CONN 166 | Magic and the Supernatural: From Harry Potter to Astrology

This class is primarily a ¿welcome-to-college¿ class¿ one that introduces you to a liberal arts education, to various departments and disciplines with their own distinct ways of asking questions, and to skills you will need for navigating college and careers. A major focus in the class will be developing connections through the class project. The class will alternate between class sessions that focus on your success as a college student and course content.
We have a specific focus¿ that of magic and the supernatural, a topic that we will use to explore multiple approaches and disciplines available in the liberal arts. From Harry Potter to Magic the Gathering to astrology¿magic, witchcraft, and the supernatural are involved in social, economic, and political histories, and influence how people think about gender, race, religion and spirituality. In this course we will investigate supernatural beliefs through multiple lenses, including those of anthropology, economics, folklore studies, history, media studies, and sociology.