety of authentic text and multimedia resources will enhance the students’ linguistic skills and sociocultural awareness of the Spanish speaking world. The development of functional skills and communicative ability is emphasized. Students also acquire the linguistic tools needed to continue learning Spanish as it pertains to their fields of interest. Assignment by placement test. Three class hours per week plus Language Learning Center assignments.
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SPN 301 - Spanish Conversation & Composition 1 course unit
Intensive practice of spoken Spanish with emphasis on techniques of oral expression, vocabulary development, and persistent grammatical difficulties. Discussions will be based on contemporary cultural readings, films, and other multi-media materials.
Offered every semester.
Prerequisite(s): SPN 204 - Intermediate Spanish II .
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SPN 304 - Advanced Spanish Conversation & Composition 1 course unit
Focused work in Spanish composition allowing students to develop creative, professional, and academic writing styles. Emphasis is placed on structure, style, and content as well as grammar. Classic and contemporary texts, films, and other multi-media resources will provide stylistic models as well as a cultural context for writings.
Offered every semester.
Prerequisite(s): SPN 301 - Spanish Conversation & Composition .
Meets general academic requirement W.
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SPN 310 - Spanish for the Professions 1 course unit
Using real-life case studies and scenarios, this course introduces students to professional practices in the Hispanic world. Contacts with local professionals, both inside and outside of the classroom, allow students to explore the numerous possibilities of using their linguistic and cultural knowledge of Spanish beyond the academic environment, such as working for companies with international offices, NGOs, and other institutions in Latin America, Spain, and in the growing Spanish-speaking communities of the United States. The specific areas explored will be based on students’ own interests and majors in order to assist them in developing their future career path while incorporating Spanish within those goals. This course focuses on acquiring the proper writing, analytical, and oral presentational skills necessary for such careers. In addition to linguistic training, students learn techniques for cross-cultural analysis vital to conducting business and other professional endeavors in Spanish-speaking contexts. Taught in Spanish.
Prerequisite(s): SPN 301 - Spanish Conversation & Composition .
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SPN 320 - Civilization of Spain 1 course unit
An introduction to contemporary Spanish life with its intellectual, economic, and social phenomena as well as its regional aspects. The course also surveys the artistic, architectural, and historical heritage of Spain. Given in Spanish.
Offered every year during the fall semester.
Prerequisite(s): SPN 301 - Spanish Conversation & Composition .
Meets general academic requirement HU.
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SPN 322 - Civilization of Latin America 1 course unit
An introduction to contemporary Latin American life with its intellectual, economic, and social phenomena as well as its regional aspects. The course also surveys the artistic, architectural, and historical heritage of Latin America. Given in Spanish.
Offered every year during the spring semester.
Prerequisite(s): SPN 301 - Spanish Conversation & Composition .
Meets general academic requirement DE and HU.
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SPN 407 - Spanish Interpreting 1 course unit
With a rapidly growing Latino and Hispanic immigrant population, the Lehigh Valley offers Spanish students a unique opportunity to hone their spoken language skills and cultural understanding. This class blends on-campus preparation in the basic theories and methodologies of oral interpretation with community-based practical experience, investigation, exploration, and reflection. Work with community partners working closely with Spanish speaking clients is contextualized during weekly classes, providing a solid introduction to local Hispanic/Latino culture and concerns. Students should expect to commit about 5 hours per week to the community service learning component of this course.
Prerequisite(s): One 400-level course in Spanish or approval of instructor.
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SPN 408 - Spanish Translation 1 course unit
The Lehigh Valley is undergoing demographic changes that call for new and better communication between English- and Spanish-speaking communities. This course prepares students to create effective bridges, translating written documents and other texts from English to Spanish and Spanish to English. As a service learning course it incorporates collaborative projects with organizations working closely with Spanish-speaking clients. Weekly classes will provide a solid introduction to the basic theories and methodologies of written translation with special focus on the specific needs and concerns of the local Latino and Hispanic immigrant communities. The class is conducted in Spanish, though given the special nature of English/Spanish and Spanish/English translation, class discussions may include Spanish, English, or even Spanglish. Students should expect to commit about 5 hours per week to the community service learning component of this course. Designed to complement SPN 407 - Spanish Interpreting .
Prerequisite(s): One 400-level course in Spanish or approval of instructor.
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SPN 410 - Medieval & Renaissance Spanish Literature 1 course unit
A study of representative works of Spanish literature of the Middle Ages through the Renaissance. Emphasis is placed on the literary analysis of both major and marginal genres, such as epic poetry, the fable, ballads, the miracle story, the picaresque novel, and mystic poetry. We will highlight the historical and socio-cultural context of these period texts, paying special attention to the relationships among Christian, Arabic, and Jewish cultures coexisting in the Iberian Peninsula at the time. We will also explore the way in which these different cultural products were experienced by their mainly illiterate audiences, through private performance (communal readings, moral exemplum, teaching lessons) and public performance on the stage or the street (theatrical productions, puppet shows, songs, and dances). Texts are accompanied by a number of films/videos based on the literary works and/or the historical period. Class is conducted in Spanish.
Prerequisite(s): SPN 304 - Advanced Spanish Conversation & Composition .
Meets general academic requirement HU.
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SPN 411 - Cervantes & the Origins of the Spanish Narrative 1 course unit
The focus of the course on the development of the Spanish narrative by Miguel de Cervantes will alternate between the novel Don Quijote and Cervantes’ exemplary tales. During semesters focusing on Don Quijote, one of the greatest and most humorous books ever written, students will examine the work as an emblem of artistic and social modernity in the West and as a multi-faceted cultural icon central to the humanities, exploring issues such as the nature of reality and illusion, heroism, humor, adventure, freedom and self-fulfillment, racial tolerance, love, the consequences of reading, metafiction, games, and truth. During alternate semesters, when the focus is on the rich tradition of short stories in early modern Spain, students will investigate the transition from an oral to a written culture and the importance of printing as a driver for this and other significant cultural changes. Students will explore the problem of Spanish national identity through the emerging imperial processes of political and cultural exclusion, contextualizing the act of narrating and of reading fiction as they explore the didactic, comic, critical, and satirical roles of the exemplary tales. Class is conducted in Spanish.
Prerequisite(s): SPN 304 - Advanced Spanish Conversation & Composition .
Meets general academic requirement HU.
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SPN 412 - Early Modern Spanish Drama & Performance 1 course unit
This course is an introduction to early modern Spanish drama from a performance-based approach. Students will read, analyze and interpret some of the most important plays produced during the so-called Golden Age in Spain (sixteenth-seventeenth century) by authors like Cervantes, Lope, Tirso, or Calderón. We will focus on text analysis and performance as two fundamental elements in the understanding and appreciation of Spanish theatre. Students will have access to the plays from different angles: 1) as texts to be studied analytically; 2) as cultural and historical exponents of a specific period; 3) as objects of literary and theatrical research; and 4) as would-be productions waiting to be staged. After an introductory account of early modern Spanish theater and comedia performance then and now, classes are organized around three phases resembling those of theater production: text analysis, pre-production workshop, and staging. Note: By the second part of the semester students will need to schedule additional time outside the classroom to rehearse and complete the production of a short play or scenes for the stage. Class is conducted in Spanish.
Prerequisite(s): SPN 304 - Advanced Spanish Conversation & Composition .
Meets general academic requirement HU.
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SPN 413 - From the Golden Age to the Silver Age 1 course unit
A study of the plays, poetry, and novels of eighteenth and nineteenth century Spain, reflecting the social, political, and ideological changes leading up to and throughout the Industrial Revolution. Special attention will be paid to the different roles of writer, narrator, and reader through textual clues. Taught in Spanish.
Prerequisite(s): SPN 304 - Advanced Spanish Conversation & Composition .
Meets general academic requirement HU.
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SPN 414 - Contemporary Spanish Literature 1 course unit
A study of contemporary texts and development of tools with which to interpret the culture and literature of today’s - and tomorrow’s - Spain. Emphasis is placed on literary reflections of the changes to the concept of national identity in Spain, spanning the harrowing realization in 1898 that Spain was no longer host to an empire, through the harsh repression and massive emigration under Franco’s rule, to the new reality of Spain as home to fast-growing immigrant communities. Taught in Spanish.
Offered in alternate years.
Prerequisite(s): SPN 304 - Advanced Spanish Conversation & Composition .
Meets general academic requirement HU.
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SPN 415 - The Literature of Conquest & Colonization in Spanish America 1 course unit
Reading and discussion of poetry and prose by Indoamerican writers of the Pre-Columbian era and by Spanish American writers from the fifteenth through the nineteenth centuries. Students will explore how literary components such as theme, character, and imagery represent the rise and fall of the Spanish Empire in the Americas and its resulting confluence of indigenous, African, and European cultures as they trace the development of Spanish American literature from its earliest expressions in pre-conquest cultures to the first declarations of defiance against the Spanish Crown by colonial writers. Emphasis is placed on an understanding of the technical development of various genres within each literary period as well as on the thematic content of work as it relates to the period’s historical, political, social, and philosophical content.
Prerequisite(s): SPN 304 - Advanced Spanish Conversation & Composition .
Meets general academic requirement DE and HU.
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SPN 416 - Postcolonial Realities in Spanish American Literature 1 course unit
Reading and discussion of selections by Spanish American writers from the late nineteenth through the twenty-first centuries. For many Spanish American authors, obscuring the line between reality and fantasy becomes a literary game in the search for true reality within countries racked by civil strife that underscores the postcolonial paradigm in the Americas in terms of the subaltern issues of race, gender, and social class. Thus, students will delve into the artistic subconscious as they examine the legacy of the Spanish Conquest in the prose and poetry of literary periods that include modernismo, posmodernismo, and vanguardismo as well as the Boom and Post-Boom with their techniques of realismo mágico and realismo crítico. Emphasis is placed on an understanding of technical development of various genres within each literary period and on thematic content of work as it relates to that period’s historical, political, social, and philosophical context.
Prerequisite(s): SPN 304 - Advanced Spanish Conversation & Composition .
Meets general academic requirement or DE and HU.
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SPN 417 - Contemporary Spanish American Novel 1 course unit
An in-depth study of the development of the novel in both the pre- and post- “boom” periods of the Spanish American narrative. Emphasis is placed on an analysis of the literary techniques and thematic aspects of the works in relation to the various artistic and philosophical movements of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Taught in Spanish.
Offered in alternate years.
Prerequisite(s): SPN 304 - Advanced Spanish Conversation & Composition .
Meets general academic requirement DE and HU.
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SPN 418 - Hispanic Literature & Film 1 course unit
An analysis of the relationship between literature and film, focusing on texts from Spain and/or Spanish America and their film adaptations. Issues to be discussed include film adaptation as a cultural construct; narrative voice in literature and film; the transformation of the written word to a visual image; and the relationship between politics, literature, and film. Taught in Spanish.
Offered in alternate years.
Prerequisite(s): SPN 304 - Advanced Spanish Conversation & Composition .
Meets general academic requirement HU.
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SPN 419 - Border Literature 1 course unit
An exploration of contemporary narratives by Latino writers in the United States who focus on the border experience, understood as both a geographical and cultural phenomenon. Emphasis will be placed on the analysis of the literary techniques employed in the development of the narrative form within its political, social, and cultural context. Topics include issues of class, ethnicity, and gender. Taught in Spanish.
Prerequisite(s): SPN 304 - Advanced Spanish Conversation & Composition .
Meets general academic requirement DE and HU.
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SPN 420 - Human Rights Literature in the Americas 1 course unit
A literary exploration of the nature of human rights in the Americas through a close examination of representative works of various genres, such as poetry, the short story, the novel, and drama. Emphasis is placed on an understanding of literary theory and technique within the historical, political, and philosophical context of each work. In this way, students will explore thematic issues such as the legal and ethical rights inherent in citizenship within the world and specifically within the Americas with respect to ethnic and religious minorities, women, gays, and political dissidents. Areas of comparison/contrast will include Chile, Argentina, Guatemala, El Salvador, Cuba, and the United States. Taught in Spanish.
Prerequisite(s): SPN 304 - Advanced Spanish Conversation & Composition .
Meets general academic requirement DE and HU.
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SPN 500-549 - CUE: Senior Capstone Seminar: Transatlantic Issues in Hispanic Literatures & Cultures 1 course unit
The senior Capstone Seminar is a topics-based course in Spanish that will allow students to take their understanding of Hispanic literatures and cultures and apply it to broader multicultural and international perspectives. Whether focusing specifically on literature or centering on broader social, cultural, or linguistic issues, students will examine aspects of the on-going dialogue between Spain and the Americas within their historical, social, and political contexts. The explicitly comparative approach will both broaden and consolidate students’ understanding of language as a living process rooted in cultural contexts, a process essential in a pluralistic American society and in a world where nations―even those bound by a history of colonialism―are interdependent in increasingly complex ways. Students will work individually and collaboratively to design, research, and present their critical analyses and findings in a thoughtful and thought-provoking way using theoretical approaches consistent with the discipline. Taught in Spanish.
Prerequisite(s): One 400-level course in Spanish or approval of instructor.
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SPN 970 - Spanish Independent Study/Research
Each independent study/research course is to be designed in consultation with a faculty sponsor.
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Speech |
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SPC 250 - Basic Speech 1 course unit
An introduction to the principles of public speaking. Concentration on the development of assurance and good platform presence through making frequent short speeches of simple expository or narrative types.
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Sustainability Studies |
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SUS 350 - Community Sustainability in Costa Rica 1 course unit
Students explore solutions to complex community problems related to sustainability in Costa Rica. During the spring semester students develop projects and prepare for the two-week study/research/travel experience to Costa Rica at the end of May. Preparation includes study of the area’s ecological diversity; political, cultural, and social issues; research skills; and service in the Allentown Community. In Costa Rica students explore a variety of habitats, live in and interact with members of a small town, and conduct both community service and independent research projects. Research projects focus on ecology, sociology, culture, sustainability, and public health of the region. One objective is to remove the blinders of specific discipline-based learning and our own culture to enable us to develop sustainable solutions.
Meets general academic requirements DE and SC.
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SUS 355 - Climate Change & Sustainable Development in Bangladesh 1 course unit
This team-taught course examines the impact of climate change on economic, social, and political development by focusing on the nation of Bangladesh. In addition to introducing students to the science and politics of climate change, the course also examines the specific environmental, economic, and social changes confronting Bangladesh’s political development since its independence; investigates the environmental and social consequences of state-sponsored development strategies, especially recent market-based “neo-liberal” policies; and evaluates new “sustainable development” strategies that are emerging as a response to the challenges posed by climate change.
Meets general academic requirement DE.
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SUS 365 - Local Sustainability 1 course unit
This course will take an interdisciplinary approach to analyzing sustainability at the local level, either in the Muhlenberg community or communities in the Lehigh Valley and will explore human-environment issues within the context of the relationship among individuals and institutions. Through readings, presentations, and the development of individual research projects, students will assess current sustainability efforts and develop recommendations for future efforts. Research projects may include surveying community members on perceptions and attitudes towards sustainability and environmental issues, assessing current sustainability efforts, and interviewing local experts - members of organizations and politicians. Priorities for research will be determined in collaboration with the community and results and recommendations will be shared.
Prerequisite(s): Any single course in the Sustainability Studies Minor.
Meets general academic requirement SC
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SUS 405 - Sustainable Solutions 1 course unit
An interdisciplinary approach to developing and assessing sustainable solutions to meet the needs of human society and the environment on local, regional, and global scales. Through readings, writing, presentations, and field trips, students will identify and explore specific problems, and then through project-based learning will design and test potential solutions that might help further sustainability. Students will study the issues and focus on innovation, policy, individual action, stakeholder participation, project design, data collection, and dissemination related to solving the problems being analyzed.
Prerequisite(s): Any two courses in the Sustainability Studies Minor.
Meets general academic requirement W.
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SUS 960 - Sustainability Studies Internship 1 course unit
Internships arranged with local, national, and international public or private organizations in the areas of development, environment, and sustainability in practice.
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SUS 970 - Sustainability Studies Independent Study/Research
Each independent study/research course is to be designed in consultation with a faculty sponsor.
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Performance Theory, History, Literature |
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THR 100 - Theatre & Society: An Historical Introduction 1 course unit
Students in this course study the historical development of world theatre with an emphasis on the western dramatic tradition as a way of understanding how the theatrical experience reflects the society in which it exists. A broad range of theatrical literature and theoretical material will be explored. The members of the class will attend several live theatrical performances and are required to complete production laboratory hours.
Open to all Muhlenberg students, this is the foundation course for the theatre major. Students planning to major in theatre should complete this course in their first year.
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THR 212 - Performance Studies 1 course unit
This course introduces the burgeoning interdisciplinary field of Performance Studies and investigates the human body engaged in symbolic action using methods drawn from such disciplines as the performing arts, cultural anthropology, ritual studies, and popular culture studies. Thus, it analyzes aestheticized forms like theatre, performance art, dance, and music but also inquires into cultural performances like political protests, fashion shows, sporting events, and worship services. Students will learn the basic history of the field and develop a working knowledge of its scholarly methods and proclivities.
Meets general academic requirement W.
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THR 221 - Jewish Drama 1 course unit
In Europe, until the middle of the nineteenth century, Jewish characters (with a few minor exceptions) only appeared in stage productions created by non-Jews. In general, these performances of “Jewishness” perpetuated extremely negative stereotypes that were a major factor in the development of the virulent anti-Semitic attitudes that led to mass migration and the almost complete destruction of the vibrant European Jewish community by the middle of the twentieth century. In spite of this dark history, a profound change occurred with the coming of the enlightenment at the end of the eighteenth century and the integration of many newly emancipated Jews into western intellectual and artistic life during the late nineteenth century. Through a tiny minority in most western nations, including the United States, Jews, often barred from participation and employment in many areas of the economy, became major players in the development of the modern art theatre and the growing urban entertainment industry. Jews were welcomed in the relatively liberal “show business.” By exploring the Jewish drama and examining a range of Jewish plays, films, and broadcasts, students in the course will, hopefully, gain significant insights into important issues of ethnic identification and assimilation, political repression, Jewish self-hatred, gender construction, and the influence that popular performance culture, both lowbrow and highbrow, has had on Jewish history, western social history, and our own performance of self.
Meets general academic requirements HU and DE.
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THR 301, 302 - Feminist Theories of the Theatre 1 course unit
This course introduces students to the intellectual viewpoints, critiques, and new questions (and the new objects of study to match the new questions) that have arisen in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries’ feminist theories of the theatre. In order to move through the theoretical models employed by feminist critics in the theatre, we will begin with those key essays in film theory, semiotics, and materialist analysis that contributed to the current body of theoretical feminist material. By reading theories of reception and representation, of race and whiteness, and of unmaking mimesis, students will become familiar with analyses articulated by contemporary scholars. As objects of study upon which to practice these theoretical approaches, the class will read contemporary plays of feminist writers.
Prerequisite(s): THR 100 - Theatre & Society: An Historical Introduction or permission of instructor.
Meets general academic requirement W when offered as 302.
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THR 336 - The History of Queer Performance 1 course unit
This course charts the significant but often obscured influence of queerness on Western performance culture - and therefore, on Western culture as a whole - since the late nineteenth century. We will explore historical records of the personal and professional lives of playwrights, actors, directors, producers, designers, and critics, as well as consider the impact of major historical and performance events, both mainstream and queer, within the past 150 years. With a foundation in the history of sexual identity in the modern public sphere, we wrestle with the problems of investigating and analyzing queer performance practices (both on and off stage). Focused primarily on the United States and Britain, the course investigates how economic, social, and political anxieties have fueled apprehension about non-mainstream sex/gender identity, as well as art. Of particular interest is how these combined anxieties have thwarted, and can continue to hinder, the work of the queer theatre historian.
Prerequisite(s): THR 100 - Theatre & Society: An Historical Introduction or permission of instructor.
Meets general academic requirement HU and W.
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