Core Cultures
The Core Cultures Program, one of Hampden-Sydney College’s core curriculum requirements, is a campus-wide, interdisciplinary course sequence that introduces students to two complementary approaches to understanding the human past. The Western Culture 101/102 sequence introduces all Hampden-Sydney students to the history and cultural achievements of western civilization, from its roots in the early civilizations of the Middle East to the present day. Global Cultures 103/104 expands on this sequence through the comparison of cultures across global regions, tracing common experiences. Students are required to take both WCUL 101 and 102, plus GCUL 103 or 104.
The program encourages students to become aware about significant historical and cultural issues, explore the human condition and human civilization, and consider the “way we live now” through cultural legacies. Instructors who teach in the program come from multiple disciplines, including classics, English, fine arts, government & foreign affairs, history, modern languages, philosophy, religion, and rhetoric.
Western Culture is a two-semester sequence that introduces students to the history, cultural achievements, and dilemmas of western civilization, from its roots in the early civilizations of the Middle East to the present day. A variety of texts--literary, philosophic, theological, artistic--are examined in historical context. Western Culture 101 covers the period from early human societies to 1500; Western Culture 102 covers 1500 to the present day. Students will develop intellectual skills to: read complex cultural texts; express the fruits of their reading in discussions and presentations; evaluate texts and resulting discussions; and express their understanding thorough analytical writing.
Global Cultures courses introduce students to global processes across time. They compare cultures across global regions and trace common experiences. The courses are thematically organized and compare hierarchal structures, cultural frameworks, and regional and global networks from the beginning of human history to the present. Global Cultures courses emphasize how contingency and human agency have shaped the global past, how civilizations are mutable works in progress, and how texts serve as examples of authors writing within specific historical contexts. Global Cultures 103 covers the period from the beginning of human history to 1500; Global Cultures 104 covers 1500 to the present. Students will develop intellectual skills to: read primary and secondary sources from multiple world regions; express the fruits of their reading; trace common themes over time and compare them across global regions; and contextualize sources in analytical essays.
To complete the Core Cultures Program, students are required to take both Western Culture 101 and 102, and either Global Cultures 103 or 104, for a total of three courses.
Core Cultures Program
Dr. A. Gardner Harris, Director
Associate Professor of Religion
Maples 004
Hampden-Sydney College | Hampden Sydney, VA 23943
(434) 223-6268
gharris@hsc.edu