Approaches and Perspectives in MENA Studies (411-0-2)

Topic

Bodies, States, Aesthetics: New Directions in Cult

Instructors

Shayna Silverstein
shayna.silverstein@northwestern.edu

Meeting Info

University Library 4722: Mon 10:00AM - 12:50PM

Overview of class

Bodies, States, Aesthetics: New Directions in Culture and Theory in SWANA studies

This seminar interrogates the dynamics between states and societies in Southwest Asia and North Africa (e.g. the "Middle East") by privileging embodiment and aesthetics in representational practices, political formations, and everyday life. While the state has been a central domain of inquiry for Middle East studies for decades, what is often under-considered is the way that statecraft emerges through and as embodied and non-discursive forms and practices, as well as the ways that these forms/practices negotiate political power. In this course we will address these lacunae by reading for and around affective, mediated, and sensory modes of social life. Specific units will focus on but are not limited to the role of pleasure and play; the construction of belonging and citizenship; visual and audio technologies in society, media, and statecraft, respectively; and affect in socio-political movements, among other topics. Though course material is situated in the SWANA region as a particular nexus of history and politics, its theoretical ambit extends beyond area studies and into inquiries on affect, mediation, and representation in political life.

Registration Requirements

Instructor Consent Required