The Body in American Culture and Society 4219-RS277
The purpose of this class is to analyze how the body is portrayed in American culture and what this says about the role of the body and corporeality in American society. Based on novels, films, TV series and comic books, we will discuss key issues in body studies. Looking at race, class, gender, sexuality, fitness/health and size, we will challenge the vision of the body as a container for the individual subject. We will also look at the relationship of humans to the world, and human and animal bodies
The course is designed as overview of select issues in the study of constructions and representations of the body in culture and society, as well as a contribution to a deeper knowledge of cultural studies methodologies, especially American cultural studies. The course also aims to familiarize students with strategies and good practices for conducting research and preparing a research paper, both from a content-related and formal perspective.
Type of course
proseminars
Prerequisites (description)
Course coordinators
Learning outcomes
Upon completing this course a student:
1. KNOWLEDGE
• has a knowledge of cultural representations of bodies across a range of media and various conceptualization of bodies
• recognises key motifs and modes of representation of bodies, especially through race, class, gender, sexuality, ability and body size
• is aware of multiple contexts of how bodies function in cultural and social spaces of contemporary United States
2. SKILLS
• is able to use critical tools, combine theories and formulate arguments on that basis
• is able to formulate critical arguments about representations of bodies in US culture
• is able to use a range of theoretical apparatuses in analyses of individual texts and phenomena of US culture
3. SOCIAL COMPETENCES
• is aware of the impact of embodiments and their effect of social and cultural experiences
• is open to new phenomena and ideas in American culture
• understands and appreciates the role of popular literature in the United States
• understands the contexts of the political dimension of various cultural and social phenomena
Assessment criteria
Grading
- active seminar participation 20% (including in class assignments and homework)
- in-class presentation of the proposal of the final project 20%
- literature review or annotated bibliography of key secondary texts relevant for the selected text, to be used in the research paper 20%
- research paper 40% (draft and final)
Final grade (comprising the above): over 90% – 5; 85-89% – 4+; 75-84% – 4; 70-74% – 3+; 60-69% – 3.
Bibliography
Wybrana literatura teoretyczna:
Lisa Blackman "The Body"
Lisa Heldke and Raymond Boisvert "Philosophers at Table: On Food and Being Human"
Judith Butler "Bodies That Matter: On the Discursive Limits of Sex"
Alison Kafer, "Feminist, Queer, Crip"
Samantha Murray, "The 'Fat' Female Body"
Joseph Fischel "Screw Consent: A Better Politics of Sexual Justice"
Wybrane teksty kultury:
"I am Not Your Negro" by Raoul Peck
"Neon Demon" by Nicolas Winding Refn
"A Certain Hunger" by Chalsea G. Summers
"Milk Fed" Melissa Broder
"Chew" by John Layman and Rob Guillory
"Eat the Rich" by Sarah Gaily and Pius Bak
as well as other primary and secondary sources and well as representations od bodies in American culture
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: