COURSE SYLLABUS
Prague, Czech Republic
Spring 2015
ALTERNATIVE CULTURE, LITERATURE, MUSIC AND LIFESTYLES
CLASS INFORMATION
Anthropology/Sociology 300 level, 3 credits
45 contact hours
INSTRUCTOR
PhDr. Kateřina Průšová, phdr.katerina.prusova@gmail.com
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Provides critical insights into a social function of art, street-art, underground, dissent,
alternative, experimental, performance, situationist, alter-globalization movement, etc.
Multidisciplinary perspectives of cultural, literary, and media studies are explored. Seminal
readings on the listed topics are used to discuss the practices of ‘alternative’ urban lives in
postindustrial society and certain trends of artistic production. Focus is on political
interpretation of youth subversion and disclosures of power mechanisms. Visuals and field
trips to divers events and sites are a part of this course.
TEXTBOOKS
Reading material will be available for students in the form of a reading packet. Students can
purchase this at the start of the semester. Please see course outline for references of
material. Links and presentations are available on the class blog
http://alternativecultures.wordpress.com/
OBJECTIVES
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To introduce students to the notion of cultural and global studies in the specific
contemporary Czech context.
To provide an understanding of the roots of Czech alternative culture.
To enable students to research a topic of interest.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able
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to use research tools of cultural studies, critical thinking, argumentative skills,
practice sociology of contemporary art, music, and performance
conceptualize and contextualize expressions of youth rebellion
read resistance to consumer culture
interpret the streets and other public spaces of the city
OUTLINE
Topics: body art, performance, alternative art and music, sound and noise, subversive art
and action, explosionalism, consumerism, antropological understanding of art, appropriation,
alter-globalization, rebellion, dissent, consumerism, identity jam, situationism, culture
jamming, underground, graffiti, street-art
Class 1, Feb 2
Field trip: Jiří Sozanský, 1984 Orwell´s Year, NG Prague, Veletržní Palác
Topics: body art, performance, alter-globalization
Recommended reading: George Orwell, 1984
Class 2, Feb 10
Field trip: Milan Grygar, Visual and Acustic exhibition; creative workshop; Visual Scores
interpreted by MoEns group.
Place: Gallery of the City of Prague, Municipal Library, 2nd floor, Mariánské náměstí 1,
Prague 1
Topics: alternative art and music, sound and noise, dissent
Class time: 5 pm- 8 pm
Reader: Václav Havel, The Power of the Powerless, 1978,
http://vaclavhavel.cz/showtrans.php?cat=eseje&val=2_aj_eseje.html&typ=HTML,
downloaded Feb. 4 2015, excerpts.
Class 3, Feb 19
Classroom lecture: Strategies of avantgarde and alternative art
Topics: subversive art, explosionalism, consumerism, body art, antropological understanding
of art, appropriation
Reader: Albert Camus, The Rebel, An Essay on Man in Revolt, New York, Random House,
1991, chapter 1, p.107-109.
Feb 21
Field trip: Farm in the Cave, Whistle- Blowers (Informátoři), Theatre Ponec
Topics: alter-globalization, rebellion, consumerism, performance
Time: 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Place: Theatre Ponec, Husitská 24a/ 899, Prague 3
Class 4, Feb 26
Classroom discussion on all the three readings & movie screening: Sweat Shop
Reader: Václav Bělohradský, Globalisation: All the Trash in a Single World,
http://www.multiweb.cz/hawkmoon/strana36.htm
Topics: alter-globalization, rebellion, dissent, consumerism
Class 5, March 5
Classroom movie screening (Yes Men, Ztohoven) and discussion on all the four readings
Reader: Lloyd Spencer, „Postmodernism, Modernity and the Tradition of Dissent“, The
Routledge Companion to Postmodernism, Ed. Sim, Stuart, London, 2005, p. 101-103.
Topics: alter-globalization, culture jamming, identity jam, consumerism, situationism,
subversive art and action
Class 6, March 12,
Field trip: Secret Police walk (rewriting the past, Jan Palach, Charter 77)
Place: Meeting at Starbucks at Malostranské náměstí
Reader: Paul Wilson, „What´s it Like Making Rock´n´Roll in a Police State?“, in: Views from
the Inside: Czech Underground Litterature and Culture (1948-1989), ed. Martin Machovec,
Prague, Charles University Press, 2006, p. 33-48.
Topics: rebellion, dissent, underground
_________________________________________________________________________
Class 7, March 19
Field trip: „Represion in the Cultural Life in Socialist Czechoslovakia“, at the exhibition Music
and Politics, Vítkov National Memorial
Place: Meeting at Florenc by the Billa supermarket
Reader: Sabrina Petra Ramet, „Rock Music in Czechoslovakia“, Rocking the State, Rock
Music and Politics in Eastern Europe and Russia, Westview Press, 1994.
Topics: globalization and music, underground, dissent, rebellion
Class 8, March 26
Classroom lecture: Undeground and Alternative Scene in the Communist Czechoslovakia
Reader: Jaroslav Riedel (ed.), The Plastic People of the Universe, Prague, Maťa, 1997.
Topics: underground, dissent, sound and noise
__________________________________________________________________________
Class 9, April 2
Break
__________________________________________________________________________
Class 10, April 9
Classroom discussion on the readings from the week 6 on & examples of alternative music
Reader: Jáchym Topol, „The Story of Revolver Revue“, in: Views from the Inside: Czech
Underground Litterature and Culture (1948-1989), ed. Martin Machovec, Prague, Charles
University Press, 2006.
Topics: dissent, underground, alternative music
__________________________________________________________________________
Class 11, April 16
Replaced by the field trip on February 21.
Reader: Václav Magid, CAP, Crew Against People, Prague, Bigg Boss, 2007.
Topics: grafitti, street art
__________________________________________________________________________
Class 12, April 23
Field trip: TBA
Reader: Tomáš Pospiszyl, Isztván Lékó, Street Art Praha, Prague, Arbor Vitae, 2007.
Jan Kaláb, Names, Prague, Trafačka, 2008.
Banksy, Wall and Piece, London, Random House, 2005.
Topics: grafitti, street art, consumerism, antropological understanding of art
_________________________________________________________________________
Class 13, April 30
Final Projects Presentations and Papers
__________________________________________________________________________
Class 14, May 5
Final Projects Presentations and Papers
ASSESSMENT
1. Class participation 20%: during your hours of class preparations work with course
materials and syllabus to be ready to prove your knowledge in class discussions. If
you miss a class, ask fellow students to catch up and be fully prepared. Share with the
class your daily critical observations of subcultures in the city.
2. Reading checks, field trip checks and reaction papers together 20%: First page check: Author, title (event/ exhibition,…), year (if relevant). Bullet points learned, in the
jargon of the author, quotes, names, data. One initiated question for great class
discussion. Second page – reaction: your evaluation, polemics, criticism, etc. Only
accepted BEFORE class. Submit in email and print. Deadline for electronic submitting
of the checks: Wednesday (i.e. the day before class) at 10 pm.
3. Reading presentation and discussion leader 20%: Sign in for your reading during the
first class. This task includes ppt presentation with one slate info about the author of the
reading, five slates with content presentation with difficult points explained and last slate
with questions and polemic points for moderating the debate. Grading takes into
account the accuracy in delivering main issues to the class and success in stimulating
discussion. Remember you are presenting the content of the reading, your comments
are voiced in the discussion part.
4. Presentation and research paper on the topics covered in class 20%: 8 pages
(about 2000 words), spacing 1,5 lines, illustrations do not count in the number of pages.
The projects are evaluated according to the quality of research and ability to add your
own commentary. The work MUST have resonance with topics and readings covered in
class. You can select e.g. one of the contemporary artists, performers, research, photo,
interpret, comment, compare, etc. The presentation takes 25 minutes. Creative project
is a possible alternative after approval. In that situation a two page exegesis is required.
5. Tests 20%, multiple choice, open ended questions and topics from coursework.
All papers must be submitted in a printed form.
School Policies: Missed classes are not tolerated. For the respect to the teacher and others
please refer from eating and working on phones. For making notes on laptop consult the
instructor first.
Grade scale:
A
100-93
B+
89-87
C+
79-77
D+
69-67
A-
92-90
B
86-83
C
76-73
D
66-63
B-
82-80
C-
72-70
D-
62-60
F
59-00
STUDENT RESPONSIBILITY POLICY
Students are responsible to confirm all assignments are received by their instructor. This includes assignments submitted electronically or left on the instructor's desk or
mailbox when the instructor is not present.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Plagiarism, cheating, submitting work of another person or work previously used and other forms of academic dishonesty will lead to lowered course grades, failure of the
course or more severe measures, depending on judgments of the gravity of the individual case.
DISABILITY POLICY
Every effort will be made to accommodate students with disabilities or special learning needs. If you have a documented disability for which you have already requested
accommodations through the USAC Central office, your teacher will have been notified so that arrangements can be made early in the term.