Adventures in Modernity
Michigan State University Residential College in the Arts and Humanities
Key Information
Campus location
Online USA
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
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Pace
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Tuition fees
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Application deadline
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Earliest start date
Sep 2023
Scholarships
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Introduction
Change is in the air, or so we hope or fear. Yet this sense of imminent renewal is not itself new, nor has it been confined to any one people or place. This course examines efforts to come to grips with the very modern feeling of being swept up in radical social change. Students will read texts in which modernity itself plays a dynamic role, perhaps including personal letters by a young Karl Marx, popular short stories by Yiddish-language writer Sholem Aleichem, films by Indian auteur Satyajit Ray, improvised comedy sketches by thespian Elaine May, reflections on Trinidadian cricket by historian C.L.R. James, or electric guitar music by Malian band Tinariwen. Classroom discussions will ask how authors use existing forms, genres, literature, and technologies to reach diverse audiences. Infrequent writing ventures, students will continuously develop their talents as generous and resourceful communicators.