ESP Biography
MEREDITH WALKER, Stanford graduate student in literature
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Major: English College: Stanford U. Year of Graduation: G |
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Brief Biographical Sketch:
Meredith is a Ph.D. candidate in the English department. She's starting her dissertation on the novella genre, with chapters on Joseph Conrad, Henry James, and D. H. Lawrence. She's traveled all around the world and is interested in literary representations of culture shock. When she's not working, she's watching classic movies, doing yoga, or writing fiction. Past Classes(Look at the class archive for more.)Thinness: A Cultural Analysis in Splash! Spring 2009
This course is an introduction to cultural studies. The body will be our artifact, as we ask, “How are bodies <em>made</em> and not <em>born</em>? That is, how are cultural values em<em>bodied</em>? Moreover, can we identify the social forces that shape our bodies—and is it possible to resist these forces?”
In particular, we’ll analyze (and critique) theories about thinness as a cultural obsession. Moving beyond superficial finger-pointing at catwalks or the “media,” we’ll read passages reflecting an array of perspectives. Finally, we’ll consider subcultures that resist the devastating aesthetic of anorexic thinness.
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