by bartmann | Mar 12, 2025
This course explores the pressing issue of political tribalism, often known as affective polarization, which many believe poses a significant threat to our democratic institutions. We will critically examine the nature of these tribalistic ideologies, drawing insights...
by bartmann | Mar 12, 2025
This course focuses on East European, Russian, and Soviet science fiction and fantasy, with readings drawn from the nineteenth century through the present. We will discuss these works as both anchored in their particular cultural-historical circumstances and also for...
by bartmann | Mar 12, 2025
Forests represent some of the planet’s most vital ecosystems, covering substantial areas and significantly influencing human society and the global economy. However, human activities, especially climate change, are profoundly reshaping forest structures and functions....
by bartmann | Mar 12, 2025
What insights can art, literature, film, and music provide about Black life in the western United States? This dynamic six-week course invites you to explore the rich history of people of African descent in the American West, from Spanish colonization to the late...
by bartmann | Mar 12, 2025
The short story is a meticulously structured literary form that requires discipline in its plot and structure. In science fiction, this format pushes boundaries by integrating groundbreaking scientific and technological advancements crucial to the narrative. This...
by bartmann | Mar 12, 2025
The Spanish Civil War unfolded in what a distinguished historian once referred to as a backwater of Europe. This conflict marked the final chapter in a century-and-a-half-long civil struggle between forces seeking reform and those clinging to reactionary ideals. It...
by bartmann | Mar 12, 2025
Russia has never gotten Pasternak’s Dr. Zhivago out of its system. This course will take us deep into the most controversial novel written during the Soviet era. Tolstoyan in its sweep, Dr. Zhivago is a stunning indictment of the system that attempted to engineer...
by bartmann | Mar 12, 2025
This course will focus on the scientific field of dendrochronology (from dendron=tree and chronos=time), or tree-ring science, and what it can tell us about the past, present and future. We will explore the fascinating history of how the science was developed by a...
by bartmann | Mar 12, 2025
This course continues the exploration of the United States Supreme Court and its role in deciding fundamental social questions. After an introductory class on the Court, we will focus on landmark cases involving race in education, abortion, Second Amendment, and...
