Culture

  Culture helps a people to transmit its values from one generation to the next. Art is an important means of conveying those values. In a period of divided culture we might expect the art to reflect division about values. In your essay, consider the role of art as described by Lippman in A Preface to Morality (Block 5 assigned reading, I have attached them below). Then highlight three pieces of art that you think manifest some disagreement regarding moral values. The works you select should not all be on the same issue! Be sure to explain the underlying context of each piece as well as the moral values you believe to be at stake. (IMPORTANT:) In addition to Lippman, you should incorporate examples from at least two other assigned readings. In our divided culture, disputes about morality explain many of the divisions. Among the most potent of these disputes are those that center on control over the body. Pick two of the following themes to approach a discussion of the body in the culture war. How you define the theme’s parameter’s is largely left to you (though you should offer some explanation of what the theme means to you). For each theme, identify two discrete works of art that exemplify that theme. public display of the body; celebrating sexuality and the body; using the body to protest policy; using the body to normalize the deviant Hints: You could select works by four different artists because the individual pieces of art strike your fancy. Or, you could use four different pieces from a single artist—but if you do that be unify the two thematic discussions into a summary of the artist’s career. If relevant, sprinkle in references to assigned reading—that always adds authority to a paper.