Students will read important works of social, political, and scientific thought, with a focus on well-being for societies. We will ask questions like: Where does society come from? How do we balance individual liberty and the public good? What behaviors and practices perpetuate injustice? Can we create a better society? How do power and privilege define our capacity to make change? How do we find truth? Can facts be detached from cultural contexts? Note: This course was formerly titled "Honors Mosaic: Humanities Seminar II"; students who received credit for this title will not receive additional credits.

Join a small group of students for an experienced-based, deep dive into the legacies of colonialism(s) and resistance in the Mexican Yucatan Peninsula. Tracing story of the long history from Mayan dominance to Spanish conquest, the nineteenth-century struggle for national independence to twenty-first centuries encounters with multi-national corporations like McDonald’s and Starbucks, and ‘eco-tourism’ and digital nomads, this class will use Merida and the surrounding areas as everyday classroom to explore the broad and most enduring developments in global history over the last five-hundred years. The course will feature of a blend of in-class discussions, guest lectures from local experts, walks around the city, and exciting field trips to get at the big, important, and enduring themes of conquest and resistance over the last five centuries.