Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey

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FYSE1221A-F24

American Kitsch

American Kitsch
Kitsch is trash. Kitsch is the opposite of art. Kitsch is the mass-produced, cheap substitute for objects made in good taste. To study kitsch is to study the unspoken social boundaries created by a modern world transformed by industrial production. In this seminar we will explore the formation of taste through focused studies of kitschy things paired with readings from social theorists. Our studies will range from popular culture to politics and religion across several national contexts. Drawing on major comparisons between popular culture and religion in Brazil and the United States, we will develop tools to critically assess how judgments of taste are embedded in the intersecting systems of race, class, and gender. 3 hrs. sem.
Course Reference Number (CRN):
92749
Subject Code:
FYSE
Course Number:
1221
Section Identifier:
A

Course

FYSE 1221

All Sections in Fall 2024

Fall 2024

FYSE1221A-F24 Seminar (Doran)