Cultural Perspectives on Dress: A Novel Approach
- Jane E. Hegland (New Mexico State University)
Abstract
I have developed a course entitled "Cultural Perspectives on Dress" which I teach in the Honors Program at NMSU. I wanted to create a term project that would enhance stu-dents' understanding of the complex relation-ship between appearance and identity. I began by developing a list of novels that treat a vari-ety of interdisciplinary issues: age, anorexia, ethnicity, gender, mental health, obesity, physical attractiveness, physical ideals, race, sexual orientation, and socio-economic position. This project reflects the pedagogical benefits of incorporating literary inquiry into a social sciences-based discipline. Students learn to read novels with a careful "hands-on" protocol, thereby bridging the gap between emotional experience and critical analysis of issues related to appearance and identity.
How to Cite:
Hegland, J. E., (1998) “Cultural Perspectives on Dress: A Novel Approach”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 1999(1).
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