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Although the beach seems universal in its appeal to urbanized societies, the variety of (deviant) pleasures and practices attached to the waterfront is far from uniform. Over the centuries, shores functioned as a focal point for socio-cultural movements and the controversies they entail. In this context, the beach becomes a microcosm staging debates about gender issues, territorial claims, legitimised and unlawful recreation.
In the course of this seminar we will develop a genealogy of beach-culture in Great Britain and the Commonwealth, paying attention to the evolution of seaside practices and the shore's representation in the media. We will explore selected key concepts and discourses in spatial theory before moving on to an in-depth analysis of source material from various decades, ranging from texts by New Zealand author Katherine Mansfield to the film adaptation of Ian McEwan's Atonement. Spotlighting topics such as sea-bathing, coastal resorts, beach fashion, littoral paintings, postcolonial approaches and experiences of war, the seminar will investigate how specific places reflect, reproduce, support and subvert social structures.
Please buy:
Garland, Alex. The Beach. London: Penguin, 2007.
A reader with with primary and secondary reading will be available at the beginning of the term.
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