Spring 2020

The description and analysis of various forms of visual culture, including both mass media and "high" art representations, both Western and non-Western images.

Examination of the ways that different nations and cultures have remembered the Vietnam War or the American War as it is called in Vietnam. (Duplicates credit in former AMST 377)

Examines the relation between U.S. national culture, race, and popular culture.

Introduction to an interdisciplinary study of American political, cultural and social life with a particular emphasis on the Western United States as a region. Recommended preparation: HIST 200, ENGL 263

Ancient Roman values, ideas, and institutions of relevance to later periods of civilization.

The lives of prominent Greeks, Romans and others in their ancient historical and biographical contexts and in modern reevaluations through various written and visual media.

Tragedies and comedies of the ancient world; later influences.

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.

Introduction to works of major women writers from the Middle Agesto the 20th century in their literary, social, and cultural contexts.

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

An issues-based introduction to critical theory in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, especially as it relates to philosophy, art, design, and visual culture.

A critical history of art, design, visual culture, and visual theory since 1960, addressing through a postcolonial/decolonial lens the concepts and practices of "global" art.

Representations of marginalized groups in digital media, and how they have shaped conversations, altered public discourse and policy, and impacted the lives of underrepresented people.

Exploration of dance as an art form in its artistic, political, and socio-cultural climate. Studies of the continuum of dance within its historical context.

Introduction to the major humanities traditions of China, Japan, and Korea through an examination of representative works drawnfrom literature, aesthetics, philosophy, religion, and historicalwriting.

An introduction to and overview of the contemporary cinemas of East Asia: China (Hong Kong, the People's Republic, and Taiwan), Japan, and Korea.

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

Japanese literature from the earliest times to the present; development of prose, poetry and the novel; evolution of theatre; Japanese literature under Western influence. Conducted in English.

A study of emotional intelligence through literature, history and the arts with a focus on anger, happiness, love and empathy.

Close study of Shakespeare's plays and poems to introduce his language, stagecraft, literary "genius," social and literary contexts, precursors and rivals, and legacy.

Intensive reading of major writers to 1800.

Intensive reading of major writers, 18001950.

Intensive reading of representative writers.

Introduction to major forms, styles and theories of narrative, with attention to characterization, plot, genres, ethics, empathy, perspective, audience and social conditions.

Study of forms of nonfiction writing, focusing on craft and process: how it works and how to read, write and write about it.

Historical survey of the traditions of lyric poetry from Shakespeare to the contemporary, examining the genre's multiple forms of literary, visual, and aural expression.

Novels, stories, essays, poems, and plays written in and about California from the Gold Rush to the present.

Literary travel using novels to explore regional culture and unify the study of literature, history, geography, politics and social studies.

Study of poetry written in English since 1945, with special emphasis on the last two decades.

Selected British, Irish, and American drama from the post World War II period (1945 to the present).

Literary studies in the relationship between fiction and drama and their adaptation as films.

Study of difference as represented through French, Francophone and related narratives of disability and illness, with attention to race and gender. Conducted in English.

Interpretation and analysis of works of the imagination, exploring language, thought, and cultural traditions in relation to one another. (Satisfies GE-B, Humanistic Inquiry) Open only to Freshmen.

Critical appreciation of various forms of human expression, evaluating works of literature, philosophy, and the arts to enable informed opinions about ideas and values. Offered by a professional school.

Patterns of American development from Colonial times to the present. Duplicates credit in former HIST-200.

Political, intellectual, and cultural developments in Europe,1300-1815. Renaissance and Reformation; absolute monarchy,scientific changes, and Enlightenment; French Revolution andNapoleon.

Examination of high-profile murders and murder trials in order to explore major social, political, and cultural issues from the colonial period to the present.

An investigation of the nature of femininities and masculinities over the course of U.S. history; topics such as women's rights, birth control, abortion and gay/lesbian liberation.

Overview of the history of the Ottomans and their imperial subjects.

Major ideas, personalities, and movements in Jewish history from antiquity to the present in light of the interaction of the Jews with the general culture.

Investigates the engagement in war by Judaism, Christianity and Islam by examining history and theology and looks at religious justifications and condemnations of war.

Investigates contemporary conflicts in the discovery of the ancient world. Students will ask essential questions about the power of discovering and showcasing specific narratives.

Explores contemporary Iranian society through the study of social tensions created by poverty-wealth, tradition-modernity, masculinity-femininity, and notions of religio-political authority as reflected in the literature and films of the country.

Explores questions about human beings and their place in nature, including questions about knowledge, mind and body, freedom and determinism, and the existence of God.

Introduction to the central philosophical works that have shaped western thought. Includes ancient, early modern and contemporary writings.

Exploration of basic questions about the nature of reality. Topics may include personal identity, freedom and determinism, causation and laws of nature.

Critical study of controversial social issues such as abortion, euthanasia, the death penalty, war and terrorism, sexual morality, affirmative action and economic justice.

Explores the nature of justice, and how apparently conflicting ideals, such as freedom and equality, are to be balanced within a just society.

Philosophical theories of law and applications to controversies of importance to society and our legal system, such as free speech, civil disobedience, and selfdefense.

What is time? What is the difference between past, present and future? Is time-travel possible? And what paradoxes might it give rise to?

How does science differ from pseudo-science? When is it rational to accept a scientific theory? And do such theories provide genuine knowledge of reality?

The trials of Socrates, Joan of Arc, the Salem witches, Galileo, Scopes and the Nuremberg and Eichmann trials; their social and cultural consequences.

Survey of the changing beliefs and practices of the Christian religion from obscure origins to globalized present, with special attention to the varieties of Christian literature.

Focus primarily on works of Buddhist literature written in a variety of genres. Introduction of basic teachings that link Buddhist traditions across time and space.

Congregational and individual expressions of religion in Los Angeles.

Exploration of the manner in which the media frame discussions and understandings of ethical issues, moral dilemmas, spirituality and religious imagination.

Comparative analysis of biblical works and how they were employedby various writers in major works of Western literature.

Key moments in the development of Russian culture since its westernization in the early eighteenth century to the present day. Focus on works of literature, art and other products of the culture that have significantly influenced Russian self-understanding as well as the ways in which Russians perceive the rest of the world.

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

Tolstoy's major works in the context of his ethical views.Readings and lectures in English.

Principal writers and their works from Colonial times to the present. Non-majors may write assignments in English. Recommended preparation: advanced comprehension of oral and written Spanish.

Examination of how gender and sexuality have been constructed, experienced and legislated.

Genealogies of queer theory, from psychoanalytic theories to feminism and post-structuralism; evolving concepts of gender; relation to social justice, resistance and power.

Experiential course examining how beliefs about mortality are produced by history, gender, culture, and context; how the handling of death shapes urban society.