Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey

Searchable Course Catalog

header image

GSFS0315A-F14

Sociology of Freakishness

Sociology of Freakishness
P.T. Barnum taught us that freaks are always made, not born. A freak is a performance of otherness for fun and profit. In this course we will explore how the freak show gave birth to American culture and how American culture continues to organize itself around the display of freakishness. We will ask what configurations of power are at play in the performance of freaks. How do gender, race, nation, sexuality, and class come into play, and how are those forms of power translated into a performance of otherness that forces us to watch it over and over again? 3 hrs. lect. (Sociology)
Course Reference Number (CRN):
92504
Subject Code:
GSFS
Course Number:
0315
Section Identifier:
A

Course

GSFS 0315

All Sections in Fall 2014

Fall 2014

GSFS0315A-F14 Lecture (Essig)