Skylor Brown

Humanities 1010
Claire Peterson
December 13th, 2016

Course Reflection
During the course of this semester Humanities 110 has covered a wide variety of topics
that show a closer look at social issues and the impact these issues have in our everyday lives.
While many of these topics have been touched upon in previous courses, such as Gender roles
and the Patriarchy in Anthropology 1010, Humanities 1010 has given me a deeper
understanding of the issues as a whole, such as how media plays a part in how we view women
and gender in our society. From art, to religion, to civic engagement, Humanities 1010 has
helped broaden my understanding of the human condition.
While my previous classes have done their best to give me an acceptable level of
knowledge, Humanities helps me view that knowledge in a clearer light. Before humanities I
had an understanding of various artistic periods and when they roughly took place. Humanities
taught me how these artistic movements began and their importance in starting social
movements. From the Renaissance to Modernism I feel I have a much better understanding of
their place in human society.
Beyond art I was given the opportunity to examine the different religions around the
world. I was not raised in a religious house hold, so my knowledge before this class was thin, to
say the least. Humanities taught me the value religion has in society and the differences and
similarities between eastern and western religious dogma. The most enlightening topic we

covered on religion was the series on Utahs culture and how religion fit in and shaped that
culture. I was even lucky enough to branch outside my comfort zone and attend a religious
service for the first time in my life. I feel that experience has given me a better idea why people
taken part in religion and its practices.
As our final project I was tasked with taking part in a Civic Engagement activity that tied
in with our coursework in this class. The college was offering a course on LGBTQ training. In this
training program they explained the history, terminology, and reason behind the LGBTQ
movement and how to be an advocate for the community. While we did not touch very much
on the subject of the LGBTQ community and its issues, we did discuss the role gender plays in
our society. I do not wish to equate Feminism and the struggle for womens rights to the
struggle for equality of the LGBTQ community, but as with all struggles for equality, there are
parallels that can be drawn. Both groups have historically faced oppression, both have
struggled to be recognized as equal citizens, and all have seen the mainstream media represent
them in negative and damaging lights.
Overall this course has opened my mind up to many new ideas that I never would have
considered before. While the class was enlightening, there is only so much that can be touched
upon and discussed in the space of a single semester. At times I wished that I could delve
deeper into certain subjects to gain a better understanding. However, just being able to get a
taste of these topics and issues, has given me a desire to delve deeper into the world of
humanities, either through another course in humanities or through independent research.