Fall 2012 Courses
ICSM 10500 - ITHACA SEMINAR
Worlds of Music (3b,g,FA,LA)
ICSM 10500-02 CRN: 21430 Whitehead, Baruch MWF 11:00 AM–11:50 AM; M 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
An introduction to the music of people from around the world. An introductory survey of music from different cultures with an emphasis on the music of West Africa. Through classroom discussions, musical analysis, listening, and active participating in music making we will seek to find answers to the core questions of musical meaning globally. This course will examine the basic terms and listening skills that we will use throughout this course. The course will allow students with no background in music theory to appreciate, interpret, and knowledgeably discuss the music we survey. YOU WILL LEARN BY DOING!!
African Drum and Dance (3b,g,FA,LA)
ICSM 10500-03 CRN: 21432 Whitehead, Baruch MWF 10:00 AM–10:50 AM; F 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
African Drum & Dance Performance Practices is comprised of three performance components - drumming, singing, and dance. Students have the opportunity to explore first-hand the exciting traditions of West African music by investigating specific musical types, styles and traditions on "authentic" African musical instruments. Social functions and analytical study of dance movements in ritual, ceremonial, religious, and recreational contexts are also investigated.
Jerusalem: City of Faith, City of Struggle (1,g,h,HU,LA)
ICSM 10500-04 CRN: 21436 Lesses, Rebecca MWF 11:00 AM–11:50 AM; W 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
“Jerusalem: City of Faith, City of Struggle” is an introduction to the city of Jerusalem as a site of religious faith and political struggle. Jerusalem has been a holy city to many different people for over three thousand years, from before the time of King David up until the present day. Because of its religious importance to Jews, Christians, and Muslims, it has also been a city that people have struggled to control over the centuries, often with the aim of excluding others who also claim the city. It is both a real city where people have lived their ordinary lives and a city of imagination – the earthly Jerusalem juxtaposed to the heavenly Jerusalem. This course examines the many facets of Jerusalem – its history, archeology, and geography, the religious meaning of the city, its architecture, ancient and modern – with the aim of understanding how the city has come to be holy to so many and why they have struggled to control it. The course will introduce students to the roots of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam and why the city is holy to each – and how the claims that adherents of each religion make of the city often result in the political struggles that we still hear of today.
The Art of Being Right (1,SS,LA)
ICSM 10500-05 CRN: 21438 Buck, Michael MWF 11:00 AM–11:50 AM; F 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
We continually make decisions and choices often without a significant amount of thought. This course is an exploration into many of the conscious and subconscious factors that influence our daily decisions and choices. This course will also discuss the common types of decision making errors and the risks for committing these errors. Students will develop and apply the skills of mindfulness and meta cognition to improve their critical thinking and decision making processes. Students will also mindfully apply their knowledge of these factors to enhance their understanding of the choices and decisions of others.
Culture, Teams & Communities: Impact on our Daily Work and Life (1,SS,LA)
ICSM 10500-06 CRN: 21440 McNamara, Christine; Valdez Taves, Jessica MWF 11:00 AM–11:50 AM; W 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
In the world in which we live and in today’s health care environment, the influence of culture, teams, and communities is present in myriad forms. Regardless of one’s role in the health care system (patient, family member, caregiver, provider) awareness and understanding of the presence, impact, influence, and complexities of these structures can prove to be essential in both understanding one’s own role as well as the roles of others. This course will allow students to explore their experiences in relation to culture, teams and communities and to consider the reciprocal impact of one’s level of societal and personal responsibility. This course will encourage investigations of one’s own beliefs and values along with the intersection of communities or teams and the influence all of this has in both the decision making and group processes. In addition, this experience is intended to immerse students in the first year college experience through readings, video clips, sharing of personal experiences and experiential opportunities on and off campus.
Gaming the World: The Impact of Sports on Globalization, Politics and Culture (TBA,LA)
ICSM 10500- 07 CRN: 21441 Paiement, Craig TR 4:00 PM– 5:15 PM; F 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
This course will investigate how globalization interacts with the contemporary phenomena sports in the 21st century. In this course students will examine a number of areas, specifically, sporting events as a form of business, nationalism and colonialism; athletes in the labor force as migrants and guest workers; the politics of international sports organizations; government influence on sporting bodies; the impact of mega events such as the Olympics and World Cup on cities and countries; the relationship between sports and development especially regarding peace initiatives; among others. Students will examine how sport in their lives relates to a larger world frame and is impacted by the cultural shifts of globalization.
The Dark Side of Interpersonal Relationships (1,SS,LA)
ICSM 10500-08 CRN: 21443 Johnson, Danette MWF 3:00 PM– 3:50 PM; M 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
This course will focus on issues often described in the academic literature as “dark side” of relationships, specifically: why these behaviors are seen as “dark side”, why people engage in these behaviors, how these behaviors affect relationships, and how we can effectively manage these behaviors in our relationships, whether we are the “target” or “perpetrator”. Specific topics addressed in the course will likely include interpersonal rejection (e.g., ostracism, bullying, gossip) and negative relationship behaviors (e.g., jealousy, revenge, infidelity, verbal and physical aggression).
From Cortaca to Fenway: Understanding Sports Fans (1,SS,LA)
ICSM 10500-09 CRN: 21445 Farrell, Annemarie TR 2:35 PM– 3:50 PM; M 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
This course will delve into social, psychological, historical, economic and cultural perspectives of the creation, manifestation and impact of our loyalty to sport teams and athletes. Are we really born Red Sox fans? Why do Duke basketball fans despise UNC? Why are we in such a bad mood Monday morning after our team fumbles away another game? Are sport fans lazy? Are sport fans dangerous? Are fantasy sports ruining our interpersonal relationships? The focus of this class will explore the role that spectator sports serve in our lives, our communities, our economies, and in the formation of our identity, both individual and collective. Particular emphasis will be placed on comparative analyses of sport fans in America and throughout the world.
History of Secrets (2b,h,NS,LA)
ICSM 10500-10 CRN: 21447 Brown, David MWF 1:00 PM– 1:50 PM; F 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
For thousands of years, people have tried to keep information secret. Sophisticated techniques have been created in order to hide messages from unwanted eyes. We investigate the history of writing secret messages; this is the study of cryptography. We learn how mathematics is the basis of secret message writing and uncover the espionage history of this science. We focus on key moments when cryptography changed history, including the breaking of the Enigma machine in World War II, continuing through the Cold War, and on to Internet commerce. The seminar stresses active learning, with an emphasis on exploration, engagement, and reflection, and connects classroom and academic learning with other aspects of college life, including community living, character development, and the responsibilities of citizenship.
Global Warming (2a,NS,LA)
ICSM 10500-11 CRN: 21449 Jacobson, Nancy TR 8:00 AM– 8:50 AM; M 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
This course will allow students to explore global warming and the resulting climate change both as physical phenomena and as social issues. First we will consider the range of views within the scientific community, the evidence used to support them, and the role scientists have in educating the public. Then we will reflect on how we can change our own behaviors to reduce our impact on climate change, while also examining the science and politics of larger scale solutions. We will evaluate the probabilities of various consequences of climate change and consider means of adapting to changes that we cannot or will not prevent. Finally, students will take on the roles of policy-makers in various countries to understand the global differences in their power to prevent or adapt to the different impacts each will face. In addition, students will engage in various activities to help them make a smooth transition to college.
Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (1,SS,LA)
ICSM 10500-12 CRN: 21451 Baker, Kimberly MWF 1:00PM– 1:50 PM; M 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
Alcohol, tobacco, and firearms represent three aspects of social life that we as Americans are deeply conflicted about. On the one hand, there is widespread agreement that these activities are a matter of personal choice. On the other hand, we regulate these activities tightly – placing restrictions on who can engage in each activity as well as when and where each activity is appropriate. This course is designed to explore this conflict from the perspective of ethics (the claims that people make about how others ought to behave), history of law (how these activities have been regulated throughout US history), and social science (what research can tell us about who engages in such activities and the social forces that influence people’s attitudes and behaviors).
“Reel” Sports-“Rite” Sports: What the Movies Taught You About Sports (1,SS,LA)
ICSM 10500-13 CRN: 21453 Mosher, Stephen TR 2:35 PM– 3:50 PM; W 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
This course is especially aimed at students interested in how popular culture helps to shape our beliefs about sport. The focus will be on feature length Hollywood films that employ sport as a means to telling larger myths and whether these stories can be substantiated by research. Beliefs that will be explored and challenged will include (but not limited to) 'Sport builds character', 'We are only limited by our effort', 'Sports are for everybody: Girls and women too', and 'Sport helps us to become healthy'. We will also examine ritualized behaviors associated with sporting culture, whether it is team, community, or national. Rituals that will be explored and challenged will include (but not limited to) team building as exemplified positively with 'There is no ‘I’ in team' and negatively with hazing; and expressions of patriotism, whether at the national level of anthems and flags or the local level as lived through the CORTACA football game.
Experiencing College Athletics (3a,HU,LA)
ICSM 10500-14 CRN: 21454 Kittredge, Katharine TR 9:25 AM– 10:40 AM; W 11:00 PM –11:50 PM
This course is aimed at first-semester athletes who are coping with the transition to college-level athletic competition in addition to the usual issues confronted by first-semester students. The focus will be on what our culture tells us about sports and how we come to define ourselves as athletes. We will be exploring a wide range of material, including film, poetry, and fiction, as well as nonfiction writing about sports. Topics may include children’s sports, player/coach relationships, team dynamics, trash-talking, sports injuries, and gender roles.
Creativity and Mindfulness (1,SS,LA)
ICSM 10500-15 CRN: 21456 Erickson, Mary Ann TR 1:10 PM– 2:25 PM; F 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
What does it mean to "be creative"? What does it mean to "pay attention"? We will explore the related concepts of creativity and mindfulness from a variety of perspectives, including history, psychology, and sociology, and explore applications in fields such as business, education, and the arts. In addition to reading and writing, we will practice both creativity and mindfulness in class as well as off-campus with both younger and older people.
Hello China: Preparing for the Future (1,g,HU,LA)
ICSM 10500-16 CRN: 22664 Quarrier, Nicholas: Guan, Hongwei TR 10:50 AM --12:05 PM; F 12:00 -12:50 PM
The primary goal of this seminar will be to develop student awareness and knowledge of the Chinese culture and people. This course will examine and discuss a variety of Chinese topics, such China history, culture, health and medicine, sports, industrialization, US business relations, language, food, education and the literature and arts. Some guest speakers, group and individual student presenters and group discussions will present these topics as well as group excursions to various Chinese venues in the City of Ithaca. The goal of the seminar is also to help the student adjust to college life by developing interpersonal communication and writing skills, and gaining an understanding of various aspects of and interests in the campus community and surrounding.
Environmental Politics through Film (1,g,SS,LA)
ICSM 10500-17 CRN: 22665 Shevory, Thomas TR 8:00 AM– 8:50 AM; F 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
This course draws upon the instructor’s experience as codirector of the Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival. As with the festival, the course begins with an expansive definition of “environment” that includes not just conventional environmental topics (climate change, food production, chemical contamination), but also broadens them to consider human/civil rights, public health, economic inequality, and gender/sexual equality. The course will include multiple screenings of films related to these topics, drawing upon eight years of archives from the festival, which includes not only films, but digital art, new media, social media sites. The course will have a heavy reliance on international content, including material from Mexico, Latin America, Russia and Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, Africa, and China. Students will be required to write several critical papers related to class materials.
Understanding a Visual Language in Film and Other Media (3b,g,FA,LA)
ICSM 10500-18 CRN: 22666 Chun, Changhee MW 2:00 PM– 3:50 PM; M 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
In this seminar we will use readings, significant films, and other media to examine different visual languages used to represent important historical and contemporary ideas or movements and to examine larger questions of cultural formation and artistic expression.
Gender, Race, Money (1,SS,LA)
ICSM 10500-19 CRN: 22667 Osterreich, Shaianne TR 4:00 PM–5:15 PM; W 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
The primary goal of this Ithaca Seminar will be to challenge students to think critically about economic inequality. To be specific, we will consider what it means to have economic power and why some folks have it and others do not. We will investigate global questions about immigration and outsourcing and we will also take a look at inequality closer to home - income gaps, education gaps, expectation gaps. These issues of economic power play out in our households and at the workplace and this course will dig in to root out the causes and create the solutions. This interdisciplinary course, designed just for first semester students, will work to provide a strong transition to Ithaca College - both in and out of the classroom.
Social Media and You (1,SS,LA)
ICSM 10500-20 CRN: 22668 Woody, Kyle TR 1:10 PM– 2:25 PM; F 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
This seminar explores the influential impact of social media on our society. The course, also, attempts to define "social media" and [indirectly] debunk the notion that "social media" is a novel creation spurred by advances in technology.
The Rhetoric of Conspiracy Theory (1,SS,LA)
ICSM 10500-21 CRN: 22669 Thomson, Scott TR 10:50 AM– 12:05 PM; M 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
From the Kennedy assassination to chemtrails conspiracy theories abound. This course looks at conspiracy theories as rhetorical phenomena and investigates their origin, structure, and impact on both individuals and society. In the course students will read several texts about conspiracy theory and will choose a particular conspiracy to investigate and critique.
Animal Instincts: Human Nature and the Animal World (3a,h, HU,LA)
ICSM 10500-22 CRN: 22670 Cozzarelli, Julia MWF 1:00 PM– 1:50 PM; F 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
The course will examine representations of human nature and its intersection with the animal world in literature, art, music and film, with a focus on literary works originating in Italy. Course activities include exploration of the "animal" side of human nature, and examinations of how interactions with the animal world have been perceived through different historical periods. Course content will range from medieval to contemporary works. Students will be expected to examine their own natures using what they learn in the classroom.
Decisions, Decisions, Decisions: The Art and Science of Decision Making (1,SS,LA)
ICSM 10500-23 CRN: 22671 Pitti, Mary; Belyea, Barb MWF 11:00 AM– 11:50 AM; M 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
Decision making is key in every part of a person’s life. It become especially important as a young person transitions to college and becomes more independent. From food choices in the dining hall, to course selections and ultimately a career path, a student is confronted with innumerable daily decisions. This course will provide students with research based strategies as well as common sense practical approaches to mindful, responsible decision making. Using real life situations and scenarios this course will explore the art and science of decision making through a variety of lens, including self-awareness of biases, tolerance of others’ opinions and the impact of personal values on choices. Students will build confidence and accountability as they better understand how different perspectives affect the process of decision making.
American Gangster (TBA,LA)
ICSM 10500-24 CRN: 22750 Licon, Gustavo MWF 11:00 AM– 11:50 AM; M 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
Students will watch a wide variety of American Gangster films with an emphasis on analyzing and deconstructing portrayals race, class, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality. Students will also learn about the social, political, and economic reasons why such criminal organizations (mafias, prison gangs, street gangs, and violent motorcycle clubs) emerge and thrive in the United States. Although this course will examine a multi-ethnic and multi-racial spectrum of gangsters and their portrayal in films, a significant portion of the course will focus on Latinos in the U.S. This course will also offer first year students the opportunity to be in a seminar with other first years, and course content will also include a focus on transitioning to college material.
Stories for a Change (1,SS,LA)
ICSM 10500-25 CRN: 23338 Swords, Alicia TR 9:25 AM– 10:40 AM; F 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
Stories make us who we are. Some stories are so powerful that telling them can change how people treat each other. How do people use stories to change the world we live in? Students will analyze mainstream and alternative narratives that shape our society and learn techniques for telling their own stories in written and oral form. We will practice gathering stories through interview techniques and media analysis. We will examine and reflect on how stories can shape public opinion and public policy, from the marketing of cars and toothpaste to testimonies of human rights violations.
Nurturing Nature: The Art and Science of Becoming You (2a,SS,LA)
ICSM 10500-26 CRN: 23339 Rader, Nancy MW 4:00 PM– 5:15 PM; F 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
TBA
Energy Options for a Global Society (TBA,LA)
ICSM 10500-27 CRN: 23340 Clark Joseph, Beth Ellen TR 4:00 PM– 5:15 PM; W 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
Survey of energy. Topics include energy resources, electricity, the rudiments of heat production and transfer, fossil fuels, nuclear, solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, and the economic and environmental opportunities created by energy efficiency and sustainable energy systems. Because our modern industrial society requires an abundant supply of energy, recent increases in fuel prices have raised our awareness of energy issues. As concern over long-term supplies of fossil fuels and the environmental impacts of their use continue to grow, energy issues will occupy an increasingly important place in economic, political, and environmental debates. This course begins with a look at energy use in the home (lightbulbs, appliances), and gradually expands to more complex subjects such as the electrical grid, national energy policy, and international fusion research. The course will provide students with a grounding in the technical principles necessary to design energy projects of their own and to evaluate their costs and benefits.
Molecules, Cells and Galaxies – The Nature of Science (2a,h,NS,LA)
ICSM 10500-28 CRN: 23341 Keller, Luke TR 9:25 AM– 10:40 AM; F 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
This is an introductory survey of contemporary natural science (primarily biology, chemistry, geology, and physics though others may creep into our discussions) focusing on the methods that scientists use to learn about nature, the relationships between science and technological advances, the nature of scientific work and knowledge, and a summary of the basic results and conclusions of scientific investigations past and present.
Life Before Birth (1,HU,LA)
ICSM 10500-29 CRN: 23342 Patrone, Tatiana MWF 2:00 PM– 2:50 PM; F 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
Exploration of general philosophical and ethical issues related to reproductive choices. Topics range from abortion, genetic enhancement and eugenics, to cloning, surrogacy, ivf, pre-natal testing, and ‘savior siblings’.
Death and the Soul (1,g,h,HU,LA)
ICSM 10500-30 CRN: 23343 Menning, Nancy TR 8:00 AM– 9:15 AM; M 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
Explores concepts of the soul and/or spirit in diverse karmic (Eastern), Abrahamic (Western), and indigenous religious traditions. By exploring the origin, development, and adaptation of beliefs and practices associated with death in diverse cultural contexts, students will develop the analytical tools to interpret and critically assess ideas about the self, understandings of death, and meanings of life.
Art After Warhol (3b,h,FA,LA)
ICSM 10500-31 CRN: 23344 Wilson, Paul MWF 2:00 PM– 2:50 PM; F 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
Paintings of Campbell’s soup cans, canvases covered with silkscreened dollar bills, films of people sleeping – the art of Andy Warhol (1928-87) questioned the relationship between art, capitalism, and popular culture. This course will examine both his art and the myriad influences it has on a wide array of visual culture today – from the paintings of the Japanese artist Takashi Murakami to reality television. Students will learn to analyze and articulate ideas about images and texts in a discussion-based learning environment. They will also make connections between academic and social experiences inside and outside the classroom.
Jazz in Society (3b,FA,LA)
ICSM 10500-32 CRN: 23345 Titlebaum, Michael TR 1:10 PM– 2:25 PM; F 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
This course studies the culture in America that lead to the creation of blues and jazz, and the subsequent development of the various strands of jazz throughout the 20th century. Students will be immersed in the first-year college experience with readings about jazz and the surrounding American culture, listening to jazz recordings, attending live jazz performances, and finally writing about and sharing these experiences with the class.
Creativity and the Arts (3b,FA,LA)
ICSM 10500-33 CRN: 23346 Haefeli, Sara TR 10:50 AM– 12:05 PM; F 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
"Creativity and the Arts" is an exploration of the nature of creativity. The course approaches the topic by three different means: We will read about the creative process from great minds such as Einstein, Picasso, the sculpture Henry Moore, the author D. H. Lawrence, and the composer Petr Ilich Tchaikovsky. We will attend a number of creative events on campus including a visual art show opening reception, a live music event, a stage play, a film, and a poetry or book reading. Most importantly, we will actively create throughout the semester. This course is also an excellent introduction to the rich cultural life of Ithaca College's campus and you will meet a number of Ithaca College's best creative minds as they guest lecture for the class. By the end of the class you should be able to articulate how art is a fundamental human need and how the arts are connected to all other human activities whether they are social, scientific, educational, or technical. This class is not just for those who already identify themselves as "creative." This class is for those of us who understand that creativity is perhaps the most important twenty-first century job skill. A study of creativity is essential not only for an understanding of the philosophies connected to creativity, imagination, and art, but that we may also rediscover our own artistry.
Musical Shapes – Mathematical Models (3b,FA,LA)
ICSM 10500-34 CRN: 23347 Johnson, Timothy TR 9:25 AM– 10:40 AM; W 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
This seminar explores interrelationships between mathematics and music. The first part of the course explores historical aspects of the relationship between music and mathematics. It also will relate aspects of these disciplines to art and architecture, particularly in terms of shape, aesthetics, and design. The second part of the course will lead students to understand some special properties that underlie the diatonic collection (for example, the major scale). In this way students will obtain a broader context in which to contemplate some basic musical structures such as scales, intervals, and chords. This interdisciplinary course, designed just for first semester students, will work to provide a strong transition to Ithaca College - both in and out of the classroom.
Music Phrases Through the Ages (3b,h,FA,LA)
ICSM 10500-35 CRN: 23348 Rifkin, Deborah MWF 2:00 PM– 2:50 PM; M 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
This seminar will introduce the tools for analyzing and understanding musical phrases. In addition to developing skills to model and describe small music forms, students will explore how music is a product of its time and culture by comparing it to other contemporaneous art forms such as paintings, architecture, and literature. We will study several different styles of music, including classical, folk, and popular music from 1650 to the present. Students will learn how to describe and discuss their aesthetic experiences.
Exile, Immigration, Terror (3a,g,HU,LA)
ICSM 10500-36 CRN: 23349 DiFrancesco, Maria MWF 11:00 AM– 11:50 AM; M 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
Through the prism of literature, students will closely examine how exile, immigration and terror have been portrayed by various writers, predominantly from the Spanish-speaking world. Through class discussions, writing assignments and oral presentations that are consistent with a liberal arts seminar style, we will analyze and critically evaluate how the terms “exile,” “immigration” and “terror,” intersect and dialogue with each other. We will consider factors (e.g., social, political, religious, economic, environmental) that spur exile, human migration and acts of terror. We will also consider the notion of "conquest" from various perspectives and see how this term relates to "exile," "immigration" and "terror."
Dialogue on Design (3b,FA,LA)
ICSM 10500-37 CRN: 23350 Komaromi, Kurt TR 10:50 AM–12:05 PM; W 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
Explores how design informs the environment we live in, the products we buy, and the dialogue we create with other human beings. Focuses on an appreciation of modern design in the fields of architecture, industrial design, and graphic design. Students gain an understanding of the creative process by examining the work of iconic figures such as Louis Kahn, Richard Neutra, Dieter Rams, Jonathan Ives, Steve Jobs, Paul Rand, and Milton Glaser. We learn that design encompasses both the aesthetic and the functional, connecting art and commerce, and elevating the human spirit along with the bottom line. We discuss principles of design, reflecting on how design thinking can be applied in our lives to achieve our creative potential and succeed in our chosen academic discipline.
Beyond Dilbert's Cubicle: Thinking outside the box to make the most of living in the changing world of work (1,h,SS,LA)
ICSM 10500-38 CRN: 23351 Macy, Granger TR 1:10 PM– 2:25 PM; M 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
ICSM 10500-39 CRN: 23352 Macy, Granger TR 9:25 AM– 10:40 AM; F 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
ICSM 10500-40 CRN: 23353 Macy, Granger TR 10:50 AM– 12:05 PM; W 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
This course begins with an exploration of ideas about what makes for 'a good life'. This is followed by a brief overview of work life changes from the industrial revolution on, and then a study of work and leisure options in the modern world focusing on the effects of technology, globalization, and diminishing resources. This last section will examine a range of contemporary work and lifestyle options considering corporate, government, and self-employment in the commercial, public service and artistic spheres. Assignments will ask students to reflect on the application of these issues to their own lives.
We are what we've eaten: An exploration of the human relationship to food across time and space (1,g,h,HU,LA)
ICSM 10500-41 CRN: 23354 Lapp, Julia; Turkon, Paula; Ablard, Jonathan TR 9:25 AM– 10:40 AM; W 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
ICSM 10500-42 CRN: 23355 Lapp, Julia; Turkon, Paula; Ablard, Jonathan TR 10:50 AM– 12:05 PM; F 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
This interdisciplinary, team-taught course examines the centrality of food in human life across time and space. Students will explore human relationships to key foods from prehistoric, historic, and contemporary perspectives.
Thinking with Animals in the Middle Ages (1,3a,g,h,HU,LA)
ICSM 10500-43 CRN: 23356 Klemm, Matthew TR 8:00 AM– 9:15 AM; W 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
This course will introduce students to the culture of medieval Europe through the many ways that animals were used and thought about. The anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss once suggested that, for humans, animals are not only “good to eat” but also “good to think [with].” In other words, sometimes we keep animals around not merely because of their practical benefits, but because they help us think about ourselves and our place in the natural world. This observation is particularly relevant to the Middle Ages, when animals were literally everywhere. Animals were used for farming, for transportation, for warmth, for hunting. They conveyed the social status of their owners and possessed a range of symbolic and metaphorical meanings. Medieval saints were said to preach to the animals; other times they fought mythical beasts. People even believed in fabulous and monstrous animals, such as dragons and people with dog-heads. To understand all of these uses, we will examine the social and economic importance of animals, and look at animals in fables, art, law, philosophy, science, and medicine.
Scandal: Gender, Reputation, and Public Life in Europe, 1500-1945 (1,g,h,HU,LA)
ICSM 10500-44 CRN: 23357 Breuer, Karin MWF 10:00 AM– 10:50 AM; F 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
This course will examine the impact of personal scandals and flouted gender norms on public life in Europe from the Reformation to the end of World War II. In particular, we will discuss supposedly transgressive historical figures (including Anna Bueschler, Lady Anne Halkett, Queen Christina of Sweden, Marie Antoinette, Lola Montez, and Wallis Simpson) and their depictions in primary sources such as autobiographies, legal documents, letters, caricatures, and newspaper articles. In so doing, we will achieve greater understanding of social mores and political change in modern European history.
Sustainability of Stuff (2a,NS,LA)
ICSM 10500-45 CRN: 23358 Sinton, Christopher TR 8:00 AM– 9:15 AM; F 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
Our society has done a fabulous job of hiding the environmental impacts of our lifestyles. Shiny food and shiny toys are easily bought within minutes of where we live. When we are done with these, the waste is quickly conveyed “somewhere else”. The result is that we are, for the most part, disconnected from the processes involved with our consumption of goods and energy and it is difficult if not impossible to witness and/or realize the impacts of our lifestyles. This in turn inhibits any progress to a more sustainable society.
Diversity Amidst Globalization (1,g,SS,LA)
ICSM 10500-46 CRN: 23359 Brenner, Jake MWF 3:00 PM– 3:50 PM; F 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
This course guides first-year students making the transition to independent life in college to see themselves and their actions as part of social patterns and processes that are global in scope. Overall the course illustrates how globalization is expressed in dramatically different ways in different places throughout the world. Students adopt a geographic analytical perspective, examining economic, political, social, and cultural forms of globalization and their articulation with current events. Further, students “root” themselves in their current place (Ithaca College) by trying to see something of themselves in the activities and experiences others throughout the world. The principal question guiding this exploration self exploration and cross-scale analysis concerns diversity and how it can thrive in spite of globalization as a homogenizing force.
Reading the Word and the World: The Nature of Childhood and Meaning-Making (1,SS,LA)
ICSM 10500-47 CRN: 23360 Copenhaver-Johson, Jeane TR 9:25 AM– 10:40 AM; W 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
ICSM 10500-48 CRN: 23361 Connery, Cathrene TR 10:50 AM– 12:05 PM; W 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
Students in this course will examine competing sociological, anthropological, legal, psychological, historical, and linguistic perspectives on how humans understand and shape childhood as a distinct time period, and critique how these perspectives influence our understandings of the relationships between culture, development, and learning. Students will analyze the implications of these perspectives on their own childhood socialization and education; on the learning, development, and identity construction of children in modern society; and on the values that guide the policies, decisions, actions, and allocations of individuals, social systems, and institutions that impact children in the 21st century.
Data, Place, and Time (2b,NS,LA) CANCELED
ICSM 10500-49 CRN: 23362 Erkan, Ali MWF 3:00 PM– 3:50 PM; M 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
CANCELED
Humans are producing data at an unprecedented rate. Therefore, we need to equip our students with the tools, skills, and thinking patterns to deal with data. COMP-124 is an introductory course to address this need. While the tools we use are computational (primarily based on Web 2.0 technologies), the content is intentionally multi-disciplinary, many of the datasets coming from the social sciences and at least a few coming from history. Within the general content of data, our focus is mostly on spatial/geographic data that can lend itself to map representation. CANCELED
The Clinical Gaze (1,SS,LA)
ICSM 10500-50 CRN: 23363 Geisler, Paul TR 1:10 PM– 2:25 PM; W 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
According to the New York University School of Medicine, the medical humanities “broadly include an interdisciplinary field of humanities (literature, philosophy, ethics, history and religion), social science (anthropology, cultural studies, psychology, sociology), and the arts (literature, theater, film, and visual arts) and their application to medical education and practice.” The intent herein is to center the human/patient condition, and also to offer historical and sociocultural perspectives on medical practice in order to better appreciate the myriad skills that are part and parcel of the medical experience. By weaving the humanities into the conversation, we become better at understanding the systemic complexity that underlies both patient and provider experiences in larger contexts that defy and challenge the reductionist paradigm of typical Western medicine. Using Michel Foucault’s anthropological “Birth of the Clinic” as a starting point, this course will use various forms of media (film, books, articles) and self expression (personal narratives and inquiry, artistic expression) to investigate how our cyborg(ian) culture has progressively dispositioned the subject (patient) of the medical experience, by favoring the object (disease) of the science (Foucault’s “Clinical Gaze”).
Eighth Day-How Chemistry Shaped Human Experiences (2a,NS,LA)
ICSM 10500-51 CRN: 23364 Larsen, Anna TR 9:25 AM– 10:40 AM; F 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
This course is designed for the first students that have NOT chosen to major in science and will serve as an introduction to the basic concepts of chemistry, as well as health and societal applications of chemistry. The course will use theme-based approach to the subject, including topics such as art, sustainability, medicine, warfare, and food and others. There will be an emphasis on problem-solving, and the tools and methods that scientists use to study chemistry will be discussed in a variety of contexts and applications. Students will be encouraged to make connections between chemistry and their everyday lives, and to make educated decisions based on the availability of reliable data. The class will also have a transition-to-college component mainly during the common hour.
Human Genome: The Promise and the Perils (2a,NS,LA)
ICSM 10500-52 CRN: 23365 Inada, Maki TR 1:10 PM– 2:25 PM; W 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
In 2001, the sequence of the Human Genome was completed. However, in many ways this was just the beginning. If the genome represents the words in a dictionary, the scientific community is now trying to understand the prose that is spoken to make us who we are. Based on genetic tests, we can learn our identity and diagnose disease as well as make predictions about our future health and well being. In this course we will examine the information the human genome promises to provide and the immense impacts it carries to both you as an individual and society. We will cover topics such as gene therapy, reproductive technologies, genetic engineering, forensics, personalized genomics and cancer, stem cells and cloning. Following a general introduction of the science underlying DNA sequencing and genetic engineering, we will discuss the ethical, political and sociological impact of advances in biotechnology on society today. This course is designed to help make the transition to college level learning through readings, class discussion and writing.
Art and Activism (3b,g,h,FA,LA)
ICSM 10500-53 CRN: 23366 Jolly, Jennifer MWF 1:00 PM– 1:50 PM; F 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
ICSM 10500-54 CRN: 23367 Jolly, Jennifer MWF 10:00 AM– 10:50 AM; F 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
Artists in 20th and 21 century North and South America have experimented with a range of strategies for transforming society, challenging the status quo, and promoting social justice. This course examines these traditions of activism in order to evaluate a series of artistic projects for their effectiveness in challenging power and making change a reality. Units will alternately introduce various strategies (including muralism, agit prop, graphic arts, surreality, media interventions, environmental art and performance art) and evaluate particular social crises in relation to diverse artistic attempts to effect change. Student final projects will either research artistic responses to a crisis, or devise their own artistic response to one.
The Silkscreen Print and Culture (3b,FA,LA)
ICSM 10500-55 CRN: 23368 Weisend, Susan TR 1:10 PM– 2:25 PM; M 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
The silkscreen print packs a punch as a visual statement in contemporary culture. Civil rights posters, iconic images of popular culture, and contemporary political images are a few examples of artists using the silkscreen as a medium for their ideas. Students in this course will study screen prints and learn the history behind the images while engaging in the hands-on printing of a series of silkscreen projects.
Deconstruct and Construct: Collage and Assemblage (3b,h,FA,LA)
ICSM 10500-56 CRN: 23369 Stetson, Carla MW 5:25 PM– 6:40 PM; M 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
In this seminar and workshop we will explore ways of working with found objects. What kinds of meanings are created when the “real” is incorporated into the artwork? We will look at historical uses of collage and assemblage artists such as in the Dada and Surrealism movements, as well as contemporary art practices. Students will create four large scale art projects both in two and three dimensions, and play some of the games the surrealists would use to stimulate the imagination. Explore your own creativity while learning about artists who use these methods in their work. A research project and oral presentation are required.
Great Mysteries of Humanity (1,SS,LA)
ICSM 10500-57 CRN: 23370 Malpass, Michael TR 1:10 PM– 2:25 PM; M 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
The history of the human race is a fascinating topic. It is fascinating not only because of the many exotic and sometimes bizarre cultures and peoples that have lived in the past, and still live in the present, but also because we know so little about it. But could it be that our relative lack of knowledge about the past might be why ancient societies seem so strange in the first place? In this class we will be looking at some interesting mysteries from the annals of anthropology as well as a few from contemporary society. Some of these mysteries have explanations, and some don't. All provide lessons about the human condition, both past and present. The main objective of this course is the discussion of these mysteries and what they tell us about being human.
Mummies, Gladiators, Slaves: Revealing History through Skeletal Analysis (2a,h,SS,LA)
ICSM 10500-58 CRN: 23371 Muller, Jennifer TR 9:25 AM–10:40 AM; W 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
Bone is living tissue. Therefore, the skeleton is an archive that records many of the events that we experience within our lifetime. Through case study analysis and hands-on exercises, participants learn how the integration of skeletal analysis into more traditional historical research may contribute to a fuller picture of past populations and events. Among the topics/populations considered are grave robbing, mummies, bog bodies, Roman gladiators, enslaved populations, passengers on the Titanic and the Charles Lindbergh Jr. kidnapping. Critical evaluation of the complex ethical issues associated with the study of human skeletal remains is an integral part of the course. This course is designed to immerse students in their first year college experience through discussions, writing assignments, and experiential opportunities on and off campus.
War, Peace and Terrorism (1,SS,LA)
ICSM 10500-59 CRN: 23555 Gagnon, Chip TR 8:00 AM–9:15 AM; W 12:00 PM – 12:50 PM
War seems to be part of what it means to be human; wars occur in almost every society, and despite enormous efforts to prevent war, it still happens with regularity. In this seminar we'll explore the topic of war from a range of perspectives and disciplines. Why do wars happen? How are they fought? Is technology changing the very nature of war? What do we mean by “peace”? What brings about peace? Is terrorism a form of war, or is it something else? We'll be addressing these questions through popular, journalistic and academic texts as well as popular films, including Starship Troopers, Team America, and Beauty and the Beast.
Disaster and Dystopia and the End of the World (3a,3b,HU,LA)
ICSM 10500-61 CRN: 23373 Richardson, Michael TR 10:50 AM–12:05 PM; W 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
This course will focus on literary and visual representations of the future and near future, in which modern civilization is on the brink of collapse, either due to external forces (alien invasion, catalcysmic events) or global societal factors (nuclear annihilation, ecological disasters, totalitarian governments). We will examine these representations in light of: how they function as allegories for social, political, and economic crises that mark the historical context in which they appear; how they articulate general notions of human identity and consciousness; and how they deal with various forces that shape our existence in the 20th and 21st centuries, such as technology, violence, the environment, and anxiety towards death and disease.
Healthy Psyches, Healthy Planet (1,SS,LA)
ICSM 10500-62 CRN: 23375 Caldwell, Kathryn TR 2:35 PM–3:50 PM; F 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
Does a feeling of connectedness with the natural world contribute to our psychological well-being? Does our mental health and mindfulness affect our care for the environment? We’ll read what poets, philosophers, ecologists and psychologists have to say about the matter. We’ll mine for our own insights through nature jaunts, mindful meditations, artistic immersions, lively discussions and creative journaling. Just maybe, we’ll discover how to help ourselves and our planet to be a little healthier.
Great American Speeches (1,SS,LA)
ICSM 10500-63 CRN: 23376 Erlich, Howard TR 2:35 PM–3:50 PM; M 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
Familiar words and phrases, often from famous speeches, reverberate in our collective memory. (Four score and seven, I have a dream, Yesterday, December 7, 1941, come immediately to mind.) This course includes the familiar and the less-known as we focus on rhetoric through which we come to understand people and events in American culture. The approach often is comparative (e.g., various declarations of war) as we examine theory and practice to explore what makes for “great.”
ICSM 10800 - Ithaca Seminar in Writing
The following Ithaca Seminars satisfy the requirement of Academic Writing in all majors.
Writing about Survival (1,3a,HU,LA)
ICSM 10800-01 CRN: 21459 Stafford, Jim MWF 1:00 PM—1:50 PM; M 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
By its definition, Survival Literature considers individuals who have been tested by harsh conditions, and who have succeeded—or at least survived. Within personal journals, students in the class will record details from their versions of the freshman experience; they will then consider their semesters while referencing survival strategies from other countries, time periods, and unique individuals. Finally, students will share with one another as they consider possibilities for survival, and they will begin to internalize survival strategies as they become familiar with those strategies.
Reality and Artifice in Popular Culture (3a,HU,LA)
ICSM 10800-02 CRN: 21461 Marcus, Joan MWF 10:00 AM– 10:50 AM; M 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
This class will explore the increasingly indistinct line between the real and the imaginary in television, film, literature, and computer-mediated culture. On the one hand, as a culture we seem to hunger for authenticity, devouring memoirs and entertaining ourselves with shows such as “Sixteen and Pregnant” that presume to be based on the raw, uncensored lives of real people. At the same time, fantasy worlds have become more popular than ever. Online role-playing games allow us to create new lives for ourselves, the anonymity of the internet lets us adopt artificial personas (even new genders), and for many of us, simulated worlds and their accompanying fandoms are every bit as tangible as the food that we eat and the people with whom we interact face-to-face every day. By writing about the place where reality and fantasy meet, examining the theories of writers such as Jean Baudrillard and Sherry Terkel, and doing experiential research into computer-mediated fandoms and role-playing games, we will gain a greater understanding of why, at this time in history, the line between the real and the simulated is so hazy, and what all of this means.
Fairy Tales: The Hero’s Journey (3a,HU,LA)
ICSM 10800-03 CRN: 21468 Machan, Katharyn MWF 11:00 AM– 11:50 AM; M 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
The Hero's Journey (while also fulfilling the 106 requirement by introducing students to the language and appropriate use of academic writing) will focus on the study of classic and literary fairy tales, with an emphasis on themes of self-discovery and transition/transformation. Readings will be drawn from the tales themselves, essays about them, and contemporary re-workings of them in fiction and poetry. Prepared by shorter in-class and homework assignments, students will write one three-to-five-page identity essay, three five-to seven-page academic essays on assigned topics (one of which will be gerontology driven, in the spirit of looking forward through the rest of one’s life), and one open-length imaginative/creative assignment, as well as keep regularly a personal response journal based on readings, news events, and individual experiences.
Inspired by Fiction (3a,HU,LA)
ICSM 10800-04 CRN: 21472 Henderson, Eleanor TR 9:25 AM – 10:40 AM; W 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
Since the dawn of Hollywood studios, filmmakers have looked to works of fiction to reinterpret for the silver screen. Often, these works are novels--regarded by many as the literary equivalent of the feature film. But more and more, short stories--despite their size--are serving as the basis for full-length film adaptations. What qualities make the short story an ideal inspiration for film? When a story is adapted into a movie, what narrative challenges does it pose? And what responsibilities does a filmmaker have to preserve the author’s original vision? In this course, we will examine a number of short stories and their film counterparts, including Sherman Alexie’s “This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona” Smoke Signals, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” and Annie Proulx’s “Brokeback Mountain,” and discuss the artistic choices made by both the authors and the adapters. By considering the two genres side by side, we will seek insight into the craft of storytelling and the process of creation and collaboration. With an emphasis on critical reading and writing, this course serves as an equivalent to Academic Writing, WRTG 10600. Students will learn research and documentation methods and will be required to write and revise four analytical papers.
The Lure of the Mysterious, the Strange, and the Deeply Weird (3a,HU,LA)
ICSM 10800-05 CRN: 21473 O'Connor, Mary Beth MWF 11:00 AM– 11:50 AM; M 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
What is it about these categories of the unknown that so appeals to many of us—especially artists, perhaps. We will investigate this question through looking at television shows old, The Twilight Zone, and new, Dexter; phenomena like spiritualism, haunted houses, UFO sightings, freak shows, and the recent resurgence of interest in vampires and zombies; essays by thinkers like Nietzsche and Barthes; works of southern gothic literature and stories by Edgar Allen Poe, and various anthropological accounts of shamanism, witchcraft, and sorcery. Each student will undertake a research project and provide a presentation of his or her findings to the class. Our investigation will be grounded in an academic approach to popular and intellectual culture; that is, the focus will not be on whether such phenomena are “real” but on why they are compelling to the imagination and in what ways they inspire the production of art and knowledge. Students can expect to write three medium-length essays in addition to a longer research-based essay. Each of these will be taken through a draft and revision process. Individual drafts will not be graded; portfolios will.
Mobile Media Culture and Communication (3a,HU,LA)
ICSM 10800-06 CRN: 21474 Silva, Mary Lourdes MWF 9:00 AM– 9:50 AM; F 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
This course is an inquiry into the ways mobile technologies and mobile media have shaped and been shaped by culture and language. Students will have the opportunities to learn the history of mobile technology development; learn the linguistic and genre conventions and evolution of texting language, tweeting, and micro-blogging and examine how social contexts and technologies have shaped these languages; learn about mobile media communication and the re-negotiation of social relationships; examine the ethical implications of mobile media communication; learn of mobile media activism and altruism around the world; and learn about the role of mobile media technology in higher education. In what ways can our digital citizens transform pedagogy, student engagement, and deeply embedded institutional structures? In this course students will have the opportunity to read or engage with various genres in this topic area: journal articles, book chapters, blogs, YouTube videos, tweets, etc. In addition, students will use mobile technologies, such as tablets, smartphones, and/or laptops to investigate the themes in the course and critically analyze the various audiences that participate in mobile media communication.
Utopias and Dystopias (3a,HU,LA)
ICSM 10800-07 CRN: 21475 Mirskin, Jerry TR 10:50 AM– 12:05 PM; W 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
A writing course aimed at developing the habits of critical analysis that students will practice in writing across the curriculum. The class will study both historical utopian cultures as well as representations in literature and film. Readings from across the academic curriculum (sociological, psychological, philosophical, and political) will serve as critical lenses for analysis. One assignment will consider students’ own experience within the academic community they have recently joined in light of the ideals and principles that inform academia.
Writing (as) Technology (3a,HU,LA)
ICSM 10800-08 CRN: 23377 Delaney, Susan TR 1:10 PM-- 2:25 PM; M 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
Many have complained recently that IM-speak is ruining our writing while short-form new media are disrupting our ability to read and think deeply. Of course, to borrow a popular phrase, back in the day Plato similarly complained of writing itself. Our culture takes technologies for granted; they become naturalized, assumed, almost invisible. It is only when a technology is relatively new that we pay attention to how it impacts our lives and our thinking. Yet such technologies—from the invention of the alphabet to the printing press to the personal computer—constrain and enable particular ways of thinking and communicating. This course will challenge students to consider writing as technology and writing as mediated through other technologies as they practice a range of academic and civic genres
Innovations in the Arts (3a,HU,LA)
ICSM 10800-09 CRN: 22321 Taylor, Catherine TR 2:35 PM-- 3:50 PM; W 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
This course will engage with the history and practice of innovative movements in literature, film, music, and the visual arts. These practices are often allied with notions of progress, social disruption, and change. But while they may seek controversy, and sometimes remain controversial, they also often form the foundation of the next artistic or literary canon. One can study avant-garde artists in universities, read their works in major anthologies, and see their traces in mainstream media and entertainment. We’ll look at what makes something new and what happens when that newness ends.
The Joke is on us: Comedy as Social Rhetoric (3a,HU,LA)
ICSM 10800-10 CRN: 23378 Kowalczyk, Nick TR 9:25 AM-- 10:40 AM; W 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
ICSM 10800-11 CRN: 23379 Kowalczyk, Nick TR 10:50 AM-- 12:05 PM; W 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
Transcending mere entertainment, comedy, at its topical best, calls attention to issues such as racism, sexism, gay rights, censorship, class inequality, war, disability rights, and the democratic process. In a nutshell, students in this course will analyze comedy (particularly stand-up comedy) as a literary and rhetorical form that implants ideas into our heads by going through our funnybones. In addition to watching and listening to comedy, we'll study academic texts and examine the subculture of comedy. We’ll also consider persona, performative voice, delivery method, audience rapport, and the cultural & political moments in which certain stand-up comedians rose to fame. Despite, and because of, this course’s topic: A high level of intellectual curiosity, maturity, creative thinking, and strong writing skills will be expected of students who enroll in this writing seminar.
Tribes and Scribes (3a,HU,LA)
ICSM 10800-12 CRN: 22683 Denson, Ron TR 1:10 PM– 2:25 PM; W 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
This seminar considers the lives of American Indians today as revealed in stories they tell about their history in North America, their ongoing relations with mainstream culture, and the cultural traditions and values that have sustained them since the arrival of Columbus over 500 years ago. We will focus on the American Indian future such as, how do Native Americans respond to the challenge of "living in two worlds"? How do they resist both stereotyping and mythologizing by a mainstream culture? What relation to the natural world are they committed to, and how do they envision our common environmental future? This course will be writing-intensive.
ICSM 11000 - Ithaca Seminar in the Honors Program
The following Ithaca Seminars are open to students in the Ithaca Honors Program only.
Teenage Wasteland: Dystopia Narratives and Alienated Youth (3a,HU,LA)
ICSM 11000-01 CRN: 21476 Henderson, Bruce TR 4:00 PM-- 5:15 PM; W 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
One of the most popular literary genres to emerge in recent years is what has been called the "young adult dystopia"--a quick glance in the young adult section of any major bookstore will reveal the plethora of such books currently being published. Such books are among the most popular among their intended demographic, but have also found loyal readers among adults, as well: hence, the phenomenon of Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games series (including the blockbuster film of the first title in the series). This raises a number of fascinating questions: why are we as readers so interested in seeing adolescents placed at the center of dystopian narratives? what might this say about changing ways in which we are viewing adolescence as a life-stage? dystopia as a state of mind, as well as a place of power, decay, and control? Are there different categories of young adult dystopias (post-human, post-nuclear war, climate change, and so forth)? How do issues such as race, class, gender, sexuality, and disability figure into such narratives? Are there historical antecedents to the current crop of novels (i.e. can we find in literature written for young readers--such 19th century novels as Pinnochio, Peter Pan, and the Alice books--the seeds of current novels that ask what happens when the world goes awry). Where do we see dystopic themes and strategies in the first flourish of books aimed at tweens and teens (The Outsiders, A Wrinkle in Time)? Which novels aimed principally at adults nonetheless center on young adults in dystopic situations (Lord of the Flies, A Clockwork Orange)? How are such dystopic novels related to "real-life" situations (such as bullying, economic disparities, and so forth)? We will read a number of novels drawn from some of the categories described above, discuss them, when possible, view films adapted from them, and perhaps speculate on our own imagined young adult dystopias.
Why Are We Here? Students, Culture and the Problem of College (1,HU,LA)
ICSM 11000-02 CRN: 21477 Bleicher, Elizabeth TR 9:25 AM-- 10:40 AM; W 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
ICSM 11000-03 CRN: 21478 Bleicher, Elizabeth TR 2:35 PM-- 3:50 PM; W 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
What does it mean to be educated? Are you here to get a job or to get a life? To answer these questions, we will explore competing rationales behind collegiate study and engage in advanced literary and cultural analyses. We will study historical precedents, scholarly and journalistic articles, social critiques, and fictional collegians. We will conduct primary research into youth culture and attitudes toward education, develop rhetorical skills by sharing our findings, and write extensively across a variety of genres. Individually, you will articulate your personal philosophy of education and develop your own personal goals. Collaboratively, we will analyze the extent to which our readings and writings fit with our evolving understanding of the goals for collegiate study.
Lethal Girls and Lady Knights: Fighting Females in Fantasy and Science Fiction (3a,h,HU,LA)
ICSM 11000-04 CRN: 22888 Kittredge, Katharine TR 1:10 PM -- 2:25 PM; W 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
This course looks at the history of the depiction of strong women in Science Fiction and Fantasy. The course will progress chronologically, placing fictional texts, comics, films, and television shows alongside contemporary feminist criticism. For example, the works of Tamora Pierce and the show Buffy the Vampire slayer might be placed alongside Judith Butler's Gender Trouble.
ICSM 11800 – Ithaca Seminars in the Honors Program with Writing Emphasis
The following Ithaca Seminar for Honors students also satisfy writing requirements in majors. All ICSM 11800 courses are equivalent to WRTG 10600.
Language and Power in Classical Athens (3a,g,h,HU,LA)
ICSM 11800-01 CRN: 21479 Flanagan, David MWF 1:00 PM-- 1:50 PM; F 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
Our high school history courses called fifth-century Athens "the cradle of democracy," and our literature courses called it the birthplace of Western drama. As citizens of a democracy, Athenians used persuasive language to exercise power in the law courts and the Assembly. But what about those other Athenians, like women, whose voices weren't heard in those public institutions? We'll explore the public exercise of language and power by reading about the trial of Socrates and the Assembly debates over the Peloponnesian War. And we'll investigate what Greek drama might reveal about the otherwise hidden lives of Athenian women.
Facing Nature (3a,HU,LA)
ICSM 11800-02 CRN: 21480 Kobre, Marlene TR 2:35 PM-- 3:50 PM; W 12:00 PM –12:50 PM
Since America’s early settlement by Europeans, our views of the rich natural world that is our home have been complex, even contradictory. Its beauty, mystery, and power have elicited a sense of awe, but it has also fueled a sometimes destructive drive to use and improve nature to serve human needs. We will explore the tough questions raised by this ambivalence: What does nature mean to us? Does nature have needs of its own that we should respect? What changes must we make to live in better harmony with the natural world? We will seek answers by studying an interdisciplinary range of texts by American and Native American writers who have grappled with the meaning of nature and its relationship to the human experience.