2012-2013 Academic Year Calendar - Marianopolis

General Education: HumanitiesHumanities (345)Reaching every student at thecollegial level, the Humanitiescurriculum is multidisciplinary bydefinition and therefore distinct fromthe traditional disciplines. The courseofferings invite students to reflect onthe dimensions of human experience,and in so doing, to develop a keenerawareness of their own values andcontext.Students are required to take threehumanities courses, one in eachcategory, to receive the collegialdiploma. First-year students shouldselect their courses from the first twocategories only: Knowledge andWorld Views.KnowledgeWorld ViewsEthics345-101-MQ345-102-MQ345-LPH-MSThe courses described are a sampleof what may be offered.Knowledge and its Application345-101-MQ (3-1-3) 2.33 credits- 4 hours of class time- 3 hours of homeworkThis category of Humanities containscourses that study human knowledge,how it is acquired, how it may beanalyzed and used. A particularemphasis is on how these aspects ofknowing affect the values of society.Understanding Canadian SocietyThrough the ArtsWhat is Canadian culture? Thiscourse addresses the complexitiesof Canadian society and its variouscultures and identities. Morespecifically, this course examineshow knowledge of Canadian culturescan be gained through an appreciationof Canadian art. We focus on culturalexperiences that are reflective of pastand emerging trends in Canada andexamples in art will be used to considerhistorical and contemporarycollective issues. We examine a widerange of arts in Canada, from thepaintings of the Group of Sevento the films of Denys Arcand. Afundamental element of the course isan understanding of the developmentof Canadian cultures, including multicultural,Quebecois, and Aboriginalperspectives.Making Montreal: Architectureand Urban IdentityTogether, a city and its buildingscreate an image, a collective urbanidentity for its citizens. Individually,each building and public spacetransmits messages about theidentities and cultural aspirations ofthe people and organizations who payfor them, build them and use them.This course investigates the messagesembedded in Montreal and itsarchitecture by asking two mainquestions: what kinds of knowledgeabout history and identity can bederived from studying the city’sbuildings and layout, and what kindsof knowledge were needed to makethe city in the first place? Through inclassdiscussions and a number offield trips, students develop the abilityto learn from the city, and to appreciatethe knowledge required to build it.The Nature of PropagandaMany of the messages we are exposedto everyday can be considered formsof propaganda, which is commonlydefined as “the systematic propagationof a given doctrine.” Propaganda canbe disseminated through many socialinstitutions, including the government,the media, and schools. It caninsinuate itself undetected ineveryday social discourse, especiallyas its content often overlaps withprevailing ideology. This course isdesigned to help students see throughpropaganda, whatever its source.Truth: Photography, Documentaryand Reality TVThis course is designed to allowstudents to apply a logical analyticalprocess to the questions of howknowledge produced through visualimagery is organized and used. Morespecifically, this course looks at theconcept of truth as it has beenpresented in visual imagery.Beginning with the development ofphotography we analyze documentaryphotographs, television, animationand film in their historical andcultural contexts, including recentdevelopments in reality television.Students consider well-known fakesas well as less obvious cases ofdeception and deceit. Concepts oftruth in war, in history and in art willbe broached, as will issues developingfrom continuing advances in digitaltechnology. In addition the courseintroduces the basic principles ofdocumentary film and asks students todevelop a critical eye for the genre.Power to the PeopleStudents have the opportunity toexplore the new and emerging uses oftheatre in an experiential manner. Theclass discovers and explores howtheatre can be used as an instrumentfor the empowerment of oppressedand disenfranchised peoples throughan examination of theatre for socialchange. What happens when theatreremoves itself from the traditionalpresentational mode, and the powerof decision making and problem38