Comparative Cultural Studies

NOTE: See the beginning of Section H for abbreviations, course numbers and coding.

CCS1014The Culture of Spain and Latin America II (O)3 ch (3C) (W)
Spain and Latin America after 1500: art, literature, music and society. A multimedia approach will be used. Conducted in English. Open to students of all years. No prerequisites. Students who have taken WLCS 1014 or SPAN 1014 may not attain credit for CCS 1014.
CCS1021Introduction to Culture, Arts, and Media (Cross-Listed: MAAC 1021)3 ch (3C) (W) (EL)
An interdisciplinary exploration of the pivotal role which culture, media, and the arts play in shaping understandings of the world around us. By considering a variety of cultural expressions, creative and artistic practices, and media representations, both old and new, from around the globe, this introductory course invites students to open up to new ways of thinking about how culture is created and continually contested, and is ultimately central to how we experience our lives. Required for CSS Majors and Honours students.
CCS1023Sex, God and War: An Introduction to Pre-Modern World Literature3 ch (3C) (W)

A study of major texts (in English translation) of world literature written before 1900. Authors, texts and literatures studied will vary but may include The Bible, Dante, Omar Khayam, Lope de Vega, Goethe, Strindberg, Mickiewicz, and Dostoevsky. Conducted in English. Open to students of all years. No prerequisites. Students who have taken WLCS 1001 may not attain credit for CCS 1023.

CCS1043Russian Culture I (O) 3 ch (3C) (W)

Significant aspects of Russian culture from the 10th to the end of the 19th century. Topics include Russian Icon Painting and Architecture, Russian culture between Europe and Asia; Ivan the Terrible as cultural type; women in Russian culture; serfdom and slavery; Russia's contribution to the development of terrorism and revolution; the reforms of Peter the Great; Russian Orthodoxy, etc. Conducted in English. Open to students of all years. Students who have taken WLCS 1043, or RUSS 1043 may not attain credit for CCS 1043.

CCS1073Insights into Chinese Culture I (O)3 ch (3C)
An introduction to China's long and rich cultural heritage with a focus on how it is embedded in living examples. Students who have taken WLCS 1073 may not attain credit for CCS 1073.

No prerequisite.

CCS1076Food Culture in Germany (O)3 ch (3C) (EL)

Offers insights on food as a window to German culture and explores the country’s food by region and through political, cultural, and historical lenses. Students study national cuisine through questions of tradition, adaptation, and the migration of cultures as well as hands-on cooking exercises. Topics include gastronomy and drink customs in everyday life, and on special occasions, food-related inventions, media representations, influences from other cuisines, organic foods, vegetarianism and veganism. 

CCS2019Fairy tales, Folktales, Legends and Lays (A)3 ch (3C) (W) (EL)
This course offers an introduction to German folklore, folkloric literature, and Germanic mythology. It considers informal cultural traditions (customs, music, crafts, etc.) and literary traditions such as folk and fairy tales, legends, and heroic poems. Students interpret folklore and folkloric literature and explore their socio-cultural function and significance. Particular attention will be paid to the enduring prevalence of the fairy tale: we will examine themes such as abandoned children, the power of love, facing fear, and more. Further topics for discussion include gender stereotypes, value systems, the presence of violence, variations of fairy tales, adaptations on stage an in film, television, and digital media, and the influence of fairy tales on the genre fantasy, and on videogames. Possible works include Till Eulenspiegel, Piper of Hamlen, Grimm's fairy tales, Andersen's fairy tales, The Lay of Hildebrand, The Nibelungenlied, The Never-ending Story. The course is offered in English and is open to students of all years. No prerequisites. Students who have taken GER 3019 or WLCS 3019 may not obtain credit for CCS 2019.
CCS2021Popular Culture (Cross-Listed: MAAC 2021)3 ch (3C) (W) (EL)

This course introduces historical and theoretical contexts for the study of mass-mediated popular culture, from movies and TV to comic books and video games. It also explores the reciprocal relationship between creative expression and economic constraints, between the mainstream, sub-cultures, and counter-cultures, as well as familiar designations of "high-brow" and "low-brow." Using specific media case studies, students will engage with contemporary debates about the impact of representations, the role of ideology, the agency of the audience, the meaning of fandom, and the politics of taste. While learning to analyze and evaluate their relative merits, students will learn to step back and think critically about the larger implications and the cumulative effects of our constant exposure to popular culture texts. Students who have taken MAAC 2021 may not attain credit for CCS 2021.

CCS2023Modernity, Eternity, and Culture in Collision: An Introduction to 20th-Century World Literature3 ch (3C) (W)
A study of major modernist and contemporary texts of world literature (in English translation). Authors, texts and literatures studied will vary but may include, Milosz, Brecht, Ionesco, Camus, Marquez, Kafka and Pasternak. Conducted in English. Open to students of all years. No prerequisites. Students who have taken WLCS 1002 may not attain credit for CCS 2023.
CCS2024Culture and Dance I: So You Think You Know Dance (O)3 ch (3C)

An investigation of the development of Classical Ballet and Contemporary / Modern dance styles from Renaissance court dances to present day choreography. Emphasis will be on European and North American theatrical dance traditions. Types of dance explored may include court dances, classical ballet, modern and contemporary dance, jazz dance and improvisational dance. Students will examine the cultural connections among the art of dance, music, visual arts, history, literature and other fields. When possible, the class will be coordinated with dance performances at the Fredericton Playhouse and students may be expected to attend up to 2 such performances. The course will include both academic work and experiential dance/movement components. No previous dance background necessary. Students who have taken WLCS 2024 may not attain credit for CCS 2024.

CCS2025Culture and Dance II: Dance In The Global Village (O)3 ch (3C)

This course is an investigation of the universal language of dance in both theory and practice. Topics will be chosen from a diversity of both folk dance traditions and classical theatrical dance traditions from around the world. These may include the fundamental components of dance technique, a variety of international folk-dance, social dance (tango and salsa, for example) East Indian classical dance forms, etc. When possible, the class will be coordinated with dance performances at the Fredericton Playhouse and students may be expected to attend up to 2 such performances. The course will include both academic work and experiential dance / movement components. No previous dance background necessary. Students who have taken WLCS 2025 may not attain credit for CCS 2025.

CCS2029Becoming: Young Adult Fiction and Popular Culture3 ch (3C) (W) (EL)
Explore stories of becoming and survival in Young Adult fiction and popular culture. Understand these narratives in light of their social commentaries, cultural-historical contexts and variety of forms. Selected German and North American classics, contemporary texts, and films will be examined in a comparative context to illuminate the specific changing ways of negotiating identity, coming of age, gender, race, and diversity in this genre.
CCS2666Celebrity and Mass Media in Latin America (O) (Cross-Listed: MAAC 2666) 3 ch (3C) (W) (EL)

This course will explore the cultural impact of the selected Latin American personalities that have had a significant influence on the notions of identity in Argentina, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico and Venezuela. We will study the personalities of Eva Peron, Pablo Escobar, Che Guevara, Frida Kahlo, Selena and Hugo Chavez through film, music, literature, print media, the Internet and television series. Students will also examine the impact of the public figures’ death both at the local and the international level. There are no prerequisites for this course. Student who have taken CCS 3555 may not obtain credit for CCS 2666 or MAAC 2666.

CCS3003Contemporary Issues in Comparative Cultural Studies3 ch (3S) (W)

A seminar with varying content addressing literary and cultural periods, genres or themes as expressed across cultural borders. Conducted in English. Open to students who have completed at least 30 ch of university courses or by permission of instructor. Students who have taken WLCS 3003 may not attain credit for CCS 3003.

CCS3011Dreams, Desire, Delusion: Romanticism3 ch (3C) (W)

Romanticism is the first literary movement that crosses all European borders--from Russia to England--and filters into the New World. This course studies the major concepts and themes of Romanticism, including Napoleonism, idealism, individualism, nationalism, irony, the poet as genius, etc., in the works of German, Russian, Polish, Spanish, Latin American, and other writers. Conducted in English. Open to students who have completed at least 30 ch of university courses or by permission of instructor. Students who have taken WLCS 3011 may not attain credit for CCS 3011.

CCS3014Latin America Before 1500 3 ch (3C) (W)
A survey of pre-Hispanic civilizations of Latin America. Films and other audio-visual materials will be used. This course is also listed under International Development Studies (IDS). Open to students of all years. The course will be offered in English and is open to students who have successfully completed at least 30 credit hours at university level. Students who have taken WLCS 3014, or SPAN 3014 may not attain credit for CCS 3014.
CCS3021Culture Matters: Critical Approaches to Studying Culture (Cross-Listed: MAAC 3021)3 ch (3C) (W)
Offers critical interdisciplinary approaches to understanding culture through examination of key concepts, theories and practices in the field of Cultural Studies. Required for CCS and MAAC Majors and Honours students.
CCS3022Imperial Vienna (O) (Cross-Listed: MUS 3022)3 ch (3C) (W)

An exploration of Vienna through its musical heritage and contemporary musical culture. Composers such as Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven and Schubert all made their home in Vienna and wrote some of the most memorable and influential music known. Drawing on the city’s history, art and architecture over three centuries, we will examine Vienna’s role in the development of Classicism, Romanticism and Nationalism in music history. We will also consider the current music scene in Vienna as present in Jazz and pop festivals, street performances and events. The course will include concerts in historic halls, visits to museums/galleries, and walking tours in the Old City. Taught on location as part of the Travel Study program Vienna.

CCS3023Lost and Found in Translation: Comparative Cultural Studies 3 ch (3C) (W)
This interdisciplinary course allows students to develop their understanding of key frameworks for comparative cultural studies while considering how we can compare cultures from around the globe by studying their creative, linguistic, and artistic expressions. Required for CCS and MAAC Majors and Honours students.
CCS3024Brecht and Theatre (O)3 ch (3C) (W)

This course offers an in-depth study of the life and the dramatic works of 20th-Century German playwright Bertolt Brecht as well as an exploration of the mechanics of theatre itself. Students will be introduced to the concept of epic theatre, and to aspects of performance and audience studies. They will also discuss the dramatic texts. Readings may include The Threepenny Opera, Life of Galileo, The Good Person of Szechuan, Mother Courage and Her Children, and The Caucasian Chalk Circle. Texts are read in English translation. There will be opportunities to read out and, if desired, act out selected scenes. No previous experience with drama required. Conducted in English. Open to students who have completed at least 30 ch of university courses or by permission of the instructor. Students with credit for GER/WLCS 4033 may not take this course for credit. Students who have taken WLCS 3024, or GER 3024 may not attain credit for CCS 3024.

CCS3025Berlin Now: Building the Modern City (O)3 ch (3C) (W) (EL)
This course aims to explore the Berlin's multifaceted identity as a city, once divided by a wall, now renowned as a cultural capital with eclectic energy. Using the city as a workshop, we will examine Berlin's architecture during Imperial Germany, learn about film history and modern art during Weimar Republic, and engage with contemporary art and street art. We will follow traces of Nazi and Cold War period on the urban landscape to conclude with considerations of post-modern architecture. Investigating how the tension between the past and the present materializes we will approach concepts such as memory culture and critical reconstruction. Students will understand and appreciate the role of architecture and art, multi-cultural communities, including a reviving Jewish community, and both public and counter culture in building modern Berlin. Taught on location as part of the Travel-study program Berlin. Students who have GER3025 and WLCS 3025 may not obtain credit for CCS 3025.
CCS3045Decadence, Nazis and the War: Twentieth-Century German Literature until 19453 ch (3C) (W)

Introduces students to some of the major figures and trends in twentieth-century German literature to the end of World War II. Examines different types of prose narratives, drama, and poetry in the context of the main intellectual, social, and political forces and concerns of the period. Conducted in English. Texts are read in English translation. Open to students who have completed at least 30 ch of university courses or by permission of the instructor. Students who have taken WLCS 3045, or GER 3045 may not attain credit for CCS 3045.

CCS3054Crimes and Misdemeanors: Modern German Literature 3 ch (3C) (W)

An investigation of the themes of crime, murder, and justice in selected literary texts ranging from the late 18th to the 20th century. Prior and parallel to the emergence of the genre of crime fiction, authors have concerned themselves with the portrayal of crime, guilt, redemption, and forgiveness as expression of the ambivalence between man, woman and our world, the frailty of fortune and security, as well as the power of obsession and evil. We will closely read texts, discuss the ensuing moral, ethical, and philosophical questions, and explore how authors use crime fiction to either assert or question moral value systems. Emphasis will be placed on textual analysis and situating the texts in their literary historical context. Includes texts from various genres including film, and literary periods. Authors studied may include: Goethe, E. T. A. Hoffmann, Droste Hülshoff, Büchner, Kaiser, Brecht, Süskind, Arjouni, and Dürrenmatt. Conducted in English. Texts are read in English translation. Open to students who have completed at least 30 ch of university courses or by permission of the instructor. Students who have taken WLCS 3054, or GER 3054 may not attain credit for CCS 3054.

CCS3055Rubble, Revolt, Reunification: Twentieth-Century German Literature after WW II 3 ch (3C) (W)

Introduces students to some of the major figures and trends in twentieth-century German literature, covering the period from the end of World War II to Germany's reunification. Different types of prose narratives, drama, and poetry are examined and discussed in the context of the main intellectual, social, and political forces and concerns of the period. Conducted in English. Texts are read in English translation. Open to students who have completed at least 30 ch of university courses or by permission of the instructor. Students who have taken WLCS 3055, or GER 3055 may not attain credit for CCS 3055.

 

CCS3056Queer Media and Culture (A) (Cross-Listed: MAAC 3056)3 ch (3S) (W)
Explore how queer identities are shaped, performed, and represented across media and cultures. Learn how lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex, asexual, two spirit, queer and questioning people have been represented and have represented themselves across various media in recent decades in the Canadian and international contexts. Examine how queer theory works to disrupt traditional notions of gender, sex, sexuality, pleasure, and bodies, and what this means for queer community making.
CCS3061From People to a Nation: German Culture before 1900 3 ch (3C) (W)

A survey of German civilization from the time of early European tribal migrations to the rise of nationalism in the nineteenth century. Taking a sociohistorical perspective, students will be acquainted with a selection of key developments within the German-speaking cultures, including aspects of history, literature, music, architecture, and painting. Assigned readings, lectures, and slide shows aim at raising an awareness of the interrelationship between cultural heritage, historical and political developments, and artistic expression. Conducted in English. Open to students of all years. No prerequisites. Restriction: Credit may not be obtained for both CCS 1061 and CCS 3061. Students who have taken WLCS 3061, or GER 3061 may not attain credit for CCS 3061. 

CCS3062Love and Religion: Latin American and Caribbean Women's Narrative from the Golden Age to the Beginning of the 20th Century (A) 3 ch (3C)

A survey of selected readings of Latin American women writers from the Golden Age to the present. We examine works of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, Gertrudis Gómez de la Avellaneda, Alfonsina Storni, Gabriela Mistral, Luisa Valenzuela, Isabel Allende, among others, from a socio-historical perspective. The course will explore the social conditions of the women in Latin America, issues of women's identity and gender construction. A multimedia approach will be used. The course will be offered in English and is open to students who have completed at least 30 credit hours of university work. Students who have taken WLCS 3062, or SPAN 3062 may not attain credit for CCS 3062.

CCS3065The Thrill of Fear: Horror Narratives Across Media & Cultures (A) (Cross-Listed: MAAC 3065)3 ch (3C) (W)

Why have people in so many times and places enjoyed spooky stories? What, if any, value can we assign to tales of horror and the supernatural? Do ghost stories and monster movies differ across nations and cultures? Questions like these will guide our global study of gothic, horror and supernatural texts chosen from a wide array of media, from literature and cinema, to television, comic books, and video games. Topics may include visual culture and the sublime, Freud's notion of “the uncanny,” Jungian archetypes, gender identity, conceptions of ritual and myth, the modern and the postmodern, subcultures, folklore, religion and secularization. This course is open to students who have completed at least 45 credit hours at university level. Attendance at additional scheduled film screenings outside of lectures will be required. Students who have already completed MM 3065 for credit may not enrol in MAAC 3065. Students who have taken WLCS 3065 may not attain credit for CCS 3065.

CCS3066Trauma and Seduction: Early German Cinema (A) (Cross-Listed: FILM 3066, MAAC 3066)3 ch (3C) (W)

Beginning with the earliest silent movies and concluding with National Socialist propaganda films, this course offers an introduction to a prolific and important era in German film history: the Weimar Republic and pre-WWII period, 1918-1939. Our discussions will situate the films within larger political and cultural discourses. Emphasis will be placed on such topics as the cinematic response to the trauma of WWI; German national identity; expressionism and modernity; the politics of gender and sexuality; the impact of sound on film aesthetics; the relationship between cinema and other media; the ethics of film production. Films to be studied include features by directors such as Lang, Lubitsch, Murnau, Pabst, Riefenstahl, Sagan, von Sternberg and Wiene. In English. NOTE: Students can obtain credit for only one of GER 3066, WLCS 3066, CCS 3066, FILM 3066, and MAAC 3066.

CCS3071Germany Today: German Culture from 1900 to Present 3 ch (3C) (W)

Significant aspects of German culture from the beginning of the industrial revolution to the end of the 20th century. Topics will vary, but may include: German Impressionism and Expressionism, Early German Film, the Women's Movement, Early German Homosexual Rights Movement, Weimar Culture, Nazi Art, Literature after 1945, Divided and Re-unified Germany, New German Film, and others. Conducted in English. Open to students of all years. No prerequisites. Restriction: Credit may not be obtained for both CCS 1071 and CCS 3071. Students who have taken WLCS 3071, or GER 3071 may not attain credit for CCS 3071.

CCS3072Contemporary German Cinema and Media (O) (Cross-Listed: FILM 3072, MAAC 3072) 3 ch (3C) (W) (EL)

This course covers recent German cinema and media with a focus on acclaimed productions by new directors for film, television, and streaming platforms. The creative work of women directors, and themes of gender, subjectivity, and intimacy are especially highlighted. Other topics include: The Berlin School and its visual and narrative style, the continued preoccupation of filmmakers with the nation’s past, comedy and satire in Germany, and the influence of the 1970s (the feminist film movement, the New German Cinema, etc.) on the new generation. 

Prerequisites: Open to students who have completed at least 30 ch of university courses or by permission of the instructor. NOTE: Students can obtain credit for only one of GER 3072, WLCS 3072, CCS 3072, CCS 3074, FILM 3072, and MAAC 3072.
CCS3073From Castles to Graffiti: Mediating German Culture3 ch (W)
Explores the culture and creative industries of modern Germany. Students are introduced to Germany's media landscape, cultural and educational institutions, cultural trade fairs (books, art, Interior design), film, music and theatre festivals. They discover and critically reflect on official and unofficial forms of knowledge distribution, cultural programming and mediation. The course also challenges students to trace cultural values as they engage with multiculturalism, cultural diplomacy, memory culture, environmental movements, sports and wellness, and cultural tourism, as present in Germany. NOTE: Students who have taken CCS 2073 may not obtain credit for CCS 3073.
CCS3082History of Canadian Cinema (A) (Cross-Listed: MAAC 3082 & FILM 3082)3 ch (3C) (W) (EL)

Focuses on the first half-century of filmmaking in Canada and the nation's long struggle to develop and sustain a functioning film industry in the shadow of Hollywood. Readings and screenings trace the history of the movies in Canada from the silent era to the 1970s. Issues raised may include Canadian/American relations, national and regional identities, tensions between art and entertainment, media and cultural policy, representation of race, class, gender, and relation of Canadian film to other media (TV, radio, video) and other arts (painting, music, literature) in Canada. Open to students who have completed 45 credit hours, or with permission of the instructor. Students who have taken WLCS 3082 may not attain credit for CCS 3082.

CCS3113Social Symbols in Latin American Literature3 ch (3C) (W)
Examines literary characters as social symbols that reflect socio-political realities in selected translated works. Social and historical documents as well as videos and films will be used for purposes of comparison. Students who take this course to fulfill Majors or Honours requirements will be required to write their papers in Spanish. This course is also listed under International Development Studies (IDS). The course will be offered in English and is open to students who have successfully completed at least 30 credit hours at university level. Students who have taken WLCS 3113, or SPAN 3113 may not attain credit for CCS 3113.
CCS3121The New Berlin: Memory and Reinvention (O)3 ch (3C) (W)
The course explores the role of memory and cultural policy in the process of renewal which encompassed Berlin with an extraordinary surge of creativity and reconstruction after Germany's reunification. Students will study Berlin's cultural topography, examine the physical face of the city as well as living environment of its population, and investigate how places and spaces embody and narrate a story of national pasts and future. What does it mean to be German? How is history remembered or forgotten? What role do literature, film, images, media, and objects play in the practice and politics of cultural memory and cultural creation and branding? We will focus on manifestations of culture including subculture, in literature, film, architecture, memorials, museums, city design, and neighbourhoods. Topics may include: Walter Benjamin, Franz Kafka, Christa Wolf, Walther Ruttmann, Rainer Werner, Fassbinder, Wim Wenders; the Brandenburg Gate, the memorialisation of the Holocaust, remnants of the GDR, Europe and Berlin, immigration and multiculturalism, Kreuzberg, Jewish culture, gay culture, music culture, youth culture. Students will be introduced to theories and methodologies of memory culture research and will carry out case studies. They can expect to obtain an understanding of the transhistorical and transcultural significance of Berlin. Students who have taken WLCS 3021, or GER 3021 may not attain credit for CCS 3121.
CCS3122New York Modern (O) 3 ch (W)
A study of modern art and modernism in New York from its development as an urban centre from the late nineteenth through the first half of the twentieth century. This course makes use of cultural and artistic sources available in contemporary New York City. Students will explore visual art as well as performing arts, including modern dance, and modern music and/or experimental film and will become acquainted with ideas, aesthetic practices, and key representatives of various international art movements such as art nouveau, expressionism, Dada, futurism, cubism, primitivism, and surrealism. The course features museum visits (Neue Galerie, MoMa, Metropolitan, Whitney, and the Guggenheim), walking tours, a performance (theatre, dance, or concert), and assignments that foster art appreciation and critical reflection of the role of museums and patronage, public art and street art, and the continuation and transformation of modernism in New York today. Normally offered on site. Students who have taken WLCS 3022 may not attain credit for CCS3122.
CCS3123Berlin to Broadway: Musical Theatre Across the Oceans (Cross-Listed: MUS 3123)3 ch (3C) (W) (EL)
An examination of the life and work of Kurt Weill focusing on his contribution to the theatre culture of Berlin in the twenties and to Broadway in the forties. We will read selected stage works by Weill and his renowned literary collaborators such as B. Brecht, W. Anderson and I. Gershwin, discuss their social relevance, theatrical power, and reception and explore the interplay between the various media: text, music and stage. Emphasis will be placed on the urban cultural context of Berlin, and the history of musical theatre and Broadway musical genres, including current trends. The goal of the course is to provide students with the opportunity to study a theatre composer in depth, to foster a critical appreciation of Weill’s unique place in music theatre, and to enrich their understanding of material, cultural and performative aspects of musical theatre. Stage works by Weill may include The Threepenny Opera, Happy End, The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny, Lady in the Dark, Street Scene, Lost in the Stars. Other musicals to be discussed may include Cabaret, Guys and Dolls, Sweeney Todd, In the Woods. The course and all readings are in English. Open to students who have completed at least 30 ch of university courses or by permission of the instructor. Students with credit in GER 4033 may not take this course for credit. Students who have taken WLCS 3023, or GER 3023 may not attain credit for CCS 3123.
CCS3211Mobility, Media, and Art (O) (Cross-Listed: MAAC 3211)3 ch (W)
This course considers how artists, filmmakers, and writers use mobile media to create various forms of art, including cellphilms, soundwalks, and micro-blog. In general, mobile media art takes art out of the art gallery, cinema, and city and puts it into our pockets, public spaces, and rural environments. Drawing on the mobilities paradigm, we examine how mobile media artists working in screen, digital and game spaces challenge usual forms of participation, interactivity, and accessibility. We will also analyze different mobile media art projects within and outside of the classroom, which may include cellphilms, mobile phone orchestras, soundwalks, and/or soundscapes. Students have the option of creating a cellphilm or soundwalk for their final project.
CCS3405Media & Environment (O) (Cross-Listed: MAAC 3405)3 ch (3C) (W)
This course introduces students to the literature of environmental media studies. The media landscape, from television to video games, has a profound role in shaping how we think about nature, the wilderness, and the environment. The news and social media are also important sources of information about environment issues. In addition to being crucial sources of information, however, the media create many environmental problems, such as e-waste and carbon emissions. This course reflects on the production, distribution, and associated waste of digital media alongside its role in representing the environment and environmental problems. Teaching methods include lectures and seminars. Students have the option of creating an environmental media project e.g. a media campaign or short documentary, for their final project.
CCS3431Global Media, Politics, and Power (O) (Cross-Listed: MAAC 3431)3 ch (3C) (W)
Uses core readings and theoretical frameworks from media studies to examine the complex relationships between media, society and politics, across the 20th century and into the new millennium, and in global perspective. Topics include media ownership and regulation; media and social movements; censorship and freedom of the press; television and digital culture in emerging democracies; the politics of the popular; media arts & activism.
CCS3455Latin American Cinema (O) 3 ch (3C)

This course will provide students with a background in Latin American cinema, emphasizing the most productive centres such as Mexico (Paul Leduc, María Novaro, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Guillermo Del Toro), Cuba (Tomás Gutiérrez Alea, Sara Gómez, Fernando Pérez), Brazil (Walter Salles, Hector Babenco) and Argentina (María Luisa Bemberg, Fernando Solanas, Eliseo Subiela, Lucrecia Martel). Equal emphasis will be placed both on cinematographic and thematic analysis of the cinema, and, when appropriate, cultural and historic context will be provided. Films will be screened previous to class (most often with subtitles) and will be analyzed and discussed in class. The course will be offered in English and is open to students who have successfully completed at least 30 credit hours at university level. Students taking this course to fulfill a Major or Honours requirement in Spanish will submit required work in Spanish. Students who have taken WLCS 3455, or SPAN 3455 may not attain credit for CCS 3455.

CCS3456The Cinema of Spain (O) 3 ch (3C)

This course will provide the students with a background in Spanish cinema, emphasizing the most productive eras such as the Surrealist Movement and the Movida of the 1980s. Films to be studied include those of directors such as Luis Buñuel, Pedro Almodóvar, Alejandro Amenabar, Elías Querejeta, Mario Camus, Bigas Luna, Carlos Saura, Victor Erice, Laura Mañá, and Iciar Bollaín. Equal emphasis will be placed both on cinematographic and thematic analysis of the cinema, and, when appropriate, cultural and historic context will be provided. Films will be screened previous to class (most often with subtitles) and will be analyzed and discussed in class. The course will be offered in English and is open to students who have successfully completed at least 30 credit hours at university level. Students taking this course to fulfill a Major or Honours requirement in Spanish will submit required work in Spanish. Students who have taken WLCS 3456, or SPAN 3456 may not attain credit for CCS 3456.

CCS3594Paris in Literature (O) (Cross-Listed: FR 3594)3 ch (W) (EL)

Paris has played a key role in French literature. The city has inspired numerous poets and novelists and it has been described by countless others. Students will read and study a number of works that highlight Paris and the provincial capital of Poitiers. There will be visits to museums, residences, cafés and cultural sites where the authors lived and wrote and where their novels take place. Normally taught on location in France. NOTE: Classes will be conducted in French. Students who register in CCS 3594 can choose to read the novels in translation and submit their assignments in English. Students who have taken WLCS 3594 may not attain credit for CCS 3594.

CCS3666Icons of Non-Violence I (Cross-Listed: SOCI 3666)3 ch (W) (EL)

Examines the religious, philosophical and ethical justifications from the perspectives of different religious traditions of non-violence as a tool for social change in the contemporary world. We will study the concepts and theories of non-violence that may include selected writings of L.N. Tolstoy (Russia), M. Gandhi (India) and R. Menchu (Guatemala) within their cultural, social, historical and religious traditions. This course is offered in English.

Prerequisite: 30 ch or permission of the instructor.
CCS3667Icons of Non-Violence II (O) (Cross-Listed: SOCI 3667)3 ch (W) (EL)
Examines the religious, philosophical and ethical justifications for non-violence as a tool for social change in the contemporary world from the perspectives of diverse religious traditions. We will study the concepts and theories for non-violence that may include selected writings of the 14th Dalai Lama, Cesar Chavez and Wangari Maathai in their religious, cultural, social and historical backgrounds. 

Prerequisites:
30 ch or permission of the instructor.
CCS3668Women, Creativity, and Nonviolence Across Cultures I (Cross-Listed: SOCI 3668)3 ch (3C) (W) (EL)
Examine the creative contributions women make to the resolution of conflicts through nonviolent means. Discuss their achievements and their tactics, by drawing on intersectionality as an important methodology in the analysis of the work of many outstanding women from diverse countries such as Yemen, Russia, the USA, Chile, Liberia, Nigeria, and Brazil among others. Focus on the creative impact of women and their success in building peace through nonviolent means, and study how and why gender matters in the contemporary world. NOTE: Credit can only be obtained for one of CCS 3668 and SOCI 3668.

Prerequisites: Open to students who have completed 30 ch of courses or by permission of the instructor.
CCS3669Women, Creativity, and Nonviolence Across Cultures II (Cross-Listed: SOCI 3669)3 ch (3S) (W) (EL)
Explore the contributions, activism, and methods of outstanding women who have had an impact on creating more peaceful communities and nations through their involvement in the arts, society, and culture. From Liberia (Leymala Gbowee) to Yemen (Tawakkul Karman) and Kashmir (Bracha Ettinger), examine the theme of peace from different worldviews. Prerequisite: Open to students who have completed 30 ch or by permission of the instructor. NOTE: Credit can only be obtained for one of SOCI 3669 and CCS 3669.
CCS3793East Coast Music (O) (Cross-Listed: MAAC3793, MUS 3793)3 ch (3C)
The relationship between music and East Coast identity is the focus of this course that covers a range of music styles, regional differences, and contemporary modes. The theme uniting the various case studies is the importance of music to the region’s culture(s). The subject also allows for a broader reflection on music’s importance to identity. Topics may range from Cape Breton fiddle, through to Halifax hip-hop. Students who have taken WLCS 3793, MAAC 3793, or MUS 3793 may not attain credit for CCS 3793.
CCS3794Music and Cultural Identity (O) (Cross-Listed: MUS 3794)3 ch (3C)

This course will examine some of the ways in which cultural (national, regional, ethnic, class, etc.) identity is and has been expressed through music, as well as the origins, persistence, and dispersion of some of the resultant forms and genres. This will also permit us to interrogate the stability and/or fluidity of various notions of identity. Critical and theoretical readings will be employed to explore the identity of cultural groups and musical forms ranging from Tango to Blues, Opera to protest song, Flamenco to Hip Hop, from Hawaii to Russia, Canada to South Africa. The course will normally be team-taught; no previous musical background required.  Open to students who have completed at least 30 ch of university courses or by permission of instructor. Students who have taken WLCS 3794, or MUS 3794 may not attain credit for CCS 3794.

CCS3795Dark Futures: Visions of Dystopia since World War I (O) (Cross-Listed: MAAC 3795)3 ch (3C) (EL)
Offers an exploration of dystopian literature and film from a broad cross-section of cultures over the past 100 years or so.  Based on an examination of texts by authors such as Karel Capek, Evgeny Zamiatin, Paolo Bacigalupi, and Sandra Newman and films such as Stalker, Late August in the Hotel Ozone, and Battle Royale, students will consider how dystopias reflect, respond to, and anticipate totalitarianism, environmental degradation, dehumanization, and other social, political, cultural, and technological challenges facing humanity. Students who have taken WLCS 3795 may not attain credit for CCS 3795.
CCS3797Music of Canada (O) (Cross-Listed: MUS 3797)3 ch (3C)
Introduction to Canada's rich and diverse traditions, institutions, and industry. From the musical traditions of the First Nations peoples, through the music of the early settlers, to today's diversity of styles, Canada's music will be studied in its cultural and historical contexts. Restriction: Credit may not be obtained for both FNAT 3796 and MUS 3797.
CCS3798The Forbidden, the Rebellious, and the Misunderstood: Canadian Jazz, Popular and Classical Music,1950 to the Present (A) (Cross-Listed: MUS 3798)3 ch (3C)
This course explores the social and historical developments of music in Canada from the 1950s through the public awakening of the 1960s to the implications of the Canadian content regulations of the 1970s and up to the present with a focus on the period ending around 1980. Music will be examined in relation to such notable phenomena as the Cold War, Expo 67 and the Hippie Movement. Major musical figures, composers, and performers featured and discussed may include The Band, Oscar Peterson, Glenn Gould, Paul Anka, Buffy Saint-Marie, The Guess Who and Rush.
CCS3799Women in Music (Cross-Listed: MUS 3799)3 ch (3C)

Tracing the influences of women involved in music in a range of settings in the western world, this course presents the variety of ways that women have influenced, created and performed music through the ages. Feminist perspectives will be explored through an examination of the roles of selected individuals whether they were composers, performers or patrons. As such the course will include such individuals as Nannerl Mozart, Nadazhda von Meck, and Alma Mahler, as well as composers Clara Schumann, and Fanny Mendelssohn, who were performers in their own right. Students who have taken WLCS 3799, or MUS 3799 may not attain credit for CCS 3799.

CCS3877Modern Drama (A)3 ch (3C) (W)

A survey of major developments in 20th-century theatre. Plays will be studied with attention to their often controversial engagements with social and political issues, moral debates, and theatrical conventions, as well as their connections to movements such as realism, modernism, expressionism, and absurdism. Students who have taken WLCS 3877 may not attain credit for CCS 3877.

CCS3904Background of Latin American Cultures 3 ch (3C) (EL)

A chronological examination of the forces that have shaped the diverse Latin American cultures. This course studies major historical periods and their characteristics, from Pre-Hispanic Cultures, through the Conquest and the Colonization, the Independence movement, the formative period of the new nations to the present. The cultural aspects to be analyzed and discussed include: Catholicism and religious syncretism, the cultural legacy of colonial life, the struggles for independence, literary expression and the role of women. The use of videos, music, the Internet and literary texts, will provide a multimedia approach to Latin American cultures. The course will be offered in English and is open to students who have successfully completed at least 30 credit hours at university level. Students who take this course to fulfill a Major or Honours requirement in Spanish will submit required work in Spanish. Students who have taken WLCS 3904, or SPAN 3904 may not attain credit for CCS 3904.

CCS3909Three Cultures in Medieval Spain (A) 3 ch (3C) (W)

For seven centuries (711 A.D. - 1492), part of the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) fell under Muslim rule. Al-Andalus with its cultural diversity, unique architecture (Alhambra in Granada), art and intellectual activity became 'the ornament of the world.' There arose a contested state of coexistence (termed convivencia by Spanish historians) amongst Christian, Jewish and Muslim cultures. These three distinctive intellectual and religious communities bore witness to significant cultural achievements until the downfall of Al-Andalus. In this course, students will explore the multi-cultural world of Muslim Spain through the analysis of selected texts from literature and philosophy. The diversity of the artistic expression through dance, music, and architecture in all three cultures will also be studied. The course will be offered in English and is open to students who have successfully completed at least 30 credit hours at university level. Students who take this course is to fulfill a Major or Honours requirement in Spanish will submit required work in Spanish. Students who have taken WLCS 3909, or SPAN 3909 may not attain credit for CCS 3909.

CCS3973Latin American Narrative at the Movies (O) 3 ch (3C)
Many Latin American novels and short stories have been adapted by movie-makers around the world. In addition to studying these works as literature, this course will analyse their cinematic interpretations. The course will be offered in English and is open to students who have successfully completed at least 30 credit hours at university level. Students who take this course to fulfill a Major or Honours requirement in Spanish will submit required work in Spanish.  Students who have taken WLCS 3973 or SPAN 3073 may not attain credit for CCS 3973.
CCS3974Contemporary Spanish American Narrative (O) 3 ch (3C)

Studies selected works of some major Spanish American writers. The course will be offered in English and is open to students who have successfully completed at least 30 credit hours at university level. Students who take this course to fulfill a Major or Honours requirement in Spanish will submit required work in Spanish. Students who have taken WLCS 3974, or SPAN 3974 may not attain credit for CCS 3974.

CCS3983Afro-Latin American Literature (O) 3 ch (3C) (W)
Explores the literary representation and contribution of Afro-Latin American elements in Literature. This course may be taken as part of the International Development Program. The course will be offered in English and is open to students who have successfully completed at least 30 credit hours at university level. Students who take this course to fulfill a Major or Honours requirement in Spanish will submit required work in Spanish. Students who have taken WLCS 3983, or SPAN 3983 may not attain credit for CCS 3983.
CCS3984Indigenous Literatures of Latin America (O)3 ch (3C) (W)
Explores Indigenous narratives of Latin America to bring to light the historical and cultural realities of these peoples. Using translations of texts written in Spanish, Portuguese, and Indigenous languages in many genres and artistic forms, students challenge issues of race, ethnicity, class, and religion, sexuality, as well as other vital concerns of identity as reflected in both oral and written literary traditions through the history of the Americas. It will also explore the connections between ancient and contemporary Indigenous considerations and reflect on the various influences on, and of, these traditions. Open to students who have successfully completed at least 30 credit hours at the university level.
CCS4021/5021Advanced Studies in Popular Culture (A) (Cross-Listed: MAAC 4021/5021)3 ch (3S) (W)

Focus on theoretical approaches to the study of popular culture. Topics and theories covered may rotate from year to year.

Prerequisites: 60 ch of courses including MAAC/CCS 2021, or permission of the instructor. CCS 5021 is normally open only to Honours Students. Students may only obtain credit for one of CCS 4021 or CCS 5021.

CCS4062Contemporary Spanish and Latin American Women Artists (A) 3 ch (3C)

This course is designed to explore the contributions of the contemporary Spanish and Latin American women artists through literary and visual arts. We will examine themes of cultural and political identity, sexual repression, class issues and racism through the various genres including literature, film, dance and music. This course will be offered in English and is open to students who have successfully completed at least 30 credit hours at university level. Students who take this course to fulfill Major/Honours requirements will write papers in Spanish. Students who have taken WLCS 4062, or SPAN 4062 may not attain credit for CCS 4062.

CCS406320th Century Women Writers3 ch (3C) (W)

A study of selected texts by European (primarily German, Russian, Polish, and Spanish), Caribbean and Latin American women writers of the twentieth century. Through textual analysis, the course examines the conditions of women in diverse cultures as well as aspects of the cultural construction of female identity. Conducted in English. Open to students who have completed at least 30 ch of university courses or by permission of instructor. Students who have taken WLCS 4063 may not attain credit for CCS 4063.

CCS4083Interdisciplinary Seminar3 ch (3S) (W)

An interdisciplinary seminar examining some aspect of the interactions of literature--whether a single text or a body of texts by one or more authors--with other cultural texts. Conducted in English. Open to students who have completed at least 30 ch of university courses or by permission of instructor. Students who have taken WLCS 4083 may not attain credit for CCS 4083.

CCS5000Honours Thesis6 ch (W) (EL)

A reading and research course open to students qualifying for Honours in World Literature and Cultural Studies. To enrol in this course students must first identify two professors from different specializations to supervise their project, and then have the project and supervisors approved by the Department. The project will lead to the writing of an Honours Thesis, normally 40-60 pages in length. Students who have taken WLCS 5000 may not attain credit for CCS 5000.