History and Culture (HIST1-CE)

In this course students will explore the development of New York City from its earliest beginnings as “Manahatta” to its current status as a global financial and cultural center. We will look into the city’s history of immigration and ethnic diversity, its commercial development, its architectural heritage, and its role as inspiration for artists of all kinds. We will also learn to navigate its transportation system, discover its many public and green spaces, and learn about university life. 

The Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Oscar Handlin famously wrote, “Once I thought to write a history of the immigrants in America. Then I discovered that the immigrants were American history.” As we approach the 100-year anniversary of its passing, this course focuses on the Immigration Act 1924, also known as the National Origins Act or the Johnson-Reed Act. The 1924 legislation (in)famously changed the immigration landscape by restricting immigration from Asia and limited immigration from Europe and other countries. In this one-day course, we will understand the context of the passing of this immigration act and its implications for immigration in the following decades, keeping in mind that debates over immigration tie into larger debates about the very definition of the United States and American identity. Questions? Contact us at The Center for Applied Liberal Arts (CALA). Email sps.cala@nyu.edu or call 212-998-7289.

How have artists represented the city? How have they depicted the streets, squares, and buildings of cities, real and imagined? What do artists&rsquo; representations of the city tell us about cities? Some artists focus on intimate views (e.g., Edward Hopper), others on the panoramic (e.g., Vermeer&rsquo;s <em>View of Delft,</em> Canaletto&rsquo;s paintings of Venice). We will view the history of cityscape art, from the paintings of Gentile Bellini to the drawings of Stephen Wiltshire, including the great tradition of urban printmaking from Wenceslaus Hollar and Piranesi to Charles M&eacute;ryon and Hiroshige. We also will consider photographers, including Charles Marville and Berenice Abbott.

American situation comedy has arguably been one of the most successful popular culture genres of all time, both nationally and internationally. This course moves chronologically through the 20th and 21st centuries, analyzing the generic traits and evolution of the sitcom&rsquo;s narrative forms. Each week, we will watch and discuss two to three episodes of a particular sitcom. Screenings may include<i> The Honeymooners, I Love Lucy, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Father Knows Best, The Twilight Zone, M*A*S*H, All in the Family, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Three&rsquo;s Company, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, An American Family, Dallas, Who&rsquo;s the Boss, The Golden Girls, The Cosby Show, Roseanne, Friends, The Nanny, Seinfeld, Sex and the City, The Office,</i> and<i> Parks and Recreation.</i>

<div>In today&rsquo;s fast-paced technological world, scholars and activists are looking closely at the connection between users&rsquo; offline and online identities across different social media platforms and exploring the differences in how older and younger generations understand their digital identity.</div><br><br><br><br><div>&nbsp;</div><br><br><br><br><div>The global pandemic and the normalization of remote learning and working in many industries necessitates the need to understand how underlying online architecture and algorithms can lead to marginalization of certain communities.</div><br><br><br><br><div>&nbsp;</div><br><br><br><br><div>In this course, students use readings and case studies to understand the current scholarship around digital identities (all the available online information about a person) with a special focus on artificial intelligence such as deepfakes and the algorithmic structures that support systems of oppression. We will also examine how to tackle hate speech and other forms of online racism. Questions? Contact us at The Center for Applied Liberal Arts (CALA). Email sps.cala@nyu.edu or call 212-998-7289.</div>

<p>In the last twenty years, the proliferation of fake news and its influence on the electoral process has emphasized the need for individuals to be more digitally literate. Given how underlying online architectures spread information between users and followers, understanding how to fact-check information is essential for taking action to reduce the spread of fake news. In this course, we will look at several &ldquo;misinformation&rdquo; case studies to understand how marginalized communities have been harmed by fake news. We will also analyze available tools and explore the types of campaigns we can create and disseminate to fight misinformation both online and offline. Questions? Contact us at The Center for Applied Liberal Arts (CALA). Email sps.cala@nyu.edu or call 212-998-7289.</p>

<p>The rise of the commercialization of the internet has had a strong impact on activist practices. Besides traditional activities on the ground, activists and allies have invested in social networks and digital platforms to raise awareness around social and racial inequality. Online campaigns can be a successful tool for education and anti-bias work by employing a range of different tools and strategies to advocate for communities of different ages, social, and racial backgrounds. Choosing the right words and visual representations, such as avoiding explicit violence, is important in countering dominant narratives that marginalize or exploit certain groups of people. Through readings and discussion, we will explore new forms of online activism and assess how to conduct and support a successful advocacy campaign that incorporates both online and offline tools. We will also meet one of the main collaborators of #JusticeforDulcie, Enver Samuel, who will share their campaign strategy for reaching a larger audience and bringing justice to the anti-apartheid activist, Dulcie September. Questions? Contact us at The Center for Applied Liberal Arts (CALA). Email sps.cala@nyu.edu or call 212-998-7289.</p>

Many recent headlines have been full of news from around the country about racial disparities in the criminal justice system. This one-day course explores some of the major constitutional issues, as interpreted by the Supreme Court, that are involved in the administration of criminal justice, and examines how race pervades those issues. In what ways, for example, do mass incarceration and prison crowding, which disproportionately affect people of color, violate inmates&rsquo; constitutional rights against cruel and inhuman punishment? Does the racial composition of a jury impact a defendant&rsquo;s right to a fair trial? We also look at issues like racial profiling, deadly force, capital punishment, the war on drugs, and felon disenfranchisement. Using historical, political, and sociological material for context, we explore the legal development of America&rsquo;s racially disparate criminal justice regime, with a focus on the role of the Supreme Court. Only by probing how issues of race and criminal justice intersect with the Constitution can we fully understand the &ldquo;New Jim Crow.&rdquo;

Although Italy has been united since the late 19th century, many Italians still identify regionally rather than nationally. From history and food to language and culture, regional variations continue to thrive in Italy. In this series on Italy&rsquo;s regions, you are invited to explore Rome and its region of Lazio. Our emphasis will be on people, including the &ldquo;warrior pope,&rdquo; Julius II, who commissioned Michelangelo to build his tomb and paint the Sistine ceiling; events, such as the building of the Pantheon by the Emperor Hadrian; and places, like the magnificent villas and gardens that belonged to local aristocratic families such as the Farnese and della Rovere. We will read Marguerite Yourcenar&rsquo;s <em>Memoirs of Hadrian,</em> Samuel Shellabarger&rsquo;s <em>Prince of Foxes,</em> and Alberto Moravia&rsquo;s <em>The Indifferent Ones.</em>

In this interdisciplinary course, explore the pre-Columbian Maya cultures of Mexico and Central America in light of ongoing archaeological work and glyph decipherment, which now have established that the Maya of the Classic period were a fully literate Native American civilization. Look at how the Maya are represented in popular culture and then move on to the story of Maya archaeology, contemplating such sites as Cop&aacute;n, Tikal, Palenque, and Chich&eacute;n Itz&aacute;. Consider Maya art, architecture, and mythology, while examining ongoing Maya strategies of cultural survival and the blending of Maya traditionalism with distinctively Maya forms of Christian religious practices.

Examine the uniquely American institution of the presidency through presidential administrations past and present. Explore both the role of the president and some of the individuals who have occupied that office and have been responsible for evolving and shaping the position through their personal and political strengths and weaknesses. We will discuss the powers and limitations of select presidents, from George Washington and Andrew Jackson to FDR and Eisenhower to Clinton and Trump. We will begin by looking at the Constitution and exploring the Founding Fathers&rsquo; vision for the presidency. We will analyze how the separation of powers and the checks and balances outlined in the Constitution have shaped the president&rsquo;s role. We also will look at when and why the presidency has had more or less power than Congress. Finally, we&rsquo;ll examine instances when the Supreme Court has weighed in on the scope of presidential power.

Although American author Henry James is best known for his groundbreaking novels, including <em>The Portrait of a Lady </em>and<em> The Wings of the Dove, </em>he was also an intrepid traveler. His fascinating record of a six-week tour in France reveals his own unique view of the outstanding places he visited and the intriguing people he met. Using James&rsquo;s book <em>A Little Tour in France</em> as a guide, follow James&rsquo;s footsteps from Versailles to Avignon, and learn about a selection of France&rsquo;s most historic towns, castles, citadels&mdash;some famous and others less well known&mdash;but all seen through James&rsquo;s eyes. Explore Bordeaux and its historic port, La Rochelle with its amazing towers, the medieval citadel of Carcassonne, the rose red city of Toulouse, the hilltop village of Les Baux-de-Provence, Arles, the fortified town of Aigues-Mortes, the great houses of the Loire, and many other locations that served as inspiration for his writings. Discover how the sleepy towns and bustling tourist attractions that James visited are, in many places, still recognizable to American visitors today.

The 18th-century English country house seemed to be the epitome of elegance. Behind impressive facades, noble owners commissioned rooms that were exquisitely designed in the then-latest taste. Many of these owners also spent time in city mansions, which were equally elegant. This course traces a path throughout England&mdash;from country houses (many now restored) to surviving city mansions in London, Bath, and York&mdash;to reveal how lifestyles and tastes changed over the century. Learn about Lord Burlington, who designed a vast Palladian house, Holkham Hall, in Norfolk and resided in Chiswick, a weekend retreat near London. Study how architect Robert Adam designed prominent London mansions and created the fabled interiors of Kedleston Hall in Derbyshire. Also, learn about London&rsquo;s Spencer House and No. 4 St James&rsquo;s Square, which later became Lady Astor&rsquo;s residence.

Magnificent medieval cathedrals dominate the skyline of many historic English cities. They are a breathtaking visual reminder of the influence of the cathedral and its monastic foundation on English society in the Middle Ages. In this course, we study that influence from the 11th century onward and examine how it affected town trades, crafts, properties, architecture, education, patronage, theatre, and courts&mdash;and sometimes resulted in disputes between town and monastery. Discover why townspeople stormed a cathedral gate over market day antagonisms; why bishops frequently endowed town schools; why there was a ceremony, now revived, for a young chorister from the town to be enthroned as a bishop for a day; and how cathedrals had an impressive influence for 500 years until their power and splendors were dissolved during the reign of Henry VIII.

From the angry and venomous campaign of 1796 to the angry and venomous campaign of 2016, this course examines significant and controversial presidential campaigns and elections in American history. We examine populist revolts, dark horses, contested conventions, and elections that were so close that they were decided by the US House of Representatives and the US Supreme Court. Learn about political turning points of the past while gaining context for the 2020 presidential race as it heads into the finishing stretch.

<p>Explore the cultures of the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America, focusing on the Haida and the Kwakwaka&rsquo;wakw (Kwakiutl). Beginning with the archaeology and prehistory of what is today Canadian British Columbia, we focus on major categories of social, religious, and artistic expression, such as the winter ceremonial, the potlatch or chiefly feast, and traditions of masking and of shamanism. Learn about distinctive forms of Northwest Coast art, including form-line paintings and totem poles. Watch and discuss clips from Edward Curtis&rsquo;s <em>In the Land of the War Canoes, The Spirit of the Mask</em>, and other classic documentary films.</p>

<p>The theatre of 19th-century England was a fascinating reflection of Victorian society. This course examines perspectives on that theatrical era and later decades to reveal the varied repertoire of performances, plays, and censorship that appeared in this period. Learn about famous actors, including renowned American performers who trod the English stages. Uncover the impact of the popular music hall, which offered entertainment for the less well-off; the satire in Gilbert and Sullivan&rsquo;s works; and the exuberance of Victorian theatre architecture. Also, examine the uncompromising portrayals of English society by George Bernard Shaw and Oscar Wilde.</p>

<p><strong>Register for this Spring 2023 course on the new <a href="https://nyusps.gatherlearning.com/events/master-class-the-evolution-of-american-free-speech">NYU SPS Academy of Lifelong Learning</a> website.</strong></p><br><br><br><br><p>Everyone&mdash;from protesters during wartime to students on college campuses&mdash;cites the First Amendment&rsquo;s protection of free speech. Although the words of the First Amendment have not changed, the interpretation of what it means&mdash;which speech is protected and which is not&mdash;has varied over the course of American history. This course explores some of the key moments during which the meaning of &ldquo;free speech&rdquo; has been redefined. While examining a mix of historical sources, legal cases, and philosophical arguments, explore the key free speech debates that have demarcated the boundaries of what can&mdash;and cannot&mdash;be said in the United States. This one-day course focuses specifically on political speech during the past 100 years, a period that offers us a chance to examine in detail this critical area of law and its development over time.&nbsp;<br><br><style type="text/css"><!--td {border: 1px solid #cccccc;}br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;}--><br><br></style><br><br><strong>Spring 2023 tuition is $150.</strong></p>

The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle certainly reinvigorated interest in royal fashion. The global fascination with royal fashion, however, began centuries earlier. This seminar begins with an examination of the impact of Tudor court fashion. Why did Elizabeth I dress so extravagantly, and why did she enforce laws concerning the garments of her courtiers? We examine the Hampton Court beauties in the 17th century, and Georgian court attire when formality was essential and men were required to wear George III&rsquo;s special Windsor uniform. We also explore the influence of Beau Brummell in the Regency period and Prince Albert&rsquo;s innovations in the Victorian era, as well as the sartorial impact of his son, Edward VII. The seminar also brings modern court fashion into focus with the singular style of Queen Elizabeth II, the impact of the late Princess Diana, and the recent fashion statements of the Duchess of Sussex, the former Meghan Markle.

Immerse yourself in the centuries-old history of London by following in the paths of Virginia Woolf, an explorer and acute observer of her &ldquo;beloved city.&rdquo; Drawing on extracts from Woolf&rsquo;s essays and novels (to be provided by the instructor), you will learn about the historic places&mdash;from her extraordinary and singular perspective&mdash;that comprise the whole compass of the London that she knew. Accompany Woolf in Hampstead in the North, with its Heath and famous houses, and to Waterloo in south London. Travel from Bloomsbury, where she lived, to ancient Westminster, and from her birthplace in Hyde Park Gate to the Thameside areas around the Tower of London and Whitechapel (many of these areas are still recognizable today). In addition to surveying Woolf&rsquo;s London, we also will examine how and why other historic places have changed since she wrote her unique insights.

<p style="margin-bottom:10.0pt">Follow the path from England&rsquo;s awe-inspiring Canterbury Cathedral to the dramatic ruins of St. Andrew&rsquo;s, overlooking the North Sea in Scotland. In this course, we will study the heritage and historical impact of over four centuries of English and Scottish cathedrals, including those at Durham, Ely, Norwich, Winchester, St. Albans, Salisbury, Wells, Oxford, and York. In Scotland, we will examine the beautiful abbey of Melrose, as well as the fascinating history of the cathedrals in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, and the magnificent St. Magnus cathedral in the Orkneys, founded in 1137 by a Viking Earl. We will also take time to explore English cathedrals that are less well known, including Hereford and Worcester, while learning about historical rarities, cathedral treasures, unique carvings, controversies, and important royal visitations. Blending history and art history, this course is perfect for those with an interest in Medieval Europe or European cultural history more broadly.&nbsp;Questions? Contact us at The Center for Applied Liberal Arts (CALA). Email sps.cala@nyu.edu or call 212-998-7272.</p>

The Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Oscar Handlin famously wrote, &ldquo;Once I thought to write a history of the immigrants in America. Then I discovered that the immigrants were American history.&rdquo; This course explores the history of the United States from its colonial beginnings to today, with a focus on the place of immigrants and the laws governing immigration in shaping the history and meaning of the nation. The debates over immigration tie into larger debates about the very definition of the United States and American identity. In this one-day course, we will study not only various waves of immigrant groups that have come to the United States in the last 350 years, but also the legal and political questions that have arisen during periods of immigration and restriction. Readings may include selections from Mae Ngai, <em>Impossible Subjects: Illegal Aliens and the Making of Modern America;</em> Lucy E. Salyer, <em>Laws Harsh as Tigers: Chinese Immigrants and the Shaping of Modern Immigration Law;</em> Sarah Gualtieri, <em>Between Arab and White: Race and Ethnicity in the Early Syrian American Diaspora;</em> and Hasia R. Diner, <em>Hungering for America: Italian, Irish, and Jewish Foodways in the Age of Migration.</em>

This beautiful region, which is renowned for its spectacular scenery, and has a unique, often overlooked history. In this course, you will learn about the area&rsquo;s Roman influences, formidable castles, aristocratic feuds, a powerful monastic landowner, country houses from Georgian to Arts and Crafts style, and ancient towns. Follow in the footsteps of important travelers who&mdash;long before Wordsworth&rsquo;s birth here in 1770&mdash;journeyed to the picturesque villages and impressive lakes. Their descriptions offer extraordinary insights into this region. The course also puts into local context the celebrated writers and artists who resided here, including Beatrix Potter and John Ruskin.

<p><strong>Register for this Summer 2023 course on the new <a href="https://nyusps.gatherlearning.com/events/cultural-history-of-new-york-city-from-the-jazz-age-to-post-war-modernism">NYU SPS Academy of Lifelong Learning website.</a></strong></p><br><br><br><br><p>This course will explore New York City&rsquo;s history from the 1910&rsquo;s up until the 1970&rsquo;s through the perspective of art, literature, and architecture. We will start with a look at art in the Progressive era of the &lsquo;teens and 20&rsquo;s, a period which saw the formation of bohemian Greenwich Village, the Ashcan School of painters, and the 1913 Armory show. We continue to the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920&rsquo;s and 30&rsquo;s and the cultural debates of the time as viewed through selected writings by James Weldon Johnson, Alain Locke, and Langston Hughes, and such artists as Richmond Barth&eacute;, Aaron Douglas, Augusta Savage, and Lois Mailou Jones. During this time, the New York City skyline turned distinctly modernist and vertical as the first skyscrapers were built, but the stock market crash of 1929 and the lean years of the 1930&rsquo;s soon resulted in art and design turning towards social realism. We explore three iconic projects from this era: Rockefeller Center; Robert Moses&rsquo; early infrastructure projects; and the 1939 World&rsquo;s Fair, a &ldquo;World of Tomorrow&rdquo; at odds with the true urban character of New York City. The course concludes with two contrasting views of New York&mdash;that of master builder and power broker Robert Moses set against Jane Jacobs&rsquo; vision of neighborhood life.&nbsp;<strong>Summer 2023 tuition is $599.</strong></p>

The 2020 US elections demonstrated the historic legacy of Black voter suppression with the proliferation of coronavirus misinformation as one of the means to reduce Black voter turnout for the general election. In the fight for equal access to the right to vote, advocates and allies need to engage on several fronts, including collaborating with grassroots organizations, mainstream media, digital infrastructures, and social networks, to properly fight against the disenfranchisement of the communities of color hardest hit by the current pandemic. We will look at research conducted by Mutale Nkonde, an AI policy analyst and researcher based in New York City, that analyzes disinformation and its effect on the suppression of Black votes. This workshop will provide practical, community-based tools to engage with national and international advocacy networks. We will discuss several challenges from the 2020 election and examine the media&rsquo;s role in informing the public and actively committing to protect the Black vote by amplifying the voice of Black political leaders.

While working in globally diverse environments where community members have different experiences thinking about and understanding race, on which basis can we start a healthy discussion to explore different racial contexts? In this workshop, learn about different schools of thought that have been established to filter racial discourse. From universalism and colorblindness to multiculturalism and racial harmony, we will engage with the historic legacies that have led to different perceptions about race. We will reflect on how the process of racialization is always moving and includes other markers such as religion, indigeneity, immigration, and class. Finally, with the new global wave of racial justice advocacy, we will remind ourselves of historic precedents and reflect critically on current debates regarding the US discourse around racial issues and its relevance in a global context.&nbsp;<br /><br><br><meta charset="utf-8" /><br><br><p dir="ltr"><b id="docs-internal-guid-36a0e8a8-7fff-9213-bfbe-190b87ee78f3">Questions? Contact us at The Center for Applied Liberal Arts (CALA). Email sps.cala@nyu.edu or call 212-998-7272.</b></p>

<p>Register for this Fall 2023 course on the new <a href="https://nyusps.gatherlearning.com/events/holocaust-memory-in-america">NYU SPS Academy of Lifelong Learning website</a>.</p><br><br><br><br><p>This course will look at how the Holocaust has been commemorated, memorialized, and taught in the United States.&nbsp; We will look at a variety of case studies, including: Holocaust museums and memorials, films and documentaries, &ldquo;collecting projects,&rdquo; curricula, tourism, and digital memory.&nbsp; The purpose of the course is to introduce students not only to the history of the Holocaust, but to the impact of the Holocaust on American life.&nbsp; This is especially important as the generation of Holocaust survivors dwindles. Readings may include excerpts from James Edward Young, The Texture of Memory: Holocaust Memorials and Meaning; Edward Tabor Linenthal, Preserving Memory: The Struggle to Create America&rsquo;s Holocaust Museum; and Alan Mintz, Popular Culture and the Shaping of Holocaust Memory in America.&nbsp;<strong>Fall 2023 tuition is $499.</strong></p><br><br><br><br><p><em><strong>Registering at least three weeks prior to the course start date is highly recommended.</strong></em></p>

<p>Strengthening racial literacy skills is one of the most effective ways to reduce harmful interactions and to turn a racially stressful conversation into an act of education and improvement. In what situations does a simple question like &ldquo;Where do you come from?&rdquo;&mdash;seemingly posed out of curiosity&mdash;become experienced as a microaggression? Studies reveal that the aftermath of these interactions correlates with depressive symptoms and negative effects in communities of color. In this course, we will look at tools and methodologies to fight implicit bias and ways to commit to change both as individuals and as part of an organization. Participants will learn to assess self-talk in their interactions with others, identify and reduce moments of racial stress, and learn to communicate effectively. Following this three-way path&mdash;engaging in cognitive work to improve racial literacy, assessing emotional stress, and outlining a set of actions to provoke social change&mdash;participants will reflect critically on their personal experiences. They also will share case studies close to their working environment in order to move toward a healthy and constructive dialogue with others.</p><br><br><br><br><p>&nbsp;</p><br><br><br><br><p><meta charset="utf-8" /></p><br><br><br><br><p dir="ltr"><b id="docs-internal-guid-aa8d5857-7fff-584b-904a-144a6a5785fc">Questions? Contact us at The Center for Applied Liberal Arts (CALA). Email sps.cala@nyu.edu or call 212-998-7272.</b></p>

In this course, we will explore the rich culture and history of Aztec civilization through the period of Spanish invasion and colonization. The first portion of the class will focus entirely on the Aztecs, their political and cultural structures, and some of their major cities and sites. Later sessions will cover the Spanish-Aztec war (1519-21) in the broader context of Spain&rsquo;s imperial project in the New World and the competing empires of the major European powers. This global framing will give us a fuller sense of the historical significance of Aztec civilization as well as the Spanish conquest that brought many elements of that civilization to an abrupt end. Questions? Contact us at The Center for Applied Liberal Arts (CALA). Email sps.cala@nyu.edu or call 212-998-7272.

Unprecedented military defeat in Vietnam, a toppled president, charismatic leaders assassinated, the worst riots in US history&mdash;and that was only the first half of 1968. In this two-session course, revisit the most tumultuous year in recent history, which alternated passionate hopes and searing tragedies on an almost daily basis. Examine the May student-worker protests that drove the French Republic to the brink of collapse, and the Prague Spring that brought hope for reform to the Communist Bloc. Watch footage of a Democratic convention torn apart by protests and violence, and examine how a bold about-face by a pro-war Democrat led to a photo finish with Richard Nixon. Lectures will be supplemented by audio and video of great speeches by Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert Kennedy, as well as little-known accounts of behind-the-scenes decisions that led to some of the most shocking events in our time. Up for discussion will be the premise that a shift in one leader&rsquo;s judgment, a few votes, or a single bullet might have changed the course of history.

Uncover the rich heritage of northern Europe&rsquo;s medieval cathedrals, including the spectacular Belgian cathedrals at Ghent, Bruges (the Venice of the North), and Antwerp. Discover Brussels cathedral, built on Roman foundations, Amsterdam&rsquo;s Oudekirke (Old Church), and Germany&#39;s cathedrals including Rostock and Cologne. We will investigate the historical contexts in which these structures were built and the regional variation of architectural styles. We will also consider Scandinavia and its medieval rarities such as Denmark&rsquo;s beautiful brick built cathedral of Roskilde, founded in the 11th century and containing royal tombs, the intriguing medieval sculpture at Stockholm, Norway&rsquo;s Bergen cathedral, and the country&rsquo;s famous wooden stave churches. Blending history and art history, this course is perfect for those with an interest in Medieval Europe or European cultural history more broadly. Questions? Contact us at The Center for Applied Liberal Arts (CALA). Email sps.cala@nyu.edu or call 212-998-7289.

Engage in an in-depth exploration of the glories and enigmas of ancient Maya civilization. Focus on four of the most splendid Maya archaeological sites: Cop&aacute;n (Honduras), Tikal (Guatemala), Palenque (Chiapas, Mexico), and Uxmal and Chichen Itza (Yucat&aacute;n, Mexico). Exciting new excavations, along with recently deciphered Mayan glyph writing, have enriched our understanding of these sites and have imparted specific stories of individual Maya kings and queens. Also, explore contemporary Maya and cultural continuities, as seen in village craft traditions, religious practice, and literary expression.

The Valley of Mexico, which eventually became the site of present-day Mexico City, was the locale of three successive capitals of ancient Mexico: Teotihuacan, Tula, and Tenochtitlan. Teotihuacan (second&ndash;fifth centuries CE), now known to Mexico City&rsquo;s tourists as the &ldquo;pyramids,&rdquo; is much more than an exotic excursion. Scholar Esther Pasztory has called it the ancient world&rsquo;s great &ldquo;experiment in living,&rdquo; featuring the Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon, the Temple of Quetzalcoatl, and extraordinary apartment compounds unlike any others found in ancient Mexico. Tula is known as the capital of the warlike Toltec (ninth&ndash;10th centuries CE), whom the Aztec regarded as cultural mentors. Finally, we focus on the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan, and its shrine, the Templo Mayor, whose treasures continue to be excavated today. We will look through the lenses of archaeology, history, art, literature, and religion to arrive at an understanding of the dynamics of the awesome Aztec culture of the past&mdash;and its reverberations today.

<p>Explore the formative-era culture that flourished in Mexico and Central America for 1,500 years, from about 1800 to 300 B.C. The Olmec heartland, located on the Gulf Coast of Mexico at sites such as San Lorenzo, La Venta, and Tres Zapotes, featured spectacular monuments&mdash;colossal stone heads, multi-ton stone thrones, and enigmatic ceremonial artifacts. The Gulf Coast Olmec have been called the &ldquo;mother culture&rdquo; of Mesoamerica, yet many magnificent Olmec-style artifacts have been found elsewhere in Mexico and Guatemala. Examine the most important Olmec artifacts and reflect on the origins of Mesoamerican civilization.</p>

This one-session course will explore some of the major cases at the Supreme Court from this past year. Using excerpts from the Court&#39;s opinions, as well as earlier decisions, we&#39;ll look at how the Court dealt with issues from criminal justice to religious liberty. No previous legal experience is necessary.

<p><strong>Register for this Fall 2022 course on the new <a href="https://nyusps.gatherlearning.com/events/central-europe-1848-1948-from-empires-and-revolutions-to-the-dawn-of-the-cold-war">NYU SPS Academy of Lifelong Learning</a>&nbsp;website.</strong></p><br><br><br><br><p>This course will analyze the geopolitical significance and strategic importance of Central Europe from the Revolutions of 1848 to the dawn of the Cold War following the end of WWII. While primarily focusing on what would be modern-day Germany, Austria, Hungary, Czech Republic, and Slovakia, this 100-year history will be examined by students and cover events such as the Franco-Prussian War, WWI, and WWII, along with leaders like Napoleon III, Otto von Bismarck, Kaiser Wilhelm II, the Habsburgs, Vladimir Lenin, and Klement Gottwald. Other topics to be discussed include the rivalry that emerged between England and Germany leading up to WWI; the role of Germany when it came to Vladimir Lenin and the Russian Revolution; the rise of the Nazis to power in Germany and the annexation of Austria in 1938; the formation of Czechoslovakia following its independence in 1918 from Austria-Hungary; Central Europe during the early days of the Cold War; and more. Most importantly, students will learn why understanding this moment in history can help us better understand European geopolitics in the 21st&nbsp;century. Questions? Contact us at The Center for Applied Liberal Arts (CALA). Email sps.cala@nyu.edu or call 212-998-7289.&nbsp;&nbsp;<strong>Fall 2022 tuition is $449.</strong></p>

Richard Nixon emerged victorious in the turbulent election of 1968 after serving as Vice-President throughout most of the 1950s and nearly capturing the Presidency in 1960. While his second term was cut short following his resignation, Nixon was arguably the most consequential president of the Cold War era. This course will discuss and investigate key events and trends from his presidency, including Watergate and the constitutional powers of the Executive Branch; the fall of Bretton Woods and the removal of the United States from the gold standard, both of which contributed to the rise in importance and prominence of international financial markets; the end of the Vietnam War and restoring relations with China, both of which are still impacting Southeast Asia and the Pacific region in the 21st century; the 1973 Yom Kippur War and the oil embargo imposed by OPEC; Cold War politics regarding countries like Bangladesh and Chile, and more. Questions? Contact us at The Center for Applied Liberal Arts (CALA). Email sps.cala@nyu.edu or call 212-998-7272.

This course will address and discuss the developmental stages within Islam in the first six centuries of its existence&mdash;from the first Islamic state to the advent of the Mongol invasion that destroyed the Abbasid Caliphate in 1258. We will examine how religion looked before the advent of Islam and how Mecca&mdash;the hometown of the Prophet&mdash;was a center of regional pagan-like religions in a polytheistic society. We also will look at the formation of the first Islamic state&mdash;in the city of Medina&mdash;and review the numerous trials and tribulations of the first four caliphs who ruled over the Islamic state after Muhammad&rsquo;s death. Finally, we will discuss the establishment of dynastic rule through the rise of the Umayyad dynasty in Damascus, which often is referred to as the Golden Age of Islam under the rule of the Abbasid dynasty.

Today, Walter Benjamin (1892-1940) is one of the most admired cultural critics of modern times. In his own time, he was a scholar without an academic career and a writer without a large audience whose magnum opus is forever lost in history. Read selections from Benjamin's work, which is considered central in fields as varied as cultural studies, film and art history, postmodernism, and philosophy. Explore the haunting beauty and incisive power of his writings, and his brilliant and early grasp of the relationship of modern media, perception, and politics.

An enthralling history, a richly enduring culture, and colorful ancient traditions reflect the unique heritage of Wales. Against a backdrop of great scenic beauty, study Wales from the Middle Ages to the present to learn about the unique country houses, including treasure-filled Erddig; the Victorian seaside resort, Aberystwyth; world famous Welsh literary and choral traditions; and the renowned annual celebratory Eisteddfod cultural festival. Also, uncover the role played by the medieval Welsh nobility and the reasons why Edward I of England in the 13th century built imposing castles in Wales as formidable as Caernarfon, why England&rsquo;s Tudor dynasty has a Welsh lineage, and why Prince Charles as heir to the throne is the Prince of Wales.

<p>This course will consider the rivalry between the two most powerful countries in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia and Iran, as a kind of contemporary &ldquo;cold war&rdquo; stretching into the 21st century. We will examine the Saudi-Iranian relationship from the end of WWI up to the present day, with attention to the ways it has destabilized the region and affected U.S. foreign policy. Topics will include the formation of Saudia Arabia, Israel, and the evolving regional balance of power; the role of oil in regional and global politics; revolutionary movements from the 1950s into the 21st century; American diplomatic, economic, and military engagement in the Middle East; and the ways that state ties to terrorism factor into religious and political rivalries. We will also discuss how the centuries-old Sunni-Shia rivalry is one of the driving forces of contention between Saudia Arabia and Iran, contributing to conflict in countries like Yemen, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon.&nbsp;</p>

The US Constitution established the American government with separation of powers and checks and balances among the three branches in order to prevent the accumulation of too much power in any branch. From the earliest days of the Republic to the present, there has been tension or outright conflict among the branches as one or the other either tries to expand or is forced to cede some of its authority. This course explores the history of those relationships and the ebbs and flows of power among the three branches of government and delves into how well the American experiment has worked&mdash;or hasn&rsquo;t.

Winston Churchill&rsquo;s life was a roller coaster of bitter failures and glorious achievements of which recent film biographies only scratch the surface. This two-week course tells the full story, including Churchill&rsquo;s youthful meteoric rise to the corridors of British political power; his ensuing setbacks in World War I; and his dubious party-switching that left him, at middle age, a near-forgotten backbencher. Only his prescient diagnosis of Hitler&rsquo;s threat propelled his resurgence, setting the stage for his unparalleled leadership of Britain during World War II and beyond. Also, Churchill&rsquo;s support of Jewish causes, while far from perfect, stood out compared with those of his British contemporaries. Still, Churchill&rsquo;s willingness to cede spheres of influence to Stalin undercut FDR&rsquo;s bid for a new international order, and his clinging to dying British imperialism and stubborn indifference to wartime India&rsquo;s mass famine hastened the demise of British rule. Throughout this class, we will listen to and watch Churchill&rsquo;s speeches, including the timeless addresses by which he steeled Britons to resist the Nazis, warned the West of the Soviet Iron Curtain, and defined the preeminent value of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger.

Courtiers, ambassadors, nobles, visitors, and antiquarians traveled the breadth of Tudor England, from Durham in the North to Kent in the South, as well as to London and Windsor. They have left us fascinating accounts of England in the 16th century. This illustrated course will enable you to follow in their footsteps and uncover rare aspects of Tudor England. You will discover unique perspectives and vivid descriptions of the palaces, castles, townhouses, merchant houses, mansions, and regional customs that the travelers saw and experienced. Travel along with the enthralling accounts of John Leland, whose itineraries were commissioned by Henry VIII in the 1530s; the perceptive journeys of William Harrison 50 years later; and Paul Hentzner, a German lawyer who visited in the early years of the following century and described England&rsquo;s noble families and royal treasures.

This course examines influential and controversial trials and decisions that have affected American history. We begin in the colonial period with trials involving freedom of religion, hysteria, and freedom of speech and the press.&nbsp;We continue through the centuries, analyzing the most interesting and significant cases about the rights of women and laborers, racial and ethnicity discrimination, espionage, obscenity, and corruption. We come full circle with 21st-century cases involving religious freedom and free speech, racial and gender discrimination, and women&rsquo;s rights, as we study American economic, political, religious, and social history through the prism of trials.

The US Constitution established the American government with separation of powers and checks and balances among the three branches in order to prevent the accumulation of too much power in any one branch. From the earliest days of the Republic to the present, there has been tension or outright conflict among the branches, as one or the other either tries to expand or is forced to cede some of its authority. This course explores the history of those relationships in the 20th and 21st centuries, examining how well the American experiment has worked&mdash;or hasn&rsquo;t. This course can be taken alone or as a complement to <em><a href="https://www.sps.nyu.edu/professional-pathways/courses/hist1-ce9062" target="_blank">The Three Branches of Government/HIST1-CE9062</a>,</em> which considers similar questions in an earlier historical context.

<p><strong>Register for this Spring 2023 course on the new <a href="https://nyusps.gatherlearning.com/events/the-glorious-country-houses-and-palaces-of-scotland">NYU SPS Academy of Lifelong Learning</a> website.</strong></p><br><br><br><br><p>Discover many impressive houses that have, over several centuries, played a significant role in Scotland&rsquo;s history and some of which have even appeared in recent popular film and TV locations. From the Lowlands to the Highlands study a heritage of architecture, decorations, and rare treasures that includes fortified castle homes as breathtaking as 16th century Craigevar; Crathes with its renaissance ceilings and gorgeous gardens; Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh; Balmoral Castle; elegant Hopetoun House, near Edinburgh; and impressive 18th-century Haddo House, the home of a Victorian prime minister, renowned for its musical traditions, and where Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were guests.&nbsp;<strong>Spring 2023 tuition is $399.</strong></p>

<p><strong>Register for this Spring 2023 course on the new <a href="https://nyusps.gatherlearning.com/events/vietnam-and-the-road-to-watergate-lessons-from-the-johnson-and-nixon-tapes">NYU SPS Academy of Lifelong Learning</a> website.</strong></p><br><br><br><br><p>The Vietnam War is unique because the key decisions were made in a single room where most of the conversations were recorded. In this two-session class, mixing excerpts from tapes with public events, this class will explore this window into history, through such turning points as the Gulf of Tonkin resolution, Johnson&#39;s tortured decision to escalate the war, his dismissal of antiwar protesters as &quot;mentally diseased,&quot; and his belated recognition that his presidency had been destroyed by the war. Then, listen as Johnson discovers, at the end of the 1968 campaign, that his new bid for peace is being sabotaged by opposing candidate Nixon himself. Once Nixon takes office, explore his struggle to contain the wave of protests set off by the invasion of Cambodia, culminating in Kent State. Finally, see Nixon respond to the shock of the Pentagon Papers leak by forming the Plumbers, setting the stage for the Watergate scandal that would consume his presidency.&nbsp;<strong>Spring 2023 tuition is $149.</strong></p>

England's stately homes, cultural traditions, famed citizens, and landscapes have been well documented in paintings and prints from the eighteenth century to the present day. Develop a comprehensive picture of English society over the centuries by exploring the historical and social context of these works, including Hogarth's gentlemen in their London clubs, festivities at the stately Petworth House in Sussex, Victoria and Albert with their favorite pets, and David Hockney interiors. Examine a specific historical theme in each class, including obscure trends of the time such as the gentry's penchant to depict their estates or gardens on their household ceramics.

<p><br><br><style type="text/css"><!--td {border: 1px solid #cccccc;}br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;}--><br><br></style><br><br><strong>Register for this Spring 2023 course on the new <a href="https://nyusps.gatherlearning.com/events/traveling-the-silk-road-the-evolution-of-china-and-what-it-means-for-the-united-states">NYU SPS Academy of Lifelong Learning</a> website.</strong></p><br><br><br><br><p>In July 2020, the Chinese consulate in Houston, Texas, was closed as part of ongoing efforts to clamp down on China&rsquo;s espionage activities within the United States. Events like these have raised concerns about the possibility of a new cold war, if not outright military conflict. This course will focus on understanding the diplomatic, economic, and political history of China since the end of WWII. Discussion will center on issues including the triangle diplomacy with the United States and Russia; the evolution of the Communist Party from Mao Zedong to Xi Jinping; strategic interests such as the Belt and Road Initiative, the South China Sea, Tibet, Hong Kong, and Xinjiang; and China&rsquo;s role among the regional nuclear powers of India, North Korea, Pakistan, and Russia.&nbsp;<br><br><style type="text/css"><!--td {border: 1px solid #cccccc;}br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;}--><br><br></style><br><br><strong>Spring 2023 tuition is $399.</strong></p>

Paris first became the city of our romantic imagination at the turn of the 20th century. The broad and open boulevards at its center, the product of Baron Haussmann&rsquo;s ambitious modernization plan, provided the setting for theatres, concert halls, cafes, and a vibrant Belle &Eacute;poque street life. The posters and paintings of Toulouse-Lautrec and other graphic artists and the celebration of modern life in the work of the great impressionist, postimpressionist, and symbolist painters created a new aesthetic experience for Parisians and for the world at large. The renowned series of Paris expositions, culminating in the Expo of 1900, promoted a world of European colonialism and a globalized economy of technological innovations, such as electricity, that would transform the coming new century. In this course, we explore how the aesthetics, technologies, and politics of turn-of-the-century Paris transformed the world.

The British Empire was at its height in 1900, yet in retrospect, the signs of an imminent decline can be seen. The elegant architecture, residential squares, parks, and private clubs of London at that time reflect a world of complacent stability, but the docks and working-class neighborhoods foreshadowed class conflicts and a new multicultural reality. Earlier in the 19th century, John Ruskin, William Morris, Walter Pater, and the Pre-Raphaelite painters tried to temper England&rsquo;s headlong rush into industrial technology with recollections of medieval and renaissance aesthetics; however, later turn-of-the-20th-century artists, such as Walter Sickert, Augustus John, and Vanessa Bell, cultivated modern life and modern subjects. Meanwhile, Oscar Wilde and Aubrey Beardsley radically distanced themselves from establishment culture and from the values of Protestant capitalism and middle class morality. In this course, we examine a historical turning point that resounded through the succeeding decades of the 20th century.

Explore New York in the &ldquo;Gilded Age&rdquo;&mdash;a city that reflected the aspirations of Americans who sought to measure up to European high culture. This was the New York of Henry James, Edith Wharton, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, and Stanford White. But, as Jacob Riis famously saw, there was also another New York that reflected &ldquo;how the other half lives&rdquo;&mdash;a world teeming with tenements and immigrants. Examine this fascinating dichotomy, as well as the rising industry beyond the Gilded Age mansions on Fifth Avenue and the slums of the Lower East Side, that helped to usher in the new skyscrapers and in turn, modernist New York.

Britain&rsquo;s treasured medieval bounty is the focus of this course in which we survey its rich legacy, including town and country architecture, decorative arts, jewels, and the sagas and chronicles of its literary tradition. Ranging over five centuries and beginning with the Anglo-Saxon period, the course will offer a thematic focus for each class session. Study ancient churches, including the rare Earls Barton church not far from Oxford; castles that possess formidable dungeons; cathedrals that soar over painted crypts; exquisite, centuries-old wood and stone carvings found in abbeys and priories; and medieval crowns and monastic jewels. Learn about the Viking settlement in England, the Domesday Book, illuminated manuscripts, rare herbals, and the importance of the tranquil monastery garden. Also, remotely explore impressive encircling city walls that were built in medieval times and survive today.

The exponential growth in wealth of New York City&rsquo;s richest families in the &ldquo;Gilded Age&rdquo; was reflected in their aspirations to measure up to&mdash;and even outdo&mdash;European high culture. This was the New York of writers Henry James and Edith Wharton, architect Stanford White, sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens, and impressionists William Merritt Chase and Childe Hassam. It was the era of New York&rsquo;s most opulent private mansions, and of grandiose public buildings in the eclectic Beaux-Arts style. And pointing beyond both the Gilded Age mansions on Fifth Avenue and the slums of the Lower East Side, the new skyscrapers of lower Manhattan heralded the future of modernist New York.

The art deco era was a dazzling and tempestuous time that continues to intrigue. In this course, we will study this iconic era in Britain, including its art deco buildings, the impressive interiors of its transatlantic liners, the wit of No&euml;l Coward, early radio broadcasts, art, and flapper fashions. Against this cultural backdrop, we will examine the important social and political changes of the era, such as the evolving role of women in politics, the scandals that rocked the House of Commons and erupted onto the streets of East London, the General Strike of 1926, and the shock when Edward VIII abdicated his throne less than a year after his accession. You also will have the opportunity to view the instructor&rsquo;s collection of rare books and magazines from the era that shed further light onto these extraordinary decades.

Hip hop music is the most popular genre in American pop culture. Over the past 40 years, this beat-driven music, fueled by the street-centric poetry of rap, has gone from a New York-based musical form to the sociopolitical voice of the post-civil rights generation and, ultimately, the primary musical outlet of American youth. This course will look at the rise of hip hop music and culture through its game-changing icons&mdash;from the Furious Five to Salt-N-Pepa to Kendrick Lamar&mdash;and the music&rsquo;s various paths toward mainstream American culture. Decade by decade, we will explore&mdash;through articles, songs and lyrics, and excerpts from books such as <i>Somebody Scream!</i> and <em>Can&rsquo;t Stop Won&rsquo;t Stop&mdash;how</em> hip hop pioneers reflected both the music&rsquo;s evolving thoughts on American racial and gender politics and the genre&rsquo;s push for national respect on its own terms.

Most historians and political theorists see the origins of today&rsquo;s state structure as a 19th-century European phenomenon. Learn about the political, economic, and social developments in 19th-century Europe and the changed nature of political institutions, governmental structure, and social movements that culminated in a unique new relationship between the individual and the state. Explore the major intellectual movements&mdash;conservatism, liberalism, nationalism, and socialism&mdash;and their effect on and interrelation with European political and social structures as a whole. We also look at each of the major states and its unique problems and development.

<p>This single session course explores ancient Oaxaca, the site of one of the great civilizational developments of ancient America. The Zapotecs achieved the domestication of maize corn, the creation of great urban centers such as Monte Alban, and the invention of writing and calendrical systems. Another group, the Mixtecs, have left us spectacular fine metal work in the richest tomb ever excavated in North America, and a trove of pictorial manuscripts giving us a history of Mesoamerican kings, queens, and culture heroes.</p>

<p>Pepys drew a vivid picture of 17th-century London, its scandals, residents, and exuberance. In this course, inspired by his famous diaries, uncover the unique insights that Pepys shares with us about the 1660s. Through Pepys&rsquo; eyes experience a richness of topics including the arts, commerce, sport, coffee houses, book collecting, dining, and diplomacy. Learn about the Great Fire of London in 1666, the city&rsquo;s religious turmoil, why Pepys was briefly imprisoned for treason in the Tower of London, and why his descriptions of attendances at court give us intimate pictures of King Charles II and court life.</p>

<p><br><br><style type="text/css"><!--td {border: 1px solid #cccccc;}br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;}--><br><br></style><br><br><strong>Register for this Spring 2023 course on the new <a href="https://nyusps.gatherlearning.com/events/us-foreign-relations-1600s-to-1970s">NYU SPS Academy of Lifelong Learning</a> website.</strong></p><br><br><br><br><p>Americans have always debated their foreign relations policies, their nation&rsquo;s place in the world, their wars, their overseas commitments, and the impact of their values and power. In 1783, George Washington proclaimed the United States a rising empire, and by the close of World War II it was one of the world&#39;s superpowers.&nbsp; Why and how did the U.S. expand into a political, military, economic and cultural colossus in those years?&nbsp; What were the values, traditions and policies that informed the achievement of that power?&nbsp; In this course, we will study the history of U.S. foreign relations, beginning with the diplomacy of the 18^th and 19^th centuries and then concentrating on the years from 1898 into the early years of the Cold War.&nbsp;<br><br><style type="text/css"><!--td {border: 1px solid #cccccc;}br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;}--><br><br></style><br><br><strong>Spring 2023 tuition is $699.</strong></p>

The Italian philosopher and historian Benedetto Croce described fascism as an &ldquo;onagrocracy&rdquo;&mdash;or &ldquo;government by braying asses.&rdquo; How did such inept leadership assume absolute power in Italy in 1922? In a country with a liberal constitution, how could Benito Mussolini become prime minister, having won only 5,000 out of the 315,000 votes cast in the 1919 election? Mussolini did not seize power: it was handed to him by King Victor Emmanuel III. The mob may have flocked to the populist attractions of fascism, but it was the elites who gave it legitimacy. Acknowledging fascism&rsquo;s need to remain dynamic and bellicose, Mussolini observed, &ldquo;War is to man what maternity is to a woman.&rdquo; Why Italy? This course will search for the answers in the socioeconomic conditions, fear of communism, and the use of violence in post-World War I Italy.

From the 15th to 17th centuries, profound changes occurred in Europe that forever altered the way men and women thought about nature, the world around them, and their relationship to God, and about the way they looked at the universe. This course examines those fundamental changes, beginning with the rediscovery of the ancient world by the Italian humanists and the resulting effects on art, architecture, and literature. Then, we will analyze the advances in mathematics, astronomy, physics, and medicine that today we call the Scientific Revolution. Finally, we will explore those forces unleashed by Martin Luther, John Calvin, Henry VIII, and the other Protestant reformers, which shattered the religious unity of Europe.

Neighbors across the English Channel, England and France have always shared a special relationship, whether as friend or foe. English culture has long been influenced by French customs, and throughout history, England has lured many French visitors. In this course, explore the shared culture, ranging from the 17th to 19th centuries, of these two special nations, and analyze how each country adopted and made these cultural traits its own. Discover French royal connections and country house rococo-inspired interiors; study the sojourns of French visitors to England, including Voltaire, Monet, Debussy, and important craftsmen; admire French treasures acquired by English nobles during the French Revolution; and question why Napoleon, who appeared on a prison ship off the English coast, created a frenzy of Regency tourism. Also, explore facets of cultural reciprocity, including when the traditional English landscape garden and the time-honored English tea-drinking ritual became fashionable in France.

<p>The Maya are the creators of one of the ancient world's greatest civilizations. Today they are a vital people struggling to maintain cultural traditions while experiencing an artistic and intellectual renaissance. Learn about the richness of Maya culture from its ancient origins to the present day. Topics include their Olmec predecessors, some of the most renowned Maya sites (Copan, Tikal, Palenque, Uxmal, and Chichen Itza), and the riches of Maya stone carvings and wall paintings. We look at how the Maya have negotiated their situation under Spanish colonial control and under the political and economic systems of the modern nation-state.<br></p>

Join us as we travel to Peru to one of the most spectacular archaeological sites in the world, recently designated as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Explore the Inca capital of Cusco, viewing some distinctive artifacts of Inca culture. The story of the Spanish conquest leads us to Hiram Bingham&rsquo;s early-20th-century quest for Vilcabamba, known as the last refuge of the Inca. Tour the main structures of this lost city, focusing on the stonework, royal residential buildings, and the sacred ceremonial space. Also, discuss contemporary issues of world cultural heritage, including policies regarding the environment and the impact of tourism and the repatriation of artifacts.

The sophisticated courts of the classic Maya offer us a trove of information and artifacts. Classic Maya civilization (third through ninth centuries CE) came to its florescence in the form of a network of interconnected city-states, each with its own storied dynasties of ruling elites and court culture, whose interactions involved trade, marriage alliances, warfare, treaties, diplomacy, and civic and religious ceremonies. At the heart of these city-states, we find the impressive architecture of palaces, temples, and ball-courts; intriguing relief carvings of deities, kings, queens, and scribes; painted ceramic vessels; and richly appointed burials. In this single-session course, we focus on the storied splendors of Cop&aacute;n (Honduras), Tikal (Guatemala), and Palenque (Chiapas, Mexico), as well as the age-old mythic narratives written down in the 16th-century Maya &ldquo;Bible,&rdquo; the <em>Popol Vuh.</em>

Learn about the spectacular sixth-century Moche tombs excavated in Peru, arguably the richest archaeological find ever made in the Western hemisphere. In this half-day seminar, we explore the dazzling gold work, elaborate regalia, and finely decorated ceramics that illustrate the complex pre-Incan Andean mosaic. Witness the formation of the Inca civilization including the Chavin, with their enigmatic imagery; the Paracas, who wove magnificent textiles; the Nazca, who created the much debated Nazca lines, giant geoglyphs in the Peruvian desert; the Moche, artisans in metal, jewelry, and clay; the remote Wari and Tiwanaku empires; and the pre-Incan desert capital city of Chan-Chan.

&ldquo;Vienna 1900&rdquo; has become a shorthand description for one of the most dramatic cultural moments in modern history, featuring a confluence of art, science, philosophy, and political ferment. Beginning with the rich 19th-century background of Vienna in the Ringstrasse era&mdash;Strauss&rsquo;s &ldquo;waltz city&rdquo;&mdash;we look at the work of such figures as Otto Wagner, Gustav Klimt, Adolf Loos, Egon Schiele, and Oskar Kokoschka.

<P>Many immigrants have reinvented themselves in New York, but novelist and philosopher Ayn Rand did so with a particular passion. Having fled to America after the Russian Revolution, she wrote <EM>The Fountainhead</EM> as an homage to New York City and its skyscrapers, which had beckoned to her from the movie screens of her native St. Petersburg. Explore Rand's Russian/Jewish background, her choice of architecture as the focus of her philosophy, the architectural scene in the 1920s and 1930s, Rand's admiration for Frank Lloyd Wright, the controversial movie adaptation of <EM>The Fountainhead</EM>, and the relevance of Rand's novel today.<BR></P>

<p>From the medieval enclosed garden to the modern perennial-filled border garden, a study of the English garden offers us more than idyllic views and gorgeous planting. It is also a vivid portrait of English history, taste, and rivalries. Explore that history, which includes restored Elizabethan gardens; the ambitious restoration of the baroque gardens at Hampton Court; Grand Tour treasures in the verdant 18th-century British landscape; arts and crafts perennial gardens that inspired Gertrude Jekyll; and unique gardens like Sissinghurst, a creation of Vita Sackville-West and her husband.<br></p>

From London to Lisbon, Paris to Prague, and Stockholm to Sicily, this course explores the extraordinary masterpieces in stone that reflect the unique splendors of the medieval period. Learn how cathedral styles, wall paintings, and decorations evolved over the centuries in different parts of Europe, and examine sumptuous treasures, stained glass, furniture, and carvings during an in-class visit to the Metropolitan Museum. Evaluate the impact of royal and noble patrons, and study the lives and legacies of the master masons and their apprentices, who often devoted their entire lives to building cathedrals and seldom saw their masterpieces finished. Discuss how the cathedrals fared in days of war, tragedy, and tumult, including the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the fate of London&rsquo;s old St Paul&rsquo;s, and the French Revolution, and how so many continue to stand today as some of Europe&rsquo;s top tourist destinations.

In a 2009 book, Norman Podhoretz, one of the original neoconservatives who served as the editor of <em>Commentary</em> magazine, asked, &ldquo;Why are Jews liberal?&rdquo; For commentators like Podhoretz, the question arises because Jews&rsquo; political behavior runs counter to what one might expect, given their socioeconomic position in the United States. Answers to &ldquo;Why are Jews liberal?&rdquo; include their commitment to social justice; their historical persecution as a minority group; their experiences with left-wing radical movements; and their alliances with pluralistic groups, including other minorities on the left. This class explores how scholars and community leaders have tried to answer Podhoretz&rsquo;s question. Readings may include Lawrence H. Fuchs, <em>The Political Behavior of American Jews;</em> Geoffrey Brahm Levey, &ldquo;The Liberalism of American Jews: Has It Been Explained?&rdquo;; and Henry Feingold, <em>American Jewish Political Culture and the Liberal Persuasion.</em>

Explore ancient Roman history, and trace its evolution from a city-state monarchy to a republic and then to an empire. Emphasis will be placed on the dynamic nature of Roman history as its evolution occurred. The first weeks will focus on how Rome went from one of a number of Italian city-states to become the leading power in Italy, culminating in its defeat of Carthage and its mastery of the entire Mediterranean area. Next, the course will review how the strains of the growing empire led to the rise of the generals and the collapse of the republic. The focus will then shift to the evolution of the Roman Empire, from disguised military dictatorship to undisguised despotism. Finally, the course will examine the stresses that the later empire faced and the survival of the eastern half.

Explore the history of Europe from the end of the western half of the Roman Empire to the eve of the Reformation. This course will begin by examining the aftermath of the Roman Empire in Europe, including the rise and collapse of the Carolingian Monarchy, the effects of the advent of Islam and the Arab conquests, the foundations of papal power, monasticism, and feudalism. We then will look to answer the questions of how the economy, trade, and cities recovered; why English and French monarchs succeeded in building strong states, while German monarchs failed; and how the Crusades led to the apogee of papal power. Finally, we will discuss medieval contributions to religion, art, philosophy, and architecture, as well as the events that led to the decline and collapse of medieval Europe.

When have particular religious ideologies been promoted or prevented in American political history, and who has had control of this censorship? What, exactly, do we mean by a &ldquo;separation of church and state&rdquo;? In what ways has religion shaped the politics of gender, race, and class? How have Americans dealt historically with their nation&rsquo;s incredible religious diversity? What is the &ldquo;proper&rdquo; relationship between science and religion, or faith and reason? What, in essence, is the relationship between religion and the American government? This class will explore these questions through both a thematic and historical approach. By investigating five topics&mdash;American Origins, the Construction of Race, the Media, Visible and Invisible Hands in the American Economy, and War and American Empire&mdash;this course will examine the historical narratives necessary to understanding the relationship between religion and politics in the United States.

Explore the history and culture of the ancient Near East, focusing on Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Syria-Palestine (the Fertile Crescent), with emphasis on the region&rsquo;s cultural legacy as birthplace of the Judeo-Christian religious traditions. Using primary sources and archaeological data, examine religious and social institutions and artistic artifacts, including architecture and material culture. Learn about the history, beliefs, customs, and institutions of the ancient Near East that served as a heritage for later ages. The course also includes a guided visit to The Metropolitan Museum of Art to view its renowned collection of artifacts from the region.

<p>Register for this Fall 2023 course on the new <a href="https://nyusps.gatherlearning.com/events/englands-medieval-queens-the-three-eleanors">NYU SPS Academy of Lifelong Learning website</a>.</p><br><br><br><br><p>They were royals, born abroad, married English kings, and made a significant impact on English history. Learn about their lives and the important influence of Eleanor of Aquitaine (born 1122) who married Louis of France and then Henry II of England.&nbsp; A highly cultured woman, powerful and wealthy, she survived family scandals, a turbulent marriage and even imprisonment. Next, learn about Eleanor of Provence (born 1223), the resilient and fiscally astute wife of Henry III who was an excellent diplomat and poet. She was also Regent of England when her husband was away. Finally, meet Eleanor of Castile (born 1241) who is commemorated with London&rsquo;s Charing Cross (a Victorian copy). A patroness of the arts and a committed entrepreneur, she was the beloved first wife of King Edward I, and accompanied him on his military campaigns in Wales.<strong>&nbsp;Fall 2023 tuition is $449.</strong></p><br><br><br><br><p><em><strong>Registering at least three weeks prior to the course start date is highly recommended.</strong></em></p>

<p class="normal">For decades, the white working class was key to the New Deal coalition put together by Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt, but in the more recent past, the political affinity of this demographic has shifted markedly.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">&nbsp; </span>Many analysts of the 2016 presidential election point to the &ldquo;white working class&rdquo;&mdash;a group whose definition we will critically investigate&mdash;as a key bloc in Republicans&rsquo; electoral victories.This one-day course offers a historical perspective on a demographic whose members and political power have seen great change in the decades since WWII. By delving into some of the key issues that animate these voters, we will explore how political parties have sought to capture&mdash;or have failed to capture&mdash;their votes in a changing America and a changing world.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">&nbsp; </span>Possible readings include selections from Thomas Frank&rsquo;s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">What&rsquo;s the Matter with Kansas?</i>; Mary and Thomas Edsall&rsquo;s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Chain Reaction: The Impact of Race, Rights, and Taxes on American Politics</i>; and Justin Gest&rsquo;s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">The New Minority: White Working Class Politics in an Age of Immigration and Inequality</i>.</p>

<p><br><br><style type="text/css"><!--td {border: 1px solid #cccccc;}br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;}--><br><br></style><br><br><strong>Register for this Spring 2023 course on the new <a href="https://nyusps.gatherlearning.com/events/new-york-city-from-mannahatta-through-the-gilded-age">NYU SPS Academy of Lifelong Learning</a> website.</strong></p><br><br><br><br><p>In this interdisciplinary course we will explore the transformations marking the cultural history of New York City from its beginnings through the Gilded Age. Starting out as &quot;Mannahatta,&quot; a bountiful Native American hunting, fishing, and camping ground, the island at the mouth of the Hudson River has gone from the small commercial venture of Dutch New Amsterdam to the rough and tumble politics of British colonial New York, to a brief stint as Federal capital of the United States, to its more enduring role as cultural and economic engine of &quot;The Empire State&quot; and &ldquo;the capital of capitalism.&rdquo; We trace NYC&#39;s cultural history through a look at the great public and private projects that helped to define its character: the grid plan of the city streets, the Erie Canal and Croton Reservoir, Central Park, Brooklyn Bridge, and Ellis Island. We&#39;ll encounter the notorious Five Points, site of &quot;The Gangs of New York,&quot; and reflect on the tensions and contradictions of the Civil War Draft Riots. We&#39;ll spend time with New York&#39;s most iconic monuments of the period: Central Park, Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty, and Ellis Island, concluding with an overview of the splendid arts of New York&#39;s &quot;Gilded Age&quot;&ndash;&ndash;the New York of Henry James and Edith Wharton&ndash;&ndash;and a look at &quot;How the Other Half Lived&quot;&ndash;&ndash;the New York of Stephen Crane, Abraham Cahan, and Jacob Riis.&nbsp;<br><br><style type="text/css"><!--td {border: 1px solid #cccccc;}br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;}--><br><br></style><br><br><strong>Spring 2023 tuition is $549.</strong></p>

The political theorist Michael Walzer wrote, &ldquo;We greatly value our privacy, whether or not we do odd and exciting things in private.&rdquo; Although the words of the Fourth Amendment have not changed&mdash;&ldquo;the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated&rdquo;&mdash;the interpretation of it and the meaning of privacy have varied over the course of American history. Each passing day, new technologies create new legal questions about what privacy means in the 21st century. This one-day seminar explores the historical development of the right to privacy and key moments when expectations of privacy have been redefined. Through a mix of historical sources, legal cases, and philosophical arguments, we will examine the key debates that have demarcated the boundaries of what privacy means in the United States. By understanding how the constitutional right to privacy has developed, we can gain greater understanding of the challenges faced today by lawmakers, courts, and the public as technology continues to evolve.

Voting is fundamental to American political participation&mdash;it is how citizens express their preferences for the governance and direction of their country. And yet, the centuries-long effort to secure the vote for all Americans equally has not been easy. From the debates of the Founding Fathers to the 15th Amendment to the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and into the 21st century, Americans have had to fight to participate in their democracy. Using a mix of historical sources, legal cases, and philosophical arguments, this one-day seminar explores efforts to expand and to limit the vote. Topics may include voter disenfranchisement, vote dilution, gerrymandering, and campaign finance reform. Readings may include selections from Alexander Keyssar, <em>The Right to Vote: The Contested History of Democracy in the United States;</em> Michael Waldman, <em>The Fight to Vote;</em> Ari Berman, <em>Give Us the Ballot: The Modern Struggle for Voting Rights in America;</em> and Gloria J. Browne-Marshall, <em>The Voting Rights War: The NAACP and the Ongoing Struggle for Justice.</em>

Before the current Supreme Court term opened, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said, &ldquo;There&rsquo;s only one prediction that is entirely safe about the upcoming term. It will be momentous.&rdquo; The momentous cases confronting the Court in this and recent terms relate to free speech, religious liberty and LGBT rights, immigration, union dues, voting rights, and redistricting and gerrymandering. But why are these cases coming before the Supreme Court at this point in time? Constitutionally, how did we get here? From <em>Marbury v. Madison</em> (1803) to <em>Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission</em> (2018), this course will trace the history of some of the landmark cases and the political, economic, and social ideas and conditions that have led to significant recent decisions and present-day cases in the United States Supreme Court.

The American Civil War began in 1861 and ended with the peace treaty signed at Appomattox in 1865. The 13th Amendment, ratified in 1865, ended slavery in the United States. The battle over how to remember and interpret the conflict and its causes, however, had just begun. From the Confederacy and America&rsquo;s &ldquo;peculiar institution&rdquo; (i.e., slavery) to ongoing battles over memory, representation, and justice, the issues of race and freedom, which are central to the Civil War, continue to affect our lives today. In this course, we will look to classic and contemporary texts in American literature to examine the cultural impact of the Civil War and the uneasy peace that has followed it. What did the war mean to later generations? How were they&mdash;and how are we&mdash;to remember the bloodiest conflict in American history? Potential texts include relevant works by Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, Mark Twain, W. E. B. Du Bois, James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, John Lewis, Ava DuVernay, Ta-Nehisi Coates, and Michelle Alexander.

In the latter part of the 1800s, San Francisco was the great urban center in northern California, while in southern California, most observers regarded San Diego as the region&rsquo;s premier city. And yet, Los Angeles rose to become one of the largest and most powerful cities in the world. In addition to its best-known exports and industries&mdash;including mass entertainment&mdash;Los Angeles has been an incubator of ethnic diversity and political radicalism on the left and on the right. Los Angeles offers us a fascinating window into the history of urban and suburban America. This one-day course explores the political, legal, economic, cultural, and spatial issues that have animated LA&rsquo;s rise, and it delves into what the future holds for the city. Readings may include selections from Mike Davis, <em>City of Quartz: Excavating the Future in Los Angeles;</em> Eric Avila, <em>Popular Culture in the Age of White Flight: Fear and Fantasy in Suburban Los Angeles;</em> Daniel Hurewitz, <em>Bohemian Los Angeles and the Making of Modern Politics;</em> and Jerald Podair, <em>City of Dreams: Dodger Stadium and the Birth of Modern Los Angeles.</em>

In 1956, when Adlai Stevenson was running for president, a supporter at a rally shouted, &ldquo;You&rsquo;ll have the vote of every thinking person in America!&rdquo; Stevenson, the Democratic nominee, replied, &ldquo;Thanks, but I need a majority.&rdquo; In the age of Trump, such skepticism about the intellectual curiosity of most Americans seems more common than ever. This course explores the roots of anti-intellectual sentiment in the United States and evaluates how it relates to, and complicates, the country&rsquo;s first principles and self-image. We will consider how a country that has risen to global dominance&mdash;in no small part through investments in education&mdash;also maintains a strain of boastful &ldquo;know-nothing&rdquo; ignorance. Readings may include work from Allan Bloom, Martha Nussbaum, Dana Goldstein, John Dewey, and Frederick Douglass.

Although officially unified into a single state in the 19th century, Italy remains fractured by regional divisions and &ldquo;meridionalism,&rdquo; a belief held by some in the industrial north of the country that the agrarian south is politically and culturally backward. This course will separate truth from myth by introducing you to the rich cultural history of the Mezzogiorno, or southern Italy. We will discover the haunting, formerly cave-dwelling city of Matera in the Basilicata region&mdash;a city that, in 2019, will be the European Capital of Culture in Italy. In Paestum, a once-thriving city in the Campania region, we will explore Doric temples dating from 600 to 450 BCE and monuments to early Greek civilization in Magna Graecia (coastal areas of southern Italy), as well as the city of Amalfi, Italy&rsquo;s oldest republic and a formerly independent city-state that predates any commune in the North. We also will learn about the Puglia and Calabria regions, rounding out our comprehensive look at southern Italy.

The 19th century witnessed an unprecedented, explosive growth of cities. Employment and lifestyle opportunities beckoned millions from the countryside to urban centers, only to expose them to overcrowding, poverty, and disease. Great cultural synergies, spectacular accomplishments, and the means to address problems resulted, as well. Paris emerged from chaos to become the City of Light. London, amid its Dickensian fog, transformed itself into the culture capital of the world. New York became a great metropolis. Explore the emergence of these great cities into modernity. Discuss the differences in culture, economies, and politics, with a look back at yesterday.

A growing body of fascinating research and writing has focused on the lives of women in the Ancient Near East (Israel, Mesopotamia, Babylon, and Sumer). In this course, explore the varied ways the position of women has been defined here, in both domestic and socio-political spheres. Examine how women participated in the broad social institutions of their time, as well as in specifically female institutions that were later forgotten or suppressed. Class discussions cover women rulers, goddesses and priestesses, sexual relationships and political power, marriage and divorce, dowries, and inheritance rights, among other topics.

<p>On December 12, 1531, Juan Diego, a humble Nahua Indian, had a vision of a radiant lady speaking to him in his native Nahuatl language and sending him to the bishop with a miraculous gift of roses. In the bishop&rsquo;s presence, the visionary lady&rsquo;s image appeared miraculously on Juan Diego&rsquo;s cloak. So goes the story, built over the centuries with layers of colorful detail. This image, crucial as a unifying national symbol in the 19th and 20th centuries, continues to be recognized as <i>the</i> symbol of Mexico. The profane and the devout display their Guadalupe images, dangling from rearview mirrors, painted on hubcaps, sewn onto denim jackets, and tattooed on their bodies. Explore the origins and power that lie behind this singular symbol.</p>

<p> She was bejeweled, tyrannical, conceited, and gracious. A brilliant linguist, she ruled her colorful court with an iron fist and governed her loyal subjects with equal determination. Learn about the life of this remarkable Tudor monarch by examining her ideas, formative years, courtiers, marriage dalliances, and spectacular images. More than 400 years after her death, why do scholars still debate her extraordinary reign? Discover her true views on religion and Parliament, learn why processions were important for her image and her purse, how she was perceived by her contemporaries, and why she was known as <i>Gloriana.</i></p>

The rising tensions between the United States and Russia in the 21st century came as a surprise to many people old enough to remember the fall of the Berlin Wall and collapse of the Soviet Union, as well as younger Americans with no memory of the Cold War. This course will focus on some of the most important and influential leaders in Russian history by analyzing how the modern Russian state developed through the centuries, what these leaders thought Russia&rsquo;s place in the world should be, how Russian art and literature reflected the pride and sentiments of these leaders, and what lessons from the past can be applied to gain a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of Russia and its leadership today. The leaders to be analyzed and discussed are Peter the Great, Catherine the Great, Alexander I, Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, Nikita Khrushchev, Mikhail Gorbachev, and Vladimir Putin.

<p><strong>Register for this Summer 2023 course on the new <a href="https://nyusps.gatherlearning.com/events/jfk-from-foreign-policy-to-his-view-of-americas-role-in-the-world">NYU SPS Academy of Lifelong Learning website</a>.</strong></p><br><br><br><br><p>While his presidency was tragically cut short in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963, John F. Kennedy had a profound vision for the world and America&rsquo;s place in it that still reverberates in the twenty-first century. From his promise that the United States would one day put a man on the moon to dealing with the threat of nuclear war during the height of the Cold War, Kennedy not only faced a series of foreign policy challenges that would alter the course of history, but also challenged the American people to rise up to the occasion and embrace the role the United States found itself in at the beginning of his administration. Through the lens of the Cold War, this course explores a variety of topics, including the relationship between JFK and Nikita Khrushchev, the Space Race, Cuba under the reign of Fidel Castro, the construction of the Berlin Wall, Israel, decolonization and the emergence of new states comprising the Global South, and more.&nbsp;<strong>Summer 2023 tuition is $499.</strong></p>

<span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; COLOR: windowtext; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><br><br><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-AUTOSPACE: ideograph-numeric; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; mso-layout-grid-align: auto" class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; COLOR: windowtext; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin">Although Italy has been unified since the late 19th century, many Italians still identify themselves regionally rather than nationally. From history to food, language, and culture, regional variations continue to be vibrant in Italy. In this series on Italy's regions, explore the Veneto and its contributions to the arts and culture and discover what makes it different from the rest of the country. Learn about its centuries as a leading world maritime power, its ties to the Byzantine world, its important artists (Titian, Tintoretto, Palladio, and many others), its role in the history of symphonic and operatic music, its cuisine, and the region's modern history.</span></p><br><br><p></p></span>

In this series on Italy&rsquo;s regions, explore Umbria and its neighbor, Le Marche. Both regions formed part of the powerful Papal States until Italian unification in the 19th century, yet each has a unique local culture. Umbria is home to the Franciscan order and the school of painting that produced Perugino and Pinturicchio. Le Marche, though unfamiliar to many tourists, is home to remarkable small cities like Urbino and Ascoli Piceno. Raphael was born in the region, and the Montefeltro, Sforza, and other powerful families attracted great artists like Piero della Francesca and Paolo Uccello to their courts.

From seaside resorts to servants, Jane Austen has left us a remarkable legacy in her descriptions of life in the Regency England that she knew. Her personal perceptions of that era, described in her novels and copious letters, provide the inspiration and framework for us to study some of the major themes and realities of life in England during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Learn about the well-established tradition of country house touring, along with the stately home interiors she saw; the importance of shops and fashion; the improvement of landscape gardens; and&nbsp;the popularity of theatre, from amateur to professional. Austen&rsquo;s descriptions of these dimensions of life in Regency England will give us significant insight into the unique historical context in which she lived and worked.

Italy has a long and enduring tradition of strong women finding their own paths and voices. Their varied accomplishments possess a <em>sui generis </em>freshness that precludes treating them as a category. The great women of Italy come from everywhere on the peninsula and from every stratum of society. Whatever their origins, they have thrived, finding themselves in demand in highly competitive environments. They have exploited the multiplicity of roles incumbent on a woman&rsquo;s life to add richness and dimension to their works. Their example is one of a capacious and energetic approach to the world, precisely the right one for our global age. We will study, among others, Artemisia Gentileschi (painter), Grazia Deledda (Nobel laureate), Maria Montessori (pedagogical pioneer), Gae Aulenti (architect), Lina Wertm&uuml;ller (filmmaker), and finally, the compelling Elena Ferrante (author).

In exploring an immense Italian cultural heritage, the voyage encompasses Roman architecture and law; Brunelleschi&rsquo;s dome and Palladio&rsquo;s villas; Machiavelli&rsquo;s <em>The Prince,</em> Dante&rsquo;s <em>Divine Comedy,</em> and the realism of Boccaccio&rsquo;s <em>The Decameron;</em> da Vinci&rsquo;s <i>Mona Lisa </i>and Michelangelo&rsquo;s <em>David;</em> and Galileo&rsquo;s and Fermi&rsquo;s contributions to modern science and Marconi&rsquo;s invention of the radio. As the first to develop universities, monasticism, the field of political science, and the modern orchestra, Italians can be said to have civilized the rest of Europe&mdash;and they continue to influence culture today in such areas as food, fashion, and design.

Using sources in art, literature, and archaeology, this course will examine race and ethnicity in the ancient Western world. Ancient theories and attitudes on race and ethnicity help to shed light on how Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Persians, and others perceived themselves and other groups within the diverse collection of cultures surrounding the Mediterranean. Viewed against modern conceptions of race and ethnicity, these sources will demonstrate the fluid nature of such categories in the ancient world and illustrate how recent movements (e.g., white supremacy) have intentionally misinterpreted and misappropriated classical sources in an attempt to bolster racist agendas.

<p dir="ltr"><strong>Register for this Fall 2022 course on the new <a href="https://nyusps.gatherlearning.com/events/the-united-states-supreme-court-in-the-21st-century">NYU SPS Academy of Lifelong Learning</a>&nbsp;website.</strong></p><br><br><br><br><p dir="ltr">Registration for this course will end on <strong>Thursday, September 8 at 11:59pm EDT</strong> to allow time for processing COVID-related requirements. If you want to register after this date, please contact the academic department at <strong>sps.all@nyu.edu </strong>to determine if an exception can be made.</p><br><br><br><br><p dir="ltr">This course examines America&rsquo;s economic, political, religious, and social issues through the prism of influential and controversial Supreme Court cases and decisions in the 21st century. First we will review the major decisions of 2000 - 2019, then discuss the nominations and confirmations of former President Trump and the historic nomination by President Biden of the first Black woman to the highest Court. We continue with the major cases from 2019 to the present, especially the pivotal cases that broach some of the most contentious issues in American politics, including religion, guns, voting rights, and abortion. Since the Court&rsquo;s approval rating is sinking to its lowest level ever (40%), we will critique changes being considered, including the Court&rsquo;s role in the Constitution, the length of service of the Justices, and the size of the Court. We conclude with an analysis of whether Justice Amy Coney Barrett was correct when she bluntly declared that, &quot;this Court is not comprised of a bunch of partisan hacks.&quot;&nbsp;Questions? Contact us at The Center for Applied Liberal Arts (CALA). Email sps.cala@nyu.edu or call 212-998-7289.&nbsp;<strong>Fall 2022 tuition is $699.</strong></p><br><br><br><br><p dir="ltr">&nbsp;</p>

<p>This week-long, college-level program immerses you in dynamic lectures, captivating readings, spirited debate, and socializing with peers, without the pressures of tests and papers. Guided by the most popular instructors within the NYUSPS Center for Applied Liberal Arts (CALA), receive a dynamic introduction to a variety of fascinating subjects&mdash;from literature and political science to history to film studies. Each morning features a lecture by a different instructor followed by a light lunch reception where students can discuss what they learned in the morning&rsquo;s sessions. Whether you graduated decades ago, you never attended college, or you love the sense of being part of campus life, this course allows you to explore your intellectual pursuits while making new friends.</p><br><br><br><br><p><strong>Day One<br /><br><br>Francis Morrone:</strong> Creative Cities in History: 1920s Midtown Manhattan; <strong>Susan Matthias:</strong> Franz Kafka: Art or Life? (Please read &ldquo;The Judgment&rdquo; in advance.)</p><br><br><br><br><p><strong>Day Two</strong><br /><br><br><strong>Juliana Gilheany:</strong> History of the US Supreme Court; <strong>Lorella Brocklesby:</strong> A Passion for Travel: The English and the Grand Tour</p><br><br><br><br><p><strong>Day Three</strong><br /><br><br><strong>Andrea Grover:</strong> Matera: From the Shame of Italy to European Capital of Culture</p><br><br><br><br><p><strong>Day Four</strong><br /><br><br><strong>Michael Zam:</strong> The Best Film You (Probably) Haven&rsquo;t Seen</p><br><br><br><br><p><strong>Day Five</strong><br /><br><br><strong>Edmund Cionek:</strong> Gustav Holst&rsquo;s &ldquo;The Planets&rdquo;; <strong>Emily Folpe:</strong> Edgar Degas&rsquo;s Women; <strong>Margaret Boe Birns:</strong> Elena Ferrante&rsquo;s <em>My Brilliant Friend</em> (Please read <em>My Brilliant Friend</em> in advance.)</p>

<p><br><br><style type="text/css"><!--td {border: 1px solid #cccccc;}br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;}--><br><br></style><br><br><strong>Register for this Spring 2023 course on the new NYU SPS Academy of Lifelong Learning website for <a href="https://nyusps.gatherlearning.com/events/the-next-new-york-city-section-one-in-person">The Next New York City Section 1</a>&nbsp;or <a href="https://nyusps.gatherlearning.com/events/the-next-new-york-city-section-two-online">The Next New York City Section 2</a>.</strong></p><br><br><br><br><p>A &ldquo;world city&rdquo; is a super-productive node in the global economy. An influential annual &ldquo;Global Cities Index&rdquo; consistently ranks New York first, ahead of London, Paris, and Tokyo. We are also told that to avert climate disaster, we must &ldquo;densify&rdquo;&mdash;a turnabout for environmentalists who were once anti-city, and now see cities as the solution. All this means world cities should be more welcoming to newcomers&mdash;yet barriers to entry are greater than ever. To see where New York and other cities are headed, we will read and discuss provocative recent books meant to get us thinking about the near- and long-term future of cities.&nbsp;<br><br><style type="text/css"><!--td {border: 1px solid #cccccc;}br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;}--><br><br></style><br><br><strong>Spring 2023 tuition is $559.</strong></p>

The villages of England are romantic and picturesque, but what is the history behind these intriguing places? This course uncovers the varied and remarkable history of English villages, as well as the ways of life of the people that have inhabited them from the Middle Ages to present day. Discover the importance of taverns, markets, schools, the vicarage, the village pond, and the imposing parish church, and become familiar with rare local traditions. The course also explores the fascinating differences between villages in the north and south, including the stone-clad villages of Yorkshire; the thatched hamlets of Devon; the much-photographed villages of Finchingfield and Grantchester; Bampton, which is featured in <em>Downtown Abbey;</em> and the Cornwall villages featured in the <em>Poldark</em> books.

Detroit was one of the most important American cities in the 20th century&mdash;it was known as the &ldquo;Arsenal of Democracy&rdquo; during the 1940s and was home to the nation&rsquo;s automobile industry in the middle of the century. In the summer of 2013, the city filed for bankruptcy. How did Detroit&rsquo;s fortunes decline so significantly? This one-day course explores some of the key issues&mdash;including race, labor, urban politics, and law&mdash;that lie at the heart of the urban decline of one of America&rsquo;s great cities. We will investigate the loss of population and of industry and the rise of inequality. Does Detroit have another transformation in its future? We will explore some of the ways that new investment and entrepreneurship are seeking to re-create Detroit as a key postindustrial city. Readings may include selections from Thomas Sugrue&rsquo;s <em>The Origins of the Urban Crisis: Race and Inequality in Postwar Detroit,</em> Rebecca J. Kinney&rsquo;s <em>Beautiful Wasteland: The Rise of Detroit as America&rsquo;s Postindustrial Frontier, </em>Nathan Bomey&rsquo;s <em>Detroit Resurrected: To Bankruptcy and Back,</em> and Charlie LeDuff&rsquo;s <em>Detroit: An American Autopsy.</em>

In 1916, a Jamaican immigrant named Marcus Garvey arrived in New York City to lead the largest mass movement of African Americans in history. That same year, anarchist Emma Goldman captivated a crowd at Union Square as she insisted on women&rsquo;s right to control their own bodies. In 1911, a fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory galvanized thousands of workers, mainly immigrant women, to demand better conditions. Sound familiar? This course will explore New York&rsquo;s rich activist past by focusing on the struggles for workers&rsquo; rights, racial justice, and gender and sexual equality. Not only will we read about this history, but we also will discuss and debate it, listen to it (through recordings of political speeches and music), look at it (via film clips), and physically visit&mdash;through walking tours&mdash;some of the places where these movements took place.

The princely courts of Italy sparkled with art, intellect, and opulence as the Black Death claimed huge numbers of lives in the lands all around them. From the mid-13th to the late-16th century, Italy was a honeycomb of these courts, the grandest of which were centered in Rome, Milan, and Naples, with lesser-known but equally ambitious courts in Padua, Verona, Rimini, and Bologna. The courts served as cultural centers whose <em>signori</em> dispensed patronage, bought jewels, hosted banquets, and staged sumptuous festivals both secular and religious. It was in Verona in 1308 that Dante found refuge from Florentine politics and wrote his <em>Divine Comedy.</em> Even in the era of plague, patronage in the grand style continued. We will examine the political and cultural significance of the princely courts in their proper historical context through a literary lens. Readings include Dante&rsquo;s <em>Inferno,</em> Burckhardt&rsquo;s &ldquo;The State as a Work of Art&rdquo; in <em>The Civilization of the Renaissance,</em> Cellini&rsquo;s <em>Autobiography,</em> and Boccaccio&rsquo;s <em>Decameron.</em>

One of Italy&rsquo;s best-kept secrets is its flourishing Jewish community. Present since Roman times, Italian Jewry has made important contributions in many fields, including literature, journalism, publishing, and the arts, as witnessed by the recent sale of a Modigliani painting for $170 million. With a recent increase in anti-Semitism and with the neofascist CasaPound party firmly ensconced in the Italian government along with the populist Five Star Movement and the League parties, the study of the age-old Jewish presence in Italy becomes even more compelling. Course topics include Jewish life in the Roman Empire, the Renaissance and the ghetto, Jews under fascism, Jews in the Italian literary imagination, Jewish art in Italy, and the diminishing Jewish presence in contemporary Italy. We will read Primo Levi&rsquo;s <em>The Periodic Table,</em> Carlo Levi&rsquo;s <em>Christ Stopped at Eboli,</em> and David Kertzer&rsquo;s <em>The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara.</em>

In the context of the current rise of authoritarianism and the assault on democratic government in several Western countries, it is instructive to study why the more inclusive governments of early Renaissance Italian communes gave way to one-man rule. We will uncover the politics, influence, imagination, and intrigues of such families as Florence&rsquo;s Medici, who were bankers and patrons extraordinaire; the unscrupulous Borgias, who tried to enlarge the Papal States to make them hereditary fiefs; the Montefeltro of Urbino; the Sforza of Milan; and the Gonzaga of Mantua. These powerful signori&mdash;some aristocratic, others bourgeois&mdash;shaped Italy&rsquo;s outstanding culture. Learn how their families solidified control, extended their importance abroad through alliances and arranged marriages, and ruled in their sumptuous courts. We will read Machiavelli&rsquo;s <em>The Prince</em> and <em>The Discourses,</em> Castiglione&rsquo;s <em>Courtier,</em> and Vasari&rsquo;s <em>Lives of the Artists.</em>

Between the French Revolution and the early 20th century, Europe was characterized by a new system of international relations in which nations pursued diplomatic objectives based on state interests. Learn about the major diplomatic events in this period that changed Europe and the world&mdash;and that continue to influence us today. Topics include the French Revolution, the Napoleonic Wars, the Congress of Vienna and Restoration Europe, the Revolution of 1848, nationalism and political unification in Central Europe, imperialism, and Bismarck&rsquo;s balance of power system. These diplomatic events are discussed in relation to internal political, social, and economic events of the period.

From historic cities to remote villages, follow in the footsteps of Henry James to gain rare insights into the England that he knew so well and that he described so brilliantly. From his perceptive descriptions, learn about late Victorian England and the country houses, castles, cathedrals, and spas that he visited; the customs he experienced; and the people he met. Explore the many places that lured him, including North Devon, Stratford-upon-Avon, the seaside resort of Brighton, London&#8217;s parks, Liverpool, ancient Chester, and of course, his beloved &#8220;little pyramid&#8221; town of Rye in Sussex.

The great goddess of the ancient Near East&mdash;a life-force and a deity of fertility and intimate communion&mdash;goes by many names, according to the different cultural contexts in which she appears: Inanna of Sumer, Ishtar of Babylonia, and Astarte of Aramaean texts, and is related to Asherah of Ugaritic writings and the Hebrew scriptures. In this afternoon seminar, read and discuss Sumerian and Babylonian poems and hymns to the goddess, while comparing them to the Bible&rsquo;s Song of Songs. Also, examine the sacred marriage rite involving the goddess and the kings of Sumer and Babylon.

<p>Take an exploratory journey from Paris to Sicily to uncover the breathtaking ingenuity of Europe&rsquo;s medieval cathedrals. From the dramatic Romanesque to the soaring gothic, discover the history of evolving architectural styles and decorative elements over more than four centuries. We will examine splendors including the cathedrals at Chartres, Arles, Bordeaux, Barcelona, Pisa, Lisbon with its unique medieval gateway, and the outstanding interiors of Valencia cathedral in Spain. We will compare important medieval abbeys including those at Caen in Northern France, whose daring innovations remain as impressive as the cathedrals. The course concludes with a study of the interior of 12th-century Monreale in Sicily, commissioned by a Norman king and adorned with rare shimmering mosaics. Blending history and art history, this course is perfect for those with an interest in Medieval Europe or European cultural history more broadly.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Anyone who&#8217;s ever looked up at a clear night sky and tried to identify planets or constellations can understand people&#8217;s fascination with astronomy. Learn to go beyond the incredible natural wonder of stars and planets to gain an understanding of some of astronomy&#8217;s basic principles. Topics include stars; the Earth&#8212;its atmosphere, auroras, interior, and magnetosphere; other solar planets; asteroids and comets; and models of the evolution of the pre-solar stellar nebula. Also, look at the formation of planets, asteroids, and comets; recent observations of &#8220;exo-planets&#8221;&#8212;planets that have been discovered outside of our sun&#8217;s environment; and the formation of the galaxies and the universe vis-&#224;-vis the big bang.</p>

<p>Register for this Fall 2023 course on the new <a href="https://nyusps.gatherlearning.com/events/us-foreign-relations-1960s-to-the-present">NYU SPS Academy of Lifelong Learning website</a>.</p><br><br><br><br><p>We will study the history of US foreign relations from the first decades of the Cold War and Vietnam to the &ldquo;present Cold War.&rdquo; In 1783, George Washington proclaimed the United States a rising empire. By the close of World War II, it had become a superpower. Why and how did the US expand into a political, military, economic, and cultural colossus?&nbsp; What were the values, traditions and policies that informed the achievement of that power and how have post-World War II events affected our nation&rsquo;s position in the world?&nbsp;<strong>Fall 2023 tuition is $799.</strong></p><br><br><br><br><p><em><strong>Registering at least three weeks prior to the course start date is highly recommended.</strong></em></p>

Sicily, throughout its history, has been extraordinarily cosmopolitan, an island on which different religious communities coexisted and several languages were spoken. The genesis of this multi- and intercultural society can be traced to when the island was part of the Byzantine Empire and culturally Greek, and the subsequent Arab occupation of the ninth century. After the Norman conquest, which began in 1061, Sicily became an independent and powerful kingdom. The art and architecture of its capital, Palermo, embody the region&rsquo;s multicultural history and provide us with stunning examples of the fusion of Byzantine, Islamic, and North European forms. In this course, we will explore a sometimes overlooked aspect of Italian history by examining the Norman architectural treasures of Sicily, many of which were recently designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Discover the history and the treasures of some of England&#8217;s magnificent and stately homes, from medieval moated manors to vast Victorian mansions, and from the grandeur of Blenheim Palace to the lesser-known Danson House just outside London. In each session, evaluate the impact of successive owners on the houses, and study specific rooms that mirror the changing styles and fashions, social and cultural contexts, status, and even eccentricities that evolved over several centuries in great halls, dining rooms, bedrooms, state rooms, libraries, and nurseries. Also, discuss <I>Downtown Abbey</I>&#8217;s role in sparking renewed interest in country house visiting.

<p>Gain rare cultural insights into the opulence, innovations, and scandals of the decades that spanned the latter years of Queen Victoria&rsquo;s reign and into the reign of her son, Edward VII, the Prince of Wales, who succeeded her in 1901. Each day focuses on a different and illuminating aspect of these eras, including court society, American heiresses, art, gardens, fashion, leisure, dining, and impressive architecture. A light breakfast will be served each morning.</p><br><br><br><br><p><strong>Day One: <em>The Marlborough House Set, Scandals, and Courtiers</em></strong></p><br><br><br><br><p>The aristocratic friends of the future Edward VII who met at the famous Marlborough House in London; courtly scandals and the famous Countess of Warwick whose memoirs shed interesting light on late Victorian and Edwardian royal society; the lives of Jennie Jerome and Consuelo Vanderbilt, Duchess of Marlborough at Blenheim Palace.</p><br><br><br><br><p><strong>Day Two:</strong> <strong><em>Painters and Peacocks</em></strong></p><br><br><br><br><p>Queen Victoria&rsquo;s favorite artists including Landseer, who designed the lions in Trafalgar Square; Whistler&rsquo;s controversial decorations of the <em>Peacock Room</em> (now in the Freer Gallery in Washington, DC); Whistler and his court action for libel against the influential aesthete, John Ruskin; John Singer Sargent in London and his studio in Chelsea where he painted Henry James.</p><br><br><br><br><p><strong>Day Three: <em>Leisure, Fashion, and Travel</em></strong></p><br><br><br><br><p>The Victorian and Edwardian <em>fashionista;</em> dressing for theatre and public events; theatrical idols of the Edwardian era; gardening pleasures and the formally vibrant Victorian gardens; popular dining and famous London and provincial restaurants; vacations; Queen Victoria&rsquo;s travels by train to Scotland; the Edwardian motor car.</p><br><br><br><br><p><strong>Day Four:</strong> <strong><em>From Gothic to Queen Anne and Art Nouveau</em></strong></p><br><br><br><br><p>The impressive medieval revival buildings of the Victorian era including the Houses of Parliament, the town hall at Manchester, the impressive St Pancras Station in London; the beautiful Thames bridges including Chelsea Bridge and Tower Bridge; the Edwardian interest in art nouveau and other innovative turn-of-the-century treasures.</p>

Explore the art, history, and cultures of the Southwest, from ancient Native American homeland to contemporary multicultural mosaic. Learn about the 2,000-year-old ancestral Pueblo culture, and explore major archaeological sites&mdash;Chaco Canyon, Mesa Verde, and Canyon de Chelly&mdash;and their spectacular compounds, cliff dwellings, and intriguing petroglyphs. Learn about the historical communities of the Hopi and Zuni peoples, along with their Navajo and Apache neighbors. Topics include the impact of the Spanish arrival, the role of Anglos as settlers, the vibrant avant-garde arts scene of the 1920s and &rsquo;30s, and contemporary literary and art figures.

<p>Follow a path from the medieval to the Edwardian. Study fascinating treasures, dazzling or domestic, secret or popular, that illuminate the historic background of the era in which they were created. Examine rarities that include royal charters, crowns, tapestries, books, jewels, armor, and domestic items and discover the many British locations where they are exhibited including mansions, libraries, castles, cathedrals, and town halls. Also study treasures that are associated with important 2015 commemorations including <em>Magna Carta</em>&nbsp;(1215), the Battle of Agincourt (1415), Wellington&rsquo;s victory at Waterloo (1815), and the poignant mementoes of Emma Hamilton who died in the same year.</p>

<p>Although Italy has been united since the late-19th century, many Italians still identify themselves regionally rather than nationally. From history to food, language, and culture, regional variations thrive in Italy. In this series on Italy&rsquo;s regions, explore Puglia and its contributions to arts, culture, and gastronomy. Discover why Frederick II, the Holy Roman Emperor, built castles at Castel del Monte, Bari, and Trani; why exquisite Apulian Romanesque churches, like the one in Ruvo, will take your breath away; why beehive-like stone structures called <em>trulli</em> dot central Puglia; and why burrata and Apulian olive oil and bread are on every stylish restaurant table.</p>

<p>Discover the distinctive culture and unique geography and ecology of the Andes. From a brief chronological survey of Andean cultures, move to the Inca Empire, which flourished on the eve of the Spanish conquest of Peru. Learn about the Inca capital of Cusco&#8212;center of Tawantinsuyu, the &#8220;Empire of the Four Quarters&#8221;&#8212;and view the most distinctive architecture and artifacts of Inca culture. Take a close look at the world heritage site of Machu Picchu, viewing the royal buildings and sacred ceremonial spaces of this spectacular archaeological site. Also, discuss contemporary issues of world cultural heritage, patrimony, and repatriation of artifacts.</p>

Monarchs, courtiers, writers, scholars, soldiers, merchants, and architects&mdash;learn about the impressive figures whose momentous achievements shaped England&rsquo;s Middle Ages. This illustrated survey spans a 400-year period and examines the remarkable exploits of famous and lesser-known figures at court, in the city, and in the countryside, in both England and abroad. In each thematic session, learn about such monumental figures as William Marshal, famous knight; Eleanor of Aquitaine, queen consort of France and England; William Fitz Stephen, clerk to Thomas Becket; Roger Bacon, 13th-century scholar; William of Wykeham, founder of an Oxford college; Geoffrey Chaucer; Henry V; Philippa, wife of Edward III; and Gundulf of Rochester, designer of the Tower of London.

Explore the 2,500-year history of pre-Columbian civilizations in the Andean world. Beginning with Caral, the first city of Ancient America, we look at the mysterious shamanistic Chav&iacute;n culture. We then move to Paracas, famous for its elaborate textiles used for mummy bundles, and Nazca, with its unprecedented geoglyphs. Next, we focus on the Moche culture, featuring extraordinary art and iconography and the richest tomb of Ancient America. Final sessions focus on the Tiwanaku and Huari highland empires, the Chim&uacute; of northern Peru, concluding with visits to the celebrated Inca (or Inka) culture, as seen in such sites as Cusco, P&iacute;sac, and Machu Picchu.

Explore the political and cultural division of the United States leading up to the Civil War. We will examine the myriad conflicts: economic and political, legal and constitutional, and ideological and moral. This course will delve into the experiences of common people as well as prominent individuals of the period. We will consider the perspectives of Lincoln and Davis, Grant and Lee, and Douglass and Tubman, as well as those of abolitionists, slave owners, and enslaved people&mdash;in bondage and dubious freedom. After our journey through the war itself, we will weigh the legacies of Reconstruction in terms of redemption, racism, and segregation.

The year 2016 commemorates the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare&rsquo;s death. This course, by way of homage, explores the London where Shakespeare worked and performed, from the bawdy south bank of the Thames to the rapidly growing city on the river&rsquo;s north bank. We also study city life and the historic districts particularly known to Shakespeare, including ancient Bishopsgate where he lived. Learn about London&rsquo;s many theatres, including the famous Globe and its prominent rivals, and the many theater inns, including the Boar&rsquo;s Head, which may have been the tavern where Falstaff caroused with the future Henry V.

The name William Morris is associated with exquisite arts and crafts designs, but he also was a writer, political activist, book collector, interior designer, and artist&mdash;truly a Victorian phenomenon. Study these extraordinary facets of his life and ideas, and explore his unusual homes, including the arts and crafts Red House near London and beautiful Kelmscott Manor in a Cotswold village, which was the setting for a scandalous household. Examine the creative collaborations with his friends and patrons, and learn why he was so inspired by the Middle Ages and why he is still influential in the 21st century.

Most political theorists and historians agree that the war that began in 1914 shocked the world into the 20th century, causing radical changes to virtually all aspects of political, economic, and social life. Learn about the changes that altered the nature of political institutions, governmental structures, and social movements, culminating in a unique new relationship between the individual and the state. Explore the major problems of restructuring Europe&rsquo;s economy, the rise of fascism and Nazism, and democracy&rsquo;s fear of the spread of communism&mdash;all of which culminated in another great war, the results of which again changed the course of history.

Unravel the greatest mysteries of the universe in this introductory astronomy course. Track the universe&rsquo;s development, from the Big Bang to the early creation of light matter and the formation of large gas galaxies and their stars and planets. Topics to be discussed include the evolution of the stars to produce heavy elements within their interior; the explosion of massive stars, known as <em>supernovae;</em> and the production of black holes, white dwarfs, and &ldquo;fading&rdquo; stars. Gain an introduction to basic principles of astronomy, including telescopes, interferometers, satellites, and light in all its many forms. Also, examine natural forces such as gravity, electric forces, magnetic forces, and nuclear forces. Lectures and short films will make these complex topics accessible. No previous knowledge of astronomy, physics, or mathematics is needed.

Everyone cites the First Amendment&rsquo;s protection of free speech&mdash;from protestors during wartime to students on college campuses. Although the words of the First Amendment have not changed, the interpretation of what the First Amendment means&mdash;which speech is protected and which is not&mdash;has varied over the course of American history. This course explores some of the key moments during which the very meaning of &ldquo;free speech&rdquo; has been redefined. Examining a mix of historical sources, legal cases, and philosophical arguments, explore the key free speech debates that have demarcated the boundaries of what can&mdash;and cannot&mdash;be said in the United States. This one-day course focuses specifically on political speech over the last 100 years, which offers us a chance to examine in detail this critical area of law and its development over time.

<p><strong>Register for this Fall 2022 course on the new <a href="https://nyusps.gatherlearning.com/events/the-supreme-court-and-issues-of-church-and-state">NYU SPS Academy of Lifelong Learning</a> website.</strong></p><br><br><br><br><p>In 1802, Thomas Jefferson, in a letter to the Danbury Baptist Association, coined the famous phrase (not found in the Constitution), &ldquo;a wall of separation between Church and State.&rdquo; This course offers an introduction to the Religion Clauses of the First Amendment (&ldquo;Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof&rdquo;). In this one-day course, we will explore selected topics relating to provisions, referred to as the Establishment Clause and Free Exercise Clause. We will study the changing analysis of the Supreme Court&rsquo;s decisions about religion, particularly in recent years. Readings will include excerpts from Supreme Court cases. Questions? Contact us at The Center for Applied Liberal Arts (CALA). Email sps.cala@nyu.edu or call 212-998-7289.&nbsp;<strong>Fall 2022 tuition is&nbsp;$150.</strong></p><br><br><br><br><p>&nbsp;</p>

The &ldquo;Southern Question&rdquo; has been a major topic in Italian political, economic, and cultural life for more than a century. In contemporary Italy, the Northern League has promised to dissociate the South from the North, even to the point of secession. The South remains a resonant theme in Italian literature. <em>Meridionalismo,</em> the belief that the South is an irredeemable victim of its cultural and political backwardness, informs the mind-set of much of Italy, including some of the country&rsquo;s greatest writers&mdash;northerners and southerners alike. In this course, we&rsquo;ll read and discuss Italian writers who grapple with the Southern Question and the South&rsquo;s place in Italy. Readings may include Luigi Pirandello&rsquo;s <i>Right You Are (If You Think So),</i> Leonardo Sciascia&rsquo;s <em>To Each His Own,</em> Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa&rsquo;s magisterial <i>Leopard,</i> Anna Maria Ortese&rsquo;s <i>The Bay Is Not Naples,</i> and the powerful novels of Elena Ferrante.

Spend an afternoon discussing key passages from the 4,000-year-old <em>Epic of Gilgamesh,</em> a work that stands at the headwaters of written literature. Making comparisons to biblical parallels, we&rsquo;ll look at the character of Gilgamesh as a questing hero who seeks to understand the mystery of death. Though in the end his search for immortality is stymied, he has many intriguing adventures along the way. We&rsquo;ll examine the hero&rsquo;s encounters with the bull of the goddess Ishtar, as well as Gilgamesh&rsquo;s &ldquo;bromance&rdquo; with Enkidu, the wild man who is, in fact, Gilgamesh&rsquo;s double.

On a handful of occasions in American history, the very existence of the nation was in doubt. Each time, Americans were fortunate to have leaders capable of rising to the challenge. In this two-session course, we will study Washington as he chose to cross the Delaware and carry the fight to the British even as independence seemed lost, Lincoln as he steered the divided country through the Civil War, FDR as he confronted economic collapse during the banking crisis, and Kennedy as he faced the end of the world during the Cuban missile crisis. Using actual and reenacted video, instructor Jess Velona recreates the key meetings in which these leaders agonized over stark choices and the speeches by which they rallied the nation to meet the crisis. Always up for discussion is how these past leaders might have addressed the crises of pandemic and racial injustice in our own time.

The Jewish experience in Spain, Portugal, Italy, France, and Germany from the 14th to the mid-19th centuries provides a record of a people with great originality, creativity, and sense of identity. Concentrating on the organization of Jewish life and thought, this course explores the links among diverse events, including the pogroms that accompanied the Black Death in Germany and France, the establishment of Jewish loan banks in central and northern Italy during the late Middle Ages, attempts to convert the Jews of Spain to Christianity, the diaspora of Marranos in the Mediterranean, life in the ghetto, and the age of emancipation. Film screenings and recordings accompany lectures.

<p>Currently in the United States, there is a national debate about what CRT means and how it is taught in schools. These debates are being used by politicians and media outlets to influence public opinion and in some cases may have a real impact on state and local legislation around education and in upcoming elections. But what does &ldquo;CRT&rdquo; actually mean? In this class, we will demystify the two concepts that this acronym refers to: Critical Race Theory and Culturally Responsive Teaching. We will begin by unpacking the difference between Critical Race Theory as defined by legal scholars like Kimberle Crenshaw and Derrick Bell. We will then transition to looking at Culturally Responsive and relevant teaching as discussed by education scholars like Gloria Ladson Billings, William Tate, and Django Parris. What are the distinguishing features between the two ideas? Are there ideas of Critical Race Theory in Culturally Responsive Teaching? Are there ways that Critical Race Theory is applied more broadly in education? We will also spend time looking at examples of Culturally Responsive Teaching in schools and in popular culture through films such as <em>Abbott Elementary, Mr. Holland&#39;s Opus, Precious</em>, and <em>Stand and Deliver</em>. By the end of the course, students will not only be able to understand and discuss CRT, they will also gain insight into how teachers today are creating culturally relevant learning experiences in the classroom. Questions? Contact us at The Center for Applied Liberal Arts (CALA). Email sps.cala@nyu.edu or call 212-998-7289.</p><br><br><br><br><p>&nbsp;</p>

This is an ideal course for the person seeking a thorough introduction to, or an intensive review of, the history of Western civilization. Study Greece, Rome, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Reformation, European monarchies, the Enlightenment, the French and Industrial Revolutions, romanticism, nationalism, Marxism, fascism, and much more. Through readings, review, homework, and map study, gain basic knowledge of political, historic, and social periods, as well as crucial events, books, battles, persons, and dates.

<p>The historic buildings and lifestyle of late Victorian London were the subject of James&rsquo;s brilliant essays entitled <i>English Hours</i> (1905), which in turn, serve as the inspiration for this visually illustrated course. James&rsquo;s astute observations in those essays enable us to understand a city that the author knew so well&mdash;a city that he frequently admired and occasionally admonished. We examine in detail the many London places that he explored, from medieval to Thameside, including Westminster Abbey, the royal parks, Hampstead, Greenwich, and Chelsea. Also included are areas such as Bloomsbury, which were associated with the many artists, writers, and historians who were colleagues or associates of Henry James, the Londoner.</p><br><br><br><br><p>Please note that each course session will include a break for lunch.</p>

We trace fin-de-si&egrave;cle cultural developments in three metropolitan capitals that proved to be seedbeds of the birth of modernism in the arts and the world of ideas. In Vienna, we track the transformations of 19th-century aristocratic and bourgeois culture and the counterreactions that produced the secession movements of Klimt, Kokoschka, and Schiele. In Paris, we follow the symbolic languages of architecture, urban planning, entertainments, and world&rsquo;s fairs that show &ldquo;how Paris became Paris&rdquo;&mdash;a world of boulevards, cafes, dance halls, and <em>plein air</em> painting. In London, we view the emergence of an imperial capital and survey cross currents of culture ranging from nationalist expression to the cultivation of decadence, from Kipling to Oscar Wilde.

This course will examine the Nazi regime, from its roots in modern German history through the Holocaust, and introduce students to debates about the Nazi era. These include: did the Nazis rise to power due to economic crises, or deeper trends in German history? Did ordinary Germans actively support Nazi rule, or were they cowed into silence? Was the Holocaust the inevitable result of a longstanding plan, or the product of contingent events? To what extent did Jews resist, or rather passively accept their fate? Finally, why did so many supposedly &quot;ordinary&quot; men participate in mass slaughter? Possible lessons from German history for current threats to American democracy will also be considered. The course will include weekly readings, class discussion and lecture.

The 20th century began with London as the most important city in the world, a Paris that had been spectacularly remade over the last half century, and a New York with little sense of its destiny. Two world wars later, London and Paris had yielded their global supremacy to New York, which found itself the capital of just about everything, as no city had been since ancient Rome. This course covers art, architecture, politics, planning, and urban technology in the three cities, with particular emphasis on the impact of two unimaginably destructive wars and the cities&rsquo; recovery.

Explore England&#8217;s small towns and cities to uncover the secrets that have made these places unique. Study their history and development over the centuries, from medieval strongholds to Georgian market towns, as you learn about merchants&#8217; homes, celebrated coaching inns, famous and infamous residents, and unusual customs and traditions that still survive. The course takes you across England, from Carlisle in the north with its impressive Tudor castle, to the sea-swept artists&#8217; colony of St Ives in Cornwall, and from medieval Rochester&#8212;a haunt of Dickens&#8212;to the Georgian splendors of Bury St Edmunds not far from London.

<span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-variant-numeric:normal"><span style="font-variant-east-asian:normal"><span style="vertical-align:baseline"><span style="white-space:pre-wrap">Developing healthy relationships with allies is essential to becoming an effective advocate. Allyship is a lifelong process of building relationships based on trust and accountability. Allies share their privilege and empower marginalized groups despite the social discomfort they may experience. Critics warn that allyship can lose meaning and authenticity with too much emphasis on performative strategies such as hashtag activism and displaying solidarity signs. In this course, students will learn how a greater understanding of their different identities (race, gender, sexual orientation, ability, etc.) can help them support communities with fewer opportunities. Through case studies, students will gain tools to foster a culture of meaningful allyship and identify possible biases they might encounter doing this work. </span></span></span></span></span></span>

This course examines American economic, political, religious, and social history through the prism of influential and controversial Supreme Court cases. It will address the history of the court and analyze some of its landmark decisions. Cases will be discussed chronologically, with special concentration on recent decisions&mdash;from the late 20th century to today. It will seek to understand how those decisions have shaped&mdash;or have been shaped by&mdash;watershed movements and events in the nation&rsquo;s history.

This course traces the history of the English country house by drawing on the wealth of written perspectives by owners, visitors, and residents that, over at least three centuries, have offered an intimate view of country house life and its evolution. From the descriptions by celebrated authors, including Jane Austen and Vita Sackville-West, to the less-well-known personal memoirs of noble country house owners, we will study aspects as intriguing as stately home entertainment, architecture, traditions, and life below stairs. Learn how and why Woburn Abbey and Chatsworth were opened to the public, and uncover&mdash;inevitably&mdash;a profusion of scandals that circulated around beautiful West Wycombe Park in the 18th century.

Early-19th-century England was in the midst of a controversial, brilliant, and exuberant age, and Jane Austen experienced many of the most fascinating aspects of that era, even attending the Prince Regent&rsquo;s palace on one occasion. This course draws its inspiration from the culture that Austen knew and so often described, until her untimely death 200 years ago. We will examine Jane Austen&rsquo;s Regency England, including interiors, particularly those in the medieval style; gardens in the picturesque manner; and popular theatre of her time. We also will explore the servants&rsquo; world; the development of the seaside resort; the rigid protocols involved in country house visiting; and shopping in Bath, from which Austen was well aware of the latest fashions. It is not necessary to read Jane Austen&rsquo;s letters or novels for this course.

There always has been a certain mystery that surrounds Naples. We often hear of its delicious foods, rich cultural history, and gorgeous scenery; but this is the Naples of tourist guides and history books. Many books about the city tend to focus on the elite courts or the foreigners who controlled it for centuries. How much do we know of the real Naples? Through the writing of Italian novelist Elena Ferrante&mdash;a raw, new voice&mdash;readers experience the gritty, violent life in postwar Naples from the point of view of two women, childhood friends who are fighting, against all odds, to pull themselves up. Ferrante&rsquo;s Neapolitan novels have become a phenomenon, topping bestseller lists around the world. In this course, these novels will serve as our guide to discovering the real Naples and Campania. The course will end with a celebratory lunch at a local Neapolitan restaurant.

They were sumptuous expressions of 17th-century taste and the regal centerpieces for Louis XIV of France and his rival, William III of England. For Louis, Versailles was a passion that would turn a former hunting lodge into a baroque extravagance that reflected his power. The English monarch rejected the splendor of the old Tudor Hampton Court to reinvent a palace that would compete with Versailles. This course traces and compares the history of the two palaces; the formal, courtly lifestyles, including dining rituals; the palaces&rsquo; interiors, furnishings, and extraordinary gardens with their renowned waterworks; and the famous architects who were commissioned by their royal patrons to build these lasting monuments.

Royalty, nobility, artists, and writers flocked to Bath, particularly in the Georgian era, to indulge in the fashionable lifestyle and historic traditions that this elegant English city offered. This course explores the life of the city at that time which included dipping in the famous baths, dancing in the Assembly Rooms, or imbibing the waters in the Pump Room. We begin by studying the important Roman and medieval history of the city, but then we focus on the years when Bath was at its height of popularity in the 18th and early-19th centuries&mdash;when scandals abounded. We explore its many elegant amenities and buildings, as well as the attractions that lured hundreds of visitors including Dr. Johnson, Thomas Gainsborough, William Wordsworth, and resident Jane Austen, whose letters vividly describe her family&rsquo;s move to the city. We conclude in the Victorian era when visitor Charles Dickens, like so many others, deplored the taste of the healthful Bath waters.

In 1947, <i>Foreign Affairs</i> published an anonymous article by Foreign Service Officer George Kennan laying the groundwork for the United States&rsquo; &ldquo;containment&rdquo; strategy during the Cold War. The idea, which remained a feature of United States foreign policy until 1991, called for limiting the influence of the Soviet Union and the expansion of communism throughout the world. In this course, we will discuss the assumptions behind and rationale for containment, and the ripple effects of the policy that can still be seen and felt in the 21st century. We will assess the ways in which containment played out in different regions of the world as well as the legacies of containment in contemporary geopolitics.

Although Italy has been unified since the late 19th century, many Italians still identify themselves locally or regionally rather than nationally. From history to food, language, and culture, regional variations continue to be strong and vibrant in Italy. In this installment of the series focusing on Italy&rsquo;s regions, explore Sicily and its contributions to the arts, its cuisine, and its unique characteristics that distinguish it from the rest of the country. Learn about its historical antecedents, agriculture, artisanal products, literature, art, the civilizations that occupied it, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II and his court in Palermo, Garibaldi and the Mille, and the region&rsquo;s modern history.

With its soaring medieval old town, elegant Georgian new town, and renowned festival, Edinburgh is one of Britain&#8217;s most intriguing cities. Examine the history and development of the city from the Middle Ages to the present, exploring traditions, royal palaces including Holyroodhouse, royal residents, and the crown jewels in the castle. Also, explore the 18th-century neighborhood famed for its culture and learning, as well as Victorian Edinburgh and the lovely Princes Street Gardens. Learn about the controversial new Parliament building, and why the Hogmanay New Year celebrations draw visitors from around the world.

From 1900 to 1945, Europe was transformed by diplomatic approaches used by individual states to pursue their national objectives. Learn about the diplomatic events that led to the collapse of the pre-1914 European system, the consequences of which resulted in the First and Second World Wars. Topics include the stand-off between the Triple Alliance and the Triple Entente, WWI diplomacy, the search for security in the 1920s, Nazi/fascist diplomacy, and Western/Soviet reactions preceding&mdash;and during&mdash;WWII. These diplomatic events are discussed in relation to political, social, and economic events of the period.

In this workshop, we will learn how our different identities (race, class, gender, sexual orientation, age, ability, etc.) relate to social norms and how the combination of these identities results in discrimination or privilege to different degrees. Using this framework of intersectionality, we will explore how people experience multiple forms of oppression and how, for example, individuals adopt self-protective strategies for navigating different contexts and spaces in response to stereotypical assumptions. We will learn how to view others responsibly through a complex web of identities as a first step toward developing more empathy toward others&rsquo; life experiences. We also will learn how to create safe spaces and become better allies in ensuring equal access to rights and resources for every member of our society.&nbsp;<br /><br><br><meta charset="utf-8" /><br><br><p dir="ltr"><b id="docs-internal-guid-3e860355-7fff-a501-ad9e-f290c3149855">Questions? Contact us at The Center for Applied Liberal Arts (CALA). Email sps.cala@nyu.edu or call 212-998-7272.</b></p>

<div><strong>Register for this Summer 2023 course on the new <a href="https://nyusps.gatherlearning.com/events/englands-coronations-five-centuries-of-splendor-and-pageantry">NYU SPS Academy of Lifelong Learning website</a>.</strong></div><br><br><br><br><div>&nbsp;</div><br><br><br><br><div>&nbsp;</div><br><br><br><br><div>The crowning of King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Westminster Abbey on May&nbsp;6th, 2023 celebrates a vital royal ritual that has evolved over many centuries. Learn about coronation history, traditions, and treasures including the crowning of Henry VIII; London&rsquo;s dramatic medieval and Tudor pageantry; the required acts of aristocratic homage; and the lost and stolen Crown Jewels that needed to be recreated for an earlier King Charles on his accession after the Civil War. Study the scandals at George IV&rsquo;s coronation in 1821 and mishaps at Queen Victoria&rsquo;s crowning; why Queen Elizabeth II agreed to the filming of her 1953 coronation; and why Scotland&rsquo;s historic Stone of Scone, on loan to Westminster for installation underneath the medieval throne, returns to Edinburgh immediately after King Charles III&rsquo;s coronation.&nbsp;<strong>Summer 2023 tuition is $349.</strong></div><br><br><br><br><div>&nbsp;</div>

This course will focus on the origins of the Syrian Civil War, including the Arab Spring protests and interference by the United States and Russia, both of whom not only have failed to stop the violence and bring about stability but also have soured their own relationship to Cold War levels. We will thoroughly analyze and discuss the Syrian Kurds, who were abandoned by the Trump administration after doing much of the heavy fighting against ISIS. The course also will cover how countries around the world have responded to the Syrian refugee crisis and what can be expected for Syria, the Middle East, the United States, and Russia going forward as the conflict continues.

<p>We will look at mid-19th-century and Gilded Age New York (and America) through the lens of one of its richest and most powerful families, beginning with Commodore Vanderbilt, moving on to his son William Henry, then to the grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren, with special emphasis on the women in the family and on the Vanderbilts as builders. We will take a lingering look at the houses in New York, Newport, and North Carolina, and at such unexpected lives as Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney and John Hammond. Throughout the course we will explore the question: Would America have been better or worse off without the Vanderbilts?</p>

&ldquo;To every age its art; to every art its freedom.&rdquo; This manifesto of the Secession Movement is our invitation to explore the rich culture of fin-de-si&egrave;cle Vienna. The Habsburg capital&rsquo;s transition from a world of aristocratic conservatism to a center of avant-garde modernism transpired in the city&rsquo;s famous coffeehouses within just a few decades, marking an explosion of creativity in art, literature, music, philosophy, and science. First, we will survey the 19th-century background of &ldquo;old Vienna&rdquo; and the comfortable Biedermeier lifestyle of the waltz city. We then will turn to the innovations in art and architecture that take us from the middle-class successes of the Ringstrasse era to the bolder work of Secession artists, including Otto Wagner, Gustav Klimt, and Josef Hoffmann. We will conclude with a look at the starker work of the expressionists Egon Schiele and Oskar Kokoschka on the eve of World War I.

<p>Alexis de Tocqueville wrote in the 1840s: &quot;to what the singular prosperity and growing strength of [the American ] people ought mainly to be attributed, I ... reply --to the superiority of their women.&quot; In this course we study the wives of Presidents and their widely varying roles as confidantes, advisors, advocates, hostesses, and at times the powers behind the presidential throne. Nothing in the Constitution refers to First Ladies, yet they have wielded tremendous influence on the affairs of the United States. The President&rsquo;s spouse is potentially the second most powerful person in government but is beyond accountability. Our examination of the First Ladies - and their husbands - will provide insights into the political, social and economic issues of their times. In a profound sense, the study of First Ladies and the men they married reflects the course of our nation&rsquo;s history.</p>

<p>What makes the Alaskan towns of Sitka and Ketchikan so distinctive in American cultural history? Find out in this half-day seminar, which examines the native Tlingit culture of Southeast Alaska. We begin with the archaeology and prehistory, and then we turn to the historical record of European incursions, including the highly successful Euro-Asian fur trade and the American gold rush, which brought Anglo-Protestant culture into the mix. Next, we trace the social, religious, and artistic expressions of Tlingit culture and its rich traditions of masking, ceremonialism, and shamanism. We study examples of distinctive Tlingit art, secular and sacred, and view and discuss clips from documentary films of Tlingit storytelling and history.</p>

This course explores the intricacies of the Inuit and Yupik peoples, emphasizing the lifeways of the hunting culture of the northern forests and ice fields; the traditions of storytelling; and other forms of literary and artistic expression, including the rich heritage of expressive ceremonial masks, ivory carvings, and other exquisitely made ritual and practical objects. Topics of discussion will include the theme of <em>inua,</em> or spirit; the subject of shamanism; and the cross-cultural connections of the northern world from Siberia, through Alaska and Canada, to Greenland. Focus will be on the prehistoric Dorset and Thule cultures and the historic Inuit peoples of the Arctic, the Yupik and Tlingit of Alaska, and the Haida and Kwakiutl of the Pacific Northwest coast of British Columbia. Sessions will consist of slide lectures, film clips, and discussion of selected readings that will be sent to students.

<p><strong>Register for this Fall 2022 course on the new <a href="https://nyusps.gatherlearning.com/events/georgian-england-cities-of-elegance-and-art">NYU SPS Academy of Lifelong Learning </a>website.</strong></p><br><br><br><br><p>Registration for this course will end on <strong>Thursday, September 1 at 11:59pm EDT</strong> to allow time for processing COVID-related requirements. If you want to register after this date, please contact the academic department at <strong>sps.all@nyu.edu</strong> to determine if an exception can be made.</p><br><br><br><br><p>Take an intriguing journey through England&rsquo;s historic cities to discover 18th century splendors that reveal the enduring elegance of the Georgian era. In this course, we will discover impressive and unique facades and interiors such as Bath&rsquo;s Royal Crescent, London&rsquo;s Somerset House, and York&rsquo;s Georgian Assembly Rooms along with important city mansions, museums, shops, concert halls, and theaters. Learn about the architects who designed remarkable public and private buildings while compelled to flatter their demanding noble patrons. We will also study how artists, including Gainsborough and Hogarth, portrayed so many facets of this fascinating century in their work. Questions? Contact us at The Center for Applied Liberal Arts (CALA). Email sps.cala@nyu.edu or call 212-998-7289.&nbsp;<strong>Fall 2022 tuition is $399.</strong></p><br><br><br><br><p>&nbsp;</p>

How we speak about HIV has had us tied in knots for a generation. In the midst of an ongoing pandemic, what are the ethical considerations in attempting to construct the &ldquo;history&rdquo; of HIV/AIDS? And, what do artists, historians, journalists, archivists, and policy makers need to tackle when trying to make sense of the questions that HIV/AIDS raises about power, representation, and survival? In this survey course, evaluate the distinction between the story of HIV/AIDS and the &ldquo;storytelling&rdquo; that has colonized its meaning since the earliest days of the crisis. Examine movies, art exhibitions, intellectual exercises like Susan Sontag&rsquo;s <em>AIDS and Its Metaphors,</em> material from ACT UP&rsquo;s archive, and documentaries like <em>United in Anger</em> and <em>How to Survive a Plague.</em>