Mr Sandman, bring me a timetable
Oh god, I'm just about ready to claw my eyes out, or my hair, or to drink bleach or something! I looked at the options for my course units about a week ago - immediately went into denial and went on holiday - have come back only to find that it wasn't a horrible dream, but it's actually true that there is not even one English subject that I want to do. My entire course up to this point has been English, English, English, filler, filler, and now, nothing! I can't believe it.
So, the options I have wittled down from a very very small shortlist currently stand as this (not a single English subject in sight! a frightening view indeed...)
1) IMAGING AND IMAGINING THE BODY
Unit Description: In this interdisciplinary subject, students will explore how the human body has been understood, used and represented in historical and contemporary cultural practices. Students will study how the body has been constructed in several academic discourses: in art history and photography considering such topics as beauty, ugliness, the grotesque, atrocity, pathos and suffering; in theatre, focusing on gender, cross-dressing and race; in philosophy, investigating Merleau-Pont's notion of the 'lived body' and how subjectivity and corporeality are understood through phenomenology; in literature addressing the issue of writing the experience of the medicalized body, and notions of embodiment in selected texts.
This sounds rather good - only thing is, I haven't done Art History before, but there doesn't seem to be any pre-requisites listed, maybe it's a mistake, or maybe I am in luck...
2) FOOD AND DRINK IN WORLD HISTORY
Unit Description: From the religious feasts and food taboos of ancient civilisations and medieval Christian Europe, to today's fast-food cultures, food and drink have carried economic, political and symbolic importance beyond simple nutrition. In this unit we explore the meaning of food and drink in different times and cultures. We trace the connections between food, drink and empire, the historical significance of famine, the politics of pubs, taverns and their gendered drinking cultures, and the changes in women's work, dining out and food sources that came with industrialisation.
Sounds like a bit of a joke - but hey, food - how bad could it really be? (off maybe...? grrr)
3) U.S. CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT 1954-1968
Unit Description: In this unit students examine what is probably the most significant social movement in United States history. The central protests and demonstrations of this major movement are explored in detail in this unit. Drawing on both a substantial secondary literature and published primary sources, students identify the circumstances under which nonviolent direct action protest was successful. Particular attention is given to the role of Dr Martin Luther King, Jr., and his role is assessed in relation to the ongoing 'man v. movement' debate.
I just have the pre-reqs for this. And I don't know anything, anything about this - I know the whole point of uni is to learn, but I don't want to look like complete dick in tutes. Although... I have seen Mississippi Burning a couple of time - does that count as preliminary research?
And that's all that I can find that sounds even vaguely interesting/do-able. Maybe I should take this semester off, and work, and go back for first semester next year when they have more than two English subjects - or at least one subject that has nothing to do with Classical frigging Tragedy!
So, the options I have wittled down from a very very small shortlist currently stand as this (not a single English subject in sight! a frightening view indeed...)
1) IMAGING AND IMAGINING THE BODY
Unit Description: In this interdisciplinary subject, students will explore how the human body has been understood, used and represented in historical and contemporary cultural practices. Students will study how the body has been constructed in several academic discourses: in art history and photography considering such topics as beauty, ugliness, the grotesque, atrocity, pathos and suffering; in theatre, focusing on gender, cross-dressing and race; in philosophy, investigating Merleau-Pont's notion of the 'lived body' and how subjectivity and corporeality are understood through phenomenology; in literature addressing the issue of writing the experience of the medicalized body, and notions of embodiment in selected texts.
This sounds rather good - only thing is, I haven't done Art History before, but there doesn't seem to be any pre-requisites listed, maybe it's a mistake, or maybe I am in luck...
2) FOOD AND DRINK IN WORLD HISTORY
Unit Description: From the religious feasts and food taboos of ancient civilisations and medieval Christian Europe, to today's fast-food cultures, food and drink have carried economic, political and symbolic importance beyond simple nutrition. In this unit we explore the meaning of food and drink in different times and cultures. We trace the connections between food, drink and empire, the historical significance of famine, the politics of pubs, taverns and their gendered drinking cultures, and the changes in women's work, dining out and food sources that came with industrialisation.
Sounds like a bit of a joke - but hey, food - how bad could it really be? (off maybe...? grrr)
3) U.S. CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT 1954-1968
Unit Description: In this unit students examine what is probably the most significant social movement in United States history. The central protests and demonstrations of this major movement are explored in detail in this unit. Drawing on both a substantial secondary literature and published primary sources, students identify the circumstances under which nonviolent direct action protest was successful. Particular attention is given to the role of Dr Martin Luther King, Jr., and his role is assessed in relation to the ongoing 'man v. movement' debate.
I just have the pre-reqs for this. And I don't know anything, anything about this - I know the whole point of uni is to learn, but I don't want to look like complete dick in tutes. Although... I have seen Mississippi Burning a couple of time - does that count as preliminary research?
And that's all that I can find that sounds even vaguely interesting/do-able. Maybe I should take this semester off, and work, and go back for first semester next year when they have more than two English subjects - or at least one subject that has nothing to do with Classical frigging Tragedy!