Sick, Fat, Ugly, Useless: Disability and Fat Studies

Harvard Summer School

SWGS S-1270

Section 1

CRN 35995

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We are now in the twenty-first century: why do we still have so much prejudice about bodies that differ from the so-called norm? What, indeed, is the norm and why is it so important to us? In this course, students are introduced to fat studies and disability studies in tandem to explore the politics of the body. We examine questions drawn from disability studies about bioethics, community organization, and the use of technology; and we examine questions drawn from fat liberation about the construction of aesthetics, the history of fatphobia and racism, and the way we layer symbolic meaning on the body. We look at stereotypes of disabled and fat people in media studies, examine prejudice in sociology, and ask some hard questions about the persistence of eugenics through the lens of bio-power and necropolitics.

Instructor Info

Keridwen N. Luis, PhD

Senior Lecturer in Anthropology and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Brandeis University


Meeting Info

MW 6:30pm - 9:30pm (6/23 - 8/8)

Participation Option: Online Asynchronous or Online Synchronous

In online asynchronous courses, you are not required to attend class at a particular time. Instead you can complete the course work on your own schedule each week.

Deadlines

Last day to register: June 16, 2025

Notes

This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. The recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day. Harvard College students: This course is eligible for degree credit, but see important policy information.

All Sections of this Course

CRN Section # Participation Option(s) Instructor Section Status Meets Term Dates
35995 1 Online Asynchronous, Online Synchronous Keridwen Luis Open MW 6:30pm - 9:30pm
Jun 22 to Aug 7