| Course Name |
(中) 文學與文化研究的生命政治(6027) |
| (Eng.) Biopolitics for Literary and Cultural Studies |
| Offering Dept |
Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures |
| Course Type |
Elective |
Credits |
3 |
Teacher |
JUDY,RONALD |
| Department |
Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures/Graduate |
Language |
English |
Semester |
2024-FALL |
| Course Description |
Who decides what is ‘healthy,’ ‘sane’, or ‘fit’? How does a pandemic reorder our basic understanding of society? What is a good way to die if you are experiencing profound suffering? Why did the Supreme Court decide women have no right to abortion? These and similar questions are “biopolitical” ones because they deal with the political control of bodies, population regulations, and societal security. They are the kinds of questions we will discuss, study, and write about in this course.
We will read and watch a variety of cultural texts that deal with biopower and the individual, including Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World,” Franz Kafka’s “The Penal Colony,” Fang Fang’s “Wuhan Diary,” and others. As for films, we will discuss Contagion (2011), The Lobster (2015), 76 Days (2020), and others. Finally, in order to understand the theoretical dimensions of biopolitics we will read texts by Michel Foucault, Giorgio Agamben, Roberto Esposito, Timothy Campbell and others. |
| Prerequisites |
|
self-directed learning in the course |
N |
| Relevance of Course Objectives and Core Learning Outcomes(%) |
Teaching and Assessment Methods for Course Objectives |
| Course Objectives |
Competency Indicators |
Ratio(%) |
Teaching Methods |
Assessment Methods |
| The goal of this course is to familiarize students with problems associated with biopolitics and the intersection of human rights and society through film, literature, and culture generally. |
|
|
| topic Discussion/Production |
| Discussion |
| Lecturing |
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| Written Presentation |
| Oral Presentation |
| Other |
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| Course Content and Homework/Schedule/Tests Schedule |
| Week |
Course Content |
| Week 1 |
What is biopolitics and cultural studies? / Read: Leviathan ( https://www.marxists.org/reference/subject/philosophy/works/en/hobbes.htm ) |
| Week 2 |
Brainstorming topics discussion | read Campbell’s Introduction (to Biopolitics Reader) |
| Week 3 |
Political violence and exclusion | read Benjamin, ”Critique of Violence”; Dick, ”The Chromium Fence” |
| Week 4 |
Disciplinary power and. modernity | read Kafka, ”The Penal Colony” |
| Week 5 |
Capitalist biopolitics | read Hardt&Negri (reader) watch Repo Men (2010) |
| Week 6 |
Socially (de)constructed humanism | read Foucault, Society Must be Defended; begin Huxley, “Brave New World” |
| Week 7 |
Biopowered civilizations and dystopia | Huxley, “Brave New World” |
| Week 8 |
Biopoltical Production | read Hardt & Negri, “Biop. Prod” / watch World War Z (2013)
**Outline/Bibliography due** |
| Week 9 |
Paper Consultations |
| Week 10 |
The Biopolitics of Immigration | read Henley, “Migrante” (1/2) |
| Week 11 |
Biopolitical Taiwan | read Henley, “Migrante” (2/2) |
| Week 12 |
TBA |
| Week 13 |
The Biopower of Apartheid states: Israel and Camps | read Agamben (reader) /Sacco, “Palestine” |
| Week 14 |
Apartheid states II: China | Agamben (handout);| watch Uyghur film, “First Farewell” (第一次離別) |
| Week 15 |
A Biopoltical Catastrophe: Covid19 | watch Contagion (2007) |
| Week 16 |
Immunity and Community | read Esposito, ”Bios”; Wuhan Diaries (selected) |
| Week 17 |
Affirmative biopolitics | read Esposito ”Bios”; watch |
| Week 18 |
Review |
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| Evaluation |
Final Paper 40%
Midterm 20%
Other Assignments 30%
Oral Report 10% |
| Textbook & other References |
| Biopolitics: a Reader (2013); 《生命政治讀本》 |
| Teaching Aids & Teacher's Website |
| ronentity [at] gmail.com (do not use campus ’dragon’ mail as it is slow/unreliable) |
| Office Hours |
| Friday 1:30-2:30pm |
| Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs |
| 04.Quality Education 11.Sustainable Cities and Communities 16.Peace and Justice | include experience courses：N |
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