WE1S Project postdoctoral scholar Abigail Droge is teaching a WE1S Curriculum Lab course, “How to Solve Problems with Books,” this winter quarter at UCSB. Outlining the main goals of her course, Droge writes:

Our main goal is to consider the following questions: Should literature be applied to current social issues? If so, how? If not, why not? We’ll consider the pros and cons of “solving problems with books” as we build a dialogue between major works of the Victorian era and pressing debates in the twenty-first century. Our particular focus will be the Industrial Revolution and its aftermath, including topics related to climate change, economic inequality, and education reform. Through readings of nineteenth-century British authors, we will ask whether “relevance” is the right question, or whether “art for art’s sake” is a valuable alternative.

Visit the WE1S Curriculum Lab page for more or more information about the course and the Curriculum Lab.