Fashion, Culture and the Body
Semester
SPRING2016
Classcode
ClassDetails
Fashion,CultureandtheBody
Thursday2.00–5.00
Locationtobeconfirmed.
Prerequisites
Therearenoprerequisitesforthisclass.
ClassDescription
Thisisacoursethatexplorestherelationshipbetweenideas,thebodyandthewaythatfashioncanbe
understoodtomediatebetweenthetwo.Througharangeofdisciplinesandmediathiscourse
considersthebodyasanaspectofnotonlymedicalandscientificexploration,butcruciallyasavital
elementofcultureandsociety.Bodiesaffectthewaysinwhichthesocialworldandpowerrelations
areorganized,andtheyevenarguablyconditionthewaythatweunderstandrealityitself.Ourphysical
formisconstantlyshapedaccordingtobothphilosophiesandfashions.Bodyidealsandbroaderideals
ofteninterrelatestronglythroughbodilypracticesandwithwhatwewear.Therearemeaningsand
fashionsinallbodilyforms(skinny,buxom,muscular,ideasof‘whiteness’)andbodypractices(dieting,
hairmanagement,cleansingrituals,plasticsurgeryandgenitalcutting).
Overthesessions,wewilltakeaconceptualapproachtofashion,asastridentconditionofmodernlife,
thatincorporatespolitics,scienceandaestheticsandwewillcloselyreadanumberofculturaltexts
againstanumberoftheoreticalmodels.Attitudestowardsthebodycanvarywidelyaccordingto
historicalperiod,andthiscoursewillexplorehow,indifferentmoments,andviadifferentmedia,we
havebeenpreoccupiedwiththeaestheticsofdifferentbodyzones,withdisplayingidentity(gender,
classandethnicity),andalsowithpower.Differentculturalforms(literary,visual,materialetc)will
providethefocusofourdiscussionsastheyallengagewiththedifferentwaysthatwemakemeaning
outofourbodies.Studentswillbeinvitedtoinvestigateintheirwrittenworksettextsfromclassin
additiontoprimarymaterialoftheirownchoice.
ThemajorityofclasseswilltakeplaceinBedfordSquareandbeformedofillustratedlectures,class
activities,discussionofsetreadings,andstudentpresentations.Therewillalsobeaclassvisitthe
HunterianMuseumaswellasameetingwithaperformanceartist/academicwhoworksonissues
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connectedtofashionandthebody.
Thiscoursewillincludecontroversialimagesandtexts,includingpornographicformats,andtheexplicit
discussionofbodiesandbodilypractices.
Theformatofthecoursewillbelectureandseminarformatwithvisitsandoutsidespeakerswhere
relevant.
Desired
Outcomes
Aftercompletingthiscoursestudentswill:
1. Beabletoidentifyimportantandrelevantaspectsoffashionandbodilypracticesandrelatethemto
awiderhistorical,theoreticalorculturalcontextviaa‘representationbased’CulturalStudies
approach.
2. Befamiliarandabletoevaluateavarietyoftheoreticalapproachestothestudyoffashionandthe
bodyviathediscussionoftherelevantacademicliterature.
3. Havedevelopedtheirabilitytopresentindependentandreasonedanalysisofprimaryand
secondarysourcesrelevanttothestudyoffashionandthebody,bothverballyandinwriting,adopting
appropriateacademicconventions.
Assessment
Components
Twowrittenessays,thefirst(2000)dueonSession6andthesecond(2500)onSession12(20%and
30%respectively,togetherrepresenting50%ofthetotalassessment)
-Onex5-10-minuteoralclasspresentations,ofc.1000words,onadatetobearrangedinclass(10%of
thetotalassessment)
-1xendofsemesterunseenwrittenexamoftwohoursduration.(20%oftotalassessment)
-Attentivenessto,andengagementwith,classcontentandthepresentationsoffellowstudentswill
represent20%ofeachstudent'stotalassessment.
Failuretosubmitorfulfilanyrequiredcoursecomponentresultsinfailureoftheclass.
Assessment
Expectations
GradeA:Studentsdemonstrateafullyconceptualizedunderstandingoftheacademicliterature,
combiningcriticalassessmentofprimaryandsecondarysourceswithwell-supportedindependent
thoughtwithinaCulturalStudiesdiscipline.
GradeB:Studentsshowverygoodunderstandingofthesubjectscoveredandcanassessand
compareprimaryandsecondarysourceswithclaritywithinaCulturalStudiesdiscipline.
GradeC:Studentsshowreasonableunderstandingofthesubjectscoveredandcanpresentsomekey
ideasclearly.
GradeD:Alowpass
GradeF:Thisisafailgrade
RequiredText(s)
Collins,W.(2008)TheWomaninWhite,firstpublished1860.Oxford:OxfordUniversityPress.
Supplemental
Texts(s)(not
[Clickhereandenterinformation,includingISBN]
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requiredto
purchaseas
copiesarein
NYU-LLibrary)
InternetResearch
Guidelines
Additional
Required
Equipment
Session1
Session1:Introduction:Fashion,cultureandthebody
04-Feb-16
RequiredReading
Anderson,F.(2005)‘Fashion,Style,IdentityandMeaning’,inRampleyed.,ExploringVisualCulture,
pp.67-85
Blackman,L.(2008)‘Introduction’,TheBody:KeyConcepts.Oxford:Berg
RecommendedReading
Howson,A.(2004)‘Introduction’,inTheBodyinSociety:AnIntroduction.Cambridge:Polity
Svendsen,L.(2006)‘FashionandtheBody’inFashion:APhilosophy.London:Reaktion
Warwick,A.andD.Cavallero.(1998)‘Introduction’FashioningtheFrame:Boundaries,Dressandthe
Body.Oxford:Berg.
Session2
11-Feb-16
Session2:Thebodyasametaphor/EssaywritingforCulturalStudiesoffashionandthebodyI
RequiredReading
Entwistle,J.(2000)‘AddressingtheBody’inTheFashionedBody:Fashion,DressandModernSocialTheory,
Cambridge:PolityPress
Douglas,M.(2002)PurityandDanger:ananalysisofconceptofpollutionandtaboo.London:
Routledgege,‘Introduction’and‘ExternalBoundaries’
Session3
18-Feb-16
Session3:Thebodyasprocess.Foucault,fashionandthebody
RequiredReading
Foucault,M.(1995)‘Panopticanism’inDiscipline&Punish:TheBirthofthePrison.NY:VintageBooks1995, pp.
195-228
Tynan,J.(2015)‘FashioningtheBodyPolitic’inThinkingthroughFashion.IBTaurus.
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RecommendedReading
Entwistle,J.(2000)‘AddressingtheBody’inTheFashionedBody:Fashion,DressandModernSocial
Theory,Cambridge:PolityPress
Mclaren,M.(2002)‘FoucaultandTheBody’inFeminism,FoucaultandEmbodiedSubjectivity.New
York:StateUniversityofNewYorkPress.
Sassatelli,R.(2005)‘theCommercializationofDiscipline:Keep-fitCultureandItsValues’inM.Fraser
andM.Greco(eds)TheBody:AReader.London:Routledge.
Session4
25-Feb-16
Session4:Femininityandthebody/EssaywritingforCulturalStudiesoffashionandthebody2
RequiredReading
Bordo,S.(1993).‘Feminism,Foucaultandthepoliticsofthebody’.UpagainstFoucault:Explorationsofsome
tensionsbetweenFoucaultandfeminism,179.
Steele,V.(1999)‘TheCorset:FashionandEroticism.’FashionTheory3.4:449-473
Entwistle,J.(2000)‘FashionandGender’inTheFashionedBody:Fashion,DressandModernSocialTheory,
Cambridge:PolityPress
RecommendedReading
Thesander,M.(1997)‘Introduction’,TheFeminineIdeal.London:Reaktion
Turner,B.S.(1991)‘TheDiscourseofDiet’inFeatherstoneetal(eds)TheBody:SocialProcessandCulturalal
Theory.London:Sage
Session5
Session5::MasculinityandtheBody
03-Mar-16
RequiredReading
[Pleasereread:Foucault,M.(1995)‘Panopticanism’inDiscipline&Punish:TheBirthofthePrison.NY:Vintage
Books1995,pp.195-228]
Darby,R.(2005)ASurgicalTemptation:thedemonizationoftheforeskinandtheriseofcircumcisioninBritain.
Chicago:UniversityofChicagoPress.
Edwards,T.(2006)CulturesofMasculinity.London:Routledge,pp.87-102.
RecommendedReading
Howson,A.(2004)‘TheBody,GenderandSex’inTheBodyinSociety:AnIntroduction.Cambridge:Polity
Nixon,S.(1997)‘ExhibitingMasculinity.’InRepresentation:CulturalRepresentationsandSignifyingPractices.
London:Sage;MiltonKeynes:OpenUniversityPress.pp.291-336.
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Session6:FashioningBodies:Dolls
Session6
10-Mar-16
RequiredReading
Barthes,R.(1991)‘Toys’,Mythologies.NewYork:HillandWang
Calefato,P.(2004)‘DegreeZeroofFashionandtheBody:TheModel,theNudeandtheDoll.’InThe
ClothedBody.Oxford:Berg
RecommendedReading
Attfield,J.(1996)‘BarbieandActionMan:AdultToysforGirlsandBoys.’TheGenderedObject.Ed.P.
Kirkham.Manchester:ManchesterUniversityPress.
Smith,M.(2014)TheEroticDoll.NewHaven:Yale,pp.7-31
Wood,G.(2002)LivingDolls,AMagicalHistoryoftheQuestforMechanicalLife.London:Faber
PaperOnedue
Session7
Session7:FashionandtheGothicBody1
17-Mar-16
RequiredReading
Collins,W.(2008)TheWomaninWhite,firstpublished1860.Oxford:OxfordUniversityPress,uptopp.
344.
Session8
Sedgwick,E.(1981)‘TheCharacterintheVeil:ImageryoftheSurfaceintheGothicNovel’PMLA,Vol.
96,No.2,pp.255-270.
24-Mar-16
Session8: FashionandtheGothicBody2:ContemporaryGothicBodies
RequiredReading
Collins,W.(2008)TheWomaninWhite,firstpublished1860.Oxford:OxfordUniversityPress,pp.344
totheendofthenovel
Spooner,C.(2004)‘Curtain’dinmysteries:anintroductiontoGothicfashion’,in
FashioningGothicBodies.Manchester:ManchesterUniversityPress.
RecommendedReading
Harvey,J.(1996)MeninBlack.Chicago:UniversityofChicagoPress.
Hughes,C.(2006)DressedinFiction.Oxford:Berg,2006.
Mahawatte,R.(2009)‘“lifethatisnotcladinthesamecoat-tailsandflounces”:the
silverforknovel,GeorgeEliotandthefearofthematerial’.Women’sWritingSpecial
Issue:SilverForkNovels,vol.19,no.1,323-344,1-22.
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Spooner,C.(2006)ContemporaryGothic.Reaktion.
Session9
Session9Fashion,WhitenessandtheRacedBody
07-Apr-16
RequiredReading
Dyer,R.(1997)White.London:Routledge,pp.xiii-82
Gilman,S.(2001)MakingtheBodyBeautiful:ACulturalHistoryofAesthetic
Surgery.Princeton:PrincetonUniversityPress,pp.85-119
RecommendedReading
Gillman,S.(2003),inJones,A.,TheFeminismandVisualCultureReader(LondonandNewYork:
Routledge),pp.166-180.
Back,L.,Solomos,J.eds(2000)TheoriesofRaceandRacism.LondonandNY:Routledge.
Banton,M.(1987)RacialTheories(Cambridge:CUP),pp.34-38
Hua,W.(2013)‘Chapter5:TheCommodificationoftheBody’inBuyingBeauty:CosmeticSurgeryin
China(HongKongUniversityPress)
Session10
CultureandHair
14-Apr-16
RequiredReading
Cheang,S.andBiddle-Perry,G.(2008)‘Conclusion:HairandHumanIdentity’inG.Biddle-PerryandS.Cheang (ed
Styling,CultureandFashion,Oxford:Berg.
Fitzgerald,F.Scott,(1920)‘BernicebobsherHair’,SaturdayEveningPost.
Weitz,R.(2003)‘WomenandTheirHair:SeekingPowerThroughResistanceandAccommodation’inR.Weitz (ed
PoliticsofWomen’sBodies:Sexuality,Appearance,andBehaviour.NewYork:OxfordUniversityPress
RecommendedReading
Banks,I.(2000)HairMatters:Beauty,PowerandBlackWomen’sConsciousness.NewYork:NewYorkU
Cheang,S.(2008)‘Roots:HairandRace’inG.Biddle-PerryandS.Cheang(eds)Hair:Styling,CultureandFashion,
Berg.
Edwards,E.(2008)‘Hair,DevotionandTradeinIndia’,inG.Biddle-PerryandS.Cheang(eds)Hair:Styling, Culture
Fashion,Oxford:Berg.
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Session11
21-Apr-16
Session11:DesireandtheBodyinMotion
RequiredReading
Barthes,R.1993.‘Striptease.’Mythologies.London:Vintage.
Burt,R.1995.TheMaleDancer:Bodies,Spectacle,Sexualities.London:Routledge.Pp.1-69.
Willson,J.(2007)TheHappyStripper:PleasureandPoliticsofthenewBurlesque.London:I.B.Tauris,
pp.1-49.
RecommendedReading
Chazin-Bennahum,J.2002.‘ALongingForPerfection:NeoclassicFashionandBallet.’inFashionTheoryVolume 6,
Issue4.
Chazin-Bennahum,J.2005.TheLureofPerfection:FashionandBallet,1780-1830.London:Routledge
Desmond,J.C.2001..DancingDesires:ChoreographingSexualitiesonandofftheStage.Madison:
UniversityofWisconsinPress.
Session12
28-Apr-16
Session12:Visit:theHunterianMuseum.
Meetatthefollowingaddress2.15pm:
TheRoyalCollegeofSurgeonsofEngland
35-43Lincoln'sInnFields
London
WC2A3PE
UnitedKingdom
Tel:02074053474
PaperTwodue
Session13
AcademicandfashionhistorianDrGeraldineBiddle-Perrywillspeakaboutherworkandissues
connectedtofashion,cultureandthebody.
05-May-16
Session14
Studentmeetings,finalexampreparationandessayreturn.
12-May-16
Session15
19-May-16
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Finalexam:unseenformatoftwoandaquarterhoursduration.Youwillberequiredtoanswertwo
questions.
Classroom
Etiquette
Classroometiquetteaimstopromotethebestpossiblelearningenvironmentandgoodcommunication
betweenallparticipants.
Tothisend,mobilephonesandlaptopswillbeswitchedoff,unlessyouareaskedtousethem.All
readingsmustbebroughttoclassinhardcopy(thereisaprintingallowanceforthis).Foodwillnotbe
consumedduringclass.
RequiredCocurricular
Activities
EstimatedTravel
Costs
SuggestedCocurricular
Activities
d
e
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NYULONDONACADEMICPOLICIES
AcademicIntegrity
LateSubmissionof
Work
AttendancePolicy
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AtNYU,acommitmenttoexcellence,fairness,honesty,andrespectwithinandoutsidetheclassroomisessential
tomaintainingtheintegrityofourcommunity.Byacceptingmembershipinthiscommunity,studentstake
responsibilityfordemonstratingthesevaluesintheirownconductandforrecognizingandsupportingthesevalues
inothers.
AtNYULondon,studentswillsubmitelectroniccopiesoftheirwrittenworktoTurnitinviatheirNYUClasses
coursesite.Instructionswillbeprovidedtoyouseparately.
Written work due in class must be submittedduring the class time to the professor. Late work should be
submitted in person to a member of NYU London staff in the Academic Office (Room 308, 6 Bedford Square)
duringofficehours(Mon–Fri,10:00–17:00)[email protected]
submissiontoTurnitin.
Worksubmittedwithin5weekdaysafterthesubmissiontimewithoutanagreedextensionreceivesapenaltyof
10pointsonthe100pointscale.
Writtenworksubmittedmorethan5weekdaysafterthesubmissiondatewithoutanagreedextensionfailsandis
givenazero.
Pleasenoteendofsemesteressaysmustbesubmittedontime.
StudyabroadatGlobalAcademicCentresisanacademicallyintensiveandimmersiveexperience.Learninginsuch
anenvironmentdependsontheactiveparticipationofallstudents.Asclassestypicallymeetonceaweek,evena
singleabsencecancauseastudenttomissasignificantportionofacourse.
Toensuretheintegrityofthisacademicexperience,classattendanceismandatoryandunexcusedabsenceswill
bepenalizedwithatwopercentdeductionfromthestudent’sfinalcoursegrade.Studentsareresponsiblefor
makingupanyworkmissedduetoabsence.Repeatedabsencesinacoursemayresultinfailure.
Howtoreportanabsence
AbsencesfromclassmustbereportedtoNYULondonadministrativestaffusingtheonlineAbsenceForm:
http://tinyurl.com/nyulabsence
AbsencescanONLYbeexcusediftheyarereportedusingthisform.StudentsshouldNOTapproachtheirclass
instructorforanexcusedabsence.However,studentsshouldcontacttheirclassinstructortocatchuponmissed
work.
Medicalabsences
Ifyouareunabletoattendaclassduetoill-health,youmustprovidedetailsofyourillnessandclass(es)missedto
NYULstaffusingtheonlineAbsenceFormWITHINSEVENDAYSofyourreturntoclass.
Pleasedonotusetheformtoreportamedicalemergencyortorequesturgentassistance.Inamedical
emergencycall999andaskforanambulance.NYULondonstaffareavailabletooffersupport,whatevertimeof
day.Ifyouwouldliketospeaktoamemberofstaffurgentlytorequestsupportwithamedicalproblem,please
call08003160469,selectingoption2.
Non-medicalabsences
Ifyouhavetomissclassforanunavoidable,non-medicalreasonyoumustprovidedetailstoNYULstaffusingthe
onlineAbsenceFormatleastSEVENDAYSPRIORtothedate(s)inquestion.Examplesofvalidnon-medical
reasonsareasfollows:religiousholiday;familywedding;scholarshipcompetition;familyemergency.Ifindoubt
pleasespeaktoamemberofAcademicsstafforemailacademics@nyu.ac.uk.Failuretoproviderequested
documentationforthesetypesofabsenceswillresultintheabsenceremainingunexcused.
Furtherinformationregardingabsences
NYULondonstaffcarefullymonitorstudentattendanceandabsencerecords.Inmostcasesfullcompletionof
theonlineAbsenceFormwillbesufficienttoexcuseyourabsence.However,incertaincircumstances,youwillbe
askedtoprovideadditionalinformation/verificationbeforeitcanbeexcused.Ifwenoticethatyouhavemultiple
absencesyouwillbecontactedtoarrangeameetingwithamemberofstaff.
Unexcusedabsencesfromexamsarenotpermittedandwillresultinfailureoftheexam.Studentsmaynottake
anexambeforeorafterotherstudentsintheclass,andmaynotleavetheprogrammebeforeallcourseworkhas
beensubmitted.
PleaserefertotheNYUWikisPageforthefullabsencepolicy:https://wikis.nyu.edu/x/awRgAw
Studentsobservingareligiousholidayduringregularlyscheduledclasstimeareentitledtomissclasswithoutany
penaltytotheirgrade.Thisisfortheholiday
onlyanddoesnotincludethedaysoftravelthatmaycomebeforeand/oraftertheholiday.Studentsmustnotify
theirprofessorandtheOfficeofAcademicSupportinwritingviaemailoneweekinadvancebeforebeingabsent
forthispurpose.
Academic
Accommodations
GradeConversion
GradingPolicy
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Studentswithdisabilitieswhobelievethattheymayneedaccommodationsinaclassareencouragedtocontact
theMosesCenterforStudentswithDisabilitiesat(212)998-4980assoonaspossibletobetterensurethatsuch
accommodationsareimplementedinatimelyfashion.Formoreinformation,seeStudyAwayandDisability.
NYUinLondonusesthefollowingscaleofnumericalequivalentstolettergrades:
A=94-100
A-=90-93
B+=87-89
B=84-86
B-=80-83
C+=77-79
C=74-76
C-=70-73
D+=67-69
D=65-66
F=below65
Wherenospecificnumericalequivalentisassignedtoalettergradebytheclassteacher,themidpointofthe
rangewillbeusedincalculatingthefinalclassgrade(exceptintheArange,where95.5willbeused).
NYUinLondonaimstohavegradingstandardsandresultsinallitscoursessimilartothosethatprevailat
WashingtonSquare.
NYUrequiresallinstructorstosubmitmidtermgradesfortheirstudents.Midtermgradingisconsideredan
educationalbestpractice,andplaysanimportantroleinschools’earlyinterventionprograms,whichenable
adviserstoidentifyandtorespondtostudentsincrisis.