MB&B202 - Science and Film: Defining Human Identity

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Academic Year 2005/2006

Science and Film: Defining Human Identity
MB&B 202 SP

Crosslistings:
FILM 202

Much Science and Art have been spurred by the question: "What does it mean to be human?" As rational, scientific explanations of human identity have been popularized in the past century, popular art has become one arena for working through the cultural implications. Science Fiction Cinema, one of the few popular film genres that can function as allegory, offers a window into our culture's struggle with science's evolving perspective on our identity. This course asks how science has contributed to our understanding of the human species (by considering explanations of Evolution, Perceptions, Genetics, and Genomics) and how science fiction articulates our culture's reactions to those understandings. Does the project of science threaten our ideology of the emotional individual? One of our major goals is to present students with a detailed understanding of the way our culture responds to/negotiates scientific inquiry.

MAJOR READINGS

Selected weekly readings.

EXAMINATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS

Four short, written assignments. Mid-term and final exam.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS and/or COMMENTS

This course may be taken by FILM or MB&B majors, but it does not count as an elective towards either major.

Please note that this course carries dual General Education designations. When you register for this course, it will be assigned a primary Gened credit of NSM. If you choose to take the course for HA Gened credit instead, you must make this change at the Registrar's Office during the drop/add period. NO CHANGE TO GENED DESIGNATION MAY BE MADE AFTER DROP/ADD ENDS.

COURSE FORMAT: Lecture/Discussion

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Level: UGRD Credit: 1 Gen Ed Area Dept: NSM MB&B Grading Mode: Graded

Prerequisites: NONE

SECTION 01

Instructor(s): Lane,Robert P. Higgins,Scott

Times: ..T.R.. 09:00AM-11:50AM; Location: CFS100;

Reserved Seats: (Total Limit: 50)

SR. major: 5 Jr. major: 5

SR. non-major: 13 Jr. non-major: 14 SO: 13 FR: 0

Special Attributes:

Curricular Renewal: Reading Non-Verbal Texts

Links to Web Resources For This Course.

Last Updated on MAR-30-2006