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1. Art in Everyday Life, Spring 2016
Professor Terence E. McDonnell
Sociology 43165
Mondays/Wednesdays 9:30-10:45 am
Flanner Hall 925
Contact Information
Email: terence.e.mcdonnell@nd.edu
Office Phone: 1-7599
Office Hours: Thursdays 9:00-11:00am, by appointment:
http://tinyurl.com/terencemcdonnell
Office: 742 Flanner Hall
Course Description
When discussing “art,” most people think of paintings housed in museums, winners of the
Booker Prize, or Russian ballet. This rigorous, hands-on seminar is only somewhat
interested in the so-called “fine arts.” Instead we’ll interrogate the relationship between art
and the social world, considering everything under the big umbrella of aesthetics. We’ll
bend, stretch, and stress our definitions of art by considering the aesthetics of our daily
lives alongside contemporary art that enters the public sphere. What are the politics of
producing public sculpture and graffiti? How do we judge the power of protest posters?
What ideologies underlie the practices of advertising? How do we use popular music to
distinguish ourselves from others? This seminar addresses a variety of perspectives on
visual culture, from critical theory to contemporary cultural sociology. We will consider
the autonomy and politics of art, examine the distinctions between high and popular
culture, and consider what is at stake in the production and interpretation these images.
From there, we use these theories as a framework to examine a number of pieces of pop
culture, and not so popular culture.
WARNING: This class contains explicit material that some find offensive, controversial,
or immoral. PLEASE DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS IF YOU ARE UNWILLING TO BE
EXPOSED TO CHALLENGING WORK THAT MIGHT OFFEND YOU.
Class Materials
All readings available via Library Reserve:
https://reserves.library.nd.edu/courses/201520_29096/reserves
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2. Evaluation
Attendance, Participation, Exercises (25%)
Art, Experience, Politics Paper (25%)
Final Research Paper (40%)
Creative Curatorial Art Presentation(10%)
Due Dates
Make a Thing February 8
Sorted Books February 17
Final Paper Proposal February 22
Art, Experience, Politics Paper March 2
Stakeout! March 14
Song Pitches Posted March 30
Research Paper Draft April 6
Flaneur/Photography Assignment April 18
Final Research Paper May 4
Creative Curatorial Art Presentation May 4
Class Schedule
ART, AESTHETICS, EXPERIENCE
Wednesday January 13: But is it art?
Monday January 18: Art as Everyday Experience
Dewey, John. 1934. “The Live Creature” and “The Live Creature and ‘Etherial Things.’” Pp.
1-35 in Art as Experience. New York: Penguin.
Film: The Artist is Present
Wednesday January 20:
Dewey, John. 1934. “Having and Experience” Pp. 36-59 in Art as Experience. New York:
Penguin.
Film: The Artist is Present (Continued)
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3. ART AS AUTONOMOUS v. POLITICAL
Monday January 25: Art as Autonomous
Eliot, TS. 1956. “Tradition and the Individual Talent.“ Pp. 37-44 in The Selected Prose of
T.S. Eliot. New York, NY: Harcourt, Brace Company.
Algarin, Miguel. 1994. “The Sidewalk of High Art.” Pp. 3-28 in Aloud: Voices from the
Nuyorican Poets Cafe. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company.
Topics: Slam Poetry versus Canonical Poetry, Matthew Arnold
Wednesday January 27: Art as Political
Benjamin, Walter. 1969. “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction.” Pp.
217-251 in Illuminations. New York, NY: Schocken Books.
Topic: Reproduction as revolution
Monday February 1: Art to Politics
Edelman, Murray. 1995. “The Cardinal Political Role of Art,” “Art: Transformations and
Challenges.” Pp. 1-14 and 52-72 in From Art to Politics: How Artistic Creations Shape
Political Conceptions. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
Film: Exit Through the Gift Shop
Topics: Danish Cartoons of Mohammed, New Yorker Obama as Bin Laden cover
SOCIOLOGY OF ART CULTURE
Wednesday February 3: The Cultural Diamond
Griswold, Wendy. 2004. “Culture and the Cultural Diamond” and “Cultural Meaning.” Pp.
1-50 in Cultures and Societies in a Changing World. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press.
Film: Exit through the Gift Shop (continued)
Monday February 8: Production and Producers
Becker, Howard. 1982. “Art Worlds and Collective Activity.” Pp. 1-39 in Art Worlds.
Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
Topics: Art Worlds, Institutions and Art, Cultural Entrepreneurs
MAKE A THING ASSIGNMENT DUE
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4. Wednesday February 10: Cultural Objects/Cultural Power
Gladwell, Malcolm. 2002. “The Stickiness Factor: Sesame Street, Blue’s Clues, and the
Educational Virus.” Pp. 89-132 in The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big
Difference.” New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company.
Topics: Fads, Icons, Viral Video, Memes, and Sticky Things
Monday February 15: Audiences and Reception
Jenkins, Henry. 2009. “‘Get a Life!’: Fans, Poachers, Nomads.” Pp. 9-49 in Textual
Poachers: Television Fans Participatory Culture. New York, NY: Routledge.
Topic: encoding/decoding, fan cultures
ART THE POWERFUL
Wednesday February 17: Elites and Taste Cultures
Halle, David. 1993. “Introduction” “Abstract Art.” Pp. 1-22 and 119-138 in Inside
Culture: Art and Class in the American Home. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
Topics: Thomas Kinkeade, “Painter of Light”, Interior Decoration, Art Collection
SORTED BOOKS ASSIGNMENT DUE
Monday February 22: Cultural Capital
Peterson, Richard A., and Roger M. Kern. 1996. “Changing Highbrow Taste: From Snob to
Omnivore.” American Sociological Review. 61: 900-907.
Johnston, Josee and Shyon Baumann. 2007. “Democracy v. Distinction: A Study of
Omnivorousness in Food Writing.” The American Journal of Sociology. 113: 165-204.
Topics: Taste and Distinction, Food, Music
FINAL PAPER PROPOSAL DUE
Wednesday February 24: State Art – Monuments and Collective Memory
Wagner-Pacifici, Robin and Barry Schwartz. 1991. “The Vietnam Veterans Memorial:
Commemorating a Difficult Past.” The American Journal of Sociology. 97: 376-420.
Topics: Monuments, Memorials, 9/11 World Trade Center Memorial planning
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5. Monday February 29: Propaganda and State Funding
Clark, Toby. 1997. “Propaganda at War.” Pp. 103-23 in Art and Propaganda in the
Twentieth Century. New York: Harry N. Abrams.
Topics: Propaganda and Dreams: Photographs from the Works Progress Administration and
Stalinist Russia, Selling the War, War Propaganda
Wednesday March 2: Advertising
Sturken, Marita and Lisa Cartwright. 2009. “Advertising, Consumer Cultures, and Desire.”
Pp. 265-306 in Practices of Looking. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Film: Art Copy
Topics: Consumption, Desire, Advertising
ART, EXPERIENCE, POLITICS PAPER DUE
SPRING BREAK
ART FROM BELOW
Monday March 14: Culture Jamming
Klein, Naomi. 2002. “Culture Jamming: Ads Under Attack.” Pp. 279-310 in No Logo.
New York, NY: Picador.
Topic: Adbusters, Occupy Wall Street
STAKEOUT! ASSIGNMENT DUE
Wednesday March 16: Protest Art
Meyer, Richard. 1994. “This is to Enrage You: Gran Fury and the Graphics of AIDS
Activism.” Pp. 51-84 in But is it Art?: The Spirit of Art as Activism. Nina Felshin, Editor.
Seattle, WA: Bay Press.
Film: How to Survive a Plague
Topics: ACT UP, Guerrilla Girls
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6. Monday March 21: Subcultures
Lachmann, Richard. 1988. “Graffiti as Career and Ideology.” The American Journal of
Sociology. 94: 229-250.
Film: Style Wars
Wednesday March 23: Outsider Art
Fine, Gary Alan. 2004. “Creating Biography.” Pp. 54-98 in Everyday Genius: Self-Taught
Art and the Culture of Authenticity. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
Topics: Henry Darger, Watt Towers, James Hampton
Film: In the Realms of the Unreal
EASTER HOLIDAY
Wednesday March 30: Appropriation
McLeod, Kembrew and Peter DiCola. 2011. “Introduction” and “The Golden Age of
Sampling.” Pp. 1-35 in Creative License: The Law and Culture of Digital Sampling. Duke
University Press.
Topic: Hip-Hop Sampling, Girl Talk
Film: Copyright Criminals
SONG PITCHES POSTED
ART EVERYDAY LIFE
Monday April 4: Music and Identity
DeNora, Tia. 2000. “Musical Affect in Practice.” Pp. 21-45 in Music in Everyday Life. New
York, NY: Cambridge University Press.
Bryson, Bethany. 1996. “‘Anything but Heavy Metal’: Symbolic Exclusion and Musical
Dislikes.” American Sociological Review. 61: 884-899.
Topic: Music in Everyday Life, Distinction
SONG PITCH EXERCISE
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7. Wednesday April 6: The Flâneur, the City, and the Practice of Everyday Life
de Certeau, Michel. 1993. “Walking in the City.” Pp. 126-133 in The Cultural Studies
Reader. Simon During, Editor. New York, NY: Routledge.
Topics: Streetscapes, Improv Everywhere, Jenny Holzer
FINAL PAPER DRAFT DUE
Monday April 11: Urban Typography
Film: Helvetica
Wednesday April 13: Public Art Interventions
Berry, Ian. 2005. “Coming Clean: A Dialogue with Mel Ziegler.” Pp. 29-43 in America
Starts Here: Kate Ericson and Mel Ziegler. Ian Berry and Bill Arning, editors. Cambridge:
MIT Press.
Monday April 18: Streetscapes and Bohemian Neighborhoods
Lloyd, Richard. 2006. “Grit as Glamour.” Pp. 73-98 in in Neo-Bohemia: Art and
Commerce in the Post-Industrial City. New York, NY: Routledge.
Wherry, Frederick F. 2011. “Culture at Work: The Arts, Branding, and Neighborhood
Transformation.” Pp. 1-21 in The Philadelphia Barrio. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago
Press.
FLÂNEUR /PHOTOGRAPHY EXERCISE DUE
ART CONTROVERSY
Wednesday April 20: Contests over Art in Public Space
Senie, Harriet F. 2002. “Commission, Installation, Removal” and “Public Opinion.” Pp.
21-54 in The Tilted Arc Controversy: Dangerous Precedent? Minneapolis, MN: University
of Minnesota Press.
Monday April 25: What Causes Art Controversies?
Dubin, Steven. 1992. “The Bachelor Stripped Bare” and “Rally ‘Round the Flag.” Pp.
26-43 and 102-24 in Arresting Images: Impolitic Art and Uncivil Actions. New York, NY:
Routledge.
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8. Topics: NEA Controversies, Sensations Exhibit, Sally Mann
Wednesday April 27: Controversies and Social Change
Tepper, Steven J. 2010. “Social Change and Cultural Conflict: Uncertainty, Control, and
Symbolic Politics” and “Some Like it Hot: Why Some Cities Are More Contentious Than
Others.” Pp. 61-104 in Not Here, Not Now, Not That: Protest Over Art and Culture in
America. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
FINAL PRESENTATIONS
Wednesday May 4, 8-10 AM
FINAL PAPER DUE
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9. Participation and Attendance Policy
It's your responsibility to come to class prepared. This means you’ve 1) completed the
reading, 2) compiled questions if the reading was unclear, 3) come ready to discuss the
reading’s concepts and argument, and 4) brought some insight that you are prepared to
talk about (an application of the readings ideas, or a connection to other parts of class). To
this end, at the beginning of class, I will use a random number generator to pick three
students who will open discussion on the day’s reading. If your number is called, you can
respond to the reading in one of five ways:
1. Pose a question you’d like to discuss in response to the reading
2. Pick a fight with the reading’s argument/author
3. Ask a clarification question if you were confused by something in the reading
4. Make a link between the day’s reading and a previous class discussion
5. Apply a concept from the reading to a different example.
Then I’ll open up the floor for others to volunteer the topics they want to discuss. My hope
is this strategy offers us a low-impact way to focus discussions around your interests and
needs, while also encouraging broad class participation without resorting to the Socratic
method.
Success in this class is based on your active participation and discussion of course ideas.
These activities are the cornerstone of a good college experience. Reading and thinking
will make you a student, but debating ideas in a public forum will make you an
intellectual. Therefore, in this class YOU NEED TO TALK. Expressing your ideas with the
others in the class is the ideal way to learn (and it is an integral part of your grade).
Being able to think on your feet and feel comfortable speaking in front of your peers are
skills important to both academic and professional careers. I recognize that people come
into class with different levels of personal comfort regarding public speaking, and naturally
some will speak more than others. This is fine, but absolute silence is not. If you do not
speak, expect that I eventually will call on you.
YOU CANNOT PARTICIPATE WITHOUT ATTENDING CLASS. Missing class or persistent
tardiness will result in the dramatic reduction of your grade. Sleeping in class is
tantamount to skipping class. If you want an absence excused, I need a letter from the
dean, rector, or other university official.
You also have a role as a listener. Everyone should listen attentively and respectfully when
others are talking. Chatting with your classmates (verbally) or with friends outside of class
(digitally), or browsing the internet during class time is inappropriate in a university
classroom. Please silence cell phones and stow your laptops in advance of class and take
notes with pen and paper.
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10. Academic Honesty
Entering Notre Dame you were required to study the on-line edition of the Academic Code
of Honor, to pass a quiz on it, and to sign a pledge to abide by it. The full Code and a
Student Guide to the Academic code of Honor are available at: http://honorcode.nd.edu.
Perhaps the most fundamental sentence is the beginning of section IV-B:
“The pledge to uphold the Academic Code of Honor includes an
understanding that a student’s submitted work, graded or ungraded —
examinations, draft copies, papers, homework assignments, extra credit
work, etc. — must be his or her own.”
Notre Dame students are expected to abide by Academic Code of Honor Pledge. “As a
member of the Notre Dame community, I will not participate in or tolerate academic
dishonesty.”
Per the University of Notre Dame Code of Honor (and common good sense) all work
handed in must be the student’s own work and must use proper citation when referring to
the ideas of others. All exams essays should be written in the student’s own words, except
when explicitly referring to the definition of a concept from class.
I treat plagiarism, cheating, and other acts of academic dishonesty very seriously. If you
turn in plagiarized material, cheat on a test, or participate in any other dishonorable act,
your activities will be brought to the attention of the Honor Committee.
Ignorance is no defense or excuse. If you are unsure how to provide proper academic
attribution, or what the university considers punishable offenses, please see me in advance
of turning in an assignment…better to turn in honest work late than dishonest work on
time. Please, contact me if you have any doubts on this issue. For further information
about the university’s honor code, please refer to Undergraduate Student Academic Code
of Honor Handbook:
http://www.nd.edu/~hnrcode/docs/handbook.htm
Papers and Writing
For those of you who haven’t figured it out yet, good college papers deftly apply concepts
from class. Excellent papers synthesize concepts from class, showing such a mastery of
class concepts that you build on old ideas to make new ideas rather than simply apply
other people’s concepts. Both good and excellent papers rely on your demonstration of a
deep understanding of class theories. So...think of writing as your opportunity to show
how much you’ve learned by actively and critically engaging class concepts as you write.
10

11. Both good and excellent papers rely on your demonstrating a deep understanding of class
theories. So, think of this as your opportunity to show how much you’ve learned by
actively and critically engaging class concepts as you write.
For computer crashes, lack of printer ink, and other obstacles to the timely submission of
your papers and assignments, I have this philosophy: “It may not be your fault, but it IS
your problem.” To translate: late papers due to unexpected Acts of God are still late
papers...if something gets in the way of completing an assignment on time, this suggests to
me that you should have started earlier. And now, the formal policies:
All papers must be submitted in hardcopy. Unless I indicate otherwise, papers should be
double-spaced, with one inch margins, and page numbers. I expect all text to appear in
12 point font, with an appropriate typeface (Times, Helvetica, etc). All papers should have
a title. All papers of multiple pages should be stapled, clipped, or bound.
References and Citations: I prefer parenthetical citations within the text (Author YEAR: Pg),
with a works cited page at the end in American Sociological Association style (reproduced
in the reading list above). You have my permission to wish to use another common style
(MLA, APA, Chicago, etc.), please just keep it consistent.
Paper Extension Policy: Every student is permitted a one day extension once this semester.
Papers turned in after the one day extension will fall under the late paper policy.
Late Paper Policy: Late papers will be graded down 5% for each day late.
Paper Rewrite Policy
Any paper is eligible for rewrite. If you are planning on rewriting your paper, I encourage
you to meet with me in advance of your revisions.
Rewritten papers will not be worth the full value of the original paper. If you scored a B-
(an 82), the highest grade your rewritten paper could receive is an A- (91). The way to
calculate the maximum points of your rewritten paper is to subtract from 100 your grade,
divide it by two, and then add it to your grade.
((100-X)/2)+X
So, if X was your grade, and your grade was a C+ (78), the formula would
look like:
((100-78)/2)+78=89
So an 89, or B+ would be your top possible score.
All rewritten papers are due TWO WEEKS after they were initially returned.
In addition, when you turn in your rewritten papers, you MUST include the following:
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12. i) the rewritten paper
ii) the original paper
iii) a memo articulating in great detail the changes you made to improve your paper. In
addition, I would be sure to include in this memo a discussion of your thesis statement
and an articulation of how the structure of your paper best defends that thesis.
Writing Assistance:
If you find yourself struggling with writing, you may meet with me outside of class, or visit
the Notre Dame Writing Center at 203 Coleman-Morse. For more information, you may
call them at 574.631.5390, email them at writing@nd.edu, or visit their webpage:
http://writingcenter.nd.edu/
Disability Services
If you have a disability that will affect your performance in this class or that might need
special accommodations, please inform me early in the semester with the appropriate
documentation from the Office of Disability Services at the Sara Bea Learning Center for
Students with Disabilities. Visit their webpage at:
http://disabilityservices.nd.edu/
Concourse in Sakai
Class Syllabi, Assignments, Discussion Board, etc are available on the new Concourse in
Sakai site. To get there go to:
http://sakai.nd.edu/
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13. The Graded v. the “Ungraded” Option
I strongly believe that grading stamps out creativity, suppresses student learning, and
places student focus on doing just enough to get by and no more. In addition, I believe
doing the work for the intrinsic value of learning and your own interest in the material will
ultimately produce better quality papers and assignments. As such I offer to you the
ungraded option. By taking the ungraded option, you agree to waive your right to see
your grades on all assignments this semester (with the exception of the take home exam).
The idea is to focus your attention on learning and improving your analytic capacity and
writing skills without the constant attention to your grade. Whatever option you choose
you'll receive the same quantity and quality of comments on your assignments. The only
difference with respect to feedback is the lack of a grade. The ungraded path is not here to
trick you or undermine your success in class. More than anything I want you to succeed.
The default is the graded option, so if you want to see your letter grades, do nothing. On
the other hand, if you want the ungraded option, please sign, date, and turn in the last
page of the syllabus which serves as your contract.
There are some policy differences between the two paths that should be made clear.
1. Rewrite policy
Graded option: the rewrite policy is as stated on the syllabus. Papers may be rewritten for
up to 50% of the credit lost on the first attempt. Papers may be rewritten only once.
Ungraded option: Ungraded papers may be rewritten for full credit, meaning the grade on
the rewritten paper would replace the grade for the first paper. Ungraded papers may be
rewritten multiple times, until the student feels they've turned in the best paper they can
write. Each rewrite will still require a memo as outlined in the Paper Rewrite Policy
section. The two week due date is waived, meaning you can rewrite papers up until the
date of the final exam. After the exam I cannot accept rewritten papers.
2. No take-backs!
If you choose the ungraded option there is no going back. You can't take advantage of the
policy's incentives for the first half of class only to renege when it is in your interest.
Remember, choosing the ungraded option means that you will not see grades until after
your FINAL grade is turned in to the registrar.
Know that the ungraded path is designed to help you learn the material better, rather than
focus your energies on getting a grade. If I feel like you are struggling on an assignment (B-
quality or below) I'll write you a message encouraging you to rewrite the paper.
13

14. Class Assignments
“Art, Experience, Politics” Paper (5-8 pages), Due March 2
There is a lot to be said about the movies The Artist is Present and Exit Through the Gift
Shop. For this assignment you will write a 5-8 page essay, comparing and contrasting the
movies, in which you make an argument for we should understand the social role of art.
Art for art’s sake? Art as experience? All art is political? Or some other purpose/social
function?
A successful paper will engage class readings and concepts, using examples from the films
as your cases/examples. Be sure to discuss Dewey, Eliot, Benjamin, Edelman, Griswold,
Becker, or Jenkins as necessary.
Evaluation: You’ll be evaluated on 1) the creativity of your thesis, 2) your capacity to take a
stand and defend it with evidence, 3) your facility in applying class concepts.
Research Paper (12-15 pages), Due May 4
This assignment is designed to give you the freedom to research a subject you find
captivating. My expectation for this project is that you’ll go above and beyond a typical
research paper by engaging in fieldwork, interviews, documentary audio and film,
photography, and the like above and beyond basic library time. My hope is that this
project develops both your analytical and creative skills.
Broadly, your task is to research a cultural object or genre of your choosing. More
specifically, I’d like you to explain a change around a cultural object. For instance, a
cultural object may gain in popularity, become controversial, be appropriated for
alternative uses, or receive divergent reviews from different audiences. Cultural genres
may mash up with others, value different qualities over time, or decline in significance.
Step One: Identify a cultural object (or specific genre of objects) that you’d like to research
throughout the quarter. Here’s a list of possible topics to get you thinking...
Novelty lunch boxes Guerilla gardening Storefront signage and display
Murals Bestselling Novels Outsider art
Street musicians Photojournalism Pulp novels
Poetry slams Architecture Theatre criticism
Comic books Movie posters Fan t-shirts
Foreign films Stand-up comedy Punk rock
Documentary film Game shows Advertising
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15. Step Two: After some preliminary research, identify a the change you’d like to explain.
Maybe taxidermy has suddenly become popular among teenagers. Or, you find a sharp
rise in female stand up comediennes. Ideally, you find something puzzling about your
object. It is this puzzle that you will “solve” through research.
At this stage you should come to see Professor McDonnell during office hours to get
approval for your topic. In this meeting we’ll do what we can to push you in the right
direction for your fieldwork in Step Four.
Step Three: Turn in your FINAL PAPER PROPOSAL by February 22. This should be a one
page long memo describing your topic, the change you’d like to explain, and a plan for
how you will collect evidence. Keeping Griswold’s cultural diamond in mind, consider
how producers, audiences, or the social context around the object might have caused the
change you are trying to explain. Ask yourself, how can I get the information I need to
best answer my puzzle.
Step Four: Go deeper into your subject. What fieldwork might you be able to engage in to
get the answers you need?
Is there data in archives of the ? Can you interview the artists, critics, or industry leaders
that shape the art world? Would a focus group with fans at a comic book convention help
explain the rise and fall of the graphic novel? Can you do a content analysis of signage
along Broadway’s main drag (based on your own photographs) to explain how country
music is represented for tourists? Would an ethnography of a restaurant kitchen give you
insight into how food becomes art?
The idea here is to collect your own primary data about your cultural object. Students who
go above and beyond in this step will be greatly rewarded when it comes to both this
research paper and the Creative Curatorial Art Project.
Happy Meal toys Flash cartoons Billboards
Performance Art Graffiti Finger-painting
Industrial design Car detailing Spoken Word
Antiques Reality TV Branding
Body piercing Taxidermy Booker Prize
Beanie Babies Children’s books Puppetry
Interior design Plastic surgery Propaganda
Ballroom dancing Gourmet cuisine Concert Advertisements
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16. Step Five: Fill in the gaps with secondary research from the library. I expect you to use at
least 10 sources from outside of class. If you want to use internet sources, they must be
above and beyond the other ten citations. Think beyond your case to similarly shaped
problems. There probably isn’t a lot written on teenage taxidermy, but there probably is a
lot written about teen fads and culture. Ask yourself, “what is this a case of” and then
search for literatures on that topic.
Step Six: Write up a draft of your initial results in a 10 page draft, due April 6. This draft
should have a clearly defined thesis and present the evidence you’ve collected throughout
the semester. In addition, BE SURE TO APPLY CONCEPTS FROM CLASS AND FROM
READINGS. This is your chance to show off your capacity to analyze cultural objects using
the skills you’ve developed throughout the semester. This is not an outline, or a sketch, this
is a complete early draft. Based on this draft I’ll give you comments and help you push the
final draft of the paper forward.
Step Seven: Take my comments and suggestions, incorporate them into your final draft.
Meet with me to discuss concerns, strategy. Turn in the FINAL DRAFT of the paper on May
4.
Evaluation: Papers will be to graded based on the quality of your paper’s 1) the creativity
and sophistication of your thesis, 2) analysis of your case through a sociological lens, 3)
how deeply you engage in the case (i.e. how much fieldwork/research you engage in, how
well you know the intricacies of the change you discuss) 4) deft application class concepts
(meaning you understand them and can apply them to this case), 5) synthesis of class ideas
in a cogent argument defending your thesis. It goes without saying (though I say it
anyway) that the quality of your prose and coherent structure of your paper will also be
graded.
Creative Curatorial Art Project, Due May 4
Alongside your research paper is a curatorial/art project. The idea here is to present your
research through media alternative to what you typically produce for your classwork at
Notre Dame. Using images, music, text, a performance you compose, or something else
entirely, you will show the world what you’ve learned about your cultural object.
For example, you could produce a “This American Life”-style radio story/podcast based on
interviews with local singer/songwriters. You could create an installation of photographs
of guitar makers in their workshop with a soundscape of famous guitar solos. Another idea
is to make a documentary filming audiences watching soap operas. Or, curate an
exhibition of news anchor hairstyles through the ages. If you prefer performance, create
an interpretive dance representing your project on topiary gardens or compose songs out
of the poetry you’ve studied.
If this is all too big, you could also take a narrower approach by making an Art
Assignment Assignment. Using the form of the Art Assignment videos as a model, make a
youtube video giving the public an art assignment based on your research project. Give
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17. some background on what you learned about your case, then create an assignment that
people could do easily that would give them insights parallel to what you learned in your
specific case.
During finals week, on May 4 at 8am you’ll present your art project to your classmates
and any friends you’d like to invite.
Evaluation: You’ll be graded on the originality of the project/presentation, and the depth of
the intellectual statement you make with your project. Put simply, does your art project
“say” something thought-provoking? Importantly, I’m interested in whether you’ve thought
through how the form of your artwork or exhibit works with the content of your project.
CLASS EXERCISES
Make a Thing (Due February 8)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXkeGwdaEMY
Follow the instructions, bring your thing to class, with a one page memo reflecting on the
experience.
Sorted Books (Due February 17)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A24MRdNMOIA
Follow the instructions, bring some kind of documentation of the stakeout, with a one
page memo reflecting on the experience.
Stakeout! (Due March 14)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbuRG-NWUuY
Follow the instructions, bring some kind of documentation of the stakeout, with a one
page memo reflecting on the experience.
Song Pitch Exercise
Pick a song that you think no one else in the class will be familiar with. By March 30, post
an mp3 of the song to our class dropbox folder for others to listen. Write a one page
“pitch” about why you think people should like the song you have chosen and post it to
the Sakai discussion board (also due March 30). If you think it will be helpful in making
your case, do some research about the song/artist.
Then for class on April 4, listen to all the songs and read all the pitches. Write a short
memo observing patterns in the different approaches that others in the class took to
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18. presenting their own song. We’ll talk about these patterns in class. Also, be prepared to
describe in class the process by which you arrived at your chosen song. How did you
winnow your options? What criteria did you use?
Flaneur/Photography Assignment (April 18)
If Baudelaire is right that the flaneur is a “botanist of the streets,” this is an opportunity for
you “stop and smell the roses.” Meander, get lost in the city, pay attention to details you
usually miss, and take in the aesthetics of the city. Most people don’t appreciate the visual
culture ever-present our urban streetscapes. Make the most of this chance to explore the
world that surrounds us.
Supplies:
One still camera
1 small notebook
1 pen
Instructions:
Take a moment this weekend to take some photographs around South Bend. Find a
neighborhood in the city, stroll around, then “point and shoot” whenever you find a
cultural object that you think is art, or has aesthetic value. But take a moment to
appreciate what you’ve photographed. The city is your museum, and you are the curator.
Take some notes on what you’ve collected, and try to answer the questions below…
•Where is it in the city? Be sure to write down the street address, and make some
comments on the context of the object. For instance: what kinds of buildings
are nearby? Are there other cultural objects around it?
•What is it doing here? What is its purpose? Do the aesthetic qualities of the object
have a function?
•Who produced the object? If you don’t know, how might you find out?
•Who seems to be the intended audience for (or user of) the object? How do people
interact with it, and are they the intended viewers? Does it capture other
people’s attention? What is their reaction? Write down what they do in
response to seeing the object.
•For some objects, ask passersby what they think of the object. What meanings do
they read into it?
•Does the object inspire an emotion in you? What do you feel when you see it?
For class on April 18, be sure to bring in all 24 images and your notes. To turn in, give me
your three favorites along with typed notes.
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19. I, _____________________________(print your name), of my own free will, choose the
“ungraded option” for Sociology 43165, as described in the syllabus. In doing so, I realize
that I will not see the letter grades for my paper assignments, and I will not know my grade
in class until after final grades are submitted to the registrar.
________________________________________
(Signature and date)
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