Humanities

Organized by period, genre and theme, this course explores contemporary viewpoints as expressed by select film screenings from the Criterion Collection through Alexander Street Press (subscription held by South University), which can range from the crusading pastiche by Ingmar Bergman's The Seventh Seal (1957) to the sardonic humor of Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979) and even the postmodern and magical realism of Being John Malkovich (1999). Parallels and contrasts will be drawn between intellectual history and cultures across flexible time stamps. Further, this course is designed to provide a foundation for future film study; exposure to a wide range of cinematic styles and approaches; and to move the student from a passive observer toward a critical, active "reader" of film. Students will learn the elements of cinematic language (including narrative, mise-en-scene, cinematography, acting, editing, and sound) and will use that knowledge to analyze the way filmmakers convey information, story, and meaning, develop style, and elicit audience response within a single scene and over the course of an entire feature film. Students should be aware that that the films they will watch will hold a variety of ratings, from G to R, and that some films will contain scenes with sexual and violent content.

This course is a history of art from the prehistoric/tribal period through the Middle Ages. Students will analyze the formal elements of each period style, as well as the historical, social, and cultural influences that shaped art at various point in history and across cultures.

This course is a history of art from the Renaissance to present day. The concepts, historical themes, and social/cultural influences on the art and architecture of the periods will be studied. Students will analyze the formal elements of each period style, as well as the external themes and influences that shaped art at various point in history and across cultures.

This course introduces the study of human social development, social organizations and social institutions by looking at our own self as the investigated or member of the society. Students will apply sociological perspectives to examine themselves around the development of self-concept, group dynamics, gender equality, social class, racial and ethnic relations, demography and population, the family, religion, and education. Through open discussion of current societal events, students will explore the constructs and consequences of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

This course covers the major themes and events in world history from prehistoric times to 1500. The course will focus on history from a variety of perspectives: social, cultural interactions, environmental, political, economic, and the people and events that shaped our world's history. Various themes that appear across time will be explored from the perspective that all cultures and all events are influenced by the interactions with other peoples, geography, and the environment; and in turn these events influence and shape future events.

This course covers the major themes and events in world history from 1500 to the present. The course focuses on history from a variety of perspectives: social, cultural interactions, environmental, political, economic, and the people and events that shaped our world's history. Various themes that appear across time will be explored from the perspective that all cultures and all events are influenced by the interactions with other peoples, geography, and the environment; and in turn these events influence and shape future events.