EXP-0004-F:
Punk Rock: History, Theory, and Practice
In-Person; 3 credits, Letter-graded
Mondays, 6:30-9:00pm
Punk Rock is many things—a set of interconnected music styles, fashion aesthetics, political ideologies and communities that have risen and fallen over the course of the past half-century. This course explores the iconic and often misunderstood subculture. Beginning with the Windrush Generation’s introduction of Ska to Britain, we will follow Punk through its complex and surprising history. We will learn how to use Punk as a critical lens for analyzing how social, economic, and political realities impact youth culture and mental health. And we will conclude with creative final projects in which we recreate the core elements of a Punk Scene through DIY music, fashion, and original research. Students will have the opportunity to learn in a semester what many Punk Rockers (course instructor included) learned over years or decades in the Scene: how to use art, philosophy and critical analysis to turn their relationship with challenging social, political and economic realities into a powerful tool for self-discovery.