080005 VU B620 Society: The Queer-Feminist Body Politics of Makeup: (2024W)

Inhalt:
The history of make-up has evolved in parallel with societal boundaries of what is right or wrong for which gender. The norms that govern makeup are and have always been culturally and historically specific, meaning that they are constructed and maintained according to specific axes of power. This course explores what can be gained from thinking about make-up using Foucault's concepts of productive power, the panopticon, as well as later feminist concepts such as aesthetic labour.
The course briefly explores the history of make-up in relation to the development of gender norms. It then focuses on women's experiences of make-up. On the one hand, we will discuss the male gaze, aesthetic labour and the internalisation of beauty standards. On the other hand, we will discuss the subversive elements of make-up, for example through the experiences of lesbian femmes, who are usually scolded for supposedly trying to satisfy the male gaze.
Learning from the queer community as well as from drag, the class will conclude with an exploration of what makeup can do and mean when decoupled from norms of gender and sexuality. We will discuss processes of self-discovery, bodily autonomy and self-expression in
relation to power and the norm.

Erwartete Lernziele
Students will be familiar with the cultural, social and political implications of makeup practices and the ways in which makeup functions as a tool for self-expression, conformity, resistance and identity construction. They will be familiar with interdisciplinary perspectives helpful in delving into the complexities of makeup, its historical, sociological and gendered dimensions, with a particular focus on queer makeup practices. Students will be able to analyse
the ways in which makeup intersects with power, identity, beauty standards and notions of agency in different cultural contexts.

Lehrmethoden:
Students will be required to read texts or extracts for each of the sessions. The sessions will start with students discussing the texts in groups based on prompts. These insights will be shared in the group to achieve a deeper understanding.
Students will be invited to keep a diary of what they learn in class, the types of make-up they encounter, how they feel about make-up, how their own experiences with make-up feel or change, from the beginning of the class to the last class. This includes the feelings they
experience during the make-up workshop. The last block is for them to present their ideas for a final paper.

The class will be conducted primarily in English, although students may contribute to the discussion in German. The presentations and papers may also be in German.