Visual Culture

We live in a culture that is saturated by visual images.  It is vital to understand what forces shape visual culture and how it shapes our thinking about a myriad of topics such as politics, race, class, and gender. In this class we will explore the ways visual culture is produced, circulated, and consumed. We will explore visual culture in multiple mediums including art, architecture, photography, comics, digital media, advertising, and television. We will begin by studying the major theories behind visual culture. We will consider how issues of authority, power, and positionality shape the creation and interpretation of visual images. Students will become adept at “reading” visual images in the same way they read other texts, and the discussion-based course will give students ample opportunity to hone this skill. This course includes a prolonged case-study of visual representations of Muslim in North American and European media. Students will learn to incorporate theories of visual culture and knowledge from the field of religious studies to critically analyze images of Muslims.