Time Schedule:
Wei Zhi Gao
B CUSP 104
Bothell Campus
Examines an important social issue such as ecology, art, political change, the power of media, educational reform, or the role of science in contemporary culture through interdisciplinary investigation, and the lens of the visual, literary, and performing arts. Offered: A.
Class description
All of us are confronted with choices every day: Can we do what we want to do? Or will we do what others require us to do? How do we balance the two? How do we account for the choices we actually have or the feeling that those are not the choices we really want? Just as these are practical questions connected to our personal identity and social responsibility, they are also issues that have fascinated writers, philosophers, politicians, and artists for centuries.
This team-taught course will introduce ways of thinking about these core questions and themes concerning individual choices and social responsibility through a variety of disciplinary perspectives, including literary and cultural studies, gender and sexuality studies, political theory, and history. We will enjoy a range of texts including poetry, fiction, philosophical and critical essays, film, and personal narratives that deal with these questions in different ways and contexts. The assigned texts, in addition to lively discussion and thoughtful written work, are meant to help students investigate complex issues of history and "differences" across race, gender, culture, ethics, and politics.
Student learning goals
General method of instruction
Recommended preparation
Class assignments and grading
