Cluster events are open to all Hopkins students, faculty, and staff. Below are past Humanities Cluster events.

Terror in the Modern World
Founder: Devin Green

As we pass the 18th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of 9/11, the impact of global terror has undeniably altered the course of human existence. The fear borne by violent extremism gave the FBI an opportunity, one which enabled them to expand domestic surveillance and lay the groundwork for a surveillance state. Nations across the globe have followed suit in their utilization of “subversive” elements, like terrorists, to justify their own domestic surveillance programs. Freedom is being globally redefined and the human right to privacy is fading further into the background.

“Terror in the Modern World” is a series which aims to explore the redefinition of terrorism, the ethical ramifications of domestic surveillance, and the nuances of this changing field. There is a misconception that those who do no wrong have nothing to fear from the ever-present eyes of the government in a surveillance state. This notion is wholly incorrect and opens underrepresented populations up to dangerous possibilities. Student activists, ethnic minorities, and political minorities are all highly vulnerable to civil rights abuses manifested through the use of surveillance. To understand these phenomena, we will examine philosophical works, first-hand testimonies, and the global abuses of domestic surveillance.

The Paradox of Nature and Image in a Technological World
Founder: Amadea Smith

This cluster welcomes intellectual inquiry into the idea of the natural as it relates to changes in technological capabilities in representation and engagement. Has nature itself become more accessible, valued, and real with historical and current advancements in technology such as photography, digital imaging, satellite-based mapping, and media? Or has it been, in some regard, altered, misrepresented, lost? To what extent do we consider ourselves, as humans, to be a part of the nature we seek to image and understand?

We will examine the ultimate paradox, by which the technological capabilities that enable us to better study and instantly image nature stem from the very same dramatic global economic growth and advancements that are resulting in the rapid degradation of the environment.

Migration and Diaspora
Founder: Kiana Boroumand

This research cluster focuses on issues of migration and deportation, particularly as they are experienced and portrayed among diasporic populations. While the topic may seem broad, the project aspires to be a multi-generational research cluster, each year informed and driven by its team-members‚ backgrounds and interests. This inaugural year, it focuses on Latinx deportation and forced migration. Latinx people make up nearly 20 percent of the US population.  In cities like Los Angeles, they are the plurality. Understanding immigration, forced migration, and deportation of Latinxs is vital to our understanding of contemporary American citizenship and comparative American cultures. It is also a matter of deep political significance, and will surely be a major campaign issue during this coming year’s election.

Postcolonial Ecocriticism
Founder: Marlo Starr

The “Postcolonial Ecocriticism” Research Cluster considers how Indigenous and postcolonial peoples navigate legacies of colonialism in the face of global climate change. Though a response to climate crisis requires a united human effort, the impacts of climate change are unevenly experienced by local populations. This cluster invites scholars to explore diverse relationships between people and environments, including (but not limited to) representations of shrinking and irradiated islands, militarized ocean currents, and mass migration and displacement. Additionally, this interdisciplinary cluster seeks to bridge the traditionally human-centered field of postcolonial studies with ecocriticism’s focus on conservation and animal rights by turning to Indigenous and local responses to environmental degradation.

The Global Afterlives of Taoism and Zen Buddhism
Founder: Elvin Meng

This cluster founds itself upon the originary documents of Taoism and Zen Buddhism, and investigates their global afterlives in philosophy, culture, and literature. We will draw upon the rich and vibrant intellectual traditions in East Asia as well as the traditions‚ more recent offsprings in the West. Our emphasis will be at once literary, philosophical, and historical, and we will be open to the plethora of reimaginations and reinterpretations of the classical scriptures across space and time, in addition to the orthodox interpretations and practices that constitute these traditions ‚ proper. Instead of viewing Zen Buddhism and Taoism as rigid categories of classical thought, we will instead try to understand them as kernels of artistic and philosophical inspiration that take on radically different shapes and forms at various moments in history: from the aesthetic of the exiled artist to the foundation of hegemonic institutions, from supporters of Japanese militarism to the exotic symbol of harmony and peace, these evasive intellectual traditions resist simple characterizations and will, hopefully, continue to surprise us in this exploration.