Humanities 1171

Customs, Traditions, and  Celebrations: The Human Drive for Community

Honors Seminar
Fall semester, 2001
Cambridge Community College
Instructor: Steven Beste

The course syllabus, which is a document of general information, includes our schedule, our goals, and our texts. Most questions about how we will conduct our course should be answered here. 

Our strategy for discussing this issue will depend on a number of variables: our class size, our class interests (yes, class members will help shape our direction!), and our pace through the required materials. While I want to expand the discussion we have to include as much from the Humanities as we can, class members should be aware that I teach English literature! Thus, our focus will be to explore the various expressions of community as we see them in literature primarily, but also in art, philosophy, music, and history. 

Our texts will help us examine the idea of community and augment our understanding of it. When texts have been chosen, look here for the list. I always try to include one play from Shakespeare as part of our reading, and I continue that tradition this semester.   

TEXTS:

    Malidoma Patrice Some: Ritual: Power, Healing, and Community
    James Agee: A Death in the Family 
    Chaim Potok: The Chosen 
    Marlo Morgan: Mutant Message Down Under
    William Shakespeare: Macbeth
    T. S. Eliot: Selected Poems
    Truman Capote: A Christmas Memory, One Christmas, and A Thanksgiving Visitor

In addition, I may bring in photocopied articles or other selections to aid our discussions around these texts.  The web also has plenty of pertinent articles on our subject, and some of these will be integrated into our discussions.   

Additional related material (not yet assigned):

Films:

O Brother, Where Art Thou?
The Crucible

Our schedule for this semester is outlined in the syllabus. You may wish to print out a version.  This online version of the syllabus will change as our course changes. Please keep up-to-date on any revisions by checking this link often. Note the time stamp at the bottom of the syllabus page to check for the most recent version.

          
            © 2001 Steve Beste     
          

The views and opinions expressed in this page are strictly those of the page author. The contents of this page have not been reviewed or approved by Anoka-Ramsey Community College.