American Bodies

Bodies are sites and sources of pain and pleasure, pride and shame, suffering and resistance. The events of 2020 have revealed the vulnerabilities of our bodies to an unprecedented degree: vulnerabilities not only to disease, but also to inequities in healthcare, labor conditions, and police violence. Even as we have been inundated with messages about public health and images of the novel coronavirus COVID-19, we have also seen bodies deployed as vehicles for protest. Which “American Bodies” are represented, and how? In this course we will analyze a variety of media, from scientific and medical illustration to performance art, memorials, and popular culture, critically examining the roles and constructions of race, gender, sexuality, and class. 3 hrs. lect.