Annotation
This course follows and maps the critical renegotiation and redefinition of the key concepts of our cultural identity ("culture",
"the high" vs. "the low" cultures, "canon" etc.), as was striven for and achieved in the context of cultural studies (Hoggart,
Williams, Hall, Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies). The course presents the methodological and theoretical positions of cultural studies, its concept of culture as "ordinary" and as "a whole way of life", as well as its democratisation effotrs.
Simultaneously, the course attempts to uncover the various limitations and ideological blind spots that were pointed out
(also) by feminist theoreticians. Apart from the mapping of the conceptual and theorerical background of cs, the course also opens the ground for the common exploration our shared cultural identity and preconceptions about "culture". In this sense, the course strives to offer a space and a floor for self-reflective practice.
ATTENDANCE
Attendance is required and is actually crucial to the community-building in which we'll be engaged over the course of the semester, exchanging ideas and learning from each other. Your participation grade will be impacted if you have more than two unexcused absences. Please do not Text/Tweet/Facebook during class; again, your grade will be impacted if you do so. Of course many students learn best with their laptops; laptops are acceptable if you are one of those learners, but don't use your laptop to be online.
REQUIREMENTS
You are expected to read the material carefully and critically and to attend every class. Participation is the central component of this class; you should come well prepared for discussion. My expectation is that everyone will take part in each of our discussions. Prepared and active attendance is part of your grade.
In-class activities:
Once for the semester you will be asked to prepare short commentary on the texts we are reading in the particular session and to prepare a short handout (1-2 pgs) for each of these texts. As a part of the handout, you will prepare questions for the in-class discussion. You will work in groups (2-3 people/session) and you are asked to collaborate on preparing the materials for the class.
You need to send the handouts for comments to me week (by Friday) prior of the class, and you will be responsible for refining the handouts on the basis of the feedback.
Finals:
You will be asked to write a short essay (6-8 pgs) in response to prompt questions covering the topics discussed in the class.
In the essay, you have to use at least 3 titles of the course readings.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
As an academic community, School of Humanities (and Department of Gender Studies) is committed to providing an environment in which research, learning, and scholarship can flourish and in which all endeavors are guided by academic and professional integrity.
The most common Academic Integrity issue that arises is plagiarism. For further clarification about what constitutes plagiarism, please refer to https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/01/. This is a very useful primer to understand what plagiarism is and how to avoid it.
Please keep in mind that plagiarism occurs through intentional copying of non-original (either your own or others) work as well as through the lack of proper citation of resources that you use in your papers and discussions. Academic dishonesty is defined as cheating of any kind, including misrepresenting one's own work, taking credit for the work of others without crediting them and without appropriate authorization, and the fabrication of information. Often, plagiarism results more from not being fastidious than from intentional use of someone else's words as your own. Make sure any and all quotations or ideas that you draw from other sources are adequately cited.
Plagiarism will result in, at a minimum, a zero on the assignment. Other consequences include any and/or all of the following: an automatic failure of the course, reporting to the University, academic probation, and/or expulsion from the programme.
N.B. ! Wikipedia will not be recognized as an academic secondary source!
DISABILITY SUPPORT SERVICES
The provision of support services for students with special needs is governed by the Rector's Provision No. 9/2013: Charles University standards of support for students with special needs.
Centre for Information, Counselling and Social Services
E-mail: ipsc@ruk.cuni.cz
Phone: +420 224 491 850
Contact person at School of Humanities: Eliska Pincova, pincova@fhs.cuni.cz
I am eager to ensure that all students feel accommodated; feel free to talk comfortably with me about any access preferences. Furthermore, disability will be approached in the context of material we study over the course of the semester to highlight disability as a useful analytic for approaching much of what we will read or view.