Diverse Biology/Shared Humanity

Fordham Conversations host Robin Shannon talks with Dr. Anne Hoffman and Dr. Jason Morris about their course Diverse Biology/Shared Humanity. In it, students explore empathy through science, literature, music and more.

The course draws on readings and approaches from biology and literary studies to gain understanding of the diversity of human experience. Students will study the biological (genetic, metabolic, developmental, and neuronal) factors contributing to differences in human behavior, cognition, ability/disability, and appearance. Through the study of first-person narratives, poems, and other texts (including film), students will gain insight into the lived experiences of people they might not otherwise have come to know, even as they deepen their appreciation of the interdependence of self and other. Through reflection on readings in literature and science, students will come to recognize more fully what these disciplinary approaches offer to understanding our place in the world and our responsibilities to one another.