Identity, Power, and the Historical Imaginary

1 Unit · Graduate

This class will explore the cultural and cognitive dimensions of how individuals and social structures construct human "identity" and "power" through the lens of the "historical imaginary" (our hegemonic, collective understanding of the past). We will look at examples across various social contexts in and out of school, including but not limited to educational and popular media contexts. We will trace how memory, sense of self, representation practices, and power have been and are produced, reproduced, maintained, and justified to shape perceptions and/or control different identity groups over time.