In the wake of the Russian Federation's invasion of Ukraine, this seminar course is designed to equip students with the historical and geo-political context required to analyze and grapple knowledgeably with the past, present, and future of Russian-Ukrainian relations. The question of Russian and Ukrainian national identity (both historically and today) and the dynamics of the relationship between imperialism and nationalism will be over-arching themes of this course. As part of an introduction to the history of medieval Russia, Imperial Russia, and the Soviet Union, this course will pay particular attention to the evolving understanding of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people within and in relation to the Russian imperial narrative. The main themes that will be developed in this course include: the spatial dimension in Russian history; the historical process of imperial formation, transformation, and collapse; the incorporation and assimilation of multi-ethnic and multi-confessional groups into an imperial polity; Islam in Russia; pan-Slavism; and political violence and revolution. This course is organized around assigned readings, a representative sampling of primary historical documents relating to the history of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union, and in-class discussions designed to isolate and illuminate the core themes and topics of the course. In combination with engaged reading of the assigned textbook for the course and the content provided through "mini-lectures", films, videos, and literary works will be mobilized to extend the imaginary and visual dimensions of the course.

Elective

What is phenomenology, and why does it matter for art? This course will serve as an introduction to phenomenology and some of its central methods, themes, and questions. Working within and between philosophy, art, and design, we will explore how phenomenology can enliven and enrich artistic practices, and how artistic practices can broaden and enrich our understandings of perception, sensation, and embodied experience. We will consider a range of philosophical views, from canonical figures in the field (Edmund Husserl, Martin Heidegger, Maurice Merleau-Ponty) to key insights from critical phenomenologists (Alia Al-Saji, Mariana Ortega, Lisa Guenther) who question how socially and historically contingent systems of power shape our experiences in and of the world. Students will be required to complete weekly readings and participate in class discussions. The course will also include long and short form writing assignments as well as student presentations.

Elective

What is knowledge, and how do we know things? How is this "knowing" shaped by relationships of politics and power? This class will serve as an introduction to the philosophical tradition of epistemology with a particular focus on critical epistemologies, i.e., studies of epistemic injustice, ignorance, and resistance. The course will cover some of the central figures and concepts within the field, as well as critical interventions borne of feminist philosophers, critical race theorists, Indigenous philosophers, and crip theory. The course will include long and short form writing assignments, discussions, as well as student presentations. 

Elective

Is AI-generated art actually art? What does generative AI mean for artists, audiences, workers, or the most marginalized in society? This course is a deep dive into the politics of this technology and the kinds of images it produces. We'll examine AI image generation's actual and imagined functionality, the invisible (racialized, classed, gendered) labors behind it, the impact of its use, and how it relates to our cultural and political present. This context will set us up to ask big questions about the labor and consumption of art, the aesthetics of fascism, and what kinds of social relations are required in order to build the technofutures we want to see. 

Elective

This is a course about how to think, write, and read philosophically. Samples of classic philosophical writings in existentialism on topics such as free will, personal identity, subjective value, the existence of God, and the meaning of human existence will be the launching pads for students’ oral and written analysis. Philosophical and literary texts in addition to class discussions will be used to encourage close scrutiny of underlying assumptions, logical progression, and how well claims are substantiated. By noting the strengths and weaknesses in the arguments of others and practicing the skill of philosophical argumentation, students will be better able to navigate through the thickets of challenges arising from everyday living as persons of careful thought and considered action.

A version of this course was taught previously as an S101: Topics in History, Philosophy, and the Social Sciences. If you took this topic as your S101, please do not enroll in this course.

Elective

From its humble origins in LiveJournal and the woman-rating origins of Facebook, social media has come a long way to reach its current iterations. This course will look at the emergence and development of social media platforms, asking how we construct ourselves online and how being online constructs us. Paying particular attention to race, class, gender, and sexuality, we’ll examine issues such as how attention has become a commodity, the politics of emotion and The Algorithm™, and the benefits and limits of online activism. You’ll never look at your FYP the same way again. 

Elective

Do you think before clicking “Accept Cookies” when visiting a website these days, or is it just second nature? This course will examine the politics of technological and data surveillance, how we have come to consent to it, and what happens once it’s collected. We will engage interdisciplinary critical internet and data studies to explore the politics of information and how it interacts with cultural norms and systems of racialized and gendered surveillance. We'll also look at the status of data politics in the age of AI and ask how we might create digital worlds based in social justice and liberation.

Elective

Transformative Technologies and Cultural Change is a lecture course centering on the cultural and social impacts of technologies. Choices of technologies for the class discussions will be limited to those that together have transformed how we live, work, and experience leisure.  Among included technological systems communication, transportation, energy generation, health and longevity, and mass production will be examined. The course requires reading about three to four brief articles or excerpts per meeting. These provide context and content for in-class discussions related to lectures.  Student discussion leaders guide the class and must volunteer to run at least 2 discussions during the semester.  Hence, attendance and class participation are both important elements of Transformative Technologies.  There will also be 3 brief writings derived from prompts and requiring some research beyond assigned readings. There are two tests including one at the midterm and one during the Liberal Arts Examination Day.  In addition, a presentation expanding on course topics and of your own choosing will complete the requirements for the course.

Elective

The purpose of S301 is for students to engage in scholarly exploration of topics that are of interest to them (including topics that directly impact their studio practice). Students will be guided by the particular expertise of their faculty, and the epistemological frameworks of a given HPSS discipline or interdisciplinary area, to build a liberal arts-based practice that deepens and expands understanding of their area of focus. Placement in the junior year is scaffolded to allow students to have had the time to take several liberal arts electives and be far enough along in their major to start to develop specific interests and questions that could benefit from deeper exploration and integration across bodies of knowledge. The project-based focus of the course should allow students to start to gain background understanding of a topic of interest that may serve them as they enter their final year of study at RISD, including optionally a reflection about the relevance of the project to their studio work.

Major Requirement | BFA, BArch

This section of S301 on Bodies & Borders introduces students to transdisciplinary and intersectional discussions focused on relationships between bodies and borders. Students will engage with theories of embodiment and explore linguistic, spatial, and identity borderlands, as well as issues of global mobility, contested citizenship, and radical vulnerability. Through these perspectives, they will build strong contextual and theoretical foundations, alongside skills in research methodologies. This work will be reflected in the development of a final project, including a literature review, iterative drafts, and a final presentation that reflects their intellectual engagement throughout the seminar.

Major Requirement | BFA, BArch

The course is designed to focus on the range of visual means that people use to convey ideas and stories, non-literary forms that make ideas accessible to a wide audience. Textiles, puppets and masquerades, when viewed within their cultural matrix, are powerful tools for capturing the less visible aspects of communities in which the written word may not be the primary mode of information sharing. Graffiti, tagging, and muralling, which move in the direction of public art, are more contemporary means of visual communication in our own communities. Likewise, sketching, electronic imagery and graphic novels are powerful tools for documentation and story-telling for contemporary artists. From a simple symbol placed on a wall or a parchment to the more complex structure of masquerades and electronic moving images, human communities have sought to tell their own - and others' stories  - and to convey opinions and messages in endless evocative and creative ways. What can we learn from these various forms of visual communication? This course is not a “making” class per se, but proposes to explore some of these means of visual communication, both historically and currently, in a variety of cultural contexts.

Elective

The course is designed to give students an overview of Mexico’s historic and contemporary art, from the cultural legacy of the pre-columbian states (the Olmecs to the Aztecs) to the Spanish conquest of Tenochtitlan (Mexico City). It will explore the political, economic and cultural contexts which gave rise to the Mexican revolution and its cultural impact on the development of such movements as the estridentismo and on the muralist period; we will look at the impact of Indigenous styles on the history of Mexican art and beyond, and the continuous role of regional traditional creativity on modern art and architecture in Mexico. The course will use both an ethnographic perspective, and an aesthetics approach to explore the complex trajectory of Mexican art.

Elective

In this class we compare and contrast various cities of the Global South and examine their relationship to the Global North. We ponder upon the valences and representations of the terms Global South and North, and examine the politics and processes of urban life. We understand global connections as we study the built environment, economies, and experience of cities such as Mumbai, Kunming, Sao Paolo, Bangkok, and Lagos. The course will explore the resonances between these cities and the kinds of challenges they face as they encounter rapid urban growth and renewal. We will ask: What do cities of the Global South tell us about urbanism and urbanization today? What formal and economic similarities do cities of the Global South exhibit? What forms of knowledge, activism, and contestation emerge from urban areas in the Global South? Like most courses in the History, Philosophy, and Social Sciences (HPSS) department, this course builds a critical understanding of diverse cultures of the world, raises ethical questions that arise as different groups interact, and develops an analysis of social situations in the world and highlights forms of power and inequity. Class texts will case study different cities and compare experience in cities in Latin America, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Modules in the class will discuss planning and the built environment, commodities and capital, informality and body politics, infrastructure and energy, as well as think through theory from the Global South. This is a discussion-based seminar and active in-class participation is required of all students. Class activities will include mapping sessions, group work, and discussions on films. This course will be taught in a hybrid format. The balance of in person and online teaching will be determined by the instructor in order to optimize pedagogy (in response to changing distancing and safety regulations and the COVID-19 comfort and safety levels of members in the course).

Elective

In this class we study cities and examine the shared lessons and power relations that frame urbanism today. We ponder upon the valences and representations of the terms Global South-Global North, and developing-developed, and the impacts they have on urban studies, through this we challenge conventional EuroAmercian centric ways of looking at urban life. The course highlights global mega cities such as Mumbai, Kunming, Sao Paolo, Bangkok, and Lagos and places them at the center of urban studies. The course will explore the resonances between these cities and the kinds of challenges they face as they encounter rapid urban growth and renewal. We will ask: What do cities of the Global South tell us about urbanism and urbanization today? What are formal and economic challenges facing urbanism today and how do global megacities exhibit them? What forms of knowledge, activism, and contestation emerge from urban areas outside of Europe and North America?

Like most courses in the History, Philosophy, and Social Sciences (HPSS) department, this course builds a critical understanding of diverse cultures of the world, raises ethical questions that arise as different groups interact, develops an analysis of social situations in the world, and highlights forms of power and inequity. Class texts will case study different cities and compare experience in cities in Latin America, Asia, Africa, United States, and the Middle East. Modules in the class will discuss planning and the built environment, commodities and capital, informality and climate change, infrastructure and energy, as well as think through theory from the Global South. This is a discussion-based seminar and active in-class participation is required of all students. Class activities will include mapping sessions, group work, and discussions on films.

Elective

In this class we compare and contrast various cities of the Global South and examine their relationship to the Global North. We ponder upon the valences and representations of the terms Global South and North, and examine the politics and processes of urban life. We understand global connections as we study the built environment, economies, and experience of cities such as Mumbai, Kunming, Sao Paolo, Bangkok, and Lagos. The course will explore the resonances between these cities and the kinds of challenges they face as they encounter rapid urban growth and renewal. We will ask: What do cities of the Global South tell us about urbanism and urbanization today? What formal and economic similarities do cities of the Global South exhibit? What forms of knowledge, activism, and contestation emerge from urban areas in the Global South? Like most courses in the History, Philosophy, and Social Sciences (HPSS) department, this course builds a critical understanding of diverse cultures of the world, raises ethical questions that arise as different groups interact, and develops an analysis of social situations in the world and highlights forms of power and inequity. Class texts will case study different cities and compare experience in cities in Latin America, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Modules in the class will discuss planning and the built environment, commodities and capital, informality and body politics, infrastructure and energy, as well as think through theory from the Global South. This is a discussion-based seminar and active in-class participation is required of all students. Class activities will include mapping sessions, group work, and discussions on films. This course will be taught in a hybrid format. The balance of in person and online teaching will be determined by the instructor in order to optimize pedagogy (in response to changing distancing and safety regulations and the COVID-19 comfort and safety levels of members in the course).

Elective

In this class we study cities and examine the shared lessons and power relations that frame urbanism today. We ponder upon the valences and representations of the terms Global South-Global North, and developing-developed, and the impacts they have on urban studies, through this we challenge conventional EuroAmercian centric ways of looking at urban life. The course highlights global mega cities such as Mumbai, Kunming, Sao Paolo, Bangkok, and Lagos and places them at the center of urban studies. The course will explore the resonances between these cities and the kinds of challenges they face as they encounter rapid urban growth and renewal. We will ask: What do cities of the Global South tell us about urbanism and urbanization today? What are formal and economic challenges facing urbanism today and how do global megacities exhibit them? What forms of knowledge, activism, and contestation emerge from urban areas outside of Europe and North America?

Like most courses in the History, Philosophy, and Social Sciences (HPSS) department, this course builds a critical understanding of diverse cultures of the world, raises ethical questions that arise as different groups interact, develops an analysis of social situations in the world, and highlights forms of power and inequity. Class texts will case study different cities and compare experience in cities in Latin America, Asia, Africa, United States, and the Middle East. Modules in the class will discuss planning and the built environment, commodities and capital, informality and climate change, infrastructure and energy, as well as think through theory from the Global South. This is a discussion-based seminar and active in-class participation is required of all students. Class activities will include mapping sessions, group work, and discussions on films.

Elective

The study of international politics assumes gender neutrality, which tends to render women invisible in the global political economy order. In this course, we question the assumption that international politics should be gender neutral, deconstruct the role of gender in the field, and view the role of gender in transformative global change. Particularly, we employ a gendered and intersectional lens to study global and domestic political and economic processes.

Elective

How do goods/products get from producers to consumers? Global supply chains are involved in the global system of organizations, people, processes, and resources that transform raw materials into finished products. Additionally, these complex processes and networks are responsible for delivering finished products to consumers. In this course, we will first lay a foundation for understanding global supply chains, drawing from political science, economics, and management. Next, we will engage in critical analysis of the process and network with respect to issues that include human rights, gender, the environment, and labor standards. We will correspondingly examine the roles of actors such as governments, firms, consumers, international organizations, and non-governmental organizations involved in global supply chains. This course adopts the flipped classroom approach, requiring students to spend one class session a week preparing for active learning activities in the second class session of the week.

Elective

How do goods/products get from producers to consumers? Global supply chains are involved in the global system of organizations, people, processes, and resources that transform raw materials into finished products. Additionally, these complex processes and networks are responsible for delivering finished products to consumers. In this course, we will first lay a foundation for understanding global supply chains, drawing from political science, economics, and management. Next, we will engage in critical analysis of the process and network with respect to issues that include human rights, gender, the environment, and labor standards. We will correspondingly examine the roles of actors such as governments, firms, consumers, international organizations, and non-governmental organizations involved in global supply chains. This course adopts the flipped classroom approach, requiring students to spend one class session a week preparing for active learning activities in the second class session of the week.

Elective

This seminar examines the theoretical framework of Queer of Color Critique (QoCC). QoCC is a mode of analysis grounded in the lived experiences of queer, trans, people of color. It has been used to interrogate the intersections of race, gender, class, nation, and diaspora as a response to the inherent whiteness in queer theory and the persistent heterosexism in ethnic/race studies. Students will learn the foundational theory of QoCC. Students will assess various forms of media using a QoCC lens. This course will include short and long form writing assignments as well as in depth class discussions.

Elective