V3052: Theory Taste and Trash B

Module Program

The module is focused on investigating cultural tastes and how they function in society. It explores different ways of thinking about taste, including social positioning, ranking, high and low culture, cool and uncool, and historical situations. The module also considers the speed of taste, convenience, immediacy, and connectivity, and how they affect our tastes. Additionally, the module discusses how we develop our tastes, national tastes, and the agents of taste.

The module is divided into five two-week blocks, with each block containing one lecture and two seminars. The lectures introduce and contextualize different concerns, histories, theories, and debates, while the seminars offer students the opportunity to apply analytical paradigms and models to specific topics such as food, music, clothing, and the environment.

By the end of the module, a successful student should be able to engage with the history and academic study of taste, critically analyze conceptual and theoretical approaches to popular culture and taste, identify and evaluate issues and questions relating to theories of popular culture and taste, and develop an argument in written form using appropriate academic conventions.

Weekly Topics

Week 1: Welcome to the Taste Debate 1 This week serves as an introduction to the module, with a focus on understanding the concept of taste and its relationship with society. It explores the different ways in which taste can be understood and studied, and introduces the various debates surrounding taste and its role in cultural consumption.

Week 2: Welcome to the Taste Debate 2 This week continues the exploration of the debates surrounding taste, focusing on the social and cultural factors that shape our taste preferences. It also considers the ways in which our tastes are influenced by our identities, cultural background, and social positioning.

Week 3: Approaches to Taste 1 This week introduces various theoretical and analytical approaches to the study of taste, including cultural studies, sociology, and psychology. It also examines the different ways in which these approaches can be used to understand taste and its role in cultural consumption.

Week 4: Approaches to Taste 2 This week continues the exploration of theoretical and analytical approaches to the study of taste, focusing on the ways in which these approaches can be applied to specific cultural contexts. It also considers the limitations and challenges of using these approaches in the study of taste.

Week 5: Mapping Taste 1 This week explores the ways in which taste is mapped and understood in cultural contexts, including the construction of hierarchies of taste and the formation of cultural canons. It also considers the role of taste in the creation and reception of cultural works.

Week 6: Reading Week This week provides time for independent study and preparation for the second half of the module.

Week 7: Mapping Taste 2 This week continues the exploration of the mapping of taste, focusing on the role of institutions, such as museums and galleries, in the creation and dissemination of cultural canons. It also considers the ways in which alternative or subcultural tastes can challenge dominant cultural narratives.

Week 8: Taste and Social Aesthetics 1 This week explores the relationship between taste and social aesthetics, focusing on the ways in which taste is used to create and maintain social distinctions and hierarchies. It also considers the role of taste in the formation of identity and community.

Week 9: Taste and Social Aesthetics 2 This week continues the exploration of the relationship between taste and social aesthetics, focusing on the ways in which taste can be used to challenge or disrupt social hierarchies. It also considers the ways in which taste can be used to create and maintain alternative forms of social organization.

Week 10: Taste and the Environment This week explores the relationship between taste and the environment, focusing on the ways in which taste can contribute to environmental problems, such as overconsumption and waste. It also considers the ways in which taste can be used to promote sustainability and environmental awareness.

Assignments and guidance

3000 Word Essays (100%)
We will regularly make space for concerns about the essay during the weekly seminar and advise you about planning and writing your essay. Your tutor will be available for specific individual tutorial meetings to discuss your essays in the last week of term.

Choose ONE of the following:

Today’s tastemakers often appear to be primarily interested in our well-being. Critically discuss the role of taste in one example of advice about well-being (you might base this on an advice column in a magazine or newspaper or their online equitvals). What is the role of gender in producing tasty well-being?

Write an analysis of a television or internet ‘taste expert’. This might be someone like Marie Kondo, or the presenters of Queer Eye , or anyone who you could identify as a ‘taste expert’. How do they perform taste expertise? it convincing? What social values ​​do they promote?

Discuss the usefulness of the concept of ‘cultural capital’ (as used by Bourdieu and his followers) in analyzing cultural hierarchies that you have observed operating in the context of popular music or fashion or food? Here you should provide detailed analysis of one case study .

How is ethnic identity (including whiteness) used in the construction of taste? Here again you should focus on music or fashion or food? Here you should provide detailed analysis of one case study.

Visit an estate agent (realtor) in Brighton (or elsewhere) and pick up a brochure selling a new estate or housing complex (these also exist online, of course), or simply a paper advertising houses for sale. How is taste used to sell homes? And how should we analyze the social role of taste in these brochures? Do they reinforce class distinctions?
Cuteness is a taste phenomenon that often has an Asian flavor and a global reach. How and why is cuteness used to sell cultural products like pop groups and pencil cases? Here you should provide detailed analysis of one or two case studies.
Find one historical example of ‘good taste’ that no longer has the same social value. Explain why it was considered tasty and how and why it lost its social status.
Cuteness is a contemporary aesthetic form that has a lot of contemporary currency. Find one other aesthetic form that also has currency and describe its aesthetic attributes and speculate as to why it is particularly prominent at the moment using specific examples.
Imagine that you are designing an advertising campaign promoting the ethical values ​​of second hand clothing. How would your campaign use taste as an ingredient to make second hand clothing desirable?
If you wish to write about issues covered by the module that are not addressed precisely by the above questions, you can consider devising your own essay title, but ONLY if this has been discussed with and approved by your seminar tutor. Contact your tutor about this if you wish.

Assignment Guidance

Generally, all essays are marked in relation to how well they engage with the module as a whole. The clearest way to demonstrate this is through reference to the reading you have been directed to in the module guide (the block-by-block reading) . We expect you to be able to succinctly rehearse key arguments and to cite appropriate sources from the module. It is unlikely that an essay with no references to, or citations from, module reading would pass this assessment. On the other hand, essays that supplemented module reading with relevant academic sources generated from research would expect to do very well. You should also use detailed analysis and discussion of specific examples or case studies (eg a lifestyle show, property website or food blog). We also to encourage you about the kinds of examples you use to discuss your questions:

Ffor instance, should you choose something that obviously evidences ‘posh’ taste, or is it better to choose something that seems much more ambiguous in relation to taste hierarchies as this would allow you to discuss taste in a more nuanced manner?

Please note that the word count does NOT include the bibliography.

70+

This will be work that shows extensive engagement with the module through critical discussion of relevant theories. The discussion will evidence excellent understanding and will be fully integrated with an appropriate case study or example that is applicable to the question.

60-69

This will be work that shows good engagement with the module through thorough discussion of a relevant theory or theories. The discussion will show good understanding. The case study or example should be well-integrated in the discussion.

50-59

This will be work that shows engagement with the module through a discussion of a relevant theory or theories. The discussion will show an understanding of key theoretical points but might not have a nuanced understanding. The case study might be less integrated into the discussion.

40-49

This will be work that shows some engagement with the module and discusses a relevant theory. The discussion may evidence some misunderstandings of the theory and may lack nuance. The case study might not be fully appropriate to the question.

Below 40

To fail this assignment your essay will show little or no engagement with the module. Theories won’t be discussed and the examples might not be relevant to the question.