First-Year Seminar (105-6-20)

Topic

Media & Exhibitionism

Instructors

Domietta Torlasco
847/491-8269
1860 S. Campus Drive, Crowe Hall #2-131

Meeting Info

Kresge Centennial Hall 3-410: Mon, Wed 2:00PM - 3:20PM

Overview of class

This course will explore the role that exhibitionism and the logic of the spectacle have played in Italian culture from the years of Fascism (1922-1943) to Silvio Berlusconi's rise to power in the 1990s and the current resurgence of populism and far-right politics. As the flip side of our desire to see, exhibitionism manifests the desire to be seen, to expose oneself to the look of others—to turn oneself into a spectacle—in both the private and public spheres. While drawing from the fields of cinema and media studies, feminist/queer theory, and critical race theory, we will analyze how film, television, and social media both express and construct our desire for visibility. We will pay particular attention to questions of gender, sexuality, and race, and to the ways in which spectacle and politics have joined forces at different junctures in Italian history.

Class Materials (Required)

All course materials will be uploaded on Canvas.

Class Attributes

WCAS First-Year Seminar

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Reserved for First Year & Sophomore only