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What do James Dean and the iPod have in common? They are considered to be 'cool', and they have traveled to Europe across the Atlantic to profoundly influence and even reshape e.g. German culture due to their perceived 'coolness.' This course aims at providing critical approaches to the construction of 'coolness' and the 'Cool' as dominant cultural discourses in the 20th (and possibly the 21st) century, via exploring questions such as these: What, or who, 'is cool', and what does it mean when we say, 'hey, cool'? Where do notions of 'coolness' come from, and how have they traveled across different cultures? How have they been adopted, and how have they changed in the course of their adoption outside of the U.S.? Why have cultural historians made the claim that the 'Cool' is a key cultural notion or concept of the 20th century, a sensibility or cultural practice that helps us understand 20th-century history? And does this still hold true in the 21st century, or is the 'Cool' dead, as some commentators have claimed?
We will look at the historical origins of 'Cool' both 'outside' and 'inside' the U.S.A. and follow esp. its transatlantic journeys to Germany and Austria through the import of American popular and mass culture: Hollywood film and jazz music, as well as the blues and their roots in African American culture in general in particular provide starting points for this investigation. In exploring what happened when 'Cool' crossed the Atlantic, we will look at the reception of e.g. early rock 'n' roll music and American film icons such as James Dean as proponents of 'Cool' in Europe: how they influenced audiences' behavior (teenage rebellion, eg.), style (e.g. blue jeans as an iconic piece of clothing), and bodily comportment (dance styles, ways of moving) will give us some ideas how to approach 'Cool' as a traveling concept methodologically. In addition, we will encounter some pop art, some MTV, some punk, some Silicon Valley, some fashion styles, and some other trends that embody versions of the 'Cool' and will therefore help deepen our understanding of the complex shades 'Cool' has taken on historically.
In the final part of the course we will ask whether e.g. in contemporary German and Austrian culture, the 'Cool' lives on, is revived, or is in fact 'dead.' On this open question, you will be able to do some analytic work of your own by studying recent trends in your own culture, investigating audiences and consumers and arriving at your own conclusions about the journeys of 'Cool' and its destinations in specific examples of your choice.
NOTE: The course will be organized as a ‚Blockveranstaltung' on five to six days; exact dates and times to be announced.
Readings: A selection of relevant essays and excerpts from books will be made available either in a reader or on CLIX.
Course requirements: attendance, active participation, completion of reading and writing assignments, short oral presentation, and a term paper (Hausarbeit). |
