2012-2013 Academic Year Calendar - Marianopolis

General Education: Humanitiespractices differ according to aperson’s social or economic position.By examining conceptions of thebody, the students come to a greaterunderstanding of how a world viewshapes our daily experiences and oursense of self.Listen to the MusicThis course addresses the question,“What does music teach us about theworld views of those who create,disseminate, and consume it?”Through the study of major worksof music dating from the 18th, 19th,and 20th centuries, students gaininsight into various historical andcurrent world views, and the extent towhich these perspectives can, and cannot, be expressed through or reflectedin music. Topics include: Musicand the Age of Science; Musicand the Age of Absolutism; Musicand the Enlightenment; Music andRomanticism; Music and Modernism;Music and America. Although muchof the focus is on the Europeanclassical tradition, examples are alsotaken from the jazz, popular, and“world” repertoires.Architecture—A World ViewThis course incorporates ideasdrawn from a variety of disciplinesto present architecture as a form ofcultural expression. The ideas heldby patrons, architects and buildersabout what buildings should do,how they should look, and howpeople should behave within themare conditioned by their world views.By comparing these world viewswith actual buildings, studentsrecognize how, in different timesand places, the ways people organizespace and impose different orders onthe natural world reflect specificnotions of human existence in thelarger scheme of things.Men and MasculinityThis course investigates how the livesof men are shaped by the varyingdemands of masculinity. It is seenthat masculinity is primarily a socialconstruction and that men fashiontheir gender identities in response tocontrasting social prescriptions. Inthis vein, particular attention is givento homophobia and heterosexism.Students also explore the extent towhich dominant masculinity functionsas a powerful ideology affecting theoutlooks of both women and men.Thinking about SexualityThis course is designed to allowstudents to apply critical thoughtprocesses to a variety of viewsconcerning human sexuality. Studentsbegin by examining some of the mostinfluential perspectives concerningthe roots of human sexuality: is anindividual's sexuality a product of herbiology, a psychological phenomenonspringing from her interactions withher parents and other key figures inher life, or the effect of the socialnorms that permeate her culture?Different views concerning the natureof sex and sexual perversion areexplored. Finally, several perspectivesconcerning the morality of certainsexual or sex-related practices areconsidered. Students are encouragedto develop their own responses toeach of these questions by firstconsidering opposing viewpointson the topics at hand.Beyond BollywoodIndia, the second most populouscountry and a leading emergingeconomy in the world is also a landof contrasts – living folk traditionsside-by-side with the latest inanimation and simulation, some of theworld’s wealthiest people and farmerswho commit suicide because ofindebtedness. This course focuses ondeveloping an understanding of Indiaand her people through an explorationof some of her major ideas andvalues, as well as the stresses andtensions that are a result of the rapidchanges taking place.Women, Art and SocietyFew female artists have receivedmuch attention or acclaim. In thiscourse students are presented with anoverview of the role of female artistsover the past five centuries. Focus isgiven to the art works of individualwomen in the context of their owntime. Discussion covers not only thetechniques and principles of aparticular female artist’s work,but also the social conditions andexpectations that fostered or inhibitedher artistic production.Art and ActivismThis course aims to offer students abroad look at the history and currentstate of creative activism. Movingthrough different time periods andexploring movements in diverse areasof the world we examine the activisttradition in high art forms includingliterature, poetry, visual art andperformance; but also considerthe power of media stunts, onlineactivism and culture-jamming. Howhave art forms been used to supportactivist causes? What strategies havebeen used in different times andplaces? What is the differencebetween art and propaganda?Through case studies, readings andclassroom discussions students areinvited to answer these questions andmore.42