Description
The aim of this course is to help students develop and write the Rationale, compose the List of Works, and prepare for the Colloquium. We will begin the course by asking students to hone their Concentration and to think about the relation/difference between a Concentration and a Rationale, and identify key words, questions, and themes to guide their thinking and writing. We will also discuss different disciplinary formations of knowledge and methodologies, how to think interdisciplinarily, how to contextualize works and key themes across cultures, geographic locations, and knowledge formations, and how to historicize key questions and topics. We will do this through weekly guest lectures, short writing assignments, and in class workshops and discussion. The first part of the class will be devoted to drafting, revising, and completing the Rationale and List of Works. Students will work as a class, in small affinity groups, and individually with their advisers and with the professors as they work toward their final drafts. The latter part of the course will focus on the colloquium. We will discuss expectations and strategies for preparation, and in the final weeks of the semester students will practice presenting their ideas and fielding questions in brief, mock colloquia.
Notes
Pass/fail only. Open to Gallatin juniors and seniors who plan to take their colloquium in Spring 2024 or later. The Gallatin School allows students to freely register for most courses through the end of the first week of classes. Beginning on the first day of the second week of class, students will require permission from the instructor in order to register for this class.
Type
Interdisciplinary Seminars
Instruction Mode
In-person