Thursday PM   

In science, the term sex refers to the features infants display at birth. Gender more properly relates to impulses any person reveals across a spectrum from feminine to masculine. The evidence for physiological and behavioral differences between sexes is overwhelming. Our sexpartner preferences do not reveal our affinities across the range of related behaviors. There are masculine, feminine, or androgynous-leaning: straight, gay, lesbian, trans, or bisexual people. Newer research confirms that crucial differences in gender roles affect our families, culture, and planet. This course provides a straightforward review of the latest biological and neuropsychological research on gender roles.

 New in-person course. Format includes lecture and discussion.

Did you grow up playing and/or singing folk songs? Think of what Baez, Dylan and Guthrie sang, plus much older folk songs that your parents knew and maybe some international ones. This course will feature lecture, discussion, lots of videos, and some singing. No text is required, just interest in learning. Books may be suggested and there will be handouts. Piano and accordion will
be used.

Repeat in-person course. Format includes lecture, discussion, and film.

Enjoy six narrated walks through Portland’s historic neighborhoods exploring the city’s history, architecture, and people since Europeans arrived. Discuss historic structures, immigrant populations, and locally and regionally famous architects and view their works. The longest walk will be two miles in two hours. The greatest elevation change will be between Congress Street and the waterfront. All walks will be on pavement, with optional side trips into two grassy cemeteries. Wheelchair accessible. Rain or shine. The instructor will contact students about the meeting place prior to each class.

Repeat in-person course. Format includes movement.

What is it that makes a movie interesting, rather than entertaining? Provocative, but not absurd? It’s you. Your tastes. Your experiences. Your moods. Those are my views. What are yours? Let’s find out by viewing chosen movies at home, considering some questions I send out, and discussing these issues in each weekly film — plus actors’ quotes, critics’ reviews, and on-set conflicts/shenanigans. I’ll choose the first films; you choose the rest? Some choices: The Critic; Gattaca; Favourite; Empire Falls; Book Thief; The Lizard; A Separation; Grave of Fireflies; Lion of the Desert; Leon the Professional; Untouchables; Get Low; Syriana.

New remote course. Format includes lecture, discussion, and film.

This course introduces key aspects of Deaf Culture in the United States and the factors that define the Deaf community as a cultural minority. We will focus on awareness, cultural diversity, and the preservation of language. This course addresses the cultural identity, group norms, rules of social interaction, values, and traditions held by deaf members. Together we will explore the impact of modern technology, emerging issues, trends, and advocacy with the Deaf community. We will also address topics related to communication, terminology, educational alternatives, state and federal legislation, and community resources. 

In this course, we will gain a comprehensive introduction to Hindu traditions, emphasizing the importance of ritual, knowledge, and devotion across Hindu traditions from classical to contemporary times. We will introduce Hinduism’s South Asian roots, that can be traced to the Vedic tradition, which provides key conceptual and religious foundations. We will consider early and classical expressions of Hindu thought and religious life through the complex term dharma. Major Hindu deities are then introduced alongside associated narratives, practices, and iconography. We will examine the six major schools of Hindu philosophy using both secondary and primary sources. We will then consideration bhakti (devotion) that has characterized diverse Hindu traditions across centuries. Finally, we will consider sacred space and places including temples and tīrthas, as well as the interrelationship of the concept of divine presence and pilgrimage practices the relate to these holy sites. 

The Declaration of Independence is a pivotal American document, not just for eighteenth-century revolutionaries, but for people throughout US history. This course will explore how individuals in Washington, D.C. used the Declaration and its ideas after independence was won. From the capital city’s planners to Union soldiers who defended Washington amid civil war, many evoked the Declaration to support their causes and shape a capital city. Spotlighting museum artifacts from the Albert H. Small Washingtoniana Collection, this course will cover D.C.’s early history through 1876, the nation’s first centennial celebration.