01/15-23/19
Introductory class. We discussed Berger and the ways of formulating A Beautiful Question, and broke off into teams for our assignments. I decided to choose a topic for my question pertaining to the impact of media representation on a person’s self esteem and feelings of personal validity, as it is something which is not commonly addressed.
01/30/19
Our first presentation was done regarding the potential for alien life outside our solar system, and the story of a young women who paved the road for such research. In class, we talked about the roadblocks this individual overcame, as well as the probability of finding life, what that life may be, and how, precisely, we would be able to find it.
02/13/19
We discussed the impact of the women’s suffrage movement, and analyzed the piece How It Feels to be Forcibly Fed. In the context of the piece, the journalist was working to try and understand the force feeding of women who underwent the hunger strike by doctors, and to do so by gaining personal experience with the painful act. Things such as the historical context, the separation (or connection) of art vs. artist, and the modern applications for it were explored in this class.
02/20/19
We discussed the impact of the Agnes Scott logo and the implications of the phrase “the world. for women.” Some discussion was had about its relevance with our current student body and how we could potentially change that slogan to be more inclusive.
02/27/19
First two class presentations, continuing the work of the Arts & Literature discussion.
03/20/19
During class, we discussed the impact of religion on spreading hate, and the ways in which Black Liberation Ideology brings it back to a more tangible, less aggressive level. While much of the mainstream Christianity tends to focus on harming the individuals who do not fit into the “ideal” archetype, Black Liberation ideology brings the individual back into the focus of religion and its associated elements. Were more religion framed in this light, I feel like it would be more appealing – and, in the end, more beneficial to people to take in.
03/27/19
This class’s lecture focused on the impact of different cultural mindsets and being aware of them when discussing and interacting with the world. I feel that one thing which struck a chord with me was the importance of eye contact: I was previously unaware that avoidance thereof was considered discriminatory and am working to improve that.
04/03/19
Group Presentation.
04/10/19
The lecture focused on theatrical impacts in understanding the world around us. We discussed the diversity gap in audience members (typically rich white people), and the fact that the overall focus of these modern day shows has a historical focus on the wealthy and well-off. However, that is beginning to change. West Side Story was a Broadway production which focused on gangs opposed to kings, and while not perfect (did have issues with blackface/brownface) was progressive for its time. In the current day, we are learning from our mistakes of the past and trying to move forward with more of those concerns in mind.
04/24/19
Group presentations on both memes and theater. I found it interesting how the two groups managed to find the connection between the two subjects, and discuss how much of an impact that left on our overall understanding of culture later on. Will we be able to trace back the current peculiar trends in current culture, be it through memes or theatrical performances? Will any relics of the digital age survive in the years to come, or be obliterated forever? What is the best course of action for current theater to arrive at, and will we even continue to exist at that point?
Interesting (if not slightly unsettling) food for thought.
05/01/19
