Post-Pornographic Bodies looks at the human body and its representation over time and across diverse contexts. The course will consider both ‘the human’ and ‘the body’ as historically, socially, culturally and politically determined concepts. Students will explore different ways that bodies have been interpreted and made meaningful, in particular, via the history of pornography and the emergence of the 'post-pornographic' body. Post-pornography refers to the politics of embodiment in the context of post-humanism, a moment in which sex is understood beyond 'natural' biology and reproductive futurity.

Each week, representations of the body will be considered according to a different set of concepts and frameworks. Issues of identity, technology and power will be discussed alongside examples from contemporary art and culture. The course is designed to bring into relief a long interpretative history of sexual practices and the politics of desire.