FREN 6030 - [The Normal and the Pathological]

Fall. Next Offered: 2019-2020. 4 credits. Student option grading.

K. Long.

What does the term “normal” mean? It is a modern invention, but one based on millennia of theories on what is natural or unnatural, regular or irregular, orderly or monstrous. All of these terms are loaded with histories of sexism, racism, and ableism. This course, based on the work of Georges Canguilhem and Michel Foucault, will explore current theories of the normal in the domain of disability studies and queer studies, and return to the past of these concepts to examine their ancient origins. Authors will include Shelley Tremain, Lennard Davis, Nirmala Erevelles, and Jasbir Puar.