Undergraduate Courses
All Courses
Comparative Studies 1100 Introduction to the Humanities: Cross-Cultural Perspectives
Professor Multiple Professors and meeting times
Please see buckeyelink (course search) for more information regarding individual sections.
Explores the role of literature and the arts in constructing, maintaining, and questioning the values and beliefs of diverse cultures and historical periods; topics vary.
Prereq: Not open to students with credit for 1100H (100H) or 100. GE lit and diversity global studies course.
Comparative Studies 2101 Literature and Society
Professor Katey Borland
WF 2:20-3:40PM
Today as in the past humanitarianism is both part of and resistant to structures of domination. In this course, we will examine a number of different literary genres from different historical periods and world regions thematically linked by their enactment or description of the humanitarian project. How do the images and ideals constructed through memoir, film, and political treatise affect society? How do those images and ideals limit the possibilities for social transformation and/or obscure continuing inequalities? Throughout we will attend carefully to the ways in which different literary genres work, their particular vocabularies, potentialities and limitations. Major texts will include: A Brief Account of the Destruction of the Indies, Twenty Years at Hull House, Gandhi (the movie), Motorcycle Diaries, Unbowed, and others.GE Literature and Global Diversity. Prereq: English 1110 (110) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 2101H (201H, 201). GE lit and diversity global studies course.
Comparative Studies 2103 Literature and the Self
Instructor Elizabeth Marsch TR 3:55-5:15PM
Professor Julia Watson TR 9:35-10:55AM (Honors Section)
Study of relationships between psychology and literature; analysis of psychological concepts and processes as represented in literature and film of diverse cultures and historical periods.
Prereq: English 1110 (110) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 2103H (203H) or 203. GE lit and diversity global studies course.
Comparative Studies 2104 Literature, Science, and Technology: "The Rise of A.I. - Artificial Intelligence"
Professor Eugene Holland
TR 11:10-12:30PM
Machines, computers and robots are becoming more powerful and sophisticated every day. Some say they are becoming more intelligent, but others disagree. Is intelligence innately and uniquely human? What happens when artificial computing power exceeds our own mental abilities? Will this be a boon or a bane to humankind? This course explores the past, present, and posible futures of the relations between human and artificial "intelligence" through readings of fiction and non-fiction and viewing films and anime.. Prereq: English 1110 (110) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 2104H (204H) or 204. GE lit and diversity global studies course.
Comparative Studies 2105 Literature and Ethnicity
Professor Miranda Martinez
TR 11:10-12:30PM
In this introductory level course, students will explore representations and critiques of ethnic identity in literature and film. Since ethnicity often intersects with race, class, gender, sexuality and disability in both its actual social construction and in representation, we will devote some time to understanding these terms/theories and their meanings before engaging in close reading and visual analysis of select texts. This course will largely be focused on understanding and unpacking literature and film about ethnicity. We will learn about the distinctiveness of each literary or cinematic form we study as well as the significance of this form to the particular social, historical and aesthetic contexts that a text embraces or invokes. Students will learn about key categories of analysis, diverse literary and cinematic forms and the art of reading and interpreting literary and visual texts. Students will also learn approaches to understanding ethnicity. Assignments will include quizzes, short critical essays and leading class discussion. GE Literature and Social Diversity in the U.S. Prereq: English 1110 (110) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 205. GE lit and diversity soc div in the US course.
Comparative Studies 2193 Individual Studies
Designed to give students an opportunity for personal study with a member of the faculty.
Repeatable to a maximum of 6 cr hrs or 6 completions. This course is graded S/U.
Comparative Studies 2210 The Jewish Mystical Tradition
Professor Michael Swartz
TR 2:20-3:40PM
The history of Jewish mysticism from antiquity to the present, with emphasis on its implications for the comparative study of religious experience.
Prereq: English 1110 (110) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 2210H (376H), 376, Hebrew 2210 (376), 2210H (376H), RelStds 376, JewshSt 2210, or 2210H. GE cultures and ideas and diversity global studies course. Cross-listed in Hebrew and JewshSt
Comparative Studies 2214 Introduction to Sexuality Studies
Instructor TBA
TR 12:45-2:05PM
Provides an introduction to sexuality studies through an interdisciplinary approach. To apply the knowledge learned, this course requires a fieldwork component. Cross-listed in EduPAES. Prereq: Not open to students with credit for 214 or EduPAES 214.
Comparative Studies 2264 Introduction to Popular Culture Studies
Instructor TBA
WF 2:20PM-3:40PM
Introduction to the analysis of popular culture texts, with special emphasis on the relationship between popular culture studies and literary studies. Prereq: English 1110 (110) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 264, or English 2264 (264). Cross-listed in English. GE cultures and ideas course.
Comparative Studies 2281 American Icons
Andrew Lyness
TR 3:55-5:15PM
Interdisciplinary methods in American studies; emphasis on the plurality of identities in American culture. GE cultures and ideas and diversity soc div in the US course. Prereq: English 1110 (110) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 234. GE cultures and ideas and diversity soc div in the US course.
Comparative Studies 2301 Intro to World Literatures
Rick Livingston
WF 2:20-3:40PM
Analysis of oral and written literatures of diverse cultures and historical periods. GE Literature and Diversity: Global Studies.
Comparative Studies 2321 Introduction to Asian American Studies
Professor Martin Ponce
MW 2:20-3:40PM
This course introduces students to Asian American Studies by examining some of the main themes, issues, and problems that the field has grappled with since its emergence as an academic interdiscipline in the late 1960s. Reading and viewing across literary and film genres (novel, autobiography, graphic narrative, essay, poetry, documentary, feature film), we will consider a variety of topics central to the field, including the relation between activism and academia in the formation of Asian American Studies, Chinese immigration and exclusion, Japanese American internment and its legal legacies in the post-9/11 era, U.S. colonialism in the Philippines and its effects on Filipino Americans, the Viet Nam War and its consequences for Vietnamese Americans, Korean transnational/transracial adoption, South Asian Americans and the model minority myth, the conundrums that queer genders and sexualities pose for Asian American individuals and communities, and the politics of Asian American Studies in the present. Prereq: English 1110 (110), or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 241. GE cultures and ideas course and diversity soc div in the US course.
Comparative Studies 2322 Introduction to Latino Studies
Professor Paloma Martinez-Cruz
WF 11:10AM-12:30PM
This course is an introduction to Latino Studies, a discipline that studies the experience and condition of U.S. Latinos – including Mexican, Caribbean and Latin American. It treats Latino Studies as an interdisciplinary arena, drawing from both the social sciences and humanities.
The course presents and analyzes scholarly works that include theoretical models, methodological strategies, and analytical approaches to learning about U.S. Latinos. We will take a social science approach to understand the demographics, immigration and socioeconomic incorporation of distinct Latino/a groups, and we will discuss policy issues related to growing Latino/a visibility in U.S. society. We will use fiction, essays and poetry to understand the historical and actual experience of Latinos/as, and the distinct cultural and political expressions that have emerged through the Latino/a encounters with U.S. politics and culture. Prereq: English 1110 (110) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 242, or Spanish 2242. GE cultures and ideas and diversity soc div in the US course. Cross-listed in Spanish 2242.
Comparative Studies 2340 Introduction to Cultures of Science and Technology
Instructor TBA
TR 9:35-10:55AM
Critical analysis of the multiple relations of science to society, with emphasis on knowledge, power, authority, values, and ethics. Prereq: English 1110 (110), or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 2341 (272). GE cultures and ideas and diversity global studies course.
Comparative Studies 2341 Technology, Science, and Society
Professor David Horn
Lecture TR 9:10-10:05AM
Check Buckeyelink for recitation times
Critical analysis of the relations among science, technology, and culture, with particular emphasis on ethical issues in technology and engineering. Prereq: English 1110.01 (110.01) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 2340 (272). GE cultures and ideas and diversity global studies course.
Comparative Studies 2350 (Eng 2270) Introduction to Folklore
Instructors TBA
Sections:
WF 11:10AM-12:30PM
TR 3:55-5:15PM
Folklore is the culture that people make for themselves. Not all of us are specialists, but all of us tell stories, shape our environments, cultivate communities, and take care of our souls and our bodies. The forms of folklore circulate from person to person and group to group, adapting to every change of situation: they are both traditional and new with every performance. This course introduces you to some of these forms and the ways that folklorists study them. You'll learn the basics of these folkloristic skills:
- Field observation and ethnography. Learn how to size up an unfamiliar situation, participate in it appropriately, and describe it in writing.
- Interviewing and rigorous listening. Learn how to understand what someone is telling you without imposing your own agenda on the conversation.
- Understanding diversity. Learn how communities in the US and internationally develop distinctive forms of expression that can foster strong identities, conflicts, and cultural bridges.
- Interpreting culture. Learn how to “read” a wide variety of cultural messages according to their own conventions
Connecting the languages of the academy to the idioms of ordinary people. Learn how more effective mutual listening can take place between communities, experts, and institutions.Prereq: English 1110 (110) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for English 2270 (270), or 2350H. GE cultures and ideas course. Cross-listed in English 2270.
Comparative Studies 2360 Introduction to Comparative Cultural Studies
Carolyn Elerding
MWF 11:30AM-12:25PM
Introduction to interdisciplinary field of cultural studies; emphasis on relation of cultural production to power, knowledge, and authority, globally and locally. Prereq: English 1110 (110) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 274. GE cultures and ideas course.
Comparative Studies 2367.04 Science and Technology in American Culture
Sections:
TR 8:00-9:20AM, Nancy Jesser
MWF 1:50-2:45PM, Instructor TBA
Role of science and technology in contemporary American society; their relationship to human values; sources of concern about their impact; evaluation of selected issues. Prereq: English 1110 (110), or equiv, and Soph standing. Not open to students with credit for 2367.04H (367.02H) or 367.02. GE writing and comm: level 2 and cultures and ideas and diversity soc div in the US course.
Comparative Studies 2367.07 Religious Diversity in the U.S.
Amanda Randhawa, MWF 8:00-8:55AM
Instructors TBA: MWF 10:20-11:15AM, WF 11:10-12:30
Exploration of the concept of religious freedom and the position of minority religious groups in American society. Prereq: English 1110 (110) or equiv and Soph standing. Not open to students with credit for 367.03. GE writing and comm: level 2 and cultures and ideas and diversity soc div in the US course.
Comparative Studies 2367.08 American Identity in the World
Multiple Sections and Instructors: Please check Buckeyelink for more information
American culture viewed from inside and from the perspective of foreign cultures, as seen in literature, film, art, music, journalism, folklore, and popular culture. Prereq: English 1110 (110), or equiv, and Soph standing. Not open to students with credit for 2367.08H (367.01H) or 367.01. GE writing and comm: level 2 and cultures and ideas and diversity soc div in the US course.
Comparative Studies 2370 Introduction to Comparative Religion
Professor Isaac Weiner
Lecture WF 9:10-10:05AM
Recitation sections Mondays 9:10-10:05AM and Fridays 10:20-11:15AM
This course is intended to provide a general introduction to the comparative study of religions. It is structured around three fundamental questions: (1) what is (and is not) a religion? (2) what are the major similarities and differences among the world’s religions? (3) what is religious pluralism, and what are some of the challenges that pluralism poses for thinking about religion’s place in the world today?
We will begin by orienting ourselves to the academic study of religions. We will continue by surveying a range of religious traditions, including Native American religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Finally, we will try to make sense of the contemporary religious landscapes by examining some new religious movements, as well as the rise of religious “nones” and the “spiritual but not religious.” The class is open to all students; prior knowledge is assumed. Prereq: English 1110 (110) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 270 or 2370H (270H). GE cultures and ideas and diversity global studies course.
Comparative Studies 2370H Introduction to Comparative Religion
Instructor TBA
TR 12:45-2:05PM (Honors Section)
This course is intended to provide a general introduction to the comparative study of religions. It is structured around three fundamental questions: (1) what is (and is not) a religion? (2) what are the major similarities and differences among the world’s religions? (3) what is religious pluralism, and what are some of the challenges that pluralism poses for thinking about religion’s place in the world today?
We will begin by orienting ourselves to the academic study of religions. We will continue by surveying a range of religious traditions, including Native American religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Finally, we will try to make sense of the contemporary religious landscapes by examining some new religious movements, as well as the rise of religious “nones” and the “spiritual but not religious.” The class is open to all students; prior knowledge is assumed. Prereq: English 1110 (110) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 270 or 2370H (270H). GE cultures and ideas and diversity global studies course.
Comparative Studies 2670 Science and Religion
Professor Isaac Weiner
WF 11:10AM-12:30PM.
Is there a war between science and religion? Do the truth claims of these two forms of knowledge compete in ways that force us to choose one or the other as our primary allegiance? Are there other options for understanding the relationship between faith and rationality that allow us to integrate different forms of knowledge and different types of truth?
In this course, we will explore a range of historical and contemporary perspectives on the relation between science and religion. We will also assess the value of these competing frameworks by applying them to concrete controversies and cases, including the Galileo affair, debates about evolution and human origins, and contemporary “biocognitive” explanations of religion. Readings for this course will include primary historical and legal documents, as well as academic writings by religion scholars, philosophers, historians, anthropologists, and others. There will also be a few schedules film screenings. The class is open to all students; no prior knowledge is assumed. Prereq: Not open to students with credit for 170 or Philos 2860 (170). GE cultures and ideas course. Cross-listed in Philos 2860
Comparative Studies 2864H Modernity and Postmodernity: Issues and Ideas
Professor Philip Armstrong
MW 3:55-5:15PM (Honors section)
The course introduces students to the principle concepts and themes defining the discourse of modernity and postmodernity. Through weekly readings, lectures, films, and extensive class discussions, the course will cover a range of debates concerning the historical and contemporary meanings of (post)modernity and its intersection with a number of related fields of research, including economics and social relations, political sovereignty, the nation-state, and global governance, colonialism and post-colonialism, migration and human mobility, media and telecommunications, religion, technology, and the environment. We will also situate the weekly readings in relation to extracts from a range of recent literature as well as documentary films addressing issues related to modernity and postmodernity. In this context, we will be asking not only “what is modernity and postmodernity?” (Its meanings and thematic concerns) but also “when is modernity and postmodernity?” (What are their origins? How do we begin to write their history?), “where is modernity and postmodernity? (How do we think of their local, regional, and global contexts?), and “modernity and postmodernity for whom?” (Who experiences modernity and postmodernity and in what ways? Which voices speak for and against these terms?). Prereq: Honors standing and English 1110 (110) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 240H or 240. GE lit and diversity global studies course.
Comparative Studies 3302 Translating Literatures and Cultures
Patricia Sieber
TR 2:20PM-3:40PM
This course explores the theory and practice of translation between languages, cultural contexts, and historical periods. We will read a series of theoretical texts on translation and relate them to case studies drawn from literature, politics, religion and philosophy involving the U.S., Europe, and East Asia. Our discussions will explore some of the following questions: How has translation been theorized over the centuries? What cultural factors contribute to the sustained practice of translation? What is gained and what is lost in translation? Who are the translators and how are they viewed? What are the political stakes and cultural ramifications of translation? How do taboos, laws, and censorship affect translation? How has translation changed societies in the West and in East Asia? What are the dilemmas and opportunities for future translators? We will also engage in hands-on exercises to acquaint ourselves with the joys, quandaries, and theoretical issues of translation from a practical perspective. Basic knowledge of a foreign language (two semester minimum or equivalent) is sufficient to participate in this task. Prereq: English 1110 (110), or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 3302E (373E) or 373. GE cultures and ideas and diversity global studies course.
Comparative Studies 3302E Translating Literatures and Cultures
Professor Patricia Sieber
TR 2:20-3:40PM
Introduction to issues and problems inherent to translating literatures and cultures. Prereq: Honors standing, and English 1110 (110), or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 3302 (373) or 373E. GE cultures and ideas and diversity global studies course. Embedded honors version.
Comparative Studies 3603 Love in World Literature
Multiple Instructors
MWF 9:10-10:05AM, 12:40-1:35PM, 4:10-5:05PM
Representations of love in world literature; emphasis on mythological, psychological, and ideological aspects of selected representations in different cultures and time periods.
Prereq: English 1110 (110), or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 3603H (301H) or 301. GE lit and diversity global studies course.
Comparative Studies 3606 The Quest in World Literature
Professor Daniel Reff
WF 9:35-10:55AM
Motif of the quest in world literature; physical and mental journeys as metaphors of personal transformation and salvation.
Prereq: English 1110 (110) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 306. GE lit and diversity global studies course.
Comparative Studies 3607 Film and Literature as Narrative Art
Sections:
Lucia Bortoli, M 12:10-2:00PM and WF 12:40-1:35PM
Jason Payne, MW 5:20-6:15PM and F 4:25-6:15
Relationships between film and literature; emergence of cinematic art as a form of representation with emphasis on diverse cultural traditions. Prereq: English 1110 (110) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 3607H (358H, 358). GE VPA and diversity global studies course.
Comparative Studies 3608 Representations of the Experience of War
Sections:
Jason Payne, MWF 8:00-8:55AM
Lucia Bortoli, MWF 3:00-3:55PM
Susan Hanson, MWF 5:20-6:15PM
Representations of war in works of literature, religious texts, and film from diverse cultures and time periods. Prereq: English 1110 (110) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 308. GE lit and diversity global studies course.
Comparative Studies 3645H Cultures of Medicine
Professor David Horn
TR 11:10AM-12:30PM (Honors section)
Humanistic, scientific, and clinical perspectives on medical issues; literary uses of medical themes; medicine as art and science. GE cultures and ideas and diversity global studies course. Honors version.
Comparative Studies 3673 The Buddhist Tradition
Professor Thomas Kasulius
TR 12:45-2:05PM
History and structure of Buddhism from founding to present in South, Southeast, and East Asia; emphasis on rituals, beliefs, and local and regional variations. 2270 (270) recommended. Prereq: English 1110 (110) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 323, or EALL 3223 (323), or RelStds 323. Cross-listed in EALL 3223.
Comparative Studies 3686 Cultural Studies in American Popular Musics
Instructor: TBA
WF 2:20-3:40PM
This course focuses on the critical analysis of 20th and 21st century popular music in the US. Students should come away from this class with skills of critical listening and thinking that allow them to trace musical influences across historical periods and musical genres, to understand the impact of commodification and commercialization on the development of popular music, to analyze the relationship of musical performance with embodied identities (especially gender, sexuality and race), and to discuss the social and political grounds of musical pleasure. We will begin by developing an interpretive model that will provide the tools for understanding popular music in its historical and cultural context. We will then read a set of case studies about topics in popular music. The main goal of the case studies is to provoke insight and dialogue about the connections between musical pleasure and social life. An important secondary goal is to provide you with examples of high quality scholarship about popular music. Prereq: English 1110 (110) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 336. GE VPA and diversity soc div in the US course.
Comparative Studies 3990 Approaches to Comparative Studies
Professor Barry Shank
TR 2:20-3:40PM
Approaches to Comparative Studies is required of all majors in Comparative Studies. It is intended to provide a common experience for all our majors while ensuring that each has some awareness of the chief branches of intellectual work that takes place under the interdisciplinary rubric of Comparative Studies. This class requires a lot of reading in fields as varied as folklore, comparative literature, religious studies, science & technology studies, and comparative ethnic and American studies. The bulk of each class meeting will be devoted to discussion of the required readings. Prereq: English 1110 (110) or equiv. CompStd major, or permission of instructor. Not open to students with credit for 398.
Comparative Studies 4193 Individual Studies
Designed to give students an opportunity for personal study with a member of the faculty. Permission of instructor required. Repeatable to a maximum of 6 cr hrs or 6 completions. This course is graded S/U.
Comparative Studies 4597.03 Global Folklore
Professor Katherine Borland
WF 11:10am-12:30pm
This course provides an introduction to contemporary folklore from around the world. How do people from all walks of life create expressive or aesthetic culture in their everyday lives? How do communities and groups mark themselves and maintain a collective sense of themselves as distinct from other communities/groups, particularly in the midst of globalization? What does it mean to respect and conserve cultural as well as biological diversity? Students will begin by learning key concepts of folklore scholarship: culture, tradition, performance, genre, the local/global distinction, the folk/popular divide, the dynamics of tradition and innovation in folklore production. Through an exploration of these concepts, students will develop an expansive definition of folklore as both the means by which groups distinguish themselves and the bridges among diverse communities. Additionally, we will explore a set of special topics in folklore through readings and films from various regions of the world. We will focus on the transmission and transformation of cultural knowledge and practice in situations of want, conflict, and upheaval.Prereq: Completion of a Second Writing course. Not open to students with credit for 597.02. Prereq: Completion of a Second Writing course. Not open to students with credit for 597.02. GE diversity global studies and cross-disciplinary seminar course.
Comparative Studies 4661 - The City and Culture
Professor Eugene Holland
TR 12:45-2:05PM
Introduction to the comparative and cross-cultural study of cities, urban culture, and urbanism. Prereq: One course in CompStd or IntStds, or Grad standing, or permission of instructor. Not open to students with credit for 531 or IntStds 4661 (531). Cross-listed in IntStds.
Comparative Studies 4845 Gender, Sexuality, and Science
Instructor: Nancy Jesser
TR 9:35-10:55AM
Throughout this course we will analyze the discourses and practices of technoscience—popular and professional—as they encounter gender and sexuality. Through articles dealing with scientific knowledge, technical expertise, power, and authority through and over the gender and the sexual, we will interrogate the gendering/sexing of bodies, scientific discourses, practices and technologies. In addition, we will read and explore the history and role of gender and sexuality in the development of technoscience, read feminist and queer critiques of scientific philosophy and practice, and investigate the effects of science and technology on sexuality and gender in the world around and within us. We will interrogate the scientific and medical characterizations of sexualities and their categorization. A significant portion of each class will be directed by student discussion leaders through questions submitted in advance. There is some flexibility within the course structure to cover areas of particular interest to members of the class.I will leave significant time at the end of the term for each of us to present individual/group research projects on Gender, Sexuality and Science-Technology. Prereq: One course in CompStd or WGSSt, or permission of instructor. Not open to students with credit for 535 or WGSSt 4845 (535). Cross-listed with WGSSt.
Comparative Studies 4872H Varieties of Christianity
Professor Daniel Reff
WF 12:45-2:05PM
This course looks at various forms of Christianity, historically and cross-culturally. The course is interdisciplinary in that we will approach Christianity from a variety of perspectives, keeping in mind that religion is almost always something else and implies values, beliefs and practices that we might term “economic,” “political”, “gendered,” etc. Most of the readings for the class are by authors who consciously draw from a variety of disciplines (e.g. archaeology, anthropology, history, theology, religious studies, sociology).
The first few weeks of the class we will look at the historical Jesus and explore questions regarding Jesus, his vision of Christianity, and how epidemic disease and the collapse of the Roman Empire affected Christianity during late antiquity and the early Middle Ages. We will subsequently examine the central role of the cult of the saints and Satan in Christianity, spanning the centuries from Biblical times on up to the colonial period in Mexico and Anglo America. Weeks nine and ten we will read about more modern forms of Christianity such as Mormonism and Evangelical Christianity. We will conclude the course discussing the recent fluorescence and imagined future of Christianity in twenty-first century Africa and Asia.
This course will be conducted as a seminar. There is no midterm or final. 25% of your final grade will be based on class participation. The remaining 75% of your final grade will be based on the average of seven short essays (2-3 pages, double-spaced) that you will write over the course of the semester and in response to one or more questions having to do with the assigned reading. (Essays will be graded and returned to students promptly, generally within a week of submission). Prereq: Honors standing. Not open to students with credit for 524H.
For more information contact Daniel Reff: reff.1@osu.edu.
Comparative Studies 4873 Contemporary Religious Movements in Global Context
Professor Hugh Urban
WF 9:35-10:55PM
At the beginning of the twentieth century, many sociologists had predicted that religion would gradually wane in importance as our world became increasingly scientific, rational and technological. And yet today, at the beginning of the twenty-first century, it would seem that exactly the opposite has happened: new religious movements have proliferated wildly throughout the world in the last hundred years and have become intimately tied to the larger political, economic and cultural forces of globalization.
This course will examine a series of new religious movement that have emerge within thelast 150 years, placing them within the larger contexts of globalization and transnationalism.These will include: The Native American Church, the Shakers, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Nation of Islam, Rastafarianism, Vodou, and various forms of religiousterrorism (such as Islamic extremism, Aum Shinrikyo and the Christian Identity movement). In the course of our discussion, we will ask: why has religion not in fact wanted as a global force but instead become even more powerful and relevant in the last century? How are new religiousmovements related to larger transnational flows of people, goods and information? Why do religious movements often become linked to political violence and terrorism?
In addition to lectures, discussions and films, the class will involve field trips to new religious groups in the Columbus area. Students will one required to write three short papers and give one group presentation based on some new religious movement not covered in the body of the class.
Prereq: One course in CompStd or IntStds, or Grad standing, or permission of instructor. Not open to students with credit for 525 or IntStds 4873 (525). Cross-listed in IntStds.
Comparative Studies 4921 Intersections: Approaches to Race, Gender, Class, and Sexuality
Rita Trimble
TR 2:20-3:40
Examines intersections of race, gender, class, and sexuality in various sites within American culture (e.g., legal system, civil rights discourse, social justice movements). Prereq: One course in CompStd, WGSSt, or AfAmASt. Not open to students with credit for 545, AfAmAst 4921 (545), or WGSSt 4921 (545). Cross-listed in AfAmASt and WGSSt.
Comparative Studies 4990 Senior Seminar in Comparative StudiesProfessor Julia Watson
TR 2:20-3:40PM
Writing seminar based on students' independent research. This course is required of all majors in the Comparative Studies Department. Prereq: 3990 (398), and 500 or 4000-level course in CompStd, and Sr standing, or permission of instructor. Not open to students with credit for 598.
Comparative Studies 4998 Undergraduate Research in Comparative Studies
Undergraduate research in variable topics; independent study. Prereq: Permission of instructor. Repeatable to a maximum of 9 cr hrs or 3 completions. This course is graded S/U.
Comparative Studies 4998H Honors Undergraduate Research in Comparative Studies
Undergraduate research in variable topics; independent study. Prereq: Honors standing. Permission of instructor. Repeatable to a maximum of 9 cr hrs or 3 completions. This course is graded S/U.
Comparative Studies 4999 Undergraduate Thesis
Independent study for 4th-year students wishing to complete a senior thesis. Prereq: Sr standing and permission of the instructor under whose supervision the work is to be completed. Repeatable to a maximum of 6 cr hrs or 2 completions. This course is graded S/U.
Comparative Studies 4999H Honors Thesis
Senior honors course leading to graduation with distinction and a thesis; independent study for the student with special aptitude. Honors thesis credits must be completed in addition to coursework requirements for all major and minor programs. Prereq: Honors and Sr standing, and permission of instructor. A grade of A in at least half of the Comp Std courses taken and an average of B in the remainder. Repeatable to a maximum of 6 cr hrs or 2 completions. This course is graded S/U.
(top of page)
GE Literature
Comparative Studies 1100 Introduction to the Humanities: Cross-Cultural Perspectives
Professor Multiple Professors and meeting times
Please see buckeyelink (course search) for more information regarding individual sections.
Explores the role of literature and the arts in constructing, maintaining, and questioning the values and beliefs of diverse cultures and historical periods; topics vary.
Prereq: Not open to students with credit for 1100H (100H) or 100. GE lit and diversity global studies course.
Comparative Studies 2101 Literature and Society
Professor Katey Borland
WF 2:20-3:40PM
Today as in the past humanitarianism is both part of and resistant to structures of domination. In this course, we will examine a number of different literary genres from different historical periods and world regions thematically linked by their enactment or description of the humanitarian project. How do the images and ideals constructed through memoir, film, and political treatise affect society? How do those images and ideals limit the possibilities for social transformation and/or obscure continuing inequalities? Throughout we will attend carefully to the ways in which different literary genres work, their particular vocabularies, potentialities and limitations. Major texts will include: A Brief Account of the Destruction of the Indies, Twenty Years at Hull House, Gandhi (the movie), Motorcycle Diaries, Unbowed, and others. GE Literature and Global Diversity. Prereq: English 1110 (110) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 2101H (201H, 201). GE lit and diversity global studies course.
Comparative Studies 2103 Literature and the Self
Instructor Elizabeth Marsch TR 3:55-5:15PM
Professor Julia Watson TR 9:35-10:55AM (Honors Section)
Study of relationships between psychology and literature; analysis of psychological concepts and processes as represented in literature and film of diverse cultures and historical periods.
Prereq: English 1110 (110) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 2103H (203H) or 203. GE lit and diversity global studies course.
Comparative Studies 2104 Literature, Science, and Technology
Professor Eugene Holland
TR 11:10-12:30PM
In this course we will read and view some of the great works of science fiction. One aim of the course is to review the historical evolution of the genre, starting with the work of Jules Verne at the end of the 19th century and ending with great works (books and films) of the late 20th century. How do science fiction authors respond to one another over time? How does the science fiction genre constitute a tradition? Another aim is to consider what makes science fiction a recognizable literary and cinematic genre, and what distinguishes it from closely related genres (such as fantasy and utopia). What roles does science play in science fiction? And how does the genre encourage us to reflect on the nature of contemporary social life as we know it and get us to imagine alternatives to it? How does science fiction confront the Unknown – Other worlds, Other cultures, Other creatures, Other beings? GE Literature and Global Diversity. Honors version. Prereq: English 1110 (110) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 2104H (204H) or 204. GE lit and diversity global studies course.
Comparative Studies 2105 Literature and Ethnicity
Professor Miranda Martinez
TR 11:10-12:30PM
In this introductory level course, students will explore representations and critiques of ethnic identity in literature and film. Since ethnicity often intersects with race, class, gender, sexuality and disability in both its actual social construction and in representation, we will devote some time to understanding these terms/theories and their meanings before engaging in close reading and visual analysis of select texts. This course will largely be focused on understanding and unpacking literature and film about ethnicity. We will learn about the distinctiveness of each literary or cinematic form we study as well as the significance of this form to the particular social, historical and aesthetic contexts that a text embraces or invokes. Students will learn about key categories of analysis, diverse literary and cinematic forms and the art of reading and interpreting literary and visual texts. Students will also learn approaches to understanding ethnicity. Assignments will include quizzes, short critical essays and leading class discussion. GE Literature and Social Diversity in the U.S. Prereq: English 1110 (110) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 205. GE lit and diversity soc div in the US course.
Comparative Studies 2301 Intro to World LiteraturesRick Livingston
WF 2:20-3:40PM
Analysis of oral and written literatures of diverse cultures and historical periods. GE Literature and Diversity: Global Studies.
Comparative Studies 2864H Modernity and Postmodernity: Issues and Ideas
Professor Philip Armstrong
MW 3:55-5:15PM (Honors section)
The course introduces students to the principle concepts and themes defining the discourse of modernity and postmodernity. Through weekly readings, lectures, films, and extensive class discussions, the course will cover a range of debates concerning the historical and contemporary meanings of (post)modernity and its intersection with a number of related fields of research, including economics and social relations, political sovereignty, the nation-state, and global governance, colonialism and post-colonialism, migration and human mobility, media and telecommunications, religion, technology, and the environment. We will also situate the weekly readings in relation to extracts from a range of recent literature as well as documentary films addressing issues related to modernity and postmodernity. In this context, we will be asking not only “what is modernity and postmodernity?” (Its meanings and thematic concerns) but also “when is modernity and postmodernity?” (What are their origins? How do we begin to write their history?), “where is modernity and postmodernity? (How do we think of their local, regional, and global contexts?), and “modernity and postmodernity for whom?” (Who experiences modernity and postmodernity and in what ways? Which voices speak for and against these terms?). Prereq: Honors standing and English 1110 (110) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 240H or 240. GE lit and diversity global studies course.
Comparative Studies 3603 Love in World Literature
Multiple Instructors
MWF 9:10-10:05AM, 12:40-1:35PM, 4:10-5:05PM
Representations of love in world literature; emphasis on mythological, psychological, and ideological aspects of selected representations in different cultures and time periods.
Prereq: English 1110 (110), or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 3603H (301H) or 301. GE lit and diversity global studies course.
Comparative Studies 3606 The Quest in World LiteratureProfessor Daniel Reff
WF 9:35-10:55AM
Motif of the quest in world literature; physical and mental journeys as metaphors of personal transformation and salvation.
Prereq: English 1110 (110) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 306. GE lit and diversity global studies course.
Comparative Studies 3608 Representations of the Experience of War
Sections:
Jason Payne, MWF 8:00-8:55AM
Lucia Bortoli, MWF 3:00-3:55PM
Susan Hanson, MWF 5:20-6:15PM
Representations of war in works of literature, religious texts, and film from diverse cultures and time periods. Prereq: English 1110 (110) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 308. GE lit and diversity global studies course.
(top of page)
GE Diversity: Global Studies
Comparative Studies 1100 Introduction to the Humanities: Cross-Cultural Perspectives
Professor Multiple Professors and meeting times
Please see buckeyelink (course search) for more information regarding individual sections.
Explores the role of literature and the arts in constructing, maintaining, and questioning the values and beliefs of diverse cultures and historical periods; topics vary.
Prereq: Not open to students with credit for 1100H (100H) or 100. GE lit and diversity global studies course.
Comparative Studies 2101 Literature and Society
Professor Katey Borland
WF 2:20-3:40PM
Today as in the past humanitarianism is both part of and resistant to structures of domination. In this course, we will examine a number of different literary genres from different historical periods and world regions thematically linked by their enactment or description of the humanitarian project. How do the images and ideals constructed through memoir, film, and political treatise affect society? How do those images and ideals limit the possibilities for social transformation and/or obscure continuing inequalities? Throughout we will attend carefully to the ways in which different literary genres work, their particular vocabularies, potentialities and limitations. Major texts will include: A Brief Account of the Destruction of the Indies, Twenty Years at Hull House, Gandhi (the movie), Motorcycle Diaries, Unbowed, and others.GE Literature and Global Diversity.Prereq: English 1110 (110) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 2101H (201H, 201). GE lit and diversity global studies course.
Comparative Studies 2103 Literature and the Self
Instructor Elizabeth Marsch TR 3:55-5:15PM
Professor Julia Watson TR 9:35-10:55AM (Honors Section)
Study of relationships between psychology and literature; analysis of psychological concepts and processes as represented in literature and film of diverse cultures and historical periods.
Prereq: English 1110 (110) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 2103H (203H) or 203. GE lit and diversity global studies course.
Comparative Studies 2104 Literature, Science, and Technology
Professor Eugene Holland
TR 11:10-12:30PM
In this course we will read and view some of the great works of science fiction. One aim of the course is to review the historical evolution of the genre, starting with the work of Jules Verne at the end of the 19th century and ending with great works (books and films) of the late 20th century. How do science fiction authors respond to one another over time? How does the science fiction genre constitute a tradition? Another aim is to consider what makes science fiction a recognizable literary and cinematic genre, and what distinguishes it from closely related genres (such as fantasy and utopia). What roles does science play in science fiction? And how does the genre encourage us to reflect on the nature of contemporary social life as we know it and get us to imagine alternatives to it? How does science fiction confront the Unknown – Other worlds, Other cultures, Other creatures, Other beings? GE Literature and Global Diversity. Honors version. Prereq: English 1110 (110) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 2104H (204H) or 204. GE lit and diversity global studies course.
Comparative Studies 2210 The Jewish Mystical Tradition
Professor Michael Swartz
TR 2:20-3:40PM
The history of Jewish mysticism from antiquity to the present, with emphasis on its implications for the comparative study of religious experience.
Prereq: English 1110 (110) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 2210H (376H), 376, Hebrew 2210 (376), 2210H (376H), RelStds 376, JewshSt 2210, or 2210H. GE cultures and ideas and diversity global studies course. Cross-listed in Hebrew and JewshSt
Comparative Studies 2340 Introduction to Cultures of Science and Technology
Instructor TBA
TR 9:35-10:55AM
Critical analysis of the multiple relations of science to society, with emphasis on knowledge, power, authority, values, and ethics. Prereq: English 1110 (110), or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 2341 (272). GE cultures and ideas and diversity global studies course.
Comparative Studies 2341 Technology, Science, and Society
Professor David Horn
Lecture TR 9:10-10:05AM
Check Buckeyelink for recitation times
Critical analysis of the relations among science, technology, and culture, with particular emphasis on ethical issues in technology and engineering. Prereq: English 1110.01 (110.01) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 2340 (272). GE cultures and ideas and diversity global studies course.
Comparative Studies 2370 Introduction to Comparative Religion
Professor Isaac Weiner
Lecture WF 9:10-10:05AM
Recitation sections Mondays 9:10-10:05AM and Fridays 10:20-11:15AM
This course is intended to provide a general introduction to the comparative study of religions. It is structured around three fundamental questions: (1) what is (and is not) a religion? (2) what are the major similarities and differences among the world’s religions? (3) what is religious pluralism, and what are some of the challenges that pluralism poses for thinking about religion’s place in the world today?
We will begin by orienting ourselves to the academic study of religions. We will continue by surveying a range of religious traditions, including Native American religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Finally, we will try to make sense of the contemporary religious landscapes by examining some new religious movements, as well as the rise of religious “nones” and the “spiritual but not religious.” The class is open to all students; prior knowledge is assumed. Prereq: English 1110 (110) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 270 or 2370H (270H). GE cultures and ideas and diversity global studies course
Comparative Studies 2370H Introduction to Comparative Religion
Instructor TBA
TR 12:45-2:05PM (Honors Section)
This course is intended to provide a general introduction to the comparative study of religions. It is structured around three fundamental questions: (1) what is (and is not) a religion? (2) what are the major similarities and differences among the world’s religions? (3) what is religious pluralism, and what are some of the challenges that pluralism poses for thinking about religion’s place in the world today?
We will begin by orienting ourselves to the academic study of religions. We will continue by surveying a range of religious traditions, including Native American religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Finally, we will try to make sense of the contemporary religious landscapes by examining some new religious movements, as well as the rise of religious “nones” and the “spiritual but not religious.” The class is open to all students; prior knowledge is assumed. Prereq: English 1110 (110) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 270 or 2370H (270H). GE cultures and ideas and diversity global studies course
Comparative Studies 2864H Modernity and Postmodernity: Issues and Ideas
Professor Philip Armstrong
MW 3:55-5:15PM (Honors section)
The course introduces students to the principle concepts and themes defining the discourse of modernity and postmodernity. Through weekly readings, lectures, films, and extensive class discussions, the course will cover a range of debates concerning the historical and contemporary meanings of (post)modernity and its intersection with a number of related fields of research, including economics and social relations, political sovereignty, the nation-state, and global governance, colonialism and post-colonialism, migration and human mobility, media and telecommunications, religion, technology, and the environment. We will also situate the weekly readings in relation to extracts from a range of recent literature as well as documentary films addressing issues related to modernity and postmodernity. In this context, we will be asking not only “what is modernity and postmodernity?” (Its meanings and thematic concerns) but also “when is modernity and postmodernity?” (What are their origins? How do we begin to write their history?), “where is modernity and postmodernity? (How do we think of their local, regional, and global contexts?), and “modernity and postmodernity for whom?” (Who experiences modernity and postmodernity and in what ways? Which voices speak for and against these terms?). Prereq: Honors standing and English 1110 (110) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 240H or 240. GE lit and diversity global studies course.
Comparative Studies 3302 Translating Literatures and Cultures
Patricia Sieber
TR 2:20PM-3:40PM
This course explores the theory and practice of translation between languages, cultural contexts, and historical periods. We will read a series of theoretical texts on translation and relate them to case studies drawn from literature, politics, religion and philosophy involving the U.S., Europe, and East Asia. Our discussions will explore some of the following questions: How has translation been theorized over the centuries? What cultural factors contribute to the sustained practice of translation? What is gained and what is lost in translation? Who are the translators and how are they viewed? What are the political stakes and cultural ramifications of translation? How do taboos, laws, and censorship affect translation? How has translation changed societies in the West and in East Asia? What are the dilemmas and opportunities for future translators? We will also engage in hands-on exercises to acquaint ourselves with the joys, quandaries, and theoretical issues of translation from a practical perspective. Basic knowledge of a foreign language (two semester minimum or equivalent) is sufficient to participate in this task. Prereq: English 1110 (110), or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 3302E (373E) or 373. GE cultures and ideas and diversity global studies course.
Comparative Studies 3302E Translating Literatures and Cultures
Professor Patricia Sieber
TR 2:20-3:40PM
Introduction to issues and problems inherent to translating literatures and cultures. Prereq: Honors standing, and English 1110 (110), or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 3302 (373) or 373E. GE cultures and ideas and diversity global studies course. Embedded honors version.
Comparative Studies 3603 Love in World Literature
Multiple Instructors
MWF 9:10-10:05AM, 12:40-1:35PM, 4:10-5:05PM
Representations of love in world literature; emphasis on mythological, psychological, and ideological aspects of selected representations in different cultures and time periods.
Prereq: English 1110 (110), or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 3603H (301H) or 301. GE lit and diversity global studies course.
Comparative Studies 3606 The Quest in World Literature
Professor Daniel Reff
WF 9:35-10:55AM
Motif of the quest in world literature; physical and mental journeys as metaphors of personal transformation and salvation.
Prereq: English 1110 (110) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 306. GE lit and diversity global studies course.
Comparative Studies 3607 Film and Literature as Narrative Art
Sections:
Lucia Bortoli, M 12:10-2:00PM and WF 12:40-1:35PM
Jason Payne, MW 5:20-6:15PM and F 4:25-6:15
Relationships between film and literature; emergence of cinematic art as a form of representation with emphasis on diverse cultural traditions. Prereq: English 1110 (110) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 3607H (358H, 358). GE VPA and diversity global studies course.
Comparative Studies 3608 Representations of the Experience of War
Sections:
Jason Payne, MWF 8:00-8:55AM
Lucia Bortoli, MWF 3:00-3:55PM
Susan Hanson, MWF 5:20-6:15PM
Representations of war in works of literature, religious texts, and film from diverse cultures and time periods. Prereq: English 1110 (110) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 308. GE lit and diversity global studies course.
Comparative Studies 3645H Cultures of Medicine
Professor David Horn
TR 11:10AM-12:30PM (Honors section)
Humanistic, scientific, and clinical perspectives on medical issues; literary uses of medical themes; medicine as art and science. GE cultures and ideas and diversity global studies course. Honors version.
Comparative Studies 4597.03 Global FolkloreProfessor Katherine Borland
WF 11:10am-12:30pm
This course provides an introduction to contemporary folklore from around the world. How do people from all walks of life create expressive or aesthetic culture in their everyday lives? How do communities and groups mark themselves and maintain a collective sense of themselves as distinct from other communities/groups, particularly in the midst of globalization? What does it mean to respect and conserve cultural as well as biological diversity? Students will begin by learning key concepts of folklore scholarship: culture, tradition, performance, genre, the local/global distinction, the folk/popular divide, the dynamics of tradition and innovation in folklore production. Through an exploration of these concepts, students will develop an expansive definition of folklore as both the means by which groups distinguish themselves and the bridges among diverse communities. Additionally, we will explore a set of special topics in folklore through readings and films from various regions of the world. We will focus on the transmission and transformation of cultural knowledge and practice in situations of want, conflict, and upheaval. Prereq: Completion of a Second Writing course. Not open to students with credit for 597.02. GE diversity global studies and cross-disciplinary seminar course.
GE Diversity: Social Diversity in the US
Comparative Studies 2105 Literature and Ethnicity
Professor Miranda Martinez
TR 11:10-12:30PM
In this introductory level course, students will explore representations and critiques of ethnic identity in literature and film. Since ethnicity often intersects with race, class, gender, sexuality and disability in both its actual social construction and in representation, we will devote some time to understanding these terms/theories and their meanings before engaging in close reading and visual analysis of select texts. This course will largely be focused on understanding and unpacking literature and film about ethnicity. We will learn about the distinctiveness of each literary or cinematic form we study as well as the significance of this form to the particular social, historical and aesthetic contexts that a text embraces or invokes. Students will learn about key categories of analysis, diverse literary and cinematic forms and the art of reading and interpreting literary and visual texts. Students will also learn approaches to understanding ethnicity. Assignments will include quizzes, short critical essays and leading class discussion. GE Literature and Social Diversity in the U.S. Prereq: English 1110 (110) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 205. GE lit and diversity soc div in the US course.
Comparative Studies 2281 American Icons
Andrew Lyness
TR 3:55-5:15PM
Interdisciplinary methods in American studies; emphasis on the plurality of identities in American culture. Prereq: English 1110 (110) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 234. GE cultures and ideas and diversity soc div in the US course.
Comparative Studies 2321 Introduction to Asian American Studies
Professor Martin Ponce
MW 2:20-3:40PM
This course introduces students to Asian American Studies by examining some of the main themes, issues, and problems that the field has grappled with since its emergence as an academic interdiscipline in the late 1960s. Reading and viewing across literary and film genres (novel, autobiography, graphic narrative, essay, poetry, documentary, feature film), we will consider a variety of topics central to the field, including the relation between activism and academia in the formation of Asian American Studies, Chinese immigration and exclusion, Japanese American internment and its legal legacies in the post-9/11 era, U.S. colonialism in the Philippines and its effects on Filipino Americans, the Viet Nam War and its consequences for Vietnamese Americans, Korean transnational/transracial adoption, South Asian Americans and the model minority myth, the conundrums that queer genders and sexualities pose for Asian American individuals and communities, and the politics of Asian American Studies in the present. Prereq: English 1110 (110), or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 241. GE cultures and ideas course and diversity soc div in the US course.
Comparative Studies 2322 Introduction to Latino Studies
Professor Paloma Martinez-Cruz
WF 11:10AM-12:30PM
This course is an introduction to Latino Studies, a discipline that studies the experience and condition of U.S. Latinos – including Mexican, Caribbean and Latin American. It treats Latino Studies as an interdisciplinary arena, drawing from both the social sciences and humanities.
The course presents and analyzes scholarly works that include theoretical models, methodological strategies, and analytical approaches to learning about U.S. Latinos. We will take a social science approach to understand the demographics, immigration and socioeconomic incorporation of distinct Latino/a groups, and we will discuss policy issues related to growing Latino/a visibility in U.S. society. We will use fiction, essays and poetry to understand the historical and actual experience of Latinos/as, and the distinct cultural and political expressions that have emerged through the Latino/a encounters with U.S. politics and culture. Prereq: English 1110 (110) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 242, or Spanish 2242. GE cultures and ideas and diversity soc div in the US course. Cross-listed in Spanish 2242.
Comparative Studies 2367.04 Science and Technology in American Culture
Sections:
TR 8:00-9:20AM, Nancy Jesser
MWF 1:50-2:45PM, Instructor TBA
Role of science and technology in contemporary American society; their relationship to human values; sources of concern about their impact; evaluation of selected issues. Prereq: English 1110 (110), or equiv, and Soph standing. Not open to students with credit for 2367.04H (367.02H) or 367.02. GE writing and comm: level 2 and cultures and ideas and diversity soc div in the US course.
Comparative Studies 2367.07 Religious Diversity in the U.S.
Amanda Randhawa, MWF 8:00-8:55AM
Instructors TBA: MWF 10:20-11:15AM, WF 11:10-12:30
Exploration of the concept of religious freedom and the position of minority religious groups in American society. Prereq: English 1110 (110) or equiv and Soph standing. Not open to students with credit for 367.03. GE writing and comm: level 2 and cultures and ideas and diversity soc div in the US course.
Comparative Studies 2367.08 American Identity in the World
Multiple Sections and Instructors: Please check Buckeyelink for more information
American culture viewed from inside and from the perspective of foreign cultures, as seen in literature, film, art, music, journalism, folklore, and popular culture. Prereq: English 1110 (110), or equiv, and Soph standing. Not open to students with credit for 2367.08H (367.01H) or 367.01. GE writing and comm: level 2 and cultures and ideas and diversity soc div in the US course.
Comparative Studies 3686 Cultural Studies in American Popular Musics
Professor Barry Shank
WF 2:20-3:40PM
This course focuses on the critical analysis of 20th and 21st century popular music in the US. Students should come away from this class with skills of critical listening and thinking that allow them to trace musical influences across historical periods and musical genres, to understand the impact of commodification and commercialization on the development of popular music, to analyze the relationship of musical performance with embodied identities (especially gender, sexuality and race), and to discuss the social and political grounds of musical pleasure. We will begin by developing an interpretive model that will provide the tools for understanding popular music in its historical and cultural context. We will then read a set of case studies about topics in popular music. The main goal of the case studies is to provoke insight and dialogue about the connections between musical pleasure and social life. An important secondary goal is to provide you with examples of high quality scholarship about popular music. Prereq: English 1110 (110) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 336. GE VPA and diversity soc div in the US course.
GE Cultures and Ideas
Comparative Studies 2210 The Jewish Mystical Tradition
Professor Michael Swartz
TR 2:20-3:40PM
The history of Jewish mysticism from antiquity to the present, with emphasis on its implications for the comparative study of religious experience. Prereq: English 1110 (110) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 2210H (376H), 376, Hebrew 2210 (376), 2210H (376H), RelStds 376, JewshSt 2210, or 2210H. GE cultures and ideas and diversity global studies course. Cross-listed in Hebrew and JewshSt
Comparative Studies 2264 Introduction to Popular Culture StudiesInstructor TBA
WF 2:20PM-3:40PM
Introduction to the analysis of popular culture texts, with special emphasis on the relationship between popular culture studies and literary studies. Prereq: English 1110 (110) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 264, or English 2264 (264). Cross-listed in English. GE cultures and ideas course.
Comparative Studies 2281 American Icons
Andrew Lyness
TR 3:55-5:15PM
Interdisciplinary methods in American studies; emphasis on the plurality of identities in American culture. GE cultures and ideas and diversity soc div in the US course. Prereq: English 1110 (110) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 234. GE cultures and ideas and diversity soc div in the US course.
Comparative Studies 2321 Introduction to Asian American StudiesProfessor Martin Ponce
MW 2:20-3:40PM
This course introduces students to Asian American Studies by examining some of the main themes, issues, and problems that the field has grappled with since its emergence as an academic interdiscipline in the late 1960s. Reading and viewing across literary and film genres (novel, autobiography, graphic narrative, essay, poetry, documentary, feature film), we will consider a variety of topics central to the field, including the relation between activism and academia in the formation of Asian American Studies, Chinese immigration and exclusion, Japanese American internment and its legal legacies in the post-9/11 era, U.S. colonialism in the Philippines and its effects on Filipino Americans, the Viet Nam War and its consequences for Vietnamese Americans, Korean transnational/transracial adoption, South Asian Americans and the model minority myth, the conundrums that queer genders and sexualities pose for Asian American individuals and communities, and the politics of Asian American Studies in the present. Prereq: English 1110 (110), or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 241. GE cultures and ideas course and diversity soc div in the US course.
Comparative Studies 2322 Introduction to Latino Studies
Professor Paloma Martinez-Cruz
WF 11:10AM-12:30PM
This course is an introduction to Latino Studies, a discipline that studies the experience and condition of U.S. Latinos – including Mexican, Caribbean and Latin American. It treats Latino Studies as an interdisciplinary arena, drawing from both the social sciences and humanities.
The course presents and analyzes scholarly works that include theoretical models, methodological strategies, and analytical approaches to learning about U.S. Latinos. We will take a social science approach to understand the demographics, immigration and socioeconomic incorporation of distinct Latino/a groups, and we will discuss policy issues related to growing Latino/a visibility in U.S. society. We will use fiction, essays and poetry to understand the historical and actual experience of Latinos/as, and the distinct cultural and political expressions that have emerged through the Latino/a encounters with U.S. politics and culture. Prereq: English 1110 (110) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 242, or Spanish 2242. GE cultures and ideas and diversity soc div in the US course. Cross-listed in Spanish 2242.
Comparative Studies 2340 Introduction to Cultures of Science and Technology
Instructor TBA
TR 9:35-10:55AM
Critical analysis of the multiple relations of science to society, with emphasis on knowledge, power, authority, values, and ethics. Prereq: English 1110 (110), or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 2341 (272). GE cultures and ideas and diversity global studies course.
Comparative Studies 2341 Technology, Science, and Society
Professor David Horn
Lecture TR 9:10-10:05AM
Check Buckeyelink for recitation times
Critical analysis of the relations among science, technology, and culture, with particular emphasis on ethical issues in technology and engineering. Prereq: English 1110.01 (110.01) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 2340 (272). GE cultures and ideas and diversity global studies course.
Comparative Studies 2350 (Eng 2270) Introduction to Folklore
Sections:
WF 11:10AM-12:30PM, Instructor TBA
TR 3:55-5:15PM, Professor Ray Cashman
Folklore is the culture that people make for themselves. Not all of us are specialists, but all of us tell stories, shape our environments, cultivate communities, and take care of our souls and our bodies. The forms of folklore circulate from person to person and group to group, adapting to every change of situation: they are both traditional and new with every performance. This course introduces you to some of these forms and the ways that folklorists study them. You'll learn the basics of these folkloristic skills:
• Field observation and ethnography. Learn how to size up an unfamiliar situation, participate in it appropriately, and describe it in writing.
• Interviewing and rigorous listening. Learn how to understand what someone is telling you without imposing your own agenda on the conversation.
• Understanding diversity. Learn how communities in the US and internationally develop distinctive forms of expression that can foster strong identities, conflicts, and cultural bridges.
• Interpreting culture. Learn how to “read” a wide variety of cultural messages according to their own conventions
Connecting the languages of the academy to the idioms of ordinary people. Learn how more effective mutual listening can take place between communities, experts, and institutions.
Comparative Studies 2360 Introduction to Comparative Cultural Studies
Carolyn Elerding
MWF 11:30AM-12:25PM
Introduction to interdisciplinary field of cultural studies; emphasis on relation of cultural production to power, knowledge, and authority, globally and locally. Prereq: English 1110 (110) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 274. GE cultures and ideas course.
Comparative Studies 2367.04 Science and Technology in American Culture
Sections:
TR 8:00-9:20AM, Nancy Jesser
MWF 1:50-2:45PM, Instructors TBA
Role of science and technology in contemporary American society; their relationship to human values; sources of concern about their impact; evaluation of selected issues. Prereq: English 1110 (110), or equiv, and Soph standing. Not open to students with credit for 2367.04H (367.02H) or 367.02. GE writing and comm: level 2 and cultures and ideas and diversity soc div in the US course.
Comparative Studies 2367.07 Religious Diversity in the U.S.
Amanda Randhawa, MWF 8:00-8:55AM
Instructors TBA: MWF 10:20-11:15AM, WF 11:10-12:30
Exploration of the concept of religious freedom and the position of minority religious groups in American society. Prereq: English 1110 (110) or equiv and Soph standing. Not open to students with credit for 367.03. GE writing and comm: level 2 and cultures and ideas and diversity soc div in the US course.
Comparative Studies 2367.08 American Identity in the World
Multiple Sections and Instructors: Please check Buckeyelink for more information
American culture viewed from inside and from the perspective of foreign cultures, as seen in literature, film, art, music, journalism, folklore, and popular culture. Prereq: English 1110 (110), or equiv, and Soph standing. Not open to students with credit for 2367.08H (367.01H) or 367.01. GE writing and comm: level 2 and cultures and ideas and diversity soc div in the US course.
Comparative Studies 2370 Introduction to Comparative Religion
Professor Isaac Weiner
Lecture WF 9:10-10:05AM
Recitation sections Mondays 9:10-10:05AM and Fridays 10:20-11:15AM
This course is intended to provide a general introduction to the comparative study of religions. It is structured around three fundamental questions: (1) what is (and is not) a religion? (2) what are the major similarities and differences among the world’s religions? (3) what is religious pluralism, and what are some of the challenges that pluralism poses for thinking about religion’s place in the world today?
We will begin by orienting ourselves to the academic study of religions. We will continue by surveying a range of religious traditions, including Native American religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Finally, we will try to make sense of the contemporary religious landscapes by examining some new religious movements, as well as the rise of religious “nones” and the “spiritual but not religious.” The class is open to all students; prior knowledge is assumed. Prereq: English 1110 (110) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 270 or 2370H (270H). GE cultures and ideas and diversity global studies course.
Comparative Studies 2370H Introduction to Comparative Religion
Instructor TBA
TR 12:45-2:05PM (Honors Section)
This course is intended to provide a general introduction to the comparative study of religions. It is structured around three fundamental questions: (1) what is (and is not) a religion? (2) what are the major similarities and differences among the world’s religions? (3) what is religious pluralism, and what are some of the challenges that pluralism poses for thinking about religion’s place in the world today?
We will begin by orienting ourselves to the academic study of religions. We will continue by surveying a range of religious traditions, including Native American religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Finally, we will try to make sense of the contemporary religious landscapes by examining some new religious movements, as well as the rise of religious “nones” and the “spiritual but not religious.” The class is open to all students; prior knowledge is assumed. Prereq: English 1110 (110) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 270 or 2370H (270H). GE cultures and ideas and diversity global studies course.
Comparative Studies 2670 Science and Religion
Professor Isaac Weiner
WF 11:10AM-12:30PM.
Is there a war between science and religion? Do the truth claims of these two forms of knowledge compete in ways that force us to choose one or the other as our primary allegiance? Are there other options for understanding the relationship between faith and rationality that allow us to integrate different forms of knowledge and different types of truth?
In this course, we will explore a range of historical and contemporary perspectives on the relation between science and religion. We will also assess the value of these competing frameworks by applying them to concrete controversies and cases, including the Galileo affair, debates about evolution and human origins, and contemporary “biocognitive” explanations of religion. Readings for this course will include primary historical and legal documents, as well as academic writings by religion scholars, philosophers, historians, anthropologists, and others. There will also be a few schedules film screenings. The class is open to all students; no prior knowledge is assumed. Prereq: Not open to students with credit for 170 or Philos 2860 (170). GE cultures and ideas course. Cross-listed in Philos 2860
Comparative Studies 3302 Translating Literatures and Cultures
Patricia Sieber
TR 2:20PM-3:40PM
This course explores the theory and practice of translation between languages, cultural contexts, and historical periods. We will read a series of theoretical texts on translation and relate them to case studies drawn from literature, politics, religion and philosophy involving the U.S., Europe, and East Asia. Our discussions will explore some of the following questions: How has translation been theorized over the centuries? What cultural factors contribute to the sustained practice of translation? What is gained and what is lost in translation? Who are the translators and how are they viewed? What are the political stakes and cultural ramifications of translation? How do taboos, laws, and censorship affect translation? How has translation changed societies in the West and in East Asia? What are the dilemmas and opportunities for future translators? We will also engage in hands-on exercises to acquaint ourselves with the joys, quandaries, and theoretical issues of translation from a practical perspective. Basic knowledge of a foreign language (two semester minimum or equivalent) is sufficient to participate in this task. Prereq: English 1110 (110), or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 3302E (373E) or 373. GE cultures and ideas and diversity global studies course.
Comparative Studies 3302E Translating Literatures and Cultures
Professor Patricia Sieber
TR 2:20-3:40PM
Introduction to issues and problems inherent to translating literatures and cultures. Prereq: Honors standing, and English 1110 (110), or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 3302 (373) or 373E. GE cultures and ideas and diversity global studies course. Embedded honors version.
Comparative Studies 3645H Cultures of Medicine
Professor David Horn
TR 11:10AM-12:30PM (Honors section)
Humanistic, scientific, and clinical perspectives on medical issues; literary uses of medical themes; medicine as art and science.
GE cultures and ideas and diversity global studies course. Honors version. (top of page)
GE Visual and Performing Arts
Comparative Studies 3607 Film and Literature as Narrative Art
Sections:
Lucia Bortoli, M 12:10-2:00PM and WF 12:40-1:35PM
Jason Payne, MW 5:20-6:15PM and F 4:25-6:15
Relationships between film and literature; emergence of cinematic art as a form of representation with emphasis on diverse cultural traditions. Prereq: English 1110 (110) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 3607H (358H, 358). GE VPA and diversity global studies course.
Comparative Studies 3686 Cultural Studies in American Popular Musics
Professor Barry Shank
WF 2:20-3:40PM
This course focuses on the critical analysis of 20th and 21st century popular music in the US. Students should come away from this class with skills of critical listening and thinking that allow them to trace musical influences across historical periods and musical genres, to understand the impact of commodification and commercialization on the development of popular music, to analyze the relationship of musical performance with embodied identities (especially gender, sexuality and race), and to discuss the social and political grounds of musical pleasure. We will begin by developing an interpretive model that will provide the tools for understanding popular music in its historical and cultural context. We will then read a set of case studies about topics in popular music. The main goal of the case studies is to provoke insight and dialogue about the connections between musical pleasure and social life. An important secondary goal is to provide you with examples of high quality scholarship about popular music. Prereq: English 1110 (110) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 336. GE VPA and diversity soc div in the US course.
GE Writing and Communication: Level 2
Comparative Studies 2367.04 Science and Technology in American Culture
Sections:
TR 8:00-9:20AM, Nancy Jesser
MWF 1:50-2:45PM, Instructors TBA
Role of science and technology in contemporary American society; their relationship to human values; sources of concern about their impact; evaluation of selected issues. Prereq: English 1110 (110), or equiv, and Soph standing. Not open to students with credit for 2367.04H (367.02H) or 367.02. GE writing and comm: level 2 and cultures and ideas and diversity soc div in the US course.
Comparative Studies 2367.07 Religious Diversity in the U.S.
Amanda Randhawa, MWF 8:00-8:55AM
Instructors TBA: MWF 10:20-11:15AM, WF 11:10-12:30
Exploration of the concept of religious freedom and the position of minority religious groups in American society. Prereq: English 1110 (110) or equiv and Soph standing. Not open to students with credit for 367.03. GE writing and comm: level 2 and cultures and ideas and diversity soc div in the US course.
Comparative Studies 2367.08 American Identity in the World
Multiple Sections and Instructors: Please check Buckeyelink for more information
American culture viewed from inside and from the perspective of foreign cultures, as seen in literature, film, art, music, journalism, folklore, and popular culture
. Prereq: English 1110 (110), or equiv, and Soph standing. Not open to students with credit for 2367.08H (367.01H) or 367.01. GE writing and comm: level 2 and cultures and ideas and diversity soc div in the US course.(top of page)
GE Cross Disciplinary Seminar
Comparative Studies 4597.03 Global Folklore
Professor Katherine Borland
WF 11:10am-12:30pm
This course provides an introduction to contemporary folklore from around the world. How do people from all walks of life create expressive or aesthetic culture in their everyday lives? How do communities and groups mark themselves and maintain a collective sense of themselves as distinct from other communities/groups, particularly in the midst of globalization? What does it mean to respect and conserve cultural as well as biological diversity? Students will begin by learning key concepts of folklore scholarship: culture, tradition, performance, genre, the local/global distinction, the folk/popular divide, the dynamics of tradition and innovation in folklore production. Through an exploration of these concepts, students will develop an expansive definition of folklore as both the means by which groups distinguish themselves and the bridges among diverse communities. Additionally, we will explore a set of special topics in folklore through readings and films from various regions of the world. We will focus on the transmission and transformation of cultural knowledge and practice in situations of want, conflict, and upheaval. Prereq: Completion of a Second Writing course. Not open to students with credit for 597.02. GE diversity global studies and cross-disciplinary seminar course.
(top of page)
