Encountering Adulthood (ITW-101)

What does it really mean to you to be an adult? And what does your adolescence have to do with it? Drawing from psychology, education, mythology, sociology, anthropology, and spirituality, this course will focus on the transition from adolescent identity to taking our place in the adult world, with particular focus on cultural constructs of what constitutes genuine or authentic maturity. Through literature, music, film, and poetry, we will consider how coming of age and rite-of-passage are experienced by emerging adults in American society as well as others. A semester-long writing project will engage students in inquiry into their own coming-of-age adventure, in the context of cross-cultural efforts to prepare young people for a life of meaning and passion.