CCCX 125 Death and Desire in Chicago

In this course we will use texts in literature, science, and the arts, in the context of the City of Chicago, to frame an exploration of human representations of the relationship between death and desire. Walking the city and on excursions to locations such as The Art Institute of Chicago, The Field Museum, Chicago Museum of Sex, The Cambodian Memorial Museum, Cook County Forest Preserves, and Chicago city parks and cemeteries, students will be invited to consider the visual, physical, and spatial manifestations of theoretical concepts such as: the abject, decay, ancestry, legacy, fetish, jouissance, the erotic, evolution, and symbiosis. Texts, visits, and events range from the murders during the 1893 World’s Fair to deaths caused by the 1995 heat wave; from Chicago’s identity as the slaughterhouse of the world to its current reputation as a world class food city; from its geologic history as a site of widespread destruction and extinction to its reputation as having one of the more vibrant queer cultures in the United States. Students will create a working artist/design journal as a site of artistic and academic observation and reflection to explore their experiences, research, and ideas presented in the class. Students will also use social media platforms such as Instagram and Twitter to aggregate personal observations and data to be analyzed in a final course reflection.

For more information go to First Semester Experience: Big Chicago

Repeatable: N
Formerly FEXP 125
FE
Requirements Freshman Only (FF14)
Minimum Credits 3 Maximum Credits 3