Seton Hall University Honors ProgramHONS 2105 AAColloquium onContemporary CivilizationsSpring 2008January 14, 2008 version This syllabus is subject to change; readings for discussion may be added or deleted during the course of the semester. |
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Seton Hall University Honors ProgramHONS 2105 AAColloquium onContemporary CivilizationsSpring 2008January 14, 2008 version This syllabus is subject to change; readings for discussion may be added or deleted during the course of the semester. |
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| Expectations and Assignments | Course schedule | Art Gallery | Reading List | Class Discussions |
Professors:
Dr. Juergen Heinrichs
Dr. Judith C. Stark
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Romanticism:
a. Introduction: discussion of syllabus and assignments. b. Europe after 1815. Historic overview; Enlightenment to Romanticism: The limits of reason; questions about God and religious faith; epistemological revolutions: empiricism, rationalism, and Kant's "Copernican Revolution." Discussion: William Cullen Bryant, Thanatopsis and selections of Wordsworth's poetry (photocopies). Background readings for the week:
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| 1/15 |
Romanticism:
a. Utilitarianism, liberalism, and individual freedom Discussion: J.S. Mill, On Liberty (ER) b. Modern science: Charles Darwin, The Origin of Species (ER) Background readings for the week: HWC, chap. 26
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1/17 |
Romanticism: 1815-1848 (continued) The Abolitionist Movement in Britain and the United States Discussion: Wilberforce's 1789 speech in the British Parliament http://www.brycchancarey.com/abolition/wilberforce2.htm William Lloyd Garrison, "The Governing Passion of my Soul" and Frederick Douglass, "The Anti-Slavery Movement" and "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?" http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/slavery.htm Background readings for the week: HWC, chap. 26 |
1/22 |
The Turn to Realism and developments in philosophy a. Courbet. Millet, and Daumier b. Hegel's dialectic and the development of Communism Discussion: Karl Marx and Frederich Engels, The Communist Manifesto Background reading: HWC, chap. 26
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1/24 |
Literary responses to industrialization Discussion: Rebecca Harding Davis, Life in the Iron Mills Martin Bernal, Black Athena; Terry Eagleton, "The Rise of English Studies," in LiteraryTheory: an Introduction; Eric Williams, Capitalism and Slavery, Intro. and chapter 1. Background reading for the week: HWC, chaps. 27-29. Assignment due: post your film review (2-3 typed pages) on Blackboard); also submit paper copy in class.
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1/29 |
Women in the 19th Century a. 1848 Seneca Falls Convention Discussion: Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, "Address to the New York State Legislature" Sojourner Truth, "Ain't I a Woman, Too?" http://www.closeup.org/sentimnt.htm#sentiments Speeches of Elizabeth Cady Stanton: http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/speeches/stanton_ny_legislature.html Sojourner Truth: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/sojtruth-woman.html b. John Stuart Mill, The Subjection of Women Background reading for the week: HWC, chaps. 27-29. Assignment due: post précis of New York Times article on Blackboard.
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1/31 |
1848-70: Philosophical and literary critiques of culture, opulence, and religion Looking ahead: Global climate change (part of nation-wide teach-in day) Decadence and democracy; transvaluation of values and the death of God. Discussion: Dostoevsky, Notes from Underground, Part I, and The Grand Inquisitor (from Brothers Karamazov) http://eserver.org/books/dostoevsky-underground/ Nietzsche, Gay Science, also translated as Joyful Wisdom (ER) Elizabeth Kolbert, from Field Notes from a Catastrophe, chap. 8 "The Day After Kyoto," chap. 9"Burlington, Vermont", and chap. 10 "Man in the Anthropocene" (ER under PirateGreen) Deane Curtin, from Environmental Ethics for a Postcolonial World, chap 7, "Clean Clothes/Clean Conscience" (ER under PirateGreen) Background reading for the week: HWC, chap. 30
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2/5 |
1870-1900: Imperialism and Colonization a. Imperialism and the "new imperialism" in Africa Imperialism and the world fairs a. Discussion of Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness b. Chinua Achebe: selections from his essays, Hopes and Impediments (ER) Background readings for the week: HWC, chaps. 31- 32 Assignment Due for term paper: submission of topic and preliminary bibliography (one paragraph and list of books and articles).
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2/7 |
The new medical model of mental life and mental disorders. Discussion: Freud, Five Lectures on Psychoanalysis and Michel Foucault, "Life, Labor, and Language" in The Order of Things.
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| 2/12 |
The Great War (1914-18) and the Roaring Twenties World War I and discussion: T. Findley, The Wars and W.E.B. DuBois, The Souls of Black Folks, chap. 1. Film: The Great War (excerpts from the BBC series)
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| 2/14 |
Art and literature after the Great War Dadaism Discussion: poetry of T.S. Eliot, ee cummings, and Kurt Schwitters Begin review for mid-term exam
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2/19 |
Interwar period: 1920s and 1930s Surrealism Discussion: André Breton, The Surrealist Manifesto Film: selection from "Un Chien Andalou" (Salvador Dali and Luis Buñuel)
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2/21 |
Surrealism in Eastern Europe Discussion: Franz Kafka, The Trial Background Reading: HWC, chap. 35
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2/26 |
a. Mid-term examFilm: Degenerate Art |
2/28 |
World War II and aftermath
Assignment due: post précis of New York Times article on Blackboard. Assignment due: post your film review (2-3 typed pages) on Blackboard); also submit paper copy in class.
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3/4 |
Cultural Responses to WW II: Discussion: Hannah Arendt, Eichmann in Jerusalem Background reading for the week: HWC. chap. 36. Assignment due: outline and thesis statement for term paper.
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| 3/6 |
The Communist Revolution and Russian Totalitarianism Discussion of A. Solzhenitsyn, The Gulag Archipelago (ER)
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| 3/11 |
The Russian avant-garde and social realism Discussion: Anna Akhmatova, Requiem and other poems (ER) Background reading for the week: HWC, chap. 37
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| 3/13 |
Cultural Revolution in China Discussion: Selected readings from Chairman Mao (ER); Anchee Min, Red Azalea Assignment due: post your film review (2-3 typed pages) on Blackboard); also submit paper copy in class.
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| 3/18 |
The 1960s and 70s The US Civil Rights Movement a. Mahatma Ghandi, Selected Readings b. The US Civil Rights Movement Discussion: Martin Luther King, Jr. "Letter from a Birmingham Jail," Malcolm X, selected speeches, James Baldwin, "My Dungeon Shook: an Open Letter to my Nephew," in The Fire Next Time, and Stefan Kuehl, The Nazi Connection. http://ctah.binghamton.edu/Horton/Horton4.html Background readings for the week: HWC, chap. 33 and chap. 37 Assignment due: draft of at least one major section of your term paper. Assignment due: post précis of New York Times article on Blackboard
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| 3/20 | Holy Thursday |
| 3/25 | Spring Break |
| 3/27 | Spring Break |
| 4/1 |
Susan Brownmiller, Against Our Will, excerpt and other readings from the second wave of the women’s movement (ER) Women and the arts in the postmodern era Background reading for the week: HWC, chap. 37
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4/3 |
Environmental Movement Discussion: Rachel Carson, Silent Spring (excerpt on ER) Bill McKibben, "The Coming Meltdown." Book review (ER)
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4/8 |
Postmodernism a. Postmodernism: What is it? Readings by Lyotard and Foucault, Discipline and Punish (excerpt on ER) b. Postmodernism in Art
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4/10 |
Environmental Politics, Ethics, and Aesthetics Discussion: Joy James, Barb Palser, eds. Hurrican Katrina: Aftermath of Disaster, Michael Powers, "A Matter of Choice: Historical Lessons for Disaster Recovery," in Chester Hartman and Gregory D. Squires, eds., There is No Such Thing as a Natural Disaster. Deane Curtin, from Environmental Ethics for a Postcolonial World, chap 7, "Clean Clothes/Clean Conscience" (ER under PirateGreen)
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| 4/15 |
Race and Representation Discussion: James Baldwin, "Go the Way your Hear Beats," Toni Morrison, "Black Matters," in Playing in the Dark: Whiteness and the Literary Imagination, and Sylvia Winter, "1492: a New World View." Assignment due: final version of term paper with abstract.
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4/17 |
Violence and the Sacred Discussion: Susan Sontag, Regarding the Pain of Others and Rene Girard, Violence and the Sacred. Begin review for final exam
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4/22 |
Globalization Globalization: What is it? Discussion: selection of current essays (proponents of and critiques of globalization); free trade, terrorism, violence and its critics, and cultural responses to globalization. Background reading for the week: HWC, chap. 38, 39 Assignment due: post précis of New York Times article on Blackboard. Assignment due: post your film review (2-3 typed pages) on Blackboard); also submit paper copy in class.
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| 4/24 |
CuCurrent issues: What do you, dear students, think are the most pressing issues of the day? Review and preparation for final exam
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| 5/1 |
Final Examination 12:45 p.m. |
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All students are required to read all assigned texts (see syllabus). Some of these texts will be handed out in class, others are on line through links on the syllabus and others are available through e-Reserve (indicated by ER on the syllabus). The following texts must be purchased for use in class in the editions given below.
Required Texts:
Arendt, Hannah. Eichmann in Jerusalem. Viking/Penguin.
Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. Dover.
Davis, Rebecca Harding. Life in the Iron Mills. Feminist Press.
Dostoevsky, F. The Grand Inquisitor. Hackett.
Findley, Timothy. The Wars. Penguin/Canada.
Freud, Sigmund. Five Lectures on Psychoanalysis. Norton.
Kafka, Franz. The Trial. Norton.
Marx, Karl. The Communist Manifesto. Bantam Classics.
Min, Anchee. Red Azalea. Mass Marketing Reprint.
Sontag, Susan. Regarding the Pain of Others. Picador Press.
On Reserve in the Library: A standard global history text is on reserve for your use (two copies on reserve). You are required to read the chapters that are correlated to the material each week.
Craig, Albert et al. Heritage of World Civilizations. Vol. 2, Prentice Hall, 1999 (abbreviated in the syllabus as HWC).
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Regular and punctual attendance is required. Since one class period is equivalent to a week’s work in a three-credit course, absence from class is tolerated only for the most serious reasons. If an absence from class is unavoidable, please notify Dr. Stark as soon as possible. Also, please plan ahead for attendance at any scheduled extra-curricular events and trips. Your presence on these occasions is expected and essential.
Assignments
Other than the readings (see syllabus and below), students in this course will write a term paper and a series of short reviews of movies, performances and/or lectures, and films. Each student, alone or in pairs, will also lead one group discussion and will also report on an article in the Sunday edition of The New York Times that is relevant to some aspect of the course.
Academic Integrity
Any instance of cheating, plagiarism, or otherwise representing the words or work of others as your own is a violation of honesty and academic integrity and will render the student liable to serious penalties.
Term Paper
You may choose any topic (event, person, texts, ideas, art works, themes, questions, social movements) directly related to the course. You must discuss your topic during the formative stages and receive approval for your project from Dr. Heinrichs or Dr. Stark. Length 12-15 pages.
Dates for submission:
Feb. 5: submission of topic and preliminary bibliography
March 4: outline and thesis statement
March 18: draft (at least one major section of your paper)
April 15: final paper with abstract
Sunday New York Times Reports
Four times during the semester you will be expected to read the Sunday New York Times for an assignment. You will locate an article dealing with some aspect of the 19th or 20th centuries in world cultures. The first two assignments will cover the 19th century; assignments 3 and 4 will focus on the 20th and 21st centuries. Please write two paragraphs describing the article you found and its connections to our area of study. Post these on Blackboard by the date due with full bibliographical reference. You may use any weekend edition of the month in which the assignment is due and post it by the date due (given below). Every Tuesday morning two students will take ten minutes to report on the articles they have found in reading the Sunday New York Times .
Dates by which to post: January 29, February 28, March 18, April 22.
Movie Reviews
Attached to the syllabus is a list of films that are connected to various parts of the course. You will be required to write four film reviews chosen from this list (one each month). Due dates: Jan. 24, Feb. 28, March 13 and April 22. You are also urged to take advantage of the films that are offered as part of the Multicultural Film Series that runs every semester. You may use any of these films for your reviews as long as they are connected to some aspect of the course. We will keep you posted about the schedule of these films
Reviews of Lectures/Exhibitions/Concerts/Performances
Three reviews are required: one of an exhibition (in Walsh Library Gallery or an exhibition of 19th and/or 20th-century art in a museum in New York City or elsewhere); and a total of two more of a concert, lecture, or performance on or off-campus. Students will receive regular updates of events for this purpose. All reviews are due before or by April 27.
Grading Procedures
Dr. Juergen Heinrichs (Art and Music) and Dr. Judith Stark (Philosophy) are the lead professors for the course. Professors from other departments will also lecture during the semester. Dr. Heinrichs and Dr. Stark will assign your final grade based on the following:
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All texts are discussed in class. Each discussion will be led by one or two discussion leaders.
Discussion Leader: Before leading the discussion in class, you should post five or six discussion questions on Blackboard. For the Tuesday discussion, post your questions by Sunday night and for Thursday, please post them by Tuesday night.
We look forward to meeting with you during the semester to discuss course material with you. Here is how to reach us:
Dr. Heinrich’ s office: Art Center 206 ; 761- 9529; email: heinriju@shu.edu
Dr. Stark’s office: Fahy 309; 761-9473; email: starkjud@shu.edu
Texts for class discussion:
All texts are discussed in class. Each discussion will be led by one or two discussion leaders.
Discussion Leader: Before leading the discussion in class, you should post five or six discussion questions on Blackboard. For the Tuesday discussion, post your questions by Sunday night and for Thursday, please post them by Tuesday night.
We look forward to meeting with you during the semester to discuss course material with you. Here is how to reach us:
Dr. Heinrichs' office: Art Center 204; 761-9460; email: heinriju@shu.edu
Dr. Stark's office: Fahy 309; 761-9473; email: starkjud@shu.edu
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Image at top of page: Pablo Picasso, Guernica, 1937. Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Madrid
