Topics in American Culture and Visual Art - MA Seminar 3

obligatory courses

This seminar focused on US culture, broadly conceived. It presents a survey of critical theory in the 20th and 21st c. and the ways various theories might be applied in the analysis and interpretation of texts selected by the students as their research material. This material may include, for example, works of art (sculpture, painting, performance, socially engaged art), cinematic productions, cultural artefacts or political actions carried out in (connection with) American culture.

This seminar focused on US culture, broadly conceived. It presents a survey of critical theory in the 20th and 21st c. and the ways various theories might be applied in the analysis and interpretation of texts selected by the students as their research material. This material may include, for example, works of art (sculpture, painting, performance, socially engaged art), cinematic productions, cultural artefacts or political actions carried out in (connection with) American culture.

The students will be encouraged to draw on concepts worked out within the traditions of cultural studies and art theory, including Marxism, feminist theories, psychoanalytic criticism, affect theory and other theories of popular culture. They will also be encouraged (but not required) to come up with an original argument to be pursued in their MA thesis.

The seminar will combine discussing assigned reading material (provided beforehand by the supervisor), watching documentary films, getting acquainted with the works of selected visual and performance artists, researching topics and formulating a working thesis.

General sources:

The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism

D. H. Richter (ed.), The Critical Tradition

David Lodge (ed.), 20th Century Literary Criticism

Raman Selden & Peter Widdowson, Reader’s Guide to Contemporary Literary Theory

Jonathan Culler, On Deconstruction: Theory and Criticism after Structuralism (1993)

William Ray, Literary Meaning: From Phenomenology to Deconstruction (1984)

Michael P. Clark (ed.), Revenge of the Aesthetic, The Place of Literature in Theory Today (2000)

Peter Garrat (ed.), Cognitive Humanities: Embodied Mind in Literature and Culture (2016)

Other sources:

Brennan, Marcia. Painting Gender, Constructing Theory.

Butler, Cornelia. WACK! Art and the Feminist Revolution.

Foster, Hal (ed.). Anti-Aesthetic: Essays on Postmodern Culture.

Heartney, Eleanor and others. After the Revolution: Women Who Transformed Contemporary Art.

Jones, Amelia (ed.). The Feminism and Visual Culture Reader.

Kelly, Mary. Imaging Desire.

Kelly, Mary. Post-Partum Document.

Knafo, Danielle. Dancing with the Uncounsious: The Art of Psychoanalysis and the Psychoanalysis of Art.

Munro, Eleanor. Originals: American Women Artists.

Orton, Paul and Griselda Pollock. Avant-Gardes and Partisans Reviewed.

Pollock, Griselda. Vision & Difference: Femininity, Feminism and the Histories of Art.

Robinson, Hilary (ed.). Feminism-Art-Theory: An Anthology 1968-2000.

Sherman, Cindy. Untitled Film Stills.

Slatkin, Wendy. Women Artists in History: From Antiquity to the Present.

Sturken, Marita and Lisa Cartwright. Practices of Looking: An Introduction to Visual Culture.

Other works pertinent to the students’ MA projects.

Knowledge

The graduate will be able to:

K_W04 Characterize on an advanced level the principles of research design in literary and culture studies with special focus on the application of methods and tools in formulating research problems

K_W05 identify the notions and principles pertinent to intellectual property and copyright

K_W06 Characterise economic, legal and other factors relevant for various kinds of professional activities related to the study programme

Abilities

The graduate is able to:

K_U01 Apply advanced terminology and notions pertinent to the discipline (linguistics, literary studies, culture and religion studies)

K_U02 Apply advanced research methodology within literary and culture studies and English studies, respecting ethical norms and copyright law

K_U03 Apply knowledge obtained during the course of studies to account for and solve a problem, thereby completing a research task related to the discipline literary studies and/or culture and religion studies

K_U04 Analyze linguistic, literary and cultural phenomena and draw generalizations on their basis in the context of societal, historical and economic factors on an advanced level

K_U06 Find information in various sources and critically assess its usefulness for research related to the topic of the MA project

K_U07 Use modern technology in the process of learning and communicating with academic teachers, colleagues, representatives of various institutions and fellow participants in classes and projects, applying various channels and techniques of communication

K_U11 Design one’s own development

Social competences

The graduate is ready to:

K_K02 Apply knowledge and skills obtained during the course of studies to undertake lifelong learning, as well as personal and professional development

Requirements:

Continuous assessment (class preparation and participation): 50%

Written and oral assignments.

The maximum number of missed classes: 2.