Astronomy 130 - Astronomy in Culture

Institution:

Colgate University

Subject:

Description:

A. Aveni This course deals with the development of astronomy and, in a more general sense, with the relationship between the natural world and people in different societies and walks of life. The course examines the role of the sky in shaping religions and political ideologies in various kinds of cultures, among them hunter-gatherers, agrarian societies, and dynasties. Specific goals of the course include 1) gaining familiarization with the sky as seen with the naked eye, 2) understanding how various ways of comprehending the sky shapes a society's world view, and 3) examining where cross-cultural parallels exist by seeking out the similarities and differences between the development of techno-assisted Western science and the so-called "ethno-sciences" in other cultures, both ancient and contemporary. Lectures are accompanied by sessions in the planetarium of the Ho Tung Visualization Lab, as well as out of doors, weather permitting. This course is crosslisted as SOAN 230

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.colgate.edu

Phone Number:

(315) 228-1000

Regional Accreditation:

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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