Humanities 304
Section 01 [HUM]
Spring 2015
MWF 1:10 - 2:00
3 Credits - No Pre-Requisites
Humanities / Foreign Languages
SLN 01712 / 01713
CUE 418
HUMANITIES
IN THE MODERN WORLD
Course Description:
We were all born in it, but what was it? When I was taking courses in 20th-century music and literature, there were still a couple decades left to figure out after the textbooks had been written. We Y2K survivors can now start to get some perspective on the century that bred us.
The 20th century in the mind of your average dolt boils down to Nazis and computers. If this were apt, then woe to the idea of humanity. Fortunately, much was happening in the arts throughout the century, including some attempts to gain perspective on machinery, technology, and dehumanization. This Humanities course is designed to acquaint you better with the human, thoughtful, and innovative side to life through literature, music, art, architecture, film, fashion, and other accomplishments of the so-called modern period and up to the present.
I am particularly interested in how the principles and struggles raised in these artistic materials speak to conditions still harassing us in contemporary times and culture. I will encourage you to see and to make connections between ideas and attitudes in classroom discussions, and to develop some expertise in new areas that interest you.
Required Texts:
Colette, Sidonie-Gabrielle. Chéri and The Last of Chéri. 1920, 1926. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2001.
ISBN: 0374528012.Sartre, Jean Paul. No Exit and Three Other Plays. 1944. Vintage Books, 1989.
ISBN: 0679725164.Robbe-Grillet, Alain. Jealousy. 1959. Grove Press, 1994.
ISBN: 0802151063. [Or the single Riverrun Press edition.]Churchill, Caryl. Churchill Plays: Vol. 2: Softcops, Top Girls, Fen, and Serious Money. Methuen, 2003. ISBN: 978-0413622709.
[Lots of other crucial and cool materials will be provided in hand-outs, on various types of screens, and, if it proves possible, on plates.]
Student Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the course, students should be achieved the following objectives. The Course Requirements detail how these outcomes will be addressed and evaluated in the class work.
- Students will gain exposure to modern thought as manifested in some of the major artistic works of the last century which have shaped our culture and the way we think.
- Students will increase intellectual maturation and clarification of their own values through examination of ideas and attitudes in literary/cultural contexts and through articulation of these in academic discourse.
- Students will develop skills in critical thinking, verbal analysis, and detection of subtlety through reading and coommunicating (in discussion and writing) about literature and other arts.
Course Requirements:
A significant part of at least your "job" of being a student this semester (but maybe also part of your life) is focusing on the study of the past century's arts and humanities. This course is packed with "stuff" and studying it all can be demanding, but at least we have the opportunity to be doing it together as a learning community. The university provides a space and a time in which I, as instructor, do my best to craft an opportunity for engagement and learning (and, truth be told, the thrill of it all). In no strict numerical way, absences will end up affecting your final grade; but worse would be your general "absence": that is, approaching the class under the assumption that your education is a consumer product being served to you, that you can "multi-task" between class and your phone, that you can coast along with a cursory skimming of Sparknotes, that the experience should be reduceable to some kind of "study guide" (if it were, we wouldn't need to meet at all). Do you even have the capacity to be present and "plugged in" to the classroom experience? You will never realize how rewarding this can be unless you are.Because classroom interaction is essential for this to be a valuable experience, and because occasional quizzes and homework writings will be exchanged and in-class voting will take place, absences will affect your grade regardless of reason. Here's the math:
I will frequently ask for relatively minor homework assignments to be turned in (or submitted electronically on the Angel system), designed primarily to stimulate subsequent discussion and to practice conventions for writing about literature and the arts. At other times I will ask you to answer questions in writing in class, often ad lib responses to the reading or listening or observing before class discussion begins. Homework assignments and quizzes will receive numerical grades (points) and, although these writings cannot be made up (except for a couple optional writings that can take their place), the final semester totals will be curved if necessary. (30%)
You will be responsible for some sort of contribution to the learning community that may serve also as work towards one of the written projects: perhaps a brief but impressive lead-off presentation on a topic arranged in advance that is dazzling, informative, and glamorous, involving some research, or parallel outside reading, and possibly snazzy visual aids; or a handy web page. Class participation and other service to the learning community -- occasional group work, for example -- will be expected. (10%)
Your presence will be required at two exams. No make-ups will be crafted for your convenience. Accompanying the in-class portions of each exam will be a written take-home essay turned in on the same day. Late essays will receive F grades; missing the exams or failure to turn anything in, even late, will result in an F for the course. (Each exam 30%)
Students with Disabilities:
I am committed to providing assistance to help you be successful in this course. Reasonable accommodations are available for students with a documented disability. If you have a disability and need accommodations to participate in this class fully, please either visit or call the Access Center (Washington Building 217; 509-335-3417) at the start of the semester to schedule an appointment with an Access Advisor. All accommodations must be approved through the Access Center. For more information contact a Disability Specialist on your home campus.Academic Integrity:
As an institution of higher education, Washington State University is committed to principles of truth and academic honesty. All members of the University community share the responsibility for maintaining and supporting these principles. When a student enrolls in Washington State University, the student assumes an obligation to pursue academic endeavors in a manner consistent with the standards of academic integrity adopted by the University. Any student plagiarizing on any assignment or cheating on any exam in this class will receive an F for the course and will be reported to the Office of Student Standards and Accountability, who remind us that Washington State University reserves the right and the power to discipline or to exclude students who engage in academic dishonesty. Cheating is defined in the Standards for Student Conduct WAC 504-26-010 (3). It is strongly suggested that you read and understand these definitions.
Safety and Emergency Notification:
Pullman: Washington State University is committed to enhancing the safety of the students, faculty, staff, and visitors. It is highly recommended that you review the Campus Safety Plan (http://safetyplan.wsu.edu/) and visit the Office of Emergency Management web site (http://oem.wsu.edu/) for a comprehensive listing of university policies, procedures, statistics, and information related to campus safety, emergency management, and the health and welfare of the campus community.