The Brandeis Core

Today’s world has been shaped by forces that cannot be understood without taking a broad global perspective.

Human experience has been influenced by the expansion of democracy; technological, environmental, moral and aesthetic changes; greater attention to the protection of human rights; and the improvement of economic conditions for many. However, progress has not been equal, and for many, circumstances have worsened.

Our world and its peoples continue to be deeply challenged by new forms of age-old problems. Religious, ethnic, racial, gender and sexual differences are used as grounds for persecution, exclusion and other forms of unequal treatment. The effects of climate change are likely to exacerbate already growing global economic inequality, food insecurity and competition for natural resources. These phenomena are interrelated with the legacy or colonialism; world, civil and regional wars; diasporic migration; and terrorism.

Difference and Justice in the World courses will allow students to focus on the social, cultural, political, environmental and economic diversity of human experience within the global/transnational context. Looking beyond singular or dominant understandings of the world, students will engage in the study of peoples outside the U.S., their histories, arts, cultures, politics, economies, environments and religions.

They will address problems such as:

• The ways in which different cultures, societies and social groups define and express themselves and are defined by others.
• How categories of difference are constructed, and how they intersect with one another.
• The production and mediation of social and cultural power in different contexts.
• The unequal effects of globalization and climate change on different cultures and groups in all spheres of human experience, across histories and geographies.

Contemporary U.S. society is marked by demographic and cultural changes that have both advanced and challenged the nation’s commitment to the realization of individuals unalienable rights as human beings.

Scientific, technological, legal, political and aesthetic developments have created significant opportunities throughout the U.S., even as they have also entrenched existing injustices. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Studies in the United States courses prepare students to engage with the dynamics, developments and divisions within U.S. society in the 21st century.

To be productive participants in a society undergoing significant ethnoracial, political, environmental and cultural change, students will need to understand the important role that a commitment to social justice has played in the advancement of the United States. They will also need to address the role that inequality has played in the country’s formation and continues to play in its development. Courses may draw on a variety of disciplinary approaches to address any of the following:

• The critical study of race, class, gender, sex, disability, ethnicity, sexuality, age, color, nationality and religion, with a specific emphasis on historically marginalized populations.
• The close assessment of laws, regulations, procedures, and policies that have enforced or opposed inequity and injustice.
• The analysis of theories that explain, analyze or critique inequality.
• The empirical examination of coalition and community-building, collaboration across difference and other practices aimed at increasing inclusion.

The World Languages and Cultures requirement at Brandeis reflects a belief in the importance of understanding language — our own and the language of others — as central to society and culture.

The goal of this requirement, therefore, is to prepare students to understand better and to participate in a different culture by developing basic skills (speaking, listening, reading and writing) in another language.

Students satisfy the requirement by demonstrating an intermediate-level proficiency, which is usually achieved by successfully completing a third semester course (normally numbered in the 30s) or demonstrating equivalent proficiency.

Visit the World Languages and Cultures website

AAAS 157A: African American Political Thought

Examines the ideological and intellectual traditions that have influenced African American politics. Addresses the question of what are the best strategies for black Americans to pursue freedom and opportunity in the United States. (deis-us, ss, wi)

A. Spry
M,W 2:00-3:30 PM

AAPI/HIS 163A: Asian American History

Explores the history of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States with a focus on their lived experiences and contributions to U.S. society. Course culminates in a final AAPI digital oral history project. (deis-us, dl, ss)

Y. Doolan
T,Th 10:00-11:30 AM

ANTH 113B: Race and Ethnicity: Anthropological Perspectives

Examines theories and ethnographies of race and ethnicity through three units: literary and social scientific theories of race and othering; the race system in the U.S. today; and a comparative look at the American racial system to explore ways in which America’s race system varies cross-societally and cross-historically. One goal of the course is to understand changing ideas of race and ethnicity that have emerged from anthropologists and cultural critics. (ss)

P. Alvarez Astacio
M,W 4:00-5:30 

ENG 128A: Race and U.S. Cinema

Explores the central role film plays in the construction and policing of racialized identities in the US. We will focus primarily, but not exclusively, on the Black/white binarism. US cinema originates in the white depiction of Blacks or in the white deployment of blackface, and racialized bodies continue to serve as a ubiquitous (if frequently unacknowledged) source of fascination and anxiety in contemporary cinema. We will begin with early “whitewashing” films and D.W. Griffith’s foundational epic, The Birth of a Nation, and conclude with new queer Black cinema and contemporary Black filmmakers. (deis-us, hum)

P. Morrison
M,W 12:00-1:30 PM

ENG 168B: Plotting Inheritance

Examines novels published in the last two decades set during slavery and indenture in the British Caribbean, alongside (and as) theorizations of accumulation, inheritance, and freedom. How does fiction account for and plot material, moral and emotional worth? (djw, dl, hum)

F. Smith
T,Th 8:00-9:30 PM

HIST 158A: Race, Riot, and Backlash in Modern America

Explores key moments of urban unrest, riot and backlash through the lens of race and racial experiences in the United States, while also analyzing the significance of these events to transformative change in American socio-political institutions in both the past and the present. (deis-us, ss)

L. Wright Rigueur
M,W 2:00-3:30 PM

HIST 159B: Modern African American History

Introduces students to some of the key social, political, economic, and cultural moments that defined the African American experience in the United States, 1865 through the present. Through the use of primary and secondary source materials, critical surveys, lectures, and guided discussion, this class highlights the richness and significance of the African American history. This course covers a diverse array of key themes and topics including: Reconstruction and segregation; the Great Migration; the Civil Rights, Black Power, and Black Feminist movements; black political power; mass incarceration and the surveillance state; and Hip Hop culture. (deis-us, ss)

L. Wright Rigueur
M,W 4:00-5:30 PM

JAPN 140A: The World of Early Modern Japanese Literature

A survey of the most celebrated works of literature from Japan's early modern period (1600-1868). Explores a wide range of genres, including fiction, travelogues, memoirs, dramatic forms such as the puppet theater and kabuki, as well as poetry in Japanese and Chinese. All readings are available in English translation; Japanese knowledge is not required. (hum, nw)

M. Fraleigh
M,W 4:00-5:30 PM

LALS 152A: Race and Nation in the Caribbean

The Caribbean is an emblematic site for understanding the origins of modern forms of capitalism, globalization, and trans-nationalism. In this course, we will explore how academics and people in the Caribbean deploy ideas about “race” and “nation” to make sense of these transformations and impacts in the region. In particular, we will discuss the founding moments of Caribbean history, including colonialism, the genocide of Native populations, the enslavement of African people, the rise of plantation economies, and the development of global networks of goods and peoples. We will also examine tourism and debt as the continuation of long- extractive colonial practices that continue to generate stark inequalities and racial hierarchies in the region. (deis-us, djw, hum)

I. Godreau
T,Th 2:00-3:30 PM

MUS 3B: Back to the Future: Digging for the Roots of Western Music

Dig for the roots of polyphony in the Western tradition. Unearth new concepts (from half a millennium ago) for understanding, hearing, and making music of any period. Compose melodies, improvise counterpoint, and learn to hear intervals with fresh ears. (ca)
S. Mead
T,Th 10:00-11:30 AM

NEJS 5A: The Transformations of Judaism from the Bible to Modernity

A survey of the Jewish experience and thought, focusing on the varieties of historical Judaism, including its classical forms, its medieval patterns and transformations, and its modern options. (hum)

R. Kimelman
M,W 2:00-3:30 PM

NEJS 111A: The Hebrew Bible/Old Testament

A survey of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament). Biblical books will be examined from various perspectives and compared to other ancient Near Eastern compositions. No knowledge of Hebrew is presumed. (hum)

J. Stinchcomb
T,Th 4:00-5:30 PM

NEJS 124B: Divinity, Difference and Desire: An Introduction to Jewish Mysticism 

A study of Jewish mysticism through history. While investigating the nature of mysticism and the idea of mysticism itself and the transformation of key motifs of Judaism into a mystical key, the course will also be concerned with how to read a Jewish mystical text. All readings are in English. (hum)

Y. Mirsky
M,W 8:00-9:30 AM

NEJS 129B: Debating Jesus: Diverse Beliefs in the Early Church

Examines the nature of Jesus, the Trinity, and scripture, both canonical and non-canonical, in the first four centuries of early Christianity. Students analyze material culture and written documents related to a wide array of diverse Christian voice. The course explores scandals, heresies, and dissension along with points of unity and changing alliances within the Early Church in diverse religious and political landscape. (hum, wi)

D. Brooks Hedstrom
M,W 2:00-3:30 PM

NEJS 153A: The Modern Jewish Experience

Themes include Enlightenment, Hasidism, emancipation, Jewish identity in the modern world (acculturation and assimilation), development of dominant nationalism in Judaism, Zionism, European Jewry between the world wars, Holocaust, the creation of the State of Israel, and contemporary Jewish life in America, Israel, and Europe. (hum)

E. Sheppard
M,W 10:00-11:30

SOC 129A: Sociology of Religion

An introduction to the sociological study of religion. Investigates what religion is, how it is influential in contemporary American life, and how the boundaries of public and private religion are constructed and contested. (deis-us, ss)

K. Lucken
M,W 10:00-11:30 AM

SOC 187A: Race, Health and Medicine in the African Diaspora

Offers critical perspectives on race, medicine, health, and illness in the African Diaspora. Specifically, we explore how intertwining ideologies of race and gender have contributed to the (mis)management of illness and health in populations of African descent from the periods of slavery and colonization until the present day. (ss)

S. Suh
T,Th 2:00-3:20 PM

THA 126B: Playback Theater

Playback Theatre is a form of improvisation where audience members voluntarily share true stories and then instantly witness a group of actors and a musician recreating the ‘essence’ of what was shared. Deeper issues related to the audience and society are revealed through the metaphorical reenactments of each story, reinforcing a sense of community and self worth. In this course we will learn the basic skills and forms required to perform Playback Theatre successfully, as well as analyze some of the theories of how the Playback experience strengthens communities by connecting people. (ca)

W. Chalmus
T,Th 12:00-1:30 PM

ANTH 118B: Culture and Power in the Middle East

Examines the peoples and societies of the Middle East from an anthropological perspective. Explores problems of cross-cultural examination, the notion of the Middle East as an area of study, and the role of anthropology in the formation of the idea of the “Middle East.” The course is divided into sections devoted to understanding and problematizing key concepts and themes central to our understanding of the region, including tribe and state, family and kinship, gender and sexuality, honor and shame, tradition and modernity, and religion and secularism. Course materials will include critical ethnographies as well as locally produced materials such as literature, music, film and other visual arts. (ss)

H. Akarsu
M,W 4:00-5:30 PM

ANTH 140B: Critical Perspectives in Global Health

What value systems and other sociocultural factors underlie global public health policy? How can anthropology shed light on debates about the best ways to improve health outcomes? This course examines issues from malaria to HIV/AIDS, from tobacco cessation to immunization. (nw, ss)

E. Uretsky
M,W 12:00-1:30 PM

ANTH 147B: Mesoamerican Civilizations and Their Legacies

Traces the development of social complexity in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, from initial colonization in the Late Pleistocene to the Spanish conquest in the sixteenth century. Reviews major societal transformations like food production, the role of competitive generosity and warfare in promoting social inequalities, and the rise of urban societies. It also examines indigenous social movements against Spanish colonialism, and considers the legacies and role of indigenous peoples in the contemporary nations of Middle America. (nw, ss)

J. Urcid
T,Th 2:00-3:30 PM

ANTH 163A: Work and Labor in Global Context

Takes an ethnographic approach to the study of work and labor in the context of the global economy. By looking at various industries and work cultures, we will explore the changing nature of labor and unpack how global processes affect workers in different economic sectors and regions of the world. (djw, nw, ss)

P. Alvarez Astacio
M,W 6:00-7:30

CHIN 136B: Chinese Modernism in International Context

Examines the origins, recurrences, and metamorphosis of modernistic styles and movements in twentieth-century Chinese literature, film, fine art, and intellectual discourses. (hum, nw)

P. Wang
M,W 4:00-5:30 PM

ENG 68B: Race, Colonialism, and Modernism 

A critical introduction to the ever-expanding field of modernist studies. We will read canonical modernists along with writers from Black America, the Caribbean, and Africa to explore the convergence of race, colonialism, and modernism. We will examine what has been silenced and left behind in the modernist compulsion to “make it new” and highlight the contributions of writers across the black diaspora to the ongoing debates about modernism and modernity. The aim is to rethink the canon of modernism critically and explore different implications of the modern from a global perspective. (djw, hum, wi)

C. Hsieh
T, Th 12:00-1:30 PM 

HIST 71A: Latin American and Caribbean History I: Colonialism, Slavery, Freedom

Studies colonialism in Latin America and Caribbean, focusing on coerced labor and struggles for freedom as defining features of the period: conquest; Indigenous, African, and Asian labor; colonial institutions and economics; Independence and revolutionary movements. (djw, hum, nw, ss)

G. Childs
T,Th 10:00-11:30 AM

HIST 173B: Digital History, Digital Historians: What’s it All About?

"Digital Humanities" are becoming widespread as a research approach to history. These qualitative and quantitative methods offer historians new research insights and efficiencies. This course explores Digital Humanities through reading, discussion, and experimentation to discover their strengths and weaknesses. (dl, ss)

A. Singer
F 9:30-12:30 PM

HIST 176A: Haiti and the Modern Caribbean

Studies how Haitian political thought traveled throughout and the Caribbean in the 19th and 20th centuries. Some of the themes we will thus encounter include: race and the formation of nation-states in the 19th century Caribbean; the place of Haiti in the world economy; Haiti-US diplomatic relations; and interactions, antagonisms, and entwined histories of Haiti with other Caribbean societies. (djw, ss)

G. Childs
T,Th 2:00-3:30 PM

HIST 179B: India and the Superpowers (USA, USSR, and China):1947 and Beyond

Examines the history of modern India through its relationships with the "superpowers," USA, USSR, and China. Covering the period between 1947-2018, the course analyses ideological, economic, foreign policy shifts and subcontinental conflict in a constantly changing geo-political scene. (nw, ss)

A. Singh
T,Th 4:00-5:30 PM

HIST 185A: The China Outside China: Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Diaspora in the Making of Modern China

Studies the history of Chinese outside Mainland China, from Hong Kong and Taiwan to Siberia and Africa, from fifteenth century to present day. Ambivalence to ancestral and adopted homelands made these communities valuable agents of transnational exchange and embodiments of Chinese modernity. (djw, nw, ss, wi)

X. Hang
8:00-9:30 AM

HIST 185B: Turkey: From Ataürk to Erdoğan

Examines the history of the Turkish Republic, from its founding in the wake of World War I until the beginning of the 21st century. Through discussions of politics, economics, society and culture, the course studies the forces that shaped and reshaped Turkey. Like the Ottoman Empire from which it emerged, Turkey has attracted the attention of admirers and detractors alike. Meanwhile, it has played key roles and continues to be an important economic, political and cultural hub in the Middle East, Europe, Asia, and the world. (djw, ss)

A. Singer
T,Th 12:00-1:30 PM

IGS 138A: China in the World

Examines the emergence of China onto the world stage, a phenomenon which has generated many contending narratives, imaginaries, aspirations, and anxieties. Students will critically reflect on these accounts and their significance within differing social, cultural, economic, and political contexts. (ss)

E. Uretsky
M,W 10:00-11:30 AM

JAPN 120B: Readings in Modern Japanese Literature

Students read, analyze, discuss, and write about Japanese short fiction by a wide range of modern and contemporary authors. Screening of film adaptations and television programs complement class discussion, which is conducted in Japanese. (fl, hum, nw, oc, wi)

M. Fraleigh
M,W 6:00-7:30

LGLS 123B: Immigration and Human Rights

Examines American immigration policy in the context of international human rights treaties and global practices. Practical exercises highlight social and cultural controversies surrounding refugee status and asylum seeking. Explores tensions between domestic politics and international law in guiding immigration reform. (ss)

D. Smith
T,Th 6:00-7:30 PM

NEJS 85A: Defining Status in the Modern State: Citizens, Nationals and Refugees

Examines terms like “citizen,” “national,” “refugee,” “stateless,” and “indigenous” using theory, law, and historic case studies to understand the different relationships between states and people. From voting, to travel, to social security, our basic rights are determined by how a state views our legal status. In the current era of border control, refugee crises, and resurgent nationalism, a critical study of citizenship is more relevant than ever. This course will help students understand the legal terms used to categorize humanity and appreciate the complexities and limitations of those definitions in practice. (djw, hum)

M. Ayaz
M,W 8:00-9:30 PM

NEJS 149A: The Jews of Muslim and Christain Spain

A survey of Jewish political, intellectual, and social history in the Islamic and Christian spheres from the beginnings of Jewish life in Spain until the expulsion in 1492. Students develop skills in reading historical, literary, and philosophical texts. (hum)

J. Decter
T,Th 10:00-11:30 AM

POL 129B: Internet and Politics

Explores the effects of the Internet on politics and society. Covers issues of Internet governance and institutions, the rise of the global network economy, and the effects of the Internet on social identity. Contemporaneous events and issues such as the digital revolutions, the digital divide, fake news, and coordinated disinformation campaigns are also covered in detail. (dl, ss)

S. Wilson
T,Th 12:00-1:30 PM 

AAAS 125B: Caribbean Women and Globalization: Sexuality, Citizenship, Work

Utilizing perspectives from sociology, anthropology, fiction, and music to examine the relationship between women's sexuality and conceptions of labor, citizenship, and sovereignty. The course considers these alongside conceptions of masculinity, contending feminisms, and the global perspective. (ss, wi)

F. Smith
T,Th 12:00-1:30 PM

AAAS/WGS 136A: Black Feminist Thought

Critical examination of the historical, political, economic, and ideological factors that have shaped the lives of African-American women in the United States. Analyzing foundation theoretical texts, fiction, and film over two centuries, this class seeks to understand black women's writing and political activism in the U.S. (deis-us, oc, ss)

S. Roach
T,Th 10:00-11:30 AM

AAPI/WGS 137B: Performing Asian/American Women on Screen and Scene

What have dominant representations of Asian/American been like from the silent film era to the current digital age? How have the figures of the lotus blossom, the dragon lady, the trafficked woman, the geisha, the war bride, the military prostitute, the orphan, among other problematic tropes emerged to represent Asian/American women? How has the changing political, social, and cultural position of Asian/Americans shaped their participation in media production, as well as their media representations in the United States broadly speaking? (deis-us, ss)

Y. Doolan
T,Th 2:00-3:30 PM

ENG 142B: Black Queer Literature

Examines various works by black queer critics and cultural producers, beginning in the early twentieth century and continuing into the present. While we largely focus upon the attempt to create the shared sense of a world and a tradition in common, we also attend to important divisions brought about by various forms and feelings of difference (including race, gender, class, nation, age and ability). (deis-us, djw, hum)

B. Callender
M,W 2:00-3:30 PM

FREN 139A: Bad Girls and Boys: Du mauvais genre

Through a selection of literary texts, articles, images and films, students will explore how works from the Middle Ages to present day depict male and female figures in the French and Francophone world who have failed to conform to expectations of their gender. (fl, hum)

H. Harder
M,W 12:00-1:30 PM

NEJS 160A: Jewish Feminisms

Examines the role of Jewish women in the broader feminist movement and the impact and the impact of feminist theory and activism on Jewish thought, law, ritual practice and communal norms in the 20th and 21st century. We will explore classic feminist critiques and transformations of traditional Judaism and examine contemporary controversies involving issues such as equality under Jewish ritual and family law, sex segregation in public life, inclusion of Jewish People of Color and of LGBTQ Jews and antisemitism in the women's movement. (deis-us, hum)

L. Joffe
T,Th 2:00-3:30 PM

NEJS 166A: Carnal Israel: Exploring Jewish Sexuality from Talmudic Times to the Present

Explores the construction of Jewish sexuality from Talmudic times to the present. Themes include rabbinic views of sex, niddah, illicit relations, masculinity, medieval erotic poetry, Ashkenazi and Sephardic sexual practices, and sexual symbolism in mystic literature; the discourse on sex, race, and nationalism in Europe; debates about masculinity, sexual orientation, and stereotypes in America and Israel. (hum)

C. Freeze
T,Th 10:00-11:30 AM

WGS 128B: Transgender Health and Wellness

Explores transgender health and wellness, through a depathologizing, decolonizing, intersectional, and gender-affirming approach. Topics include gender health across the lifespan, social determinants of gender health, transgender representation in the media, strategies to address health inequities within transgender communities. (deis-us, ss)

B. Clark
M,W 2:00-3:30 PM