Culture and Identity: The Race for Criticism: African American Culture and its Critics

Everyone is a critic. But what are the stakes of cultural criticism? Whom do we trust to tell us when something is a classic novel, album, or film? Professional Critics? Fan reviews? Academic analysts? How is such acclaim, or denunciation, determined? Indeed, the stakes of these questions are only heightened when critique is directed at works produced by African Americans. This course will consider these questions and more by reading/viewing/listening to a series of canonical African American cultural texts across mediums (ex., Novels, albums, films, and art exhibitions). Upon initial reading/listening/view, students will work through methods of close reading of primary texts and provide their own critical review. Beyond engaging with canonical works and multidisciplinary methods, this course would introduce students to the various ways Black cultural production is critically received. What type of expectations are set? Where are these works consumed and reviewed? What kind of language do critics consistently use? Etc. This will aid students in gaining a sense of their subjectivity concerning their subject matter. NOTE: This course fulfills the fieldwork requirement for the AMCS major.
Course Attributes: EN H; BU Hum; BU BA; AS HUM; FA HUM; AR HUM; FA CPSC

Culture and Identity: The Race for Criticism: African American Culture and its Critics

AFRICAN AND AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDIES 330D

Section 01