Syllabus

Acts of Resistance: Activists, Interlopers and Pranksters  SP 2017 

263:01 3312

Wednesdays 9:55am-12:35pm   

Prof. Doris Cacoilo                      

Course Description

This is a course about media subversives: people working outside of mainstream media institutions who nonetheless find creative and provocative ways to use the media for cultural, political, and/or economic critique and resistance. Over the course of the semester, we will examine a range of "alternative" media phenomena.

This is a general education course that is paired with the Tier 2 course, DIY + Making.

Activists + Interlopers + Pranksters will engage social analysis and cultural critique to examine and reflect on the media influences that effect (or distort) and inform (or misinform) our communities and culture. This course places value on being meta-aware of the relationship between culture and creative production within communities, as well as the necessity of being socially conscientious citizens.

This course uses culture studies and social analysis to investigate the myriad ways in which individuals, groups and subcultures use creative productions to perform and manifest ‘acts of resistance’ against the hegemony of western Eurocentric culture, dominant societal institutions, and class/power structures. The course will examine the American consumer culture and unpack the influence capitalism can have on communities and the production of culture and sub-culture.

The goal of this course will not be simply to romanticize "outlaws", nor will it merely condemn them as criminals or troublemakers. Instead, it will focus on how and why such figures struggle against the global "media monopoly" so that students might come to a richer understanding of the nature of the media's considerable political and cultural power, and the ways that ordinary people can engage with powerful cultural institutions as active participants, innovative creators, and powerful critics. 

This course encourages a broader consideration of citizenship by thinking critically about the relationship of images, values and ideals in a highly complex visual world. Conscientious citizenship is also honed by examining cultural forces and the effect they have on personal and social values and ideals. Students will think critically and complexly about issues of media, culture, politics, and how creative productions can influence these.

Course Requirements and Grading

Our class time will be split between discussion, lecture, and presentations.  While in discussion please be respectful of the opinions of others even if they stand diametrically opposed to your own. You must be in class ON TIME and prepared for class each week. Failure to do so will be reflected in your participation grade. Failure to do so consistently can lead to failure in the course.

READINGS Various weekly reading assignments will be assigned from your required texts and linked on the blog. The full reading schedule will be distributed on the class blog. Readings are due each week. All readings are REQUIRED unless otherwise stated.

CLASS PARTICIPATION Attendance and participation in the class discussion when appropriate and in critique and comments on the blog and twitter is part of your participation grade. For each week’s readings you must select two quotes or passages from the readings and write a brief description of one art project that strikes you from that week’s readings. You must briefly describe the project, the context and the artist/collective/collaboration that created the project or work and why you responded to it. I will often collect these. Please have them written or typed on a sheet of paper you can hand to me with your name on it each week. I will call on students each week during discussion to read and discuss these quotes. You must have these prepared for each reading. 

TWITTER You must create a twitter account (if you do not have one already) we will share links and comments with each other using the class hashtag: #actsofresistanceAIP

WRITING ASSIGNMENTS You must consult the class blog weekly (even several times per week) to check for announcements, readings and to post your writing assignments. The blog is crucial to the course and completion of the requirements. You MUST have access to the blog to complete assignments, readings, post work and comment on students’ posts. All writing assignments will be published to the blog.

CLASS PRESENTATIONS: Students will present in pairs the work of an artist from the We Wanted a Revolution: Black Radical Women, 1965–85 at the Brooklyn Museum, from the readings or students can choose to present an exhibition past or current that presents specifically activist artwork. Presentations must be between 10-15 minutes maximum and should include a short discussion with the class. Students will present once throughout the semester. This schedule will be determined in class on the second week of classes. Presentations will be entirely collaborative, all students must participate equally and will receive just one grade per group. 

SEMESTER PROJECT

Mapping Social/Cultural Hot Topics and Interventions: Art, Movements and Civic Action

The goal of this assignment is to get you to take a stand on a significant issue related to the course material and then to highlight and support a past or current act of resistance. In order to be a conscientious participant in community and society, one must attend the current events and important social/political struggles of current times. Race relations, gender equality, social justice, health care, reproductive rights, privacy, corporate regulation, marriage equality, religious tolerance, LGBT rights, etc. are all examples of issues citizens have engaged in acts of opposition and resistance, using any number of creative strategies.

From the database of current events and social issues that we have been discussing during the course, choose an issue, artist, movement or citizen action that exemplifies an act of resistance as we have outlined throughout the semester. Using one (or more) of the readings and resources we have used as a way to make a critical argument, create a writing project that encourages or supports the artist or movement and presents their work to a larger audience. Make a case for why this act of resistance is important, timely and worth engaging in and promoting. Be sure to research extensively and thoughtfully in choosing and supporting your artist or movement. Be sure that your project coincides with your own political motivations, ideas and your professional ambitions.

Consider and research extensively and thoughtfully the history and development of the issue you have chosen. The themes and topics of the course have had a recurring history of friction within America’s culture and institutions.You will need to describe and explain the strategies that have been used and are now being used to engage this issue currently and explain how the example you have chosen to highlight fits into the larger issue. The writing project can take the form of an online article, an essay, a blog, a website, tumblr, or even a podcast. Students can present ideas outside of this list if they would like to propose other ways of presenting their writing for this assignment. All students will propose their final projects at midterm and must have their project topic approved by the professor.

In addition to the writing project, each student will do an oral presentation, with visual support materials that summarizes your project. Be prepared to facilitate a discussion with your peers by preparing questions that will be topics of discussion.

Grading

Attendance is mandatory and all assignments must be finished and handed in on time to receive a passing grade for this course.

30% 4 blog posts 

30% semester project 
10% midterm proposal

10% group presentation

20% attendance/participation (Contributions to class discussion, on the class blog + attendance)

Attendance

Attendance is, to put it simply, mandatory.

Attendance is taken at the beginning of each class, and will be considered when determining the final course grade. Absences affect your participation grade. More than four (4) unexcused absences will result in an 'F' (failure) for the class. No exceptions. Class begins on time, so you must be punctual. Lateness, leaving early or leaving class unexcused for an extended period of time will also be recorded. Two of these instances will count as one absence. You must bring documentation to class and hand in to me for any absences to be excused. 

You are required to make up any and all work that is missed if you are absent. Notify the professor if you will be absent. As work will not be accepted late, please contact the professor to hand in work on time. It is your responsibility to get any missed work or notes from other students in the class and to discuss any problems or questions you have with the professor.

NOTE: BACK-UP your work frequently, even as you are working on your writing assignments and on your projects. Write and edit your posts locally before uploading them to the web. No excuses.

Required Texts 

Seeing Power: Art and Activism in the 21st Century by Nato Thomson, Melville House Publishing, Brooklyn 2015

The Interventionists: Users’ Manual for the Creative Disruption of Everyday Lives edited by Nato Thomson and Gregory Sholette, MIT Press, Cambridge 2004

Confessions of the Guerrilla Girls by the Guerrilla Girls, HarperCollins, New York 1995

On Blackboard http://blackboard.njcu.edu/ and linked online.

Course Objectives

Students will:

1. Develop an objective understanding of visual communication practices.

2. Value judging, appropriation, and cooperation as strategies for creative problem solving.

3. Correlate the role of information and visual design to cultural production as a means of mass influence.

4. Interpret the difference between cliché and archetype, cultural construct and stereotype, representation and signification.

5. Create alternative strategies for cultural interactions as a means to disrupt common interpretations.

6. Integrate social and empirical research into projects.

7. Consider creative problem solving as a way to invent solutions to real world problems.

8. Engage substantially with a significant social, cultural, and/or political issue.

Health and Safety 

You are not to risk the health or safety of yourself or any of the other people in the Art department. To ensure safety strictly follow all safety procedures explained to you as well as the New Jersey City University regulations. If you have any concerns or questions or are ever unclear about proper safety and health procedures, then ask the instructor or appropriate authority.  

If you feel you have any special concerns or problems that you would like to address please feel free to bring them to my attention. If there are any health concerns, either physical or psychological, that may affect your ability to fully participate in the class or complete assignments I am available to discuss possible solutions or address any of your concerns. If you have health or disability concerns that you would like to address but do not feel it is appropriate to discuss them with me there are services on campus available to address your concerns; contact Student/Health Services (Vodra Hall, Suite 107, 201-200-3456), the Art Department Office, or feel free to see me for contact info.

Class Schedule

ALL READINGS AND ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE SPECIFIED WEEKLY IN CLASS AND ON THE CLASS BLOG 

It is the student’s responsibility to check the blog each week for required readings and assignments. All readings can be found in the required texts, online (linked from the blog) or on Blackboard.

If you ever have questions or concerns about the schedule, due dates, changes or anything else please ask me after class or e-mail me: dcacoilo@njcu.edu

Students are required to read the appropriate readings for each class BEFORE class, complete all assignments on time and post 2 links to twitter each week.

Class Discussion Topic	Readings/Assignments due
9/6 Introduction to Acts of Resistance Introduction of the course syllabus, class blog and themes
9/13 Identity, Self and Media messages	GET THE BOOKS!!!! READINGS DUE: ON BLACKBOARD John Berger Ways of Seeing Ch7 and ONLINE Susan Sontag excerpt from On Photography (linked from the blog)
9/20 We Wanted a Revolution: Political art	Read through the website for the  exhibition We Wanted a Revolution: Black Radical Women, 1965–85 on the Brooklyn Museum website and two additional article linked from the blog
9/27 Activism, Power, Consumption, Art	Introduction to Seeing Power and Anarchy in the Ruins pg 143-146 and  Encyclopedia Entries pg 147-154 Interventionists Post 1 Due
10/4 Collective - What to make, the didactic	Chapter 1 and 2 pg 3-54 Seeing Power Chapter 4 The Experimental University pg 111-132  Interventionists Group 4
10/11The Guerrilla Girls	Confessions of the Guerrilla Girls pgs 7-95 (the whole book)
10/18 The Guerrilla Girls	Project topics due  Chapter 4 Seeing Through the Haze of Social and Cultural Capital pg 83-106 Seeing Power Group 2
10/25 Intervention - Rethinking individual space and power for public discourse	Post 2 Due   Chapter 5 and 6 Seeing Power in Spaces pg 107-146 Seeing Power Chapter 1 Nomads pgs. 25-60 Interventionists
11/1  Intervention - Nomads: rethinking individual space for public discourse	Full project proposal including resources due and presentation of project goals in class (midterm grade) See blog for readings due.
11/8 Interlopers - Reclaiming the Streets	Chapter 7 Occupying Space 147-164 Seeing Power Chapter 2 Reclaiming the Streets pg. 63-94 Interventionists Group 3
11/15 Interlopers - Reclaiming the Streets	Chapter 3 Infrastructures of Resonance pg 55-82 CLASS CANCELLED
11/22 Pranksters - Ready to Wear	Chapter 7 Occupying Space 147-164 Seeing Power Chapter 2 Reclaiming the Streets pg. 63-94 Interventionists QUOTES TO HAND-IN  *check the blog for additional readings
11/29 Pranksters - The Yes Men	Chapter 3 Ready to Wear pgs 97-108 Interventionists  Chapter 3 Infrastructures of Resonance pg 55-82  Seeing Power Work on your final projects!!!! Group 1
12/6 Resistance and Protest - new works	Post 3 Due No new readings due. Group 5
12/13 PRESENTATIONS OF FINAL PROJECTS	All projects must be posted to and linked from the class blog on 12/12 before 11pm.