Content Outline and Competencies:

I. Aesthetics and Values
   A. Define the terms “arts” and “humanities.”
   B. Identify key functions of the arts such as enjoyment, political and
social commentary, therapy and cultural artifact.
   C. Discuss the appearance of the arts in everyday life.

II. Visual Arts
   A. Two-dimensional works.
      1. Identify the materials employed in painting, drawing, photography
and printmaking.
      2. Describe the methods used to produce these works.
      3. Define and use correctly the vocabulary of art analysis including
color, line, form, texture, the illusion of mass, repetition, balance,
unity, focus, and perspective.
      4. Discuss the meaning of selected works in relation to their
contemporaneous audience and to one’s own culture and period.
   B. Three-dimensional works.
      1. Identify and describe the materials and processes used in
creating various forms of sculpture.
      2. Describe the role of environment and lighting in successful
installation of sculptural works.
      3. Define and use correctly the vocabulary of sculptural analysis
including full round, relief, linear, mass, line, form, color, texture and
size.
      4. Discuss the meaning of selected works in relation to their
contemporaneous audience and to one’s own culture and period.
   C. Architectural works.
      1. Describe the importance of client and site to the design of
buildings.
      2. List technical considerations in the design of buildings.
      3. Define and use correctly the vocabulary of architecture including
line, repetition, balance, decoration, post and lintel, arch and
cantilever.
      4. Discuss the meaning of selected works in relation to their
contemporaneous audience and to one’s own culture and period.

III. Performing Arts
   A. Music
      1. Identify and describe the major genre of classical instrumental
music.
      2. Identify and describe the major genre of classical vocal music.
      3. Identify and describe other forms of music including jazz, pop
and folk.
      4. Define and use correctly the vocabulary of musical analysis
including pitch, melody, theme, motif, beat, rhythm, tempo, syncopation
and dynamics.
      5. Discuss the meaning of selected works in relation to their
contemporaneous audience and to one’s own culture and period.
   B. Theatre
      1. Identify and describe the majors genres of theatre including
tragedy, comedy, tragi-comedy and the musical.
      2. Discuss the interrelationship of visual and spoken images in
theatre.
      3. Identify various types of stages and discuss their role in
mediating between actor and audience.
      4. Describe the roles of the following in theatrical production: 
actor, director and designers.
      5. Define and use correctly the vocabulary of theatrical analysis
including script, plot, character, scene design, costume design, lighting
design, sound design and other special effects.
      6. Discuss the meaning of selected works in relation to their
contemporaneous audience and to one’s own culture and period.
   C. Film
      1. Describe the technical aspects of filmmaking.
      2. Explain the roles of director and editor in reaching the final
product.
      3. Discuss the interrelationship of visual image, dialogue and sound
in film.
      4. Define and use correctly the vocabulary of film analysis
including the shot, dissolves, montages, camera angle, focus and parallel
editing.
      5. Discuss the meaning of selected works in relation to their
contemporaneous audience and to one’s own culture and period.
   D. Dance
      1. Identify and describe various forms of dance.
      2. Explain the role of formalized movement in ballet and modern
dance.
      3. Discuss the interrelationship of movement, music, costume and set
and light design.
      4. Discuss ethnic influences on dance.
      5. Define and use correctly the vocabulary of dance analysis
including plie, arabesque, choreography, en pointe and mime.
      6. Discuss the meaning of selected works in relation to their
contemporaneous audience and to one’s own culture and period.

IV. Literature
   A. Identify and define the major genres of literature:  novel, short
story, drama, poetry, essay and biography.
   B. Fiction.
      1. Define and give examples of fiction writing.
      2. Define and use correctly the vocabulary of literary analysis
including character, plot, setting, point of view and diction.
      3. Discuss the meaning of selected works in relation to their
contemporaneous audience and to one’s own culture and period.
   C. Poetry.
      1. Define and give examples of poetry.
      2. Explain the differences between narrative, dramatic and lyric
poetry.
      3. Define and use correctly the vocabulary of poetry analysis
including rhythm, meter, imagery, metaphoric language, symbols, rhyme,
line, stanza, alliteration and assonance.

Four tests which stress analytical and evaluative approaches to course
content.

A visual arts project and a performing arts project or papers descriptive
of experiences in these areas.

Content Outline and Competencies:

I. Describe the Premodern Historical Events and Cultural Developments
of Rus and Muscovy (862-1689) that are the Foundation of the Russian
Cultural Heritage
   A. Identify the role of each of the following historical events in the
evolution of the Russian Cultural Heritage:
      1. Old Rus:  Kiev and Novgorod
      2. The Mongol subjugation and the rise of Muscovy
      3. The Time of Troubles and the establishment of the Romanov
dynasty
   B. Explain the influence of the following philosophical and
intellectual developments on the formation of the Russian cultural
identity:
      1. The Orthodox World View
      2. The Third Rome Theory
      3. The Great Schism
   C. Describe the influence of iconography and premodern architectural
styles in the development of the Russian cultural tradition.
   D. Explain the role of the premodern folklore, chronicles, epic poems
and historical styles in modern Russian culture.
   E. Identify significant premodern contributions to the Russian cultural
heritage from the mediums of literature, art and architecture.

II. Assess the Effect of Peter the Great’s Program for the Aggressive
Westernization of Imperial Russia (1689-1917) on the Development of the
Russian Cultural Identity
   A. Identify the role of each of the following historical events in the
evolution of the Russian cultural tradition:
      1. Peter’s transfer of the capital to the newly established city
of St. Petersburg
      2. Peter’s defeat of Emperor Charles XII of Sweden in the Great
Northern War
      3. Napoleon’s Moscow retreat
      4. The Decembrist Uprising
      5. Aleksandr II’s emancipation of the serfs
      6. The annexation of the Caucasian and Central Asian regions
      7. Nikolai II and Bloody Sunday
   B. Explain the influence of the following philosophical and
intellectual developments on the evolution of the Russian cultural
tradition:
      1. The spread of Freemansonry among the educated and the publication
of Karamzin’s History of Russia and Radischev’s Journey
      2. The response of the intelligentsia to Chaadaev’s Philosophical
Letter
      3. The conflicting views of Russia’s past, present and future
offered by the Slavophiles and the Westerners
      4. The revolutionary writings of Herzen and Chernyshevskii
      5. The opposing viewpoints of the Social Revolutionaries and the
Social Democrats
   C. Using the following examples, describe the role played by
architecture in projecting Russia’s national identity in the world:
      1. Elizabeth and Catherine II
      2. Aleksandr I and Nikolai I
      3. The Russian School
      4. Art Moderne
   D. Distinguish the view of the proper role of the arts in Russia held
by the literary and social critics Vissarion Belinskii and Nikolai
Chernyskevskii from that of Sergei Diaghilev’s World of Art group.
Illustrate the response with examples drawn from the media of literature,
music, painting, theater and ballet.
   E. Explain the role played by the poet in Russian society.  Illustrate
the response with examples.
   F. Describe the contribution of Mikhail Lomonosov and Aleksandr Pushkin
to the development of the Russian literary language.
   G. Identify the following archetypes in the literature of Imperial
Russia:
      1. The superfluous man
      2. The repentant nobleman
      3. The peasant
      4. The bourgeoisie
      5. The revolutionary
Illustrate the response with examples from the media of prose, poetry,
theater and painting.
   H. Compare and contrast the goals of the Russian national school of
Music with those of the internationalist school.  Illustrate your response
with examples.
   I. Describe the contribution of the leading industrialists (Mamontov,
Tretyiakov, Morozov) to the creation of the Russian cultural identity.
   J. Identify significant works of the Imperial period from the media of
literature, art, architecture, music, theater, and dance that have
contributed to the development of the Russian cultural tradition.

III. Evaluate the Influence of the Soviet Experiment (1917-1991) on the
Development of the Russian Cultural Tradition
   A. Identify the role of each of the following historical events in the
evolution of Russian Culture.
      1. War Communism (1918-1922)
      2. Industrialization and Collectivization drives (1930s)
      3. The Great Purge (1930s) and the Gulag
      4. World War II
      5. Khrushchev’s Secret Speech at the 20th CPSU Congress
      6. Perestroika (1986-1991)
   B. Explain the influence of the following philosophical and
intellectual developments on the evolution of the Russian cultural
tradition:
      1. Socialist Realism
      2. The Thaw under Khrushchev and the publication of Aleksandr
Solzhnitsyn’s One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
      3. Andrei Sakharov’s Thoughts on the use of nuclear weapons and
his leadership of the Helsinki Watch group on Human Rights
      4. Samizdat
   C. Identify significant Soviet era contributions to the Russian
cultural tradition from the media of literature, art, architecture, music,
theater, film and dance.

Content Outline and Competencies:

I. Introduction to Course
   A. Describe the cultural role of the Artist and the Artform.
   B. Discuss the relationship between Form and Content in art.
   C. Identify the various genres of art and their fundamental
characteristics.

II. Prehistoric Cultures
   A. Describe the characteristics of human culture.
   B. Describe the characteristics of Paleolithic culture.
   C. Describe the characteristics of Neolithic culture.
   D. Discuss the possible religious and social values of these cultures
as reflected in their visual arts.

III. Mesopotamian Civilizations
   A. Identify the visual and literary arts of the various Mesopotamian
cultures.
   B. Explain the religious and social values of these cultures as
reflected in their visual and literary arts.

IV. Ancient Egypt
   A. Identify and describe the visual and literary arts of the Old
Kingdom.
   B. Identify and describe the visual and literary arts of the New
Kingdom.
   C. Explain the religious and social values of these Kingdoms as
reflected in their visual and literary arts.

V. Aegean Culture and the Rise of Ancient Greece
   A. Identify the visual and literary arts of the various Aegean
civilizations.
   B. Identify the visual arts of the various periods of Mycenaean
culture.
   C. Recognize and discuss the mythology, poetry and philosophy of
Mycenaean culture.
   D. Explain the religious and social values of Mycenaean culture as
reflected in its visual and literary arts.

VI. Classical and Hellenistic Greece
   A. Describe the characteristics of Classical culture in Greece.
   B. Identify and discuss the visual and literary arts of Classical
Greece.
   C. Discuss the origins and purposes of the classical Greek drama.
   D. Discuss and compare the philosophic traditions of Socrates, Plato
and Aristotle.
   E. Explain the religious and social values of Classical Greece as
reflected in its visual and literary arts.
   F. Describe the characteristics of Hellenistic culture in Greece and
the Mediterranean.
   G. Identify and discuss the visual and literary arts of Hellenistic
culture.
   H. Explain the religious and social values of Hellenistic culture as
reflected in its visual and literary arts.
 
VII. Roman Culture
   A. Identify the visual artifacts of Etruscan culture.
   B. Discuss the sociopolitical character of Republican Rome.
   C. Identify and discuss the visual and literary arts of Republican
Rome.
   D. Discuss the sociopolitical character of Imperial Rome.
   E. Identify and discuss the visual and literary arts of Imperial Rome.
   F. Explain the religious and social values of Roman culture as
reflected in its visual and literary arts.

VIII. Judaism and the Rise of Christianity
   A. Discuss the origins and development of the Hebrew culture.
   B. Identify the fundamental doctrines of Judaism.
   C. Identify and discuss the Hebrew scriptures as history, myth and
art.
   D. Discuss the religious and social values of Judaism as reflected in
its literary art.
   E. Discuss the message of Jesus of Nazareth in the context of first
century Judaism.
   F. Discuss the development and growth of the early Christian church.
   G. Identify examples and characteristics of early Christian visual
arts.
   H. Identify and discuss the development of the Christian New Testament
scriptures.
   I. Explain the religious and social values of early Christian culture
as reflected in its visual and literary arts.
   J. Discuss the characteristics of fourth century systematic Christian
theology.

IX. Byzantine Civilization
   A. Describe the characteristics of Byzantine Christian culture.
   B. Identify the differences between the Western church and the Eastern
church.
   C. Identify examples and characteristics of Byzantine visual arts.
   D. Explain the religious and social values of Byzantine culture as
reflected in its visual and literary arts.

X. Early Islamic Civilization
   A. Identify the fundamental religious and sociopolitical
characteristics of Islam.
   B. Identify examples and characteristics of Islamic visual and literary
arts.
   C. Explain the religious and social values of early Islamic culture as
reflected in its visual and literary arts.

XI. Early Indian Culture
   A. Describe the fundamental doctrines and characteristics of Hinduism.
   B. Identify and discuss the content of the Hindu literary classics.
   C. Describe the development, doctrines and characteristics of
Buddhism.
   D. Discuss Buddhism as religious and social critique of Hindu culture.
   E. Identify examples and characteristics of Hindu visual and literary
arts.
   F. Identify examples and characteristics of Buddhist visual and
literary arts.
   G. Explain the religious and social values of early Indian culture as
reflected in its visual and literary arts.

XII. Early Chinese Culture
   A. Describe the fundamental doctrines and characteristics of
Confucianism.
   B. Describe the fundamental doctrines and characteristics of Taoism.
   C. Identify examples of early Chinese visual and literary arts from its
major dynasties.
   D. Explain the religious and social values of early Chinese culture as
reflected in its visual and literary arts.

XIII. Early Japanese Culture
   A. Describe the fundamental doctrines and characteristics of Shinto.
   B. Describe the fundamental doctrines and characteristics of Zen
Buddhism.
   C. Identify examples of early Japanese visual and literary arts from
its major periods.
   D. Explain the religious and social values of early Japanese culture as
reflected in its  visual and literary arts.

XIV. Pre-European Cultures of the Americas
   A. Identify examples of visual and literary art from Mesoamerican,
Peruvian and North American civilizations.
   B. Explain the religious and social values of these civilizations as
reflected in their visual and literary art.
   C. Discuss the diverse cultural effects of European presence and
conquest upon these civilizations.

XV. Early Medieval Culture and the Romanesque
   A. Describe the fundamental characteristics of the Germanic cultures.
   B. Identify examples and characteristics of Germanic visual and
literary arts.
   C. Describe the Germanic influences on early medieval European
culture.
   D. Explain the cultural significance of the Carolingian Renaissance.
   E. Explain the development of Monasticism in medieval Europe.
   F. Discuss the intentions and the results of the Crusades.
   G. Explain the relationship between pilgrimage, relics and the church.
   H. Explain the origins, development and elements of the Romanesque
church.
   I. Identify examples and characteristics of early medieval visual and
literary arts.
   J. Explain the religious and social values of early medieval culture as
reflected in its visual and literary arts.

XVI. Late Medieval Culture and the Gothic
   A. Explain the origins, development and elements of the Gothic
cathedral.
   B. Identify examples and characteristics of late medieval visual and
literary arts.
   C. Discuss the origins and development of Scholasticism.
   D. Explain the late medieval transition from the sacred to the secular
in visual arts, literature, music and intellectual inquiry.
   E. Explain the religious and social values of late medieval culture as
reflected in its visual and literary arts.

Student grades will be based on a minimum of three examinations which
will constitute 50% to 75% of the final grade. In addition to these
examinations, 20% to 30% of the final grade will consist of other grading
methods which may include supplemental examinations, writing assignments,
research papers, class presentations, or field trips, and must include the
critical essay. The remaining percentage will be left to the instructor’s
discretion for such items as attendance, participation in class discussion
and the like.

Content Outline and Competencies:

I. Introduction to Course
   A. Describe the cultural role of the Artist and the Artform.
   B. Discuss the relationship between Form and Content in art.
   C. Identify the various genres of art and their fundamental
characteristics.

II. Italy: The Renaissance
   A. Describe the cultural conditions that led to the Renaissance in
Italy.
   B. Define what is meant by “the humanist spirit.”
   C. Identify examples of painting, sculpture, literature and music of
the early and late Renaissance in Italy.
   D. Describe the difference between Florentine and Venetian painting
styles.
   E. Describe the characteristics of Mannerism.
   F. Identify examples of Mannerist painting, sculpture and
architecture.

III. Northern Europe: Renaissance and Reformation
   A. Describe the cultural conditions that led to the Renaissance in
Northern Europe.
   B. Compare and contrast “the humanist spirit” in the North (i.e.,
the Netherlands) with that of the South (i.e., Italy).
   C. Identify examples of painting, printmaking and literature of the
Northern Renaissance.
   D. Describe the cultural conditions that led to the Protestant
Reformation in Northern Europe.
   E. Describe the characteristics of Protestantism and its effect on
Europe both within and without the church.
   F. Describe Protestantism’s influences upon the arts in Europe.

IV. The Age of the Baroque
   A. Describe the cultural conditions that led to the advent of Baroque
style in Italy.
   B. Describe the characteristics of Baroque style in Italy.
   C. Identify examples of painting, sculpture and architecture that
reflect the Italian Baroque.
   D. Describe the characteristics of Baroque style outside of Italy.
   E. Identify examples of painting, architecture, music and literature
that reflect the Baroque style outside of Italy.

V. The Eighteenth Century Enlightenment
   A. Define what is meant by “the Eighteenth Century Enlightenment.”
   B. Identify the major eighteenth century advances in science and
technology.
   C. Describe the characteristics of Rococo style.
   D. Identify examples of Rococo painting, sculpture and architecture.
   E. Describe the Enlightenment’s effects upon political theory.
   F. Describe the basic causes and effects of the French Revolution.
   G. Define what is meant by “Neoclassicism.”
   H. Describe the characteristics of Neoclassical style.
   I. Identify examples of Neoclassical painting, sculpture, architecture
and music.

VI. Romanticism and the Arts
   A. Describe the characteristics of Romanticism.
   B. Define what is meant by the concept of “the Romantic Hero.”
   C. Identify examples of painting, sculpture, music and literature that
reflect Romantic style.

VII. Realism and the Arts
   A. Describe the characteristics of Realism.
   B. Describe Realism’s effects upon political theory.
   C. Identify examples of painting and literature that reflect the
Realist style.
   E. Describe the development and cultural impact of photography.

VIII. The Modernist Turn: Impressionism, Symbolism and the Avant Garde
   A. Describe the characteristics of Impressionism.
   B. Identify examples of painting, literature and music that reflect the
Impressionist style.
   C. Identify artistic trends, and examples thereof, that reflect
Post-Impressionist styles.
   D. Describe the psychoanalytic theory of Sigmund Freud and its impact
on the arts.
   E. Define what is meant by “Avant Garde” in the arts.
   F. Identify artistic trends, and examples thereof, that reflect Avant
Garde style in painting, sculpture and music.

IX. Chinese Civilization
   A. Identify the major dynasties of Chinese culture, and the cultural
characteristics thereof, since the thirteenth century.
   B. Describe the cultural assumptions and values that are expressed in
Chinese painting, architecture, literature and theatre since the
thirteenth century.
   C. Identify examples of Chinese painting, architecture, literature and
theatre since the thirteenth century.

X. Japanese Civilization
   A. Describe the cultural assumptions and values that are expressed in
Japanese painting, architecture, literature and theatre since the
fifteenth century.
   B. Identify examples of Japanese painting, printmaking, architecture,
literature and theatre since the fifteenth century.

XI. Russian Civilization
   A. Identify examples of religious iconography of pre-Revolutionary
Russia.
   B. Identify examples of architecture, literature, music and theatre of
pre-Revolutionary Russia.
   C. Describe the cultural causes and effects of the Russian Revolution
in 1917.
   D. Identify characteristics and examples of “the Art of the
Revolution.”
   E. Identify characteristics and examples of “the Art of Dissent.”

XII. Early to Mid-Twentieth Century: War, Alienation and Anxiety
   A. Describe the basic causes and effects of the First World War.
   B. Identify the artistic trends, and examples thereof, that reflect the
post-WWI spirit in Europe.
   C. Describe the characteristics of American Modernism.
   D. Identify examples of Modernist painting, literature and music.
   E. Describe the cultural conditions for the rise of Fascism in Europe.
   F. Describe the characteristics of American Regionalism in the arts.
   G. Identify examples of painting, photography, literature and music
that reflect regionalist styles in America.

XIII. Modern Africa
   A. Define “colonialism” and its cultural effects.
   B. Describe the basic cultural characteristics of colonial and
post-colonial Africa.
   C. Identify examples of traditional, colonial and post-colonial African
arts.

XIV. Modern Latin America
   A. Define “colonialism” and its cultural effects.
   B. Describe the basic cultural characteristics of colonial and
post-colonial Latin America.
   C. Identify examples of traditional, colonial and post-colonial Latin
American arts.

XV. Late Twentieth Century Affluence and the Arts
   A. Describe the overall effects of the Second World War on Europe and
the United States.
   B. Describe the background of, and what is meant by, “the Cold
War.”
   C. Identify the artistic trends, and examples thereof, that reflect
post-WWII culture in Europe and the United States.
   D. Describe the characteristics of Existentialism and its influence on
the arts.
   E. Define what is meant by  “Pop Culture.”
   F. Identify the artistic trends, and examples thereof, that reflect Pop
Culture.

XVI. Contemporary Diversity
   A. Identify and describe the major sociopolitical events that have
shaped, informed and transformed late twentieth century culture.
   B. Identify examples of painting, sculpture, architecture, literature
and music that reflect the influence of these events.

Student grades will be based on a minimum of three examinations which
will constitute 50% to 75% of the final grade. In addition to these
examinations, 20% to 30% of the final grade will consist of other grading
methods which may include supplemental examinations, writing assignments,
research papers, class presentations, or field trips, and must include the
critical essay. The remaining percentage will be left to the instructor’s
discretion for such items as attendance, participation in class discussion
and the like.

Content Outline and Competencies:

I.  The religious and political dynamics of the Near East just prior
to the rise of Islam.
   A. Analyze the struggle of the Byzantine Empire and the Persian
Sassanid Empire for control of the Near East
   B. Discuss the emerging close relationships between religion and the
state during the early Common Era.
      1. Compare the relationship of the Orthodox Church and the Byzantine
Empire to that of the Zoroastrian religion and the Sassanid Empire.
      2. Examine parallel movements in near-eastern Judaism.
   C. Explain the significance of the pro-Byzantine Ghassanid and the
pro-Sassanian Lakmid kingdoms on the northern edge of the Arabian
Peninsula.
   D. Consider the significance of the term “holy war,” as used by the
Byzantine emperor Heraclius in his successful struggle against the
Sassanids.
   E. Describe the campaigns of the Ethiopians, the pro Byzantine Kinds
tribe, and the Sassanids around Mecca in the period of Muhammad’s
birth.
   F. Examine the pockets of Jewish influence in the Arabian Peninsula.
   G. Explain the religious situation in Mecca prior to Muhammad’s
Prophecy.
 
II. The life of the Prophet Muhammad in its Arabian context.
   A. Describe the context of Muhammad’s birth, youth, and early
career.
   B. Discuss the revelation of the Qur’an to Muhammad and how this was
recorded in the later text.
   C. Explain the reasons for and the consequences of Muhammad’s Hejira
(flight) to Yathrib (henceforth Medina) in 622.
   D. Describe the struggle for the control of Mecca, 624-630.
III. The main teachings and practices of Islam, and the status and textual
history of the Qur’an.
   A. Define “Islam” and “Muslim.”
   B. Identify the Five Pillars of Islam and explain the significance of
each.
      1. The Shahadah.
      2. Salah
      3. Zakat
      4. Sawm
      5. The Hajj
   C. Define and explain the significance of the following Islamic
concepts:
      1. “shirk”
      2. “jihad”
      3. “umma”
      4. The names of God: tanzih versus tashbih
      5. The Night Journey and the Seventh Heaven
      6. The Jinn
      7. Paradise and Hell
   D. Evaluate the significance of the prior Prophets and Maryam (the
Virgin Mary), and their roles in Qur’anic narrative and Islam
   E. Summarize Muhammad’s “Night Journey.”
   F. Discuss the history and role of Mecca and the Ka’ba in Islam.
IV. The history and significance of the Qur’an, the earliest written
biography (sira) of Muhammad, and the Hadith.
   A. Delineate various views as to the oral transmission and writing down
of the Qur’an
   B. Describe the status and authority of the Qur’an in Islam.
   C. Summarize the arguments used for the Qur’an’s
“inimitability.”
   D. Discuss the significance of Ibn Ishaq’s life of Muhammad (sira)
and other early texts on the subject.
   E. Compare the several versions of hadith and describe their
significance as sources for the life of Muhammad and Islamic law.
V. The political significance of Islam in its Arabian context, early
succession struggles, subsequent Islamic conquests, the establishment of
the Ummayad and Abbasid caliphates.
   A. Analyze Muhammad as prophet, military leader, and statesman, and
show how Islam created a new identity for the Arabian tribes.
   B. Explain the significance of Muhammad’s wives, children, and cousin
Ali, in the development of Islam.
   C. Show how the Caliph Abu Bakr ultimately united the rival Arabian
tribes and, under Caliph Omar, Damascus and the Byzantine Middle East were
seized.
   D. Describe the struggles for succession that occurred upon the murder
of the Caliph Othman, the subsequent establishment of the Ummayad
caliphate at Damascus, and the significance of the death of Husayn at
Karbala.
   E. Outline the subsequent Islamic conquests of North Africa, Spain,
Persia, and beyond in the late 600’s and early 700’s, and offer
reasons for their success.
VI. The main branches of Islam.
   A. Identify the theological positions of Khawarij and other Islamic
movements of the eighth century C.E. and show their significance to the
formation of subsequent Islamic identity. 
   B. Relate the development of Shia and Sunni branches of Islam to
rebellions against the Ummayad caliphate.
   C. Discuss the significance of the establishment of the Abbasid
caliphate to theological developments within Islam.
   D. Show how Sunni emerged in reaction to Shia identity.
   E. Contrast the differences between Shia and Sunni theology, practice,
and institutions.
   F. Compare the doctrinal differences among the several branches of Shia
Islam:  the Zaydi (“Fiver-Imam”), the Ithna ‘ashariyyah
(“Twelver-Imam”), and the Ismaili (“Seveners”).
VII. Political developments during the Abbasid caliphate, its disruption
by Turks and Mongols, the spread of Turkic and Persian Muslim rule to
India, and the Christian Crusades and their consequences.
   A. Discuss the establishment of the Abbasid caliphate.
      1. Analyze the Abbasid theory of kingship, the significance of the
construction of Baghdad as the capital, and the administration of
government.
      2. Describe Baghdad during the reign of Harun al-Rashid.
   B. Show how Islam spread into Central Asia and China.
   C. Outline the challenges to Abbasid rule provided by the Fatimids,
various Turkic peoples, the Mongolians, and Tamerlane.
   D. Summarize the effects of the Christian crusades on the Near East and
their continuing impact on Islamic-Christian relations.
   E. Outline the major Islamic political concepts of rulership and
society.
   F. Define the role the ulama in Islamic learning and politics.
VIII. Major developments in Islamic civilization during its classical
period: law, the Arabic language, calligraphy, architecture, art,
literature, philosophy, medicine, science, and mathematics.
   A. Describe the development of Islamic law, and show its significance
for Muslim lives.
      1. Analyze the relationship between Islamic law and previous legal
systems.
      2. Identify the four main schools of Islamic law, show their
geographical distribution, and contrast their major differences. 
   B. Discuss the early history of the Arabic language.
      1. Evaluate the significance of the rise of Islam for the spread and
development of Arabic.
      2. Assess the influence of Arabic on other western languages,
including English.
   C. Explain the significance of calligraphy in Islamic civilization and
its religious role.
   D. Survey the major developments of Islamic architecture in the
following areas:
      1. Jerusalem and Syria
      2. North Africa and Spain
      3. Persia
      4. Central Asia
      5. India
   E. Describe the impact of Islam on the pictorial arts.
      1. Review modern theories of Islamic aesthetics and the issue of
icons.
      2. Show the significance of decoration in Islamic art and
architecture.
      3. Survey Islamic pictorial art.
   F. Trace the origins of Arabic literary forms and describe their
Islamic developments.
   G. Summarize the achievements of Ibn Khaldun.
   H. Discuss the background of Islamic philosophy, identify its major
schools, and indicate the basic outlook of each; summarize developments in
medicine, science, and mathematics.
      1. Summarize the heritage of ancient Greek philosophy on Islamic
thought.
      2. Show the role of the Mu’tazilites (rationalists) in
transmitting Greek philosophy before and during the Abbasid caliphate and
its influence on Twelver-Imam Shia.
      3. Assess the influence of neo-Platonism and Gnosticism on the
theology of the Seveners.
      4. Describe the issue of God and “the created,” and its
significance for Muslim philosophy.
      5. Describe the issue of universalism versus nominalism and its
significance for Muslim philosophy.
      6. Summarize the synthesis of Plato and Aristotle in the
philosophies of al-Kindl and al-Farabi.
      7. Briefly summarize the philosophical achievements of Ibn Sina
(Avicenna), Algazel, and Averroes.
      8. Summarize the major Islamic achievements in medicine, science and
mathematics.
IX. The role and significance of Sufi practices and literature.
   A. Discuss the philosophical background and origins of Sufi.
   B. Identify the purpose and major ritual practices of the Sufi.
   C. Describe the establishment of Sufi orders and their spread
throughout the Islamic world.
   D. Summarize the relationship between Sufi and the main branches of
Islam.
   E. Identify the attitudes of various Islamic governments towards Sufi.
   F. Show the significance of the following Sufi authors in the
movement’s history:  al-Hallaj, Attar, Ibn Arabi, and Rumi.
X. Islamic civilization in Persia, Central Asia, the Caucasus, India, and
Southeast Asia.
   A. Show the impact of Islam on Persian history and civilization.
      1. Briefly trace the heritage of Persian civilization prior to the
arrival of Islam.
      2. Describe the architecture, art, philosophy, and literature of
Islamic Persia.
      3. Assess Persian civilization during the reign of Shah Abbas I.
   B. Show the impact of Islam on India.  
      1. Outline the gradual Islamic conquest of India.
      2. Analyze the special challenges Islam has faced in India and how
they have been addressed.
      3. Describe the intellectual, architectural, and artistic
accomplishments of Mughal India.
   C. Trace the spread of Islam throughout Southeast Asia, the special
challenges it faced, and how they were addressed.
XI. The significance of the Mamluks and the Ottoman Empire; the impacts of
western imperialism on Islamic civilizations.
   A. Characterize Mamluk rule and civilization in Syria and Egypt.
   B. Trace the rise and expansion of the Ottoman Empire, its conflict
with Safavid Persia, and its conquests in Christian Europe.
   C. State the Ottoman structure of political and religious authority,
and note the role of Sufi in maintaining it.
   D. Describe the architectural and artistic achievements of the
Ottomans.
   E. Summarize the political consequences of the military conflicts
between the Ottoman Empire and developing European nations, and the
gradual breakup of the empire.
   F. Discuss how western “Orientalism” viewed Islam.
XII. The major developments in Islamic thought and practice from the
seventeenth to the twentieth centuries C.E.
   A. Outline the main tenets of Wahhabi Islam and note its significance
today.
   B. Contrast the differences between modernist, secular-nationalist,
revivalist, and Pan-Islamic movements in the following Islamic dominions:
      1. The Ottoman Empire
      2. Iran
      3. Egypt
   C. State and evaluate the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948
on Muslims and Islamic states.
   D. Show the roles of Islamic nations in the Cold War and the Arab
political concepts that emerged from that conflict.
   E. Outline the causes and course of the Islamic revolution in Iran, and
discuss its consequences throughout Islam.
   F. Analyze the causes and consequences of the Islamic diaspora,
including that to the United States.
   G. Discuss the challenges Islam faces in the post-Cold War period and
the state of Islam today.

Content Outline and Competencies:

I. Introduction
   A. Define the term  myth” and demonstrate how it is different than
the other classes of tales such as legend, saga, and folktale.
   B. Identify the major schools of myth interpretation that arose in the
late nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
   C. Describe the major historical periods of Greek history from the
Bronze Age Aegean to the rise of the Roman Empire.
   D. Identify the major literary sources for Classical Mythology.

II. The Myths of Creation
   A. Describe the two major myths of creation by Hesiod and Ovid.
   B. Identify the myths of Zeus’ rise to power, the establishment of
Olympian order, and the creation of mortals.
   C. Define the term "anthropomorphism" and describe the implications of
Humanism in Greek myth, religion, philosophy, and the visual arts.

III. The Olympian Gods
   A. Identify each of the Olympians gods, describe their general
attributes, and recognize the parallel stories associated with them.
   B. Identify the gods of the Mystery Religions and explain their new
expressions of mythic-religious sensibility.
   C. Identify at least 10 classical or post-classical (any combination)
works of art based on myths of the Olympian gods.
   D. Identify the literary sources from which our knowledge of the
Olympian gods comes.

IV. The Greek Sagas
   A. Identify the heroes and narrative structures of the Theban Saga.
   B. Identify the heroes and narrative structures of the Trojan Saga.
   C. Identify the heroes and narrative structures of the Returns Saga.
   D. Identify the heroes and narrative structures of the sagas of Argos.
   E. Identify the Heracles saga and describe its religious implications.
   F. Identify the heroes and narrative structures of the sagas of
Attica.
   G. Identify the heroes and narrative structures of the Argonautica.
   H. Identify at least 10 classical or post-classical (any combination)
works of art based on the Greek sagas.
   I. Identify the literary sources from which our knowledge of the Greek
sagas comes.

V. The Survival of Classical Mythology
   A. Identify the native Italian gods and describe their
non-anthropomorphic nature.
   B. Identify the heroes and narrative structures of the legends of the
founding of Rome.
   C. Identify the heroes and narrative structures of Virgil’s Aeneid.
   D. Identify at least 20 works of classical and post-classical art and
the myths upon when the works of art are based.
   E. Describe survival of Classical Mythology in literature, art, music,
and film by citing at least five examples of post-classical art (from the
20 required works of art described above) and identifying the myths upon
which the works of art are based.
 

 1. At least three examinations in either written or objective format:
25-50% of grade.
 2. At least one written assignment where the student goes to the
Nelson-Atkins museum in Kansas City, the Spencer Museum in Lawrence, or
any other major museum, to find examples of post-classical art based on
Greek and Roman myths: 20-35% of grade.
 3. At least one assignment, either written or class presentation, where
the student identifies classical and/or post-classical art and their
related Greek and Roman myths, and incorporating in some way Internet
technology in the written assignment or class presentation: 20-35% of
grade.
 4. Attendance, class participation, or any other written or class
exercises that the instructor assigns which fulfill any of the above
course objectives:  maximum 25% of grade.

  The following grade scale will be used to determine final grades:

    90-100% = A
     80-89% = B
     70-79% = C
     60-69% = D
  Below 59% = F

Content Outline and Competencies:

  I. Introduction to World Mythology
     A. Define myth and demonstrate how it is different than other classes
of tales such as legend, superstitions and fairytales.
     B. Identify contemporary approaches to myth according to fields of
study and professions, such as storytellers, artists, filmmakers,
philosophy, science, history, sociology, and psychology.
     C. Identify the historical periods from which each world mythology
developed and describe its development as expressed in literature, art,
history, film and social structures.

 II. Myths of Creation and Destruction
     A. Describe creation and destruction myths as found in writings such
as Hesiod (Greek), Ovid (Roman), Hebrew (Genesis), Mesopotamian (Enuma
Elish), Norse (Prose Edda), Indian (Ramayana) and other world mythology
sources. 
     B. Identify divinities found in creation and destruction myths.
     C. Identify creation/destruction mythic themes in poetry, art and
modern narrative.
     D. Evaluate personal perspective and experiences in the context of
diversity found in world creation/destruction myths.
 
 III. Heroes and Tricksters
      A. Identify heroes, tricksters and narrative structures in world
mythologies, such as the Epic of Gilgamesh, the Ramayana, the Prose Edda,
the Theogony, the Mwindo Epic and other world mythology sources. 
      B. Describe and compare mythic aspects of the hero and trickster as
found in a range of culture’s myths.
      C. Evaluate personal views and experiences of hero and trickster.
 
  IV. Myth’s Expression through Ritual
      A. Define ritual and identify its relationship to art, theatre and
mystery religions.
      B. Identify agricultural and mystery religion rituals described and
expressed cultural mythologies, such as Eleusinian Mysteries, Mysteries of
Isis and Osiris, rituals of Northern Europe, and others.
      C. Identify rituals associated with major schools of myth
interpretation, such as the relationship of dreams to myth.

   V. From Myth to Folktale
      A. Identify the structuralist school of myth interpretation and its
application to folktales, literature, fables and movies.
      B. Define the stages in the hero’s journey and identify the
structure in literature, fables and movies.
      C. Identify the structuralist components in modern literature, tales
and legends such as the Wizard of Oz, Grimm’s fairytales and Daniel
Boone, and compare to structure in ancient story, such as Apuleius’
Cupid and Psyche.
      D. Examine and identify through multiple analyses the morphology of
a myth to folktale to urban legend.

1.  At least three examinations in either written or objective format:
 40% to 50% of grade.
2.  At least one written assignment where student goes to a local museum
to find examples of art based on a world mythology:  20-30% of grade.
3.  At least one assignment, written or class presentation, where the
student relates literature, art, poetry, music and/or modern narrative to
a world mythology; specifically evaluating the student’s own
perspectives in the context of diversity expressed in world mythology.
20-35% of grade.
4.  Attendance, class participation or other class exercises assigned to
fulfill any of the above course objectives:  10% to 20% of grade.

Grade scale:
90-100% A
80-89%  B
70-79%  C
60-69%  D
Below 59% F

Content Outline and Competencies:

I. China the continent: History, Geography, Ethnicities, and Icons
   A. Examine how the interaction of China’s unique geography, ethnic constituents, and icons helped to shape culturally distinctive concepts.
       1. Geography that both facilitates and disrupts civilization building.
       2. The Han people and 55 other ethnic groups.
       3. Culturally distinctive concepts and icons such as: jia (family), guo (state or nation), and long (dragon)
       4. Unique architecture such as the Great Wall.
   B. Create a timeline with the names and inclusive dates of Chinese epochs.
       1. Early cultures (not dynastic periods)
       2. Xia
       3. Shang
       4. Zhou
       5. Qin
       6. Han
       7. Age of Disunity – Three Kingdoms, Jin (East and West), 16 Kingdoms, Southern and Northern dynasties
       8. Sui
       9. Tang
      10. Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms
      11. Song (North and South)
      12. Liao
      13. Jin
      14. Yuan
      15. Ming
      16. Qing
      17. Republic of China
      18. People’s Republic of China
   C. Enter significant dates of appearance of various artistic forms and developments in the timeline.
   D. Examine the timeline as a useful index of the interplay of unity and diversity that shaped Chinese history and culture.

II. Chinese Language
   A. Examine diverse dialects and the unifying power of the written language.
   B. Trace the development of the written language.
       1. Earliest examples of writing
       2. Pictograms
       3. Ideograms
   C. Practice basic pronunciation of sounds and words.
       1. Four tones create meaning
       2. Pronunciation of vowels and consonants
   D. Recite a few fundamental words and phrases.
       1. Counting
       2. Greetings
       3. Pronunciation of titles of key texts, authors, artists, cities, etc. 
   E. Examine how Chinese culture and worldview are reflected in the language.

III. Chinese Schools of Thought
   A. Examine the core claims of Confucianism, Daoism and Buddhism.
   B. Trace the influence of Confucianism, Daoism and Buddhism in various aspects of Chinese culture, such as:
       1. Political structure
       2. Communal structure
       3. Family structure
   C. Study and discuss selected readings from such works as:
       1. The Analects of Confucius
       2. Zhuangzi
       3. Mengzi
       4. Daodejing
   D. Examine how religious beliefs grew out of philosophical thought.
       1. jia – school of philosophical thought
       2. jiao – religious beliefs
   E. Investigate local folk traditions and spiritualism.
       1. How historical figures “become” gods
       2. Veneration of folk gods such as:  kitchen god, god of wealth, guardian god, battle god and so forth 
   F. Discuss the importance of nature and humankind’s relationship to nature as revealed in Daoism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and regional folk gods.
       1. Confucian view of nature as intrinsically valuable
       2. Buddhism’s perspective of nature and environment as dynamic and changing
       3. Daoism and nature as “the way” to connect to the inherent order of the world 
       4. Folk gods such as: creator of earth and sky, god of agriculture, protector god of hills/minerals, and so forth
   G. Compare and contrast Chinese schools of thought with Western belief systems, religions, and perspectives on the environment.

IV. Pre-modern Art Forms and Embodiments of Culture and Nature
   A. Critically examine art forms and techniques, with an eye to how they become distinctive cultural practices in spite of diverse influences.
       1. Jade culture  
       2. Bronze
       3. Calligraphy and Painting
       4. Clay works (earthenware, porcelain, and including funerary statues)
       5. Sculpture
       6. Performing arts
       7. Literature
   B. Assess whether any belief system or school of thought is expressed in them.
   C. Explore other aspects of Chinese culture such as:  tea drinking and the use of silk and embroidery of silk.
   D. Examine how animals, nature and ecological systems are represented and expressed in these artistic genres.
       1. Images of nature a potent source for Chinese artists
       2. Real and imagined creatures of earth depicted on bronze vessels
       3. Relationship of humans to the environment in Chinese painting

V. Diversity and Unity in Modern Artistic Developments
   A. Watch and review one or more Chinese films, such as:  To Live, Red Sorghum, The Road Home, or Farewell my Concubine. 
   B. Read and critically assess two or more contemporary short stories by Chinese authors such as: Chen Ruoxi, Yiyun Li, Zhu Lin, Jin Ha
   C. Examine and evaluate modern artists and the role of the artist in modern society, such as:  Luo Zhongli, the Gao Brothers, Ai Wei Wei
   D. Analyze the authors’ and artists’ references to nature and the filmmakers’ use of landscape and natural systems.
   E. Examine China’s popular culture in relation to traditional thought, social mores, and art forms, and in comparison to Western popular culture.

1. A minimum of three examinations – 40 - 60 %
2.  Additional written papers or research projects, at the instructor’s discretion – 40 - 60%
3.  Grades corresponding to the traditional academic formula:  
90-100%=A
80-89%=B
70-79%=C
60-69%=D
59% or less=F

Instructional Format:   General Lecture/Discussion/Demonstration
Contact Hours:          General Lecture:  3
Total Contact Hours:    3

Content Outline and Competencies:

I. Japanese Historical Periods
   A. Create a timeline with the names and inclusive dates of epochs for
cultural and artistic study
      1. Jomon, c. 10.500 - 300 b.c.e.
      2. Yayoi, c. 300 b.c.e. - 300
      3. Kofun (or Old Tomb), c. 300-552
      4. Asuka, 552 - 646
      5. Nara, 646 - 794
      6. Heian, 794 - 1185
      7. Kamakura, 1185 - 1392
      8. Muromachi (or Ashikaga), 1392 - 1568
      9. Momoyama, 1568 - 1600
     10. Edo (or Tokugawa), 1600 - 1868
     11. Modern (including Meiji, Taisho, Showa and Heisei), 1868 -
present  
   B. On the timeline, identify when contacts with other civilizations and
countries occurred, having significant impact on the culture of Japan
      1. China
      2. The West

II. Japanese Thought and Religious Beliefs
   A. Discuss important themes in Japanese religious history, such as:
      1. Pluralism
      2. Closeness of humans, gods and nature
      3. Significance of rituals and festivals
   B. Identify the key modes of religious thought in Japan
      1. Shinto ("the way of the kami" or ancestor worship)
      2. Buddhism (as imported from China)
      3. Taoism, Confucianism, folk religion
   C. Explore bushido as an ethical system
      1. Bushido - what it is and what is it not
      2. Relationship to Buddhism
      3. Absorption of moral codes into society at large, their effect on
artistic endeavors
   D. Identify important shrines, temples and monasteries associated with
the various modes of religious thought, such as:
      1. Yasukuni Shrine
      2. Tofuku-ji Monastery
      3. The Philosopher's Path and adjacent temples in Kyoto

III. Acculturation of Imports into Japan
   A. Identify when Buddhism and Confucianism were introduced into Japan
from China, and how they evolved
   B. Discuss the importation of Chinese writing and governmental forms
and their significance to Japan, including consideration of such issues
as:
      1. No writing system in Japan before Asuka period
      2. Japanese language structurally different from Chinese
      3. Confucianism's effect on the development of government in Japan
   C. Assess how elements of Western culture have been adopted and
accepted into Japan, such as:
      1. Religion
      2. Business models
      3. Popular culture

IV. Traditional Art Forms
   A. Critically examine visual art forms and techniques, including
assessment of how or whether a belief system is expressed in them
      1. ceramics
      2. sculpture
      3. painting
      4. calligraphy
      5. woodblock prints
   B. Critically examine performing art forms and techniques, including
assesssment of how or whether a belief system is expressed in them
      1. theatre, music and dance
         a. kagura as a prototype; dance/music offering to the gods
         b. bugaku and gagaku (court dance and music); imported from
China
         c. Noh
         d. Kabuki
      2. bunraku (puppet theatre)
   C. Read and critically assess literary works, including whether a
belief system is expressed in them
      1. novel
      2. poetry
   D. Distinguish types of Japanese gardens and assess how or whether a
belief system is expressed in them
      1. dry
      2. hill
      3. tea
   E. Critically appraise contemporary forms, including forms have
influenced their development
      1. film
      2. anime/manga

V. Western Enthusiasm for Traditional Japanese Culture
   A. Identify elements of traditional or modern Japanese arts or culture
adopted in the West, such as:
      1. food/sake
      2. ceramics
      3. anime/manga
      4. samurai/geisha culture
      5. Zen Buddhism
   B. Analyze the popularity of Japanese cultural artifacts in the West

A minimum of three examinations
Additional written papers or research projects, at the instructor's
discretion
Grades corresponding to the traditional academic formula:
A = 100 - 90%
B =  80 - 89%
C =  70 - 79%
D =  60 - 69%
F =  59% or less

Content Outline and Competencies:

Because of the nature of a Special Topics course, the course Content Outline and Competencies will vary, depending on the Special Topic being offered. The Special Topics course outlines must be designed in the standard format for all JCCC-approved courses and must include the standard course objectives for a Special Topics class. The course Content Outline and Competencies must be written in outcome-based language. In order to maintain course consistency, rigor, and uniqueness, each section of this course first must be reviewed and approved by the Humanities faculty prior to its being offered. The Arts, Humanities and Social Science Division Curriculum Committee and the Division Dean will review each Special Topics course to be offered and approve the course content. The Department Chair will also determine when and if the course may be taught based on the instructional needs of both the department and the division. Individual faculty members are responsible for the creation of Special Topics courses and for seeking approval to teach them. Any specific Special Topics topic may not be repeated within a four-semester sequence.