The University of Western Ontario
London Canada
ENGLISH 2260F (sec 001): National and Global Perspectives on Cultural Studies
Corporeal courtesy: politeness, disgust, and fear of the “improper” body in a
globalized world
3 hours, 0.5 course; September 2014 - December 2014
Instructor: Dr. Nigel Joseph
Office: TBA
Office hours: TBA
email: [email protected]
Telephone: TBA
Class hours:
Monday
1.30 – 3.30 p.m.
Wednesday: 1.30 – 2.30 p.m.
Classroom: Physics and Astronomy Building, Room 148
Teaching Assistant: TBA
Course Description
Politeness, good manners, etiquette, courtesy: the very terms seem to belong unequivocally to
the past. Yet forms of politeness are as important as ever, although the term itself has fallen into
disuse. Politeness, though it has been detached from morality, continues to be a valued
commodity; and contemporary ideals of politeness typically involve control of the body and of
modes of speech. We live in a uniquely bodily culture. We now attend to the appearance of the
body, and to signals given off by the body, much more than to the content of speech. The
widespread fascination with the physical attractiveness of celebrities, with dieting and exercise,
and with cosmetics and clothes, are only the external manifestations of a much deeper shift in
attitudes. The central hypothesis explored in this course is that specific and localized discourses
of “politeness” have yielded to a more amorphous and impersonal form of civility which targets
the body. While our styles of interacting have become more impersonal, we are also,
paradoxically, more aware of our bodies in these interactions. As a result, categories such as
“disgust” perhaps play a larger role than before in the way we function socially. We are careful
not to display “disgusting” qualities (we are taught to shun the appearance of dirtiness or
slovenliness), and we even allow our attitudes to these qualities to shape our intimate
relationships (in romantic relationships, for instance, any form of “grossness” is often seen as
very objectionable). Freud, Elias, and Douglas all suggest that this degree of investment in
corporeal “purity” is irrational, and may be motivated by factors relating to social status and
perhaps even conformity towards a globalized capitalist economy rather than to hygiene per se.
Thus, where the “civility” spoken of by political theorists made us better citizens, this
“corporeal courtesy” may make us better (more docile and acquiescent) consumers and workers.
Speech also participates in this corporeality, and is often evaluated as “proper” or “improper”;
and we explore Iris Marion Young’s argument that “proper” bourgeois speech is assumed to be
the property of white males, while women and raced others are expected to express themselves
violently, passionately, or irrationally.
Prerequisite(s): At least 60% in 1.0 of English 1020E or 1022E or 1024E or 1035E or 1036E
or both English 1027F/G and 1028F/G, or permission of the Department.
Texts: Coursepack (soon to be available at the Book Store) containing readings from Freud,
Douglas, Goffman, Young and others. In addition, other readings will be distributed from time
to time as handouts.
Assessment
60% of the total mark is set aside for writing assigned during the term and classroom
presentations, and 40% for the final examination. You must receive a passing grade for both
term work and the final exam to receive a passing grade in the course. Students who fail the
final examination (regardless of their term mark) automatically fail the course. Essays must be
handed in before or on the due date; no extensions will be granted unless discussed with the
instructor at least a week before the date on which the essay is due. Please retain a copy of the
final draft of each essay; if a submitted essay is lost, you will be asked to submit the duplicate
for grading. You can either do a verbal presentation, or write a response to any three of the
presentations. Each presentation will last (at least) ten minutes, and may consist of a paper
which is read aloud, a PowerPoint presentation, an informal talk, or a short lecture. Topics for
the presentations must be related to the course material and may be discussed with me in
advance.
Assessment Schedule
Assignment 1 (1000 words)
Assignment 2 (1500 words)
Presentation/Response
Attendance and participation
Final examination
20%
25%
10%
5%
40%
The final examination
The final examination will test your familiarity with all the primary texts covered in the course. During the
examination the use of texts, notes, or electronic devices is not permitted.
Late assignments
A penalty of one mark per day (including weekends) will be imposed for late essays beginning the first day
after the deadline. No essays will be accepted after the tenth day. Essays submitted after that day will be
accepted only on (a) humanitarian grounds, or (b) medical grounds, for which written proof must be provided to
the Office of the Academic Dean. No essay will be accepted after the last day of classes unless (a) or (b) above
apply, or the student has received prior permission from the instructor. Late essays not handed in at class may
be dropped off in the mailbox (location TBA). All essays dropped off after 4:00 p.m. on a Friday will be datestamped the following Monday. Essays should be placed in an envelope and addressed to the professor.
Attendance and participation
The UWO calendar states: "Any student who, in the opinion of the instructor, is absent too frequently from
class... in any course, will be reported to the Dean of the Faculty offering the course (after due warning is
given). On the recommendation of the department concerned, and with the permission of the Dean of the
Faculty, the student will be debarred from taking the regular examination in the course...".
Academic Accommodation:
Students seeking academic accommodation on medical grounds for any missed tests, exams, participation
components and/or assignments worth (either alone or in combination) 10% or more of their final grade must
apply to the Academic Counselling office of their home Faculty and provide documentation. Academic
accommodation cannot be granted by the instructor or department.
Documentation shall be submitted, as soon as possible, to the Office of the Dean of the student’s Faculty of
registration, together with a request for relief specifying the nature of the accommodation being requested. The
Student Medical Certificate (SMC) can be found at
http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/medicalform.pdf
The full policy is set out here:
http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/accommodation_medical.pdf
Absence for medical or other reasons
For cases of absence involving illness, the student is directed to the Policy on Accommodation for Medical
Illness (https://studentservices.uwo.ca/secure/index.cfm). If students miss an in-class assignment, or are absent
for more than two or three classes, they must provide medical or other documentation and submit this to the
Office of the Academic Dean. Such documentation must be submitted by the student directly to the appropriate
Faculty Dean’s Office and not to the instructor. It will be the Dean’s Office that will determine if
accommodation is warranted. In general, any absence for legitimate reasons will be dealt with by re-weighting
the term work grade accordingly or by arranging make-up tests/examinations.
Students who are in emotional/mental distress should refer to MentalHealth@Western:
http://www.uwo.ca/uwocom/mentalhealth/ for a complete list of options about how to obtain help.
Statement on Academic Offences
Scholastic offences are taken seriously and students are directed to read the appropriate policy, specifically, the
definition of what constitutes a Scholastic Offence, at the following Web site:
http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/handbook/appeals/scholastic_discipline_undergrad.pdf
University policy on plagiarism:
Students must write their essays and assignments in their own words. Whenever students take an idea, or a
passage from another author, they must acknowledge their debt both by using quotation marks where
appropriate and by proper referencing, using footnotes or citations. Plagiarism is a major academic offence.
Scholastic offences are taken seriously and students are directed to read the appropriate policy, specifically, the
definition of what constitutes a Scholastic Offence, at the Web site cited above. All required papers may be
subject to submission for textual similarity review to the commercial plagiarism detection software under
license to the University for the detection of plagiarism. All papers submitted will be included as source
documents in the reference database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of papers subsequently submitted to
the system.
Class Schedule
Sep 8, 10,
15
The city and the body; what you can and cannot do in public; shame
and the body; the complex web of bodily interactions in crowded
streets; Sophie Watson
Sep 17, 22,
24
The city and the body; Goffman on the self and other selves in urban
spaces; negotiating space with your body
Sep 29, Oct
1, 6
What is dirt? What is disgust? Freud, Elias, Mary Douglas, Miller
Assignment 1 (due Oct 6th)
Oct 8, 15,
20,
Oct 27, 29
Nov 3, 5,
Nov 10, 12,
Nov 17, 19
Nov 24, 26
Dec 3
What is dirt? What is disgust? Freud, Elias, Mary Douglas, Miller
Being polite with your body: Elias. Goffman
Presentations 27th and 29th
Abjection and its strange pleasures: Freud, Kristeva , Fanon
Responses to presentations (due Nov 5th)
Proper speech: gender, class and race; Young, Cixous, Fanon
Proper speech: gender, class and race; Young, Cixous, Fanon
Assignment 2 (due Nov 19th)
Civility vs. politeness (Macintyre, Kingwell)
Review
Examination TBA