| Kommentar |
The use of the term “fat” traditionally causes discomfort. Predominantly employed as a slur to undermine and chastise supposedly non-normative bodies, “fat” was re-evaluated in the United States as an empowering term by fat activists in the 1970s, a strategy that has led to the recent emergence of Fat Studies. This course will dissect fatness and the ways in which it is mediated from various angles (beauty, health, citizenship), and seek the intersections of fatness with gender, race and class in order to question the cultural anxieties aroused by the so-called obesity epidemic that has been declared one the most urging problems in the United States. The staging and screening of the fat body in various cultural contexts will offer insights into the meaning of the fat body in and for the American national imaginary. Students who take this course should be prepared to deal with theoretical texts, as well as with different media. Texts will be made available for print and purchase at “Sprintout,” please also purchase the following novel: Sarai Walker, Dietland (2015)
Requirements: regular participation and preparation, 2 assignments to be completed during the semester (brief presentation & thesis statement) |
