Spring 2017

Survey of the art, architecture, and visual culture of Latin America from the colonial period to the present, focusing on connections to culture and society.

An introduction to cultures and people in the Americas; the social, historical, economic and cultural formations that together make up the Latino/a American imaginary.

History, political-economy and aesthetics of the African Diaspora with emphasis on Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe and Africa.

Concepts of social anthropology using filmic representations ofsocieties throughout the world in contrast to written ethnography.

North American Indian societies, their major cultural themes,ethnological significance, and comparability with Western Europeancultural forms; lectures, visual, and indigene demonstrations.

Comparative study of works from a broad range of cultural traditions that originate from, and provide insight into, vital global locations outside the Western sphere.

A comparative study of the Asian aesthetic heritage of poetry, painting, music, and drama; of literary themes, trends, and myths.

Studies of the presence and influence of Zen Buddhism and Taoismin Asian literature, with a focus on China and Japan.

Introduction to the history of Chinese, Japanese and Korean ethical thought; perspectives on human nature, historical writing,and aesthetic implications. Conducted in English.

Introduction to the civlization, art and literature of pre-modern China through the lens of the cultural products of identity.

Examination of the transnational production and circulation of Chinese-language cinema. Analysis of the larger sociocultural significance of films by engaging their historical context.

Advanced-level introduction to China and its relations with the wider world in historic and contemporary perspective.

Japan from the earliest times to the present; social, cultural,and political dimensions.

Exploration of two millenia of economic exchanges and cross cultural interaction between Asia and Europe.

Comparative study of Brazil in the context of the Lusophone (Portuguese-speaking) world, especially Portugal's former colonies in Africa. Materials drawn from literature, visual culture, music and cultural theory.

Historical and thematic survey of Chinese religious history from earliest times to the present.

Russian cultural identity from its beginnings until today. The Eastern Orthodox tradition, its traumatic confrontation with Western culture, and their continuous interaction.