LANT
3006

The Politics of Wounds

Eugene Lang College Lib Arts: Anthropology

Liberal Arts
Undergraduate Course
Degree Students
The Politics of Wounds
Fall 2024
Taught By: Clara Beccaro
Section: A

CRN: 17528

Credits: 4

What is a wound? What causes wounds? How do wounds heal? And, what do wounds cause? Starting from these deceptively simple questions, this course will offer an ethnographic exploration into the politics of wounds. To begin with, we will work our way through the definition of wounds, asking how different regimes of knowledge, from law to medicine, converge or diverge around the term. Our goal will be to flesh out what wounds are defined in relation to, and whether these relations shape what a wound is or what it can become. To assist with this endeavor, we will focus on wounds in terms of bodies, minds, and sentiments; landscapes and infrastructures; humans and non-humans; etc… In the second part of this course, we will consider how political forces inflict wounds, and what such wounds have the capacity to cause in return. Drawing from studies in medical anthropology, as well as political, critical, and crip theory, we will look at wounds created by historical conditions, state violence, and social inequalities; the relationship between wounds, injury, pain, and trauma; the aftermaths of wounds, and the value they acquire; as well as practices of healing and justice. To this end, we will draw from a range of case studies, from the wounding effects of torture to placemaking after dispossession. This course is a seminar. It will include practice-based exercises and students will be encouraged to develop their own work via a mix of writing and other multimedia projects.

College: Eugene Lang College Lib Arts (LC)

Department: Anthropology (ANT)

Campus: New York City (GV)

Course Format: Seminar (R)

Modality: In-Person

Max Enrollment: 18

Add/Drop Deadline: September 9, 2024 (Monday)

Online Withdrawal Deadline: November 17, 2024 (Sunday)

Seats Available: Yes

Status: Closed*

* Status information is updated every few minutes. The status of this course may have changed since the last update. Open seats may have restrictions that will prevent some students from registering. Updated: 8:30am EDT 10/8/2024

Meeting Info:
Days: Monday, Wednesday
Times: 12:00pm - 1:40pm
Building: 6 East 16th Street
Room: 1108
Date Range: 8/26/2024 - 12/9/2024