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STEP 1000-01A
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES ON CULTURE & MEDIA
Are you interested in learning about cultures, difference, and reaching across divides? At a time when cultural difference becomes a source of anxiety, it is critical to learn the importance of cultural awareness in understanding each other. In this class, we will explore media from new lenses by examining books, social media, films, and short stories to grow our knowledge about other cultures and build an understanding based on mutual respect. Some of the issues we will explore include culture, identity, imperialism, power, race, sexuality, and gender. This class will grow your ability to think critically about large themes that shape who we are!
STEP 1000-02A
WHAT IS CHILDHOOD?
When did you know you were no longer a child? This class asks students to critically examine what it means to be a child in the 21st century. We will ask the following questions: How is childhood marked and/or celebrated? What defines childhood and how might these definitions differ when one considers gender, race, sexuality, socioeconomic status, education, etc.? In what ways has childhood changed over the past several decades and how might it continue to evolve? We will consider theories of childhood that are concerned with the history of childhood as a concept, the nature of childhood, and how childhood might be used in society. We will also consider the paradox of how today, young people are often seen as growing up too fast or conversely, not growing up at all (i.e., having an extended adolescence). Students will also have the opportunity to reflect on how their own childhood has shaped their behavior as a human and their experiences as adults
STEP 1000-03A
America Then & America Now
Just what was America like, in past decades? What were the biggest social problems of the day, and which social problems still haunt us today? In this class, students will play a historically based role-playing game (RPG) that asks them to play a role of a past American. Throughout the semester, we will practice critical thinking, use active discussions, and conduct research to achieve our First Year Seminar learning outcomes that will help you succeed in college as well as throughout your life. We will explore past and present social problems in America, such as women’s roles in society; workers’ rights; and African American and immigrant issues. If you have interest in American culture, history, role-playing games (RPGs), sociology, women’s studies, or political science---this class is for you.
STEP 1000-04A
American West
We usually picture the American West by thinking of a rugged, horseback cowboy on sagebrush-dotted plains. This Western identity lives on in film and in television (think Longmire or Yellowstone). But, more importantly, it lives on in perceptions of Western identity, nationally and globally. Anyone who has lived in the American West can confirm this story of a mythicized West is not always accurate. If the portrayal of Western identity isn’t right, why is it still so common in film, TV, and other popular media? Is there value in maintaining a classic Western mystique? These questions, and others, are the focus of our class. We will examine more accurate and more complex representations of Western identity through media portrayals of the American West. If you have interest in sociology, archival work, American Studies, Indigenous studies, or film and media studies, this class is for you!
STEP 1000-05A
Stories We Tell
Have you ever considered a story or narrative to be a parasite of your subconscious? In this course, we will explore how stories form our psyches, and in turn, our world. From Bitcoin to the Great Recession, let’s learn more about how our economy is not just based on the objectivity of numbers, but also the subjectivity of humanity’s most base mode: storytelling. Together we will read, listen to, and watch a diverse selection of media including Narrative Economics, by Robert Shiller, and Adam McKay’s film, The Big Short. Our semester will culminate in a creative final research project that will allow you to explore video and audio editing around a personal, cultural, or economic narrative of your choosing. Consider this course especially if you are planning to major in: Business, Psychology, Sociology, Economics, or Exploratory Studies.
STEP 1000-06A
Creativity Across Cultures
Forbes magazine recently declared creativity “the skill of the future” and others have claimed it is as important to education as literacy. But what exactly is creativity? Who can be creative and how does one live a creative life? Furthermore, how is culture shaped and influenced by creative individuals and movements? In this class, we will use a variety of texts, active learning and discussion, and a self-designed research project to pursue these questions, develop our critical and creative thinking, and build your own creative practice. Students from ALL majors and disciplines who want to bring more creative energy to any part of their life are encouraged to register.STEP 1000-07A
Listening for Change
Ever wanted to make change in your community, but wondered how you could? This class establishes listening as a foundation for making positive change. This project-based community engagement course focuses on analyzing feedback from the community regarding what Laramie means to them and how to improve life here. Our most prominent partner will be United Way of Albany County. Working with United Way will establish a platform to emphasize marginalized voices that often go unheard. This class is relevant to those studying business, sociology, non-profit management, history, American studies, English, and creative writing. If you learn best outside the four walls of the classroom, this class will suit you. In addition to writing and reading projects, assignments often include leaving campus and exploring your new community. You’ll grow individually, academically, and give back to Laramie---your new home.STEP 1000-08A
The Rise of the Antihero
More and more often, modern storytellers are shifting their attention away from those we consider to be the “good guys” and focusing on the “bad guys,” turning them from simple villains into the heroes of their own dark narratives. Antiheroes like Breaking Bad's Walter White, Game of Throne's Sandor Clegane, and rapper/producer Kanye West have become fixtures of American pop culture consciousness. As an audience, what attracts us to these characters? How do their stories differ from those of their traditionally heroic counterparts? And what does the recent proliferation of antihero stories say about the fabric of American culture? In this class, we will use readings, films, discussions, self-directed research, and creative work to investigate these questions and to gain a better understanding of the antiheroes among us.