Hidden in Plain Sight: Ideology and Self

How does culture create and codify beliefs and norms so that they appear natural and difficult to identify without close analysis? In this course, we will explore aspects of our society that are hidden in plain sight through the forces of ideology. We will study works that challenge us to look closely at the things we think we already know. We will probe the aspects of society which seem to be true, natural, and common sense, and learn to unpack them. In doing so, we will dive into pop cultural moments (such as brat summer and the like) and probe their power relations and identity formations which otherwise remain hidden. We will analyze music videos, songs, poems, short stories, as well as popular phrases.

We will learn about structures of power through theories on race, gender, sexuality, identity, and culture itself. We will ask how we were given our genders, races, and other aspects of ourselves, and think critically about how that process works at both the granular and societal level. This course includes a field trip to Van Cortlandt Park wherein we will learn about how racial ideology is expressed through architecture and landscaping.