DISCIPLINES & CULTURAL CONTEXT OF THE HUMANITIES

SUBDOMAIN 112.2 - DISCIPLINES & CULTURAL CONTEXT OF THE HUMANITIES

Competency 112.2.1: Connections Across Disciplines - The graduate recognizes and analyzes relationships within the disciplines of the humanities and how themes and concepts connect across individual disciplines of the humanities.
Competency 112.2.2: Humanities and Culture - The graduate recognizes and analyzes the interaction and integration of the humanities with cultures, and how specified cultural attitudes change over time.

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Introduction:

“Knowledgeable interaction with works of art makes life better: We see more of what can be seen, and we hear more of what can be heard. Our entire existence grows richer and deeper.” (Sporre, 2009, p. 2).

From your studies, you have seen how culture, societal norms, belief systems, and past experiences affect the way people view the world. Learning about these differences in perspective helps us to have a better understanding of the overall human experience. Whether analytical skills are applied to a task at work, or a humanistic point of view enables us to grasp an issue from another angle, these methods of looking at the world help us become more aware of our perceptions and provide a deeper and more meaningful existence.

In this task, you will analyze and interpret three creative works from three separate disciplines of the humanities using methods of subjective and objective analysis. Objective statements are based on simple observations and concrete information. Subjective statements are based on personal opinions, judgments, and feelings. These standard methods of analysis will enable you to critically view and interpret works from the humanities. You will use analytical and critical thinking skills to assess how meaning is constructed and imparted to a viewer or audience and will communicate your thoughts in a multimedia presentation (e.g., PowerPoint, Keynote). While the content of your presentation will focus on analyzing, interpreting, comparing, and contrasting three creative works from separate disciplines, your overarching goal will be to explain how the three works you analyze demonstrate the value of the humanities in meaningful ways.

Background:

Develop a multimedia presentation in which you analyze three creative works from three separate disciplines in the humanities. You will need to select works that share a common theme. This theme must relate to a profession within your field of study at WGU. You will share with your audience how being knowledgeable about the humanities and your selected theme is valuable in regards to this profession.

First you must choose one literary work from the given list below. Choose a literary work that has a theme that resonates with you and consider how this theme connects with your chosen profession. Every profession within your field of study at WGU (Business, IT, Nursing or Teaching) will have humanistic considerations. For example, a civil rights lawyer may be concerned with the theme of freedom, a firefighter with determination, a social worker with compassion, or an engineer with integrity. It is the intent of this task to explore the major themes of the humanities and their relevance to our professional lives.
Once you have selected a literary work, you will need to select two non-literary works from separate disciplines that share the same theme as the literary work you have selected. Your presentation will show how all three works connect to the theme that you have chosen, and how that theme relates to  a profession within your field of study at WGU. The two nonliterary works you select must come from the following disciplines: two-dimensional visual art (e.g., painting, photography, printmaking,), music or film (feature films, documentaries). You should choose works that appeal to you personally, are striking to you in some way, and/or evoke a strong response in you. In the presentation, you will show how exploration of the themes of these works  can enhance performance in your profession and deepen your understanding of the human experience.

Note: Your multimedia presentation should contain 25 to 30 slides. This is not a conventional PowerPoint presentation. You may find that the majority of your slides are most effectively presented in paragraph form, with some utilizing the more traditional bullet point format. You are encouraged to use first person narrative (“I” statements) where appropriate. Your presentation should be self contained and all information should be on the slides (do not use speaker notes). Arrange slides in a way that creates cohesion and flow and use images to accentuate and substantiate points.

Note: This presentation should demonstrate the depth of the analysis and reflection that you have done. Your challenge will be to communicate your points through a series of clear, focused, and concise slides that represent your knowledge and convey your unique analytical points and insights.

Select ONE work of literature from the following list (works are available online).

NOVELLAS:
Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy, 1886
The Invisible Man by H. G. Wells, 1897

SHORT STORIES:
“The Package” by Kurt Vonnegut, 1952
“Johnny Mnemonic” by William Gibson, 1981
“The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson, 1948
“A Small, Good Thing” by Raymond Carver, 1983
“Silver Water” by Amy Bloom, 1993
“The Third and Final Continent” by JhumpaLahiri, 1999
“The Lost ‘Beautifulness’” by AnziaYezierska, 1920
“The Veldt” by Ray Bradbury, 1950
“The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World” by Gabriel GarcíaMárquez, 1968

POEMS:
“That the Science of Cartography is Limited” by Eavan Boland, 1994
“A Brave and Startling Truth” by Maya Angelou, 1995
“Invictus” by William Ernest Henley, 1888
“If” by Rudyard Kipling, 1895
“Praise Song for the Day” by Elizabeth Alexander, 2009
“Let America be America Again” by Langston Hughes, 1935

ESSAY:
“A Talk to Teachers” by James Baldwin, 1963*
* While the essay title addresses teachers, this work has themes that can apply to all professions.

Select two creative works from the following disciplines (each work must be from a different discipline):

•  Two-dimensional visual art (e.g., painting, photography, or printmaking)

•  Music

•  Film (feature film or documentary)

Note: Please do not select a film, artistic, or musical adaptation of your literary choice as one of the non-literary creative works. While it is important to select a literary work and two non-literary works that share a common theme, it is equally important to include variety in your choices. For example, you should not choose The Great Gatsby as your literary work and a film adaptation of this same novel, and a picture of Jay Gatsby.

Task:

Develop a multimedia presentation (suggested length of 25-30 slides) in which you do the following:

A.  Introduce the three works you will be analyzing (suggested length of 4–5 slides) by doing the following:

1.  Create an introductory slide for each of the three works that includes the author’s or artist’s name, title of the work, and the discipline to which the work belongs.

2.  Provide a thesis slide that clarifies for your audience how all three works connect to a common theme and describe how this theme relates to a profession within your field of study.
 

B.  Provide an objective analysis* (suggested length of 6-7 slides) by doing the following:

1.  Describe the literary work. Your description should include:

•  Form (short story, novel, etc.)

•  Summary of the work (4-5 sentences)

•  Author’s style, technique and/or characteristics
 

a.  Choosefour of the elements of literature outlined in the learning resource and describe how they are used in the literary work.
 

2.  Describe the first nonliterary work of art. Your description should include:

•  Media, form, or genre

•  Summary of the work (4-5 sentences)

•  Artist’s style, technique and/or characteristics
 

a.  Choosefour of the elements outlined in the learning resource and describe how they are used in your first non-literary work. (If your selection is music, use the elements of music, if it is a film, use the elements of film, if it is a painting or photograph, use the elements of two-dimensional visual art.)
 

3.  Describe the second nonliterary work of art. (This should be from a different discipline than the work you chose for part B2.) Your description should include:

•  Media, form, or genre

•  Summary of the work (4-5 sentences)

•  Artist’s style, technique and/or characteristics
 

a.  Choosefour of the elements outlined in the learning resource and describe how they are used in your first non-literary work. (If your selection is music, use the elements of music, if it is a film, use the elements of film, etc.)
 

C.  Provide a subjective analysis* (suggested length of 6-7 slides) by doing the following:

1.  Discuss the literary work, addressing the following:

a.  The mood(s) of the literary work. Provide relevant details and examples that helped you identify the mood(s).

b.  The theme(s) (i.e., overarching ideas or concepts) you see in the literary work. Provide relevant details and examples that helped you identify the theme(s).

c.  Your interpretation of meaning found in the work. Provide relevant details and examples that helped you identify the meaning.
 

2.  Describe the first nonliterary work of art, addressing the following:

a.  The mood(s) of the first nonliterary work. Provide relevant details and examples that helped you identify the mood(s).

b.  The theme(s) (i.e., overarching ideas or concepts) you see in the first nonliterary work. Provide relevant details and examples that helped you identify the theme(s).

c.  Your interpretation of meaning found in the work. Provide relevant details and examples that helped you identify the meaning.
 

3.  Describe the second nonliterary work of art, addressing the following:

a.  The mood(s) of the second nonliterary work. Provide relevant details and examples that helped you identify the mood(s).

b.  The theme(s) (i.e., overarching ideas or concepts) you see in the second nonliterary work. Provide relevant details and examples that helped you identify the theme(s).

c.  Your interpretation of meaning found in the work. Provide relevant details and examples that helped you identify the meaning.
 

D.  Analyze the relationship between the 3 works (suggested length of 3–5 slides). Your analysis should include:

•  Similarities in mood(s),  theme(s), and meaning among the works.

•  Differences in mood(s),  theme(s), and meaning among the works.
 

1.   Explain how analyzing the relationship between the works expanded your understanding of the theme(s).
 

E.  Reflect on the analyses presented (suggested length of 3–5 slides), by addressing the following:

1.  How your analysis of these works has enhanced your understanding of the human experience (i.e. what it means to be human).

2.  How these themes and meanings relate to you, as a professional within your field of study.

3.  How a general knowledge of the humanities is valuable for professionals within your field of study.
 

F.  Summarize your main points in a conclusion (suggested length of 1-2 slides).

Note: Your conclusion could include revisiting your thesis statement and should bring closure to your presentation.

G.  Create a reference list.  Include all in-text citations and references in APA format. You must have a full reference for each work. Please note that each reference must correspond to an in-text citation.
 

* Objective statements about a work of art are based on simple observations and concrete information.  Subjective statements are based on personal opinions, judgments, and feelings.

Note: When bulleted points are present in the task prompt, the level of detail or support called for in the rubric refers to those bulleted points.

Note: For definitions of terms commonly used in the rubric, see the Rubric Terms web link included in the Evaluation Procedures section.

Note: No more than a combined total of 30% of a submission can be directly quoted or closely paraphrased from sources, even if cited correctly. For tips on using APA style, please refer to the APA Handout web link included in the APA Guidelines section.

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