Courses:
Evidence: The Course--CLA3900
“Evidence: the course” asks fundamental questions about the status of evidence in a variety of settings. Building on a generation of critical scholarship that has challenged our understanding of empiricism in the sciences, the social sciences and the humanities, this course explores the intricacies of these arguments. It does so by focusing on the seeming simple question: What is evidence? How is the courtroom connected to the historian? What can a radio program tell us that a television show cannot? Can we find the truth of a photograph taken at Abu Ghraib or two photographs taken during the Crimean War? How does one prove that a Holocaust denier is indeed a denier? On what basis are such cases made? These concerns will act as our way in to the crafting of original research. Through these critical case studies, students will enter into their own research projects. The course is designed for honor students from across the university and its many disciplines to engage with each other to explore these questions. The course is designed to be a way into the senior thesis. As part of this course, students will craft their own research questions focusing on issues of evidence. They will write thesis proposals and outlines as well as a sample chapter. They will also present power point presentations of their projects to each other and to invited scholars in their respective disciplines. These projects will be vetted and edited, drafted and redrafted over the course of the semester.
Feminist Theory: Reading, Writing, and Feminist Criticism - Women's Studies 3097
An examination of contemporary feminist theory as it applies to various fields of academic and social discourse. The course encourages critical analysis of the foundation of knowledge.
Graduate Introduction to Women's Studies - Women's Studies 8001
This course provides a general introduction to students interested in the interdisciplinary field of Women's Studies as well as in applying feminist methods of research, analysis and practice in their own disciplines.
Women's Studies Graduate Colloquium - Women's Studies 9991
Students will present research on topics related to gender and feminist theory. Discussions depend on common readings on what constitutes feminist research and focus on an analysis and critique of the papers presented.
Foundations, Introduction to Judaism - Religion 5401
This course offers students a critical introduction to issues within Jewish studies and the study of Jews, Judaism and Jewishness. Who are Jews and how have these designations shifted and changed over time? What is Judaism and how is it a religion? What role do texts and practices play in defining Judaism? The course asks these and other questions in order to both build on the legacy of how Judaism has been studied within the academic field of religious studies and to challenge some of these long held assumptions. In other words, the course both appreciates and challenges this scholarly legacy by offering students Religious studies, Jewish studies and literary critical tools to better appreciate Jewish texts and practices. And, by looking at Jews, Judaism and Jewishness in the plural, the course offers students a broad historical vision of Jewish culture. The course is organized, more or less, chronologically offering students a critical overview of Jewish history moving from the biblical period to the present with attention to specific Jewish texts and artifacts from specific periods and geographical locations within this history.
Women and Judaism - Jewish Studies/Religion 3406
This interdisciplinary course will explore issues of gender in various Jewish texts and practices. Using feminist theory it will ask questions about how normative notions of Jewish masculinity and femininity have been constructed in different texts from different historical periods. Students will engage in close readings of contemporary and ancient texts.
What is Judaism? - Jewish Studies/Religion 2403
Introduction to the variety of rituals, customs, and practices of the Jewish people in a historical context. Compares and contrasts liberal and traditional Jewish religion with Zionism. Contemporary Jewish novels, poetry, and drama.
“Evidence: the course” asks fundamental questions about the status of evidence in a variety of settings. Building on a generation of critical scholarship that has challenged our understanding of empiricism in the sciences, the social sciences and the humanities, this course explores the intricacies of these arguments. It does so by focusing on the seeming simple question: What is evidence? How is the courtroom connected to the historian? What can a radio program tell us that a television show cannot? Can we find the truth of a photograph taken at Abu Ghraib or two photographs taken during the Crimean War? How does one prove that a Holocaust denier is indeed a denier? On what basis are such cases made? These concerns will act as our way in to the crafting of original research. Through these critical case studies, students will enter into their own research projects. The course is designed for honor students from across the university and its many disciplines to engage with each other to explore these questions. The course is designed to be a way into the senior thesis. As part of this course, students will craft their own research questions focusing on issues of evidence. They will write thesis proposals and outlines as well as a sample chapter. They will also present power point presentations of their projects to each other and to invited scholars in their respective disciplines. These projects will be vetted and edited, drafted and redrafted over the course of the semester.
Feminist Theory: Reading, Writing, and Feminist Criticism - Women's Studies 3097
An examination of contemporary feminist theory as it applies to various fields of academic and social discourse. The course encourages critical analysis of the foundation of knowledge.
Graduate Introduction to Women's Studies - Women's Studies 8001
This course provides a general introduction to students interested in the interdisciplinary field of Women's Studies as well as in applying feminist methods of research, analysis and practice in their own disciplines.
Women's Studies Graduate Colloquium - Women's Studies 9991
Students will present research on topics related to gender and feminist theory. Discussions depend on common readings on what constitutes feminist research and focus on an analysis and critique of the papers presented.
Foundations, Introduction to Judaism - Religion 5401
This course offers students a critical introduction to issues within Jewish studies and the study of Jews, Judaism and Jewishness. Who are Jews and how have these designations shifted and changed over time? What is Judaism and how is it a religion? What role do texts and practices play in defining Judaism? The course asks these and other questions in order to both build on the legacy of how Judaism has been studied within the academic field of religious studies and to challenge some of these long held assumptions. In other words, the course both appreciates and challenges this scholarly legacy by offering students Religious studies, Jewish studies and literary critical tools to better appreciate Jewish texts and practices. And, by looking at Jews, Judaism and Jewishness in the plural, the course offers students a broad historical vision of Jewish culture. The course is organized, more or less, chronologically offering students a critical overview of Jewish history moving from the biblical period to the present with attention to specific Jewish texts and artifacts from specific periods and geographical locations within this history.
Women and Judaism - Jewish Studies/Religion 3406
This interdisciplinary course will explore issues of gender in various Jewish texts and practices. Using feminist theory it will ask questions about how normative notions of Jewish masculinity and femininity have been constructed in different texts from different historical periods. Students will engage in close readings of contemporary and ancient texts.
What is Judaism? - Jewish Studies/Religion 2403
Introduction to the variety of rituals, customs, and practices of the Jewish people in a historical context. Compares and contrasts liberal and traditional Jewish religion with Zionism. Contemporary Jewish novels, poetry, and drama.