Liberal Arts and Democracy
Published Oct. 27, 2023
In 2023-24, CSU’s thematic year is democracy and civic engagement. The College of Liberal Arts is no stranger to that topic. From artists to sociologists, musicians to philosophers, historians to literature experts, our faculty have explored issues of democracy and civic engagement in a variety of forms.
Watch, read, and listen to some of them speak about their subject areas. You may notice that every one of these scholars looks at perception related to democracy. Related, the criticims people have of democracy are designed to improve it – democracy isn’t fully formed, it requires constant effort and input.
As Professor Sagas says of liberal arts skills and democracy, “There’s the critical part and the thinking part. We need to do both. Not just critique, but offer ideas and solutions.”
PRESENTATIONS
Who’s In and Who’s Out
Professor Karrin Vasby Anderson discusses the visual and textual rhetoric that the media and political groups use to categorize (and sometimes demonize) certain groups of people, especially women and transgender people.
Acting Out Democracy
Professor Ryan Claycomb investigates how the theater can register our collective political fantasies, where, in verbatim theater, democracy is staged in the form of a “utopian public sphere” – representative, every day, even-handed, and open-ended.
SCOTUS: Polarized, Polarizing, or Both
Associate Professor Matt Hitt discusses a study he and co-author conducted around the perceived legitimacy of the Supreme Court, asking citiens, “do I believe this institution has the right to exist and to make decisions, and to be obeyed.” The answers vary by political party.
Democracy Is An Antique Vase
Professor Ernesto Sagas studies the illiberal democracies of Central and South America. What may have originally started in these countries as pursuits of democracy have become authoritarian, and therefore, remind us that democracy must be handled carefully and tenderly.
Learn more about the Thematic Year at thematicyear.colostate.edu.