Summer 2014
How did our globalized economy and international culture come to be? The “Rise of the West” idea has long suggested something innately superior about “Western civilization.” But there are better grounded ways than appeals to cultural or racial superiority to explain the emergence of today’s world, based as it is on European economic power, market […]
Jane Austen’s portrayals of Regency England’s provincial life provide fascinating commentary on social and economic issues as well as the characters’ psychology and emotional lives. Throughout this class we will attend to the ironic presentation, where the narrative’s implicit meaning often differs from what is literally expressed. Such approaches will bring into focus the education […]
The role of tribal governments within the United States is not well understood, largely because most schools do not teach it. This course is designed to fill that gap. Each class will explore a different aspect of how tribal governments fit within the federal system. The first session looks at how historic and modern structures […]
Join University of Arizona Regents Professor David Soren for a survey of the life and work of four great directors. First up is Fritz Lang whose collaboration with wife Thea Von Harbou led to the recently fully rediscovered science fiction epic Metropolis. Next the enigmatic Busby Berkeley is featured, stressing his importance as a creator […]
The detective tale, born of the work of Edgar Alan Poe and altered by Dashiell Hammett, evolved over time in the hands of international masters such as Jorge Luis Borges, Manuel Vázquez Montalbán, Andrea Camilleri, and Donna Leon. Our examination helps identify the qualities that provide this genre with its enduring allure, and explores how […]
Bleak House is often said to be Dickens’s greatest novel; certainly it is one of his most compelling and enjoyable. We will spend four intense and rewarding weeks reading this masterpiece in its original installments, paying close attention to themes of loss, law, social class, secrecy, and inheritance. We will also explore Dickens’s astonishing use […]
In four sessions we will look at works of art music from each of the decades of the latter half of the twentieth century. Our focus will be on the act and art of listening, and how to know what to listen for. We will explore the qualities of the music itself and strategies of […]