Students in thiscourse will analyze zombies as the religious and political symbols employed throughout world history(religious acceptance in North America and the Caribbean, race relations inAmerica, Europe, and Asia, government involvement in health care in Europe andAmerica), and use the cultural tropes as a way to explore the nature of thecreation of individual history. Through film, literature, scholarly works,presentations, and discussions, students will parse how humans (in alliterations) and their histories are defined. By contextualizing the zombie,students will be able to explore a wide array of aspects of world history andculture, including questions of race, disease, and desire, with an eye towardsunderstanding, and reflecting on each individual’s place and responsibility asa democratic citizen of a global society.Questions addressed will include the nature of governmental obligationsto its citizens or subjects, the role of colonial discourse in relations, whatdefines “humanity,” how humans “other” different groups or cultures, how tropesare used to address thorny issues, etc.

Global issue: How do symbolspermit humans the chance to relate to each other and to larger questions ofhumanity?