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The Space, Place and Sound LLC

Preceptorials Linked to the Space Place Sound LLC 2013-2014

Art and Architecture of Buddhist Temples (Arth 140) Introduction to Film/Video Art (Artv 108)
Introduction to Evolution (Biol 190) Understanding East Asia (Hist 110)
Investigations in Modern Mathematics (Math 112) Music in World Cultures (Musc 140)
International Politics (Pols 175) Introduction to Sociology (Soci 101D)
Sacred Space and Sound in World Religion (Thrs 112D)  

ARTH 140:  Art and Architecture of Buddhist Temples

Preceptor:  Dr. Jessica Patterson
Credit:  Fine Arts Core / 3 UNITS

This course considers the forms and roles taken by temples as they followed the spread of Buddhism across Asia and, more recently, into the United States.  The long history of Buddhist art has produced a rich array of objects and images that can be used to model some of the fundamental problems of art history.  We will investigate an array of issues ranging from fundamental questions about icon and narrative to the complex social issues surrounding the conservation, reconstruction, and museumification of Buddhist art and architecture.  Moreover, we will also attend to the ways that Buddhist images and ideas have been transformed as they move between cultures.  What compromises emerge from the challenge of “translating” old forms into a new culture?  In addition to important temples in Asia, the course will introduce students to local temples in San Diego.

ARTV 108:  Introduction to Film/Video Art

Preceptor:  Dr. Victoria Fu
Credit:  Fine Arts Core / 3 UNITS

The New Media area of the Department of Art, Architecture and Art History focuses on the representation of time in contemporary video art and experimental film.  The introductory course examines how the moving image aligns and differentiates itself from the other artistic disciplines and from cinema—and how artworks activate spaces for spectatorship.  Instruction centers on producing videos with unique and critical consideration of time and narrative.  Students create video projects from pre- to post-production (using cameras, audio equipment and editing software) through assigned projects, tutorials and critiques.  The class discusses texts and screens examples that illustrate the diverse definitions of new tutorials and critiques.  The class also discusses texts and screens examples that illustrate the diverse definitions of new media art—including sound art, site-specific and media installation, performance, participatory forms and social practice.

BIOL 190:  Introduction to Evolution

Preceptor:  Dr. Lisa Baird
Credit:  Life Science Core / 3 UNITS

This one-semester foundation course for Biology majors provides an introduction to the mechanisms of inheritance, evolution, and ecology. Three hours of lecture weekly.  No prerequisite.

HIST 110:  Understanding East Asia

Preceptor:  Dr. Yi Sun
Credit:  Humanities Core / 3 UNITS

This course introduces students to several central themes in East Asian histories, cultures and societies, and is conducted in an interactive learning environment.  Major topics include the Confucian way of life, the religious and cultural traditions as well as socioeconomic developments in East Asian countries.  The class will devote a significant amount of coverage to the Asian concepts and practices concerning space, sound and place while examining their similarities and differences from those in the United States. 

MATH 112:  Investigations in Modern Mathematics

Preceptor:  Dr. Perla Myers
Credit:  Math Core / 3 UNITS

In this course we consider some of the greatest ideas of humankind—ideas comparable to the works of Shakespeare, Plato and Michelangelo.  The great ideas that we explore are within the realm of mathematics.  What is mathematics?  Mathematics is an artistic endeavor which requires both imagination and creativity.  In this course, we experience what mathematics is all about by delving into some beautiful and intriguing issues.  The overriding goal of the course is to gain an appreciation for mathematics and to discover the power of mathematical thinking in everyday life.

MUSC 140:  Music in World Cultures

Preceptor:  Dr. David Harnish
Credit:  Fine Arts Core / 3 UNITS

This course explores music as a sound aspect of human culture focusing on selected non-Western music styles from Asia, Africa, and the Americas.  It examines broad historical, cultural, aesthetic, and social contexts of music and contributes to cross-cultural understanding.  Students study local, regional, national and global values of music; become familiar with traditional, religious, folk, art, and popular music styles of several countries; and acquire active listening skills and a mastery of music terms.  They explore the roles of media, politics, religion, gender, and popular trends on expressive culture and explore the interdisciplinary nature of music and the connections between the arts and human values.

POLS 175:  International Politics

Preceptor:  Dr. Vidya Nadkarni
Credit:  Social Science Core / 3 UNITS

This course introduces students to the study of international relations.  Students will acquire an understanding of international relations theory and the basic analytic tools necessary to comprehend the nature and relevance of interstate phenomena such as: war and international security, international political economy and trade, international law and human rights, international organizations such as the UN and NGOs and global human development and environmental issues.  Studying these issues will create an understanding of how interconnected countries are and in the process, demonstrate how people and events in other parts of the world have an effect on us and we on them.

SOCI 101D:  Introduction to Sociology

Preceptor:  Dr. Lisa Nunn
Credit:  Social Science Core / 3 UNITS

This course interrogates the ways in which society is organized.  Over the course of the semester we examine how societies successfully (or unsuccessfully) hold together despite being comprised of a multitude of different sub-groups.  We examine social stratification and inequality, in other words:  how some sub-groups of society systematically wind up with more positions of power and more social and economic rewards than other sub-groups.  We examine processes of socialization, in other words:  how members of society learn to share common values and sensibilities.  We interrogate the role that social institutions such as family, religion, politics, education, and so on play in the process of socialization and in the process of stratification.  We also discuss how cultural ideologies (widely shared beliefs) structure not only our personal lives, but also structure the opportunities and resources that are available to various sub-groups in society.  We look at evidence from contemporary US society, while situating it in a global and historical context.

THRS 112D:  Sacred Space and Sound in World Religions

Preceptor:  Dr. Evelyn Kirkley
Credit:  Theology and Religious Studies Core / 3 UNITS

This course investigates seven of the world’s religions:  Islam, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, and Daoism.  In addition to studying their beliefs and practices, the course gives special attention to how these traditions understand the sacred through space and sound.