This course draws from a range of theoretical, clinical, and methodological approaches to address several key questions: Where does the drive to consume originate? Do we control our consumer behavior? Is it possible to live in our culture and not be a consumer? Are there realistic alternatives to the status quo? We will critically examine the scholarly merits and ramifications of these ideas and discuss whether and how to act upon them in our lives and in society more broadly. A portion of class time will be spent in experiential exploration of suggested “antidotes to materialism” such as mindfulness, gratitude, and voluntary simplicity, in a variety of settings (e.g., Mall of America, a local landfill, an urban intentional community, etc.) Prerequisites/background knowledge: This course does not require any prior knowledge; however, a strong interest in psychology and/or environmental studies will likely be helpful.

This course is an interdisciplinary examination of the body primarily from the perspectives of psychology, disability studies, and feminist studies, with a strategically split focus primarily on the United States and Russia/Eastern Europe. We will rely on analysis of theoretical and empirical research, personal narrative, and film, as well as visits from a variety of guest speakers, to explore such questions as: What is a “normal” body? A “beautiful” body? How does the media inform how we feel about our bodies? How are bodies – especially women’s bodies – objectified, exploited, commodified, and regulated? How and why do we discriminate against people with non-normative bodies? How do people represent the experience of having a disabled body? How can we think critically about the various ways in which people change, regulate, and enhance their bodies (e.g., via body building, cosmetic surgery, diet, etc.)? How do sexism, racism, classism, homophobia, and other forms of oppression influence how different bodies are viewed, treated, educated, and experienced? And how does all this change when we travel in time or across space?

The course’s cross-listing with Russian Studies will give students a comparative context for thinking about how the body is built – and minded – differently depending on cultural, political, and economic considerations.

This will be a writing-intensive course in which students will write (and re-write) personal essays, analytical and reflective essays, and a research paper.

This course is an interdisciplinary examination of the body primarily from the perspectives of psychology, disability studies, and feminist studies, with a strategically split focus primarily on the United States and Russia/Eastern Europe. We will rely on analysis of theoretical and empirical research, personal narrative, and film, as well as visits from a variety of guest speakers, to explore such questions as: What is a “normal” body? A “beautiful” body? How does the media inform how we feel about our bodies? How are bodies – especially women’s bodies – objectified, exploited, commodified, and regulated? How and why do we discriminate against people with non-normative bodies? How do people represent the experience of having a disabled body? How can we think critically about the various ways in which people change, regulate, and enhance their bodies (e.g., via body building, cosmetic surgery, diet, etc.)? How do sexism, racism, classism, homophobia, and other forms of oppression influence how different bodies are viewed, treated, educated, and experienced? And how does all this change when we travel in time or across space?

The course’s cross-listing with Russian Studies will give students a comparative context for thinking about how the body is built – and minded – differently depending on cultural, political, and economic considerations.

This will be a writing-intensive course in which students will write (and re-write) personal essays, analytical and reflective essays, and a research paper.