Course Search Results

What do archaeologists know about the past, and how do they know about the past? Evolution of human cultures from ice ages to first cities; archaeological methods used to understand the past.

Have you ever wondered where humans came from? What happened to the Neanderthals? Was farming such a great idea? Is social equality always part of human societies? In this course you will become familiar with the history of human culture. Together we will consider different human economies, technologies, and types of social organization and explore how and why life changed from early humans to the first states. You will also learn about the techniques and approaches archaeologists use and understand how colonialism, nationalism, and racism have influenced archaeological reconstructions of the past.

This course satisfies the Historical Perspectives General Education Requirement

Historical Perspectives

Survey to foster development of critical skills in thinking and writing about visual culture, and to familiarize students with broad outlines of artistic development in the Western tradition, from prehistory through later Middle Ages; aesthetic qualities of artworks, relationship between style, function, and meaning.

This is the foundational course for the study of Art History, the discipline devoted to the skillful wrapping of words around images. The class surveys the history of western art, from pre-historic cave paintings through the age of Gothic cathedrals, touching along the way on the civilizations of ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, and the early medieval world. In richly illustrated lectures and weekly discussion sections, students will be invited to consider big questions such as: What do we really mean by “art”? What roles has art played in pre-modern societies? How can study of ancient and medieval art contribute valuable perspectives on modern art and culture? Or, more specifically, why was the Old Capitol in Iowa City designed to look somewhat like a Greek temple? By the end of the course, students will have gained familiarity with the broad outlines of western artistic tradition through the late Middle Ages, and they will also have developed valuable skills in decoding and writing about visual imagery, which can be useful in analyzing everything from political advertisements to website design.

Historical Perspectives Literary, Visual, and Performing Arts

Art from India, China, and Japan in many media and forms, in their cultural and historical contexts; cultural distinctions of these Asian civilizations as seen through the visual arts; chronology used to highlight historical processes and provide perspectives on continuity and change. Taught in English.

Organized around a series of case studies of exemplary objects, the course explores the wide range of Asian art across different times, regions, cultures, materials, and themes. Special attention will be placed on interactions and influences between different regions through religion, war, travel, and trade. Each class will start with a formal analysis exercise on the key object, followed by a lecture that contextualizes the object, and then online discussion based on required readings

Historical Perspectives Literary, Visual, and Performing Arts

Introductory survey of Chinese history and civilization from its origins to 1800; exploration of traditions in politics, social organization, thought, religion, and culture. Historical Perspectives International and Global Issues

Historical Perspectives International and Global Issues

Thematic examination of theories and practices of Greco-Roman physicians, which in turn became the medical tradition of medieval Islamic world and European medicine until mid-19th century; historical medical terms, theories, and practices.

This class thematically examines the intellectual, practical, and social dimensions of medicine in the ancient Mediterranean world, from ancient Egypt through ancient Greece and Rome to the early Islamic and Christian middle ages: the nature, theories, and intellectual development of medical thought; its dietetic, pharmacological, and surgical practices; and the institutional, class, and geographic setting of its practitioners and patients. The theories and practices of ancient Greco-Roman physicians, the focus of this class, became the prevailing medical tradition of the Islamic world and European medicine until the mid-19th century. This class also introduces the major historiographical perspectives involved in studying and understanding historical medicine.

Historical Perspectives

History, literature, art, architecture, religion, social life ca. 3000 B.C.E. to second century B.C.E.

This course critically explores the full range of ancient Greece’s cultural exploits within the broad scope of historical change, based on a variety of evidence and perspectives. Topics include the rise and fall of political regimes; the diversity of social experiences of women, men, slaves, and foreigners; works of literature and art; advances in science and technology; methods of war and diplomacy; and debates over how to live a good life in a chaotic world.

Historical Perspectives

History, literature, politics, religion, social structure from eighth century B.C.E. to second century C.E.

This is an introduction to the history and the culture of the Roman people, from the late bronze age (ca. 1000 B.C.E) to the time of Constantine (4th century C.E.). The lectures, discussions, and assignments will be focused on several recurring themes: the ideas of citizenship and political authority; the nature and function of religion; art as the expression of identity; and the changing significance of civilization and barbarism. The goal of the course is to develop an understanding of the Romans; to identify some central characteristics of Roman society; and to examine the evidence on which the Romans' long-lasting cultural influence is based.

Historical Perspectives

Historical perspective on business, science, geology, technology, politics, environment, and culture of the global oil industry; the rise of oil as the most influential international business of the last 150 years, the material foundation of economies, a major force in world politics, a shaper of daily life, and a guide to understanding Earth's deep history. Offered fall semesters. GE: Sustainability. Historical Perspectives Sustainability

How do we understand the past on its own terms and what is its relevance to the present? Introduction to historical thinking through a variety of topics. Historical Perspectives

How does history help to explain our interconnected world? Introduction to international and global thinking through a variety of topics. Historical Perspectives International and Global Issues

Religion in Europe from classical antiquity to dawn of the Reformation; the religious element in traditions such as art, architecture, literature.

This course explores European religion, principally Western Christianity, and its broader cultural setting from the end of antiquity to the eve of the Reformation (ca. 1500).  It examines beliefs and practices among the intellectual and social elite as well as the meaning of religion for the largely illiterate and unlearned majority of the population.  Topics also include the role of women, religious opposition, the place of the liturgy, religious art and architecture, politics and religion, and the syncretic blend of “official” and folk religion.  Three examinations and three short papers.

Historical Perspectives

Survey of texts, ideas, events, institutions, geography, communities, literature, arts, sciences, and cultures in Islamic communities and societies since the 7th century.

This course is for students with an interest in learning about the Islamic civilization, the religious practices and beliefs, and/or the history or the regions where Muslims are in the majority.  We will examine the traditions and main social and legal institutions of Islam. Arguably, Islam, as a major system of beliefs and practices in the world, affects both Muslims and non-Muslims. Consequently, besides examining the basic tenets, texts, and ideas of the Islamic civilization, this course focuses on the variety of ways in which Muslims and non-Muslims have understood and interpreted Islam. We will review the discussions surrounding the life of the Prophet of Islam, Islamic pre-modern and modern history, the place and role of individuals and society, the legal and economic status of women, and Islamic governments and movements. As a survey course, we will examine these topics through an interdisciplinary approach: we will apply textual, legal/normative, anthropological, geographical, sociological, analytical, linguistic, and historical methodologies.

International and Global Issues Values and Culture Values, Society, and Diversity

America before European colonization; encounters between Native Americans, Europeans, and Africans in North America; the rise and decline of European imperial powers; the independence and expansion of the American republic; economic, political, and social change from the American Revolutionary era through Civil War and Reconstruction. Historical Perspectives

Many consider Greece and Rome important influences for the modern West, but who influenced the Greeks and Romans? Students look to the ancient Near East, home to civilizations such as Egypt and the Babylonians, and investigate the formation of larger communities, study how peoples of the ancient Mediterranean viewed their world, follow the paths of Greeks and Romans, and end with Christianization of the Roman Empire, to not only understand the history of the period, but also learn how to think, read, and write critically. Historical Perspectives

Why are debates about Western Civilization so heated? What is the relationship between the West and other world regions? Exploration of the idea of "the West" as it evolved from interactions between modern Europe, its colonies, and other regions; overview of topics including politics, slavery, global economy, colonialism, migration, and cultural norms over the last 300 years. Historical Perspectives International and Global Issues

Historical development of journalism in the United States; cultural, historical content.

This course surveys the historical and cultural development of media in the U.S. and global community from the printing press to the digital age. This course counts toward the General Education requirement for Historical Perspectives.

Historical Perspectives

This course examines the history of Western music from the Middle Ages through the mid-18th century. Classes are a combination of lecture, discussion, listening, and score-reading. Historical Perspectives Literary, Visual, and Performing Arts

Philosophical investigation of the nature of human life and of what makes human life valuable and/or meaningful.

This course will be a survey and careful examination of answers to the question: what is the meaning of life? This seems to be an important question; indeed it seems to be the question, but philosophers have taken a number of different positions in attempting to answer it. In the first segment of the course, we will consider the issue of whether or not there is a connection between the value of human pursuits and the existence of God and the afterlife. In the second segment we will address the related issue of whether or not the best life is a life of hedonistic self-interest or a life that is guided by a concern for those around us. In the next segment of the course we will consider the Stoic and Buddhist view that happiness is not a matter of making things go as we please but instead is a matter of adjusting to the way that things happen inevitably and on their own. Then we will discuss what some critics have taken to be obstacles in the way of a meaningful life--for example the internet, technology, modernity, and the I-pod. The semester will conclude with a discussion of the prospect that life is just absurd. Philosophers have offered compelling insights on the different sides of these issues, and we will have a lot of discussion to try to sort it all out. Assignments will include study-question assignments, two exams, and active participation in discussion section.

Historical Perspectives

Examination of conflict between state power and individual liberty; philosophical and historical examination of theories from Plato through today.

Should we spend more/less money on social programs or the military?  Should there be more/less censorship of movies, television or the internet?  Is torture morally permissible under certain circumstances?  Should we legalize many of the drugs that are now illegal?  While these and other similar issues will be explicitly discussed in the course, we will also address even more fundamental and general questions, the answers to which might influence our views on these and other matters.  These questions include:  How should an ideal state be governed and how should its leaders be chosen?  When should a government have the authority to use force to prevent a person from acting as he or she chooses?  What reason or obligation do people have (if any) to act in accord with the laws of their government even when they disagree with those laws?  In deciding what to do, should we make the decision based solely on what is in our self-interest or should we take into account the interests of others?  We examine these questions by looking at works of some of the most influential philosophers in history, and, when possible, we try to understand their views within the larger context of the historical and intellectual climate in which they were expressed. Readings include The Republic by Plato, Leviathan by Hobbes, and On Liberty and Utilitarianism by Mill.  We also look at some recent Supreme Court cases that deal with controversies concerning freedom. All assigned readings will be posted on ICON.

Historical Perspectives

Introduction to culture, history, and art of eastern European peoples; pagan, dualistic, and animistic beliefs and their coexistence with Christian faith in eastern Europe.

Russian Folklore is an introduction to the culture, history, and art of Russian people.

It is amazing oral art full of the myths about powerful gods, brave warriors, clever and beautiful maidens, vampires, witches, fire birds, black magic, evil eye, and superstitions based on ancient pagan beliefs. During this course, the students will learn different genres of Russian Folklore: fairy tales, myths, legends, songs, cries, sayings, and riddles. Students will regularly get the short questionnaires to check attendance and readiness to pass 4 quizzes and 3 tests with a good grade. No background knowledge required. All readings and discussions are in English.  

Historical Perspectives Values and Culture Values, Society, and Diversity

Representative plays as performed in social contexts of revolutionary and modern Europe and postwar United States. Duplicates THTR:2411.

Focusing on the romantic and rebellious impulses of theatre artists and audiences, this course explores how plays in performance have both revolutionized and reinforced social structures, perceptions, and values from the early modern era to the present. Course units cover plays dealing with rebellions of and within the middle and lower classes from the French to the Russian Revolutions; modernist revolts against artistic and social conventions in the decades around the world wars; and diverse challenges to the American dream in the postwar period. Course material is covered through lectures, audio/video presentations, group discussions, and attendance at University Theatre productions. Grading is based chiefly on the quality of essay assignments and exams, and participation in class discussion.

Historical Perspectives Literary, Visual, and Performing Arts

Continuation of THTR:2410; 1700 to 1960; revolutionary and modern European theatre and culturally diverse postwar U.S. theatre. Offered fall semesters.

Focusing on the romantic and rebellious impulses of theatre artists and audiences, this course explores how plays in performance have both revolutionized and reinforced social structures, perceptions, and values from the early modern era to the present. Course units cover plays dealing with rebellions of and within the middle and lower classes from the French to the Russian Revolutions; modernist revolts against artistic and social conventions in the decades around the world wars; and diverse challenges to the American dream in the postwar period. Course material is covered through lectures, audio/video presentations, attendance at University Theatre productions, and group discussions. Assignments involve weekly play and text readings, a research paper, and periodic essay exams, including a final exam. Grading is based chiefly on participation in discussion and quality of written work. Historical Perspectives Literary, Visual, and Performing Arts