Unit IV: Can Empathy be learned? The Arts: Fiction, Poetry, Drama, Photography, Film.
We shall apply definitions of empathy from Parts I, II and III in an interpretation of various texts--dramatic, fictional, poetic, and cinematic and in discussions concerning the nature/nurture debate regarding empathy and the genetic, familial, historical and cultural influences on an individual and his/her predisposition for empathic response to others.
- Week 9. African-American Experiences: Tragedy, History, and Film
- Week 10. The Experiences of the Child: Poetry, Psychological Theory, and Film
- Week 11. Experiences of the Oppressed, the Poor, the Colonized: Photography, Film Theory, Literary Theory, Philosophy, and the Novel
- Week 12. LGBT (Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transsexual) Experiences: History, Literature, and Film
- Week 13. Life as a Woman (where East meets West): Religion (Islam), the Novel, and Film
- Week 14. Native American Experiences: History, Prose, and Film