At this point, you probably have a decent idea of which classes you’re taking next semester, but don’t let your advisor click that “finalize” button just yet. There are dozens of exciting new course options for the fall of 2015, and chances are, you missed a couple in your hunt for the perfect schedule. Never fear: The Argus has dug up some of next semester’s most dazzling gems from the panic-inducing landmine that is WesMaps. Let the following list guide you in your pursuit of (not too work-heavy, not too early in the morning) knowledge.
Course: Rabbis, Rebels, and Reformers: Jewish Philosophy Through the Ages
Department: Religion
Professor: Elisha Russ-Fishbane
Time: Wednesday and Friday, 11:00 a.m.-12:20 p.m.
In this COL-crosslisted class, students will examine the symbiotic relationship between Jewish thought and the philosophical tradition, and read classic theological and philosophical texts from various eras in history. The course will explore the role of logic in Judaism and compare Jewish philosophy with secular philosophy. Texts for this course include selections from Ecclesiastes and works by Maimonides, Franz Rosenzweig, and Abraham Joshua Heschel.
Course: Techno-Orientalism
Department: American Studies
Professor: Long T. Bui
Time: Monday, 7:00 p.m.-9:50 p.m.
This class, crosslisted with SISP, focuses on the dangers of Orientalism in the technological age—specifically, Western culture’s tendency to associate Asians and Asian Americans with science and technology. Students will discuss the popular media representation of Asians as high-tech automatons and the prevalence of Asians in scientific and technological fields. Texts for this course include works by Donna Haraway, Ken McLeod, and Bui himself.
Course: Queer Opera
Department: Music
Professor: Roger Grant
Time: Thursday, 7:00 p.m.-9:50 p.m.
This FGSS-crosslisted class, part of the Queer Studies course cluster, introduces students to the foundations of queer theory through the lavish and dramatized world of opera. Students will discuss the ways in which opera can be read as queer. The art’s dramatized and unconventional representations of romantic and sexual relationships and tendency to contradict itself suggest a transgression of normative narratives. Texts for this course include works by Michel Foucault, Eve Sedgewick, and José Muñoz.
Course: Sociology of Emotions
Department: Sociology
Professor: Kim Cunningham
Time: Tuesday and Thursday, 10:30 a.m.-11:50 a.m.
This class, also part of the Queer Studies course cluster, studies the various roles emotions play in social interactions. Students should expect to critique Western assumptions about emotions as a purely individual expression and the influence of capitalism on modern emotional life. The course will also include discussions about the emotional consequences of trauma, particularly as the result of racial injustices and social inequality. Texts for this class include works by James Jasper, Grace Cho, and Sara Ahmed.
Course: Anti-Psychiatry
Department: SISP
Professor: Anthony Hall
Time: Monday and Wednesday, 1:10 p.m.-2:30 p.m.
The class, part of the Disability Studies course cluster, investigates the antipsychiatry movement, which opposes the modern medicalization of psychiatry. Students will discuss the social construction and diagnosis of psychiatric disorders and the role of psychopharmalogical drugs in modern life. Texts for this class include works by Michel Foucault, Jackie Orr, and Frantz Fannon.