Contemporary life and its discontents: paradoxes of the present

What is the course about?

This Culture course will centre on the experiences that are coming to define contemporary life and unpack the underlying discontents they may manifest or make more knowable. Psychoanalytic approaches to society and subjectivity have always insisted upon the meaningfulness of what may otherwise be considered beyond conscious understanding or entirely paradoxical. Following influential psychoanalytic thinkers of twenty-first century culture, we will take an innovative approach to contemporary life and contemplate a variety of texts, artworks, social movements and cultural objects. As well as the complex conditions of present-day existence, we will consider how we are learning to develop new ways of understanding ourselves, others and wider society.

What will we cover?

In this course we will cover psychoanalytic theories and how they can be applied to contemporary cultural phenomenon. As well as Sigmund Freud’s seminal text Civilization and its Discontents, we will draw on some key ideas from influential twenty-first century cultural theorists, including Slavoj Zizek’s notion of ‘living in the end times’ and Lauren Berlant’s concept of ‘cruel optimism.’ Among the aspects of contemporary life that we will focus on are apocalyptic narratives, cultures of hyper-connectivity and mass surveillance, the medicalization of emotional life, climate anxiety, and digitized social behaviours like compulsive scrolling or ghosting.

Proposed timetable
Week 1: Civilization and its Discontents: analysing the cultural animal
Week 2: Apocalyptic imaginaries and fantasies of destruction
Week 3: Hyper-connectivity and intensified estrangement
Week 4: Illness and wellness cultures in a ‘pharmopornographic era’
Week 5: Artificial environments, climate anxiety and the ecological body
Week 6: Bio-digital embodiments and experiences: doom-scrolling, shit-posting, ghosting and gifs.

What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...

- Have an understanding of key psychoanalytic concepts and their usefulness for approaching psychic life and contemporary culture.
- Demonstrate familiarity with a wide range of cultural debates about contemporary society and subjectivity.
- Discuss films, texts, cultural trends and artefacts through a psychoanalytically-informed critical lens.
- Evaluate a range of way of thinking psychoanalytically about mainstream discourses on self and social life.

What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?

This course would be well-suited to anyone who has a keen interest in contemporary culture and/or psychoanalysis. While no previous knowledge of the material or topics is required, it does involve working with theoretical material, artworks and cultural artifacts. You should have the ability to read texts and watch films, think critically about them, and discuss them in an open and supportive manner with other members of the class.

How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?

The class will be structured around a combination of tutor presentations, viewing of film extracts, large and small group work and class discussion.

There will be some short extracts of psychoanalytic theory to read each week, and some suggested further reading/viewing.

Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?

There are no additional costs and the tutor will supply all reading and viewing material.

When I've finished, what course can I do next?

Look for other Culture and Film, TV and Media Studies courses under History Culture and Writing/Film Studies at www.citylit.ac.uk.