Interdisciplinary Honors Seminar:
Purple Mountain's Majesty: Transformational Space and Gender Identity in the USA
Professor: Dr. Houser
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Term/Session:
Winter 2015/Session 1 |
Course Number: IDH 2121
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Reference Number: 513324
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Course Description
I have developed several different themes for my IDH sections,
all having something to do with my major research fields and interests. Previously, I've offered Sex, Violence, and
Urban Fiction and Youtube and You: Identity in the Digital Age.
For the Winter 2015 semester, the class is called Purple
Mountain's Majesty: Transformational Space and Gender Identity in the USA. The class is being offered at the Downtown
Center. It will deal with mature themes
and graphic images that tell us about gender, sexuality, and violence in
America. These can be difficult or
sensitive subjects for discussion.
Students are expected to deal with these ideas in mature, respectful
ways. Our goal is to understand, not
judge.
I will provide the class with some foundational readings and a series of films and fictive texts. Student work will be driven by research and discussion of the topics at hand. Until I settle on the specific syllabus and reading list, you should anticipate working with texts like:
I will provide the class with some foundational readings and a series of films and fictive texts. Student work will be driven by research and discussion of the topics at hand. Until I settle on the specific syllabus and reading list, you should anticipate working with texts like:
- Henri Lefebvre's The Production of Space
- Richard Lehan's The City in Literature
- Annette Kolodny's The Lay of the Land
- Annie Proulx's Brokeback Mountain
- Lisa Cholodenko's The Kids are All Right
- John Cameron Mitchelle's Hedwig and the Angry Inch
- Duncan Tucker's Transamerica
The Honors Interdisciplinary Studies Seminar is the capstone
course in the Honors Program. It is open to Honors Institute students who have
attended Broward College for at least one term and have met half of the
requirements for graduation from the Honors Institute. The course will be
organized and unified around a specific theme, event, time period, issue/controversy,
or concept, which will then be explored through at least two distinct and
discernible academic fields of study. These two or more academic fields of
study will come from within or across one or more of the following of Broward
College's broad disciplinary units: Visual/Performing Arts, Criminal Justice,
Business, Social Sciences, Mathematics, Biological Sciences, Behavioral
Sciences, Communication, Education, Natural Sciences, Computer Science, and
English / Literature. Students will be exposed to a variety of texts and
knowledge, which will be integrated and connected using various modes of
academic inquiry. These academic and intellectual inquires will be applied to
and serve as the basis for numerous types of assessments. A Research Project is
required as is at least one Critical Writing Assignment; other types of
assessment should be varied and reflect the interdisciplinary nature of the
course.
Course Prerequisites
This is an advanced course. Students should have completed ENC 1102 and at least two honors classes
Course Attendance and Participation Policy
Since we only meet one day per week, it is vital that you attend all class meetings. In complying with Broward College policy, students will be allowed two absences (equivalent to two weeks). A third absence will result in failure of the class.
Required Course Materials
None. I will provide necessary materials or ask for you to find the materials from the library.
Methods of Instruction
Education is about exploring questions and creating well-supported answers. When we come together in the class, we will explore questions. Your work outside of class will ask you to find well-supported answers. Certainly, for the issues we'll undertake, there is no clear, "correct" answer. Class assignments will ask you to constructs well-supported conclusions about the questions we generate.
General Policies
You are responsible for being familiar with all BC policies and procedures related to your activity in this course.
Broward College Policies
Review the Broward College Policies on topics including disability services, academic honesty, privacy, and critical event procedures.