In the United States today, we are witnessing how politics can affect our day-to-day lives more than ever before. Do we have a responsibility to use our power as artists to better our society, and how do we do that? How have great artists in the past used their influence to produce meaningful change around the world? Additionally, how have the arts been used nefariously throughout history? This course acts as a means to engage with one another, to discuss the ways in which the arts both influence and are influenced by societal shifts, and what that means for us today. We will study various works of literature, drama, dance, and music, and how they either reflected political and historical shifts of their time, or how they actually helped to enact that change. Assignments include a short presentation on a piece of art, a field work project, and a performance and/or presentation completed by the students themselves.