USSO 286O - Place, Religion, and Public Life

Institution:

Case Western Reserve University

Subject:

Description:

What is the place of religion in everyday life? How do people contend with conflicting beliefs about the proper relationship between religion, politics, and personal conduct? How do they decide which kinds of religious behavior belong in public and which belong in private? How do they decide what counts as a "private" or "public" place to begin with? Where does religion belong? In this seminar, students will explore these questions at a range of scales, from the local to the global. They will ask how secular and religious thought interact to shape social life in a range of material and virtual spaces, from Case to Facebook. In so doing, they will learn to approach the religious/secular divide from a broadly ethnographic perspective. Focusing mostly on the United States but also considering case studies from other parts of the globe, students will examine how diverse groups practice their faiths, express their beliefs, and contend with secular institutions and expectations in everyday life. Coursework will include trips to local neighborhoods and institutions, readings from a broad range of fields in the social sciences and humanities, and a fieldwork-based research paper. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a 100 level first year seminar in USFS, FSSO, FSCC, FSNA, FSSY or FSCS. Prereq or Coreq: FSTS 100.

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.case.edu

Phone Number:

(216) 368-2000

Regional Accreditation:

North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

The Course Profile information is provided and updated by third parties including the respective institutions. While the institutions are able to update their information at any time, the information is not independently validated, and no party associated with this website can accept responsibility for its accuracy.