First-Year Writing Seminar: The Body Politic and the Politics of the Body in American Culture

Semester and Year	FA 2012
Course Number	FIRST-UG382
Section	001
Instructor	Yevgeniya Traps
Days	Mon,Wed
Time	11:00 AM - 12:15 PM
Units	4.0
Level	U
Foundation Requirement

Notes/Restrictions

Open to Gallatin first-year students only.

Description

On the surface, nothing seems more private than the experience of the body and more public than politics. But, look deeper, and it becomes evident that representations of the body have extensive political implications. The intersection of the public and private, of the body politic and the politics of the body, will thus be our chief concern. We will consider how bodies are imagined, monitored, disciplined, and represented, and examine the body’s role in political life. How does ideology shape our understanding of the body, our own and others? How do artistic and pop culture depictions of bodies translate into political action? What might it mean for the body to serve as political battleground? Using writing as a way of thinking critically, students will produce a series of descriptive, reflective, and analytical essays. Readings may include works by Susan Bordo, Michel Foucault, Elaine Scarry, Laura Mulvey, and Sander Gilman.

Syllabus

FIRST-UG382

Course Type

First-Year Program: Writing Seminars (FIRST-UG)