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Department of English | Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Simon Fraser University Calendar | Fall 2024

Performance Studies

Certificate

The Certificate in Performance Studies will provide students an opportunity to complement their BA and focus their interdisciplinary work via the methods and perspectives of performance studies, through the critical analysis of the intrinsically scripted and performed character of much human action. This unifying thematic encompasses a diversity of courses across disciplines, providing students with a broad yet coherent course of study, one with ample opportunity for program customization.

Admission Requirements

Normal requirements for admission to Simon Fraser University apply. Students are required to satisfy the prerequisites of all courses (upper and lower division) taken toward the Certificate, and should consult regularly with departmental advisors regarding course selection.

Prior to formal program admission, students must complete two of*

  • ENGL 113W-3 Literature and Performance
  • CA 118-3 Contemporary Art History
  • GSWS 100-3 Sex Talk: Introduction to Contemporary Issues in Sexuality Studies
  • GSWS 101-3 Gender Talk
  • SA 101-4 Introduction to Anthropology (A)

*The Certificate is composed of courses from participating units in both FASS and FCAT. It is possible, with approval from the program coordinator, to count courses with related content from cognate units towards completion of the Certificate.

Program Requirements

Students successfully complete a minimum total of 26 units, including three of

CA 217 - Introduction to Performance Studies (3)

Traces the interdisciplinary origins of performance studies and brings its concepts and methods to bear on dance, music, theatre, performance art, and media performance. Prerequisite: 45 units including one history/theory course within the School for the Contemporary Arts. Students with credit for CA (or FPA) 311 under this topic may not take this course for further credit. Students with credit for CA (or FPA) 317 may not take this course for further credit. Breadth-Humanities.

CA 257W - Context I (3)

The first of two courses in the Context cluster. With a grounding in performance studies, this course explores histories and theories of the avant-garde, live art, and theatre. With a rotating topic each term, students develop the foundational skills for analyzing, researching, and writing about contemporary performance. Writing/Breadth-Humanities.

Section Instructor Day/Time Location
D100 Steven Hill
Sep 4 – Dec 3, 2024: Fri, 9:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
GOLDCORP
CA 289 - Selected Topics in the Contemporary Arts (3)

A specific topic in the historical and contemporary arts which is not otherwise covered in depth in regular courses or which is not appropriately placed within a single arts discipline. The work will be practical, theoretical, or a combination of the two, depending on the particular topic in a given term. May be of particular interest to students in other departments. May repeat for credit when offered with different topics. Prerequisite: 15 CA (or FPA) units.

ENGL 214 - History and Principles of Rhetoric (3)

Introduction to the history and principles of rhetoric, and their application to the creation and analysis of written, visual, and other forms of persuasion. Prerequisite: 12 units or one 100-division English course.

Section Instructor Day/Time Location
D100 Peter Cramer
Sep 4 – Dec 3, 2024: Wed, 2:30–5:20 p.m.
Burnaby
ENGL 216 - History and Principles of Literary Criticism (3)

The study of selected works in the history of literary criticism, up to and including modern and contemporary movements in criticism. Prerequisite: 12 units or one 100-division English course.

Section Instructor Day/Time Location
D100 JD Fleming
Sep 4 – Dec 3, 2024: Thu, 9:30–11:20 a.m.
Burnaby
D101 Sep 4 – Oct 11, 2024: Tue, 10:30–11:20 a.m.
Oct 16 – Dec 3, 2024: Tue, 10:30–11:20 a.m.
Burnaby
Burnaby
GSWS 204 - Sex and the City (3)

Selected topics on the sexual politics of urban space. May be organized by region, critical approach, or genre. Students who have completed WS 204 may not complete this course for further credit.

GSWS 205 - Gender and Popular Culture (3)

A study of women's place in society as revealed through the analysis of a variety of media. Students who have completed WS 205 may not complete this course for further credit.

SA 201W - Anthropology and Contemporary Life (A) (4)

An introduction to the anthropological perspective as applied to the organization of everyday life in contemporary settings. Introduces positivist, interpretive, and critical interpretive approaches to the analysis of social actions, identities, and values as enacted in space and time. Prerequisite: Recommended: SA 101. Writing.

Section Instructor Day/Time Location
D100 Elliot Montpellier
Sep 4 – Dec 3, 2024: Thu, 2:30–5:20 p.m.
Burnaby
SA 218 - Illness, Culture and Society (A) (4)

Health and well-being are social experiences. How do assumptions about the body, the self, and social relations operate in medical spheres? Introduces anthropological perspectives on illness and healing as a means of exploring the social existence of the body. Students with credit for SA 460 when offered as Medical Anthropology are not eligible to take this course for further credit.

and two of**

CA 314 - Readings in the History of Art, Performance and Cinema (3)

Investigates a selected topic in the history of art, performance and cinema. This course can be repeated twice for credit if the topic is different. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 117 (or 167), 186, and 210W (or 210).

Section Instructor Day/Time Location
D100 Denise Oleksijczuk
Sep 4 – Oct 11, 2024: Tue, 2:30–5:20 p.m.
Oct 16 – Dec 3, 2024: Tue, 2:30–5:20 p.m.
Vancouver
Vancouver
GSWS 331 - Queer Genders (4)

Introduces students to current debates on gender identity and gender difference from the perspectives of queer subjects. Explores recent theoretical and cultural works on gender from queer, transgender, and feminist perspectives, while examining the challenges they pose to current understanding of sex, gender, sexuality, and the body. Prerequisite: 30 units, including three unist in GSWS. Students who have taken GDST 301, or WS 301 Special Topics: Theorizing Queer Genders may not take this course for further credit.

SA 474 - Cultures, Politics and Performances (A) (4)

From intimate dramas of everyday life to multi-media staging of political events, performances of various kinds infuse social/cultural/political relations among people(s), shape understandings of pasts, and evoke visions of futures. We explore contemporary work that engages questions generated by anthropologists, performance studies scholars, and artists. Prerequisite: Minimum 72 units including SA 101 or SA 201W.

and three of**

CA 312 - Selected Topics in Contemporary Arts (3)

Investigates a selected thematic topic in art and performance studies such as: postcolonial theory and the arts; perception and embodiment; art activism and resistance; or urban art and culture. This course can be repeated twice for credit if the topic is different. Prerequisite: 45 units.

CA 319W - Critical Writing in the Arts (3)

Examines aspects of critical writing associated with the historical and contemporary arts and encourages students to participate as writers in the artistic and cultural debates of their day. Forms examined will include but not be limited to reviews, articles, descriptive synopses for exhibition and festival programs, curatorial essays, project proposals and artists' statements. Prerequisite: 60 units including at least six units in CA (or FPA) history/theory courses. Students with credit for CA (or FPA) 319 may not take this course for further credit. Students with credit for FPA 319W may not take this course for further credit. Writing.

CA 357W - Context II (3)

The second of two courses in the Context cluster. Work will include reading, writing and experiments in live performance creation. With a grounding in performance studies, this course offers a variety of frameworks and approaches to the histories and theories of the avant-garde. live art, and theatre. With a new topic each term, students develop skills for analyzing, researching, and writing about contemporary performance. Prerequisite: CA 257W. Writing/Breadth-Humanities.

CA 389 - Selected Topics in the Contemporary Arts II (3)

A specific topic in the historical and contemporary arts which is not otherwise covered in depth in regular courses or which is not appropriately placed within a single arts discipline. The work will be practical, theoretical, or a combination of the two, depending on the particular topic in a given term. May be of particular interest to students in other departments. May be repeated twice for credit when offered with different topics. Prerequisite: 30 units of CA (or FPA) courses.

CA 457 - Context of Theatre III (4)

An analytical approach to a selected body of dramatic work and/or performances. Includes an intensive consideration of practical dramatic techniques such as story structure and dramaturgy. Prerequisite: Prior approval from the instructor. Students with credit for FPA 457 may not take this course for further credit.

ENGL 312 - Shakespeare and the Stage: 1570-1642 (4)

Study of the dramatic works of William Shakespeare and other early modern English authors. This course may be repeated for credit if a different topic is taught. Prerequisite: 30 units or two 200-division English courses.

ENGL 413W - Seminar in Literature and Environment (4)

Advanced seminar on selected literary works as they intersect with and are shaped by environmental and ecological issues. May be organized by theme, critical approach, historical period, or individual author. This course may be repeated for credit if a different topic is taught. Prerequisite: 45 units or two 300-division English courses. Writing.

ENGL 414W - Seminar in Literature and History (4)

Advanced seminar on selected literary works as they intersect with and are shaped by their historical, social, and cultural environments. May be organized by theme, critical approach, historical period, or individual author. This course may be repeated for credit if a different topic is taught. Prerequisite: 45 units or two 300-division English courses. Writing.

Section Instructor Day/Time Location
D100 Paul Budra
Sep 4 – Dec 3, 2024: Wed, Fri, 8:30–10:20 a.m.
Burnaby
GSWS 306 - Gender, Sexuality and Autobiographical Media (4)

An examination of autobiographical expressions of gender and sexuality across diverse media, including print and visual culture, performance arts, and digital media. Prerequisite: 30 units including three units in GSWS or WS or GDST. Students who have completed WS 306 may not complete this course for further credit.

Section Instructor Day/Time Location
D100 Reema Faris
Sep 4 – Oct 11, 2024: Tue, Thu, 2:30–4:20 p.m.
Oct 16 – Dec 3, 2024: Tue, Thu, 2:30–4:20 p.m.
Burnaby
Burnaby
GSWS 330 - Masculinities (4)

Maps the field of masculinity studies and explores its intersections with feminist, postcolonial, queer, and critical race theories. Prerequisite: 15 units. Students who have completed GDST 300 may not complete this course for further credit.

GSWS 398W - Feminist Currents (4)

Explores recent debates and future directions of feminist thought and introduces students to different models of feminist writing. The writing-intensive component of the course trains students to develop analytical, writing, and research skills through a variety of writing activities and assignments. Prerequisite: 30 units including three units in GSWS or WS or GDST. Equivalent Courses: WS398. Writing.

GSWS 431 - Local Sex on Global Screen (4)

Examines the globalization of sexual cultures and the emergence of queer cinema and screen culture outside of North America and Europe. Prerequisite: 45 units including six units in GSWS or CA.

SA 301 - Contemporary Ethnography (A) (4)

A consideration of key themes in contemporary anthropology. Addresses theoretical and methodological questions by examining the work of contemporary anthropologists conducting research in diverse locations around the world. Prerequisite: SA 101.

Section Instructor Day/Time Location
D100 Kathleen Millar
Sep 4 – Dec 3, 2024: Wed, 9:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
Burnaby
SA 318 - Technologies of Health and Expectation (A) (4)

Investigates how medical technologies are altering ways we perceive our bodies, frame moral questions about health, and imagine human possibilities. Case studies from around the world are used to examine the social, ethical, and political dilemmas that surface when people interact with biomedical objects under different conditions. Prerequisite: SA 101 or 150 or 201W.

SA 352 - Games, Sports, and Practices (S) (4)

An exploration of games, sports, and practices and their social, cultural, and political meanings. Particular attention will be given to the poetics and aesthetics of athletic pursuits and disciplines grounded in the body, while keeping in mind the variety of individual bodies and personalities competing and practicing. Prerequisite: SA 101 or 150.

SA 364 - Urban Communities and Cultures (A) (4)

Anthropological approaches to urbanization, the nature of the city as a social system, and urban cultures and lifestyles. Prerequisite: SA 101 or 150 or 201W. Students with credit for SA 464 are not eligible to take SA 364 for further credit.

Section Instructor Day/Time Location
E100 Bascom Guffin
Sep 4 – Oct 11, 2024: Tue, 5:30–9:20 p.m.
Oct 16 – Dec 3, 2024: Tue, 5:30–9:20 p.m.
Vancouver
Vancouver
SA 368 - Language, Ideology, and Power (A) (4)

Examines how language shapes and is shaped by culture, power, and social relations and introduces the major concepts, approaches, and theories used by anthropologists in the investigation of relations between language and cultural forms. Prerequisite: SA 101, 201W, or 150.

SA 371 - The Environment and Society (SA) (4)

An examination of environmental issues in their social context. Environmental issues are on the leading edge of contemporary public concern and public policy debates. This course will examine such issues as the relationship between social organization and mode of subsistence, the politics of hunger, and the way in which human societies in their particular social, historical, and cultural contexts view and interact with the natural world. Prerequisite: SA 101 or 150 or 201W.

In meeting these requirements, no more than four courses may be in any one department. Substitutions may be approved on a case-by-case basis by the program coordinator. A cumulative grade point average of 2.5 is required in the courses used for the certificate.

** Additional core and upper-level elective courses may be developed and/or substituted following the Certificate program's formal approval and launch.