Human Narrative and American Culture

Catalog description

This two-day workshop will take an intensive, critical, intersectional look at narrative and its place in American culture. Through the lens of readings in the neuroscience of history, the social psychology behind tribalism and moral choices, and the sociology behind the history of cities, we will take a closer look at varying influences on our national narrative and how we perceive it. We will question how it can be shaped and reshaped, and the place that we, as citizens have in that narrative. Particular attention will be given to our constantly shifting present-day national narrative as it is influenced and changed daily through the news and social media. Through lectures, analysis of pre-class readings, dialogue, and in-class writing exercises, we will ask how we were formed by the narratives in which we grew up, how those narratives spoke to or ignored us, and how we can, through our own writings, social media practices, and behavior in our communities help to shape the narrative of the world in which we live.