Susquehanna Country explores the confluence of cultures and the Susquehanna watershed with the formation of America, and how ecological and cultural interactions shape regional identity. An Integrated Perspectives course, it connects fields of digital and environmental humanities, comparative literary and philosophical study including English and German and Native American studies, and ecocriticism. The course will focus on exploring concepts of native and settler cultural landscapes and their significance for environmental and social issues today, examining the ethics of digital approaches to the representation of culture and environment, and investigating the idea of region.
The course is structured around the Wednesday 2-5 “Humanities Lab” during which we will go on field trips to local sites of importance; host invited speakers; learn specific digital skills. You will be learning these digital skills in the first half of the semester and then you will put these to good use in the second half as you prepare your final digital project.
As we explore the environment of Susquehanna Country, you should collect data for your projects. These might be in form of digital photographs, interviews, videos, notes, and other realia that can then be incorporated into your investigation of place and people. As such, these field trips are an integral part of the course.
Monday and Friday classes will be primarily devoted to discussion of the readings. You will write a reading journal and reflection most weeks, and they will be posted to this website by Sunday at midnight. You can incorporate media into your posts as needed (images, links).