This course offers students the opportunity to explore one of the most iconic and globally recognized aspects of French culture: French cuisine. Sessions will alternate between presentations on the importance of French cuisine, discovering local...
After years in the shadow of Hollywood versions of Ireland, a vibrant indigenous Irish film industry is now well established. In this course, we will explore the role of Irish film in representing and shaping Irish culture and identity. Through a...
Have the Viennese always eaten schnitzel or wiled away the afternoon in a coffeehouse with strudel and a mélange? How has the history of the Habsburg Empire and the more recent history of the Second Republic affected what the Viennese eat and drink...
A study of the cultural and political importance of Vienna as a 'city' throughout its history, from the strategically important Roman military encampment of Vindobona, through the centuries-long imperial capital of the Habsburg monarchy to the...
Vienna has always been—and continues to be—a palimpsest of Jewish life: a city layered with traces of Jewish presence, written and rewritten over time. Three mass expulsions (1420/21, 1669/70, and 1938–45) stand in stark contrast to periods of...
The Mafia and the Italian State originated in the same period, the end of the 19th century, and from then on their histories have always been closely related. From Sicily, the “octopus” (piovra), as the Mafia is called in Italy, has spread throughout...
Jazz is one of the most important musical innovations of the 20th century. In this course, we will proceed chronologically with an historical overview of the development of jazz styles, including New Orleans, Chicago and Kansas City styles, swing...
Citizens’ support for democratic values is crucial for European unity and stability. Additionally, any understanding of “Europe” requires awareness of the national and individual norms that influence how European citizens think about and react to...
In an age marked by an increased polarization about a host of social and political issues, with the on-and off-campus debates about “free speech versus safe spaces”, the need for empathic understanding and the capacity for dialogue becomes all the...
This course provides fundamental insights into contemporary German popular culture: Who or what is “pop(ular)“ in the German context? How are German pop phenomena related to U.S. culture? Which formats are original, which transcultural? This course...