Humanities Arts Cultural Stu 0143 - Reading/Looking/Writing

In this course we will explore a set of cultural texts - a poem, a short story, a comic book, a film, a music video, a video game - in order to practice skills of close reading/looking, and exploratory/critical writing. We will ask, what is "culture," and where did the idea of "culture" come from? What do we mean when we say "pop culture" or "high culture"? How do the meanings of "culture" relate to ideas about race, gender, class, and ability? How does a cultural object create meaning with its form - its shape and composition? How do we investigate a cultural text in terms of its originality or its ability to play with the conventions of genre? How are cultural texts shaped by their authors, or by commercial interests? How is the meaning of a cultural text shaped by professional critics, or by fan communities? This course is best suited for students who want to gain foundational skills for studying and writing about culture.

Culture, Humanities, and Languages Independent Work Writing and Research Students are expected to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and preparation outside of class time.