Disciplines & Cultural Context of the Humanities

SUBDOMAIN 112.2 – DISCIPLINES & CULTURAL CONTEXT OF THE HUMANITIES

Competency 112.2.1: Connections Across Disciplines – The graduate recognizes and analyzes relationships within the disciplines of the humanities and how themes and concepts connect across individual disciplines of the humanities.
Competency 112.2.2: Humanities and Culture – The graduate recognizes and analyzes the interaction and integration of the humanities with cultures, and how specified cultural attitudes change over time.

Introduction:

“Knowledgeable interaction with works of art makes life better: We see more of what can be seen, and we hear more of what can be heard. Our entire existence grows richer and deeper” (Sporre, 2009, p. 2).

From your studies, you have seen how culture, societal norms, belief systems, and past experiences all affect the way people view the world. Learning about different methods of investigating the world sheds light on people’s personal approaches and also helps people understand the overall human experience. Whether analytical skills are applied to assess a task at work, or a humanistic point of view is used to help see an issue from another perspective, these methods of looking at the world help people to become more aware of their world, provide and shape a frame of reference that is deeper and more meaningful, and give insight into their own abilities and perceptions.

In this task, you will analyze and interpret three creative works from three separate disciplines of the humanities using methods of subjective and objective analysis. These standard methods of analysis allow you to view and interpret works from the humanities systematically, assess how meaning is constructed and imparted to a viewer or audience, and develop analytical and critical thinking skills. You will communicate your thoughts through a multimedia presentation (e.g., PowerPoint, Keynote). While the content of your presentation will concern analyzing, interpreting, comparing, and contrasting three creative works from separate disciplines, your overarching goal will be to explain how the three artworks you analyze demonstrate the value of the humanities in life in meaningful ways.

Scenario:

The organization you work for has asked you to attend a conference entitled “The Importance of Humanities in the Professions” and give a presentation about why being knowledgeable about the humanities is valuable in regards to your profession. Your organization would like you to develop a multimedia presentation in which you analyze three creative works from three separate disciplines in the humanities and connect these works to your chosen profession under one common theme.

First you must choose one work of literature from a given list. Once you have selected a literary work, you will need to select two works from separate disciplines in the humanities fall under the same thematic umbrella as the literary work you have selected. Your presentation will show how all three works connect to the one theme that you have chosen, and how that theme connects to your profession.

The two nonliterary works you select must come from the following disciplines: two-dimensional visual art (e.g., painting, drawing, photography, printmaking, or collage), music or film. You should choose works that appeal to you personally, are striking to you in some way, and/or evoke a strong response in you. In the presentation, you will want to make it clear to conference participants how these works show how knowledge of the humanities can enhance performance in your profession, your perceptions of the human experience, and your understanding of your profession and chosen roles in life.

When selecting a literary work and two nonliterary works, look for common themes addressed in the works. For example, if you are a science teacher or becoming a science teacher, you could choose a novel, a film, and a painting that deal with the theme of humankind’s commitment to scientific progress. Then, you will need to consider how the theme surfaces in the novel. You will then want to consider how the film, which has cinematic elements, helps the viewer to understand the theme of scientific progress differently from the novel and the painting. What different techniques has the painter used to address this same theme? How is this different from how the theme is treated in the novel?

Note: Your multimedia presentation should contain 25 to 30 slides. While many presentations tend to be brief to allow speakers to fill in other details, your presentation should be able to stand alone as a self-contained presentation. It should demonstrate the depth of the analysis and reflection that you have done. Your challenge will be to communicate your points through a series of clear, focused, and concise slides that represent your knowledge and convey your unique analytical points and insights.

Select a work of literature from the following list:

NOVELS:

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, 1925
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, 1850
The Call of the Wild by Jack London, 1903

NOVELLAS:
Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy, 1886
The Invisible Man by H. G. Wells, 1897

SHORT STORIES:
“The Package” by Kurt Vonnegut, 1952
“Johnny Mnemonic” by William Gibson, 1981
“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, 1948
“A Small, Good Thing” by Raymond Carver, 1983
“Silver Water” by Amy Bloom, 1993
“The Third and Final Continent” by Jhumpa Lahiri, 1999
“The Lost ‘Beautifulness’” by Anzia Yezierska, 1920
“The Veldt” by Ray Bradbury, 1950
“The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World” by Gabriel García Márquez, 1968

POEMS:
“That the Science of Cartography is Limited” by Eavan Boland, 1994
“A Brave and Startling Truth” by Maya Angelou, 1995
“Invictus” by William Ernest Henley, 1888
“If” by Rudyard Kipling, 1895
“Praise Song for the Day” by Elizabeth Alexander, 2009
“Let America be America Again” by Langston Hughes, 1935

ESSAY:
“A Talk to Teachers” by James Baldwin, 1963*

*This work has themes which can apply to all professions.

Select two creative works from the following disciplines (each work must be from a different discipline):

• Two-dimensional visual art (e.g., painting, drawing, photography, printmaking, or collage)

• Music

• Film
Note: While it is important to select a literary work and two non-literary works that share a common theme, it is equally important to include variety in your choices. Please do not select a film, artistic, or musical adaptation of your literary choice as one of the non-literary creative works. For example, you should not choose The Great Gatsby as your literary work and a film adaptation of this same novel, and a picture of Jay Gatsby.

Task:

Develop a multimedia presentation (suggested length of 25-30 slides) in which you do the following:

Note: Be sure to use slides effectively by following multimedia presentation conventions (e.g., use text and bullets to convey key points, maintain parallel structure with text and bullets, arrange slides cohesively to create a smooth flow, use images to accentuate and substantiate points).

A. Introduce the three works you will be analyzing (suggested length of 4–5 slides) by doing the following:

1. Summarize background details about the three works, including author or artist names, titles of the works, and the disciplines to which the works belong.

2. Provide a thesis statement to clarify for your audience how all three works connect to a common theme that applies directly to your chosen profession.

B. Provide an objective analysis (suggested length of 4–6 slides) by doing the following:

1. Describe the literary work. Your description should include:

• Form

• Subject matter (Explain in 2–3 sentences.)

a. Summarize, in list form, how the author approaches the subject matter (reveals what the work is about) without discussing your personal opinions.

2. Describe the first nonliterary work of art. Your description should include:

• Media, form, or genre

• Subject matter

• Artist’s techniques in terms of media or style (i.e., how the technique allows you to differentiate this work from other works of the same discipline.)

a. Discuss how four elements of artistic composition are used in the first nonliterary work of art.

3. Describe the second nonliterary work of art. (This should be from a different discipline than the work you chose for part B2.) Your description should include:

• Media, form, or genre

• Subject matter

• Artist’s techniques in terms of media or style (i.e., how the technique allows you to differentiate this work from other works of the same discipline.)

a. Discuss how four elements of artistic composition are used in the second nonliterary work of art.

C. Provide a subjective analysis (suggested length of 4–6 slides) by doing the following:

1. Discuss the literary work, addressing the following:

• Your subjective interpretation of meaning found in the work

• The mood of the literary work

• The theme(s) (i.e., overarching ideas or concepts) you see in the literary work

a. Discuss how you reached your conclusions about your personal interpretation, mood, and theme for the literary work.

2. Describe the first nonliterary work of art, addressing the following:

• Your subjective interpretation of meaning found in the first nonliterary work

• The mood of the first nonliterary work

• The theme(s) (i.e., overarching ideas or concepts) you see in the first nonliterary work

a. Discuss how you reached your conclusions about your personal interpretation, mood, and theme for the first nonliterary work of art.

3. Describe the second nonliterary work of art, addressing the following:

• Your subjective interpretation of meaning found in the work

• The mood of the second nonliterary work

• The theme(s) (i.e., overarching ideas or concepts) you see in the second nonliterary work

a. Discuss how you reached your conclusions about your personal interpretation, mood, and theme for the second nonliterary work of art.

D. Analyze the relationship among the works (suggested length of 4–5 slides). Your analysis should include:

• Similarities in subject matter, mood, and theme among the works

• Differences in subject matter, mood, and theme among the works

1. Discuss how the similarities and differences enhance your understanding of the themes and moods.

E. Reflect on each analysis presented (parts B, C, and D) (suggested length of 3–5 slides), by addressing the following:

1. How the themes, moods, and meanings you have identified in the works shed light on the human condition

2. How you relate these themes, moods, and meanings to your profession

3. How knowledge of the humanities is valuable in relation to your profession

F. Summarize your main points in a conclusion (suggested length of 2–3 slides).

Note: Your conclusion could include how the similarities and differences in the works relate to form, subject, theme, mood, or technique and are significant in terms of your profession and your life.

G. If you use sources, include all in-text citations and references in APA format.

Note: When bulleted points are present in the task prompt, the level of detail or support called for in the rubric refers to those bulleted points.

Note: For definitions of terms commonly used in the rubric, see the Rubric Terms web link included in the Evaluation Procedures section.

Note: When using sources to support ideas and elements in a paper or project, the submission MUST include APA formatted in-text citations with a corresponding reference list for any direct quotes or paraphrasing. It is not necessary to list sources that were consulted if they have not been quoted or paraphrased in the text of the paper or project.

Note: No more than a combined total of 30% of a submission can be directly quoted or closely paraphrased from sources, even if cited correctly. For tips on using APA style, please refer to the APA Handout web link included in the APA Guidelines section.

Reference List:

Note: This reference list refers only to direct citations in the task above and may be different from those you need to complete the task. Consult your course of study for a list of suggested learning resources.

Sporre, D. J. (2009). Perceiving the arts: An introduction to the humanities. 9th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Janaro, R.P. and Altshuler, T.C. (2009). The art of being human. 9th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.