Index # 15860
Will NOT Count Towards History MAJOR
Will NOT Count Towards History MINOR
The course offers students an extended exploration of how emotions have been understand by philosophers, theologians, doctors and historians. We will begin with some classic readings to build a shared vocabulary, and then move on to think about how emotions played a role in and at the same time been changed by new understandings of the body, rapid urbanization, European expansion, the elaboration of religious traditions, racial and class politics, and transformations of media. The readings draw together philosophy, history, anthropology, gender studies, and media studies. We will focus upon one book each week, immersing ourselves in a particular place, time, and emotional world.
About Professor Cooper
Barbara Cooper’s undergraduate and graduate training ranges from the “great books” of the Western tradition to the languages and cultures of Africa, with detours into experiential learning and art school. Her doctoral work at the African Studies Center of Boston University exposed her to the Hausa language, the political economy of agriculture, and the anthropology of gender. Professor Cooper’s research draws upon both oral and archival sources to reconstruct the social and cultural history of West Africa. Her focus is on the former French colonies of the Sahel, particularly Niger, where she has conducted fieldwork for thirty years. She is the author of three books and numerous articles and chapters on the history of Niger and the Sahel.