Our time in Cultural Studies is spent exploring major events, ideas and trends that have had lasting impacts on humans and, in some cases, the planet itself.  Some of these elements have been initiated by individuals (e.g., Galileo, Johannes Gutenberg, James Watt), by individuals acting on behalf of a group (e.g., Adolf Hitler, Mohandas Gandhi, John F. Kennedy), or by groups acting either serendipitously or by design (e.g., Homo habilis, the Romans, the British Empire).  We will see that both positive and negative effects result from human (and natural) activity and which side of the good/bad fence something sits may be up for debate. (John B. Curtis, sinner or saint?)

 

This is an ambitious program and in two years we plan on getting through… (start playing some dramatic music)

 

All of Time as we know it!!!!!

 

Yes, it’s true – strictly speaking the origin of time/Big Bang and the origin of life have nothing to do with our definition of culture, but if you read on you’ll see why we are going all the way back.  That’s thirteen billion years in six trimesters.  Champion!

 

Assignments and project outlines will be available here as they are presented to the class.

Expansion, Trade and Empire: 1200BCE - 500CE 

During this time period, the first long-distance networks of exchange were established, linking sistant lands throughout Afroeurasia. Ideas, goods and technologies were exchanged leading to an interconnected and interdependant world. Vast empires were established which exploited networds of trade to control land and people. Among the ideas that were exchanged during this time period were those which helped establish several of the world's most influential religions: Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism and Christianity. 

The Gold Standard Website:

http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2010/11/09/back-to-a-gold-standard