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Art of Understanding (Prof. Juan Mah y Busch, English & Chicana/o and Latina/o Studies)
MW 9:55-11:35am (CRN 41593)
First to Go Only
To become familiar with the artistry of your understanding, in this course you learn to meditate. No prior experience is presumed or expected. Alongside regular meditation, you practice different forms of writing (such as simple description, contemplative writing, critical examination, research). Through the regular practice of meditation and writing, you settle into the interplay between words and wordlessness, drawing attention to the qualitative dimensions of lived experience, such as the wordless music of words or a spacious moment of time, the quiet release of an exhale or the cool breeze of an inhale. Grounded in meditation, writing, discussion and engaged participation, in the class you develop your own more artful understandings.
Meet the Professor:
Juan D. Mah y Busch is professor and chair of Chicana/o and Latina/o Studies (CLST) and professor of English. In addition to his academic training, for over two decades he was formally trained in meditation. He uses meditation and literary analysis as research methods in order to examine a range of questions in critical race and ethnic studies, ethical and aesthetic epistemologies, and contemplative pedagogy. He coordinates the CLST Learning Community and has worked with the First-To-Go Program since its inception. He lives in Northeast Los Angeles with his partner Irene, their three children, and their boxer Brooklyn.
Juan.MahyBusch@lmu.edu
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Black Los Angeles (Prof. Jennifer Williams, African American Studies)
MW 3:40-5:20PM (CRN 41574)
Honors Program Only
This course is an interdisciplinary examination of the presence and contributions of Africana people in Los Angeles from the founding of the city in 1781 to contemporary social movements. We will concentrate on the geography, history, and social norms that transformed Black life and made the basis for its popularized representations in music, film, and tv. We will approach the course both thematically and chronologically, by addressing how Los Angeles is a racialized space and how Black people contribute to its cosmopolitan identity.
Meet the Professor:
Jennifer Williams is an Assistant Professor of African American Studies; She is a Philadelphia native, and attended Temple University for her graduate work. Her research interests are Black women’s history, Afrofuturism, and Black introversion.
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Body Genres (Prof. Mikki Kressbach, Film/TV Studies)
T 11:30am-2:50pm (CRN 42665)
SFTV Living-Learning Community Only
Feminist film scholar, Linda Williams has argued that pornography, horror, and melodrama are not distinct generic categories. Instead, they all fit within the category she terms, “body genres,” or films that center on the feminine body as a site of excess and visual spectacle. They hinge on bodies caught up in intense expressions of emotions, spasming, shouting, and convulsing on screen. In viewing such displays of excess, the body of the spectator becomes caught up in the action, almost mimicking the expressions of characters on screen. For Williams, these “low-brow” films are not simply gratuitous displays of sex and violence, but essential resources for understanding the norms surrounding the feminine body, sexuality, and spectatorship. This course will focus on “body genres,” including horror and romantic melodramas and analyze how the “excessive” body is represented, controlled, punished, and “sanitized” in popular culture. Drawing on Feminist Film Theory, Philosophy, Critical Race Theory, Sociology, and Critical Health Studies, students will analyze the visual and narrative systems of body genres. Central questions will include, who and what is deemed “excessive” in our culture? How are excessive bodies controlled on screen? What does this say about what we consider to be a “normal” body? What do our reactions to these genres say about our own bodies? How might our reactions shape our perception of how bodies should look and behave?
Meet the Professor:
Mikki Kressbach is an Assistant Professor in Film, Television, and Media Studies. Her research explores the relationship between bodies, technology, and health. She teaches courses on the theory of film and media, the horror genre, romance, and new media.
Mikki.Kressbach@lmu.edu
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On Life Well-Lived (Prof. Vandana Thadani, Psychology)
TR 11:50am-1:30pm (CRN 41575)
Honors Program Only
This course’s theme is a “A Life Lived Well.” We will be exploring the topic of living well using various bodies of research in psychology—much of this from positive psychology. Positive Psychology is the scientific field of study that aims to understand how people, organizations, and society flourish, and how each can nurture happiness, strengths, self-esteem, and optimism. We are going to sample many areas of research to get varying perspectives on what it means to live well and how we might cultivate a life well lived. During this exploration, I’ll encourage you to reflect on and apply the work that most resonates with you: How can you flourish or live well in the future and in during your time in college over the next four years? Our work will involve critical thinking in that we will turn to empirical evidence to justify, uncover, and question our beliefs/assumptions/goals/desires. It will also be personal and reflective. Learning processes will include class discussions, experiential activities, lots of writing and peer editing/feedback, and (very rarely) short lectures.
Meet the Professor:
Professor Vandana Thadani is a professor in the Department of Psychological Science at LMU. She completed her Ph.D. in Developmental psychology at UCLA. Her research is in educational psychology and aims to understand what makes for powerful learning environments and how teachers can be supported to create these environments.
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On the Technological Sublime (Prof. Sue Scheibler, Film/TV Studies)
F 11:30am-2:50pm (CRN 41579)
Honors Program Only
This course looks at the notion of the sublime as it was articulated in the 17th and 18th centuries and extends it into the digital age of the 21st century. It takes as its starting point the understanding of the sublime as an aesthetic concept that extolls beauty that is grand and dangerous then asks where and in what form can we say the sublime exists in the technological and digital age. To answer the question, students will study a variety of literary, visual, musical, philosophical, and cinematic texts from the 17th through the early 21st centuries.
Meet the Professor:
Sue Scheibler (they/them) teaches courses such as Queer TV, Video Games, Science Fiction TV, Japanese Anime TV and time studies, in the School of Film and TV. Her scholarly interests include disability justice (with a focus on neuroqueer), video games, television studies, ethics, among others. She is currently working on a book, "Queering the Sublime: Penny Dreadful", "Glitching Academic Time: A Manifesto," "Queer Mercy", "Neuroqueer Pedagogy" and representations of Autism in TV.
Susan.Scheibler@lmu.edu
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Principles of Scientific Reasoning (Prof. Jordan Freitas, Computer Science)
MW 3:40-4:55pm (CRN 42666)
ACCESS Program Only
Communication and critical thinking skills are developed with an emphasis on science, nature, technology, and mathematics in multiple contexts. Mathematical and scientific reasoning are investigated through inductive and deductive arguments, the scientific method, and the notions of definition, classification and conjecture. The course will also examine the role and purpose that scientists and scientific educators play in society, and how math and science inform movements for social justice and equity, as well as issues related to ethics and responsibility in the STEM profession. There will also be an emphasis on exploring the contributions to science and technology from diverse cultures and communities.
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Sense and Synderesis (Prof. Catherine Peters, Philosophy)
MW 1:45-3:25pm (CRN 41573)
Honors Program Only
Sense & Synderesis explores the central characters and themes of the novels of Jane Austen through the lens of “virtue ethics.” Austen is noted for her ironic observations of English society in the 18th century, her keen insights into human character and her portrayals of virtue and vice. Consequently, we will read her novels with an aim towards appreciating her depiction and assessment of human character, especially her view of virtue. Our reading of Austen will be guided by a systematic consideration of the four “cardinal” virtues: Prudence, Justice, Temperance, Fortitude. Austen is often regarded as one of the most popular and beloved novelists of the English language. In this seminar, we intend to realize not only why her novels have exerted literary influence and sparked extensive popular appreciation, but also to appreciate what insights her works offer us today.
Meet the Professor:
Dr. Catherine Peters specializes in medieval philosophy, with a particular focus on Latin and Arabic thought. Her current research centers on the intersections of natural philosophy, metaphysics, natural theology, and the importance of the “person” in philosophy of disability. An overarching theme in Dr. Peters' work is the consideration of how medieval thought might inform and advance our attempts to answer fundamental questions today. When not in the philosophy department, she can usually be found in her local coffee shop, at a dog park with her goldendoodle, or at OrangeTheory.