Comparative Studies
Comparative Studies 1100 Introduction to the Humanities: Cross-Cultural Perspectives
Multiple 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. GE Literature and Diversity: Global Studies. Honors version.
*Other sections of 1100 can be found on buckeye link
Comparative Studies 2099 Question of Comparative Studies
Mo 5:20PM – 6:15PM | Hagerty Hall 451| Isaac Weiner
This course offers an introduction to the Comparative Studies major. It is designed to help students to take advantage of curricular, research, and advising opportunities; to manage the particular challenges of independent and interdisciplinary work; to link classroom work to social and political engagement with relevant communities; and to prepare for life after graduation. This course is graded S/U.
Comparative Studies 2101 Literature and Society
TuTh 9:35-10:55AM | Denney Hall 250 | Theresa Delgadillo
This course explores the relationship between literature and society by studying texts that either address social and political themes or imagine individuals defined, constrained or enmeshed in social and political systems. We will read literature (novel, poetry, memoir) and view films that center characters who face difficult situations and choices such as: undocumented status; economic hardship; discrimination based on race, gender, sexuality or ability; police/state surveillance or brutality; social exclusion; second-class citizenship; or lack of access to opportunity. Of course, we will also see characters showing strength, resilience, strategic planning, hope and defiance as they struggle to overcome these situations. Much of our literature will touch on varied socio-political contexts, including in the U.S., the hemisphere, and the globe. In our study of literature and film, we will pay attention, in equal measure, to, on the one hand, form, shape, language, structure; and, on the other hand, context and content, because both are relevant to deciphering the social engagements of a text. Questions we might pursue include: How do we weigh individual interests, desires and needs against those of social groups or society generally? Is writing a social or political act? Does society grant the same privileges and opportunities to all? What is social? What is political? What is literary? GE Literature and Diversity: Global Studies. Honors version.
Comparative Studies 2104 Literature, Science, and Technology
WeFr 11:10-12:30PM | Campbell Hall 309 | Nancy Jesser
Study of relationships among literature, science, and technology; analysis of representations of science and technology in literature and film of diverse cultures and historical periods. GE Literature and Diversity: Global Studies. Honors version.
Comparative Studies 2105 Literature and Ethnicity
TuTh 9:35-10:55AM | Cockins Hall 218 | Kawku Korang
Study of relationships between literature and ethnicity; analysis of concepts of ethnicity as represented in literature and film of diverse cultures and historical periods. GE Literature and Diversity: Social Diversity in the U.S.
Comparative Studies 2220 Intro to South Asian Studies
TBA | TBA | Ila Nager
A multi-disciplinary introduction to South Asia's geographical, political, cultural, and religious contexts and connections. Cross-listed in NELC. GE Cultures and Ideas and Diversity: Global Studies.
Comparative Studies 2264 Intro to Popular Culture Studies
Multiple Sections
Introduction to the analysis of popular culture texts, with special emphasis on the relationship between popular culture studies and literary studies. Cross-listed in English. GE Cultures and Ideas.
*Other sections of 2264 can be found on buckeye link
Comparative Studies 2281 American Icons
TuTh 3:55-5:15PM | McPherson Lab 1041 | Jason Payne
Interdisciplinary methods in American studies; emphasis on the plurality of identities in American culture. GE Cultures and Ideas and Diversity: Social Diversity in the US.
Comparative Studies 2301 Intro to World Literature
TuTh 11:10-12:30PM | Hayes Hall 025 | Ashley Perez
Have you ever thought about the fact that the idea of north as “up” is arbitrary? Even though north is no more “up” than south is “down,” these and other received ideas affect the way we see the world and the literatures in the world. This class focuses on learning to see culture, space, and literature in new ways. We will closely examine the idea of “world literature” itself, and we will consider the linguistic, cultural, technological, and economic networks that make texts from around the globe available to us. For example, how is the world of literature shaped by the fact that writers in many places can only access a significant audience by writing in English or producing works that “travel well” via translation? How do we imagine relationships between the works we read (a tiny fraction) and the many we do not? These topics will be explored through discussion of 20th- and 21st-century texts from five geopolitical areas: the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Latin and Central America/the Caribbean, and Europe/North America. In addition to engaged in-class and online discussion, course assignments include short papers and a presentation. All assignments will help you pursue the course goals and participate deeply in a community of learners. This course meets GE requirements in Literature and Diversity (Global Studies).
Comparative Studies 2321 Intro to Asian American Studies
TuTh 11:10-12:30PM | Jennings Hall 140 | Eunice Uhm
This course provides an introduction to Asian American Studies by examining some of the main themes and historical events that the field has focused on since it emerged in the late 1960s. By reading academic texts (history, social science, cultural criticism) and examining cultural production of Asian Americans, we will consider a variety of topics that extend from the 19th century to the present. This course will help students consider and analyze the ways that race and ethnicity intersect with class, gender, sexuality, dis/ability, location, and other social differences to produce the heterogeneous imaginary known as “Asian America. GE: Cultures and Ideas, Social Diversity in the U.S.
Comparative Studies 2322 Intro to Latino Studies
TuTh 9:35-10:55AM | Gateway Film Center House 1 | Danielle Orozco
Introduction to Latino studies; history, politics, and cultural production of Latino/a communities in the U.S. and its borderlands. GE Cultures and Ideas and Diversity: Social Diversity in the US. Cross-listed in Spanish 2242.
Comparative Studies 2340 Intro to Cultures of Science and Technology
TuTh 2:20-3:40PM | Cockins Hall 312 | Noah Tamarkin
This class provides an introduction to the field of Science & Technology Studies. Science & Technology Studies, often referred to as STS, is an interdisciplinary field that examines how science and technology are shaped by and shape culture and society. STS brings the sciences, social sciences, and humanities together by asking questions such as: How do we know what we know? What do we mean when we talk about things like facts, objectivity, and scientific methods? How do historical and social contexts shape the production of science, and how does science in turn shape our world, our experiences, and our relationships? As we address these questions, we will familiarize ourselves with critical thought about science and technology, including key historical, sociological, and anthropological theories and case studies. We will learn to think critically about how scientific practice claims access to truth, reason, and universality, while also developing literacy in reading, understanding, and evaluating both scientific claims and claims about science and scientific knowledge, practices, and products. Together, we will hone our analytical skills by discussing a broad range of contemporary issues in which scientific knowledge and technological capacity are entwined with the power relations of race, sex, global capitalism, and politics. This course is an experiment in collective knowledge production in which we will all participate, and throughout the course, we will follow the ideas of knowledge, culture, politics, and power as they relate to science and technology. These themes organize the course into two units: 1. ways of knowing: science as culture and cultures of science and technology; 2. Science, Society, Politics, and Power. GE Cultures and Ideas and Diversity: Global Studies.
Comparative Studies 2341 Technology, Science, and Society
Multiple Sections
Critical analysis of the relations among science, technology, and culture, with particular emphasis on ethical issues in technology and engineering. GE Cultures and Ideas and Diversity: Global Studies.
*Other sections of 2341 can be found on buckeye link
Comparative Studies 2350 Intro to Folklore
TuTh 11:10-12:30PM | University Hall 038 | Staff
A general study of the field of folklore including basic approaches and a survey of primary folk materials: folktales, legends, folksongs, ballads, and folk beliefs. GE Cultures and Ideas. Honors version. Cross-listed in English.
Comparative Studies 2350H Intro to Folklore-honors
WF 2:20-3:40PM | Jennings Hall 041 | Borland
A general study of the field of folklore including basic approaches and a survey of primary folk materials: folktales, legends, folksongs, ballads, and folk beliefs. GE Cultures and Ideas. Honors version. Cross-listed in English
Comparative Studies 2360 Intro to Comparative Cultural Studies
WF 11:10-12:30PM | University Hall 038 | Franco Barchiesi
Introduction to interdisciplinary field of cultural studies; emphasis on relation of cultural production to power, knowledge, and authority, globally and locally. GE Cultures and Ideas.
Comparative Studies 2367.02 US Latino Identity
TuTh 2:20-3:40PM | Enarson 214 | Miranda Martinez
Latino/a identity in the U.S.; emphasis on Latino/a cultural history and expression and on role of race, class, gender, and sexuality in identity construction. GE Writing and Communication: Level 2 and Diversity: Social Diversity in the US.
Comparative Studies 2367.04 Science and Technology in US Culture
Multiple Sections
Role of science and technology in contemporary American society; their relationship to human values; sources of concern about their impact; evaluation of selected issues. GE Writing and Communication: Level 2 and Cultures and Ideas and Diversity: Social Diversity in the US. Honors version.
Comparative Studies 2367.07 Religious Diversity in America
MWF 9:10-10:05AM | Enarson 240 | Joanna Toy
Exploration of the concept of religious freedom and the position of minority religious groups in American society. GE Writing and Communication: Level 2 and Cultures and Ideas and Diversity: Social Diversity in the US.
Comparative Studies 2367.08 American Identity in the World
Multiple Sections
American culture viewed from inside and from the perspective of foreign cultures, as seen in literature, film, art, music, journalism, folklore, and popular culture. GE Writing and Communication: Level 2 and Cultures and Ideas and Diversity: Social Diversity in the US. Honors version.
Comparative Studies 2420 American Food Cultures
TTh 12:45-2:05PM | Denney Hall 214 | Rick Livingston
Historical perspective on the development of the American food system, including associated discourses and cultures, leading to exploration of contemporary concerns about industrial food, the American diet, and the politics surrounding these issues. GE cultures and ideas and diversity soc div in the US course.
Comparative Studies 3052 Mediterranean Voyages: Migration and Travel
WeFr 11:10-12:30PM | Hagerty 071 | Staff
Comparative Studies 3302 Translating Literature and Cultures
TuTh 11:10-12:30PM | Journalism Building 387 | Gregory Jusdanis
Introduction to issues and problems inherent to translating literatures and cultures. GE Cultures and Ideas and Diversity: Global Studies. Embedded honors version.
Comparative Studies 3603 Love in World Literature
Multiple Sections
Selected representations of love in different cultures and time periods. GE Literature and Diversity: Global Studies. Honors version.
Comparative Studies 3606 Quest in World Literature
TuTh 9:35-10:55AM | McPherson 2015 | Lucia Bortoli
Motif of the quest in world literature; physical and mental journeys as metaphors of personal transformation and salvation. GE Literature and Diversity: Global Studies.
Comparative Studies 3607 Film and Literature as Narrative Art
Multiple Sections
Relationships between film and literature; emergence of cinematic art as a form of representation with emphasis on diverse cultural traditions. GE Visual and Performing Arts and Diversity: Global Studies. Honors version.
Comparative Studies 3608 Representations of the Experience of War
Mulitple Sections
Representations of war in works of literature, religious texts, and film from diverse cultures and time periods. GE Literature and Diversity: Global Studies
Comparative Studies 3620 Everyday Life in South Asia
Mo 2:15-5PM | Derby Hall 048 | Staff
An examination of everyday life as experienced by members of the culturally diverse population of South Asia. GE Cultures and Ideas. Cross-listed in NELC.
Comparative Studies 3645 Cultures of Medicine
TuTh 2:20-3:40PM | Mendenhall Lab 185 | David Horn
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. Honors version.
Comparative Studies 3661 The City and Culture
TuTh 12:45-2:05PM | Mendenhall Lab 185 | Miranda Martinez
Introduction to the comparative and cross-cultural study of cities, urban culture, and urbanism. Cross-listed in IntStds.
Comparative Studies 3686 Cultural Studies of American Popular Music
TuTh 12:45-2:05PM | Mendenhall 115 | Barry Shank
Investigation of the social, political, and cultural contexts of the development of popular musics in the U.S. GE Visual and Performing Arts and Diversity: Social Diversity in the US.
Comparative Studies 3990 Approaches to Comparative Studies
WF 11:10-12:30PM | PAES Building A109 | Katherine Borland
Introduces comparative studies majors to theoretical tools, methods of investigation, and key concepts in comparative studies research and scholarship. CompStd major, or permission of instructor.
Comparative Studies 4597.02 Global Culture
TuTh 3:55-5:15PM | Jennings 140 | Philip Armstrong
Examines contemporary global cultural flows, the concepts useful in analyzing them, and the questions they raise about power and cultural change.
Prereq: Completion of Second Writing course. Not open to students with credit for 597.02. GE Diversity: Global Studies and Cross-Disciplinary Seminar.
Comparative Studies 4921 Intersections: Approaches to Race, Gender, Class, and Sexuality
WF 9:35-10:55AM | Hale Hall 110B | Maurice Stevens
Examines intersections of race, gender, class, and sexuality in various sites within American culture (e.g., legal system, civil rights discourse, social justice movements). Not open to students with credit for 545, or AfAmAst 4921 (545), or WGSSt 4921 (545). Cross-listed in AfAmASt 4921 and WGSSt 4921.
Comparative Studies 5691 Topics in Comparative Studies, Be the Street: Community-Engaged Arts Partnerships Fall 2019
M 2:15-5:00PM | Hagerty Hall 359 | Moriah Flagler
In association with the “Be the Street” community-engaged performance project, this graduate level special topics course offers students hands on experience building and sustaining community arts partnerships while actively examining theories, practices, pedagogies, and politics associated with creative community development. Students will practice ethnography by facilitating story circles, conducting interviews, and engaging with community leaders in the Hilltop area of Columbus. There will be opportunities for writing, both for our website and for academic audiences (if students are interested). This course requires time for fieldwork in the Hilltop outside of class. Students must have access to reliable transportation or discuss this with the instructor.
Students interested in enrolling should contact the instructor, Moriah Flagler, with any questions: flagler.4@osu.edu.
Religious Studies
Religious Studies 2102.01 Literature and Religion
WF 11:10-12:30PM | Mendenhall 131 | Spencer Dew
Study of relationships between religion and secular literature; analysis of religious and spiritual elements of literature and film of diverse cultures and historical periods. GE Literature and Diversity: Global Studies. Honors version.
Religious Studies 2370 Intro to Comparative Religion
TuTh 9:35-10:55AM | Hitchcock Hall 324 | Hugh Urban
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 isn’t) 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 landscape 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; no prior knowledge is assumed. It fulfills GE requirements in Cultures and Ideas and Diversity: Global Studies.
Religious Studies 2370H Intro to Comparative Religion
MWF 1:50-2:45PM | Enarson 240 | Sarah Johnston
Religious Studies 2677 Religion and Environmentalism
TuTh 2:20-3:40PM | McPherson Lab 2015 | Melissa Curley
Examines the complex intersections between religion and environmental movements globally, exploring the ways in which religious understandings of the nature of the world and humanity's place in it have both inspired and discouraged engagement with environmental activism.
Religious Studies 3673 The Buddhist Tradition
TuTh 2:20-3:40PM | Hayes Hall 005 | Patricia Sieber
History and structure of Buddhism from founding to present in South, Southeast, and East Asia; emphasis on rituals, beliefs, and local and regional variations. Cross-listed in EALL.
Religious Studies 3679 Popular Culture and World Religion
TuTh 11:10-12:30PM | TBA | Melissa Curley
The representation of religion in visual culture, in the United States and around the world; the ways that religious traditions are represented or misrepresented; the ways religious traditions appropriate popular culture for their own purposes; new forms of religious practice and community that grow directly out of popular culture
Religious Studies 3972H Varieties of Christianity
WF 2:20-3:40PM | Ramseyer Hall 166 | Spencer Dew