SYLLABUS
Introduction to the Humanities II
Hum A212 section 602 - Fall 2012
THEME: A study of a given historical period or periods with reference to art, literature, philosophy, and music.
Course
Description:
 | Asks how the humanistic tradition is relevant to a person trying to understand the world, in Anchorage, at the start of the 21st century. |
| Explores major methods of contemporary humanistic criticism and major trends in the humanistic tradition. |
| Investigates how aesthetic products reflect specific world views. |
| Examines the creation and evaluation of works of art in social and historical contexts. |
| Introduces techniques of humanistic inquiry and examples of art criticism. |
| Considers how the humanistic tradition is related to the arts and culture of the contemporary U.S.A. |
Prerequisites/Assumed Knowledge:
English 111, Hum
211, and a Fine Arts GER are strongly recommended as preparation for this
course. This is a writing and reading intensive course which explores multiple
artistic media. It is primarily designed for students preparing for the Bachelor
of Liberal Studies Program and students preparing for the BA in Elementary Education.
TEXTS:
Art History's History (2nd Edition) by Vernon Hyde Minor (Paperback - Jul 14, 2000) (AHH)
Literary Criticism: An Introduction to Theory and Practice (5th Edition) by Charles E. Bressler (LC)
Arts and Culture, Combined Volume (4th Edition) by Janetta Rebold Benton and Robert DiYanni (AC)
Course grades are based on:
Writing
Assignments
- 50% - nine essays showing an understanding of the materials covered in class
and the assigned readings in response to questions, each with a minimum of 300
words,
25%
of the grade will be based on a term paper.
Attendance -15%.
Dialogue -10%.
CLASS: Hours: M 5:30P – 8:15P Room SSB 211
OFFICE: Administration and Humanities Building Room 261 see my Current Schedule.
Phone: 786-4458 (office), 694-1023 (home). The best way to get a message to me is via e-mail. Please feel free to call my home phone. My web page is located at http://wsjamison.uaa.alaska.edu and my e-mail address is wsjamison@UAA.ALASKA.EDU. Please become familiar with the links from this syllabus to lecture notes and other sources for many of the topics we will discuss.
August 27:
This lecture includes an introduction to the course and description of course requirements. We will discuss: the purpose of studying the Humanities and the theories used to study them.
AC - 1. Dawn of Culture - Prehistoric, Mesopotamian, and Egyptian Civilizations
LC - 1. Defining Criticism, Theory, and Literature
This lecture concerns a review of the dawn of culture and a first look at theory.
AC - 2. Aegean Culture and Early Greece,
AHH - Introduction and 1. The Academy
September 3: No class for Labor Day Holiday.
September 10:
This lecture continues with a look at theory applied to the ancients.
AC - 3. Classical and Hellenistic Greece,
LC - 2. A Historical Survey of Literary Criticism
This lecture continues with a look at Ancient Greek and Early Christian Theory.
AC - 4. Roman Civilization,
AHH - 2. What is Art?
September 17:
This lecture continues considering Ancient Greek and Early Christian Theory.
AC - 5. Judaism, Early Christianity, and Byzantine Civilization,
LC - 3. New Criticism
First Written Assignment due.
This lecture will look at the theory called "New Criticism".
AC - 6. Islamic Civilization,
AHH - 3. The Emergence of Method and Modernism in Art History to p. 96
September 24:
Term paper topics due.
This lecture will look at the theories up to and including Kant.
AC - 7. Indian Civilization
LC - 4. Reader - Response Criticism
This lecture will look at the theory of Reader Response Criticism as well as discuss Judaic and Islamic narratives.
AC - 8. Early Chinese Civilization
AHH - 3. The Emergence of Method and Modernism in Art History to p. 101
October 1:
This lecture will look at the theories up to and including Hegel.
AC - 9. Early Japanese Civilizations,
LC 5. Structuralism (Modernity and Postmodernism)
Second Written Assignment due.
This lecture will begin to look at the theories following Hegel. Structuralism.
AC - 10. Early Civilizations of the Americas and Africa,
LC - 5. Deconstruction (Modernity and Postmodernism)
Term paper thesis statement and outline due.
October 8:
This lecture will continue a look at Structuralism and Deconstruction.
AC - 11. Early Middle Ages and the Romanesque,
AHH - 3. The Emergence of Method and Modernism in Art History to p. 124
This lecture will continue a look at Modernism.
AC - 12. Gothic and Late Middle Ages,
LC - 6. Psychoanalytic Criticism
"Final" term paper topic and tentative bibliography due.
October 15:
This lecture will continue a look at psychological interpretations.
AC - 13. The Renaissance and Mannerism in Italy,
AHH - 3. The Emergence of Method and Modernism in Art History to p. 149
Third Written Assignment due.
This lecture will look at Formalism, Sociological, and Marxist Perspectives.
AC - 14. The Renaissance in Northern Europe,
LC - 7. Feminism
Term paper first rough draft due.
October 22:
This lecture will look at Feminism.
AC - 15. The Baroque Age,
AHH - 3. The Emergence of Method and Modernism in Art History to p. 184
This lecture will look at the Semiotic.
Term paper groups present initial concerns.
AC - 16. The Eighteenth Century,
LC - 8. Marxism
Term paper second rough draft due.
October 29:
This lecture will look at Marxism again.
AC - 17. Romanticism and Realism,
AHH - 3. The Emergence of Method and Modernism in Art History to p. 214
This lecture will look at Romanticism.
Fourth Written Assignment due.
AC - 18. Belle Époque: Impressionism and Post-Impressionism,
LC - 9. Cultural Poetics or New Historicism
Term paper discussion groups assigned, third draft due. This draft will be shared with group.
November 5:
This lecture will look at Belle Époque: Impressionism and Post-Impressionism.
AC - 19. Later Chinese Civilization After the Fifteenth Century,
AC - 20 Later Japanese Civilization
AHH - 3. The Emergence of Method and Modernism in Art History to p. 222
This lecture will look at local art in the context of the text and we will discuss the usefulness of the text AHH.
Fifth Written Assignment due.
Term paper groups readdress concerns.
November 12:
This lecture continues a look at local art in the context of the text.
AC - 21. Later Africa and Latin America
This lecture continues a discussion on the value of the texts, course, and future readings.
LC - 10. Cultural Studies
AC - 22. Early Twentieth Century
For class read the excerpt from "Truth and Tolerance" posted on Blackboard.
Sixth Written Assignment due.
November 19:
This lecture continues a discussion on the effects of war on the values of modern culture.
Seventh Written Assignment due.
AC - 23. Mid-Twentieth Century and Later / Age of Affluence: World War II and After.
November 26:
For class read the excerpt from: "The Collapse of the Fact / Value Dichotomy" posted on Blackboard.
December 3: Student Surveys are done on line. Please remember to do a survey for this class to help me make the class better for the next group!
Eighth Written Assignment due.
This lecture continues a discussion on art as it reflects our current thinking today.
AC - 24. Diversity in Contemporary Life,
Term Paper due.
December 12: Final meeting is Wednesday from 4:00 P - 6:45 P in room AHS 206 upstairs (it moved again).
Ninth Written Assignment due.
This syllabus may be adjusted at any time to meet the class or instructor’s requirements upon one week’s notice to students.