This fall, the School of Humanities is offering an array of new courses. These innovative and interdisciplinary courses represent just a sampling of the rich perspectives that our faculty and lecturers bring to the classroom. All Rice students, regardless of academic background and career interest, are invited to join us in exploring new topics, epochs and concepts critically and creatively with the goal of a deeper understanding of the human experience.
Environment, Culture and Society
As the world faces dramatic environmental changes, Environment, Culture and Society, a course taught by lecturer Casey Williams as part of our Environmental Studies minor, explores the complex relationship between humans and their environments. This course considers how ethical values, conceptions of beauty and societal injustices are reflected in our changing world.
“Concerned about the environment? Want to learn more about environmental justice? This course is for you,” Williams said. “We ask the big questions about how we make and remake our environments over time and how our environments shape who we are.”
Students will engage with topics including environmental justice, energy ethics, biodiversity and transportation, while participating in activities such as a collaborative world-building game. The course encourages students to reflect on their personal relationship with the environment and consider how they might shape the future.
Unmasking Madness
Unmasking Madness, taught by Modern and Classical Literatures and Cultures assistant professor Linsey Sainte-Claire, challenges students to explore the intersection of literature and medicine in defining madness. The course examines whether madness is purely a mental illness or a socially constructed phenomenon, using works by French and Francophone authors from the 19th to 21st centuries, and is influenced by the multidisciplinary field of medical humanities, offering alternative insights into human conditions.
“Students interested in French and Francophone cultures, literature and the medical humanities should consider this course,” Sainte-Claire said. “They will learn about the multifaceted meanings of ‘madness’ in a safe and inclusive environment, where making a mistake is approached as a learning moment.”
Through an interdisciplinary approach, students will delve into concepts like unreason, passion and alienation, while also improving their French written and oral skills.
Literatures of Return Migration
Literatures of Return Migration, taught by assistant professor of English Ragini Tharoor Srinivasan, offers a contemporary exploration of return migration, a theme deeply rooted in the literature of diaspora. The course examines various forms of return across a global landscape, from economically motivated reverse migration to ancestral pilgrimage and deportation.
Students will journey through narratives of return across literary genres and visual media, touching on cities such as Dublin and Haifa and countries including Ghana, India and Syria. The course also explores themes like the “return to normal” during the COVID-19 pandemic and reparations for slavery and colonialism.
“Rice students should take this course to train their critical minds, hearts and imaginations on an experience that is both universal and radically particular in every case: return,” Srinivasan said. “The study of return will alert us to radical asymmetries and inequities in the histories, contexts and possibilities for migration around the world.”
German Fairy Tale: Old and New
The German Fairy Tale: Old and New, a course taught by Modern and Classical Literatures and Cultures lecturer Mary Grayson Brook, offers a deep dive into the stories of the Brothers Grimm and their place in German literary history. This course invites students to revisit familiar tales with a fresh perspective, exploring 200 years of fairy tales.
“I can think of many different kinds of Rice students who would enjoy this course,” Brook said. “If you love pop cultural adaptations of fairy tales, are curious about German culture or simply need a humanities course with engaging readings, this course will keep you interested.”
Students will analyze popular fairy tales, engage in research and even create their own fairy tales, culminating in a symposium where students present their original work.
Early Medieval Art
In a world fascinated by medieval-inspired fantasy from “Game of Thrones” to “Lord of the Rings,” Early Medieval Art delves into the art and visual culture of the medieval period. This course, taught by assistant professor of Art History Denva Gallant, spans from the rise of Christian art in the third century to the establishment of medieval artistic traditions in the 10th century, exploring Western Europe, the Byzantine world, the early Islamic empires and even the silk empire.
Students will engage with various forms of artistic expression, including architecture, monumental painting and sculpture, book illumination and precious metalwork. The course aims to equip students with the language and skills to discuss early medieval art intelligently and compellingly.
“Taking this class opens you to the spectacular, often misunderstood world of the Middle Ages,” Gallant said. “You’ll learn that the Middle Ages was not just a period of ugly babies and weird cats but an era that had an important impact on how we experience and understand today’s world.”
Antisemitism and Islamophobia
In a world fraught with competing narratives, Antisemitism and Islamophobia seeks to untangle the complex roots of these forms of discrimination. Taught by Mendel Kranz, the Samuel W. and Goldye Marian Spain Postdoctoral Fellow in Jewish Studies, the course spans medieval Spain to contemporary debates using literature, film, philosophy and political theory to explore the interconnectedness of antisemitism and Islamophobia.
“This class may make for some fierce debate — and that’s a good thing,” Kranz said. “If you’re interested in understanding more about our current world and how it came to be, this class will build a strong foundation for engaging in historically informed critical dialogue on today’s pressing social issues.”
Advanced Topics in Ethics
Advanced Topics in Ethics, a course taught by assistant professor of Philosophy Amy Berg, invites students to explore philosophical theories of well-being and their relevance to living a good life. The course delves into questions about measuring well-being, its role in theories of distributive justice and the impact of oppression on experiences of well-being.
“Students should consider taking this course if they’ve ever had questions about how to live well,” Berg said. “It’s an advanced class, perfect for those with experience in philosophy who want to improve their research skills.”