English 190

Book List

Doctorow, E.L.: The Book of Daniel; Ma, Ling: Severance; West, Nathanael: The Day of the Locust; Wright, Richard: Native Son

Description

This research seminar will explore the impact of economic crisis and systemic transformation on symbolic authority and cultural production.  To what extent is culture determined by economic forces, and to what extent is it separate from these forces?  How do moments of crisis open new ways of theorizing culture—expanding or delimiting what we expect culture to accomplish in the world?  To answer these questions, the seminar will focus on the last three major worldwide economic crises—the 1930s, the 1970s, and that which began in 2008 and continues to shape our lives.  We will see how the 1930s witnessed what has been called the “laboring” of American culture, but also the emergence of cultural forms that advanced fascism in Europe.  We will see how the 1970s witnessed the emergence of an ostensibly depoliticized “postmodern” culture, but also radical advances in cultural studies and critical race theory.  Finally, we will explore the possibilities and limitations delivered by the most recent crisis and heightened by the pandemic.