The Vitality of the Humanities
Three sessions designed to stimulate conversation about the depth, resonance, and range of contemporary humanities scholarship from leading Barnard faculty whose work crosses fields, texts, and centuries.
About The Vitality of the Humanities
Explore the vital role of the humanities in understanding the intricate relationship between human beings and their surrounding world in this three-part series. First, discover how individuals construct various social identities through the creation of “second skins” — interfaces that bridge their bodies with the environment. Next, delve into one of Shakespeare’s timeless literary works, Hamlet, as we examine what thinking in Hamlet is really like: imbued with sociality, animated by feeling, and embedded in life. Last, we will consider the role of Africa and slavery, patronage, primitivism, and popular culture in New Negro expression in the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and ’30s. This interdisciplinary series provides a comprehensive framework for examining the human experience guided by the wisdom and enduring relevance of the humanities.
This topic includes three breakout sessions:
- April 20: History of Clothing (read more here)
- May 18: What Thinking Is Like in Hamlet (read more here)
- June 22: The Harlem Renaissance: ‘How It Feels to Be Colored Me’ (read more here)
If you have questions about this topic, email barnardnext@barnard.edu.
Registration Is Open Now!
Barnard alums (and individuals they invite) and families of current Barnard students can now register for the Spring 2024 Explorers Series — the inaugural Barnard|Next classes. Questions about participation can be addressed to barnardnext@barnard.edu.