Theory and Methods in the Humanities

This course familiarizes advanced undergraduate and graduate students with the history, methods, and aims of those academic disciplines conventionally referred to as “the humanities.” We begin with a consideration of how and when the idea of the humanities emerged and of the evolving role of the humanities in the modern research university. Our readings and discussion will consider various attempts to define the humanities, to establish their specific contribution to knowledge, and to advocate for their ongoing significance in the 20th and 21st centuries. Later in the course we will also investigate debates around disciplines and interdisciplinarity, explore different humanities methodologies as well as the rise and fall of “theory” after the Second World War, and reflect on the recent rise of scholar-activism. In addition to these historical and conceptual topics, we will also spend some time addressing the more practical side of scholarly work in the humanities, with modules that focus on effective research and publication strategies, on academic style, and on processes of institutional socialization. This course is open to all students in humanities disciplines.