Diagnostics, Media and the Making of Experience

What does it mean to interpret and “diagnose”? How do we interpret and diagnose others, and how do we interpret and diagnose ourselves? What forms of self-discovery are enacted? And what forms of violence might take place instead? In this course, we will explore “diagnostics” and “diagnostic media” as a specific way media is used to build meaning about others and ourselves. This course will be shaped around two key facets of diagnostics: diagnostics as a media form, and diagnostics a mode of encounter. We will pay close attention to the ways empire, race, gender, sexuality, and ability are intertwined in these discussions, and how we create worlds about our experiences, and the experiences of others.