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STUDIES OF THE 20TH CENTURY |
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Memory, Memorials, Monuments |
In this course we examine the public remembering and memorialization of historic events that lead to memorials and monuments in the fields of architecture, sculpture, painting, photography and film. We begin by examining the nature of memory, and specifically of collective memory, and its relationship to historical events and its subsequent transformation in the process of memorialization. We then look at examples of the sculptural monument, a traditional form of memorial, and the evolution of its vocabulary in the second half of the 20th century; in addition we look at other visual means of remembering that have come to supplement the traditional monument. We examine the memorial work undertaken by those museums whose primary function is to engage in remembering historical events, a recent phenomenon in the field of museum building. We screen films and examine how documentaries and dramatizations engage the spectator by remembering history differently. The course examines the debates surrounding the remembering of 9/11 and of more recent traumatic events. With this background, we will explore the City of Camden to discover, inventory and investigate the official and unofficial monuments, memorials and markers that flag the city’s history and present. |
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Politics and Culture in an Age of War, Revolution, and Dictatorship |
Students who take this course will learn not only how some of the great events of the twentieth century–the two world wars and the Cold War, the Russian Revolution and the Nazi Revolution, and the peaceful revolutions of 1989-1991, among others–occurred but also how they affected contemporary observers, leaving their imprint on a rich record of political culture. Students will also encounter major works by historians, which place these events within interpretive frameworks that will repay close scrutiny and should generate lively discussion. The focus will be on Europe, but attention will also be paid to interactions with and parallels in the United States. |
STUDIES OF CULTURAL DIVERSITY |
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Women, Men and Work |
This course will take an anthropological look at the paid and unpaid work that women and men perform in Western and non-Western cultures around the world, especially the United States. The course will analyze the effects of gender on the work people do, and its rewards, hardships, and implications for family living. It will consider how people’s race, ethnicity, and class profoundly affect the shape of male and female labor. It will also ask how work roles have varied throughout history, and how current economic and technological changes are affecting equality between women and men, here and abroad. We will examine historical and cultural context, empirical research findings, and theoretical developments as we study issues relevant to understanding women’s and men’s work experiences. |
STUDIES OF THE ARTS AND LITERATURE |
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Special Topics: Ricardian Literature |
The short reign of Richard II (1377-99) could hardly be said to have been a successful one, even compared to the quick succession of kings that followed in the fifteenth century. Heterodoxy, plague, the Hundred Years’ War, peasants’ uprising, civil strife, and reckless profligacy all troubled the young king and created a chaotic political situation that ended in his deposition (and, most likely, murder). Yet these twenty-two years also mark a culmination of Middle English literature, seeing the mature literary productions of Geoffrey Chaucer, John Gower, and William Langland, as well as the appearance of the poems by the mysterious Pearl-poet, among other important works. What made such an uncertain political milieu so fertile for literature? These stormy seasons saw an increase in bureaucratic literary production, the advancement of the mercantile and professional classes with a concomitant rise in literacy and taste for manuscripts, as well as the invention of paper in Western Europe, which made books easier to produce and purchase. The final quarter of the fourteenth century was a time of great social and cultural controversy, and more people than ever had a stake in the conversation. This course will explore the literary output of the Richard II years, focusing on the so-called “Big Four” poets (Chaucer, Gower, Langland, and the Pearl-poet) as well as including several of the lesser-known works that illuminate the time as one of extraordinary production of ideas and texts. |
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Special Topics: Research in Transatlanticism |
The focus of this course is on “transatlantic” literary and cultural works of the long eighteenth century, 1660-1800. By that term, we primarily mean works that depict, advocate for, criticize, or satirize the movement of ideas and populations from Britain and Europe to the various new worlds of America and elsewhere. Here at Rutgers, the new M.A. Reading List has been re-written to emphasize the transatlantic movement of literary forms and ideas. The goal of this course is to prepare the members of the class to pass the new M.A. Candidacy Examination in the area of Eighteenth-Century Transatlantic Literature, or to begin work on a thesis in lieu of examination in that area. We will read a core of works by Aphra Behn, Daniel Defoe, Jonathan Swift, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Southerne, Susanna Rowson and others that reflect this movement. Students will each complete a directed research project on one of these writers or on a topic of their own development. To see the Transatlantic Reading List, please go to https://english.camden.rutgers.edu/graduate/candidacy-examination/. |
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Special Topics: Postcolonial Literature |
A study of post-colonial literatures written primarily in English in the twentieth century by authors from around the world, including Britain, America, Asia and Africa. These texts will be examined in their historical contexts, with due emphasis upon their literary, thematic, and ideological interrelations. The themes and issues to be pursued include: language; identity and alterity; literary form and theme; notions of exile, hybridity, migration, nation and cultural schizophrenia; race and empire; gender and feminist revaluations of mainstream philosophical assumptions; the connections between “post-colonial” theory and Western literary and cultural theory. |
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Special Topics: Disabilities Literacy |
The objective of this course is to introduce students to disability as a category of literary and cultural analysis. Eschewing a medical model of disability – in which impairment is conceived as a problem with individual subjects that requires a cure – the course understands disability as socially, legally, and medically constructed. It maintains that the organization of society interpolates certain bodies, tendencies, and perspectives as deficient, often in the services of maintaining narrow constructions of beauty, virility, and nationality. While it recognizes the formidability of somatic, psychological, and developmental difference, the course aims to recognize and deconstruct the mythologies associated with those differences. Towards these ends, students will interact with a broad array of primary texts related to disability and American literature, from Herman Melville’s Moby Dick to Toni Morrison’s Sula. Additionally, students will be reading the histories, theories, and criticism of such scholars as Tobin Siebers, Rosemarie Garland Thomson, Douglas Baynton, Henri-Jacques Striker, and Ellen Samuels. The course requires an annotated bibliography, class presentation, and seminar paper. |
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European Modern Art 1880-1940 |
This course will examine key artistic developments in Europe, from Post-Impressionism through Surrealism, in the context of history, developments in science, politics, literature, theatre and other aspects of culture. As with all my courses, the role of women in these developments will be fully explored. We will consider art from throughout Europe in the context of international artistic developments. |
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History of Photography |
Student Proposed Independent Study in Art History by permission. |
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20th Century Art And The Moving Image |
This course will look at artists’ involvement and interest in the moving image and trace its development alongside the art movements of the 20th century. Salvador Dali, Marcel Duchamp and Andy Warhol produced fascinating work in the moving image. Moving image work is associated with all the different movements and developments in 20th century art, from Expressionism, Futurism and Abstraction to Surrealism, Minimalism, Pop art and Performance art. It has also become an integral part of contemporary art. 20th century art in general and the art of the moving image in particular are intriguing in their diversity. Twentieth century art deals with a broad variety of topics, comes in a wide spectrum of styles, formats and technologies and addresses viewers in a myriad different ways. It distracts us, entertains us, confounds and confuses us and it makes us think. This course will provide an understanding of the styles, movements and concepts of 20th century art as well as an overview of the history of the moving image from its development in the late 19th century to now. It will consist in lectures, discussions, film screenings and a museum trip. No prior knowledge is required. |
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Poetry: Reading it, Writing it, Teaching |
This course extends the scope of the typical advanced workshop by focusing on poetry as essential to all writing, whether prose or verse, and assumes that all writing is in some sense “creative.” The course combines conventional workshop exercises, student discussions and read-round’s with glances at what’s canonical (i.e., in your Norton) and what’s not (song lyrics, lyrical prose) and supplements drawn from the pedagogy of creative writing workshops. Students will be asked to produce a body of work that reflects their encounter with the lyric (either prose or poetry), give a reading of their work, and produce a sample syllabus that shows a sense of audience, a sense of purpose, and an approach to teaching creative writing that might actually get you a job. Required texts: whatever anthology you have on hand, your own work, and the occasional download. |
INTERNATIONAL STUDY ABROAD (3 credits) |
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Literary Ireland |
This course will introduce students to the rich variety of Irish literature of the twentieth century: first (in Camden), with readings in fiction, drama, and poetry of the period; then (in Ireland), with explorations of its historical and cultural context. We will study works by Joyce, Yeats, O’Casey, Synge, Liam O’Flaherty, and Seamus Heaney, among others, and we will visit such sites as the medieval monastery at Clonmacnoise and the Georgian estate of Powerscourt, as well as many cultural sites in and around Dublin: the James Joyce Centre, Trinity College, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and Kilmainham Gaol. The tour will be divided between the East and the West of Ireland: between cosmopolitan Dublin, with its theatres and museums, and romantic Galway, including an overnight visit to Inishmore, the largest of the magical Aran Islands. In between, we’ll spend two nights in the medieval city of Kilkenny. In conjunction with guidelines of the International Studies program in Camden, the course will meet for twelve regular class periods. Because the tour begins immediately following Commencement, graduating students must complete course work before the tour begins. Note: all students enrolled MUST participate in the study tour to Ireland in May; tour price TBA. |
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French Literature and Civilization in the Loire Valley and Paris |
This mini-course and study-tour will be an introduction to French literature and French civilization, concentrating on the Loire Valley, one of the most historical and picturesque regions in France, and Paris, the cultural capital of France and the most visited city in the world. We will explore the history and culture of France through several writers, such as Rabelais and Balzac, who were born in the Loire Valley and whose works are monuments of French civilization. We will fully explore other aspects of France and French culture – food, wine, fashion and joie de vivre. In Camden, there will be 15 hours of classes devoted to the exploration of French literature and civilization. We will study Rabelais, Balzac and other writers and artists. Students will prepare a research paper on an aspect of French civilization. Then, we will apply what we have learned during a study tour of the Loire Valley and Paris. We will stay in the historic town of Tours and visit the famous 16th Century castles of Chambord, Blois, Chenonceau, among others. Then we will travel to Paris, the center of French civilization and culture, where will explore the world-class museums, historical monuments, and cultural attractions of the French capital. In addition, there will be an excursion to Versailles to visit the famous palace and to Giverny to see the house and gardens of Claude Monet. The tour will take place in the spring from May 14-May 22, just before graduation, so that graduating seniors will be able to participate. Open to graduate and undergraduate students. Students may choose to participate solely in the foreign-study portion of the course, for which they will receive 1.5 credits. The course is taught in English; no knowledge of French is necessary. Price and payment schedule TBA. |
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Musical Prague and Budapest |
The International Studies and Fine Arts Department trip to Prague and Budapest is designed for students to explore and experience the cities vast musical heritage. Students will visit historical sites, castles, museums, and attend several concerts. In Prague, the group will attend concerts at the annual Prague Spring Festival, the city’s largest music festival consisting of a three-week long series of classical music and dance performances. It begins on the anniversary of Bedrich Smetana’s death with a performance of Smetana’s symphonic poem Má Vlast (My Country). There will be numerous museums and historical sights, including castles, to visit during our tour ofPrague. Museums include the Bedrich Smetana Museum, the most patriotic composer of the Czech Republic and the Dvorak Museum, the country’s most celebrated composer. The Museum of Musical Instruments has many rare and historic instruments, and scores by such composers as Joseph Haydn. Prague has more theaters and concerts halls than any other major city in the world. In Budapest, the group will visit the Inner City and Castle District and attend a concert. See instructor for info about cost and payment schedule. |
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Contemporary Literature and Film of Eastern Europe with trip to Prague and Budapest. |
This course will look at some of the amazing contributions of writers and filmmakers from Eastern Europe, in conjunction with a trip to Prague and Budapest. Filmmakers like Ildiko Enyedi and Krzysztof Kieslowski have used surrealism in highly original ways. Novelists like Milan Kundera and Josef Skvorecky have forged a new way to write political novels that are also highly personal. On the trip itself, students will be encouraged to see how the places we visit lend themselves to film and words–and will be able to submit creative work of their own (either short film clips or writing) instead of scholarly term papers. We’ll also have a background lecture on Eastern European history from an historian, and, hopefully, a visit with (English speaking!) professors “on the ground” in Hungary about the literacy and film cultures there. See instructor for details. |
INTERNATIONAL STUDY ABROAD (1.5 credits) |
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| French Literature and Civilization in the Loire Valley and Paris 56:606:614:I1 May 14 – 22, 2013 Norman Ellman nellman@camden.rutgers.edu |
For course description see 56:606:613:I2 |
STUDIES OF POLITICS AND SOCIETY |
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Policy Analysis in Criminal Justice
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A research and writing oriented seminar that will prepare students for conducting criminal justice policy analysis. Topics include the role of interest groups and organizational participants in the policy process, types of policies, and models of policy research. Examined are current criminal justice policies using analysis that considers the development, implementation, and evaluation of policy (i.e., what has occurred in policy, why, and at what benefits or costs). Also covered is policy formulation, which involves the development of new policy options to remedy public problems. |
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The Ethics and Economics of Wealth Creation |
This course is about how wealth is created, broadly speaking, and about the ethical concerns that arise as a result of the creation of wealth. Drawing on both historical and contemporary readings, we’ll begin by asking what human life might be like without the most basic possibilities for wealth creation? We will then turn our attention to the social institutions needed to get wealth creation off the ground, focusing on how these institutions work and what makes them possible. Along the way we will utilize numerous in class experiments in order to illustrate some of the ideas discussed. Doing so will provide students with first hand experience with why certain problems arise and how the solutions to these problems work. Finally, we’ll conclude the class by looking at some contemporary ethical problems which arise in the economic sphere and we’ll ask whether these problems are best solved by leaving them to the market, or rather by looking to the government to provide a solution. |
| Research Methods in Criminal Justice 56:606:622:01 Cross-Listed With: 56:202:601:01 W 6:00-8:40 PM Jane Siegel jasiegel@camden.rutgers.edu |
Course description to follow. |
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Social Deviance |
This course examines examples of deviance, e.g., the Holocaust, state terror, and torture, and mental illness. It explores how laypersons and experts conceptualize deviance, how definitions of deviance have changed, who labels behavior deviant, and the consequences for those labeled deviant. |
STUDIES OF CULTURE AND CRITICISM |
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American Child in Literature and Culture |
We explore major American literary texts from the nineteenth century to the present, with special attention to childhood and to how personal, social, and national identities form around issues of kinship. We examine child-parent relationships, juvenile pedagogies, and shifting definitions of “best interest of the child.” We gain insight into the unique status of the child as both an “other” and as a being which we all once were, and to which we return for reflection on, and fulfillment of, a wide range of romantic, realistic, modernist, and postmodernist desires and needs. Authors include Nathaniel Hawthorne, Harriet Wilson, Henry James, Edith Wharton, Edward Albee, Don DeLillo, Ann Tyler, and Gish Jen. Assignments include 2 or 3 short papers and presentations, and a final research paper and presentation. |
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Discourse, Genre, Teaching of Writing |
An introduction to two complementary fields of language study, discourse analysis and genre theory, this course equips students with critical tools for researching, analyzing and teaching texts. We devote roughly six weeks to the “micro” analysis of written discourse, generally at the sentence level, by examining how texts functions in socio-cultural contexts. In the second six weeks, we consider how texts function at the “macro” level of genre in particular contexts. Students will develop and present a research project appropriate to their academic and career interests. Major texts include Barbara Johnstone’s Discouse Analysis, 2e, Amy Devitt’s Writing Genres, and Charles Bazerman and Paul Prior’s What Writing Does and How It Does It. |
STUDIES OF PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGION |
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Philosophy of Law |
The purpose of this course is to give a broad introduction to important issues surrounding legal philosophy. Legal issues are commonly discussed in the American media and in everyday life. It is, therefore, useful to understand at least some of the theoretical underpinnings of law in order to determine the legitimacy of law making and judicial decisions. This is a course in philosophy so ideas will be at a fairly abstract level. Nevertheless, the relation between the ideas discussed and everyday legal and political issues should be readily apparent. The main topics for discussion will be American constitutional theory, the legitimacy of punishment in criminal law, free speech, the relevance of moral issues in law, economic efficiency in legal decision-making, and when one could be justified in disobeying the law. |
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Philosophy of Language |
This course is an introduction to the central problems in the philosophy of language elaborated and discussed in the classical writings by Frege, Russell, Kripke, Quine, Davidson and Grice. The solutions to these problems proposed by some contemporary philosophers in the Russellian tradition will also be examined. The range of topics covered by the course includes: sense and reference, definite descriptions, proper names, necessity, propositional attitudes, linguistic meaning and indexicals. |
STUDIES IN PSYCHOLOGICAL THEORIES AND RESEARCH |
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Evolutionary Psychology |
Course description to follow. |
STUDIES IN HISTORICAL ANALYSIS |
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Biography As History |
This readings course focuses on biography as an instrument of historical analysis, exploring the ways in which biography serves – as well as well as complicates – the study of history. Among the topics to be considered are research methods in biography; how successfully (or not) biographers manage to recreate a particular historical era; and the extent to which historical periods and processes can be understood through the lens of biographical studies. We will begin with readings that explore historians’ use of biography as a vehicle for writing history, after which we will read a number of biographies together. Students will then select a writing project from among several options that will be offered. These options might include the examination of a number of biographical approaches to the same person; or the exploration of biographies of different figures who have characteristics in common, for example women activists, political figures of a specific period, medical researchers, or well-known writers or artists. |
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Historic Interpretation |
This seminar will focus on knowledge and skills necessary for interpreting history to the public, especially research and methods of communication using a variety of means and media. Readings will focus on Mid-Atlantic history, to prepare students for public history work or advanced research in the Mid-Atlantic region. The seminar also will function in the manner of a public history consulting group to produce new research and interpretation of the Cooper Street Historic District that borders our campus. |
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Vietnam: American’s Lost War |
This course examines the history of American participation in the Second Indochina War (1954-1975) by exploring a substantial portion of the scholarship produced over the past four decades. It will focus on the origins, events, and consequences of the conflict, including its political, military, diplomatic, and social dimensions. The course is specifically designed to explore the retrospective “meaning” and “lessons” of America’s lost war in Southeast Asia as contained within contentious debate among scholars, journalists, and participants. For some, the war in Vietnam was an immoral catastrophic failure: an unwinnable conflict that never should have been fought by the United States. For others, American intervention was a noble cause: a necessary war that could have been won had different political and strategic avenues been taken. These diverse interpretations, along with other significant arguments advanced by the orthodox and revisionist schools constitute the major focus of this class. |
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American Constitutional Development |
This course explores how Supreme Court rulings and other constitutional events have affected political development in the United States. It also considers how to interpret the Constitution. Substantive areas of concern include: the separation of powers, federalism, judicial review, the conduct of war and foreign affairs, immigration, and governmental regulation of the economy. Readings include selections from The Federalist Papers and Supreme Court decisions. |
RESEARCH IN LIBERAL STUDIES (3 credits) |
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Research in Liberal Studies |
Independent study of a topic of special interest to the student, under an adviser agreed upon in consultation with the program director. If the course is taken for one semester, the project should culminate in a paper about thirty pages in length. If the course is taken for two semesters, a more substantial paper will be expected. |
RESEARCH IN LIBERAL STUDIES (credits by arrangement) |
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Research in Liberal Studies |
Independent study of a topic of special interest to the student, under an adviser agreed upon in consultation with the program director. If the course is taken for one semester, the project should culminate in a paper about thirty pages in length. If the course is taken for two semesters, a more substantial paper will be expected. |
MATRICULATION CONTINUED (0 credits) |
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Matriculation Continued |
If for some reason you cannot register for courses, you should register for matriculation continued which allows you to remain a member in good standing of the Liberal Studies program and saves you the trouble of re-applying in the following semester. |
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