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History Lessons NYC

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Discover a world of history classes in NYC that will transport you back in time and deepen your understanding of the past. From ancient civilizations to modern events, explore fascinating topics and gain valuable insights to enrich your knowledge and perspective.

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Introduction to Political Economy

Brooklyn Institute for Social Research @ 275 Madison Ave, New York, NY

This course is intended as a critical introduction to political economy. Students will evaluate these questions by reading selected writings from major figures in the field. We begin with extracts from Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations, introducing such complex notions as the labor theory of value, the benefits of free trade, productivity, and the division of labor. Although Smith grounded his claims in self-interest and market...

(29) All levels 21 and older
No upcoming schedules
$315

4 sessions

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What is Liberalism?

Brooklyn Institute for Social Research @ 247 West 37th St, New York, NY

While for many in the United States liberalism is understood as a loose category of political identification – whose definition has shifted significantly and not always transparently over the past century – fewer people are familiar with liberal political philosophy despite its overwhelming influence on political discourse both left and right. Our public language and discussions are often littered with the ideas, ideals, phrases, and thoughts...

(29) All levels 21 and older
No upcoming schedules
$315

4 sessions

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What is Fascism? Economy, Society, and State

Brooklyn Institute for Social Research @ 30 Irving Pl, New York, NY

The word “fascism” is used frequently to describe intensely militaristic, racist, xenophobic, or repressive politics. Almost as often, fascism is used as a shorthand for a form of “totalitarian” government—where “jack-booted thugs” from “the state” control social, economic, and political life. With the rise of a dizzying array of far-right figures worldwide—politicians like Narendra Modi, Viktor Orban, Recep Teyyip Erdogan, ...

(29) All levels 21 and older
No upcoming schedules
$315

4 sessions

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Politics 101

Be Social Change @ 601 W 26th St, New York, NY

Politics 101 is a deep dive into the hidden mechanisms that drive politics and political decision making in the United States. The systems and procedures of power in our democracy are often obscured from the view of the very people it’s meant to serve. This workshop addresses several key topics which are ignored by political science classes, the media and even Wikipedia pages.  Over the course of the workshop, we will cover:  Election...

(245) Advanced 18 and older
No upcoming schedules

2020 Vision: Predictions for the New Year

New York Open Center @ 22 E 30th St, New York, NY

Everything that has happened in 2019 has set us up for the shift in consciousness that is underway. In the upcoming days, we will see the manifestation of that transformation, as many visionaries have predicted. This will be a landmark year, a time of personal, national, and planetary upheavals.  Some of the finest astrologers and prophets from around the country will give their predictions for the coming year in terms of politics, science,...

(299) All levels 18 and older
No upcoming schedules

How to Live Forever: Fireside Chat w/ Marc Freedman

Be Social Change @ 424 W 54th St, New York, NY

Join us for an engaging conversation about the potential of all generations to create social change with Encore.org President and CEO, Marc Freedman. His new book, How to Live Forever: The Enduring Power of Connecting the Generations is a deeply personal call to find fulfillment and happiness in our longer lives by connecting with the next generation and forging a legacy of love that lives beyond us. Marc will be interviewed by CEO of...

(245) All levels 18 and older
No upcoming schedules

Fiction and Inner Life: Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway

Brooklyn Institute for Social Research @ 68 Jay St, Brooklyn, NY

Can words describe what Virginia Woolf calls “the daily drama of the body”? Can literature verbalize our interiority: physical and spiritual change, the home, the mind, and the relationships between them? In her celebrated novel Mrs. Dalloway, Woolf’s eponymous protagonist is plagued with perpetual anxiety: Clarissa Dalloway is always on the verge of sickness, waking up on a sunny morning with a feeling of “terror,” “overwhelming incapacity,”...

(29) All levels 21 and older
No upcoming schedules
$335

4 sessions

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Cramming for the Midterms

Caveat @ 21-A Clinton St, New York, NY

The science behind why our politics got so insane (and what we can do about it) This is a series about the fundamental principles of social and political life. If you’re looking for a rundown of “he-said,” “she-said” analyses, or a bunch of talking heads talking past each other on today’s top issues, you’re in the wrong place. Instead, we share some of the deepest social science findings behind how everything got so fucked. You’ll...

(25) All levels 21 and older
No upcoming schedules

Dance, Dance, Revolution: A Political Intro to Dance

Brooklyn Institute for Social Research @ 106 Calyer St, Brooklyn, NY

“If I can’t dance, I don’t want to be in your revolution”—so, supposedly, said Emma Goldman. What is the connection between dancing and politics? Can dance, whether choreographed ballet, break dancing, or a spontaneous party, make a statement about society—or even, somehow, challenge it?  In this course, we’ll explore the nature of dance and its possibilities as a mode of thinking, socially, politically, and aesthetically, about...

(29) All levels 21 and older
No upcoming schedules
$315

4 sessions

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Silent Film: Cinema, Society, and the Avant-Garde

Brooklyn Institute for Social Research @ 68 Jay St, Brooklyn, NY

Silent film is one of modernism’s quintessential mediums. In an essay on Kafka, Walter Benjamin notes that “the invention of the film and the phonograph came in an age of maximum alienation of men from one another.” Many early film critics and connoisseurs, enthusiastic about film’s technological possibilities and developments, viewed the passing of silent film and the ascendency of “talkies” as a potential regression for the medium,...

(29) All levels 21 and older
No upcoming schedules
$315

4 sessions

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The Subway: Urbanism, Infrastructure, and Social Life

Brooklyn Institute for Social Research @ 314 7th St, Brooklyn, NY

When the New York City subway opened in 1904, police had to call in reserves to tame the million-strong crowds clamoring to enter the tunnels. Within weeks, hurtling beneath the earth at speeds never before realized in a dense urban environment had become an utterly ordinary experience. For 120 years, the NYC subway, running 24 hours a day and ranking among the world’s largest, has maintained this blend of the quotidian and the extraordinary. When...

(29) All levels 21 and older
No upcoming schedules
$315

4 sessions

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Strangers to Ourselves: an Introduction to Freud

Brooklyn Institute for Social Research @ 68 Jay St, Brooklyn, NY

In the process of investigating and treating the enigmatic disorder known as “hysteria,” Sigmund Freud established the discipline of psychoanalysis—and by so doing, profoundly altered Western subjectivity. By insisting that the bodily symptoms of hysterics represented unconscious conflict, Freud established a new way of thinking about human experience, motivations, desire, and suffering. The Freudian revolution destabilized long standing social...

(29) Beginner 21 and older
No upcoming schedules
$315

4 sessions

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Thomas Bernhard: Infamy, Brutality, and Literature

Brooklyn Institute for Social Research @ 68 Jay St, Brooklyn, NY

Explore the provocative and unrelenting works of Thomas Bernhard, the notorious Austrian literary figure, in this course. Delve into his scathing critiques of postwar Austrian society. From the emptiness of the culture industry to the dark shadows of Catholicism, Bernhard's monologuing narrators dissect and confront their cultural malaise. Analyze his techniques and obsessions, and contemplate the role of literature in exposing societal follies and crimes.

(29) All levels 21 and older
No upcoming schedules
$335

4 sessions

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Biblical Archaeology

92nd Street Y

Modern archeology has altered our understanding of the world of the Bible. This course will take specific sites in the Holy Land whose excavations have raised new questions about our understanding of the Biblical narrative and its context. Excavations we’ll explore include Jericho, Megiddo, Jaffa, and the City of David in Jerusalem.

(1062) All levels 18 and older
No upcoming schedules

Shakespeare with Leo Schaff: Timon of Athens

92nd Street Y

Join charismatic actor and teacher Leo Schaff as he breathes life into Shakespeare’s words, acting out portions of the play and offering illuminating insights into the Bard’s language, plot lines, historical context and eternal relevance, all with a generous sense of humor. Friendship, foolosophy, spiritual ascent. A good man’s satirical journey from generosity and fellowship to betrayal and disbelief. From the cultured world of Athens to...

(1062) All levels 18 and older
No upcoming schedules

The Last Days of Bohemia: 1980s East Village Art Scene

92nd Street Y @ 1395 Lexington Ave, New York, NY

A new New York would rise from the literal ashes of Manhattan’s East Village as the 1970s came to a close, but first would come an extraordinary outpouring of creativity that marked the end of an era, and a lifestyle. “The Last Days of Bohemia” examines the art and personalities of that bleak but brilliant time through the lens of current events, politics, and changing social mores.

(1062) All levels 18 and older
No upcoming schedules
$120

5 sessions

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Cord Whitakar: The Middle Ages Now

92nd Street Y

Cord Whitakar: The Middle Ages Now, Looking for the European Middle Ages in Modern Life The Middle Ages permeate our 21st-century lives. The period between the years 500 and 1500 C.E. appear in our entertainment, in our art, in our politics, and in our current events—in ways obvious and in ways subtle and easy to miss. In this course, author and Wellesley College professor of English Cord Whitaker will explore the legacies of the Middle Ages...

(1062) All levels 18 and older
No upcoming schedules

Magical Musical Theater Pairings

92nd Street Y

This three-part series of lectures with video and musical highlights will explore three of the greatest musical pairings in American stage history, Rodgers & Hart, Rodgers & Hammerstein, and Lerner & Loewe. Performer, producer, and educator Harvey Granat will explore the musical genius of Richard Rodgers in each of his long-term partnerships, first with Lorenz Hart, and later with Oscar Hammerstein. While both partnerships were incredibly...

(1062) All levels 18 and older
No upcoming schedules

Taylor Branch Master Class on Martin Luther King, Jr.

92nd Street Y

Taylor Branch Master Class on Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement This program is taking place remotely. If you have signed up, you will receive an email with details of how to access the program. You will have exclusive access to view it at the scheduled time, or any time afterwards. At this crucial moment in America’s struggle for social justice, the recalling of history must animate our discussions. The Great Thinkers...

(1062) All levels 18 and older
No upcoming schedules

Trudy Gold: The Great Russian Jewish Migration

92nd Street Y

Between 1881 and 1914 over two million Jews left the Russian Empire. This three week course will examine life under the last Russian Tsars. Scholar Trudy Gold will explore the options facing those that left and those that stayed. Would it be the old world or the new? Jewish socialism, revolution or Zionism? In times of great upheaval what were the choices? Sessions will take place on January 14, 21, and 28 from 10:30-11:45 am ET. This program will...

(1062) All levels 18 and older
No upcoming schedules
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