College Seminar (101-7-20)
Topic
To Paint Their Lives
Instructors
Paola Zamperini
847/467-4593
1880 Campus Drive, Kresge Hall, Office 4-431
Office Hours: Varies quarter to quarter, please check with instructor.
Meeting Info
Kresge 4438 Asian LC Sem Rm: Mon, Wed 2:00PM - 3:20PM
Overview of class
AY25: This seminar will focus on how women, across cultures and time, represent their lives through various media and means, from visual art to literary engagements to graphic media, from movies and photography to music and social media. Our interdisciplinary investigation of (mostly non-Western and as often as possible Asian) women's autobiographical practices, past and present, will allow us to work closely with primary sources (in English translation, if necessary), and with pertinent theoretical work in the fields of gender, sexuality, feminist theory, and queer studies.
The authors we will engage include Lady Sarashina, Artemisia Gentileschi, Li Qingzhao, Lady Hyegyong, Orgyan Chokyi, He Yin Zhen, Charlotte Salomon, Theresa H. K. Cha, Keum Suk Gendry-Kim, San Mao, Theresa H. K. Cha and Thi Buy, among others. When possible and meaningful, we will set their autobiographical practices against the grain of male representations of women's lives, and in dialogue with our own autobiographical gestures and utterances.
Learning Objectives
In College seminars, students gain skills in:
• setting and evaluating academic goals
• communicating effectively, both orally and in writing
• studying effectively
• thinking critically
• understanding standards of academic integrity
• knowing when and how to ask for help
In our time together, we will integrate the objectives above with the themes, issues, and methodologies related to women's autobiographical practices. More specifically, we will
1) Introduce major ideas in the study of autobiographical practices over time, from the perspective of a variety of disciplines, and in a variety of genres and media
2) Explore a variety of disciplinary methodologies to think about and study autobiographical practices, their intersections with gender, subjectivities, class, status, culture, across time and space
3)Think critically about the standpoints, methods, omissions, and possible uses of each study
4) Learn to reflect on our respective positionalities and how our intersectional identities inflect, inform, and shape our understanding of cultural practices and productions, our own as well those different from ours
5) Foster detailed, persuasive writing and conversation about these complicated topics
6) Create individual and communal spaces of dialogue and conversation around the seminar's topics
Teaching Method
Student-centered discussion, with the occasional lecture
Evaluation Method
The final grade will be based on the following criteria:
-Active class participation and attendance (discussion, preparation, short assignments) 25%
-Assignments (writing statements, short papers, etc.) 25%
-Presentation 15%
-Final Project 35%
Class Materials (Required)
All materials will be available on Canvas and on e-reserve.
Class Attributes
WCAS College Seminar