Evolution and the Industrial Age
LMC 3112 surveys nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century social, literary, and political movements in relation to scientific and technological concepts and discoveries. Subjects for this iteration of the course include the rise of industrialism and urbanism; scientific accounts of evolution by natural selection; evolutionary themes in fiction and poetry; and colonialism. Students will consider the ways in which these ideas (industrialism, evolution, revolution, and colonialism) intersect in representing human responses to social circumstances and the continuing influences of these ideas. Prerequisites: ENGL 1101, ENGL 1102; Attribute: Humanities
- Science and Technology Knowledge Construction: Students will understand that scientific and technological innovation occurs in a social context, and they will be able to recognize how the social influences scientific and technical discourses.
- Textual/Visual Analysis: Students will learn to read, analyze, and interpret cultural products (cartoons, paintings, fictions) and scientific and technical documents.
- Interpretive Frameworks: Students will become familiar with a variety of social, political, and philosophical theories and apply those theories to creative and scientific texts and to their own cultural observations.
- Historical Analysis: Students will study literary and cultural texts within an historical framework to become familiar with the various forces that shape artistic and commercial production. They will learn to interpret history actively, rather than passively accepting archival information.
Almost all texts for the class will be made available on the Canvas site either as pdfs or as links to on-line materials. The exception is Hard Times by Charles Dickens, which students are encouraged to buy.
All written assignments and the power point slides for the presentation should be posted in Canvas. Late assignments will not be accepted unless you arrange with the instructor in advance of the due date.
GRADING SCALE: 90-100=A, 80-89=B, 70-79=C, 60-69=D, less than 60=F
Because class discussion and in-class assignments make up a significant percentage of the final grade, excessive unexcused absences (more than 3) could result in an unsatisfactory mark. Submit the appropriate documents to the instructor for medical, athletic, or other justified absences. Extended absences away from campus for family, medical, or legal reasons should be reported to the Dean of Students Office. The Georgia Tech Office of Student Life in Atlanta also has information: https://studentlife.gatech.edu/content/class-attendanceLinks to an external site.
Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. All work submitted must be original and properly cited. Plagiarism, cheating, or any form of academic dishonesty will result in immediate consequences as outlined in the university's academic integrity policy.
This is a Core IMPACTS course that is part of the Humanities area. Core IMPACTS refers to the core curriculum, which provides students with essential knowledge in foundational academic areas.
This course will help students master course content and support students’ broad academic and career goals. This course should direct students toward a broad Orienting Question:
- How do I interpret the human experience through creative, linguistic, and philosophical works?
Completion of this course should enable students to meet the following Learning Outcome:
- Students will effectively analyze and interpret the meaning, cultural significance, and ethical implications of literary/philosophical texts or of works in the visual/performing arts.
Course content, activities and exercises in this course should help students develop the following Career-Ready Competencies:
- Ethical Reasoning
- Information Literacy
- Intercultural Competence