Course Schedule and Catalog

Long Title: WHAT IS HATE? A BIG QUESTIONS COURSE

Department: Modrn & Classicl Lit & Culture

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Language of Instruction: Taught in English

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Description: What is Hate?. Hate can be an emotion, an action, a belief, an ideology. It can manifest itself with great passion, or become normalized so that it isn’t even recognized as such –perhaps seen, instead, as an expression of “how things are.” This course gathers strands from diverse disciplines, in order to present a cohesive examination of “hate as a system” undermining civic life, and even the cultural and intellectual vitality of society. We will examine the unsettling question of “hatred” through scholarly works, literary expressions, and visual culture dealing with prejudice, discrimination, extreme nationalistic movements, racism, and genocide. Along with these academic and artistic explorations, we will advance into the realm of engaged humanities and activism, through a series of presentations by scholars and advocates. The class will benefit from presentations by faculty and guest speakers from our university (the Boniuk Institute for Religious Tolerance, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion), and the larger Houston community (Houston Coalition Against Hate, Anti-Defamation League, ACLU, etc.).