- Adventures in Ideas
- Summer College
- Humanities in Action
- Spotlight on Scholars
- North Carolina Civic Education Consortium Training
The Program in the Humanities and Human Values offers seminars that explore important cultural, moral, and social topics from the rich and substantive perspective of the humanities. Each seminar draws on the expertise of several faculty members who represent a variety of academic disciplines from UNC-Chapel Hill as well as other universities and colleges. Informal lectures and lively discussion form the basis of most sessions, with conversation continuing during coffee breaks, over occasional lunches, and at social events. Seminars are held in comfortable settings conducive to the exchange of ideas and insights.
For additional information, to receive detailed course descriptions, or to
register, call 919-962-1544 or visit Program in the Humanities website.
Adventures in Ideas
The Invention of Religion from the Renaissance to the Enlightenment
A Distinguished Scholar Seminar featuring John Jeffries Martin
4:30 pm, Friday, May 31−12:00 pm, Saturday Jun 1
Join Renaissance scholar John Jeffries Martin, professor and chair of the history department at Duke University, for this fascinating series of lectures on the invention of religion from the Renaissance to the Enlightenment. From understanding how religion was practiced on the eve of the Reformation up through the invention of religion with the Enlightenment, Martin will take us on a journey bound to provoke and challenge our assumptions about the foundations of modern secular society. Fee: $125; the optional dinner is $20.
The Cold War: Crisis, Character, and Competition
Saturday, Jun 8, 10:30 am−5:30 pm
The Cold War shaped the world in which we live, creating the foundations for most of today’s key conflicts, including the War on Terror. Donald J. Raleigh, Jay Richard Judson Distinguished Professor of History, discusses a key figure in the conflict, presenting new research based on the unpublished diaries of Leonid Brezhnev, whose rule in the Kremlin lasted eighteen years and included the ill-fated decision to invade Afghanistan in 1979. We then turn to an arena, namely the Asian theater. Michael H. Hunt, Everett H. Emerson Professor of History Emeritus, explores revolution and decolonization and the two “hot wars” of the age within the larger rivalry between the superpowers.
No consideration of the Cold War is complete without including the shadow of nuclear war. Joseph W. Caddell, Senior Lecturer in History, discusses the things that shaped the Cold War conflict, following the arms race from the atomic showdowns of the 1950s and 1960s to the technological gap of the 1970s and 1980s. Fee: $125; the optional lunch is $15.
Great Britain and France in World War II
A Distinguished Scholar Seminar featuring Gerhard L. Weinberg
William Rand Kenan, Jr., Professor of History, Emeritus
Saturday, Jun 22, 9:15 am−4:30 pm
Gerhard L. Weinberg, the world’s leading scholar of World War II, considers Great Britain and France within the larger scope of this global conflict. In four lectures, Professor Weinberg illuminates both powers’ initial unwillingness to go to war, as well as their respective failures and victories. Along the way he addresses domestic and international aspects of the war and explores how both countries coped with total, global war. Fee: $125; the optional lunch is $15.
Summer College
Old and New: Studying the South in the Twenty-first Century
The Second Alumni Summer College
Thursday, Jun 13−Sunday, Jun 16
The college, organized in conjunction with the Center for the Study of the American South, the General Alumni Association, the Ackland Art Museum, and the Institute for the Arts and Humanities, kicks off with a presentation by Bill Ferris on the Mississippi Blues. It features lectures on the role of memory in Southern identity, the role of race in the region’s past and future, and talks by Center Director Jocelyn Neal on country music, and American Studies chair Bernie Herman on outsider art. Participants will discuss the summer reading for incoming first-year students, Toni Morrison’s Home, and hear from Joe Flora about the special place of home in Southern Literature. The College also includes walking tours, a visit to the Ackland, the Southern Folklore Collection, Wilson Library, and a farewell BBQ at Love House with live music! To learn more about this program, see the agenda, and register, visit the Program in the Humanities website or call 919-962-1544. Fee: $549 ($519 GAA members)
Pride and Prejudice at 200:
The Jane Austen Summer Program
Thursday, Jun 27−Sunday, Jun 30
Celebrate the 200th anniversary of the publication of Pride and Prejudice at the first Jane Austen Summer Program, organized by the Department of English and Comparative Literature and the Program in the Humanities. UNC-Chapel Hill faculty will be joined by visiting experts in daily lectures and discussion groups that focus on Pride and Prejudice in its historical context as well as its many afterlives in fiction and film. Additional events include a Regency ball, the chance to partake in an English tea, a silent auction of Austen-related items, and the opportunity to view special exhibits tailored to the conference. To learn more about this program, see the agenda, and register, visit the Program in the Humanities website or call 919-962-1544. Fee: $529
Wednesdays at Flyleaf: Humanities in Action
A Winter’s Tour: Putting a Face on Poverty in North Carolina
Wednesday, May, 22, 5:30−7:00 pm
Professor Gene Nichol, Boyd Tinsley Distinguished Professor of Law and director of the Center on Poverty, Work & Opportunity, School of Law, is one of Carolina’s most persuasive voices for social justice. He reviews what he believes to be our state’s largest problem—the moral challenge presented by the scourge of poverty amidst plenty. Fee: $20 at door; $18 in advance ($8 GAA members). Location: Flyleaf Books.
The Future of Obamacare
Wednesday, May 29, 5:30−7:00pm
Jonathan Oberlander, professor of social medicine, School of Medicine, and professor of health policy and management, Gillings School of Global Public Health, reviews what we have learned in the three years since the Affordable Care Act was enacted and how health care reform will change our lives here in North Carolina. Fee: $20 at door; $18 in advance ($8 GAA members). Location: Flyleaf Books.
Thursdays at Flyleaf: Spotlight on Scholars
The Medieval Papacy: Religion and Politics in Christian Europe
Thursday, Jun 6, 5:30−7:00 pm
The modern papacy has been much in the news, but putting the abdication of Benedict XVI and the election of Pope Francis in context calls for a long historical perspective. Brett Whalen, associate professor of History, and director, Program in Medieval and Early Modern Studies, explains the origins of the papacy, the way medieval popes justified their leadership over the Catholic Church, the so-called separation of Church and State, and historical challenges to papal authority. Fee: $20 at door; $18 in advance ($8 GAA members). Location: Flyleaf Books.
Shakespeare in the Marketplace
Thursday, Jun 20, 5:30−7:00 pm
We all know William Shakespeare was a consummate playwright, but how often do we remember that he was also a savvy businessman? David J. Baker, Peter G. Phialas Professor of English and Comparative Literature, will show us how Shakespeare represents the commercial society of his day in dramas such as The Merchant of Venice and Timon of Athens, and consider the marketing implications of dramatic choices in Shakespeare’s time and in ours. Fee: $20 at door; $18 in advance ($8 GAA members). Location: Flyleaf Books.
North Carolina Civic Education Consortium Training: K–12 Teacher Trainings
The Fight for Freedom: From Slavery to Civil Rights
The 2013 Warren A. Nord Seminar for Teachers
Wednesday, Jun 19−Thursday, Jun 20, UNC−Greensboro Alumni House
North Carolina’s social studies teachers are invited to explore the rich history of African Americans and their fight for freedom and civil rights throughout slavery and Jim Crow. This intensive, two-day program includes presentations from scholars from area universities, dialogue with field experts regarding topics including the resistance of those who were enslaved, emancipation, segregation, the fight against Jim Crow, and many more. Participants will tour the International Civil Rights Museum in downtown Greensboro. They will receive a copy of the newly published young adult novel Crow, a book about the 1898 Wilmington Race Riots as seen through the eyes of a young boy, as well as meet the author, Barbara Wright. Teachers will also receive a Consortium-created curriculum for implementing the book in social studies or language arts classes. Finally, teachers will participate in and receive sample lesson plans on the topics and themes covered throughout the two days, designed for easy implementation in the middle and high school classroom. Fee: Please see the registration form (PDF) for more information.
Carolina Voices—The Diverse History and Cultures of the Tar Heel State
Tuesday, Aug 13−Wednesday, Aug 14, The North Carolina Museum of History, Raleigh
Presented in memory of Daisy Edmister and in honor of JoAnne J. Robb
North Carolina history teachers are invited to join the NC Civic Education Consortium and the North Carolina Museum of History for two exciting days exploring the distinct character and rich cultural heritage of the Tar Heel State. Abounding with stories of people who have fought for a better way of life, stood up for their rights, and made numerous accomplishments in the face of adversity, North Carolina represents a tapestry of diverse and distinctive people.
Throughout this two-day event, teachers will explore the history of groups including Native Americans, African Americans, and Latinos in North Carolina, as well as examine the regional and social diversity that makes our state so unique. Participants will enjoy attending lectures given by scholars from area universities, interacting with field experts on topics including the dialects and languages of North Carolina (from Outer Banks Hoi Toider speech to the Smoky Mountains Highland speech), the history and heritage of enslaved Africans and African Americans and their foodways, the impact of immigration on North Carolina, and so much more! Participants will also spend time touring “The Story of North Carolina,” the North Carolina History Museum’s acclaimed exhibit that traces life in North Carolina from its earliest inhabitants through the twentieth century. More than 14,000 years of the state’s history unfold through fascinating artifacts, multimedia presentations, dioramas, and hands-on interactive components.
Teachers will participate in and receive sample lesson plans on the topics and themes covered throughout the two days, designed for easy implementation in 8th grade social studies. They will also have the opportunity to share ideas, resources, and best practices for teaching North Carolina history.
Finally, teachers will learn about the wealth of resources available to them for teaching about North Carolina’s past and present from organizations such as LEARN NC and the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources (including the State Library, the Archives, North Carolina State Historic Sites, National History Day, and the Freedom Roads project). Offering a snap shot of some of the most compelling topics to share with students about this state, North Carolina history teachers do not want to miss this exciting opportunity! Fee: Please see the registration form (PDF) for more information.