Justice & the Arts
Facilitator: Kristin Kusanovich, Theatre and Dance; Co-Director, Justice and the Arts Initiative
Courses in this Pathway will help students develop an understanding of historical and/or contemporary works of art (music, theatre, dance and visual art) and literature as responsive, complex, critical or instigative in relation to issues of justice. Students in this pathway may be asked to analyze and reflect on artifacts already created, to experience live performance, or to create work themselves as a part of this inquiry.
Courses in this pathway expose students to a wide array of artistic processes and products that take as their theme issues of justice. Encountering these practices expands our notion of how art is a critical response to our world. It is through the incarnational arts, the visual, dramatic/literary, music, theatre and dance arts, that we are presented with all of the complexity, richness and difficulty of lived experience. Learning that occurs in and through these disciplines is never merely abstract, but engages the entire brain, all of the learning modalities and all of the learning styles. Art and art-making have a way of moving us to compassion and empathy, of expanding perception, of challenging the intellect, and of creating community. This pathway helps create a well-educated solidarity and gives students the tools to shape a better society and a more creative life.
Associated Courses
| Art History (ARTH) |
| 140 Photography in the United States |
| 143 Women's Work: American Women in the Visual Arts (cross-listed with GNSX 156) |
| 144 Race, Gender, and Nation in the 18th and 19th Century American Art |
| 145 Art in the 20th Century U.S. |
| Arts and Sciences (ASCI) |
| 30 Ethics and Globalization |
| Child Studies (CHST) |
| 109 Children, Arts and Society |
| Communication (COMM) |
| 131D Documentary |
| 132 Documentary Video Prod L&L |
| 137 American Film History |
| Classics (CLAS) |
| 180 Ancient and Modern Laughter (cross-listed with ENGL 162 [topic: Ancient and Modern Laughter] and THTR 181A) |
| 188 Classical Origins of Justice |
| Dance (DANC) |
| 59 Teaching the Performing Arts (cross-listed with DANC 159) |
| 62 African American Dance History (cross-listed with DANC 162) |
| 159 Teaching the Performing Arts (cross-listed with DANC 59) |
| 162 African American Dance History (cross-listed with DANC 62) |
| 189 Social Justice and the Arts |
| English (ENGL) |
| 54 Shakespeare |
| 65 Political Literature |
| 116 Shakespeare's Tragedies (cross-listed with THTR 116) |
| 117 Shakespeare's Comedies (cross-listed with THTR 117) |
| 118 Shakespeare Studies (cross-listed with THTR 118) |
| 122 Film, Gender and Sexuality (cross-listed with GNSX 134) |
| 122AW Film, Gender and Sexuality (cross-listed with GNSX 134AW) |
| 129 American Theatre from the Black Perspective (cross-listed as THTR 161 and ETHN 136) |
| 150EL Contemporary Literature |
| 151A Studies in Shakespeare: Tragedies (cross-listed as THTR 116) |
| 151B Studies in Shakespeare: Comedies (cross-listed as THTR 117) |
| 151 C Studies in Shakespeare (cross-listed as THTR 118) |
| 162 Studies in Comparative Literature [topic: Ancient and Modern Laughter] (cross-listed with CLAS 180 and THTR 181A) |
| 175EL Advanced Creative Nonfiction: ELSJ |
| 176 Creative Writing & Social Justice |
| Ethnic Studies (ETHN) |
| 65 Drama of Diversity (cross-listed with THTR 65) |
| 132 The History of Hip Hop (cross-listed with MUSC 132) |
| 136 American Theatre from Black Perspective (cross-listed as ENGL 129 and THTR 161) |
| 151 Race, Class, and Gender in the United States (cross-listed with SOCI 153 and GNSX 115) |
| 164 Popular Music, Race and American Culture (cross-listed with MUSC 134) |
| French (FREN) |
| 175 Transnational Cinema |
| Gender and Sexuality Studies (GNSX) |
| 47 Biblical Women and Power (cross-listed with SCTR 39) |
| 115 Race, Class, and Gender in the United States (cross-listed with SOCI 153) |
| 134 Film, Gender and Sexuality (cross-listed with ENGL 122) |
| 134AW Film, Gender and Sexuality (cross-listed with ENGL 122AW) |
| 139 Performing Identities: Staging Gender, Race & Class (cross-listed with THTR 167) |
| 156 Women's Work: American Women in the Visual Arts (cross-listed with ARTH 143) |
| 183 Fashion, Politics & Issues of Gender (cross-listed with THTR 151) |
| History (HIST) |
| 71/171 The New Nation: U.S. From Hamilton to Jackson |
| Music (MUSC) |
| 21 Music in American Culture II |
| 119 Music, Technology & Society |
| 130 Anthropology of Music |
| 131 Music Research and Writing |
| 132 The History of Hip Hop (cross-listed with ETHN 132) |
| 133 Music in the Community |
| 134 Popular Music, Race and American Culture (cross-listed with ETHN 164) |
| 136 Music of Africa |
| 139 Flamenco History and Performance |
| 156 Improvisation |
| 189 Sacred Music and the Church |
| 196 Music Since 1945 |
| Religion, Theology, and Culture |
| Religion and Society (RSOC) |
| 136 Religion in Latin America |
| Scripture and Tradition (SCTR) |
| 39 Biblical Women and Power (cross-listed with GNSX 47) |
| Theology, Ethics, and Spirituality (TESP) |
| 46 Faith, Justice, & Poverty |
| 46H Faith, Justice, & Poverty: Honors |
| 129 Religion and Peace |
| Sociology (SOCI) |
| 153 Race, Class, and Gender in the United States (cross-listed with GNSX 115) |
| Theatre (THTR) |
| 27 Childrens Theatre Production |
| 44 Modern American Theatre History: Censorship, Arts Funding and Theatre Unions |
| 65 Drama of Diversity (cross-listed with ETHN 65) |
| 66 Peoples Theatre |
| 116 Shakespeare's Tragedies (cross-listed with ENGL 116) |
| 117 Shakespeare's Comedies (cross-listed with ENGL 117) |
| 118 Shakespeare Studies (cross-listed with ENGL 118) |
| 119 Shakespeare's Plays in Performance |
| 151 Fashion, Politics & Issues of Gender (cross-listed with GNSX 183) |
| 161 American Theatre from the Black Perspective (cross-listed with ENGL 129 and ETHN 136) |
| 167 Performing Identities: Staging Gender, Race & Class (cross-listed with GNSX 139) |
| 181A Ancient and Modern Laughter (cross-listed with CLAS 180 and ENGL 162 [topic: Ancient and Modern Laughter]) |