Cultures || Spring 2019
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“Facts force you to believe in them; perspectives encourage you to believe out of them.” — Roy Wagner
6 units
Tuesday & Thursday, 3:00pm to 4:20pm
Margaret Morrison Room #A11
Instructors: Ahmed Ansari, Marysol Ortega, and Hajira Qazi
We hold office hours by appointment:
From 1:00–2:30pm on Tuesdays in MM 207A
Margaret Morrison Room #207A
Dates & content may be subject to change over the course of the semester
Course Description
All humans, all of us, regardless of our background, our gender, sexual orientation, class, race, ethnicity, or the ideologies we hold, our political affiliations, our faith, our worldviews, the different cultures or societies we hail from, all of us inhabit and share the same planet. Learning to live and make in the world thus means learning to live and make a collective world with others very different from us. In an age of increasing precarity and uncertainty regarding both the future of this planet and of our species, against the backdrop of rising tensions between different people, and in a world where the artificial, the vast global systems of designed technologies that mediate and shape our existence, change and modify not only what it means to be human but different kinds of human, it becomes increasingly important for the professions that design and develop the artificial -for scientists, engineers, and of course, designers — to develop better and more nuanced understandings of what human difference is.
Conventional human-centered design methods are a great way to understand humans who are similar to you — where it is easy to relate to the thoughts, desires, and realities of people whom you share commonalities with. The limitations of conventional design methods become apparent once you begin to deal with people and situations that are very different. Trying to understand someone who occupies a very different skin and interprets reality differently from you requires far greater sensitivity and knowledge of how difference is constructed. This course, therefore, has been designed as a primer on critical theory for designers, where we will discuss issues related to all of the different kinds of difference outlined above, looking at different discourses from fields like gender and queer studies, cultural theory, theories of labor and class, and how they relate to the designed world of the artificial that we inhabit.
Goals
This course intends to give students new perspectives and insights into the world, particularly to those messy and irreducible aspects of human life and experience that design methods cannot get to. By dealing with different aspects of human difference and relating them to the material world, students will learn to become more critical and sensitive thinkers, especially with regards to the ethics and politics of their propositions and interventions.
Syllabus
This has been planned as a eight week course for a total of sixteen sessions. The links to the required viewings are here; texts and readings are up on box for the relevant week.
Week I
19.03.2019. Me, Myself & We
How human identity and subjectivity is constructed at the cross-section of multiple (material) ontologies of being.
Key Concepts: Identity, Self & Group, Alterity, Intersectionality
Exercises: Intersectionality Matrix
21.03.2019. Alterity & Intersectionality
We address the concept of privilege in relation to difference and the individual subject to power.
Key Concepts: Identity, Alterity, Privilege
Exercises: The Privilege Walk
To Watch:
And The Pursuit of Happiness, Louis Malle
Week II
26.03.2019. The Specter of Karl Marx
Students are introduced to Marxist theory and core concepts such as capital, value, work and labor, production and consumption, and Marx’s analysis and problematization of capitalism.
Key Concepts: Modes\Relations\Means of Production, Capital, Exchange Value, Conspicuous Consumption, Alienation
28.03.2019. Power, Sovereignty, Politics
Students trace a genealogy of ideas on power and politics starting with Plato and Aristotle through to Schmitt, Gramsci and the neo-Marxists.
Key Concepts: Sovereignty, Democracy, Nomos (Law), State of Exception, Agonism, ‘The Political’, Hegemony, State Apparati
To Watch:
Sweatshop, Aftenposten
The Pervert’s Guide to Ideology, Sophie Fiennes
Week III
02.04.2019. Societies of Sovereignty, Discipline & Control
Students are introduced to the work of Foucault, Deleuze & Guattari, and Zizek in discussing the theorizing of modern Western societies.
Key Concepts: Biopolitics, Panopticism, Disciplinary, Control, & Surveillance Societies, Spectacle
04.04.2019. The Gift
We discuss faith by looking at conceptions of the sacred and of excess and nonconsumption.
Key Concepts: General Economy, Expenditure, Circles of Consumption, Excess, Ornamentation, Beauty, The Gift
To Watch:
Network, Sidney Lumet
The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover, Peter Greenaway
Week IV
09.04.2019. Before European Hegemony
We discuss the world-system prior to the modern one through the work of Wallerstein and Abu-Lugodh and religious and cultural interchange and syncretism.
Key Concepts: Historiography, World Systems Theory, Cosmological Perspectivism, Syncretism, Colonialism
11.04.2019. No Class: Spring Break!
To Watch
Silence, Martin Scorsese
Week V
16.04.2019. The Invention of Race
We cover a history of the social construction of race in relation to the conquest of the Americas, and through artifacts and systems looking at African American- White race relations in the US.
Key Concepts: Social Construction of Race, Coloniality of Power, Stereotyping, Civil Rights Movement
18.04.2019. Modernity & Globalization
We discuss colonialism, globalization and cosmopolitanism, and the challenges to plurality and difference in a global context.
Key Concepts: Globalization, Development Studies, Cultural Appropriation, Immigrants and Diasporas, Decoloniality, Pluriversality
To Watch:
Paradise: Love, Ulrich Siedl
Do The Right Thing, Spike Lee
Week VI
23.04.2019. The Second Sex
The history of the various waves of feminism are introduced, and the work of feminist scholars like De Beauvoir, Irigiray, Paglia & Butler are discussed.
Key Concepts: Biology, Gender and Sexuality, Feminism, Gender Binaries, Equality, Liberation, & Pro-Sex Feminisms, Feminists of Color
25.04.2019. Materializing Gender
We discuss the social construction of masculinity and femininity through technology looking at specific cases from the history of technology development.
Key Concepts: Social Construction of Technology, Material Construction of Gender, Masculinity and Femininity, Gendered Technologies, Performativity
To Watch:
Blue is the Warmest Color, Abdel Latif Kechiche
Jeanne Dielman, Chantal Akerman
Week VII
30.04.2019. Recap, Redux
A time to reflect on everything we’ve covered over semester
02.05.2019. Final Presentations & Conclusion
Final assignment presentations and wrap-up of course.
Grading Criteria
There are three graded components for the first module of the course: class participation, weekly reflection pieces, and two design assignments.
Weekly Reflections (50%):
For every module, every week over the weekend you will reflect on the concepts we’ve covered over the week and how you relate to them, trying to relate them to contemporary issues in design. You could tie in the themes raised in the recommended films of each week to reflect on how they influence your understanding of the concepts, concerns, and issues we touch upon in class. We also invite you to reflect on the Thursday discussion sessions and insights gained from the discussion session.
The point of the reflections is not to describe what we did or covered that week, but to reflect upon your own reactions and thoughts on the things you’ve learned — how do you relate to the concepts and issues raised in class? How do they make you reflect on your own identity as a person, and as a designer? Are there any issues related to design or designing that you feel the module we just covered relates to in particular?
Each reflection should be around 500–800 words and will be due the beginning of class on Tuesday. Please hand in a folder with the printed reflection in it — the folder should be clearly labeled with your name on it. By the end of semester, you should have 5 reflections in total, each worth 10% of your grade.
Discussions\Provocations (25%):
Every module, on Thursday sessions, we will be hosting 30 min breakout sessions after a short lecture where everyone will break up into groups and it is the responsibility of an elected group leader for the session to come with a provocation (a set of questions, a theme, or an issue, that speaks to the design about the relationship between design and the module’s theme), that they want the group to discuss.
Each student will be given one chance to run a group discussion. It is the responsibility of the provocateur to:
a) bring a provocation to class: an issue, a question or questions, a case study, or a theme with several examples, that relates to the module we are covering;
b) the provocateur must bring a prop, an artifact, handout etc. (you can be as creative as you want), to help start and facilitate the discussion;
c) by the end of the discussion session, we will go over the insights that each group has come to, one by one, and it is the responsibility of the provocateur to open the general discussion by giving a summary of how the discussion went.
d) the provocateur submits the prop, artifact, handout, as well as any other facilitation material used during the discussion on Box before the next session
For further details, please go to the assignment sheet.
Final Project (25%):
This assignment, which is a group project, will get you to pick a system at CMU that you will then analyze using four or five of the forms of difference that we have and will be covering and come up with at least 3 ways in which the system you’ve chosen designs each form of difference. Create a poster that will clearly delineate the institution you have chosen, the forms of difference that will be your lenses of analysis, and the designed parts, i.e. artifacts, experiences, interactions, services, rules or policies that shape and mold that form of difference. Further details on the assignment are given below.
The posters will be assessed in a general crit where you will all put up your posters on the wall, and each group will have around 5 minutes to present their poster and 5 minutes to answer any questions for the instructors and the rest of the class.
Policies
Responsibility — Students are responsible for all assignments, even if they are absent from class. Late assignments, failure to complete the assignments for class discussion and/or critique, and lack of preparedness for in-class discussions, presentations and/or critiques will jeopardize your successful completion of this course. Students must have prior permission from the instructor to submit work late and/or adequate evidence of unforeseeable circumstance, such as a sudden illness. Work is considered late if it is not received before the beginning of class on the date due, or as otherwise detailed by the instructor. Even with permission, late work is subject to a grade penalty of a full letter grade deduction per day, i.e from an A to a B, after the original due date.
Academic Integrity — It is the responsibility of students to know and follow the university’s policies for academic integrity and to learn the procedures specific to their discipline for correctly and appropriately differentiating their own work from that of others. Compromising your academic integrity may lead to serious consequences, including failure of the assignment, failure of the course, or more significant disciplinary action with the university. For a clear description of what counts as plagiarism, cheating, and/or the use of unauthorized sources, please see the University’s Policy on Academic Integrity (revised in April 2013): http://www.cmu.edu/policies/documents/Academic Integrity.htm
Participation and attendance — Class participation is an essential part of class and includes: keeping up with reading, assignments, projects, contributing meaningfully to class discussions, active participation in group work, and coming to class regularly and on time.
Class attendance is mandatory. Missing class for any reason counts as an absence, even if unavoidable. If an absence is unavoidable, always provide evidence of the reason, such as a doctor’s note, and notify the instructor directly prior to the class, if possible, or soon after. This will not automatically excuse the absence but will provide a basis for discussion if a student exceeds the allowable number of absences and an incomplete is requested. 3 absences on any grounds brings you down a full letter grade, i.e. an A into a B. More than 3 absences on any grounds constitutes grounds for failure.
The following may also be counted as an absence: coming to class without the required materials, sleeping in class, doing other work in class, and using a phone, email or social media during class if not related to class work.
Within the first week of our course, please look ahead and see if you need to miss class for any excusable reason (religious observance, job interview, university-sanctioned event, etc.) and notify us as soon as possible. We may be able to make alternative arrangements for completing assignments and class attendance.
Late/Make-up Work — Due dates for every assignment are provided on the course syllabus and course schedule. Unless otherwise stated, assignments are due on those days. However, we recognize that sometimes “life happens.” In these instances, you may use your allotted two flex days. These days allow you to submit an assignment up to two days late without penalty. You can use these days for any assignment and for any reason. You do not need to provide us with the reason: simply email us and tell me how many of your flex days you would like to use.
Once you’ve exhausted your flex days, then point deductions will occur for any assignment submitted after the deadline. An assignment submitted 24 hours of the due date will only be eligible for 80% of the maximum number of point allotted. Assignments submitted more than 24 hours after the due date will not be accepted. If you experience extenuating circumstances (e.g., you are hospitalized) that prohibit you from submitting your assignments on time, please let us know. We will evaluate these instances on a case-by-case basis.
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities — If you have a disability and have an accommodations letter from the Disability Resources office, we encourage you to discuss your accommodations and needs with me as early in the semester as possible. We will work with you to ensure that accommodations are provided as appropriate. If you suspect that you may have a disability and would benefit from accommodations but are not yet registered with the Office of Disability Resources, we encourage you to contact them at access@andrew.cmu.edu.
Delays — In rare instances, the instructor may be delayed arriving to class. If s/he has not arrived by the time class is scheduled to start, you must wait a minimum of thirty minutes before leaving. Please use the time effectively on any current group or individual work. In the event that the instructor will miss class entirely, a notice will be posted in the classroom and/or by email indicating activities for making use of class time and for the next week’s assignment.
Take care of yourself — Do your best to maintain a healthy lifestyle this semester by eating well, exercising, avoiding drugs and alcohol, getting enough sleep and taking some time to relax. This will help you achieve your goals and cope with stress.
All of us benefit from support during times of struggle. There are many helpful resources available on campus and an important part of the college experience is learning how to ask for help. Asking for support sooner rather than later is almost always helpful.
If you or anyone you know experiences any academic stress, difficult life events, or feelings like anxiety or depression, we strongly encourage you to seek support. Counseling and Psychological Services (CaPS) is here to help: call 412–268–2922 and visit their website athttp://www.cmu.edu/counseling/. Consider reaching out to a friend, faculty or family member you trust for help getting connected to the support that can help.
