USSY 258 - What is Soul? A Cross-cultural Investigation

Institution:

Case Western Reserve University

Subject:

Description:

Soul food. Soul music. Soulless. No-soul. Over-soul. Who will save your soul? WHAT IS SOUL? Do some people have it while others don't? Do some things (a song, a chicken wing) have it while others don't? Can it be lost? Found? Does it live beyond the body, the grave? In this seminar, we will explore the cultural history of soul. Cultural history is the history of meaning. So we will be exploring the different meanings of soul in different cultural contexts, from the teachings of Moses, Jesus, and the Buddha to the music of Sam Cooke, Zap Mama, and the Black Eyed Peas, from the church to the kitchen to the hospital bed. Co-led by a professor of medicine and a professor of religion, we will be especially interested in how people understand illness and death in relation to ideas about the soul. How do different concepts of soul figure into the ways people make sense of their sickness and mortality? Course requirements include class preparation and participation, weekly short papers, discussion leadership in one seminar session, and a final essay. Three field trips (to the Rock Hall, the VA Hospital, and a good soul food joint) will be scheduled. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a 100 level first year seminar in USFS, FSSY, FSCC, FSNA, FSSO 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

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