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Native American storytelling consists of a wide range of voices and themes across different tribes, times, and places.  In this class, traditional aspects of Native American literature -- vibrant oral histories, myths, and stories -- will be paired with writings by modern writers who wrestle with personal and tribal identity, the challenges of reservation life, and negotiations with non-Native American culture.  Because of the traditionally rich oral and visual components of Native American storytelling, materials for the course will likely be drawn from several media, including audio recordings, film, poetry, fiction, essays, and drama.

This course will examine Japanese society and culture from an anthropological perspective.  It will address such topics as religious tradition, linguistic patterns, social organization and conflict, human ecology, identity formation and manipulation, educational and political systems, business ethos, and Japan's position and role within a global context.

Japan has a very long history, and its society and culture are products of an ongoing developmental process. Accordingly, a historical dimension has been built into the course. This is important not just in recognizing how past events and conditions influence life in the present, but also in considering how present needs and attitudes result in reconfiguring the past. The course will reconsider, for example, the conventional image of the Japanese as a homogeneous society whose culture is rooted in the traditional rice-cultivating villages of a bygone era. Several alternative examples will be presented in challenging this image, drawing in particular from the Ainu, Okinawan, and mountain oriented cultures.

What did ancient sex toys look like? How scandalous could Roman love poets be before getting banished by the emperor? Why do the heroes in the Iliad and the Odyssey cry so much? In this class we will learn about systems of gender and sexuality in the classical world through a survey of literary, visual, and archaeological evidence. We will pay particular attention to how ancient views of sex and gender differed from our own and what this means for our conceptions of our own cultural categories. Requirements: completion of GE CLAS Core Rhetoric and sophomore standing.

The Italian nation was created in 1861. Prior to this date the Italian peninsula was a patchwork of states, each with its own history and traditions. Consequently, the construction of a national identity in Italy is a fairly recent process, and some of the problems that beset such a process at its inception still remain unresolved.  In fact, while a variety of landscapes and traditions greatly contribute to Italy’s famed charm, differences such as those between the prosperous, industrialized North and the poor, rural South have been a persistent source of divisiveness and political instability. The aim of this course is twofold: to offer a survey of Italy’s history since Unification, and to familiarize students with diverse aspects of modern Italian culture and society through various visual and textual materials.  Focusing on ethnicity, religion, politics and gender as means with which people define themselves and others, we will examine notions of the Italian nation, the “South,” and the family expressed through cinema, literature, and the media.  Topics for discussion also include the following: the role of cinema and literature in shaping both collective memories and the understanding of contemporary realities; cultural policy and cultural consumption; political identities and Catholic culture; migrations and multiculturalism; and the new myths of sport, fame, fashion, and style. Class is taught in English, with a discussion session in Italian for students enrolled for 4 sh.  Readings are in English (for students of Italian, some readings are in Italian); films are in Italian with English subtitles.  Requirements include an oral presentation on one of the main topics headlined on the syllabus, a final project (to be presented in class) expanding upon or complementing topics covered in the readings and films, two written tests, and class participation.  Grades will be calculated as follows:  participation 20%, first oral presentation 20%, final project 20%, midterm 20%, and final 20%.  The plus or minus grading system will be adopted.

In this course, we will study American families from a sociological perspective. First, we will look at how American families have changed over time. Second, we will develop an understanding of the theories and methods employed by sociologists to examine issues related to the family. Third, we will examine specific aspects of family life including cohabitation, marriage, divorce, parenthood, and work-family conflict. In the process, we will learn to think objectively and open-mindedly about many controversial aspects of the family and family change, an ability that will enable you to critically evaluate popular portrayals of family-related issues.

In this course we will examine the major forms of social inequalities in the contemporary United States and the global community. We will explore the characteristics, causes, and consequences of how wealth, power, and other resources are unequally distributed across social groups. We will also analyze the role of public policy and the dominant cultural ideology on maintaining and/or reducing these inequalities.

Students from different disciplines would benefit from being able to answer some questions regarding contemporary society such as: Why is economic inequality getting more evident? How much do race, ethnicity, or gender affect individuals’ chances for getting ahead in life? Is globalization generally good or bad for workers? What is the role of the state, as well as major social institutions such as the media, corporations, and education in all this?

We will achieve the course goals through our readings, writing, active participation, discussions, and using critical thinking in this class.

How terrible was Ivan the Terrible? How great was Catherine the Great? And who the heck was that Rasputin dude? We will try to find answers to these and other slightly more pressing questions in the course of this sweeping overview of pre-revolutionary Russian history, literature, and culture. 2013 marked the 400th anniversary of the first Romanov tsar on the Russian throne and 2017 marked the 100th anniversary of the collapse of the dynasty. We will look at Russian culture through the eyes of writers (Pushkin, Gogol, Turgenev, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Chekhov), painters (Repin, Kramskoi, Perov, Vasnetsov, Ge, Vrubel), composers (Mussorgsky, Borodin, Rimsky-Korsakov, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov), and film directors (Sergei Eisenstein, Alexander Nevsky (1938), Sergei Bondarchuk, War and Peace (1965-67), Andrei Tarkovsky, Andrei Rublev (1969), Alexander Sokurov, Russian Ark (2002). Students are evaluated on the basis of attendance and class participation (30%), two exams (15% each), two papers (15% each), and a presentation (10%). Knowledge of Russian is not required. Course taught in English. 

In this course, we will study ancient Greek and Roman magical beliefs and practices from Homer to the rise of Christianity. Topics covered in this course will include: Greek and Roman Mystery Religions (e.g., Orphism, the Eleusinian Mysteries, and the Cult of Isis); Greek and Roman witches and sorcerers (e.g., Circe, Medea, and Canidia); Greek and Roman sages and miracle-workers (e.g., Pythagoras and Apollonius of Tyre); Greek and Roman views on ghosts and the afterlife; and Greek and Roman texts that purport to describe how to perform spells and curses. Ultimately, the aim of this course is to give students a basic understanding of the complex ways in which magic worked in Greek and Roman society.

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.  

Gender is a central human characteristic that influences many facets of our experience including daily language use. The course explores the connection between language and gender using current interdisciplinary approaches influenced by research in linguistics, sociology, anthropology and psychology. Some specific questions include: How is gender encoded in human languages? Why do some languages develop gender-centered vocabulary (e.g. gender-specific terms) and some don't? What language patterns do we observe in various gender-based communities (e.g. male, female, LGBT, mixed-gender, etc.)? The course requirements include weekly short assignments, self-check quizzes, three mini-research projects/papers and two exams. This course should be of interest to students from a variety of majors, including (but not limited to) humanities, human relations, marketing, business, law, and many others. No previous background in linguistics is assumed.

Examines leisure behavior and play's impact on the human experience from social, psychological, cultural, and economic perspectives. Uses historical and contemporary literature and research to study the influence of leisure on a person's health and well-being, connections to society, and life satisfaction. Encourages learners to examine their own values and connections to leisure from a systems approach to culture and community. Economic topics include work ethic, overwork, and retirement.

This course examines leisure and play from a social science perspective. Psychology, sociology, economic, and political science literature is used to inform the phenomenon of leisure behavior. Psychological readings emphasize individual motivation for play. Sociological literature informs how social groups use leisure and play as part of culture. Economic topics include the work ethic, overwork, and retirement. Political aspects of leisure behavior are examined through consideration of the prospects for a better society.

This course surveys selected folk and popular musical traditions within their historical and social contexts in Latin America and the Caribbean. Students examine the three principal musical sources of indigenous America, Europe and Africa, and the ensuing stylistic mixtures and combinations through select music cultures from the region, including the indigenous music of the Andean highlands, musics of the Afro-Hispanic Caribbean (Cuba and Puerto Rico), Trinidadian calypsos and steel pan, and samba and bossa nova in Brazil. The course is designed to broaden students' exposure to other musical systems and explore the interrelationship of music and its social meaning.

This course is a survey of Major 20th-century styles, artists, seminal works, and recordings; developments between 1900 and today. Course materials include a written text, ICON listening list, films and live performances. Requirements include online quizzes, two exams and writing assignments.

Contemporary ethical controversies with life and death implications; topics may include famine, brain death, animal ethics, abortion, torture, terrorism, capital punishment.

In this course, we will evaluate some of the most difficult moral problems facing individuals and society today.  We begin by examining theoretical questions about morality: What constitutes a good or valuable life for a human being?  What is it for an action to be right or wrong? Is morality relative to culture? Does it depend on God’s authority or command?  Is the rightness/wrongness of actions determined solely by the consequences of actions?  What role, if any, do agents’ motives or intentions play in determining the rightness or wrongness of actions?  We then turn to applied ethics, examining the following topics: poverty, immigration and refugees, gun control, animal ethics, and abortion.

Few (if any) contenders challenge the Christian Bible as the most significant book in Western civilization. For many contemporary Christians, the New Testament is the inspired Word of God and a central component of their faith. But even non-Christians cannot escape its influence and impact on literature, art, law, language, and popular culture.

Throughout this course, we will explore the content of the New Testament through reading and applying a variety of scholarly methods to the text itself. We will explore the context from which the writings emerged, both religious and cultural. We will situate the text in our contemporary context by asking questions about the place of the New Testament in America today.

Grades for the course will be determined by 2 exams (one midterm & one final), 4 short response papers, and classroom participation.

At the end of this course, students will be able to...

• understand the different religious and non-religious viewpoints regarding the New Testament.

• demonstrate knowledge of some the principle beliefs, goals, and practices of the New Testament authors.

• view the New Testament as not only a religious text, but as literature and artistry, too.

• understand the scholarly methods and approaches to the study of the books of the New Testament.

• analyze the ways in which culture influenced the composition of the text, continues to influence its interpretation, and has been, in turn, influenced by the writings of the New Testament,

• engage in meaningful and respectful dialogues with individuals who hold competing, or even contradictory, views about the New Testament and Christianity.

Through a captivating array of case studies sourced from religious texts, literature, art, and cultural practices, we will embark on a journey to unravel the intricate intersections where religion and gender converge.

From the ancient struggles of Hagar in the Abrahamic traditions to the chilling dystopia of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, from the sacred realms of female mysticism and shamanism to the timeless allure of the Venus of Willendorf, and even the enigmatic Marian apparitions – each case study promises to ignite your curiosity and challenge your perceptions.

Drawing upon a blend of interdisciplinary perspectives from religious studies, feminist theory, anthropology, and cultural studies, we will investigate women's roles, representations, and experiences within religious contexts. Through dynamic close readings, engaging discussions, and critical analysis of primary and secondary sources, you'll delve deep into themes such as patriarchy, agency, embodiment, spirituality, and resistance.

Since World War II, jazz has spread to every corner of the globe producing unique interpretations and practices as it interacts with local traditions. Similarly, jazz musicians in America have found musical sources for their compositions outside of the traditional jazz mainstream. This course will investigate a number of ways that jazz music is interpreted with particular attention to the contexts in which music is created, transmitted and received. Each year the class compares the American jazz tradition to a unique international region that has a strong jazz scene. 

In this course students will learn more about how American Indian filmmakers, artists, comedians and musicians have challenged distorted and harmful stereotypes about American Indians in mainstream society. Students will also learn more about the field of American Indian-Native Studies and how it has addressed the needs of Native peoples since it first emerged in the 1970s. By examining the history and culture of Native peoples in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, students will gain an understanding of the past, present, and future of Native peoples in the United States and beyond.

The course will introduce students to Italian food culture and will be comprised of two parts. The first part of the course will explore how the Italian culinary tradition was born and evolved over time, often reflecting historical and economic developments in the country. Students will explore the different geographical regions of Italy and examine how each region established its own food culture, while at the same time being part of a national one. The first part of the course will also examine current culinary trends in Italian foodways, and how they are influenced by current social changes in Italy. The second part of the course will look at how Italian food has become a defining element of Italiannes in the world. This part will focus on the birth of Italian-American foodways and Italian American food culture through the analysis of images of food in literature and films. 

Requirements include class attendance and participation, 4 short writing exercises, a group project, a midterm and a final project.

Critically examine historical and current practices to address social injustices including poverty, discrimination, and other threats to human rights and well-being; evaluation of personal and professional values within the context of one’s culture; exploration of roles and responsibilities to enhance society for future generations; dialogue with professionals working in topic areas. Topic areas may include poverty, homelessness, mental and physical health, criminal justice, education, aging, and interpersonal violence.

Introduction to historical development of Chinese script; Chinese character formation; fundamentals of Chinese character writing (stroke sequence, character structure); Chinese calligraphy theories and representative calligraphers; appreciation of Chinese calligraphy as an art form; hands-on practice on writing Chinese script styles including seal style, clerical style, regular style, running style, and cursive style by using a Chinese writing brush. The course is taught in English. No prerequisites are required.

Introduction to the Christian New Testament; examination of the collected writings that comprise it within their historical and cultural contexts; analysis of how the literary contents of the Gospels, Acts, Pauline letters, general epistles, and apocalyptic texts reflect, reject, or otherwise interact with cultural and historical circumstances of their writing and reception.

The text of the New Testament is the foundation for what would become Mediterranean and European philosophy, politics, economics, and overall identity for the past two millennia. It is the most published book on earth. For the world’s 1.2 billion Christians, it is inspired Scripture–the Word of God—but even non-Christians cannot ignore its influence on literature, language, art, law, and popular culture throughout history. Written in Greek in the first and second centuries, this collection of stories of Jesus’s life and teachings called gospels, acts of his closest disciples, letters written by prominent early church leaders, and apocalyptic texts all comprise a canon that preserves the teachings and identity of the early Christian church. This course provides a survey of the literature of the New Testament, providing relevant archaeological, literary, and historical context to illuminate the text when possible.

This course addresses how the Greeks and Romans, as well as other peoples of the ancient Mediterranean, made use of leisure. Games, hobbies, spectacles, and sport will be discussed, including topics such as the ancient Olympics and other competitive events, games connected with Roman festivals such as chariot racing, gladiatorial combat, and animal hunts, as well as the role of sport and leisure within these societies, from the lowest to the highest social classes.

Approaches to American Studies will provide practice learning about America through a variety of historic and contemporary sources such as autobiography, literature, photography, painting, film, music, fashions, environments, and events of everyday life. While this is a required course for American studies majors, it should interest anyone who is curious about the commonality, complexity, and diversity of cultures in the U.S. 

This course introduces students to the film and literature of the Holocaust. We will analyze the origins and development of historical and religious anti-Semitism, the role of Nazi propaganda, the state-sponsored attack on Jewish businesses, homes and bodies in 1938 (Reichspogromnacht), the establishment of ghettos and the concentration camp system across Europe and the role of ‘ordinary Germans’ in the Holocaust. We will examine documentary films—from the liberation of the camps (Nazi concentration camps) to later interview films (Lanzmann, Shoah) —as well as European and American feature films (Spielberg, Schindler’s List) and pay special attention to the function of testimony and witnessing (Renais, Night and Fog; Doron & Sinai, Numbered). We will also discuss representations of Auschwitz, the Auschwitz Sonderkommando revolt in literature and film (Nemes, Sons of Saul), survivor accounts and testimonials (e.g., Jean Améry, Primo Levi), Yiddish poetry written during the Holocaust (e.g., Abraham Sutzkever) and Art Spiegelman’s graphic novel MAUS.  We will also examine how Germany remembers the Holocaust by analyzing recent constructions of memorials and museums.

This course is an introduction to 1300 years of Japanese literature and culture with special attention paid to the relationship of classical texts to contemporary novels, short stories, manga, anime, music, and film.  Throughout this course we will consider the relationships of textual and visual cultures, of high art and low art, of moments of crisis and the everyday, of the sacred and the profane, and of men and women.  All readings for this class will be in English translation; no knowledge of Japanese is necessary.  This course includes screenings of film and anime with English subtitles.   

Study abroad in Madrid, the geographic and sociocultural center of Spain; overview of heterogeneous cultural landscape of Spain through interdisciplinary approach to its history; special attention given to conflict between two antagonistic national projects--one that understands Spain as a homogeneous entity and historically based on authoritarian forms of government, Catholic faith, and centralistic culture, and one that advocates for a plural conception of the country and emphasizes a liberal government, tolerance, and cultural diversity. Four weeks.

Goths, punks, Young Pioneers, Pussy Riot... what was it like to be young during and after the Soviet Union?
In this course, we will read texts and discuss films portraying different youth subcultures in Russia in the 20th and 21st centuries. How did youth movements in Russia and the Soviet Union interact with the country’s politics? We'll also have guest speakers from Russia who will talk about their own experiences growing up.  All readings and discussions will be in English; no previous knowledge of Russian is required.
The assignments include brief reading response essays, quizzes/reading checks, a presentation on the subcultures of your choice, regular attendance and enthusiastic class participation. No final exam.
 

This course examines health, illness, and healing through the perspectives of the humanities: history, literature, art, and culture. The goal of health humanities is to better understand the multiple meanings and impacts of illness and healing; health beliefs and practices in different communities; and health care disparities. Interdisciplinary inquiry through close reading of literature, interpretation of visual images, learning to ask good questions and listen deeply, as well as reflective and analytic writing, all encourage acceptance of ambiguity, adaptability and critical thinking. An orientation to appreciation of human factors such as sex, gender identity, race and class in personal and professional healthcare decision making will be a central theme.

The course will benefit students interested in the relationships between health, medicine and culture, both those who intend to pursue careers in the health professions and public health, and those interested in artistic, literary, and social scientific inquiries into health, illness and health care disparities. After taking this course, students will be able to

1. Recognize and articulate the human factors in health, illness and healing.
2. Integrate experiences in art, music, and social media, and their therapeutic dimensions, to deepen understanding of medical and health issues
3. Explore and expand their own moral imagination and empathy through hearing stories of stigma, oppression and shame as they relate to health care decisions
4. Demonstrate increased understanding of health disparities and how they shape peoples’ experiences of health, illness and health care.

Assessment will take place through project-based learning. Students will explore different strategies for understanding and representing health and illness through reflective writing, music, art, and storytelling. There will be several brief assignments and a term project which specifically addresses health disparities.

Buddhism is a living religion that for several thousand years has shaped the societies and lives of people in most Asian countries. Today, it continues as a major influence on how people in Asia understand human existence, and it has also become an influence on the lives of a significant number of people in the Western world -through mindfulness practices and in many other ways. This course gives an introduction to the main ideas, practices and institutions of Buddhism with special attention to those that are meaningful to most people, and specifically to women and minority groups in society. We will trace the historical development of Buddhism in India and its further spread throughout Asia, and examine important aspects of how Buddhism is understood and practiced in different Asian societies, as well as discuss its recent transmission to the West. The course will seek to highlight the colonialist, racist, and gendered history of the study of Buddhism, and examine how this still affects the field today. We will work with images, videos, historical documents, interviews, religious/philosophical texts, and scholarly articles. No prior study of Buddhism is required or expected. Grades are based on course participation, a midterm exam, a writing assignment, peer review of other students’ writing assignments, and a final exam.

In this course we will examine how the media, public relations practitioners, scientists, and decision makers in governments, corporations and other organizations talk about environmental and sustainability issues and how that influences public understanding of these issues. We will analyze strategies to get scientific knowledge to the public arena in ways that inform, educate and empower the public. We will also examine how individuals and organizations can communicate in ways that might mislead or confuse the public.

How American men, women, and children practice their beliefs in today's society.

Have you ever been curious about what and why people believe? Do you wonder about why people eat certain things at certain times of the year, why people pray, why they raise their families in certain ways? If you wonder about any of these things THEN THIS IS THE CLASS FOR YOU!

We will explore together commonalities as well as differences among religious and spiritual groups in the United States today including evangelical Protestant Christians and Roman Catholics; Orthodox, Conservative and Reform Jews; and Muslims.  We will also learn about less well known groups and adherents such as the Amish, Zen Buddhists, Scientologists, Jehovah Witnesses, and snakehandling Holiness-Pentecostals, as well as the beliefs of agnosticism and atheism.

Class Format: 

The format for this class is facilitated learning. We will have in-class discussions in which we share our views and learn together. Because this is a General Education class, you will take away some important skills that will help you in other classes and in life. Reading and writing skills, short in-class presentations, and group work are some of the things we will address in this class. 

Class Assignments:

Assignments include: Four short analysis papers on class readings; a family spiritual-religious heritage paper; short quizzes; a final “Religion in Iowa City” report and 3-minute in-class presentation. All of the course readings will be available on course ICON site.

This course will offer an introduction to the diverse ways in which people living in Asia (India, Southeast Asia, China, Korea, and Japan) bring a broad range of religious ideas to life through practice. The course is designed to give students an opportunity to encounter a variety of religious beliefs, rituals, and practices, and to help them build the foundation of cultural knowledge required for future work on and in Asia. We will focus on Hinduism, Buddhism, Daoism, Shinto, and various systems of popular religious beliefs; exploring how individuals often participate in a number of different religious practices even though such practices may seem to belong to several different religious and philosophical systems.

The course will specifically address the gendered, racist, and colonialist history of the study of Asia and Asian religions, and how this still affects the field today. Attention will be paid to practices that are meaningful to most people, and especially to women, and we will discuss how such practices have often been ignored or disparaged by scholars of religion –and sometime by religious leaders too. We will work with images, videos, historical documents, interviews, religious/philosophical texts, scholarly articles, and fiction. Course grades are based on in-class tests, participation, a writing assignment, peer review of other students’ writing assignments, and a final exam.

In this course we will examine sport and media's intimate relationship. Sports’ rich meanings cannot be separated from media. In fact, sports are most commonly experienced and consumed through some form of media (newspapers, televisions, radios, computers, phones, etc.). Rather than merely “showing” us sports and sporting events, media create many of the values, beliefs, feelings, and problems commonly connected to sports. Sports cannot be properly understood, then, without taking into account their relationship to media - from early 20th century newsreels to Twitch. As such, consumption of sports via media are unavoidable in today’s world. More Americans annually watch the Super Bowl than celebrate Thanksgiving, and the World Cup generally breaks its own records for global viewership every four years. But why is sport so profoundly popular and what roles do media play in building its meanings, uses, and problems?

 
This course will explore these questions across different media and over time. We will consider how elite sport is encoded in television, film, journalism, video games, and advertising. We will learn about the forces shaping sport media production and consider the meanings audiences make of them. This course considers both scholarly and popular readings, with the goal of improving your ability to read and interpret scholarly arguments about sport and media. The assignments in this class are designed to help you think through these issues in a critical way. They aim to sharpen your critical thinking, as well as your skills in research, writing, and multimedia expression. To assist this process, students will actively participate in regular class discussions, complete various in and out of class assignments, and complete a group research project. 

Religious backgrounds and unique spiritualities of Maya Angelou (an African-American Christian), Black Elk (a Lakota Sioux medicine man), and the Dalai Lama (a Tibetan Buddhist monk); forms of oppression that humans can experience as obstacles to happiness, and forms of liberation that are possible (social, political, economic, mental, emotional, spiritual).

Introduction to growing literary production of varied Latinx communities (e.g., Chicano, Puerto Rican American/Nuyorican, Cuban American) that have a strong presence in the United States; recent literary production from borderland transcultural spaces with physical, cultural, economic, political, and mythical elements; visions of the United States from contemporary Latin American writers who recently have become U.S. residents. Class will consist of short lectures, class discussions, various class and group activities, reading responses to the assigned readings, two short analysis papers, and a final individual project. Taught in English.

This course counts toward the Latina/o/x Studies minor. See the Latina/o/x Studies website for more information about the minor.

Themes in Global Art is designed for students with no art history background. It is a cross-cultural course that explores key themes in art from a global perspective. We will be comparing and contrasting the many ways that different nations and ethnic populations throughout history have expressed their social, political, and religious values in visual form. Some of the international themes in art that we will study include: propaganda and power, social functions of art, ritual and self-expression (such as tattoos and body mutilation), and religion and the divine realm. The course requirements include unit assessments that are partly multiple-choice and true/false questions and partly short-answer essays.

This course has online proctored exams, all of which will be administered via Proctorio, an online proctoring service. Generally, students will need: a computer with 2 GB of free RAM a reliable internet connection a webcam capable of scanning the testing environment a working microphone a quiet, private location the Google Chrome browser with the Proctorio extension installed. More information will be available on the syllabus.

The focus of the course is the Ancient Russian Culture (IX-XVII centuries): transition from Pagan Kievan Rus to Christianity, and establishment of Moscow as the Third Rome.
During the course students will learn about:
• history of Early Rus and its neighbors: Byzantium, Scandinavian (Vikings) and Mongols (The Golden Horde);
• famous Russian princes and tsars,
• needs in new religion, icons and written language;
• masterpieces of The Old Russian literature, Church music and Iconography.
Students with interest to the Ancient History, Art and Literature, International, Global, Anthropology, History, Women Studies, Political Science and Comparative Literature are encouraged to take this course.

Introduction to lives of Muslim immigrants in the USA, France, Germany, and England; examination of various theories on multiculturalism. Taught in English.

Muslim Minorities in the West explores the manifold experiences of first- and second-generation Muslim immigrants of various ethnicities in the United States, Germany, Britain, and France. After 9/11, Western media showed intense attention to the lives of Muslims in the West, but the majority of representations and discussions fell short of conveying a nuanced view of Islam and Islamic cultures. In the face of the current Syrian refugee crisis in Europe, stereotypical images of Muslims have once more become prevalent in public discourse. This course engages with social, economic, political, and cultural aspects of Muslim immigrants’ lives to develop a fuller understanding of the diversity of their experiences. Comparisons will be drawn among Muslims based on ethnicity, race, nation, gender, sect, age, and class.

The 4 s.h. option is for students who wish to apply the course to their requirements for the major or minor in German. It requires an additional research component for the course, usually a longer paper (in English) than that required for non-majors. There is a limit of two courses taught in English for the major in German and one such course for the minor in German.

What exactly is the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament? How can we understand this work when so many Jewish and Christian groups not only disagree about its interpretation but also what books and even versions of those books should be included?  This course will introduce the student to the contents of the Old Testament, also known as the Hebrew Bible, and examine these individual writings within their historical contexts. Throughout the semester, the class will learn how to recognize and analyze the major themes and characters of the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible. The purpose of this course is to understand the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible within the broader cultural background of the ancient Near East, the history of the people who composed the book, and how the literary contents of the Bible reflect, reject, or otherwise interact with the cultural and historical circumstances of the times.

This course is designed to give you an introduction to the sociological analysis of gender in American society. As part of its focus, sociology investigates and exposes aspects of social life that are usually taken for granted. In this course, we will critically examine the multiple ways that gender organizes and structures the social world in which we live. To this end, we will be investigating such topics as the predominant theoretical stances related to the study of gender, femininities and masculinities, how gender structures everyday social interaction, and how social institutions (e.g., education, work, family, the media) create gendered meanings and structures. Finally, we will conclude by considering ways to intervene in many of the processes that perpetuate gender-based inequality.

How and why do human communities develop their ways of living, change these over time, and differ from one another? How is this cultural diversity impacted by globalization, and why does such diversity continue to matter in the 21^st century?  Cultural anthropology asks and answers these questions through a comparative lens that includes widely diverse peoples, places and times. The field is known for “making the strange familiar, and the familiar strange,” meaning that it sparks reflection not only about cultural differences but also about what we all often take for granted in our own daily experiences. Through readings, lectures, films and other media, we will explore anthropology’s findings about key lifeways, cultural similarities and differences among peoples across the globe, and consider key questions about how anthropologists produce this knowledge.  

Asian Humanities: China is a general introduction to the various aspects of Chinese humanities from antiquity to the present, including philosophy, religion, literature, art, music, and history. This course will examine a selection of historical documents in different genres, such as stories, poems, novels, and plays, as well as the foundational documents of Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism. Students will examine key facets of Chinese civilization, ranging from identity, family, self and society through these literary and philosophical documents. Primary sources will be analyzed to understand the similarities and differences between the East and the West, the changing interpretations of the religious and philosophical documents over Chinese history, and the evidence of the impact of historical values on current Chinese society.

This course will promote critical thinking and advances rhetorical and writing skills by prioritizing active learning via classroom discussion, supplemented with lectures. Students will be assessed on active class participation and preparation, their knowledge of the course materials, and their critical engagement with the sources and themes through interpretation and analysis. Class format will be at-home reading, in class lecture and discussion, and short answer assessments.

Readings are in English, and no prior knowledge of Chinese language or culture is expected.

The course is designed to provide students an opportunity to explore interdisciplinary and foundational learning in the area of the world dance through interactions with explorations of two of the main aspects of the Brazilian popular culture (Samba and Carnival).  Through extensive literature, video presentations and practice of popular dances of Brazil, students will be exposed to one of the most important and influential expression of popular culture in the world, according to place, time and event.  This includes all aspects present in the Brazilian Carnival: dance, music, historical and social contents; production; critical theories of performance; religious backgrounds; and theatre making in the Carnival Parades – from current to centuries-old tradition. 

In this course, classic writings in the humanities literature are reviewed for the purpose of integrating the ideal of a liberal education with the worthy and meaningful use of free time in contemporary society. ?Instruction of this course is provided by senior faculty and discussion sections are led by graduate students.

Varied topics; may include personal identity, existence of God, philosophical skepticism, nature of mind and reality, time travel, and the good life; readings, films.

Have you ever wondered who you are? Whether you are a physical body or an immaterial mind? Have you ever asked yourself what makes you the same person you were ten years ago? Have you sometimes worried that you cannot know anything with certainty? Have you ever wished that someone would provide a decisive argument for the existence of god? Have you ever been concerned with how you ought to act towards others? In this course, we will explore these and other important philosophical questions through a selection of classical and contemporary readings. We will engage in lively class discussions and writing; we will learn to analyze others’ philosophical arguments and build our own; and we will gain a better understanding of our own philosophical outlook and the philosophical questions that matter most to us. 

The framework for this course is made up of three ancient works: The Epic of Gilgamesh and, from the Bible, the first nine chapters of the Book of Genesis and the Book of Jonah. The differing ways in which these three texts deal with the issue of the inevitability of death is the focal point of the course. How this point is exploited is examined in Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea, Tolstoy's "The Death of Ivan Ilych," Clarke's Childhood's End, the Book of Ecclesiastes, the E'numa E'lish, and Stanley Kubrick's film, 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Upon completing this course, students should be able to (a) reflect on how various quests for meaning in life as expressed in literature relate to the human condition, with particular attention to matters relating to the table, the bedroom, and the grave; (b) specify the dangers in making generalizations about biblical texts and the individuals and groups that hold them to be sacred; (c) indicate how fundamental human questions such as "Where do we come from?", "Where are we going?", and "How long do we have?" are expressed from the contrasting viewpoints of the pagan and biblical visions.

In addition to reading materials and interactive tools, online content includes audio slideshows and video (recorded class lectures of Professor Jay Holstein); evaluation consists of one 2-page writing assignment and online assessments by way of multiple-choice practice quizzes (which do not factor into the course grade), and  midterm and final exams, all of which are accessed in the ICON course management system. While this online venue is designed in such a way that it will replicate as much as possible the classroom experience, it also aims to capitalize on the element of flexibility made possible by the online experience.                                                                  

Delivery features:

• Since course video and audio components include close captioning and transcripts, the course is accessible for hearing impaired and for students who are not native English speakers, although English competency is assumed for all students.
• This course seeks to achieve a positive synergy between a design that is both (a) synchronous, that is, diligently working within certain necessary deadlines for a semester-based course, and (b) asynchronous, namely, creatively exploiting the freedom for students too move at their own pace. Within a framework of set deadlines, there is a considerable amount of flexibility for students to pace themselves if they so choose.

This course requires two online proctored examinations and an online proctored essay. Access to a computer with a webcam and microphone in a quiet/private location is required for using an online proctoring service to complete exams.

The focus of this course, which is required for teacher certification, is on social factors such as discrimination, diversity, equity, racism, sexism, and ethnic and socioeconomic pluralism and their influence on American schools and classrooms. The class is limited to persons who plan to obtain a teaching certificate or who are required to have the course because they will be working in schools. The class is organized with a lecture/discussion section format. The lectures are given by faculty and guest speakers; the discussion sections are taught by TAs and faculty members. Papers, individual and group projects and presentations, reports, and tests are among the class activities and assignments. There is a final exam on the lectures in addition to the exams for each discussion section. Several texts and a book of readings are required.

This course introduces India and explores its place in global economics, politics, religion, science, and culture since it became an independent country in 1947. Highlighting Indians’ contributions and adaptations to the contemporary world, it also explores gender roles, changing sexual standards, and new ways in which India is entering American lives—from globalized “Bollywood” films and music, to new foods, fashions, and lifestyles. Examining the “quiet revolution” of affirmative action that has brought self-respect to millions and market liberalization that has heightened economic inequality, the course will consider ongoing challenges to the world’s largest democracy, and contemporary efforts—both peaceful and violent—to address them.

This course meets a College of Liberal Arts and Sciences general education requirement in Values and Culture.

Hookup culture, body positivity, sex wars, desire, love, pleasure. Sex is fundamental to the cultural, economic, political, and social organization of the United States.  In this class, students explore struggles to define and control sex through laws, policy, social rituals and the media. Throughout, we examine an apparent contradiction: that acts and desires commonly regarded as personal and private – “sex lives” – have been consistently made available to a mass public through popular culture.

With an emphasis on the 21^st century, course material engages a range of topics, including the history of the date, media (mis)representation, Black Girl Magic, LGBTQ+ liberation, sex education, and enthusiastic consent.

Course assignments include an analysis of an artifact from popular culture; a book review; a midterm exam (with a study-guide); a final project; and thoughtful participation. 

This course is designed for students pursuing any major and fulfills the values and culture requirement in CLAS. Students have the opportunity to develop final projects related to their own interests and potential career pathways. Past projects have included proposals for improving sex education; sex on film and intimacy coordinators; purity balls and virginity culture; sex and public health; and market analyses of digital dating. Time to work on these projects with support from the instructors is built into the course schedule.

“Cultures of Carnival” is an introduction to the forms and function of the pre-Lenten carnival festival across the world. The first half of the course examines the role of carnival in Europe, from its origins as part of the Catholic liturgical calendar to its establishment as a cultural commodity for consumption by tourists. The second half of the course focuses on carnival’s migration to the New World, where local populations in New Orleans, Rio de Janeiro, and elsewhere have adapted it to suit their own needs. Discussions will focus on the shifting social and political functions of carnival according to time, location, and audience. Required assignments include four discussion postings, four short reading analyses, a 6-8 page research paper, a midterm exam, and a final exam. Taught in English.

The 4 s.h. option is for students who wish to apply the course to their requirements for the major or minor in German. It requires an additional research component for the course, usually a separate or longer paper or presentation (in English) than that required for non-majors. Students should expect to spend app. 3 hours per week towards the completion of their research project, including both independent library work and supplemental meetings with the instructor. There is a limit of two courses taught in English for the major in German and one such course for the minor in German.

Most of us use social media every day. Some of us use it a lot. But there is a difference between being on social media and being an informed, critical social media user who understands how to navigate social media platforms intelligently and ethically. This course is designed to help you become such a user. Throughout the semester, we will discuss a variety of topics (e.g., identity, privacy, speech, politics, branding, etc.) that are essential features of our digital society.

This is a survey course with no prerequisites, intended for students of any major and interest. This course offers an overview of our current understanding of a wide range of social media phenomena from the point of view of researchers, professionals, and critics. We will begin with a brief history of communication technologies, including the first instances of social engagement on the Web. Next, we will discuss key conceptual and theoretical developments that ground informed discussions of social media. We then will examine what the rise of social media means for contemporary culture and society, focusing on a range of topics including. Finally, we will consider future possibilities for digital and social media.

Native American Art is a survey of the visual arts of indigenous peoples in North America, with emphasis on those in the regions that have become the United States. Considering many different types of objects in an array of contexts, from the techniques used to produce them, their use, the ideologies and cosmologies they represent, and the evolving circumstances of their creators, this course will help students understand the remarkable characteristics, variety, and importance of Native imagery as vivid expressions of identity, creativity, resistance, and resilience over centuries, even as Native cultures have undergone extraordinary hardships and devastating change over the past several hundred years. Focusing especially on architecture, ceramics, sculpture, textiles and clothing, painting, and performance from the PreContact period to the present, we will explore rich artistic traditions and their legacies as well as transformations that have resulted from involvement with non-Native cultures.

What do we eat? Why do we eat it? Where do we eat? What can our dinner plates tell us about race, class, gender, and our sense of self? What can food tell us about the United States as a nation in the present and past? Our goal will be to examine the cultural significance of American production, distribution, and consumption of food. Topics include: working-class foodways at the turn-of-the-twentieth century; Betty Crocker, gender politics, and second-wave feminism; race and the rise of fast food in the US; immigration, agriculture, and Iowa. Requirements: weekly discussion board posts; weekly in-person discussion sections; two exams; two short essays.

This course explores the role of the performing arts in the human experience, and examines the nature of the creative impulse in different performance media, cultures, societies and historical contexts.  Much of the class work is based on attendance at live performances of theatre, music, and dance on campus and in the community.  Readings, films and videos will augment live performances. Emphasis is on analyzing performance and the experience of the audience through writing and in-depth class discussions. 

Introduces the current state of sports participation and physical activity and how increasing both will lead to positive economic, human, and environmental outcomes. Learn the social-ecological model as a framework for understanding sports participation and physical activity; address strategies relevant to coaches and organizational administrators to create and deliver positive sport and physical activity environments.

The course informs students of the current state of sports participation and physical activity and how increasing both will lead to positive economic, human, and environmental outcomes. Students will learn the social-ecological model as a framework for understanding sports participation and physical activity. Furthermore, students will learn strategies relevant to coaches and organizational administrators (such as national sport governing bodies) to create and deliver positive sport and physical activity environments. As a result, students are equipped to contribute to sport participation framework roles such as coach, administrator, community member, and/or policy maker, leading to sustainable communities.

Unit 1 discusses the current state of sport and physical activity in the U.S., benefits of sport and physical activity, and the financial barriers many people encounter. Unit 2 discusses Long-Term Development for Sport and Physical Activity and emphasizes the importance of Physical Literacy. Unit 3 discusses effective coaching frameworks as encouraged by the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Sport-Based Youth Development. Unit 4 discusses opportunities at multiple levels of the framework for effective sport participation and physical activity to reduce the environmental impact of the sport industry and improve mental health outcomes of athletes and participants.

Analytical and historical introduction to ethical theories; issues such as the nature of the goodness, distinction between right and wrong.

We argue with each other about what kinds of things are good and bad, what kinds of actions are right or wrong, permissible or obligatory. But in philosophy we also seek to become clearer about the very meaning of such judgments, the nature of ethical disagreement, and the means, if any, for the rational resolution of ethical disagreement. Are value judgments in some important sense subjective, or are such judgments objectively true or false? When we wonder what we ought to do are we really just wondering about which of the alternatives open to us would have the best consequences? Or, by contrast, should we agree with those who often seem to insist that the ends don’t justify the means? We’ll critically evaluate proposed answers to these and other questions, often by thinking about the implications of proposed views for contemporary controversies over how we ought to behave.

In Creativity for a Lifetime, students will learn the significance of creativity in human happiness and success. Creativity is part of what makes us human, and understanding the creative process is relevant to all of us. In this course, we will examine questions about big ideas, such as: What is creativity and how can we be more creative? What can we learn from closely examining our own and others’ creative work? What is the role of creativity across the human lifespan? How can creative work be a part of healthy adult life and healthy aging?
We will especially consider the lives and work of artists. Because artists intensively imagine things that don’t yet exist, understanding artist’s experiences will enhance innovation and imagination. Students in the arts, liberal arts, sciences, and social sciences can apply the experience gained from studying the outcomes of creativity and working with established artists to other academic disciplines.

Students will engage in activities and projects as opposed to lectures and exams. Taught in an active-learning TILE classroom, Creativity for a Lifetime brings together the knowledge, skills, and life experiences of students and faculty members interested in an array of disciplines, including art and art history, anthropology, education, rhetoric, social work, aging studies, and the health sciences. To better appreciate the elements of successful aging, the richness of life-long learning, and an appreciation of the role of creative endeavor throughout a lifespan, students will meet Iowa artists and collect their oral histories.

Introduction to the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament; examination of the collected writings that comprise it within their historical and cultural contexts; analysis of how the literary contents of the Pentateuch, historical, prophetic, and poetic books reflect, reject, or otherwise interact with cultural and historical circumstances of their writing and reception.

The text of the Hebrew Bible, the Christian Old Testament, is not only the foundation of the Jewish faith, but is fundamental to both Christianity and Islam. This collection of texts, ranging from the Pentateuch, to the historical texts, to the prophetic texts, to the writings, comprise the collective wisdom and identity of ancient Israel and what would become the Jewish people. Because the Hebrew Bible served as “Scripture” to the early church, and because many of its prophecies were interpreted by early Christians as pertaining to its leader, Jesus, the Hebrew Bible came to be 70% of the Christian Bible as well. Written in both Hebrew and Aramaic, the Hebrew Bible preserves the early stories of ancient Israel, its plight as a people, beliefs, laws, the words of its prophets bringing words of warning and relief, its poetry, wisdom texts, laments, and songs of worship. This course provides a survey of the literature of the Hebrew Bible, providing relevant archaeological, literary, and historical context to illuminate the text when possible.

Hercules, Odysseus, Achilles and Oedipus all share one major characteristic: they are all heroes whose adventures and stories are chronicled in timeless Greek and Roman sacred stories, or myths. This course looks at these heroes (and more!), in addition to the gods and goddesses whom these peoples believed ruled their world. The study of Greco-Roman mythology offers an excellent window into the past by providing us with a unique opportunity to examine how the Greeks and Romans attempted to answer questions about the nature of the universe and mankind’s place in it.  The myths of any people betray attitudes concerning life, death, life after death, love, hate, morality, the role of women in society, etc.; we will pay particular attention to how Greco-Roman mythology addresses these important issues.
This course is designed to offer a general introduction to the myths of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Because ancient myths have come down to us in various works of literary and physical art, this course will also introduce you to some of the most influential works produced in ancient Greece and Rome. Moreover, because the cultures of ancient Greece and Rome have exercised such an influence in the shaping of the modern western world, we will equip ourselves with the background necessary to make modern literature, philosophy, religion, and art intelligible and meaningful. By examining and scrutinizing the myths of the ancient Greeks and Romans, we will learn not only a great deal about their cultures, but we will also put ourselves in a position from which to question, criticize, and (hopefully) better understand the foundations of the world in which we find ourselves.
This course meets the Literary, Visual, and Performing Arts general education requirement, as well as the Values and Culture requirement, through its use of ancient works of art (literary and visual) and focus on the ways in which ancient Greek and Romans managed the human experience.

Ways in which music forms a crucial part of Indian public sphere, reflecting and shaping culture, society, and economy; wide range of genres commonly performed and heard across India and South Asia today (i.e., film music, several folk forms, classical, semi-classical, Indipop, rock) and locating each of them in their respective historical, cultural, and socioeconomic contexts; exploration of themes and questions (i.e., emergence and impact of technologies of mass production, distribution of music in colonial and post-independence India).

The course examines ways in which music forms a crucial part of Indian public sphere, reflecting and shaping culture, society, and economy. We will listen to a wide range of genres commonly performed across India and South Asia today (e.g. Hindi film music, ‘folk’ forms, classical, semi-classical, Indipop, rock) and locate them in their historical, cultural, and socio-economic contexts. We will explore themes and questions such as the emergence and impact of technologies of mass production of music in post-independence India. Requirements include participation, listening exercises, a midterm paper and a final exam. No formal training in music is required to take the course.

Exploration of Asian Humanities: India. 

Chronological development and critical themes of African American visual culture; material culture of slave artists, history of racist imagery in the U.S., most important African American fine artists; slave dwellings, quilts, paintings, sculpture, photography; W.E.B. Du Bois' claim to Egyptian artistic patrimony, controversial work of Kara Walker, hip hop aesthetic of Kehinde Wiley; previous art history experience not required.

Students learn the skills and practices that will develop the resilience necessary to engage in challenging civic dialogues about organizational, community, and/or societal change. Students develop leadership skills, cultivate personal stamina, and reflect on how they can be part of a civic society through taking daily actions that engage across differences.

In a 2019 speech against the rise of populism in Europe, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said: “Nationalism is the enemy of Europe.” Merkel’s rejection of nationalism in German and European politics is informed by German history, specifically the horrors committed in the name of German nationalism in the Third Reich. German nationalism, however, did not begin there: it has looked different at various times in history and been promoted and rejected for different reasons. In this course we will study the history of German nationalism from the 18th century to today. Through the study of German literary texts in English translation and a survey of prominent theories of nationalism, we will address the questions: how have definitions and representations of the German nation changed over time; who has been imagined as belonging to it; and how does this history affect Germany’s self-conception in Europe today?

In this introduction to the religious traditions of Native Americans, students will study creation stories, rituals, and beliefs of selected indigenous groups in North America.  In addition, they will critically examine the ways in which Native American religious traditions have been portrayed in texts and other media in order to gain greater understanding of the complexity and richness of Native American religious traditions.  The class will also engage students in discussions about how Native American beliefs and practices have changed over time since the nineteenth century due to various factors such as consumerism, land use, western education, and technology.