UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA-OKANAGAN

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1 Castricano/Critical Theory/1 UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA-OKANAGAN INTERDISCIPLINARY GRADUATE STUDIES Kelowna, British Columbia 2010 Winter Term 1 Interdisciplinary Topics in Research Methods and Analysis ENGL & IGS501X-001 Studies in Critical Theory The relationship between two worlds eludes the simple oppositions of surface and depth, reality and fantasy, and so on the only topology that suits it is that of the two surfaces of a Moebius band: if we progress far enough on one surface, all of a sudden we find ourselves on its reverse. Thus, suggests Slavoj Zizek, we enter the abyss. Dr. Jodey Castricano Department of Critical Studies Office: A157 Arts Building Phone: jodey.castricano@ubc.ca Office Hours: TBA This course is an exploration of the ever-growing body of discourses and ideologies that have been brought to bear on the study of literature as well as in the associated fields of history, philosophy, language, culture and aesthetics. These discourses and ideologies are generally glossed as theory, an omnivorous term that implies a kind of writing which is neither simply the

2 Castricano/Critical Theory/2 evaluation of the relative merits of literary productions, nor intellectual history, nor moral philosophy, but all of these mingled together in a genre that reflects social, cultural, and political concerns. Much of what falls under the rubric of contemporary critical theory does not make literature its primary focus. Instead, critical theorists write not only about the arts and sciences, but also about politics and economics, local communities and world cultures, spiritual and secular concerns, technologies and jobs, immigrants and native peoples, dreams and desires, and health and happiness. Contemporary critical theorists are also concerned with ethical questions and destabilizing the logics of racism, sexism, ageism and, more recently, speciesism in which it has been taken for granted that the theoretical, ethical, and political question of the subject is automatically coterminous with the distinction between Homo sapiens and everything else. In order to help us clarify and untangle these concerns, this course is organized around clusters of theoretical issues and aims to reflect upon the relevance of critical theories to our everyday lives which are not only of academic concern but also important to anyone who thinks democratically and globally as well as locally. The course will place particular emphasis on understanding the intersections of theories with one another as a means of examining what Theory has to say about the world within which we live. What sort of tools does Theory provide as a practice of critique and understanding that can change the world and who we are within it? How can we locate the intersection between theory and the everyday? How is technology changing our relationships to texts and writing? How is reading a social act? We will explore these and many other questions with the aim of developing your ability to theorize a particular question and begin to understand the way it might draw upon, sustain or contest a number of other critical discussions, past and present. Required Texts: Everyday Theory: A Contemporary Reader (McLaughlin & Coleman, Pearson 2005) Decolonizing Methodologies: Research and Indigenous People (Smith, U of Otago P, 1999) The Penguin Dictionary of Critical Theory (Macey, Penguin 2001) On reserve materials in the Library as indicated below in reading schedule. Also on reserve in Library for this course (some required readings* appear in these. Others are for research purposes.) On reserve materials have a 2 hour limit. This is intended to allow access to materials to all students. You are advised to share photocopies of reserve materials. On Reserve in Library: *Batiste, Marie and James Henderson. Protecting Indigenous Knowledge and Heritage

3 Castricano/Critical Theory/3 Butler, Judith. Giving an Account of Oneself and Undoing Gender (online access) Butler, Judith., Gender Trouble, Butler, Judith, Excitable Speech: A Politics of the Performative *Dyer, Richard. White Fuss, Diana. Essentially Speaking Sullivan, Nikki. A Critical Introduction to Queer Theory ASSIGNMENTS/EVALUATION Requirements 1. Short response paper (2-3 pps/september 22 nd ) 10% 2. Seminar Presentation & hardcopy 25% 3. Essay Proposal ( words & Working Bibliography) & Presentation 15% 4. Research Essay (18-20 pps & Bibliography) 35% 5. Participation/Preparation 15% 1. Short Response paper (2-3 pages): 10% Choose one of the questions at chapters end of Everyday Theory and develop into a response paper. Due September 22 nd 2. Seminar Presentation: 25% (2nd half of weekly seminar) The seminar presentation is an opportunity contextualize and to teach one or more of the scheduled readings to the class and to develop our understanding of this work in relation to others studied thus far. The aim will be to exert critical pressure upon its assumptions and to assess its possibilities and potential problems. These seminars are not designed to merely elicit an account of your reading comprehension (and thus a summary, while welcome, should be considered preliminary and only the beginning of your critical interrogation) but should demonstrate critical reflection on the issues raised. Presentations should be a thorough engagement with one or more of the readings and should provide the basis for in-depth seminar discussion. Each presenter will have 20 minutes in which to present material and another 15 minutes to engage the seminar in discussion. Presenters may chose to base presentations on one or more of the questions found at the end of chapters in Everyday Theory. Each presenter must provide via a copy of their presentation to their colleagues (and to me) no later than Tuesday afternoon before the scheduled presentation (on Wednesday) thus allowing recipients some time to formulate questions/responses to the presenter on the day of presentation. Peer

4 Castricano/Critical Theory/4 respondents have the responsibility of coming to the seminar prepared to ask questions, offer comments, etc. 3. Essay Proposal (10%) & Roundtable Presentation: (5%) Your proposal should outline what you will argue/explore in your essay. In addition to explaining what your topic is in as lively a manner as possible, your proposal should indicate what is original about your work by situating it among recent suitable critical commentary pertinent to your project. Your proposal should be no longer than 750 words and will be presented to the class at a roundtable discussion on NOVEMBER 24 TH. Depending on enrollment each presenter will have approximately 15 minutes to present his/her proposal and hear questions. Going overtime means we may have to give over part of the next class, so staying within the timelines is important. 4. Final Essay: pps: DUE DECEMBER 3 (ARTS176) Formal Research Essay. The essay is designed to help you develop a conferencelength paper and should be an engagement with critical theory or the application of theory to text of some kind, including, but not limited to, a culture practice, an event, architecture, an institution, a film or a work of literature. The essay should seek to engage theory by contributing to ongoing critical discussions; this means, that an essay should not be merely a summary of the work of a critical theorist (although it may be relevant to a certain extent given your argument/discussion) but demonstrate your ability to demarcate new terrain in relation to the work. 5. Participation/Preparation: ongoing (15%) A successful graduate seminar relies on the meaningful participation and contributions of all of its members. Meaningful contribution requires one to be prepared; hence, the high evaluation grade allotted to this activity. To facilitate seminar discussion, you will find at the end of each section in Everyday Theory a series of questions germane to the readings for the week and these will enable you to think about and compare the trajectories of the theorists arguments (points of intersection and divergence) and to make sense of key terms and ideas the theorists use. Likewise, these questions may act as prompts regarding your own everyday experience. Evaluation of preparedness and participation will be based on your willingness and ability to use or respond to the assigned questions as springboards of discussion and to engage your colleagues in the same.

5 Castricano/Critical Theory/5 Reading Schedule: Note: there are some exclusions in anthology Article on reserve indicated by r Book on reserve indicated by R Week 1 Week 2 Introduction to course: syllabus/requirements Read Introduction to Everyday Theory 1-12 Reading & Writing: Everyday Theory (13-82) Decolonizing Methodologies: Imperialism, History, Writing and Theory Jane Tompkins, The Reader in History r Week 3 Educations & Institutions Everyday Theory (85-153) Decolonizing Methodologies: Research Through Imperial Eyes Diana Fuss, Essentialism in the Classroom r Marie Battiste & J. Henderson Decolonizing Cognitive Imperialism in Education in Protecting Indigenous Knowledge and Heritage R Week 4 Week 5 Money & Power: Everyday Theory ( ) Fredrick Jameson, Postmodernism and Consumer Society r Culture & Ethnicity I Everyday Theory (Chapter 4 Fanon) Decolonizing Methodologies: Colonizing Knowledges

6 Castricano/Critical Theory/6 Franz Fanon, The Negro and Psychopathology r Richard Dyer, The Matter of Whiteness (White R) Week 6 Culture & Ethnicity II Everyday Theory (Chapter 4, Clifford, Hall Recommended: Bhabha) Richard Dyer, The Light of the World (White R) Jeffrey Auerbach, Art, Advertising, and the Legacy of Empire r Week 7 Politics & Rhetoric Everyday Theory (Knapp & Michaels, Said, Fish, Mouffe) Decolonizing Methodologies: Research Adventures in Indigenous Lands Jacques Derrida, Structure, Sign and Play in the Discourse of the Human Sciences r Week 8 Arts and Entertainment Everyday Theory (Chapter VI) On reserve John Storey, Culture and Civilization Tradition r Week 9 Desire, Sexuality, Bodies Everyday Theory (Chapter VII) Richard Dyer, The White Man s Muscles (White R) Jacqueline Zita, Male Lesbians and the Postmodernist Body r

7 Castricano/Critical Theory/7 Alice Dreger, Doubtful Sex r Week 10 Identities and Spiritualities Everyday Theory (Chapter VIII) Marie Battiste & James Henderson, Religious Paradoxes in Protecting Indigenous Knowledge and Heritage R Week 11 Technology, Science, Progress Everyday Theory (Chapter 9) Jodey Castricano, A Modem of One s Own: The Subject of Cyberfeminism in Rhizomes Marie Battiste & James Henderson, Paradigmatic Thought in Eurocentric Science Protecting Indigenous Knowledge and Heritage R James B. Waldram The Construction of Aboriginal Psychopathology r Week 12 Week 13 Essay Proposal Roundtable Becoming Posthuman: More Questions Jacques Derrida, And Say the Animal Responded r Dana Medero and Alison Calder, Ethics, Activism and the Rise of Interdisciplinary Animal Studies: Interview with Cary Wolfe r Cary Wolfe, Introduction to Animal Rites: American Culture, the Discourse of Species, and Posthumanist Society NO PRESENTATIONS