Humanities 212 Non-Western Humanities
Fall 2005
Section H Tuesday & Thursday 11 AM-12:20 PM, Room 3126
Prof. Rudra Vilius Dundzila, Ph.D.
Office 3422, Phone 773-907-4055, E-mail rdundzila@ccc.edu
Instructor’s Web Site faculty.ccc.edu/rdundzila
Office hours: Mon. & Wed. 9:30-10:50 AM, Tue. &Thurs. 9:00-10:50 AM
This is the only copy of the syllabus you will receive. If you need an additional copy, download it from the faculty web site or Blackboard.
An interdisciplinary survey of significant intellectual and artistic achievements of non-Western cultures through selected works of literature, philosophy, visual art, music and other performing arts. Writing assignments, as appropriate to the discipline, are part of the course. 3 credit hours. Prerequisites: English 101.
iTransfer (IAI) course: HF 904N Non-Western Humanities. Interdisciplinary survey of the significant intellectual and artistic achievements of several non-Western cultures through selected works of literature, philosophy, visual art, music and other performing arts, as well as a comparative examination of their values, motifs and aesthetics with those of Western cultural expression.
This course also fulfills the cultural diversity general education requirement.
See: http://www.itransfer.org/IAI/GenEd/HumFA.taf
1. The successful student will identify and comprehend the cultural and historical context and content of a creative work and apply this information in interpreting the work, as follows:
2. The successful student will analyze, synthesize, and evaluate dramatic literature, philosophy, visual art, and music, as follows:
3. The successful student will receive and respond to the values expressed in creative works.
4. The successful student will:
Required books:
Seyyed Hossein Nasr. Islam: Religion, History, and Civilization. San Francisco: Harper, 2003.
Robert Irwin. Islamic Art in Context. Perspectives. New York: Abrams, 1997. (distributed by Prentice Hall).
Tony Barnstone and Willis Barnstone. Literatures of the Middle East. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2003.
Required technologies:
Blackboard–ccc.blackboard.com (technical support: www.ccc.edu/bb). Blackboard will be used for supplemental materials. Student e-mail addresses must be correctly configured in Blackboard.
CCC Student E-Mail and technical support–student.ccc.edu. Due to security and confidentiality issues, no other e-mail may be used. It is the student’s responsibility to resolve all technical difficulties with their own e-mails.
Students are graded on the quality of work. The rubric is posted on the instructor’s web site and on Blackboard. A 100-90%, B 89-80%, C 79-70%, D 69-60%, F 59-0%.
Successful work will demonstrate cognitive thinking skills, reflect college-level English standards commensurate with English 101, follow MLA paper formatting guidelines (see Blackboard or the instructor’s web site), and be composed using a word processor.
CCC, Truman College and course policies are explained on the instructor’s web site.
· Participation in all class activities in an integral component of the learning process. Students must attend all classes, from start to finish. Attendance is taken at the start of class. The CCC does not have any provisions for “excused” absences or tardiness. Attendance and tardiness are non-negotiable. Students are responsible for the material they missed due to absence or tardiness. For every three absences and/or tardinesses, the student final grade will drop one letter grade, i.e., a student receiving an “A” who was absent three times will receive a “B.”
· Assignments are designed to enhance the learning experience. They need to be completed in a timely manner, as the course progresses through the material under consideration. Assignments are due at the start of class on the date due. Late assignments are not accepted. In the event of a planned absence, submit assignments before the due date. In the event of an absence due to a legitimate emergency, students need to provide verifying documentation together with the assignment.
· Students must do their own work. Cheating and plagiarism of any kind will not be tolerated. The district academic integrity policy will be enforced: http://www.ccc.edu/ss/studentpolicymanual.shtml#academicintegrity. The first violation will result in an “F” for the assignment; the second violation will result in course failure.
The project will help students explore a course topic in a more personal, in-depth way. Each student will pick one humanities’ subject to investigate: religion, philosophy, art, architecture, music, or literature. The 3-page essay (introduction, three- paragraph body, conclusion) will include a summary of the main ideas, the student’s reaction to and analysis of these ideas, and a discussion of parallels, patterns, and/or themes related to the course. Papers will be evaluated according to the course rubrics.
1. Attend an “English” Muslim (including Sufi) religious service (for example, the Nimatullahi House of Sufism, 4642 N. Hermitage Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, 773-561-1616, or the Islamic Cultural Center-Greater Chicago. 1810 N. Pfingsten Rd., Northbrook, IL 60062, 847-272-0319).
2. Interview a Muslim. Do not ask for basic information that you can find in a book. Focus your efforts on exploring the role of religion, philosophy, art, architecture, music, and literature in the life of your informant (interviewee). In your report, include something on the background of your informant and the context of your interview.
3. Read a book that examines an issue related to Islamic humanities.
4. Write an essay in which you research an issue or question of interest to you in the field of the Islamic Humanities.
5. Attend a lecture/presentation about the Islamic Humanities (see www.chfestival.org).
6. Take a field trip to the Bahai Temple (100 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL, www.us.bahai.org/how/index.html, 2 blocks east of the Linden stop on the Purple Line). Although the building is not a mosque, but a Bahai temple (Bahai is a successor religion to Islam), it with its grounds, gardens, and observatory is the prime example of Islamic-style architecture in Chicago.
7. The project may be a creative work (writing, fine art, photography, music) of your own (discuss this option with the instructor in advance).
By the abstract due date, review your abstract with the course facilitator during office hours (see form in Blackboard).
On the final due date, students will submit their final projects to the instructor. Students will share summaries of their final projects in small groups.
Reminder: Assignments are due at the start of class on the date due. For all the reading assignments, write notes according to one of two methods. The first option is writing a 1-sentence summary of each paragraph. The second option is using the SQ4R method to read and document the chapter. Bring your notes to class. These notes will be randomly graded throughout the semester.
Week 1
Introduction to course
Islamic Religion
Nasr, introduction & chapter 1.
Jerome Stone, Basic Principles for Understanding Islam (handout on Blackboard)
In class: Blackboard and student e-mail (handout on Blackboard).
Week 2
Nasr, chapters 2 & 3.
Ali S. Asani, “Allah at Harvard” (handout on Blackboard)
David B. Burrell, “The Attraction of Islam” (handout on Blackboard)
Seyyed Hossein Nasr, “Islam and the Environmental Crisis” (handout on Blackboard)
Marcia K. Hermansen, “Women, Men, and Gender in Islam” (handout on Blackboard)
Week 3
Barnstone/Barnstone, Quran, pp. 238-265.
John A Rakestraw, “Qur’an as required reading” (handout on Blackboard)
Week 4
Nasr, chapters 4 & 5.
Elizabeth Lesser, excerpt about Sufism (handout on Blackboard)
“Visiting a Sufi Zikr” (handout on Blackboard)
Week 5
Islamic Philosophy
Nasr, chapter 7
First test: religion & philosophy.
Week 6
Islamic Art
Irwin, chapters 1 & 2
Week 7
Irwin, chapters 8 &3 (note the non-sequential order of chapters in this assignment!)
Week 8
Irwin, chapters 4 & 5
Carefully view the three most famous Islamic architectural marvels: the Alhambra Palace in Spain www.alhambra.org, the Taj Mahal in India www.taj-mahal.net, and the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul www.ee.bilkent.edu.tr/~history/topkapi.html
Week 9
Irwin, chapters 6 & 7
Week 10
Irwin, chapters 9 & conclusion
Art Institute of Chicago Field Trip & Essay. Students will visit the Art Institute of Chicago (www.artic.edu) in person and view the Islamic Art (calligraphy, book illustrations, Persian miniatures, decorative arts, textile arts, etc.) on display at the museum (currently in hall 101A, but the museum has indicated it plans to move the exhibit). Students will write a college-level 3-page essay (introduction, 3-paragraph body, conclusion), interpreting the art according to the course objectives. Interpretations must be focuses and detail-oriented. They must also demonstrate cognitive skills. Indicate the artist (if known) and title using MLA formatting requirements. This assignment is not a research paper: no outside sources (including the internet), except for descriptions of the art work at the Art Institute, may be used. Information from the Art Institute descriptions must be quoted and cited according to MLA requirements.
Week 11
Second test: Islamic art
Islamic religious literature
Barnstone/Barnstone, Rabia, 265-67; Attar, 332-36.
Al-Ghazali, “A Poem of the Soul” (handout on Blackboard)
Week 12
Barnstone/Barnstone, Rumi, 336-41; Hafiz, 346-49.
Hafiz, two selections, translated by Ralph Waldo Emerson (www.emersoncentral.com/poems/from_the_persian_of_hafiz_1.htm, www.emersoncentral.com/poems/from_the_persian_of_hafiz.htm)
Islamic secular literature
Barnstone/Barnstone, Thousand and One Nights, 268-95.
Course project abstract due this week. Meet with the instructor during an office hour to review the abstract of your course project.
Week 13
(Thanksgiving Day Holiday on Thursday)
Barnstone/Barnstone, Arab Andalusia, 302-10; Khayyam, 327-31.
Week 14
Barnstone/Barnstone, Hikmet, 385-87; Mahfouz, 387-97; Kemal, 399-416
Course project due.
Week 15
Barnstone/Barnstone, Mririda, 397-99; Mansour, 430-31; al-Saadawi, 437-41; Farrokhzad, 441-45; Mrabet, 469-71.
Week 16
Barnstone/Barnstone, Adunis, 432-436; Darwish, 471-79; Mattawa, 476-79.
Third test: Islamic literature. The exam will be administered during the last class meeting (no absences).