Upper-Level BHP Courses Spring 2025

BHP 201: Age of Shakespeare: A Study in Cultural History

Professors Frank Rusciano (Political Science) and Seiwoong Oh (English)   

T/Th 9:45-11:15 a.m.

Core Substitutions: CAS-Lit | EDU-Lit | NBCB-Humanities or Liberal Arts

This course studies the cultural history of Elizabethan and Jacobean England and of its visual and literary arts. More specifically, the course will investigate the peculiarly English synthesis of the old and new, Medieval and Renaissance, Continental and English in the arts and ideas of the Age of Shakespeare.

BHP 270: Interdisciplinary Studies: Sustainability in Fashion

Professors Danielle Jacobs (Earth & Chemical Sciences) and Robin Shane (Theater)

M/W 4:30-6 p.m.

Core Substitutions: CAS-Fine Arts or Scientific Perspectives | EDU-Fine Arts or Science Elective | NBCB-Humanities or Natural Science Elective

This class will explore the history of textiles, clothing and adornment from pre-history to now as reflected through the materials available in the environment, climate, and techniques used to create the garments.  We will consider the evolution of clothing as it moved from fulfilling the basic needs of adornment, self-expression and protection, to the creation of fashion houses and the factories for mass-production.  We will also explore the movement from natural fibers to petroleum-based products and the evolution of “fast fashion” and its impact on the environment.  We will talk about organic vs. conventional farming of cotton and other materials, and the treatment of workers in factories in both the US and abroad, and the effect of the environment as we move into the future.  We will explore this through lectures, films, experiential projects, and hands-on experiences using the materials discussed in the class.

BHP 316: Modern European Ideologies: Social and Political Perspectives

Professors Barbara Franz (Political Science) and Rick Zdan (Sociology)

T/Th 1:10-2:40 p.m.   

Core Substitutions: CAS–Social Perspectives or Global Perspectives | EDU-Social Science Elective | NBCB-Social Science Elective

This course covers the origins and development of 20th-century European ideologies in a comparative perspective. Topics the course will explore include the condition of European political culture at the turn of both centuries (i.e., 1900 and 2000), methods of spreading Nationalism and national culture, the First World War and the emergence of Fascism and Communism, the origins and consequences of the Cold War, the development and fate of the Socialist and Capitalist systems, and the ideology of Conservatism/Liberalism. We will also reflect upon the condition of European political culture in our day.

BHP 327: Latinx in the 21st Century

Professors Cynthia Martinez (Languages, Literatures, and Cultures) and Vincent Toro (English)

T/Th 1:10-2:40 p.m.

Core Substitutions: CAS-Lit or Global Perspectives| EDU-Lit | NBCB-Humanities or Liberal Arts

This course focuses on the literary and cultural production of Latina/e/o/x/s in the United States, with particular attention to some of the many social, political, and economic issues that Latinx communities navigate in this country (e.g. borders, (im)migration, capitalism, economic inequality, gentrification, identity formation). Though we will primarily explore contemporary writings, our course texts span a wide range of historical periods, beginning in the 15th century with the colonization of the Americas. These historical writings will invite us to explore the connections between colonialism, imperialism, and white supremacy as both legacies of the past and oppressive systems that continue to operate in our present.

The main goals of the course are for students to begin to conceptualize: 1) how the United States has been shaped by the presence of Latina/e/o/x peoples and communities, 2) how Latina/e/o/x experiences are reflected in literature, art, and culture, and 3) how the materials that we will explore might encourage us to reconsider our thinking towards complex concepts such as identity, (im)migration, race, belonging, history, and community, among many others. We will engage with a range of literary, artistic, and cultural production, including fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, theater, critical essays, and more.

BHP 333: Music and Social Justice

Professors Vinroy Brown (Music) and Joanna Kubik (Sociology)

T/Th 1:10-2:40 p.m.

Core Substitutions: CAS-Fine Arts| NBCB-Humanities or Liberal Arts

From Folk to Rock & Roll, music plays a vital role in shaping social justice on a global scale. The Music & Social Justice course is designed for students interested in learning how music can engage and advocate for those on the margins of society. Music can provoke and impact social justice movements, which address moral and social problems and allow society to be more equitable, responsive, and inclusive. In other ways, music can also be a response to the current climate, allowing those impacted by social justice movements to express how they think and feel. This course will examine different periods in history, on both a US and global scale, and the impact of music on social movements, specifically including its influence on African Americans in the US, feminism, and global social issues.