WRC

2294/Winter 2016
Special Topics: Taste and Tastemaking.
(Or, What you like and why you might like it?)

Good taste is the excuse I have given for leading such a bad life.






-- Oscar Wilde

Dr. Scott Whiddon




swhiddon@[Link]
Office: Haupt 12





859-233-8298
Classroom: Beck 3050
Class Times: 3-4:15pm

Office Hours
Mondays and Fridays, 9:30-11:30am by appointment only (at least 24 hours notice via
email). Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9-11am. Wednesdays, 11am-3pm.1

Course Description
Via readings from various cultural theorists, we will explore the following questions
about aesthetics: What is taste? How is it produced and sustained? How does it
change? How do material conditions play into the production of taste? Is taste
political? Social? Gendered? And why should we bother talking about this stuff,
anyway, given bombs and global hunger and such?

Participants will contribute to class conversations, summarize and respond to texts,
collaborate on a lesson plan for a class session, and create a final project that
synthesizes core concepts from the class. At the end, youll probably have more
questions than answers about this thing called taste but, hopefully, well all be
much more articulate in our considerations of what (and how, and why) we feel
some sort of connection with certain texts or discourses.

And, well have a good time if we take things seriously and work together.
Taste/s is/are one of the strange elements that make us human, and what it
means to be a human being is a central question to liberal education.

Required Texts
Wilson, Carl. Lets Talk About Love: Why Other People Have Such Bad Taste
(New and Expanded Edition). NY: Bloomsbury, 2014. (Please note that you
need this edition b/c of expanded readings.)
Carah, Nicholas. Pop Brands: Branding, Popular Music, and Young People. NY:
Peter Lang, 2010.
Other readings as assigned and distributed via our shared web space. It is
your responsibility to bring a copy of readings to class each day.

1

Pre-arranged appointments are given priority over drop-ins. If you need to talk to me, then I urge you
to schedule an appointment at least two days in advance.


Assignment Types
Participation: You are expected to carefully read and annotate each
assigned text. I urge you to budget time to read each text at least twice, and
well in advance of class time. I recognize and respect that there are different
types of people in the world, and that students can actively participate in a
variety of ways. That said: please have one good question and one substantive
comment in mind for each class, for each reading. You also need to have
questions/comments prepared for each of our special guests.

This class (any class?) will only be as interesting as the group makes it. I
reserve the right to ask individual participants to leave for the day if s/he is
clearly not prepared. I also expect participants to check email twice a day
and to promptly reply to correspondence. 25%

Reflection and Response Writings (aka, R+Rs): 4 of these will be
assigned to particular dates and will be required of all students (hard copy).
Participants will choose 6 other dates to compose/contribute these tasks in
our public forum. 10, total. More often than not, these tasks will involve
either 1) detailing the process of your final project or 2) responding
to/reflecting on readings. 250-350 words each (graded with a check-plus,
check, check-minus, minus, or zero). 25%.

Collaborative Presentations: Working with a partner, each student will be
given 15 minutes (and 20 min for guided discussion) to lead the class
through a selected article from our anthology that responds to Wilsons core
arguments. This needs to be a formal, prepared, tight summary and
contextualization feel free to use handouts, PPTs/Prezi, web links, music, or
any other visual supports. Each pair will also compose a 250-word abstract
of their chosen text, along with a formal game plan for their presentation
25%.

Final Projects: Students will have quite a few choices for final projects: a 7-9
minute podcast that explores an object/text of taste; a creative text such as a
piece of visual art or music (with a short accompanying written text) that
explores your own sense of taste; a 7-9 page written argument that imitates
Wilsons public intellectual writing. Regardless of choice, each project will
be informed by at least 2 of our shared readings from the term. Well discuss
project types/choices in class. 25%.

Some help along the way!
Throughout the term, were lucky to work with a few select students who have
taken this class before to help us all learn about various technologies as well as to
help you develop course projects. At times, youll be required to meet with Kelsey
Bolger (WRC senior). At others, youll have the choice to take part in student-led

workshops. And, youre encouraged to work with our Writing Center to help you
dream, draft, and detail your written work. Please treat these student leaders with
respect.

Late Work
If you know that you will not be in class on a day when a task is due, you need to
make arrangements with me before the class period you will be absent. I do not
appreciate late work, though I do understand that occasionally problems occur. You
have the option of turning one of the four required R+R assignments in late, if you
contact me via email before the start of class on the day the assignment is due.
Simply note: I am choosing to use my late option for (date). Thats it. Easy.

Once youve exhausted this option, I will accept late work with substantial penalties
to the overall grade (usually a letter). If your work is more than two class periods
late, you will receive a zero. Given our schedule, please keep up to speed with
presentations, projects, readings, etc.

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT
Qualified students with disabilities needing appropriate academic adjustments
should privately contact me as soon as possible to ensure that their needs are met in
a timely manner. For questions or concerns, call the Universitys Services
Coordinator of Disability Services at 233-8215.

Technology policy
Well use tech tools (laptops, phones, other devices) quite often in this class to look
at web materials, listen to tracks, examine readings, etc. If you own a laptop, you
might consider bringing it to class sessions. However, owning a laptop or other
device is not required. My one request: please use these devices for class activities
only during our time together. Students who choose to use their devices to look at
Instagram, Facebook, or other materials not directly connected to that days
reading/activity will be asked to leave class and will earn a 0 for participation that
day.

Tentative Schedule
(Note: this schedule is subject to change, given the needs and interests of the class,
weather, etc. It is up to you to keep up with day-to-day concerns + schedule changes,
regardless of your presence or absence in class.)

1-12: Introduction. Screen Colbert footage. Discuss texts, assignments, rules for

discussions (or, how to have smart arguments while still keeping your

friends). Assign R+R#1. Check availability for 3-4:15 slot for supplemental

workshops
1-14: Discuss Wilson, Introduction and Chapter 1-2. Required R+R due, hard copy

1-19: Discuss Wilson, Chapters 3-4 and selected NYT articles (Sanneh et al)
1-21: Discuss Wilson, Chapter 5 and selections from Hume (On the Standard of

Taste). Introduce final project possibilities

1-26: Discuss Wilson, Chapter 6 and selections from Kant (3rd Critique of

Judgment)/Sign up for sessions with course-embedded tutor Kelsey Bolger
1-29: Guest discussion with producers/touring musicians J. Tom Hnatow and

John Ferguson (or, Where did I get my taste from and why?)

2-2: Discuss Wilson, Chapters 7-8 and selections from Bourdieu (Distinction)
2-4: Required sessions with CET (6 students)
(Fri) 2-5: Required sessions with CET (6 students)

2-9: Discuss Wilson, Chapters 9-10

Collaborative presentation abstracts due/hard copy.

7:30`pm, Gallery Talk at Morlan for Inter/Active exhibit
2-11: Discuss Wilson, Chapters 11-12

Required R+R due (pitching a project), hard copy

2-16: Collaborative Presentations 1-3
2-18: Required workshop on podcast production, led by TUWC staffers. DArt Lab.

2-23: Collaborative Presentations 4-6 and Wilson, Lets Talk Later
2-25: Carah, Introduction and Chapter 1

3-1: Carah, Chapter 2
(Wed) 3-2: Required conferences
3-3: Carah, Chapter 3 /Assign readings for Riley visit
(Fri) 3-4: Required conferences

3-8: 12:30-1:15 Gallery Talk with Prof. Zoe Strecker/Morlan.

Meet in gallery for class. Required R+R due (project update/hard copy)
3-10: Guest, Dr. Nancy Riley (musicologist and performer, University of Georgia)

3-22: Carah, Chapter 4
3-24: Workshop for students choosing to take on a traditional academic/essay-

based project. Bring a working draft to class.

3-29: SW away from campus (at Oxford/Emory. Work on final projects!)
3-31: Carah, Chapter 5

4-5: Carah, Chapter 6
4-7: Carah, Chapter 7 / Workshop questions for Carah Google Hangout interview

4-11: Carah, Chapter 8 / Google Hangout interview with Dr. Nic Carah.

All final project materials must be posted to our shared space by 5pm.

Please read/listen to/view at least 4 student projects before 4-14
4-14: Students who take expressivist/creative option for final project will present

their work.

Final Exam day: Students who choose essay or podcast option for final project will
informally present their work. Final R+R due/hard copy.

A final note: to quote the inimitable Lexington, KY noise band Hair Police, let's see
who's here and who's not. I urge you to set aside 60-90 minutes a day, every day,
for the reading and writing tasks required for this course. If we all commit, then I
am convinced that we will have an amazing experience centered on a collaborative
intellectual exploration of taste and taste-making technologies.