Length/Format:  2.5 to 3 pages, double-spaced.  PDF format only! This format facilitates grading via Canvas. No “shared” google docs, no Word docs, no screen shots from your iPad (I swear that last one has happened more than once). 

Grading Rubrics: See below after the prompt.

Prompt

1. Pick one song by any artist you deem creative and subversive in some way that interests you.
2. Write a concise, well-written and argumentative essay analyzing that song and/or video/performative dimensions of it. You might cite only the lyrics and musical dimensions of the song (perhaps as connected to a particular genre, instrumentation, etc.). If the song has a music video or live performances related to it and you think they are relevant for your analysis you can also include analysis of the visual and performance elements.
3. Your paper should:

   Briefly introduce the song and artist, providing an overall introductory argument for why you consider it creatively subversive.
   Make a substantive and evidenced argument for how it can be analyzed according to 1 of the 4 conceptual perspectives we covered in the first section of the course (i. Critical Theory, ii. Culture Industry Critique, iii. Transgressive Approach, iv. Performance Theory).
   This analysis should use in detail at least 2 of the key ideas we identified with the conceptual approach you choose to analyze the song AND make explicit connections, and where possible direct citations, to the authors/texts discussed on the day of the course dedicated to that conceptual approach.
   Provide a brief concluding thought to reinforce your main argument.

4. Citations: For any and all citations that include direct quotations from course texts you can simply use a parenthetical in-text citation; it must include the page number. For example: As Bakhtin says about grotesque realism, “….” (Bakhtin, pg. X).  For the purposes of this short paper, there is no expectation of citing texts from OUTSIDE the course syllabus. However, if you choose to do so for the sake of your argument, you must include a proper bibliography at the end of your paper with the full reference.   

Anthropology:

Cultural,linguistic, archaeology, bio anth

broad focus on the human condition, past and present, evolutionary origins and contemporary dilemmas, within a single “discipline” that crosses social science, humanities, and natural science divides

the only discipline where its possible to study punk rock and primate behavior in the same building

Cultural Anthro: Think collective, use deep interpretive lens, culture as overarching category, often qualitative

Sociology: Think social institutions and roles, macro demographics and macro trends. Often quantitative

Physcology: Think individual, think mental/cognitive, think behavioral

History: Think detail, think narrative, think period, think linear

Culture: A Macro Concept: All sorts of different meanings throughout history; Plural(many different ways to look at the world with different human groups) and localized; Differing and even conflicting realms of collective expression, divided by social hierarchies

Red Terms: Plural, localized, shaped, transforming, differing, conflicting, social hierarchies, social division, constant exchanges

Subversive VS.

Expressive

Culture as a Subset of Culture

Expressive

Three Part Definition:

1) The “messages” of expressive culture may be very overt or more implicit. But it always saying something about us usually at multiple levels

2) Those forms of cultural expression located within aesthetic, artistic, or creative realms, articulated through multiple media, and/or deeply meaningful sensory-bodily experience

3) “Expressive Culture” contrasts to more mundane or more “functional” aspects of culture

Subversive Culture

Forms of expressive culture that seek to challenge a particular norm and the normative judgements it contains. Perhaps through subtle critique. Perhaps through shock.

Subversive culture seeks to construct a stance of “non-conformity” with a norm others are following, consciously or unconsciously, and make visible anti-normative possibilities/practices through cultural expression

Critical Theory Approach #1

Conceptual Shorthand

If: culture= hegemony

Then: Cultural norms reflect relations of power and hierarchies in a given society

Thus: Subversive cultural expression seeks to critique power, hierarchy, dominant ideas

Critical Theory: A critique of society and culture, primarily focused on relations of power and social hierarchy. Rooted in the intellectual tradition of “critique”, a demonstrated ability to fully reveal/uncover/explore the real inner workings or deeper layer of something

Specific Theory: Critical political-economy(socio-economic inequality), critical race theory(race and racism), feminism and gender/sexuality studies(gender and sexuality), intersectional theory(putting class, race, gender)

KEY IDEAS 1

Hegemony: Cultures are fragmentary because of multiple power inequalities and hierarchies existing within society. Hegemonic means an ideology that is assumed to be “normal” because it reinforces the interests of a socially dominant group. Historically powerful groups exercise cultural dominance by perpetuating hegemonic norms that people accept as a given, including those made subordinate in the process

KEY IDEAS 2

Subculture: A significantly distinct cultural segment within a given society that expresses itself in opposition to one or more hegemonic cultural norms

KEY IDEAS 3

Style: A symbolic means of expressing a subculture, and thus oppositional, group identity and distinct way of subcultural “being” through objects, adornment, aesthetic tastes etc.

ACTIVITY

Subcultures: Grunge, Punk, Beats, Stoners, Emo, Skaters, Goth ,Frat Boys, Day trippers, Rave, Drag, Gamers, Nerds, Techies

Stylistic Elements:

Stoners: Drug Rugs, Paraphernalia, Snacks

Frat Boys:

Boat Shoes, Natty Light, Jerseys, Backwards Hat, Money

Skaters:

Vans, Long T-shirts

In opposition to:

Stoners: School, Anti-drugs, Violence, Authority, Responsibility

Frat Boys:
Skaters:

Critical Theory Approach #2

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Conceptual Shorthand

If: culture= mass commerce

Then: consumer taste and creative expression are shaped by the logic of profit

Thus: Subversive expression tries to go against cultural industry standards; but is also subject to being marketed as “hip” because we consume “subversiveness too

Influences and Assumptions

Culture Industry: a Study of the relation between large-scale, industrialized society oriented around commercial interests and the role of cultural, aesthetic and artistic expression through mass-media(TV,radio,film,etc.) and mass consumerism(Marketing,fashion,etc.)

Specific Influences: art and aesthetic criticism, communication studies, film/music/media/fashion/marketing studies

Key Ideas

Homogenization: The tendency for popular “formulas” to be identified and systematically reinforced in response to a “bottom line” logic of industry profits- marginalizing more complex/risky/experimental

Co-optation: Creative expression that starts out “subversive”(underground, not commercial, not profitable) is aggressively absorbed and then “watered down” into a mainstream/widespread consumer item, as soon as its mass “marketability” becomes apparent(ex: when a “break through” subversive item/phenomena starts to sell and people start to consume it as “rebellious”/ “subversive”)

Examples:

N-Word

Designer brands

Hip Consumerism: The theory of “co-optation” is too simplistic– assumed a complete contrast between “authentic” subversive culture versus a :conservative business “establishment”. In reality, that relationship is more complex. Locating/marketing “subversive” cultural forms as for mass markets is built in to the culture industry assumptions. The culture industry actively searches for “hipness” because it reflects a “core” marketable value, “the desire to be different”

NWA Fuk Da Police:

First time white people learned that people be using the n word

***CAPUAS PICTURES***

Performance Theory:

Approach 4

If: culture = a series of social scripts

Then: We are keeping up with appearances and playing expected social roles

Thus: Expression/action that breaks from the script, or deviates from expected roles has subversive potential, assuming others grasp it as a comment on the scripted nature of our social interaction

Influences and Assumptions

Basic Assumption: Interdisciplinary field that takes “performance” as a master concept, uses it to study not only explicitly performative events but also the performative dimensions of everyday social interaction in any social setting

Specific Influences: Qualitative sociology, communication, linguistics, drama/theater, gender studies, anthropology

Key Ideas

The Stage as Social Life: A drama occurring on a stage as the master analogy for understanding how we interact socially and thus how we construct social norms — i.e. expectations of how to act, what to say according to the understood “dialogue,” what to the according to the implicit “script,” ina nay given social situation, who the other “actors” are and what their respective roles are

Out of Character Communication: Forms of communication/expression/action that bring attention to the fact that there is a scripted performance happening, that people are playing their expected roles. We can intervene into the script, or explicitly subvert it by showing awareness of it(ex: by “breaking character”). Of course, if scripts are constantly operating on us there’s always the danger of simply creating a new script with the new roles to play in doing so

Performative Self: Two key dimensions

1. It is socially constructed, rather than individual authentic. Sense of self is built out of constant interactions with others over time. Via these constant experiences we accumulate expectations of what “character” to play and what kind of “performance” is expected in a given context

2. It has a moral dimension: successfully performing your part carries a sense of moral obligation and, by contrast, deviating too much from your part likely encounters a moral judgement for others

–Grotesque realism/body (Bakhtin “Transgressive Approach”)

–Style in relation to subcultures (Hall/Jefferson “Critical Theory Approach”)- Style is A symbolic means of expressing a subculture. Ex: Stonersà Drug Rugs

–Hip consumerism vs. cooptation in culture industry (Frank “Cultural Industry Approach”)-

–2 key dimensions to the performative self (Goffman “Performance Theory Approach”)-Socially constructed and Moral dimension

–Out of character communication (Goffman “Performance Theory Approach”)- Forms of communication that bring attention to the fact there is a scripted performance happening

–Expressive culture as subset of culture (Introductory lecture)- forms of cultural expression that conforms to society

–Subversive culture as subset of expressive culture (Introductory lecture)- Expressive culture that challenges a certain societal norm

–Hegemony as concept (Hall/Jefferson “Critical Theory Approach”)- Hegemonic is an idea that is assumed to be “normal” because it reinforces the interests of a socially dominant group

–Critical Theory, conceptual shorthand (Hall/Jefferson “Critical Theory Approach”)- A critique of society and culture, primarily focused on relations of power and social hierarchy. Demonstrate the ability to fully reveal the real inner workings or deeper layer of something.

–Performance Theory, conceptual shorthand (Goffman “Performance Theory Approach”)- Expression that breaks script or deviates from expected roles.

–Carnivalesque space, function/examples (Bakhtin “Transgressive Approach”)

–Subculture as concept (Hall/Jefferson “Critical Theory Approach”)- A significant distinct cultural segment within a given society that expresses itself in opposition to one or more hegemonic cultural norms

–Transgressive discourse, types (Bakhtin “Transgressive Approach”)

–Anthropological approach as interpretative analysis (Introductory lecture)- Cultural, linguistic, archaeology, bio anth. Broad focus on human condition, past and present, evolutionary origins and contemporary dilemmas, within a single “discipline” that crosses science, humanities, and natural science divides. Only discipline where its possible to study punk rock and primate behavior in the same building.

–Annular eclipse metaphor, boundaries (Bataille, “Transgressive Approach”)