First-Year Seminar (101-6-21)

Topic

On Drag & Cross-Dressing

Instructors

Enzo Enrique Vasquez Toral

Meeting Info

Kresge Centennial Hall 2-329: Mon, Wed 3:30PM - 4:50PM

Overview of class

Topic: On Drag and Cross-Dressing.

From theatrical cross-dressing to drag kings and the queens of Rupaul's Drag Race, crossing gender boundaries through performance has been fundamental in LGBTQI+ culture across time. This course critically explores drag as an art form and platform of expression that unsettles normative gender performance. Drawing from academic fields such as performance studies and queer and trans* studies, this seminar centers the analysis of gender through drag and cross-dressing in different contexts in the Americas by relying on concepts such as performativity, race, gender, class, sexuality, and coloniality. In exploring diverse case studies that call for historical and socio-cultural specificity, students will also analyze drag as a type of political performance and a site of contestation of societal norms. In so doing, we will explore gender as an unstable concept by using examples from theater, dance, TV, film, and popular culture. By the end of the quarter, students will develop skills in academic writing, performance analysis, and interpretation of queer and gender theory. Assignments will include written work that will require students to analyze theoretical, performance, and visual works, peer-review exercises, a creative written piece on a fictional drag persona, and a final research paper that centers a drag figure or practice not covered during the quarter.

Class Materials (Required)

All course materials will be provided on Canvas.

Class Attributes

WCAS First-Year Seminar

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Reserved for First Year & Sophomore only