This course examines the ways power, space, and pleasure are interconnected. The course is divided into three units. First, we will look at how space is related to questions of power, focusing in particular on surveillance. Then, in the second unit, we will consider more closely the relation between space, power and pleasure as exemplified in voyeurism and surveillance : here we will be watching people watching other people. Finally, we'll consider the relations between space, power and pleasure in Singapore, in particular as this applies to the tensions between traditional practices and urban planning in city spaces here.
Student Reviews
Siaw Min En Alena (@alenasiaw) AY25/26 Sem 1
About the Instructor
Prof Johan is a patient, eloquent educator who is passionate in imparting the necessary skills, taking time to go through exemplars and the lessons to take-away from them. His experience in teaching NTW for a long time is apparent in how he guides students in unpacking course readings. If you are ever lost, just speak your mind and he WILL take time to clear your clarifications in class. while this can sometimes mean going offtrack in lessons, he is good at bringing the conversation back and ensuring lesson materials are covered in time regardless.
Content (Structure/Organization)
the course is structured to provide a gradual learning curve, from close reading one source in the first assignment, comparing two sources in the second assignment, and finally having free reign to explore one own's topic and unpack 3-4 sources in the last assignment. the jump from the second to third assignment was harder for me and my coursemates to grasp due to the timing of the assignment being closer to finals as well, but other than that it was well-organised.
Manageability of Workload
Every week there is a rather dense (ranges from 11-25 page) and difficult reading to complete and will be discussed in class so it is important to set aside time to read and process the material before lesson
assignments typically take one to three full days depending on the number of revisions. Prof likes to give detailed feedback during conferences so there is no need for the first draft to be perfect! He is usually forgiving and open to extensions for a day if you have extenuating circumstances (but note to not exploit this)
the third assignment and annotated bibliography (to pick your own sources) are the hardest two assignments due to the sheer breadth of possible topics, so about 1 or 2 days would be good to research the different possible case studies and supporting secondary sources to ensure you reach the most optimal case that aligns with your own interests!
Ease/Difficulty of Attaining Grades
The prof is very fair in his grading, it is not necessarily hard work = good grade, as he truly focuses on the quality of your work but he typically does not give anything below a B- as long as you put in effort.
Learning Value/Recommendation
It really helped me become more eloquent in my writing (from the sheer amount of revisions) and honed my close reading skill and critical thinking skills, which are critical throughout uni and beyond. Due to the focus of this course being more on surveillance, voyeurism and media, it is highly applicable to real life and better for students who prefer something less abstract like myself despite it being a philosophical mod!
Additional Comments/Word of Advice
Really recommend this prof :)