Six fun classes to take in the spring of 2023

If you spend too much time browsing DukeHub and scrolling through Rate My Professor, The Chronicle has you covered. Here are six exciting classes that are sure to liven up your schedule next semester.

Magic, religion and science since 1400

Taught by Thomas Robisheaux, Reuben-Cooke Building 126, MW 1:45-3:00 pm

Course credits: HISTORY 260D, MEDREN 287D (CCI, EI, STS, CZ)

According to its synopsis, this course is about “the ways in which we enter and exit the visible and invisible worlds, and what happens when these worlds intersect in unexpected ways.” Students will examine the relationship between magical, religious, and scientific forms of understanding in Western culture from the Renaissance to the 20th century. Materials will draw on a variety of fields, ranging from anthropology to psychology to film studies.

Build global audiences

Taught by Aaron Philip Dinin, Biological Sciences 063, MW 12:00-1:15 pm

Course credits: ISS 250, I&E 250, VMS 249 (STS)

In the past decade, social media has become an increasingly powerful tool for people to find community, learn about the world, and even “build a global audience from [our] bedroom,” according to the description of this course on DukeHub. This class will examine the platforms that have become integrated into many of our daily routines and explore factors such as search engine optimization, virality, content marketing, and growth hacking Also known as “the class of influencers”, Building Global Audiences is great for both content creators who want to grow their own platforms and those who want to learn more about social media marketing for a business.

Where does the food come from? The ecology of agriculture

Taught by Will Wilson, Biological Sciences 154, MW 3:30-4:45 pm

Course credits: BIOLOGY 155S (STS, NS)

From the Paleolithic to the present day, agriculture has been at the heart of civilization. This course will examine subsistence and industrial agriculture from an ecological perspective, with topics ranging from diet selection to animal domestication. Students will also delve into the ethical issues of agriculture. At the end of the semester, there is no doubt that they will be able to answer the question posed by the title of the course: Where did the food come from?

Book Publishing and Marketing: A Case Study of the Romance Fiction Industry

Taught by Katharine Dubois, Classroom Building 125, 12:00-1:15 pm

Course credits: ENGLISH 284S, HISTORY 248S, GSF 248S (CCI, W, ALP, CZ)

With titles as well-known as Fifty Shades of Grey, Pride and Prejudice, and The Notebook, it’s perhaps no surprise that romance novels are the most important. popular genre in terms of book sales.

The romance fiction industry, led by women writers and exported to a massive global audience, will be the focus of this course. Students will examine the success of the industry from historical, cultural and marketing points of view, tracing its development over three centuries. The course will also look at how gender, sexuality and race have been represented in works of romantic fiction.

Jane Austen

Taught by Charlotte Sussman, Allen 236, WF 10:15-11:30 am

Course credits: ENGLISH 246 (ALP)

Speaking of “Pride and Prejudice”, this course will dive head first into the writing of the great novelist Jane Austen. Students will follow the development of Austen’s writing through her six major novels, examining the evolution of her style as a novelist along with the social issues, gender roles, and philosophical questions that raises his work.

Aikido: Japanese sword and staff

Taught by Steven Kaufmann, Wilson Center 125, TuTh 12:00-1:15 pm

Course credits: PHYSEDU 167

Want to earn credit by learning how to wield a sword? Aikido: Japanese Sword and Staff is one of several offerings in Duke’s physical education department. The sword and staff forms of Aikido engage the entire body, developing coordination, strength and flexibility, as well as an enhanced mind-body connection. It will be practiced both solo and with peers “in a non-competitive manner,” according to DukeHub.

Registration information

According to the Office of the University Registrarregistration opens for graduate and professional students on November 2. Undergraduate registration takes place between November 3 and November 14 in descending class order, with exact dates determined by class year and the last two digits of the student’s ID.