All Courses
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JUDAIC 467 001 FA 2016
Hasidism as Mysticism: The Radical Teachings of Nahman of Breslov Judaic 467/REL 471/HJCS 577.001 (don’t know the new number for NES) Elliot K. Ginsburg, Wednesday 2-5 p.m. The focus of this course is on Nahman of Breslov (1772-1810), one of the most celebrated masters of Jewish mysticism and Hasidism, whose radical writings —poised on the precipice of modernity— have attained the status of spiritual classics. The ongoing fascination with Nahman stems both from his singular (mercurial, multi-tiered, questing) personality and from the profound and uncompromising nature of his theological vision. In this class we will explore the existentialist Nahman confronting the absence of God (his Torah of the Void); the Messianic Nahman wrestling with depression and utopian grandeur; and the mystical Nahman, finding vivid manifestations of the divine in the realm of nature (in Forest and birds, the grasses of the field), in song and the outpouring of the heart, and in interpersonal dialogue and spiritual practices that deconstruct the ordinary self. Key themes will include: spiritual longing and the perpetual search for meaning; conflict and growth; exile and redemption; as well as the dialectic between sadness and joy; shatteredness and wholeness; doubt and faith; complexity and simplicity. Students will probe Nahman’s creative rereading of the spiritual life: including his theology of niggun (wordless song) and sacred dance. As Nahman continuously integrated his life-story into his thought, we will investigate the relationship between his agon-filled biography and his teachings (including his astonishing dream texts). And finally we will consider his hermeneutical (interpretive) theory: a theory that celebrates continuous creativity — as Nahman’s quicksilver improvisations on sacred text bring to mind John Coltrane’s deep improvisations on a melody.
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UP 539 001 FA 2016
UP539: Methods of Econ Dev Planning. NOTE: I will primarily use Canvas to store online class readings. The actual course syllabus is on my web site: http://www-personal.umich.edu/~sdcamp/up539/
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ARCH 509 003 FA 2016
This course examines the history, theory and mechanisms through which architects, designers, planners and other socially-conscious activists put their professional skills in service to an idea of social change. The resurgence in socially-conscious design is due in large part to groups of students and practitioners who are inspired by the widening gap between the haves and have nots; some in the field have leaped back into the arena of problem-solvers with great enthusiasm. Empowering people to take direct control over their environmental development, the resulting work has been both impressive and promising. Labeled as “social entrepreneurs” by some “design activists” by others, this loose group of designers has mashed the issues of accessibility, affordability, mobility, sustainability and aesthetics into a small, but exciting field of design activism. The projects of these broad-minded, multi-talented designers are impacting and improving lives, preserving local cultures and providing hope for the future in this country and all over the world. Their efforts bring balance to the perception that architecture is only concerned with the object by drawing attention to the kind of design that has the inherent ability to transform and in some cases, actually save lives. Without insisting on a determinist point of view that attributes to design the power to transform society, the course examines a series of interventions, strategies, theories, and works that impact people in perhaps modest ways that hold the potential for significant social change over the long haul with an eye towards both advocacy planning and design activism. To establish a groundwork for discussion, the course introduces theories of social change that inform much of this work. In weekly readings that address both design and the urban environment, the class will be invited to reflect on how the articulation of space shapes and reflects political and social subjectivities.