| GLBLCLT (S26) | 103B JUSTICE AND ETHICS | CHOI, C. |
| In this course, we will examine the works of contemporary Korean writers, film makers and visual artists as the postmemory generations tell the stories of their inherited historical trauma and seek ways of healing through their respective aesthetic media while engaging critical theories of trauma, transitional justice, truth-telling, reconciliation through interdependence of care ethics. The topics we will examine include Comfort Women, war memories, state brutality, defection, diaspora and affective equality of care. The text we will examine include novels by Han Kang, the 2024 Nobel Laureate, graphic novels by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim, testimonies by former Comfort Women, films by Lee Chang-dong, Park Chan-wook and others about war, memory struggle, question of forgiveness and reconciliation. |
| GLBLCLT (S26) | 103B GERMANY & JAPAN | BROADBENT, P. |
| The era of New Imperialism (1880–1914) was underpinned by racial and cultural hierarchies that cast Europe as superior and therefore morally justified in pursuing global dominance over “uncivilized” territories. Echoes of Empire examines both the ideological foundations of New Imperialism and the systems of governance it produced, before turning to the processes of decolonization that radically reshaped Europe in the decades after the Second World War. The course focuses on how late colonialism transformed Europe through demographic shifts, migration policies, and cultural and political debates about national identity. Readings and films reveal how Europe continues to negotiate its colonial past through nostalgia, silence, and avoidance. Case studies from Britain, Germany, France, and the Netherlands illustrate how colonial legacies remain central to contemporary debates over multiculturalism, populism, and memory. By the end of the course, students will gain both historical literacy and the tools to assess how late colonialism continues to influence European identity and politics. |
| GLBLCLT (S26) | 103B LAUGHING MEDIEV&REN | MAZZITELLO, P. |
| Parody, satire, comedy, and burlesque are among the most prevalent forms of comedy in European literary production during the medieval and Renaissance periods. This upper-division course aims to provide an overview of the cultural and historical contexts in which these comedic texts were produced, and the reasons why parody of sacred texts, political satire, scatological burlesque, trivialism, and other forms of comedy were popular during these eras. The course covers material from the late Middle Ages (12th century) to the Early Modern period (end of the 16th century) across a variety of literary genres. The class provides a cultural and historical introduction to representative works originally composed in Western European languages, including Italian, Old French, Occitan, Castilian, and Medieval Latin, by authors such as Giovanni Boccaccio, Juan Ruiz, Niccolò Machiavelli, Erasmus of Rotterdam, and Rabelais, among others. Students will explore how changes in social, political, and economic contexts have shaped rhetorical and cultural structures in the perception of humor. They will analyze both the cultural and performative expectations of the audience for such productions and reflect on what has changed and what remains in the development of the sense of humor and laughter from the past to the present times. |
| GLBLCLT (S26) | 191 VIRTUALZNG PRESENCE | LIN, J. |
| Presence in virtual reality is not simply a technical feature. It is a way of relating. This course examines how presence takes shape when bodies, technologies, and stories meet in immersive environments. Students will draw on posthuman theory from thinkers such as Donna Haraway, N. Katherine Hayles, and Rosi Braidotti to understand communication as a distributed practice. We will experiment with virtual reality as a medium where sensing, movement, voice, and world design come together. Joy becomes a quiet thread within this work. It emerges when presence is shared and co-created. Students will create small immersive pieces that invite others into moments of attention, care, and wonder. |
