Download BBF Tutorial Outline Fall 2011 here

Course Aims:

This course takes students on an exploration of the links between body, beauty and fashion from a variety of perspectives ranging from sociology, social policy, economics, psychology and medicine. These various perspectives together offer students a way of seeing how individual level issues (like self esteem, stigma and identity) shape and are shaped by community level issues (mass media), societal level issues (gender) and global level issues (globalization and westernization). This course examines these issues in a variety of formats using guest lectures, mass media analysis, video clips, problem solving activities and discussion.

This course focuses on cultural representations and understandings of the human body and ideals of beauty.  Although the intended aim of this class focuses primarily on contemporary Hong Kong society, lectures will also include in-depth analyses of how beauty is culturally constructed and historically situated around the world.  To this end, this course is gender inclusive and presents both the female and male perspectives on beauty, body image and fashion. In this context, how human bodies and standards of beauty are increasingly influenced by a global media, which promotes a progressively narrow concept of beauty, will be critically discussed.

Aside from the media influence on an increasingly globalized interpretation of beauty standards, this class also explores how diet and fashion industries are gaining momentum in shaping beauty ideals. Class lectures also address other globally and socially constructed aspects of beauty and identity, such as race, class, culture, ethnicity, sexual identity, age, and ability/disability.

Assessments:

This course is 100% coursework (please refer to the course outline for a more detailed description):

Reflective Journal 40%

Fieldwork Assignment 20%

Tutorial workshop (+ attendance) 20%

2 in-class quizzes 20% (10% each)

Lecture Schedule:

Take me to download Course Readings

Take me to download Lecture Notes

Take me to download Lecture Exercises

Academic Conduct:

Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated and at HKU, it is a disciplinary offence. Any student who commits the offence will be subjected to disciplinary action.  Academic dishonesty includes: (1) cheating, (2) fabricating information, (3) knowingly assisting other students to violate any provision of the Code of Academic Integrity and (4) plagiarism. Please refer to the University handbook outlining what constitutes plagiarism and how to avoid it.

Location & Time of the Course:

Room: Knowles Building 223
Time: Wednesday, 2:00-4:00pm

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