Do animals make us human? Come contemplate this question under the Tuscan sun where urban dog walkers and park side bird watchers stroll through the early morning air. The animal-human bond is not the same everywhere, giving us insight into our social and cultural patterns that change over time. In museums we will investigate Italian art with its representation of creatures in different genres and historical periods. Within the European Union, Italy plays an important role in Wildlife Recovery projects that involve scientific studies, media coverage, and legislation.
Recent research on our course topic gives us a wealth of game-changer evidence to consider.
Some authors go so far as to suggest that our understanding of animal creativity may be essential to our next evolutionary steps as humans. Internships with animal welfare associations and therapy animal groups in Siena are possible. We will invite speakers on course topics from media and legal professions as scheduling allows.
This course will fulfill Honors College 400-level Social Science Colloquium requirement.
Core Education Course Requirements: Social Science, Global Perspectives
This course MAY also fulfill the following requirements. These are not guaranteed - talk with your home department first for approval:
- Art History (upper division seminar course requirement)
- Environmental Studies (social science elective, equivalent to SOC 304 Community, Environment and Society) Contact Mark Carey, Environmental Studies
- Sociology – Concentration in Culture, Identity, and Institutions (equivalent to SOC 458 – topics in cultural sociology)
- Anthropology (upper division elective)
- Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGS 407 Seminar topic)
- Journalism