Sources, Theories, Literatures

Seminar 2 Key Approaches

Today, we will be discussing the tools –theoretical and practical -- and sources that will power our exploration of perfectibility across the rest of the term. We will look at story-telling, ego-documents, material and visual culture, and culture of ‘audit’ (enacted by individuals, institutions and the state) and quantification. Bring your tentative thoughts about what kind of primary source you might wish to explore in your first essay, and what strategies or forms of perfectionism most interest you.

Weekly Reading Questions

• Has ‘perfection’ changed over time?
• What categories of analysis are useful for understanding ‘perfection’?
• How does biopower relate to the pursuit of perfection?
• Does medicalisation provide a useful lens on ‘human perfectibility’?
• Where’s the evidence for ‘the pursuit of perfection’ and what are its limits?

Readings: See Talis