PHL 359 - Postmodernism

Course Units: 1

(Cross listed with WGS 359) (Not offered this Academic Year) Do some groups control the way we use language? Is discourse male-dominated or Euro-centric? Postmodern theories investigate the nature of language, as well as questions concerning power and language: How is power gained and controlled through discourse, the media and other cultural institutions? Postmodern theories have had an impact on contemporary literature, art, and media theory. Readings by Structuralist and Postmodern thinkers, such as Saussure, Barthes, Foucault, Cixous, Irigaray, and Derrida will be discussed. Prerequisite(s): one philosophy course or permission of the instructor. CC: HUM