FYS 155 Hybrid Identities in the Global Age
“Identity” has become a ubiquitous word to refer to how we view ourselves, how we’re viewed by others and how we move through the world, but what happens when the lines that delineate our identities get a little blurry? In this class we’re going to engage the themes of hybridity and fluidity with respect to culture, race, ethnicity, language, gender and technology via analysis of a diverse sampling of 20th and 21st century literature, music, visual art and film. We’ll read short stories,essays and autobiographies from authors like Zadie Smith, Trevor Noah, Jhumpa Lahiri and Haruki Murakami; listen to musical offerings of an Argentine bluegrass band and explore the global phenomenon of K-Pop; watch several films including cult classic Bladerunner as well as contemporary genre-bending films like Get Out, and take a field trip to the Speed Museum in Louisville to explore visual art.