Fall UA Humanities Seminars start September 30
by Carolyn Classen on Sep. 27, 2011, under Education, Life 
UA Humanities Seminars Offers Six Courses this Fall – from press release & website
“The University of Arizona’s Humanities Seminars Program will explore subjects that include the fall of the Roman Republic; the religion of Islam; the Gothic phenomenon in fiction and film; travels in human consciousness as reflected in literature; and the history and art of dancing, and climate change this fall for members of the Tucson community. All seminars will be led by UA faculty members.”
–Travels in Consciousness
Norman Austin, Professor Emeritus of the Department of Classics will teach a course entitled Travels in Consciousness on Fridays 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. starting September 30 to December 16. This seminar will explore the history of consciousness as reflected in a variety of texts. Readings will range widely, from Bronze Age Greece to American authors of the Twentieth Century. By “consciousness” is meant the ways in which individuals conceive of themselves and their world; it has to do not only with thought but also with feeling, volition, and behavior. There will be a wide range of course readings from Homer to Toni Morrison.–Dancing: Body & Soul
From October 3 to December 12, in ten three-hour sessions, Prof. Emeritus of Dance and International Studies, John Wilson, will survey the diverse forms of dance in many cultures of the world. Special study will be given to the development of dance in Ancient Greece that provided the foundation for dance as an art form in Western Civilization. The course will meet from 9:00 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Mondays.–Fall of the Roman Empire
On Tuesday mornings from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. Visiting Assistant Professor in Classics Mike Lippman will track the downward spiral of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Roman Empire, starting from about 146 BC and continuing through the Battle of Actium of 31 BC, where Octavian established his sole reign as ruler of the Mediterranean. The course will meet from October 4 through December 13.–Religion of Islam
Associate professor Scott Lucas will explore the beliefs and cultures of Islam and the Muslim world by covering the life and teachings of Muhammad, major themes of the Qur’an, and the primary differences between Sunni and Shi’i Muslims. His course will meet on Wednesdays for two hours, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. from October 5 through December 14.–Classics of the “Gothic”: From Fiction to Film
Prof. Jerry Hogle from the Department of English will concentrate on Gothic literature, theatre and more recently, films, which have been a part of Western culture for over 250 years. These ideas, which present us with heightened–and sometimes lurid and monstrous—symbols of what really haunts us as a culture in our subconscious, began as a literary form in the 1760s. The class will meet on Thursday mornings from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. from October 6 through December 15.– Climate Change: Natural and Otherwise
Jonathan Overpeck, Co-Director of the UA Institute of the Environment will offer a seminar on Wednesdays 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. October 19, 26, November 2, 9, 2011. This course will give students an understanding of how the Earth’s climate changes naturally, as well as how humans are driving this change. We will explore what is likely to happen in the future, resulting both from natural change and change driven by the human-caused rise of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere and other influences.All courses take place in the Dorothy Rubel Room in the Helen S. Schaefer Building at 1508 East Helen Street, one block north of Speedway and three blocks west of Campbell. There is convenient parking in the Highland Garage across the street from the classroom.
For more information about these courses or the Humanities Seminars Program go to http://humanities.arizona.edu/humanities-seminar-program/current-courses or call Program Coordinator Kerstin Miller at (520) 626-7845 or email her at humansem@email.arizona.edu.
The website features videos in which professors discuss their upcoming classes. Classes cost between $90 and $195 depending on the particular seminar & number of classes.
The University of Arizona’s Humanities Seminars Program offers a variety of thought-provoking classes for adults in literature, fine arts, science, geopolitics, classics, film and more. The program is currently in its 28th year.
