Honors Seminar: Great Books – HN 200 American Literature Survey 1 – EN 245 Grace Farrell
This course is part of the Liberal Arts curriculum in the Humanities, which seeks to develop judgment based upon a depth of historical knowledge rather than to teach technological expertise or skill sets useful in the job market. My assumption is that it is necessary for educated people to understand the traditions that their culture has valued, to understand the traditions of other cultures, and to explore cultural intersections. Just as necessary is the development of critical perspectives on those traditions. Thus we seek
to understand how the construction and transmission of traditions are not inevitable but are contingent on dominant social forces and economic, ethnic, gender, and racial conflicts
to understand how traditions are constructed retrospectively, creating points of origin that justify unexamined hierarchies of value
to understand how tradition usurps or eliminates that which might challenge those hierarchies
to understand how tradition shapes--both enlarges and limits--one’s sense of self and other.
The Ghost Rising from the Tomb: Gothic Literature from the Continent to the New World – HN 300 Eloise Sureau and Fred Yaniga
Investigating Gothic literature between Britain, France, Germany and the U.S.A. from the late 18th century to the present, we will read and analyze works of literature and select literary criticism (national, narrative, psychological, postmodern etc.) from these differing yet similar schools of thought. We will read and prepare for classroom discussions and use short analytic papers on individual works as well as individual and group oral presentations to both summarize and experiment within course objectives. A final research project will offer students a capstone experience in which broader themes will be explored utilizing the tools and ideas gained throughout the semester. Of course, homework and participation will also be incorporated into the final grade. Course material will include not only traditional texts but also interdisciplinary activities such field trips outside of the classroom, various media sources including the visual arts, theater, music, film. Students are encouraged to explore their interests, debate and develop their ideas, apply new skills and give constructive direction to their intellectual curiosities in the spirit of liberal arts education.
Tibet: History, Culture and Politics – HN 300 Xiaorong Han
This course explores Tibet as a cultural, geographical, and political unit, covering the major periods of Tibetan history from the seventh century to the present and such topics as the historical significance of some geographic factors (in this case, altitude in particular), the evolution of Tibetan culture, particularly Tibetan Buddhism, Tibet’s traditional political and cultural relationships with India and China, the expansion of Western (particularly British, Russian, and later American) influence in Tibet in the modern era, and Tibet in the socialist state of China. Students taking this course will have opportunities to read Tibetan classics in English translation, works on Tibet written by Western scholars, as well as texts representing the opposing perspectives of the Chinese government and Tibetan nationalists. Documentary and feature films will be used to facilitate comprehension of the course themes. This course fulfills some of the goals of liberal arts education by providing glimpses of the historical experience, cultural achievements, and social and political perspectives of a very unique human group.