Culture and the modern self
Proposed to be offered next in 1996
Joanne Finkelstein
8 or 12 points * 2 hours per week * Second semester * Clayton
In the Western tradition, emphasis has been placed upon individualism and selfhood. But this is changing: most recently, the coherence of the concept of self has been re-examined through poststructuralist, postmodernist and feminist accounts of the decentred self. The issues raised by these debates are further illustrated in popular culture. The legendary status of celebrities such as Elvis Presley, Madonna and James Dean generate more discussion about the constitution of the modern sense of identity. This subject examines the new theoretical approaches to the idea of self including analyses of the commercialisation of identity in popular culture.
Assessment
Two assignments (9000 words): 50% each
Recommended texts
de Lauretis T Technologies of gender Macmillan, 1987
Goffman E Presentation of self Penguin, 1961
Lash S and Friedman J (eds) Modernity and identity Blackwell, 1992
Schwichtenberg C (ed.) The Madonna connection Allen and Unwin, 1993