FALL 2007 HONORS COURSES

HONR 268M The University as a Cultural Institution
Monday/Wednesday 12:00-1:15 p.m.
Dr. Sheri Parks, American Studies Department

Why are you here? What is the fit between historically constructed universities and the people in them? As producers and gateways to knowledge, universities have become powerful cultural locations, affecting many aspects of American life from political thought to real estate. As the U.S. has moved from a manufacturing economy to an information economy, universities have assumed even greater cultural roles. This course is in direct response to students’ questions about the cultural assumptions and roles of universities and is designed to help them move through the university as knowledgeable cultural participants. The topics we will explore include the connections with issues of race, gender, social class, religion, athletes, think tanks, motives and community gentrification. Students will be evaluated according to class participation and several types of writing assignments. Students will keep personal journals, design, conduct and write up several ethnographic interviews of their fellow students and complete a final project.

Readings include:
Adrianne Kezar et al. (ed.), Higher Education and the Public Good
Authur Levine, Where Fear and Hope Collide: A Portrait of Today’s College Student
Naomi Schaeffer Riley, God on the Quad: How Religious Colleges and the Missionary Generation are Changing America

CORE: Humanities (HO) and Diversity (D)