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T3 4720—Clothing and Culture 

Three Semester Hours

TG 3/14
        

Prerequisites

University Prerequisite: Senior only

Course Description

Knowledge and understanding are built through the interdisciplinary study of apparel, appearance, and cross-cultural influences in variations and functions of dress. Student exploration to focus on apparel and appearance norms as a cultural universal. Emphasis on research methods, resources and activities relating to cultural/subcultural patterns.

Methods of Course Instruction

All material for this course is print-based. Instructor and students communicate and exchange materials through postal mail. 

E-Print Option

In this course, an option exists to use e-mail to submit your lesson assignments. Your assignment will be returned to you either as an e-mail attachment or as a hard copy sent through the postal mail, depending on the preferences of the instructor and/or program. 

Textbooks and Supplies

• Gonzalez, Ana Marta and Laura Bovone. Identities Through Fashion: A Multidisciplinary Approach. Berg Publishing, 2012. [ISBN: 9780857850584]
• Küchler, Suzanne and Daniel Miller. Clothing as Material Culture. Berg Publishing, 2005. [ISBN: 9781845200671]

Number of Lessons

The course has nine lessons complete with graded assignments, and two supervised course examinations. The lessons include:

• Lesson 1: Adornment, Utility, and Protection
• Lesson 2: Individual Development
• Lesson 3: Group Dynamics of Dress
• Lesson 4: Clothing and the Communications of Symbolism
• Lesson 5: The Material Roles of Clothing
• Lesson 6: Midcourse Examination Information
• Lesson 7: Status Symbols of Clothing
• Lesson 8: Economics of Clothing
• Lesson 9: Clothing and Politics
• Lesson 10: Dress Cultures and Is Psychological Effect
•  Lesson 11: Final Examination

Types of Writing Assignments

At the end of each lesson, there will be a series of essay questions that need to be addressed in the writing assignment. The required reading will be a central aspect to each assignment. However, it is expected that the student will reference the text from the lesson plan in order to create a holistic paper that incorporates everything in the lesson. Every paper should cite the readings and lesson plans in APA style. The length of each assignment should be approximately 400–600 words. This is about 2–3 pages typed.

It is the instructor’s preference that all lessons be submitted as typed or word-processed documents using a 12-point font. However, it is understood that not everyone has access to technology at all times, so in those cases handwritten submissions are more than acceptable. Please make sure you print documents so that they are legible. 

When you begin the course, it is a good idea to submit the first lesson by itself (as well as your Student Biographical Information and Instructor Record form) so you can get a good idea of how the instructor grades the assignments and gives feedback. After you have received the graded first lesson back, you may submit a maximum of three lessons simultaneously, if you have a deadline for completing the course. Please keep in mind that trying to finish too fast defeats the purpose of the course interaction and may result in a lower grade on assignments, due to the lack of student reflection pertaining to the instructor’s comments and/or suggestions for future assignments in this course.

Grading Criteria

Your final grade will be based on the following factors: 

• Submitted Lesson Assignments: 450 points 
• Midcourse Examination: 75 points 
• Final Examination: 75 points 
• Total Possible Points: 600 points