Economists of all persuasions justify their ideas by invoking Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations, the seminal book of modern capitalism. Participants in this one-day seminar will discuss several passages from that famous book....
Upcoming History, Genealogy, and Social Science Seminars
This list is of upcoming seminars only. Since most seminars meet more than once in a term, if a class has already met at least once, it will no longer show up on this list.
Starting: Thursday, April 19, 2012
Europe’s Belle Époque, which spanned the late nineteenth century to World War I, was an astonishing moment of creative richness. Visual artists and musicians including Matisse, Debussy, Picasso, Stravinksy, Kandinsky, Schoenberg, Toulouse-...
Starting: Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Gertrude Stein once said, “It is not what France gave you but what it did not take away from you that was important.” We will read and discuss fictional and autobiographical writings of American writers in Paris. We will consider...
Starting: Tuesday, April 3, 2012
We will frame the history of twentieth-century Argentina through the lens of tango, which in many ways encodes the social and political history of the country. The class will provide an introduction to those who want to learn more about the...
Starting: Wednesday, February 22, 2012
At one time, American history was written largely biographically, focusing almost exclusively on politicians, business leaders, and other powerful white men. But ordinary people have a history too. In this seminar, we will cover the expanse of...
Starting: Thursday, March 1, 2012
We will delve into the history of women in twentieth-century America, with a backwards glance to the Victorian Era. We will study the history of women’s roles in the public and private spheres, as well as essential issues in women’s...
Starting: Thursday, March 1, 2012
The writers of the Beat Generation didn’t just blow through Chicago on their way to New York or San Francisco. In fact, much of the movement’s radical, outspoken, and spiritual edge was honed in Chicago. We will explore the Beat...
Starting: Tuesday, February 28, 2012
We will explore social theory by considering the work of a number of classic sociologists, including Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim, Max Weber, and Georg Simmel. In particular we will examine how their work overlapped with anthropology and psychology...
Starting: Saturday, March 31, 2012
We will explore the origins and development of several Chicago parks through a series of walking tours. We will study their evolving landscape designs, goals, and patterns of use, along with their architecture and sculpture. We will pay...
Starting: Saturday, February 25, 2012
Opinion about the existence of intelligent extraterrestrial life has a long history in Western thought. Since at least the fifth century BCE, the debate has engaged a surprising number of philosophers, theologians, literary figures, and...
Starting: Tuesday, February 21, 2012
The war that ended involuntary servitude in the United States also introduced military conscription. Participants in this seminar, the second in a series marking the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, will discuss how emancipation, conscription...
Starting: Saturday, March 3, 2012
The trauma of the First World War, combined with the influence of Freudian ideas and other cultural upheavals, dramatically shaped French writers, as well as other European literary voices. We will examine the work of three French authors that...
Starting: Wednesday, February 29, 2012
“From Russia with Love” charts the breathtaking ascent of classical music in Russia. Beginning with the reign of Catherine the Great and continuing onward to Glinka, Mussorgsky, Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky, and Shostakovich, we will...
Starting: Saturday, March 10, 2012
Whether you’re a beginner or simply looking for formal fundamentals training, try these seminars, tailored to meet your research needs. Take all six or just those that interest you most.
Six-session rate: $195. For Associates of...
Starting: Saturday, March 31, 2012
Today’s DNA test results can reveal a great deal of information about kinship and medical predispositions. This course will help you understand testing options, choose the best testing companies, review resources for analyzing and posting...
Starting: Wednesday, February 22, 2012
We will explore personal and political dimensions of “the American century” as described by some of the nation’s best writers: James Baldwin, Joan Didion, Annie Dillard, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Joyce Carol Oates, Alice Walker, Tom...
Starting: Saturday, February 25, 2012
To enhance enjoyment of Jane Austen’s novels, this course will survey English society in the late Georgian period. We will examine such topics as the emergence of romanticism, the roles of women, the life of the gentry on their country...
Starting: Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Explore the highlights of medieval British history—including the Norman Conquest, the Anarchy, the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland, and the Conquest of Wales—through quality historical fiction. Novels by Morgan Llywelyn, Georgette Heyer, Sharon...
Starting: Thursday, March 1, 2012
It is ironic that war has inspired so much beautiful music. Marches, patriotic songs, sentimental ballads, concert works, victory pieces, laments, protest songs, and Broadway musicals have emerged from wartime. This seminar focuses on American...
Starting: Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Through a combination of lecture and discussion we will examine the rich period of European theatre from the mid-twentieth century to the present. From the existentialism of No Exit and Endgame, to the innovations of ...
Starting: Wednesday, February 29, 2012
We will focus on the complex relationships among the realities of art making in Renaissance Italy, the theories advanced by critics and artists, and the mythologizing of artists and their creative processes. We will engage in discussions of...
Starting: Tuesday, February 21, 2012
During his 22 years in office Richard M. Daley physically transformed Chicago. Out went the gritty, worn-down, and post-industrial Midwestern capital. In came a beautiful, sophisticated, and global city. Both business and culture thrived during...
Starting: Tuesday, February 21, 2012
In exploring the life of Napoleon and the history of France during his times, this course will consider the legacy of the legendary ruler. We will examine the revolutionary context of his rise to military leadership and political power; the coup...
Starting: Thursday, February 23, 2012
The West has long captured the imaginations of American artists, patrons, and collectors in an abundant and diverse visual culture of the landscape, Native Americans, and frontier life. Through close readings of images, primary source materials...