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Screening (Ab)normal Bodies - CUL322

Our bodies give us a world, and have meaning, both for ourselves and others. We are directed at every level to align our bodies with cultural norms – but what about modes of embodiment that don't conform to what we generally understand as 'normal’? In this unit, we turn our attention to unquestioned assumptions about what constitutes a ‘normal’ body, consider how these norms are created and think through the experiences of people who challenge them. Lectures, tutorials and assessments will draw extensively on screen texts, including documentaries, “selfies” in social media, apps and other digital tools as well as autobiographical video and film, exploring how ideas about “normal” and “abnormal” bodies come to form part of our everyday lives. Our critical examination may cover disability, pregnancy, fatness, ageing, companion animals, surgical interventions and other forms of body modification. The aim of this unit is to think through the ways in which various forms of (ab)normal embodiment are understood in contemporary culture and to explore the social, political and ethical effects of these understandings.

Credit Points: 3
When Offered:

S1 Day - Session 1, North Ryde, Day

Staff Contact(s): Dr Nicole Matthews
Prerequisites:

(39cp at 100 level or above) or admission to GDipArts Prerequisite Information

Corequisites:

NCCW(s): CUL308, MECX322
Unit Designation(s):
Unit Type:
Assessed As: Graded
Offered By:

Department of Media, Music, Communication and Cultural Studies

Faculty of Arts

Course structures, including unit offerings, are subject to change.
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