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Fall 2018  |  CSCL 1301W Section 001: Reading Culture: Theory and Practice (19850)

Instructor(s)
Class Component:
Lecture
Credits:
3 Credits
Grading Basis:
Student Option
Instructor Consent:
No Special Consent Required
Instruction Mode:
In Person Term Based
Class Attributes:
UMNTC Liberal Education Requirement
Times and Locations:
Regular Academic Session
 
09/04/2018 - 12/12/2018
Mon, Wed 08:15AM - 09:30AM
UMTC, East Bank
Nicholson Hall 315
Enrollment Status:
Closed (26 of 25 seats filled)
Also Offered:
Course Catalog Description:
Culture and cultural conflict. Reading cultural theory/texts such as film, literature, music, fashion, commercial art, and built environment.
Class Notes:
http://classinfo.umn.edu/?CSCL1301W+Fall2018
Class Description:
CSCL 1301W Reading Culture: Theory and Practice 3 credits, meets Lib Ed req of Other Humanities Core; meets Lib Ed req of Writing Intensive Instructor: STAFF Description:

Culture, the titular topic of this course, is a broad, fuzzy, and difficult to define concept. We might include such disparate elements as art, music, technology, food, tradition, religion, ideas, worldviews, behaviors, customs, stories, myths, and any other socially connective phenomena. While culture will be the subject of our course, we will not be trying to tackle the entirety of culture's existence or function. Instead, we will look at a particular structure to identify shifts in ideas, frameworks, and perspectives.


In this course we will focus specifically on the manifesto as a cultural form. The first question to ask is what is a manifesto? What marks a manifesto as different from an essay, a poem, or a strongly worded letter? In French manifeste (manifesto) is both a noun and verb; in other words, to write a manifesto is to bring that thing into existence (i.e. to "manifest" it). The manifesto, as a form, is a material act, an attempt to change or create.We will look at the manifesto as a uniquely modern form, tracing its history from the early modern period to the present day. How do these texts attempt to bring something new into existence and how can we connect them to the modernist impulse? How can we use a study of this deliberately incisive medium to identify ideological change? We will use the manifesto to frame our understanding of modernism and postmodernism, and the difference between them. Our course will place particular emphasis on arts manifestos, putting such texts in conversation with the artistic output of their authors.


If our preliminary hypothesis is correct - - that through studying the manifesto we may come to understand something essential about culture in modernity - - then this form will be an excellent tool for tying together the various artifacts that make up the nebulous mass of Culture with a capital C. But beyond that, the manifesto will also serve as a tool for personal reflection or excavation - - the sharp edges of the manifesto (its polemical and provocative aspects) should be useful in uncovering our own core values. Each of you will finish the course by writing your own manifesto.


Learning Objectives:

We will leave this semester together with a better understanding of the manifesto as a historically specific form. We will also work to understand the slippery conceptual difference between modernism and postmodernism, within an artistic, political, and epistemological context. I hope we will also leave this course with a better understanding of our own politics and values and how they relate to a variety of movements, both artistic and political.

Grading:

What is a Grade?

A Exceptional work, creative, original, and well-written

B Good work, exceeds course requirements

C Meets course requirements in every respect
D Worthy of some credit, but missing significant aspects
S Satisfactory work (No lower than C-)
F Work does not fulfill the requirements of the course
Exam Format:
Your Grade:

20% Attendance and Participation

10% Group Presentation 15% Midterm Essay Test

15% Aesthetic Analysis

5% Manifesto Proposal/Workshop

5% Manifesto Draft

25% Final Manifesto

5% Artist Statement

Class Format:
This is a discussion-based class. Arrive in class on time and ready to discuss the assigned reading for the day. Take notes while you read and bring them to class. While many class sessions will begin with short lectures, your participation in discussion is essential - - otherwise we will all find this to be a tedious exercise.
Textbooks:
https://bookstores.umn.edu/course-lookup/19850/1189
Instructor Supplied Information Last Updated:
31 May 2018

Fall 2018  |  CSCL 1301W Section 002: Reading Culture: Theory and Practice (19851)

Instructor(s)
Class Component:
Lecture
Credits:
3 Credits
Grading Basis:
Student Option
Instructor Consent:
No Special Consent Required
Instruction Mode:
In Person Term Based
Class Attributes:
UMNTC Liberal Education Requirement
Times and Locations:
Regular Academic Session
 
09/04/2018 - 12/12/2018
Mon, Wed, Fri 11:15AM - 12:05PM
UMTC, East Bank
Folwell Hall 31
Enrollment Status:
Closed (25 of 25 seats filled)
Also Offered:
Course Catalog Description:
Culture and cultural conflict. Reading cultural theory/texts such as film, literature, music, fashion, commercial art, and built environment.
Class Notes:
http://classinfo.umn.edu/?CSCL1301W+Fall2018
Class Description:
CSCL 1301W Reading Culture: Theory and Practice 4 credits, meets Lib Ed req of Other Humanities Core; meets Lib Ed req of Writing Intensive Instructor: STAFF Description: This course turns on one central question: How do things 'mean?' Specifically, how do cultural texts mean in relation to each other and to human life in society and across history? 'Cultural texts' are made objects and forms of communication that encode messages and values, and that produce effects--anything from movies, TV shows, magazine ads and rock concerts to 'high art' (paintings, classical music, plays, poems, etc.). The course specifically examines: (1) the role played by cultural forms in creating, maintaining or challenging social boundaries and power relationships; and (2) the ways art and culture function as sites where creative and alternative visions of 'the good life' come into being. Small classes emphasize close reading, discussion, and practice in critical writing. An introductory course in every sense, it's a good place to start thinking about what "culture" is and how it works. It will also help you develop reading and writing techniques useful for many courses and majors. Class Time: 40% lecture, 60% discussion
Textbooks:
https://bookstores.umn.edu/course-lookup/19851/1189
Instructor Supplied Information Last Updated:
8 November 2007

Fall 2018  |  CSCL 1301W Section 003: Reading Culture: Theory and Practice (19852)

Instructor(s)
Class Component:
Lecture
Credits:
3 Credits
Grading Basis:
Student Option
Instructor Consent:
No Special Consent Required
Instruction Mode:
In Person Term Based
Class Attributes:
UMNTC Liberal Education Requirement
Times and Locations:
Regular Academic Session
 
09/04/2018 - 12/12/2018
Tue, Thu 09:45AM - 11:00AM
UMTC, East Bank
Nicholson Hall 110
Enrollment Status:
Closed (25 of 25 seats filled)
Also Offered:
Course Catalog Description:
Culture and cultural conflict. Reading cultural theory/texts such as film, literature, music, fashion, commercial art, and built environment.
Class Notes:
http://classinfo.umn.edu/?CSCL1301W+Fall2018
Class Description:
This course engages in readings of culture, i.e. the interpretation and analysis of various things, materials, products, forms, and contexts in which culture is produced, consumed, and understood. "Theory" in the title of this course refers to the various ways of thinking about culture and conceptualizing culture; "Practice" refers to the modes of reading and writing critically about these concepts and theories in order to analyse how culture is imagined, produced, and understood. For this reason, the course is not an arts appreciation course, or a survey of any particular period, form, or genre of culture, nor a study of specific ethnic, national, or cultural groups. Instead, the course is focused on a series of cultural practices: seeing (on art and visual culture), reading (on language and literature), listening (on sound and music), playing (on sports and games), eating (on taste and food), "surfing" (on the internet and new media), and remembering (on history and the past). We will learn to theorize these practices by reading a number of canonical texts in criticism, cultural studies, and its related fields. Readings include Theodor Adorno, bell hooks, John Berger, Susan Sontag, W.J.T. Mitchell, Virginia Woolf, Raymond Williams, Jonathan Sterne, Franz Fanon, Roland Barthes, C.L.R. James, Margaret Mead, Lev Manovich, Paul Connerton, Svetlana Boym, and more. We will pair these classic readings with our own analyses of timely case studies.
Who Should Take This Class?:
Anyone interested in the critical, interdisciplinary, and theoretical humanities; anyone interested in the study of word, image, and sound across various media and cultural practices. This is an introductory course to Cultural Studies and its related fields; no prerequisites and no prior knowledge is required. (This is not an art/culture appreciation class and you will not learn the specific form and history of a particular genre or period; the readings and the essay(s) you will be required to write are critical, analytical, academic papers.)
Learning Objectives:
CSCL 1301W fulfils the Liberal Education Core requirement in Arts and Humanities: Works in Humanistic Studies reflect on the common and familiar human condition - our human limitations and unique failures together with our distinctive human capacities and achievements. In this course we examine works that invite or compel critical thought. Reflection on such works will enrich students' lives and make them more thoughtful and perceptive members of our communities. Courses in the Arts explore the ways in which art derives its value from various histories and perspectives, means and methods. Among the specific traits fostered in the course are thoughtful analysis, flexibility, experimentation, and ingenuity in problem solving and making use of complex concepts. These courses are designed to initiate a lasting connection to the arts for students as creators, viewers, listeners, or participants.

Student Learning Outcomes:
- Can locate and critically evaluate information: Students will develop a sophisticated understanding of cultural meaning as a philosophical, political, and social problem. Students will be able to identify and critically evaluate culture, art, media, and theories about these things through reading and analysis. They will hone their skills through discussion, presentation, and writing.
- Understand diverse philosophies and cultures within and across societies: Students will be exposed to a variety of theories, philosophical writings on culture. The course is fundamentally comparative and seeks to make students draw connections across different periods, areas, cultures, and genres.
- Have mastered a body of knowledge and a mode of inquiry: Building upon a set of readings of canonical texts the students are introduced to the field of cultural studies and build a sense of the variety of approaches of "reading" culture this interdisciplinary field is characterized by. Through discussion leading, in-class presentations, and writing exercises the students learn to ask questions and carry out analyses framed by the language, methods, and theories of cultural studies.

Grading:

Class participation (15%): Participation in class discussions and one in-class presentation/discussion-lead.

In-class final (10%).

Written assignment(s) (75%). There are two options:

1.) 4 response essays. 3 - 4 page essays asking you to respond to questions and problems raised in class and readings. Focus in these assignments is on your close reading and analysis skills and on your ability to define concepts, use terminology from the readings, and analyze and interpret culture in response to the texts we have read in class. (Due in weeks 3, 7, 11, 15; one revision).

2) Final research project. 12 - 15
page essay on a topic of your choosing. While you may draw on the material from the course you will need to do reading and research on your own. Focus in this assignment is on your ability to design and carry out individual research and use it to write an academic paper. You may first hand in a full draft of the paper and then be able to correct errors and elaborate from my comments before handing in the final version. (Draft due in week 13, revision due in finals week.)

Class Format:
Class will alternate between lecturing and class discussion, plus sometimes group work. Lectures and discussions will always have the assigned readings and examples as their starting point, but we will aim to find connections between the different texts, examples, and perspectives that broaden our understanding of the topics even more. Therefore, you must not only read the texts closely, but also reflect upon them; and class participation does not just mean that you are in attendance, but that you take part in class discussion. Reading, as suggested in the title, is essential for this course. If you have not read the assigned readings you will not be able to profit from my lectures and our discussions.
Workload:
Readings are generally short, but somewhat difficult. Plan on using a couple of hours prepping for each class session. As this is a writing intensive course plan on using a substantial amount of time crafting your essay(s).
Textbooks:
https://bookstores.umn.edu/course-lookup/19852/1189
Syllabus:
http://classinfo.umn.edu/syllabi/vadxx003_CSCL1301W_Fall2018.docx
Instructor Supplied Information Last Updated:
30 May 2018

ClassInfo Links - Fall 2018 Cultural Stdy/Comparative Lit Classes

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