The concept of the private and the public sphere has played an important part in the development of public discourse and concepts of human rights and citizenship. Recent scholarship, however, has discussed where these two overlap, and where they raise problems. This unit will investigate current debates on what constitutes the private and the public, and will examine case histories that challenge our ability to distinguish between them. Topics discussed may include some of the following: public policy, public opinion, law, censorship, violence, ethics, celebrity, memoir, disability, gender, sexual and racial identity and affirmative action. We will aim to take events that are capturing... -- Course Website