The Naropa Institute - Oakland Campus
Master of Liberal Arts in Creation Spirituality
PHOTOGRAPHY AND SOCIAL CHANGE
CSP 708 Number of Credit Units 1
Instructor: Betty McAfee Instructor’s telephone number: 510/841-6892
Class Schedule: Spring 2003 • Tuesday: 1:30-4:30 PM
Course Description:
In this course students will discover and develop ways to use the power of photography in their lives, work, and community. The camera will be used as a tool to illuminate social issues in an effort to effect social change.
Course Objectives:
Students will complete a minimum of two photography assignments related to social issues; show their work to the class; participate in a critique of their work in terms of technique and content; explore various options for preserving and presenting their work; participate in discussions about the relevance of photography in their lives, work and community; and be introduced to photographers (both historic and local) who have used their cameras as tools for social change.
Course Requirements:
1. Attendance 20%
2. Photography Assignments 40%
3. Class discussion participation 20%
4. Final presentation of work 20%
Recommended readings:
One Earth, Day in the Life Series, Eastman Kodak
The Power of Photography, Vicki Goldberg
The Joy of Photography, Editors, Eastman Kodak
The Zen of Seeing, Frederick Franck
I Dream A World, Brian Lanker
The Struggle Is One, Mev Puleo
35 mm Photography, A Kodak Guide
An Uncertain Grace, Children, Sebastiao Selgado
Tina Mendotti: Photographs, Sarah Lowe
Photographs of a Lifetime, Dorothea Lange
IPhoto, the Missing Manual, Pogue,Schorr,Story
Outline: Calendar of weekly themes, activities and assignments
February 11 INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSE AND EACH OTHER
•Who Are We? What Justice Issues Are We Concerned About?
•Some exercises
•Preparation for Field Trip
February 18 FIELD TRIP
•A Photography Scavenger Hunt in Downtown Oakland
February 25 VIEWING FIELD TRIP PHOTOGRAPHS
•Organizing,viewing and critiquing of photographs
•Preparation for In-Depth Field Trip
March 4 IN-DEPTH FIELD TRIP
•Discussion of ethical questions in social justice photography
•In-depth photography of selected subject
March 11 VIEWING IN-DEPTH FIELD TRIP PHOTOGRAPHS
•Organizing, viewing and critiquing of photographs
•Discussion of implications for justice-making
March 18 NO CLASS (INTENSIVES)
March 24 STUDY WEEK
April 1 EVEN FURTHER IN-DEPTH FIELD TRIP
April 15 VIEWING FIELD TRIP PHOTOGRAPHS
•Organizing, viewing and critiquing of photographs
April 22 WAYS TO PRESENT PHOTOGRAPHY TO EFFECT SOCIAL CHANGE
•Videos, framing, storyboards, albums, slide presentations
•The What? Why? When? of Digital Imaging
April 29 CREATING PRESENTATIONS for the UCS Community
Within the semester there will be assignments to go to the Oakland Art Museum to see a Photography Exhibit by Rondal Partridge, to view Betty McAfee’s video “Waking Up” (as an example of telling our stories as a political act), to attend local movies that are change agents (e.g. “Bowling For Columbine”), etc.