In this course we will explore how the human body has been viewed, exhibited, and objectified in American culture from the mid-nineteenth century to the present. We will consider the body's function as a site for the construction of meanings based on gender, race, sexuality, nationality, and class. We will also consider the body's relationship to evolving discourses of pornography, disability and disease, technology, and corporal punishment. Course materials will span a range of disciplines, including art, literature, history, film, and advertising.