Playing God: Race, Colonialism, and Raising Dinosaurs from the Dead
RELI 322
Fall 2022
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01
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This seminar draws on the fields of religious studies, ecocriticism, philosophy of science, decolonial thought, Black studies, political anthropology, and queer theory to examine our culture's fascination with dinosaurs. Questions discussed include: What are the ethical implications of "discovering" dinosaur fossils on stolen Indigenous land? How have "philanthro-capitalists" used dinosaurs to promote the ideology of American exceptionalism? How do fossil fuels and their extraction relate to searches for fossil animals? Why do creationists believe dinosaurs still live, and how is this a remnant of European imperialism? Is the dream of resurrecting extinct species scientific or religious? How do natural history museums benefit from and contribute towards colonialism? Is the past more like a natural resource or public utility? In the process of addressing these and many more questions, students will examine what dinosaurs can teach us about humans, non-humans, post-humans, extinction, and the end of the world. |
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| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
SBS RELI |
| Course Format: Seminar | Grading Mode: Student Option |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: (RELI-MN)(RELI) |
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Past Enrollment Probability: 90% or above |
| SECTION 01 |
Major Readings: Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore
Alagraa, Bedour, "The Interminable Catastrophe"
Bielo, James S. ARK ENCOUNTER: THE MAKING OF A CREATIONIST THEME PARK
Biyela, Sibusiso, "Decolonizing Science Writing in South Africa"
Guimont, Edward, "Hunting Dinosaurs in Central Africa"
Fallon, Richard, REIMAGINING DINOSAURS IN LATE VICTORIAN AND EDWARDIAN LITERATURE
Haraway, Donna, "Teddy Bear Patriarchy: Taxidermy in the Garden of Eden, New York City, 1908-1936"
Karera, Axelle, "Blackness and the Pitfalls of Anthropocene Ethics"
Langsdale, Samantha, "Moon Girls and Mythical Beasts: Analyzing Race, Gender, and Monstrosity"
Loxton, Daniel and Donald Prothero, ABOMINABLE SCIENCE!: ORIGINS OF THE YETI, NESSIE, AND OTHER FAMOUS CRYPTIDS
Mayor, Adrienne, FOSSIL LEGENDS OF THE FIRST AMERICANS
McKittrick, Katherine, DEAR SCIENCE AND OTHER STORIES
Muecke, Stephen and Paddy Roe, THE CHILDREN'S COUNTRY: CREATION OF A GOOLARABOOLOO FUTURE IN NORTH-WEST AUSTRALIA
Mungai, Christine "Who are Western museums guarding African artefacts from?"
Noble, Brian, ARTICULATING DINOSAURS: A POLITICAL ANTHROPOLOGY
Pinto, Samantha, "Objects of Desire: An Unnatural History of Fossil Collection and Black Women's Sexuality"
Rieppel, Lukas, ASSEMBLING THE DINOSAUR: FOSSIL HUNTERS, TYCOONS, AND THE MAKING OF A SPECTACLE
Roosth, Sophia, SYNTHETIC: HOW LIFE GOT MADE
Schuller , Kyla, "The Fossil and the Photograph: Red Cloud, Prehistoric Media, and Dispossession in Perpetuity"
Sommer, Marianne, HISTORY WITHIN: THE SCIENCE, CULTURE, AND POLITICS OF BONES, ORGANISMS, AND MOLECULES
Valley, Greer, "Decolonization Can't Just be a Metaphor"
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Examinations and Assignments:
One short paper and a longer one.
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Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
This course fulfills the "Thematic Approach" requirement for the Religion major. |
| Instructor(s): Guimont,Edward Paul Times: ....R.. 01:20PM-04:10PM; Location: SCIE221; |
| Total Enrollment Limit: 19 | | SR major: 1 | JR major: 6 | | |
| Seats Available: 14 | GRAD: X | SR non-major: 3 | JR non-major: 3 | SO: 6 | FR: 0 |
| Drop/Add Enrollment Requests | | | | | |
| Total Submitted Requests: 0 | 1st Ranked: 0 | 2nd Ranked: 0 | 3rd Ranked: 0 | 4th Ranked: 0 | Unranked: 0 |
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