COR 4080 Identity, Memory, and History through Graphic Non-Fictions

This course uses graphic non-fictions as a medium to explore issues on identity, memory and history. It explores how our families and past experiences shape our identities, how we remember the same events in different ways, how our personal history intertwines with national and global history, and ultimately, how we tell our identity, memory, and history through visual media. Students in this class will use graphic non-fictions to learn about world history, a medium that is often more succinct, easier to understand, and more appealing to visual learners. Graphic non-fiction is non-fiction in the comics medium, which expresses ideas with images, often combined with text and other visual information. Themes of the readings include war and trauma, migration and dislocation, social movement and revolution. Students will engage with multiple disciplines - global history, visual studies, gender/sexuality, psychology, and sociology. No drawing skills required, and this course is open to students across all disciplines who are interested in learning about themselves and the world.