3.0

credits

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What is jazz? What do we think of when we hear the term “jazz culture”? Where does it stand and how does it function in American culture and social history? In this course, we will look at ways in which jazz and one of its fundamental elements, improvisation, influence and is influenced by other forms of art. We will look at both at the history of the music and its relation to painting, design, photography, poetry, fiction, dance and film, as well as its impact on forming identities, social structures and political questions. We will discuss the role of jazz within the wider frameworks of race, gender, ethnicity, class, and nationality, as well as its status as an entertainment and art form up until late-60s.