ENGL 371 - Politics and Pleasure

FC ARHU CD

4 credits
Is pleasure political? Can politics be pleasurable? This course will explore theoretical and creative approaches to thinking through the, perhaps unexpected, entanglement of pleasure and politics. We wil consider happiness, sexuality, humor, and cuteness, among other pleasurable concepts. Our readings will come from affect theory, queer theory, critical race theory, aesthetic theory, and Marxist theory, alongside selected literary and visual texts. Our goal will be to develop a more sophisticated understanding of the role of pleasure in topics including identity politics, social movements, fetishism and exploitation, oppression and injustice and the fights against these things.
Prerequisites & Notes: For complete prerequisites refer to the English Program section titled, “Advanced Courses”.