| source Indiana University Bloomington (X) |
level |
department Collins Living Learning Center (X) |
Since "Dolly" the sheep, cloning is one of the most controversially debated issues in life sciences. However, the recent ethical, philosophical or political discussions on cloning are not totally new. Already in the 1970s, we find an intense public debate about cloning and its supposed consequences on human beings. Furthermore, scientific visions of controlling human reproduction go back to at least the early 20th century when the new field of reproductive biology emerged. In this course, we will trace the history of cloning (and related practices of controlling reproduction) through the 20th century. A special focus will be on the public perception and the utopian/dystopian thinking that provided a shifting framework for the cultural interpretation of cloning and reproduction research in the course of the 20th century. This course is taught by visiting scholar-in-residence, Christine Brandt from the Max Planck Institute in Berlin, brought to IU in collaboration with the dept. of History and Philosophy of Science.
Score: 13.152003 Details | Listing | Web page
We will be spending time in the outdoors observing, learning, drawing, and collecting edible wild plants. Each session will be in a different location: woods, fields, wetlands, lawns etc. We will have the opportunity to see where these plants are growing, what their needs are and to collect and use them in recipes. Each session will result in a recipe booklet with its own artwork and recipes, tested and tasted by the group.
Score: 13.152003 Details | Listing | Web page
Hatha Yoga is a living art, which balances and refines each individual through breath and the practice of positions called asanas. The health of the body-systems, our emotional, intellectual and spiritual development are all benefited by even the simplest of practices. In this class students will learn a well-rounded practice of essential yoga asanas, guided by the breath. The class will also introduce students to understanding the body-systems, the principles of developmental movement and sound body mechanics to increase the ability to move from the inside out and have a more accomplished and enjoyable practice. Yoga stimulates and refines all the senses, and we will use a variety of movement explorations, visual art, music, dance, and expository writing to refine our awareness and further our experience of the art of Yoga. This class is appropriate for beginners and experienced practitioners who want to develop a deeper practice.
Score: 13.152003 Details | Listing | Web page
In this course students have the opportunity to take an art theory course with an international visiting artist/scholar residing at the Collins Living-Learning Center. The specific focus of the course will depend on the area of expertise of the visiting artist and will be announced. The artist/scholar is brought to IU through the Collins LLC and the Department of Fine Arts, where this person also teaches a studio course.
Score: 13.152003 Details | Listing | Web page
This creative writing course will examine the different ways in which already-created literature can jumpstart the creative process. We will read, analyze, and discuss the work of writers who have worked with other texts to compose their own, as well as examining the works that inspired them. WeÂll perform a series of exercises that probes the nature of plagiarism, both in its traditional definition of literary theft, and in the definition of imitation and inspiration put forth by this course. You will create stories, poems, or prose pieces that are inspired by provided work and pieces you bring in.
Score: 13.152003 Details | Listing | Web page
When we encounter physical disease, we usually call on science and statistics to understand it: we identify symptoms, graph transmission rates, research and test cures. Yet, the humanities, too, can tell us something about physical disease. In this course, we'll explore the representation of medicine and illness in American literature, broadly defined. This means that we'll examine a variety of texts, including poetry, fiction, autobiography, drama, and film, to discuss how medical practitioners, healthcare spaces, and chronic illnesses are constructed in the American imagination. By analyzing these perceptions, we'll arrive at a broader understanding of the ways that gender, race, and sexuality -- other aspects of embodiment -- operate in our culture.
Score: 13.152003 Details | Listing | Web page
In this class, we will turn out attention to underground "scapes" that exist and struggle on the margins of society. Drug and gang culture, homelessness and prostitution, as well as issues of criminality and morality are characteristics of every city. These communities are often concealed under layers of superficial altruism and forgotten by profitable gentrification. They become, in effect, invisible cities. This course will examine popular culture's representations and renderings of the Invisible City. Does popular culture romanticize, sensationalize or objectify these cities? Are we, as consumers, presented with palatable images or are we challenged to witness a reality? How are these images used and interpreted in contemporary society? How do the visible city and invisible city interact with each other? And finally, does popular culture offer any solutions to these sympathetic cities? What kind of moral judgments does popular culture make? In order to address the issues these questions raise, we will study a multitude of genres and materials including fiction, nonfiction, film, television shows, documentaries and the graphic novel.
Score: 13.152003 Details | Listing | Web page
This course will explore the relationship between art, community, and service. We will examine artists who have considered community in their art making, discuss theories on education that focus on the teacher/pupil relationship, and practice book making techniques applicable for working with children. For the service component of the course we will mentor elementary aged children at BloomingtonÂs new charter school, the Bloomington Project School. The goal is to hone the childrenÂs visual and literacy skills through book making projects, and for IU students to gain experience working with this new school initiative in the Bloomington community.
Score: 13.152003 Details | Listing | Web page
This course will examine the symbolic role of cannibalism in text and film and the way in which the act of eating human becomes a defining and delimiting act in the formation of a cultural or personal identity. Cannibals live at the borders of 'civilized society'. They are humans, yet they are seen as outcasts, even non-human, because they violate one of the great taboos of modern society, namely the eating of another human's flesh. Students will discover how the shock and taboos associated with cannibalism reveal not only the anxieties of the author and/or intended audience, but also how they play an essential role in our understanding of ourselves as civilized, cultured (wo)men.
Score: 13.152003 Details | Listing | Web page
This course asks several broad questions: How can I understand my own creativity? How do other people, both those who live in my own community, as well as those from a diverse array of social and cultural contexts, think about and practice musical creativity? Are there universally shared perspectives on and practices of creating music? What is not shared, and what are the different ways that creating music can mean something to the people who do it? We will explore answers to these broader questions through a cross-cultural (from Indiana to Java) and multi-generic (from Ukrainian country music to Hip-Hop) discussion of particular examples and cases. Students are encouraged to share music to which they are already listening as part of these discussions. Most importantly, however, through several assignments, we will join theory and practice by employing the ideas we discuss in the process of actually creating music ourselves.
Score: 13.152003 Details | Listing | Web page
The legacy of Sparta has intrigued the minds of civilization's greatest thinkers, and has been utilized as a foundation for governments, warfare, and societies. With the release of '300', interest has been renewed in Sparta, a society in which the only way to be honored with a grave was, for women, to die in childbirth, and, for men, to die in battle. This course examines Spartan society and history, including the strong role of women, the educational/training system, and the Spartan phalanx. We will approach Spartan society from a myriad of perspectives in order to best understand her lasting influence. Our chief objective is to ascertain how and why this unique and short-lived society has become a model of perfection throughout the ages. By reading ancient texts, exploring modern governments, reliving battles, and (of course!) watching films, we will truly understand what it means to be a Spartan.
Score: 13.152003 Details | Listing | Web page
About one-third of the US Gross National Product is currently connected to developments in quantum theory (e.g. lasers, transistors, semiconductors), yet non-scientists are often barred from appreciating quantum theory because its full articulation requires the use of daunting mathematics. In this course, we will survey the central concepts of quantum mechanics assuming only basic algebra, with no calculus or trigonometry required. This is an opportunity for curious students to solve interesting problems and catch a glimpse of the mysterious world that quantum mechanics purports to describe.
Score: 13.152003 Details | Listing | Web page
In 1945, the United States dropped two atomic bombs on Japan. The ensuing era, which was known as the Âatomic age, saw a proliferation of stories, both in print and on film, that display a grim fascination with nuclear warÂand thus, a fascination with the apocalypse, the end of the worldÂcoupled with a passionate belief in the power of modern science to shape a better future. In this course, we will investigate the dualities of this era (and explore its connections with our own) by watching classic science fiction films and reading texts ranging from popular Âhard science fiction stories to modern tales of "zombie wars and radiation mutants. With a little luck, we will learn to ask difficult questions about the meaning and practice of history, and to recognize the many ways in which our lives continue to be shaped by the cold war.
Score: 13.152003 Details | Listing | Web page
Groups of two or more students may design their own course on a topic of common interest. For more information contact Yara Cluver at ycluver@indiana.edu.
Score: 13.152003 Details | Listing | Web page