HUM 232 Prisons and Prisoners from Prometheus to Malcolm X

This course explores the incarceration of human beings from Athens in the 5th century BCE to the United States in the 20th century as depicted and studied by playwrights, historians, soldiers, clerics, philosophers, social scientists, jurists, and novelists, including some who themselves experienced life in prison. Students will supplement their historical, philosophical, and literary study of prisons and prisoners with field experience by participating in the Rhodes Liberal Arts in Prison Program at the Women’s Therapeutic Residential Center in Henning, Tennessee. Through a study of texts and work with residents at the WTRC, students will develop ways of (1) integrating their academic and personal experiences, (2) expanding their understanding of carceral systems past and present, and (3) clarifying their views on incarceration and prisons in American society.