Course Schedule and Catalog
Course Schedule - Spring Semester 2020
Meeting location information can now be found on student schedules in ESTHER (for students) or on the Course Roster in ESTHER (for faculty and instructors).Additional information available here.
Meeting location information can now be found on student schedules in ESTHER (for students) or on the Course Roster in ESTHER (for faculty and instructors).Additional information available here.
HUMA 120 001 (CRN: 23526)
WHERE IS UTOPIA?
Long Title: WHERE IS UTOPIA? A BIG QUESTIONS COURSE
Department: Humanities Division
Instructors:
Meeting: 6:00PM - 8:59PM R (13-JAN-2020 - 24-APR-2020)
Part of Term: Full Term
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Course Type: Lecture
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Distribution Group: Distribution Group I
Method of Instruction: Face to Face
Credit Hours: 3
Course Syllabus:
Course Materials: Rice Campus Store
Restrictions:
Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Undergraduate Professional
Visiting Undergraduate
Undergraduate
Section Max Enrollment: 100
Section Enrolled: 35
Enrollment data as of: 20-APR-2024 12:20AM
Final Exam: Scheduled Final Exam-OTR Room
Final Exam Time:
4-MAY-2020
7:00PM - 10:00PM M
Description: Where is utopia? Thomas More’s original coinage, suggesting both “good place” and “no place,” might give little cause for hope, but that hasn’t stopped visionaries, scientists, artists and scholars from seeking it out over the years. It might be in our past, or just ahead. We might be there now, if only we knew how to look: under the pavement, we might find the beach. Or utopia might be off our planet entirely. Ideals shape societies; scientific research, architecture, city planning and cultural production all attest to the hopes and values that spawned them. But as we consider the fallout of past utopian efforts, corollary questions present themselves: do we even want to find utopia? Does every “perfect” society imply a dystopian counterpart? Who is utopia for, and who is excluded? This course will explore utopia through the work of scientists, architects, artists and art movements. Classes will fall into three categories: lectures and reading discussions; field trips; and group art projects. These latter Learning Lab projects will encourage students to work together and apply the readings, discussions and artistic precedents towards their own visions of utopia.