MUSC 297 Music of Central Asia: From Throat-Singing to Heavy Metal

The music of the Hu was chosen as the soundtrack to Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order because it sounded otherworldly to Western audiences. In fact, the Hu draw on ancient musical traditions from Central Asia, one of the most culturally and musically diverse areas of the world. This course introduces students to a wide range of music practices, genres, and styles in historically nomadic and sedentary regions of Central Asia: throat-singing, sounds of shamanic and Sufi Islamic rituals, epic performance, narrative instrumental playing, oral poetry competitions, folk and art singing, Western-influenced classical and popular music genres (Central Asian repertoires of opera and symphony, Azerbaijani jazz, Uzbek estrada, Kazakh Q-pop and crossover music, Mongolian heavy metal and hip-hop). The roles and meanings of music and the status of musicians are discussed in relation to wider aspects of cultural and social life, the impact of Soviet culture policies, post-Soviet national revival and globalization. The course draws on extensive audiovisual materials and is open to students of all levels. No background in music or Central Asia is required.

The course audio/video resources are available here: https://www.musicofcentralasia.org/Tracks

Introduction to Mindfulness: CSPLZ Winter Session

Introduction to Mindfulness: CSPLZ Winter Session
0.50 credit
January 10 – 23, 2023

During this course, students will be introduced to various techniques of mindfulness practice and awareness, including sitting meditation and yoga. These modalities are designed to aid in stress and anxiety reduction and, when practiced diligently, may also offer opportunities for greater self-awareness and personal development. The goal is to give students not only a peer community but also a contemplative and metacognative toolbox that is portable, replicable, and sustainable. Students will gain an understanding of the roles these practices can play in leading a happier, healthier, and more fulfilling life.

  • An opportunity to learn mindfulness techniques like yoga and meditation in a peer community setting 
  • Experiential learning in a retreat-style environment
  • An opportunity to develop a contemplative and metacognitive toolbox that is portable, replicable, and sustainable. 
  • Students will gain an understanding of the role mindfulness can play in leading a happier, healthier, and more fulfilling life.

Wesleyan Winter Session Registration which is on a rolling basis: https://www.wesleyan.edu/wintersession/enroll/index.html

Interesting Facts about the Hebrew Program that you might not know of

Did you know that when you learn Modern Hebrew

  • you can read ancient texts written in their original language.
  • you can listen to hit TV shows and Israeli movies, appreciating the undertones and special humor.
  • your curriculum will include meeting celebrities, discussing their works over lunches, participating in an Israeli film festival and making valuable personal connections.
  • you will earn a full three credits for the year.
  • you can choose whether you use the Humanities or Social Sciences general education designations.

If those facts sound interesting, please consider joining Hebrew courses. Please email the professor Dalit Katz at dkatz01@wesleyan.edu for more information.

HIST 304: Middle East Intellectuals and Modernity

HIST 304: Middle East Intellectuals and Modernity
Toksoz,Meltem
Thursdays, 01:20PM-04:10PM
Allbritton 004

How have Middle Eastern intellectuals conceived and discussed modernity? We will use this question to analyze the variety in the history of thought in Middle Eastern societies in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Modernization, formation of the modern state and issues of nationalism, imperialism and colonialism, main intellectual questions of the time, will form the framework as we analyze their political, social, and cultural impact on the production of knowledge in the Ottoman and post-Ottoman lands. As such it is NOT a history of the Middle East but rather a history of mentalities, organized around four thematic/chronological modules (Reform, Modern State and Constitutionalism/Panislamism, Nationalisms and Colonialisms) each representing a set of concepts, ideas, and movements as well as facts and problems, all of which will be compared to the larger world of modern state formation both in thought and practice. The principal aim is to familiarize students with the processes of modernization in the making of the modern Middle East.

Winter Session Aid Application Available in Portal

Winter Session aid application is available in the Courses/Winter Session bucket of your Portal. It will be open through noon, Wed, Nov 3. If you are thinking about a Winter Session course, please apply for aid now. Applying for aid does not obligate you to take a class.

Interesting facts about the Hebrew Program that you might not know of

Did you know that when you learn Modern Hebrew

  • you can read ancient texts written in their original language.
  • you can listen to hit TV shows and Israeli movies, appreciating the undertones and special humor.
  • your curriculum will include meeting celebrities, discussing their works over lunches, participating in an Israeli film festival and making valuable personal connections.
  • you will earn a full three credits for the year.
  • you can choose whether you use the Humanities or Social Sciences general education designations.

If those facts sound interesting, please consider joining Hebrew courses in the spring semester. There are available spots in the Intermediate and Advanced levels. Please email the instructor Dalit Katz at dkatz01@wesleyan.edu for more information. I hope to see you soon in one of my classes.

Learn More about the FGSS Fall 2021 Gateway Courses

Learn more about these FGSS Fall 2021 gateway courses that are available to first-year and sophomore class students:

Course Description
Feminist, gender and sexuality studies is an exciting interdisciplinary field that addresses gender, sex, and sexuality as well as related issues of race, class, nation, and citizenship across multiple disciplines, epistemologies, methods, and vantage points. At its most fundamental, the field addresses how persons are identified and identify themselves as similar to and different from each other and the relation of these categories of difference to power relations. The study of feminist and queer thought on sex/gender and sexuality offers a critical lens through which to examine social structures and social problems, inequality, difference and diversity, identity and the self, belonging and community, and the possibility of social change, among other topics. This course will offer a broad introduction to the field and provide a foundation for further study of specific areas of interest. The primary goals are to (1) explore the multiple ways feminist and queer scholars have understood sex, gender, and sexuality; (2) explore different methods and styles of feminist thought and expression; (3) situate these in time and place, with attention to historical and cultural contexts; and (4) explore the intersections of sex, gender, and sexuality with race, nation, and other categories of difference. The course will cover aspects of first-wave feminism (e.g., suffrage and the abolitionist movement); second-wave feminism and critical theories of sex/gender; and contemporary feminism, including queer theory, intersectionality and race, and transnational and postcolonial feminism.

History Course for Rising Sophomores: Dante in His World: Politics, Poetry, Religion

Rising sophomores are especially sought for a new course on one of the greatest thinkers and writers in history, Dante Alighieri. On the 700th anniversary of his death, this course in history, medieval studies, and World Literatures in translation is open to all class years.

HIST 236: Dante in His World: Politics, Poetry, Religion
Instructor: Gary Shaw
T.R.. 02:50PM-04:10PM

Dante has been famous since his life, especially for his poem “The Divine Comedy,” including its depictions of Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven. The book reveals his massive knowledge and his deep and complex commitments to love, hope, and the good. It might be less well known that he was also an active politician and a political theorist, as well as a student of literature and style.

This course will examine the body of his work and use it to outline some of the great political, moral, and religious crises of Europe around the year 1300, many issues that continue to today, such as the importance of ethical and political commitment and courage in public life, but also the dangers of false hierarchies and one’s own ego. Readings will focus on Dante’s own writings, including “The Divine Comedy,” “The New Life” and “On Monarchy.”