Spring 2024 Seminars

Am I Who I Say I Am? (Prof. Deanna Cooke, Psychology) 

TR 3:40-5:20pm (CRN 71484)

Identity, identity development and how social context impacts identities has been a focus in psychology for many years.  Students will explore how one develops their identity, particularly social identities, and how social context defines and redefines how one understands themselves, their role in society, the meaning of their identities, and the importance of those identities.  We will review general identity theories, and then specific social identities that have great significance in today’s societies.  We will explore how race, class, gender, sexual orientation and communities help shape how we see ourselves.

Meet the Professor:

Deanna Cooke, Ph.D. serves as BCLA’s Director of Engaged Learning and is trained as a community psychologist.  Her work includes research on racial identity as well as community-based participatory research and evaluation. 

Animated Spirituality: Japanese Religion in Anime, Manga, and Film (Prof. Eric Swanson, Theological Studies)

MW 9:55-11:35am (CRN 71486)

MW 3:40-5:20pm (CRN 71487)

This course addresses religion and spirituality as seen through the lens of Japanese popular culture, including anime, manga, and live-action film. It examines how popular culture productions have represented and engaged with religious themes and human dilemmas, and asks students to critically assess the place of religion in the recent history of Japan. After covering the major religious traditions of Japan (Shinto, Buddhism, and Christianity), the course follows a historical approach, ranging from the WWII era to the present, that will introduce students to the religious, social, and cultural issues that have preoccupied the creators of manga, anime, and film, and the creative ways in which these historically specific issues were expressed in their work.

Meet the Professor:

Eric Haruki Swanson is an Assistant Professor in the Theological Studies Department at Loyola Marymount University. He is a native of Japan and received a BA in Religious Studies from Indiana University Bloomington, a MA in Esoteric Buddhist Studies from Koyasan University, and PhD in East Asian Languages and Cultures from Harvard University. As a cultural historian who studies the religious traditions of Japan, he takes an interdisciplinary approach that involves analysis of Buddhist scripture, doctrinal treatises, ritual manuals, narrative picture scrolls, and artistic performances. His research focuses on exploring the various ways Buddhist institutions responded to waves of political change and social uncertainty and how historical figures constructed religious identities through the production of texts and ritual practices. 

Erik.Swanson@lmu.edu

The Wise Fool & the Art of Clowning  (Prof. Stacey Cabaj, Theater Arts & Dance) 

MWF 3:40-4:55pm (CRN 71511)

This course explores the sociocultural role of clowns: the subversive, satirical, silly, sacred, and wise fools who minister to their audiences through laughter and play. We will analyze their rituals of transgression, their defiance or circumvention of social norms and speaking truth to power, as invitations to freedom. We will investigate examples of clowning across cultures, history, contexts, and media as catalysts for discussion about the theories of laugher, the necessity of play, and the wisdom that arises through failure and folly. 

Meet the Professor: 

Professor Stacey Cabaj (she/her) is an actress, author, performance pedagogy specialist, and voice coach. She holds an M.F.A. in Theatre Pedagogy from Virginia Commonwealth University and a B.F.A. in Musical Theatre from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, as well as teaching certifications in the Meisner Approach to Acting, Meditation, Vibrant Voice Technique®, and Vocal Yoga®. At LMU, Cabaj teaches acting and pedagogy courses in the Department of Theatre Arts, and has served as a Faculty Fellow in the Center for Teaching Excellence. As an actress, she has appeared across the United States and internationally in musical theatre, classical theatre, voiceover, new works, and as a concert soloist. Cabaj is the co-author of Lessons from our Students: Meditations on Performance Pedagogy (Routledge, 2023).

Bicycle: Art, Ecology, and Culture (Prof. Michael Brodsky, Studio Arts)

MW 3:40-5:20pm (CRN 71509)

This course will take a critical look at the past, present and future of the bicycle. It will look back at the history of the bicycle which liberated individual mobility and did much to help emancipate women while making mechanical transportation available to a wide range of society. We will explore how the bicycle ultimately gave way to a dependency on the gas-powered automobile which is now the cause of such enormous impacts on livability of our cities, the environment and the earth’s climate.

This class will also look forward towards how the humble bicycle has such an enormous potential to once again liberate us from the domination of fossil fuel powered transportation, provide health benefits and allow for a closer connection to our urban society. We will examine how planning for people centered and equitable transportation can positively impact our health and wellbeing while lowering the impact on our planet. Along the way we will explore how the representation of the bicycle in literature, art, music and film both reflects and contributes to a myriad of diverse bicycle cultures in the city.

Meet the Professor:

Michael Brodsky is an artist, educator and environmental activist. He is a Studio Arts Professor and Multimedia Arts Area Head in the Department of Art and Art History at LMU. He received a BA in Environmental Studies and a BA in Photographic Fine Arts from the University of California at Santa Cruz. He earned an MFA in Art and Design from CalArts. He is a former Fulbright Scholar to India. His digital art has been exhibited and published internationally.

Michael Brodsky is a League of American Bicyclists Licensed Cycling Instructor and Ride Leader/Ride Marshall with the Los Angeles Bicycle Coalition. He is a founding board member of Santa Monica Spoke. He is a Climate Reality Project Leader.

The Blues, Rock, and Authenticity (Prof. David Carter, Music)

MWF 1:40-2:30pm (CRN 71512)

This course will examine popular music and the quest for authenticity in it through the examination of three groups of artists: Black American blues artists of the 1920s through the 1950s, blues-influenced British rock artists of the 1960s, and female rock artists of the 1990s. Students will see how questions of race, gender, authenticity, and appropriation play out in each of these periods and trace connections between these groups of musicians. In addition to engaging in close musical observation, students will consider broader cultural and social perspectives on the music. Students will develop their reading and writing skills through smaller assignments as well as a final major written paper. Students will also develop their oral communication skills and their information literacy skills.

Meet the Professor:

David S. Carter is a composer, theorist, and teacher based in Los Angeles, where he is an Assistant Professor of Music (Theory/Composition) at Loyola Marymount University. He earned his doctorate in music composition at Northwestern University, where his principal teacher was Lee Hyla. Prior to his graduate music studies, he completed a J.D. at the University of Southern California and a B.A. in English Literature at Yale University. He previously taught at Northwestern and North Park University. His music theory research focuses on the analysis of form in popular music, and he has presented scholarly papers at the International Association for the Study of Popular Music (U.S.) conference, the College Music Society National Conference, and the Nief-Norf Summer Festival. His compositions have been performed or recorded by the JACK Quartet, the International Contemporary Ensemble, Ensemble Dal Niente, Ensemble Court-Circuit, and Ensemble Signal, among others. He won the Iron Composer competition at Baldwin Wallace University, Northwestern University’s William T. Faricy Award, and second prize in the Rhenen International Carillon Composition Competition. He has had works performed at the Northwestern University New Music Conference (NUNC! 3), June in Buffalo (2014 and 2011), the 2008 Summer Institute for Contemporary Performance Practice at New England Conservatory, Music07 at the University of Cincinnati, and the 2007 Bowdoin International Music Festival. Examples of his work can be found at davidcartercomposer.com and soundcloud.com/davidscarter.

David.Carter2@lmu.edu

Books About Beasts: Animal Narrative, Human Readers (Prof. Molly Youngkin, English)

MWF 9:25-10:35am (CRN 41563)

MWF 10:50am-12:00pm (CRN 41564)

This course focuses on literary representations of animals, or animal narratives, to show how humans understand their own place in the world and responsibilities to the world.  The central questions of the course will be:  How are animals represented by humans?  According to these representations, what is the relationship between humans and animals?  Do animals have rights?  What obligations do we have to them?  We will contextualize these questions by discussing contemporary debates about the animal/human relationship, including the use of animals in scientific research, the role of zoos and wildlife parks in animal preservation, the role of pets in our lives, the ethics of vegetarianism, and other topics of interest to students enrolled in the class. 

By reading animal narratives in conjunction with discussion of contemporary debates about related topics, we will better understand the complicated relationship between humans and animals and the ethical issues involved in this relationship.

Meet the Professor:

Dr. Molly Youngkin teaches in the English department and specializes in nineteenth-century British literature. She teaches courses in Romantic and Victorian literature, as well as gender studies, periodical studies, narrative theory, and animal studies.

Molly.Youngkin@lmu.edu

Cultivating Empathy (Prof. Patrick Damon Rago, Dance)

MW 8:00-9:40am (CRN 71507)

MW 9:55-11:35am (CRN 71508)

The course will engage students in connecting concepts about Empathy found in a variety of texts, rituals, and art works to the themes of the LMU Mission in order to learn and explore how we negotiate physical, intellectual, social, emotional, and psychological situations.  Course activities will be experimental, experiential, reflective, analytical and creative.  Over the course of the semester, we will engage with a variety of texts, videos, activities and interpersonal connections that explore and develop Empathy from multiple viewpoints.

Meet the Professor:

Patrick Damon Rago has been a Professor in the Dance Department at Loyola Marymount University since 2000.  He has choreographed and performed modern dance around the country and internationally.  His choreography uses humor, spoken word, theatricality, and hyper physicality to explore human connection and other emotional themes.

Data Innovations for the Global Economy (Prof. Zaki Eusufzai, Economics)

TR 9:55-11:35am (CRN 71491)

TR 11:50am-1:30pm (CRN 71492)

TR 3:40-5:20pm (CRN 71494)

This is a case-study based course which examines current and potential use of data innovations in improving living standards in poor countries. The cases that form the backbone of the course will examine specific instances of how better data collection and analysis have been used to develop innovative projects, which in turn have enhanced the lives of millions of poor people in the developing world. Examples include using drones/AI to identify and then repair potholes, and using mobile phone technology for banking needs in remote areas. These cases will span a number of industries and sectors, as well as countries. They will be examined through a 3-way classification: data collection method(s), data analysis method(s) and the problem solved/function performed. Using this classification, the students will mix and match individual ingredients from each classification and devise their own data innovation as part of a (group) course project.

Meet the Professor:

Professor Zaki Eusufzai has always been fascinated by new inventions that combine technology and economic development. Since data is the "new oil"/technology, he has designed this course so that you can learn and then make your own contribution in using data based innovations to improve the lives of millions of people over the world. He has taught at LMU for over two decades and his own daughter is an LMU alumna.

Zaki.Eusufzai@lmu.edu

Dao & A Growth Mindset (Professor Robin Wang, Philosophy)

TR 9:55-11:35am (CRN 71488)

TR 11:50am-1:30pm (CRN 71489)

Is success about learning or proving you are smart? What are ways to be successful? How should you go about your own unsuccessful experiences and disappointments? This course will explore these questions that might enhance your successes in class, college and life. This exploration will be divided into four interrelated parts:

First, we will investigate the different mindsets, identifying a contrast between the growth mindset and the fixed mindset; and interplaying between ability, efforts, and characters to avoid what might be called “gap characters,” the space between ones will and one’s success.

Secondly, we will learn about the skill and mastery from the Daoist text Zhuangzi to conceptualize the sources of the growth mindset and emotional health. The success making is usually believed something deliberate and rational—a planned activity. But Daoist teaching complicates this view with a tension between human calculational emotions and the intervention of unexpected reality. Daoist mindset will open a new horizon and unique mode of human understanding.

Thirdly, we will engage actively in the LMU Digital Veterans Legacy Project (LDVL), which focus on documenting the lives of veterans interred in the Los Angeles National Cemetery (LANC). This hand-on field work will research the lives of veterans from underrepresented backgrounds that are prominently represented in the LANC, yet of whom little is known.

Fourthly, we will identify, explore, write and create digital media of the rich histories of these underrepresented veterans; developing a toolkit for the public to research, document and memorialize the contributions these veterans made to our American story; creating a public digital archive that uses best practices in digital media. 

After all, this course will inspire students to learn about underrepresented American veterans’ stories to train our basic ability and characters for success; and introduce students to an intellectual rigor, critical thinking, and effective writing skills while laying the foundation for a life-long commitment to learning. It builds a life-long commitment to intellectual curiosity, creative activity and aims at improving students’ skills in written and oral communication and information literacy. 

Meet the Professor:

Robin R. Wang is Professor of Philosophy and 2016-17 Berggruen Fellow at Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Science, Stanford University. Her teaching and research focus on Chinese and Comparative Philosophy, particularly Daoist Philosophy. She is the author of Yinyang: The Way of Heaven and Earth in Chinese Thought and Culture (Cambridge University Press, 2012) and was a credited Cultural Consultant for the movie Karate Kid, 2010.

Fairy Tales (Prof. Kelly Younger, English)

MWF 1:40-2:40pm (CRN 71476)

MWF 3:05-4:15pm (CRN 71477)

FFYS 1000: Fairy Tales is a class not only about storytelling, but also the human need for stories. As Jonathan Gottschall points out in his book The Storytelling Animal: How Stories Make Us Human: “The storytelling mind is allergic to uncertainty, randomness, and coincidence. It is addicted to meaning. If the storytelling mind cannot find meaningful patterns in the world, it will try to impose them. In short, the storytelling mind is a factory that churns out true stories when it can, but will manufacture lies when it can’t.”

And yet, we find ourselves in a time of great uncertainty, randomness, and coincidence as we search for meaningful patterns in the world; a world plagued by injustice, inequality, anxiety, dislocation, uncertainty, trauma, and actual plague. But these are some of the most common subjects of fairy tales. And a fairy tale, after all, is a lie that tells the truth. So if we study stories from long ago, we may find meaningful patterns that help us today. These simple stories provide breadcrumb trails toward empowerment, transformation, confidence, agency, community, and care. Fairy Tales are one such trail ... both into and out of the woods.

Meet the Professor: 

Professor Kelly Younger is a professor in the LMU English Department where he teaches seminars in fairy tales, drama as literature, and writing for stage and screen. He is also a screenwriter, TV writer, playwright, story consultant, and Emmy nominated producer known for his work with Disney Animation, The Muppets, Pixar, Skydance, and his holiday film Candy Cane Lane starring Eddie Murphy.

Your Future Career in the Global Marketplace (Prof. Beth Hynes, Management & Prof. Anatoly Zhuplev, Management)

MW 9:55-11:35am (CRN 71501) - Prof. Hynes

MW 11:50am-1:30pm (CRN 71502) - Prof. Hynes

TR 9:55-11:35am (CRN 71503) - Prof. Zhuplev

TR 11:50am-1:30pm (CRN 71505) - Prof. Hynes

MW 3:40-5:20pm (CRN 71506) - Prof. Hynes

"Who needs a corner office when you can have a passport full of stamps?" Join us to explore strategies for enjoying a thriving career in a borderless economy.

Get ready to go global and unlock the secrets to career success in the fast-paced world of international business! In this Course, we'll dive into the exciting drivers, trends, and innovations shaping the global economy in which your career will develop. You'll explore the world of global entrepreneurship, discover the ins and outs of international sustainability, and learn how to thrive in cross-cultural contexts. Plus, we'll help you uncover the unique opportunities and challenges of international career growth, including internships, study abroad programs, and expat assignments. Buckle up and get ready to conquer work in an international economy.

Meet the Professor:

Professor Beth Hynes serves an Instructor in Management in the College of Business Administration here at LMU. Prior to joining the faculty, Professor Hynes enjoyed a career as a global entrepreneur in a Fortune 500 firm.  During her career in business, she led global business divisions in strategy, business affairs and legal operations.  As well, Professor Hynes practiced law as an intellectual property and entertainment advisor in global law firms in Boston and New York City.  A graduate of the College of the Holy Cross, Professor Hynes also holds a law degree from Northwestern University where she served an editor on the Northwestern University Law Review and a master’s degree in business administration from New York University’s Stern School of Business.  A passion for educating the next generation of ethical business leaders led her to a teaching career at LMU where she brings a wealth of experience and expertise to her classroom. With a unique blend of achievement in academics, business and law, Professor Hynes is committed to igniting her students’ interest in international business.

Beth.Hynes@lmu.edu

History of Race and Gender (Prof. Margarita R. Ochoa, History)

TR 9:55am-11:35am (CRN 71480)

TR 11:50am-2:50pm (CRN 71481)                 

What is race? What is gender? Are these categories of identity purely biological, social, or cultural constructs? Also, what is their relationship to economic status, politics and national identity, and environment? This seminar will introduce you to questions of race and gender for Latin America. The course begins with the invention of the “Indian,” which lies in Columbus’ infamous crossing of the Atlantic in 1492, followed by Spanish and Portuguese conquests in the Americas and the rise of mixed-race (i.e. mestizo or casta) populations. The course then explores the African and Asian diasporas in Latin America, who arrived via the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade and Trans-Pacific trade routes, respectively. The course will then move into the period of state formations, to examine the racial and gendered politics of national identity creation, and end with an overview of contemporary race and gender problems in Latin America today. Overall, this seminar will challenge you to examine how ruling powers (Crown, Church, Democracies, Military regimes, etc.) and individual men and women created, imposed, and manipulated categories of race and gender in the history of America, from 1492 to the present day. Your work for this seminar will expose you to a field of study characterized by vibrant (read: heated!) scholarly debate on questions of identity, power, and social justice.

Meet the Professor:

Margarita R. Ochoa is Associate Professor of history at Loyola Marymount University. She is a researcher of Latin American history and politics. Her current book manuscript, Indigenous Mexico City, examines native communities, family relations, gender, and race in eighteenth and nineteenth centuries Mexico City. She is also co-editing The Cacicas of Spanish America, 1492-1825, under contract with University of Oklahoma Press, and is co-editor of City Indians in Spain's American Empire.

History of Television (Prof. Tom Szollosi, Screenwriting)

M 11:30am-4:00pm (CRN 72888) 

The History of Television is an increasingly relevant part of our culture and society. The class will trace how the industry has evolved, look at specific "classic" shows and trends, while calling upon students to write clearly and cogently on a variety of related subjects. 

Meet the Professor: 

Professor Tom Szollosi worked as a screen and television writer from 1976 until (roughly) 2015, at which point he began his teaching career. He teaches courses in writing for film and television, working with students on their scripts and on a wide range of writing and rewriting techniques. 

The Horror Film, Religion, Evil (Prof. Jacob Martin, Film & Television Production)

MWF 9:25-10:35am (CRN 73078)

MWF 8:00-9:10am (CRN 73080)

This class will will analyze the ways in which religion has been utilized by the supernatural horror film to invoke and evoke fear in its audiences. Students will view a collection of supernatural horror films from North America, South America and Europe, dating back to F.W. Murnau’s Nosferatu (1922) up to the contemporary era, and including films such as St. Maud (Ross Glass, 2019) in order to analyze the multiplicity of ways that religious figures, imagery, and places are utilized in the supernatural horror film either to combat or manifest evil, as a means of inciting fear in its audience. Using the notion of “the good, moral, and decent fallacy,” which is the rejection that religion is always a positive force in society, we will examine religion’s societal instability throughout the West in the twentieth and into the twenty-first century and use it as a means of analyzing cinematic horror. 

Meet the Professor:

Dr. Jacob D. Martin, S.J. is an assistant clinical professor of Film, Television and Media Studies at LMU. He received his doctorate film studies from Trinity College, Dublin and is a Jesuit priest. He is also a stand-up comedian, whose current show, A Jesuit Walks into a Bar plays at venues throughout the United States.

Jacob.Martin@lmu.edu

Identity Crisis in Contemporary France (Prof. Véronique Flambard-Weisbart, Modern Languages and Literatures)

TR 3:40-5:20pm (CRN 73032)

This course examines France’s identity crisis considering current debates on 20th century French History and national identity.  The troubled legacies of key events in modern French history, such as the Great War and its destructive effects on postwar French society; Vichy and French participation in the Holocaust; the Algerian War, decolonization, and postcolonial nostalgia, will be examined through the debates and controversies they have generated in France since the 1990s. Drawing on diverse forms of cultural expression, subjects to be explored include commemorative events and activities, trials for crimes against humanity, France’s controversial 'memory laws,' systemic racism, immigration, and their lasting and current impact on French culture and society.

Meet the Professor: 

Bonjour! I am Prof. Véronique Flambard-Weisbart of Modern Languages and Literatures (French) at LMU, where I have taught for over 30 years after receiving my Ph.D. from UCLA.  I am currently the Coordinator of the French major and minor programs which I will happily discuss with you should you be interested in pursuing French studies. My scholarly and research interests and publications include contemporary French / Francophone written and visual texts, translation and stylistics studies, creative writing, and interpretive dramatic readings.  I am the Director of the LMU Summer Study Abroad Program in Paris, France.

Veronique.Flambard-Weisbart@lmu.edu

Latino L.A. (Prof. Sylvia Zamora, Sociology)

TR 11:50am-1:30pm (CRN 71498)

Latinos now represent 50 percent of all residents in Los Angeles, making them the largest racial/ethnic group in the city. This course takes a sociological look at the social, economic, political, and cultural histories and contemporary experiences of Los Angeles’ diverse Latinx population. Centering the voice and perspectives of Latino/x scholars, journalists, and activists, students will gain an in-depth understanding of some of the most pressing challenges facing Latino/x communities today and develop an appreciation of the important role Latino/as play in the formation and development of Los Angeles and broader U.S. society. Topics discussed in class include Latino/x immigration to Los Angeles, racial and ethnic identity, Latino/x entrepreneurship, gentrification and displacement, reproductive rights, media stereotypes, policing and criminal justice, immigrant rights and political activism. This course makes use of documentary film, lectures, news articles, student papers, and small group and classroom discussions to achieve the learning outcomes.

Meet the Professor:

Professor Sylvia Zamora was born and raised in South Gate, a predominantly Latino neighborhood in South East Los Angeles. She received her BA in Sociology and Latin American Studies from Smith College and Ph.D. in Sociology from UCLA. At LMU, Dr. Zamora teaches courses on Latino identity and politics, race and ethnicity in Latin America, and qualitative research methods. Her research is guided by questions concerning how Latino immigration is transforming social, political and racial dynamics in the U.S., particularly African American and Latino relations. Her award-winning book, Racial Baggage: Mexican Immigrants and Race Across the Border examines race as a transnational process that not only changes immigrants themselves, but also everyday understandings of race and racism within the United States and Mexico. In her free time, Dr. Zamora enjoys dancing cumbias, doing arts and crafts with her six-year-old son Mateo, and trying new coffee shops all over the city. 

Literature of Exile and Terror (Prof. Holli Levitsky, English and Jewish Studies)

MW 3:40-5:20pm (CRN 74346)

This course will examine the literature of writers who write from and about the position of “exile” from one country, to the displacement of the United States. We explore what such texts have to say about living in an unsettled, diasporic, modern, and even terrifying world—a world in which real belonging seems an increasingly elusive goal. In reading these stories, we investigate how the authors have portrayed the journeys, hopes and hardships of dislocation and alienation, as well as the role literature might play in creating a sense of community for immigrants, refugees, and people living in various forms of exile.

Meet the Professor:

Holli Levitsky is the founder and Director of the Jewish Studies Program and Professor of English at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. Her research, scholarship and teaching focuses on Jewish American and Holocaust literatures. She is the author of Summer Haven: The Catskills, the Holocaust and the Literary Imagination, The Literature of Exile and Displacement: American Identity in a Time of Crisis, and numerous articles, book chapters and reviews. Since holding the 2001-2002 Fulbright Distinguished Chair in American Literature in Poland, Dr. Levitsky has participated in symposia, conferences, and study trips to Germany and to Poland to advance German-Jewish and Polish-Jewish understanding. She regularly leads workshops for secondary and college teachers in California and in Poland on teaching the Holocaust.

Mortal Questions (Prof. Daniel Speak, Philosophy)

MWF 10:50am-12:00pm (CRN 72865) 

An introduction to academic reading, writing, and speaking for the common good—with a topical focus a set of central concerns for every one of us; namely, regarding death and the meaning of life. We will be considering questions like these:

*Is death bad for the person who dies?
*Would it be a good thing to live forever?
*Are there any good reasons to believe in the immortality of the soul?
*How should we shape our lives in light of our inevitable deaths?
*What makes a life a meaningful one?

Seeking help from literature, psychology, and (especially) philosophy, you can look forward to reading Plato, Tolstoy, the Bible, David Foster Wallace, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, and more. While the course is, indeed, for any incoming LMU students, you might especially appreciate this one if you are intrigued by philosophy and challenging reflection on what it means to be a human being. 

Meet the Professor:

Professor Daniel Speak has been teaching at LMU for 17 years. And he’s generally a big fan of LMU students. You’ve probably already seen his ratemyprofessor ratings. It’s best if you don’t look at them. This is good advice overall but is especially true in this case. Otherwise, you would see that his say things like this: “If you are looking for a teacher that tries to be funny and is simply worthless...this is the teacher for you.” Also, “[t]ries to be funny, but you quickly find out he's just a jerk. I have no idea why this guy went into philosophy. He looks more like a middle-age frat boy than anything else.” Professor Speak has to endure being reminded of this last one by his family fairly regularly. The point is, don’t trust ratemyprofessor (or maybe you SHOULD trust it; who knows?). 

Making Sense of Global Politics (Prof. Austin Schutz, Political Science) 

TR 9:55-11:35am (CRN 41567)

TR 11:50am-1:30pm (CRN 41566)

This course is an introduction to the main issues, actors, processes and outcomes shaping global politics at the turn of the 21st century. It covers issues such as nuclear proliferation, global terrorism, food security, the environment, the global economy, global inequality and poverty, financial crises, population and migration, global health, global crime, and the role of some of the most important international organizations in trying to effectively deal with such challenges. This course is designed to jump-start (or reinforce) your curiosity about some of the most pressing issues shaping the world we all live in. The course is discussion-based; descriptive in nature (i.e. based on facts, data and research, the course answers what some of the most pressing global issues are actually about); and, it helps build healthy work habits and gain writing and oral communication skills that you will find useful no matter what profession you choose to enter.

Students are required to do—and think about—all assigned readings before class and read newspapers and follow the news on a daily basis. (If you know you are not going to be able to do this, then you should not take this class.) Upon completion of this course, you will: a) be a much more informed global citizen; b) know how to present effective arguments—both in writing and orally—on virtually any global topic; and, c) have work habits that most future employers will likely find worth investing in (vs. the profile and experiences of other people).

This course answers what type of questions: “What is nuclear proliferation about?”, “What are financial crises about?”, and so on. If you’d like to gain some analytical tools to help you explain why nuclear proliferation and financial crises (to name just two examples) take place, this course is the perfect complement to more advanced courses on, for instance, International Relations, Politics of the Global Economy, International Security and Comparative politics (which you can also take at the Political Science Department at LMU). Before trying to explain anything, it is key to understand very well what is that we want to explain.

Multiracial Voices (Prof. Curtiss Takada Rooks, Asian and Asian American Studies)

MW 9:55-11:35am (CRN 71493)

For the first time in modern U.S. history, the 2000 U.S. Census allowed persons of multiracial ancestry to not only fully identify themselves but also be counted present in United States.  Confined and restrained by the troupe of the tragic mulatto persons of multiracial ancestry often struggled to find their voice in the weight of monoracial hegemony.  Passing provided one strategy for survival and identification.  Such was the case from our country's birth to the late 1960s when the Loving v. Virginia (1968) Supreme Court case legally and constitutionally legitimized interracial marriage and with it multiracial offspring throughout the U.S.  Thus, contemporary U.S. society ushered in a new trope of "Hybrid Vigor" celebrating, defining multiracial persons as the hope for America's post-racial or race-less future.  Yet, through it all multiracial persons continued to be defined by others -- their voices muffled in the service of power, privilege and the struggle for dominance.  Persons of multiracial ancestry then and now became the symbol of all that is bad and all that is good in U.S. race relations.

Grounded in relevant critical race, social and identity theory, students through the use novels, poetry, film, song and video to examine the lives and articulation of self by multiracial persons as they claim their own voices, their own definitions, tell their own stories—and, in the process they unmask the continued use of race as a means to power and privilege.

Meet the Professor:

Curtiss Takada Rooks is an assistant professor in Asian and Asian American Studies. He received his Ph.D. in comparative culture, with an emphasis in cultural anthropology at the University of California, Irvine in 1996. He teaches courses on Asian Pacific American ethnic communities, mixed race and ethnic identity, and qualitative research methods.  His scholarship encompasses multiracial & ethnic identity, multicultural/diversity issues and engaged community based evaluation addressing community wellness & chronic health issues.  He has lectured widely on mixed race identity and diversity including the 2017 UCLA Mixed Student Union Conference keynote address, entitled “Musings on A Life Lived Double, Or More”, and guest lectured at Sophia University (Tokyo, Japan) Center for Global Discovery entitled, “From the Margins to the Center: The Role(s) of Japanese Americans of Mixed Race Ancestry in US-Japan Relations: Case Studies in Transnational Identity” (2016).

Personal Growth and Spiritual Development (Prof. Eric Magnuson, Sociology)

TR 9:55am-11:35am (CRN 71499)  

TR 11:50am-1:30pm (CRN 71500)

This is a course about life! It will be based in personal experience and community involvement. It is intended for people who are interested in exploring both emotional growth and alternative spirituality. The class is a blend of religious studies, psychology, sociology, and philosophy. It is a good course for people who are open to new ideas and practices of unconventional and Eastern spirituality. Students should also be interested in emotional exploration and be open to exploring personal beliefs, experiences, and feelings. The course will involve meditation and other mindfulness practices. (Note: The class is open to any and all spiritual and religious beliefs and backgrounds and does not require belief in any particular religious ideas.)

Meet the Professor:

Eric Magnuson is a tenured associate professor in Sociology. His research interests include social psychology, gender and masculinity, spirituality, social justice, and countercultures. His first book was on the topic of men’s movements, masculinity, and personal growth. He is currently working on a book about Burning Man, alternative spirituality, and personal development. 

Politics of Race Relations (Prof. Claudia Sandoval, Political Science)

MW 1:45-3:25pm (CRN 41565)

Projections shows that the United States is quickly becoming a minority-majority nation. U.S. Census data suggests that by 2044, over half of the population will be non-white. Given these projections, it is important that we understand how different racial groups interact with one another socially and politically. Academic research often focuses on white-minority relations, yet given future demographics, it is of growing importance to understand intra-minority relations. This course will focus primarily on Black-Latinx relations, while offering comparisons to their Asian and White counterparts. We will begin by focusing on the important issues and topics that Black and Latinx groups encounter in the US. After grounding the groups in their individual contexts, we will take various political issues to determine how Blacks and Latinx groups work together (or against each other). This course will also ground those arguments around theories of threat, contact, and group positioning, among others. At the end of the course, students will have a nuanced perspective on race-relations that is not easily explained by notions of complete solidarity or discrimination, but rather a complicated relationship that is operationalized through state actors and white supremacy.

Meet the Professor:

Claudia Sandoval is a professor in the Political Science department where she teaches courses on Race, Immigration, and Black/Latina/o relations. Professor Sandoval is a first-generation Mexican immigrant who grew up in Inglewood, California and graduated from Westchester High School.  Professor Sandoval went on to receive a B.A. in Political Science from UCLA in 2006. During her time as an undergraduate, she participated in the McNair Research Scholars program and wrote a senior these on Black/Latina/o Relations in Inglewood. After graduating college, Sandoval left to the University of Chicago for her Ph.D. in political science. During her 9 year stay in the Midwest, Professor Sandoval taught Latina/o Politics at Northwestern University, University of Chicago, and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  

Political Shakespeare (Prof. Judy Park, English)

TR 11:50am-1:30pm (CRN 71478)

Literary observers and spectators of the theatre in Shakespeare’s time were concerned not simply with the meaning of literary works, but with the possibility of literature to affect its audiences. Monarchs and other figures of authority thought drama to wield such powers of influence that theatres and plays were at once censored and exploited so as to suppress as well as to harness their effects. Underlying the impulse of authority to regulate the theatre was the implicit belief in the political nature of drama and performance, in particular their capacity to subvert or to affirm existing hierarchies and social relations. The potential of drama to enact the opposing forces of repression and insurrection led to such contradictory claims that plays could, on the one hand, instruct subjects to obey their rulers by showing them the ultimate downfall of those that have ventured “tumults, commotions and insurrections” (Apology for Actors) and, on the other, inspire the contempt of subjects for their rulers by making the figure of monarchs appear ridiculous on the stage. How is drama political, and how do plays reveal the workings of power and authority? We will explore these questions and others through the study of Shakespeare’s plays.

Meet the Professor:

Judy Park received her Ph.D. at Cornell University before joining the English Department at Loyola Marymount University as assistant professor of Renaissance literature. She teaches courses in early modern literature, sixteenth and seventeenth century drama, and the history of British literature. Her research focuses primarily on English literature and drama of the seventeenth century, and her areas of interest include the relationship between dramatic and political forms, and the emergence of republican and imperialist thought in English and Dutch literary and political culture. She is currently at work on a book, Staging Republic and Empire: Politics of Drama, 1603-1660, a study of seventeenth-century Stuart and Interregnum drama that explores the contradictory forces of republicanism and empire in a range of dramatic forms, such as the masque, tragicomedy, and closet drama. She is a recipient of the Beinecke Scholarship and a Fulbright Grant, and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa.

Psychology in Everyday Life (Prof. Ricardo Machon, Psychology)

MW 11:50am-1:30pm (CRN 71485)

This course explores the science of psychology and its applications in everyday life experience. By critically examining and meaningfully integrating its historical roots— Philosophy and Natural Science— the course will introduce students to the intersection of psychological science, transcendence and contemporary social issues. Students will be introduced to the Biological – Psychological - Social/Cultural model, a predominant lens through which human behavior and mental processes are examined. Students will gain a holistic understanding of what it means to be a thinking, feeling, acting, reflecting, and questioning human being in everyday life.

Meet the Professor:

Ricardo Arturo Machón is a professor of psychology and holds a PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Southern California. As a first-generation college student and immigrant, he is also a graduate of Loyola High School of Los Angeles.

He has over 30 professional publications primarily in psychopathology and neurodevelopment of mental disorders. His most recent area of scholarship, some of which he has co-authored with his students, includes integration of pedagogy, psychological science, first-generation college experience, and social and developmental issues among emerging adults. He is a recipient of the Daum Professorship 2010-2011, an endowed chair awarded to senior faculty by the Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts for excellence in teaching and advising; scholarship.

Machón serves as Co-Director and Principal Investigator of the LMU McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement program for highly promising, first-generation college and underrepresented students in order to prepare them for graduate studies in STEM and social sciences. He is deeply committed to undergraduate student research, and since 1993 has directed and mentored well over 45 research projects and theses, typically presented at national professional and undergraduate psychological conferences.

Religion and Pop Culture (Prof. Corrina Laughlin, Communication Studies) 

TR 8:00-9:40am (CRN 71497)  

This course will use the porous and often mutually informing categories of “religion” and “popular culture” to introduce students to essential critical thinking and writing skills as well as critical media literacy. The objectives of this course fit within the first year seminar theme of “Culture, Art and Society.” Our analysis will take seriously the Critical Cultural Studies notion that “popular culture”, once considered “low” or trashy is a worthy site for understanding ideology and politics. Students will read scholarly articles and theoretical texts alongside excerpts from novels, films, television series, podcasts, and memes. We will consider and discuss definitions of religion that will help students imagine the role of religion and religiosity in the construction of media, marketing, fashion, globalization, and digital culture and we will cover crucially important contemporary topics including the disturbing rise of antisemitism and Islamophobia in popular culture.

By the end of the course students will have familiarity with common religious discourses em- bedded in American popular culture and civic life and they will be able to recognize stereotyped, tokenized, and biased media portrayals of religion and religious people. Students will also demonstrate media arts practice by designing and executing a podcast project and will be pre- pared for this with in-class workshops and peer-review sessions.

Meet the Professor

Prof. Corrina Laughlin teaches Media Studies in the Communication Department at LMU. Her work focuses on digital culture, especially the interplay between religion and the digital and on digital feminism. She is the author of Redeem All: How Digital Life is Changing Evangelical Culture (University of California Press, 2021) and her scholarly work has appeared in peer-reviewed journals in Communication and Media Studies. She has also written for outlets such as The Atlantic and VICE, and has participated in ethnographic and documentary filmmaking and audio projects that have debuted at various festivals and conferences. Professor Laughlin is a Southern California native, a mom of two boys, and an avid (though terrible) skier. 

Rhetoric, Media, and Civic Responsibility (Prof. James Bunker, Communication Studies) 

MWF 9:25-10:35am (CRN 71495)

MWF 10:50am-12:00pm (CRN 71496)    

This course introduces students to the rich history of civic engagement and the importance of becoming involved in their communities and nation. It seeks to develop students’ civic voices as well as an understanding of the moral values that guide them. Democracy depends upon the willingness of learned citizens to engage in the public realm for the betterment of the larger good. Taking as its starting point the work of John Dewey who understood democracy as a way of relational living in which the decisions and actions of one citizen must be understood in terms of their influence on others, this course introduces students to the responsibilities associated with civic engagement. Civic engagement is a rhetorical act and it is important to understand the persuasive nature of arguments in public discourse and the media. Students will engage and examine how different spheres of influence (families, friends, school, professional environments, and the media) both contribute to and provide rhetorical barriers to active civic engagement. Finally, students will learn how to lead lives of civic commitment through association, service, charity, and leadership.

Meet the Professor

Dr. James Bunker currently teaches courses in rhetorical theory, rhetorical methods, political communication, communication theory, mediation, and civic engagement. He also has experience teaching business communication, interviewing, and small group decision-making. He is also a trained writing instructor having taught courses at the introductory, intermediate, and advanced levels.

Sense & Synderesis (Prof. Catherine Peters, Philosophy) 

MW 11:50-1:30pm (CRN 71490)

Sense & Synderesis explores the central characters and themes of the novels of Jane Austen. The seminar will consist of a careful reading of her works and class discussions reflecting on the “cardinal virtues” within her novels. 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:

Catherine Peters is an assistant professor of philosophy at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California. She specializes in medieval philosophy, with a particular focus on Latin and Arabic thought. An overarching theme in her work is the consideration of how medieval thought might inform and advance our attempts to answer fundamental questions such as “who am I?”, “what do we know?”, “what should we do?” and “is there a God?” She is passionate about translating the insights of medieval philosophy into modern terms. When not in the philosophy department or the classroom, Dr. Peters can usually be found in local coffee shops, at a dog park with her goldendoodle, or at Orange Theory Fitness.

Sleep: Your Hidden Superpower! (Prof. Carolyn Viviano, Biology) 

MW 9:55-11:35am (CRN 72793)

Sleep impacts everything. Although good sleep habits are as important to academic success, health, and well-being as eating properly and being active, only 1 in 10 college students get the recommended 7-9 hours of healthy sleep per night, in comparison to 4/10 of all adults.  During this seminar, we will consider the scientific advances in sleep research in the context of society, policy, health, and even fiction.

Meet your Professor:

Carolyn Viviano received a BA in Biology from Amherst College and a PhD in Genetics and Development from Columbia University. After several years in the US and UK researching the mechanisms of embryonic development and limb regeneration, she became increasingly interested in science and environmental literacy issues. The opportunity to work with future teachers at LMU motivated her to make the career change into science education. Dr. Viviano is a member of the Biology Department and the Director of the Secondary Science Education program. Her work at LMU is driven by the core belief that it is vital to instill in others an appreciation and respect for the world around them, regardless of their intended profession, and the goal of creating a challenging and stimulating atmosphere for students at all levels. 

Tolkien in Context (Prof. Aimee Ross-Kilroy, English)

MW 1:45-3:25pm (CRN 72790)

MW 3:40-5:20pm (CRN 72791)

In The Defense of Poesie, Sir Philip Sidney argued that while the world reality delivers is "brazen, the poets only deliver a golden" world.  In this course, we will explore the creation of fully realized, imaginative worlds through the work of C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Charles Williams.  The Inklings, as they called themselves, formed a loose literary society and encouraged each other in the writing of work that was often greeted with some skepticism by the academic communities in which they also participated.  Nonetheless, their works have been enormously influential on fantasy, children's literature, and science fiction. Additionally, each of these writers was influential in shaping thought about literature, history and theology.

In this course, students will read representative works of fiction and non-fiction by each of these authors.  We will explore their literary collaborations, and the questions and concerns of the mid-twentieth century that informed their writing.  We will also explore interpretations of their work, their impact on popular culture in the past and today, and the cultural uses to which their work is put in the present.  At the heart of inquiry is the question of the role of the imagination and fictional world-making in a real world that increasingly reveres technology and science.

Meet the Professor:

Aimee Ross-Kilroy teaches courses in British literature, Renaissance literature including Shakespeare, composition, fiction and children’s literature. She also serves as the Associate Director of the Freshman English Program. Her research interests include early modern revenge tragedies, and she has an article forthcoming in the journal Renaissance and Reformation/Renaissance et Reforme entitled “‘The Very Ragged Bone’: Dismantling Masculinity in Thomas Middleton’s The Revenger’s Tragedy,” and is at work researching purgatory and its absence in the English Renaissance. In her spare time, she finds herself watching a great deal of youth soccer and entertaining the notion of someday writing children’s literature of her own.

The Year 1000 (Prof. Anthony Perron, History) 

MWF 9:25-10:35am (CRN 71482) 

MWF 10:50am-12:00pm (CRN 71483) 

This course will travel back to a distant era of tremendous change, the world at the turn of the first millennium. Ranging from Manchuria to West Africa, we will look at how a new world order emerged in the tenth century out of a time of crisis and chaos, anchored by three regimes in particular: the Song Dynasty in China, the Fatimid Caliphate in the lands of Islam, and the Holy Roman Empire in central Europe. Our journey will take us through a series of case studies looking at similar developments in different parts of the Old World. Learn how new regimes sought authority by reviving the legacies of antiquity. Wander the crowded yet vibrant streets of cities like Cairo and Kaifeng. Follow the trade networks of Arabs and Venetians across the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean. And listen as Muslim and Christian missionaries tried to persuade converts to join their cause. Throughout the course we will pay attention to how “barbarian” frontiers and imperial rivalries shaped the world of the year 1000. The course will also be explicitly interdisciplinary, showing how distinct approaches are necessary to understand the varied societies in different parts of the world; each of our case studies will demand that we draw on different types of evidence, ask different questions, and apply different methods to analyze our subject.

 
Meet the Professor: 

Dr. Perron received his BA and PhD in History from the University of Chicago. He teaches introductory courses on world and medieval European history, along with upper-division courses on the Crusades and the Vikings and a seminar in medieval law. His research interests include medieval Scandinavia and the history of medieval church law. He is currently working on a project involving the legal history of cemeteries and changing conceptions of the community of the dead from the eleventh to the thirteenth century.

German Culture through Film & Literature (Prof. Agnes Cser, Modern Language and Literature)

MWF 3:05-4:15pm (CRN 71479)

German Culture through Film and Literature course introduces students to the varied perspectives and countless voices that shaped the complex history of the German culture. Through surveying the major milestones of German cinema and reading German lyric poetry, students generate an understanding of the key roles of literary voices, historical events, and political notions shaping Germany’s difficult past and present development toward more heterogeneous, cosmopolitan, and multicultural ideals. Whenever a film is based on a literary work, it will be read alongside its film version for comparative purposes. The class meetings consist of lectures, film screenings, class discussions, and group work.

Agnes.Cser@lmu.edu

Meet the Professor:

Visiting Assistant Professor Agnes J. Cser received her PHD in Transcultural German Studies and German Literature from the University of Arizona and the Universität Leipzig, Germany. Born in Hungary, Agnes grew up with a love of languages, literature, and music. Her dissertation examines how Friedrich Schiller’s study of human nature informed his poetic impulse of capturing human beings’ best possible expression--therewith the cultivation of the beautiful—became for him a joyous inspiration for creating his world-known dramas. Beside research projects in the eighteenth century, her research interests include the history of German cinema and the interrelationship of German literature and music in the artistic outputs of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Franz Schubert, and Franz Liszt. Prior to joining LMU, Agnes designed and taught a broad range of German curricula at several American universities and furthered communicative competencies, intercultural understanding and education through the arts.

Who Owns Art? (Prof. Melody Rod-ari, Art History)

MWF 12:15-1:25pm (CRN 71510)

Who Owns Art? examines the history of collecting in Europe and America during late 19^th and early 20^th centuries. The course will examine specific cultural patrimony cases such as the ongoing debate over the return of the Parthenon sculptures currently in the collection of the British Museum. Specifically, the class will explore questions such as: should the sculptures be returned to Greece where they once adorned the Parthenon temple, or should they remain in the British Museum where greater numbers of visitors have access to them? This seminar is for students who are interested in learning about cultural patrimony, art law, and the world of collecting and museums. Students will have opportunities to visit local museum collections such as the Norton Simon Museum and the Getty Villa. 

Meet the Professor:

Melody Rod-ari is a professor of Art History at LMU and is also the Southeast Asian Content Editor for Smarthistory. Prior to coming to LMU, Dr. Rod-ari was the curator of Asian Art at the Norton Simon Museum. She continues to be an active curator and recently redesigned the South and Southeast Asian galleries at the USC, Pacific Asia Museum. Her research investigates Buddhist visual culture in Thailand, and the history of collecting South and Southeast Asian art. Her work has been published by various journals and university presses including Amerasia Journal and the National University of Singapore Press. She has received fellowships from the Henry Luce Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Women Warriors- Who's Telling the Story? (Prof. Kennedy Wheatley, Production Film and Television)

TR 9:55-11:35am (CRN 72890)

TR 11:50am-1:30pm (CRN 72889)

This course explores stories of American 'women warriors' who refused to accept limitations on their lives as women—changing the course of history.     We will study artists and activists, farmworkers and businesswomen, judges, politicians and athletes from past and present. Using documentaries, essays, news articles, books, and fiction films, we will examine how each of these women changed our world, all through the FYS lens of Power and Privilege.

Together, we will ponder: How is the rebellion of these women warriors in 1848, or 1963, or 2019 still reverberating in our society today? Whose stories have been widely told and who has been ignored?  Who do we believe when there are conflicting stories about the same woman, and why? What do these stories tell us about what it means to be female in the U.S., and how has that changed over time? 

We will explore and practice different genres of storytelling: biographical storytelling, dramatic storytelling, stories framed by critical analysis, and the intriguing grey area in between.  

This course may be particularly relevant for students whose majors involve storytelling, but all students are welcome, and a diverse group will create a richer, more engaging experience for all.   Students of all genders and non-gendered students are invited to bring their perspectives to this course.  All voices are equally honored, and everyone is respected for their own lived experience.  My goal is to share some thought-provoking ideas with you and for our shared listening to help us all grow.

Meet the Professor: 

Kennedy Wheatley is interested in how the power of media can be used for social change.  She directs documentaries, fiction films and PSAs for non-profit organizations and international NGOs.  She is currently working on a series of videos about reversing climate change.  As an artist and activist, she strives to tell stories through innovative narratives, images and sound.  She has taught in the School of Film & Television at LMU since 2000.  She earned her M.F.A. in Cinematic Arts from the University of Southern California, and an B.A. in Ethnic Studies from the Michigan State University. She lives in the foothills of LA, and is an avid swimmer and gardener.