In the exploitative cycles of production and consumption fueled by late stage capitalism, are there alternative ways to reimagine systems of support and mutual care? Through the lens of socially engaged art and design, students will look at a range of primary sources from artists and designers who have created participatory works that challenge traditional structures of power and integrate practices of care into their local communities. With a focus on decommodified labor and care work, students will analyze why and how certain types of labor have been devalued historically. Students will read and analyze historical and current texts related to femnist economics, art as social action, and socially engaged design. Through a scholarly lens, we will evaluate the radical nature of acts of care as a critical framework through which we can imagine more equitable futures. At the end of the semester, students will present their own unique works that contribute to this discourse.
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