Kevin Schoenberger

Introduces performing arts of China, Japan, and Korea, like Noh, P'ansori, and Beijing opera, focusing on psychological and multimedia aspects. Introduces performance studies--how to think, write, and present ideas about singing, dancing, storytelling, and drama from perspectives like ritual, gender, music, choreography, costume, stage design, and literary criticism.

This course will unpack and explore the meaning and history of interdisciplinary studies, as well as the various debates and controversies associated with the concept of liberal education. Along the way, we’ll reflect on the role such an education plays in our own intellectual and personal lives while also examining the relationship between this form of education and issues of citizenship, democracy, justice, and the public good. The course will introduce you to the habits of inquiry, analysis, discussion, reflection, and interdisciplinary research that animate graduate-level activity in this program. Ultimately, this work will provide an opportunity for us to wrestle with complex and enduring questions about human life and the search for meaning and happiness while at the same time honing the foundational scholarly skills of writing, reading, and critical thinking. Required for all new students.