200-level QLCs Spring 2020

Note: QLCs must be chosen from the same learning community (LC). Throughout your 100-level, 200-level and 300-level QLCs, you must meet the areas below. Consult your

degree audit or transcript evaluation to determine which areas you still need.

*20- Individuals and Society

*30- Institutions and Society

*40- Science and Society

*50- Creativity and Innovation

*60- Quantitative reasoning - Students may also meet this requirement by

taking a course beginning in MAT (math) rather than in a QLC

200 Level Learning Communities Spring 2020

LC 9: Heroes and Villains

In this learning community, we’ll rethink our common conceptions of heroes and villains. Why and how are certain figures made villainous? What is the purpose of framing an individual or a group as heroic? As a community, we will have the opportunity to approach these questions from the perspectives of literature, art, history, and biology. We’ll work together using multiple modes of communication to examine how context shifts a given figure’s portrayal.

QLC 220

QLC 230

QLC 240

QLC 250

Heroes and Villains of Literature and Popular Culture As long as human beings have told stories, we’ve been fascinated by heroes and villains. But the kinds of stories we tell about heroes and villains—and the ways we define those characters—change in different times and cultures. In this course, we’ll talk about superheroes, monsters, mad scientists, revolutionaries, and spies, as we try to understand how stories work and how they change as the culture around them changes too. Prerequisites: QEN 101 and QEN 102. Corequisite: QLC 2** from the same learning community.

A History of Heroes A History of Heroes is an exploratory historical seminar. We’ll work together to humanize historical figures whose stories have been stretched to fit a heroic narrative, and to recognize other heroic individuals who might have been lost along the way. Where do histories of heroes and villains fall short, or go too far? What are the origins of hero myths and cults of personality? What happens when we peel back the layers of evidence to reexamine prominent figures in history? We’ll read exemplary histories of heroes and work with original sources to practice the skills of close reading and historical analysis as we explore this theme. Prerequisites: QEN 101 and QEN 102. Corequisite: QLC 2** from the same learning community.

Biological Heroes and Villains We will explore the ideas of heroes and villains in a biological framework by focusing on perceptions of different organisms. We will discuss a variety of topics ranging from macro (traditionally “villainous” predators) to micro (bacteria) scales. How important is context in assigning an organism as a hero or villain? What does the scientific evidence suggest about organisms traditionally considered “villains” and “heroes”? We will conduct scientific experiments using published data and by collecting our own data to investigate these ideas within the framework of cultural context. Prerequisites: QEN 101 and QEN 102. Corequisite: QLC 2** from the same learning community.

Heroes and villains in panel, posters, and paintings The course will explore the aesthetics of heroes and villains historically and today. Students will study the language and production of single and sequential images in a studio style course. Prerequisites: QEN 101 and QEN 102. Corequisite: QLC 2** from the same learning community.

Mike Kobre

Caroline Grego

Matt Stillwagon

Mike Wirth

TR 9:55-11:40

TR 9:55-11:40

MWF

9:40-

10:30; W 8-9:35

MWF 9:20-10:30

200 Level Learning Communities Spring 2020

LC 10: Disability Blues: Identity, Representation, and Empowerment What is it actually like to live with a disability, and how do those experiences compare to depictions of characters with disabilities in literature? In this online learning community, you will have the chance to learn more about both the culture of disability and the place of disability in our culture. Among the topics covered will be the different models for understanding disability and their history within disability studies, how people with disabilities understand and represent themselves and their impairments, and how they have been represented by others, often in harmful ways. You will analyze these representations with the help of new knowledge about the real lives of people with disabilities.

QLC 220

QLC 230

Metaphors and Magical Cripples: Literary Representations of Disability The object of pity. The girl whose disability grants her special powers. The evil, depraved deformed man. The man who would rather die than live with his impairment. The silent, mutilated, or mad men and women whose conditions are used as metaphors for colonial domination. Literature in English from around the world engages in stereotyping of people with disabilities. It also, however, gives people with disabilities a way of expressing their own identities and points of view, and gives readers a chance to interrogate our sense of what bodies should look like and do. Through informal and formal writing, you will engage with a variety of representations of people with disabilities and improve both your skills in analytical thinking and your knowledge of disability. Prerequisites: QEN 101 and QEN 102. Corequisite: QLC 2** from the same learning community.

QRise of the Crips: A Critical Examination of the History of Disability and The Emergence of Disability Culture People with disabilities have often been isolated oppressed and acted upon by able-bodied society. Able-bodied society describes disabled bodies as inferior and deviant. However, in the last four decades the field of disabilities studies has provided alternative narrative surrounding disability. While disability studies scholars acknowledge the barriers people with disabilities frequently encounter, those scholars also frame disability as a unique cultural that can empower those with disabilities. This Course will explore how disability has been viewed historically, and you will also explore the rise of disability culture. This course will examine personal experience of those with disabilities to explore how the identities of individuals are impacted by society’s understanding of disability. Prerequisites: QEN 101 and QEN 102. Corequisite: QLC 2** from the same learning community.

Tracy Stephens

Cort Schneider

MWF 8-9:10

M 6-7:40 (hybrid)

200 Level Learning Communities Spring 2020

LC 11: The New South

Coined by editor and orator, Henry Grady, “The New South” was born after the Civil War and ushered in by entrepreneurs, writers, and landowners eager to develop a new identity after the Confederacy died. And indeed, the New South does have its own distinct character, one that is richly diverse and includes many voices. This learning community will explore those diverse perspectives to gain understanding on how place informs identity, both at the individual and communal level.

QLC 230

QLC 250

QLC 260

The Politics of the New South How did today’s “New South” emerge from its political history of slavery and Jim-Crow style apartheid? How do the legacies of those past institutions, practices, and norms affect the politics of the New South today? In this course students will explore the interaction of power and identity in the New South. The course will examine how and why political institutions, norms, beliefs, and attitudes have evolved over time and explore how the past continues to shape public policy today. Prerequisites: QEN 101 and QEN 102. Corequisite: QLC 2** from the same learning community.

The Landscape of Identity Is place intrinsically linked to identity? We know place impacts experiences, but do the places we call home (for however brief a time we live in them) also play a role in our values, morals, decisions? Does place become part of our DNA? In this creative writing course, we will explore these questions and write about our human experience and how it is connected to the landscapes we inhabit. We’ll be examining these questions of identity through our own writing, but we will also be analyzing writers from the New South. Prerequisites: QEN 101 and QEN 102. Corequisite: QLC 2** from the same learning community.

Intro Statistics: The New SouthIn this course, students will learn introductory statistical concepts and use them as a lens to explore Southern social and political forces. By analyzing real-life data using SPSS, students will gain an understanding of the measurable aspects of dynamics at work in the American South. Counts as a substitute for MAT 130 or MAT 131. Not open to students who have credit for MAT 112, MAT 130, or MAT 131. Prerequisites: QEN 101 and QEN 102. Corequisite: QLC 2** from the same learning community.

Aaron Houck

Shawn Bowers

Jennifer Samson

MWF 9:20-10:30

TR 9:55-11:40

MW 3:50-5:35

200 Level Learning Communities Spring 2020

LC 12: The Family Story Our families provide the foundation of our lives, shaping our own stories. How can exploring this help us see commonalities that exist across different families? What happens when stories are shared? What empirical stories can be told about families? This LC explores—through theoretical, subjective, and objective methods—the family story.

QLC 230

QLC 250

QLC 260

Psychology: Through the Lens of FamilyHow do our families impact our journey through our lifespan? Students will examine theories related to personal and family development. Along the way we will examine how family impacts psychological components involved in the way we view ourselves, and the way we view others. We will also examine how family help’s us find our place in the world. Students will examine the family and the family roles throughout the lifespan through theories of family development. Prerequisites: QEN 101 and QEN 102. Corequisite: QLC 2** from the same learning community.

The Statistics of the Family How can we quantitatively describe, analyze, and predict family change in society? How do social scientists study the effects of family relationships on our lives? Using the institution of family as context, students in this class will be introduced to statistics in the social sciences. Topics to be covered include sampling methods, descriptive statistics, hypothesis testing, correlation, regression, and analysis of variance. Students will also gain skills in using statistical software packages to analyze data. This course is a substitute for MAT 131. Prerequisites: QEN 101 and QEN 102. Corequisite: QLC 2** from the same learning community.

Peggy Mathieu

Julie Funderburk

Jeremiah Wills

TR 8-9:45

TR 9:55-11:40

MWF 9:20-10:30

Writing FamilyThis course explores how creative writers process and portray the family. We’ll read contemporary examples for inspiration to see how families come to life on the page. Then we’ll practice the craft ourselves, with emphasis on fostering creativity and the process of writing. The class will write original poems, narrative scenes and creative nonfiction essays. We’ll share and discuss our pieces in a seminar-style workshop to learn what gives language energy. Prerequisites: QEN 101 and QEN 102. Corequisite: QLC 2** from the same learning community.

200 Level Learning Communities Spring 2020

LC 13: Gender: Representations, Viewpoints, Norms and Challenges in Today's SocietiesHow do gender norms, expectations, and policies influence the lived experiences of individuals? What do gender expectations mean for the people who are shaped by them, limited by them, and attempt to resist and change them? We will seek to understand the impact of gender by listening to personal stories, examining larger social patterns, exploring cross-cultural influences of gender in music, and analyzing statistical data. We will then integrate and communicate our understandings of gender through group projects.

QLC 220

QLC 230

QLC 250

QLC 260

Human Rights Through the Lens of Gender The course examines rights and justice globally with regards to women. Students will look at societal norms that affect treatment of women and what rights they have, potential solutions to problems….etc. Individual stories will inform student awareness of cultural norms. Goals would include an appreciation for the complexity of change (yet the need for it), an awareness of cultural differences and gender disparity, and an acceptance of the importance of some kind of action which may vary with the individual. Prerequisites: QEN 101 and QEN 102. Corequisite: QLC 2** from the same learning community.

Gender and Social Experiences In this course, we will examine how the concept of gender can influence the way one experiences social institutions in the United States, from the messages we learn to the policies and practices that guide our behavior and influence our lives. We will look at how social institutions, such as the media, family, education, economy, sports, military, law and politics use gender as an important variable for classifying and socializing members of society and we will consider the consequences that follow. Prerequisites: QEN 101 and QEN 102. Corequisite: QLC 2** from the same learning community.

The Role Gender Plays in Music In this course, we will examine the role gender plays in music as it applies to the individual and culture. What impact does gender have on a professional’s ability to create or perform music? How does gender affect the perceptions of those who are the receivers of music? How do gender roles in music reflect a culture’s politics, religion, etc.? We will explore all of these questions across cultures, examining various practices and customs. Prerequisites: QEN 101 and QEN 102. Corequisite: QLC 2** from the same learning community.

Intro Stats: Gender and Society In this course, students will learn introductory statistical concepts and use them as a lens to explore social issues related to gender identity. By analyzing real-life data using the calculator and SPSS, students will gain an understanding of the measurable aspects of dynamics in society that affect and are affected by gender. Counts as a substitute for MAT 130 or MAT 131. Not open to students who have credit for MAT 112, MAT 130, or MAT 131. Prerequisites: QEN 101 and QEN 102. Corequisite: QLC 2** from the same learning community.

Michele Shaul

Julie Schmidt

Justin Smith

Nina Bailey

Online

Online

TR 9:55-11:40

MWF 9:20-10:30

200 Level Learning Communities Spring 2020

LC 14: Supermen or Beauty Queens: Stereotypes, Gender and Identity This learning community focuses on the concept of identity: how we view ourselves, how we views others, and how values, beliefs, and traditions create a constructed sense of identity. We will consider how culture shapes different identities in our personal lives and in our careers as we explore gender, sexuality, and ethnicity as parts of our collective identity. We will explore society’s representation, influence, and acceptance of multiple identities through local, national, and global lenses.

QLC 230

QLC 250 Masculinity, Femininity, and the Media This course will focus on the performance of masculinity and femininity through film and television, literature, advertising, and comics and videogames. We’ll consider how masculinity and femininity are represented and performed, within local communities and globally, through the media, and explore how society affects the gender aspects of our identity. In our exploration of gender, we will uncover issues with representation, perception, and conduct, and though writing, performance, and design, construct creative solutions that address these issues. Prerequisites: QEN 101 and QEN 102. Corequisite: QLC 2** from the same learning community.

Peggy Mathieu

Kevin Calcamp Online

Gender in the Workforce This course will examine several theories of lifespan development and career development theories with a focus on major theories of career development. The course will examine the factors and the processes involved in career development throughout the lifespan by examining different career development theories. We will examine how career development impacts and is impacted by identity and how one views their place in the world. In the exploration of career development, we will contruct questions that provide the opportunity for creative solutions related to career development issues throughout the lifespan and use those questions to investigate creative solutions. Prerequisites: QEN 101 and QEN 102. Corequisite: QLC 250 from the same learning community.

Online