As part of the Humanities Institute’s mission to publicize the social relevance of Humanities scholarship, we present HumIn Focus, an educational web series that asks scholars to reflect on the ideas lying behind pressing social issues. In each episode, we ask scholars to reflect on ideas in their work in ways that expand and enrich questions of current concern. In so doing, we hope to both broaden and deepen conversations about those questions in ways that emphasize how what we do in the Humanities matters crucially for all of us.
We examine the history of the American carceral system and ask what happens to the human being behind bars. We hear from humanities scholars, legal experts and prisoners, focusing on just solutions that might reduce prison populations and restore the humanity of prisoners while preparing them for life after prison. Continue »
The COVID 19 pandemic has provided a stress test for the American healthcare system. In Rethinking Care, we view healthcare through the lens of the humanities, focusing on ways to repair some of the inequities of the system, and provide better care for healthcare workers and patients alike. Continue »
Penn State humanities scholars explore the ongoing quest to achieve the promise of American democracy despite the many past, present and future obstacles to equality and social justice. Continue »
Humanities scholars at Penn State reflect on migration, mobility and the ethics of hospitality so as to better understand the context of the debate on immigration and refugees in the US and around the world. Continue »
When did the Liberty Bell first crack? Which industrialist had his very own dinosaur? Play along and test your knowledge of Pennsylvania’s people, places and products. First aired in 1986, the Pennsylvania Game is now streaming for the first time on the PBS App.
Experience a class where people say the things you aren’t supposed to say; where students participate in a quiet revolution toward cross-cultural understanding; where the philosophy is simple: conversation can change the world.
A series of panel discussions about guns and gun violence issues.
