To truly understand the material we will be covering you must experience it directly and response to it actively.  Therefore, I have added a number of elements to this class that are not part of the traditional lecture format.  In almost every class session readings and background lectures will be augmented by slide presentations, musical recordings, or films.  The web site will also provide you with direct access to texts and images that are not available in the readings or class presentations and to assignments that must be completed each week.  Regular access to the web site is, in fact,  a prerequisite for success in the course.

    Since pedagogical studies consistently demonstrate that students master material most effectively when they actively explore problems and restate ideas in their own words and since the nature of the material that we will be studying calls out for discussion, you will be part of a team that will work together  to develop ideas about particular issues raised in the readings, lectures, or media presentations.  The results of this work will be shared in whole class discussions which will probe deeper into the themes of the course.  As a result of this process, you should emerge at the end of the class with a much firmer understanding of the material and the basis for using what you have learned on the papers and assignments.