During the medieval and early modern period (900-1700), travelers from Asia, Africa, and Europe, and the Americas first met, and observed one another’s societies, on the trade routes through Asia, the Indian Ocean, and the North Atlantic; on the pilgrimage routes of several religions; or on the passages created by war and conquest.  This course will explore the interaction between Christian European culture and various other cultures they conceived of as a different "race."  We will pay particular attention to how medieval observers from a variety of places interpreted and made sense of other societies that they perceived as “foreign,” drawing on analytical frameworks from different disciplines. We will consider such questions as: How did medieval societies identify peoples as being racially different?  How did it change over time, and how does it compare to today?  And how did societies respond to this difference?  While the Middle Ages is often thought of as the “Dark Ages” -- a period of relative isolation -- this course will challenge that view by exploring the emergence of the main civilizations of the period and how communication between them in the medieval period helped to shape the relations between these cultures to the modern day.

In this First Year Seminar, we will read, discuss, and do research about Female Gothic literature, a subsection of Gothic literature concerned with issues of gender. In addition to learning about the conventions of the genre, we will examine the social and historical issues that women writers have used dark, mysterious tales to expose and critique, particularly ideas about gender. We will start with Mary Shelly's classic Frankenstein and end with Toni Morrison's Beloved, considering a number of important women writers' works along the way. Throughout the class, we will examine the ways women writers have problematized common literary stereotypes of women, such as the monstrous mother, the wicked wife, and the love-crazed lunatic. We will explore how the Gothic genre is both popular and entertaining, but also a useful vehicle for social critique.

Have you ever heard the expression “men are from Mars, women are from Venus”? This expression originates from the title of a book written by a relationship counselor in 1992 that sold an astonishing 50 million copies. But the success of this book, and the adoption of its title phrase as popular wisdom, posed a troubling question for American society at the end of the 20th century: after a nearly 100-year period that saw major advancements in social and political equality, why did such a large number of Americans see the opposite sex not as fellow human beings but as something akin to aliens from outer space? What were the interpersonal effects of this mutual alienation? And does this sense of gendered alienation carry on into the 21st century?

Students in this First Year Seminar will explore questions about gender definitions and roles both historically and today through study of what is commonly termed “speculative fiction.” These speculative works (novels, stories, films, and other cultural products) will provide us strange and often provocative lenses through which to examine gender issues in American society. By introducing us to alien peoples, genderless cultures, third sexes, advanced technologies, alternate histories, and both utopian and dystopian worlds, this literature will reveal to us the potential detriments of a rigidly gendered society as well as the possibility of a future free from gender's restrictive influence. Readings extend from the early 20th century to the present, with selections from major speculative authors like Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Theodore Sturgeon, Joanna Russ, Octavia E. Butler, and James Tiptree, Jr.

In this FYS, you will develop your skills as a researcher, speaker, and writer by reading great comics and thinking about how mental and physical experiences are represented within them. Along the way, we will engage with scholarship in a variety of fields, including disability studies, comics history, and visual rhetoric. Throughout the semester you will have the chance to work with the Cannavino Library's impressive and ever-growing collection of comics. In fact, there are so many wonderful graphic narratives that it's hard to choose just a few for the course. If you have suggestions about a particular text that you think I should consider for the syllabus, feel free drop me a line at Moira.Fitzgibbons@marist.edu. I'll definitely consider your ideas!

This seminar will focus on the recurring motif of madness and mental illness in literature, film, television and society in general, and address the question of how madness challenges traditional assumptions regarding individual identity. Through an interdisciplinary approach, we will explore the nature of the human mind and cultural representations of madness in a variety of contexts. Students in this course will consider how madness is a very ordinary human possibility which can be creative and/or destructive, which can be a breakdown and/or a breakthrough. We will examine the significant presence of madness in society and question how central madness is to human life. Students will study both social/intellectual components and cultural/emotional/expressive aspects of mental illness. 

In this FYS, you will develop your skills as a researcher, speaker, and writer by reading great comics and thinking about how mental and physical experiences are represented within them. Along the way, we will engage with scholarship in a variety of fields, including disability studies, comics history, and visual rhetoric. Throughout the semester you will have the chance to work with the Cannavino Library's impressive and ever-growing collection of comics. In fact, there are so many wonderful graphic narratives that it's hard to choose just a few for the course. If you have suggestions about a particular text that you think I should consider for the syllabus, feel free drop me a line at Moira.Fitzgibbons@marist.edu. I'll definitely consider your ideas!

During the medieval and early modern period (900-1700), travelers from Asia, Africa, and Europe, and the Americas first met, and observed one another’s societies, on the trade routes through Asia, the Indian Ocean, and the North Atlantic; on the pilgrimage routes of several religions; or on the passages created by war and conquest.  This course will explore the interaction between Christian European culture and various other cultures they conceived of as a different "race."  We will pay particular attention to how medieval observers from a variety of places interpreted and made sense of other societies that they perceived as “foreign,” drawing on analytical frameworks from different disciplines. We will consider such questions as: How did medieval societies identify peoples as being racially different?  How did it change over time, and how does it compare to today?  And how did societies respond to this difference?  While the Middle Ages is often thought of as the “Dark Ages” -- a period of relative isolation -- this course will challenge that view by exploring the emergence of the main civilizations of the period and how communication between them in the medieval period helped to shape the relations between these cultures to the modern day.

Are you curious about how film and video have been used to make radical art during the civil rights movement and sexual revolution? Travel back in time to explore time-based art during this critical period of American art history.  This seminar surveys time-based art since the early twentieth century, including an overview of experimental film, video art, installation art, and performance art.  Through writing, discussion, and multimedia presentations, students will analyze moving images and develop critical awareness of how time-based art has been a tool for creative communication and expression in recent art history.

Creativity, which has been defined as the ability to produce original ideas that have value, is increasingly becoming an essential skill for success as our information economy evolves into a creative economy. It is no longer enough to just store, process and analyze information. The workforce of the 21st century will need to be able to transform knowledge and information into something new and useful.

But if creativity is so important where does come from and how can we foster more of it? Is it a rare and elusive trait that only a few creative geniuses are born with? Or is it a skill that can be learned and nurtured? Are there certain conditions that are needed for creativity to flourish? What can an individual do to increase their own creative ability? In this class we will examine these questions, along with others related to creativity. We will read texts from authors who have explored these questions from multiple perspectives and engage in activities that help us expand our own creative potential.

This seminar investigates various forms of leadership and related techniques utilized in the management and production of theatre. This seminar is not a theatre-craft course, but we study leadership through the director’s lens; the skills, process and interactions involved with directing and how those are transferable in broader leadership contexts. Students will research, write and present on successful theatre directors, as well as examine the methods of leaders across a spectrum of disciplines. By studying the director as lead-communicator and collaborator, we will gain a greater understanding of strategies and adjustments employed in effective leadership.

Music plays many functions in modern African life: It consoles people in times of death, stimulates and organizes social events, facilitates interaction with the spiritual world, structures dance, marks important life cycle events, inspires and entertains, markets products and services, or can simply be enjoyed for its aesthetic qualities. Equally important among these functions is music's multidimensional role in political expression from politicians and political institutions, to the mediation of power relations among groups, to music's role in attempting to undermine or resist political power by marginalized groups. Taking an interdisciplinary approach, this course examines the intersection of music and politics in Africa to discover how music articulates and reflects power relations among different constituencies in various social contexts across the continent.

Have you ever heard the expression “men are from Mars, women are from Venus”? This expression originates from the title of a book written by a relationship counselor in 1992 that sold an astonishing 50 million copies. But the success of this book, and the adoption of its title phrase as popular wisdom, posed a troubling question for American society at the end of the 20th century: after a nearly 100-year period that saw major advancements in social and political equality, why did such a large number of Americans see the opposite sex not as fellow human beings but as something akin to aliens from outer space? What were the interpersonal effects of this mutual alienation? And does this sense of gendered alienation carry on into the 21st century?

Students in this First Year Seminar will explore questions about gender definitions and roles both historically and today through study of what is commonly termed “speculative fiction.” These speculative works (novels, stories, films, and other cultural products) will provide us strange and often provocative lenses through which to examine gender issues in American society. By introducing us to alien peoples, genderless cultures, third sexes, advanced technologies, alternate histories, and both utopian and dystopian worlds, this literature will reveal to us the potential detriments of a rigidly gendered society as well as the possibility of a future free from gender's restrictive influence. Readings extend from the early 20th century to the present, with selections from major speculative authors like Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Theodore Sturgeon, Joanna Russ, Octavia E. Butler, and James Tiptree, Jr.

We all have families, be they adoptive, biological, or chosen. We have relationships to our parents or caregivers, as well as siblings of various sorts, and many face the question of whether to start families in the future. Although we don't always consider them, families raise a host of philosophical questions, which we will explore in this class. Should one have children? How is parenting affected by race, sexuality, and poverty? Is it best understood as a collective or individual endeavor? Who should do the caretaking and how should children be raised? What obligations do grown children and parents have to each other? Does having children change the world? Does it make life more meaningful? Through reading and discussing Revolutionary Mothering and The Philosophical Parent, along with your own research, this course will challenge and enrich your thoughts about parenthood and family.

Symmetry is all around us. We find it in art, in architecture, in science, and in nature—our own bodies are, for the most part, symmetric. The term "symmetry" is even used to describe social constructs such as symmetric versus asymmetric power relationships. You may have wondered: why are so many living creatures symmetric? Why do humans tend to find to symmetry aesthetically pleasing? Are there different types of physical or geometric symmetry? Can we describe symmetry mathematically? By considering these and other questions, students will develop essential writing, speaking, and research skills as we explore symmetry in a variety of contexts.

How do we understand myth making in contemporary times? What role might it play in shaping an understanding of ourselves and the world we live in? In this course, we will take a closer look at myths of Greek antiquity and their reception in the realm of contemporary philosophy in order to open a dialogue around the questions of myth, meaning, and otherness. Centering on the themes of creation myths, the outcast, the scapegoat, the ideal state, divine encounters, the power of masks, ethical obligation, alterity and power, students will explore how, through myth (both stories and criticism) and philosophy, an attempt to negotiate the encounter with otherness is a necessary endeavor of our times.

The search for happiness gives rise to humanity’s basest behaviors and its noblest pursuits. This religious studies and philosophy course examines the connection between happiness, identity, and belonging through the lens of the active human body. We examine how our physicality influences religious depictions of human excellence and the construction of our relationships and groups. More specifically, we will discuss topics ranging from gender and sexuality to martial arts, communal prayer, and ritual practice. While this course focuses on examining religious and philosophical texts, students in this class will also be invited to participate in physical forms of experiential learning, such as breath meditation or taichi. The course concludes with an optional flashmob, used to illustrate physical bonding and the effects of ritual action.  

Many public debates involve the use of scientific information and predictions. The use of references in crafting opinion and policy is very important, and widespread. The misuse of references in crafting opinion and policy is also very important, and very widespread. Being able to judge the quality of those sources and the accuracy of their use is important to good decision making. In this seminar, you will read and evaluate claims about climate change and climate science. Emphasis will be placed on tracing and evaluation of the source material and the accuracy of its use. The course will revolve around discussion, writing, and presenting about papers and media representations of sources about climate change.

Travel through the life of an entrepreneur, as your instructor gives you a firsthand look at the adventures of his own “Entrepreneurial business ownership,” and how you can learn to free yourself of corporate ownership by breaking through and becoming your own boss. Additionally, we will utilize a computer simulation (Biz Café) and let you and your team develop and operate your very own coffee shop.

We will consider how a range of American writers frame human interactions with “Nature,” and explore their various representations of the natural world. How has “Wilderness” been imagined? How do authors construct language to shape the way readers think about the environment? What vision do these texts offer about the relationship of individuals to society, and about progress, industrialism, and technology? We will examine Native American stories, early accounts of natural history, diverse representations of flora and fauna, memoirs of the local, essays on urban nature, and narratives of exploration. “Nature Writing,” often combines rhapsody and science and runs the gamut of the scientific, philosophical, psychological, aesthetic, ethical, and spiritual. We will consider a range of diverse habitats and places, from deserts to rainforests to Alaska, to dorm rooms and malls and cityscapes. In this class you will construct essays based upon the course readings, your own observations, and your classmates’ presentations. 

Student activism has been at the heart of revolutionary movements from the Civil Rights Movement, to the global revolutions of 1960s to activist movements today.  This class uses history, journalism, photography, film, and literature to analyze what brings students together to resist oppression and call for social justice. Students will use our analysis of the past to understand and evaluate organizing efforts around us today such as March for Our Lives, Black Lives Matter, and the #MeToo movement, to name a few.

Decades ago, Eric Von Daniken wondered if the strange, aerial vehicles in the Bible were UFOs. In 2017, a strange object (the size of two football fields) came near earth. The head of the Harvard astronomy department, Dr. Avi Loeb, said it was an alien spacecraft, and that more are coming. Dr. Michael Masters at a tech university in Montana believes some UFOs are being piloted by human time travelers—from future earth (studying their ancestors). There are also reports of strange aerial phenomena by reputable U.S. military officers. Are they all “nuts” and “crackpots?” This course was designed to challenge our cosmological and extraterrestrial beliefs, by examining books and films by academics and entertainment-theorists in popular culture. Each student will create a short, interesting video as part of their term project—and post it in social media.

The fashion industry has both a responsibility and an opportunity to create real change in all areas of social justice. From the environmental crisis to race and gender injustice, from body positivity to fashion for the disabled, the worlds of fashion and social justice are deeply intertwined. In this course, the student will explore fashion through the lens of social justice and ethics as it relates to such important topics as race, gender, sustainability, body positivity, cultural appropriation and fashion activism. We will look at both historical examples as well as present day studies to see how fashion can be a force for social good but can also perpetuate inequality and exploitation.

What do hypnosis, x-rays, vitamins, jogging, hot baths, fad diets, acupuncture, and jade eggs all have in common? They’ve all promised at one time or another to be the “cure for what ails you,” despite indications to the contrary from the medical establishment. This course will explore major themes in the recent (since 1800) history of wellness and alternative medicine from a transnational perspective. 

Students in this FYS seminar will critically interrogate what it has meant for preventive and therapeutic practices to be classified as “wellness” or “alternative medicine” across national and cultural boundaries. What has distinguished these practices from regular medicine? Who has the authority to decide? How does what counts as alternative change over time? Since there is no one overarching theory of wellness, we will analyze how wellness practices vary by race, class, gender, disability, age, politics, and sexuality. We will also consider the myriad historical motivations of the healers who have bucked scientific medicine and interrogate the unceasing appeal of their unusual treatments among those who have sworn by them. Along the way, we’ll confront gaps and ethical lapses (real and perceived) in the scientific medical system, analyze changes in the disease landscape, and ponder the shaping of patients into consumers.