Fall 2018 - WL 201 D100

East/West Encounters (3)

Class Number: 7970

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Sep 4 – Dec 3, 2018: Tue, 2:30–5:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Exam Times + Location:

    Dec 5, 2018
    Wed, 3:30–6:30 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Instructor:

    Azadeh Yamini-Hamedani
    aya23@sfu.ca
    1 778 782-8761

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Explores the relationship between Eastern and Western narratives. The focus may include the mutual influence of Eastern and Western cultural traditions and modernities, the construction of the 'East' in the West and of the 'West' in the East, theories of Orientalism and Occidentalism, and forms of East/West syncretism. This course may be repeated once for credit when different topics are offered. Breadth-Humanities.

COURSE DETAILS:

What influence does technology have on culture? According to the philosopher Martin Heidegger the language and culture we are thrown into has a big bearing on the way we think about technology. Heidegger traces the modern western concept of technology to the ancient Greeks and unpacks the linguistic and philosophical nuances present in the Greek term techne. He discovers a fundamental shift in Western culture and thought as a result of Latin (mis)interpretations of Greek terms, a shift still visible in our technological framework and in the way we relate to the world. Keeping in mind the ways in which language and culture influence the way we see and relate to the world, we turn to Eastern critics, like Jalal Al-e- Ahmad and Daryush Shayegan, to explore their views on the interplay of technology and culture with respect to capitalism and post-colonialism.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

Read and contemplate difficult theoretical concepts
Feel more comfortable engaging in critical thinking
Exercise aspects of analytical writing  

Grading

  • Midterm 30%
  • Presentation 10%
  • Participation 10%
  • Art Project 10%
  • Final Paper draft 10%
  • Final Paper 30%

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

Available Online (provided by instructor)

Registrar Notes:

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