Pomona Prompt - Design a Critical Inquiry Course - Politics of Beauty

Pomona's Critical Inquiry course is required of all first-year students, and is designed to be highly interdisciplinary and engaging. Recent class titles include: \"Molecules of the Mind\", \"The Economics of Sin\", and \"Punk: Poets, Politics and Provocation\". Imagine you were hired to design and teach a Critical Inquiry course. Describe the title of the class, its contents, and why you chose it.

I would design a class called "The Politics of Beauty." This course will investigate the influence various historical beauties such as Cleopatra and Madame de Pompadour have had on governments around the world and examine the ways beauty is defined in different countries today. Students will study not only real-life figures but also mythological ones, such as Helen of Troy and the Four Great Beauties of Ancient China. The class will focus on analyzing the impact aesthetics has had on gender roles and power distribution among different cultures. What implications do current standards of beauty have about the concept of westernization and European dominance in the world, especially in Asian and Middle Eastern cultures? What is considered "beautiful" or "handsome" in America, and how does it tie into the political influences of diverse groups in the United States, including racial minorities, women, and homosexuals? "The Politics of Beauty" will provoke students to engage new ideas and become proficient at identifying cause and effect relationships, which will improve their arguments and broaden their perspectives in preparation for the high intellectual level expected at Pomona College.

I chose "The Politics of Beauty" in response to how excessively people are pressured to have a pleasing appearance in modern society. Our obsession with beauty is apparent in the proliferous make-up companies, the model industry, and ever-advancing plastic surgery techniques. It is also a timeless affair, reaching back to ancient civilizations from thousands of years ago. However, rather than the social issues accompanying this subject, I was intrigued by the power beauty holds and how aesthetics impacts the political process. Most people don't think of beauty and aesthetics in political terms, so a class like "The Politics of Beauty" would twist the conventional attitude towards a familiar topic and make us more rational, critical thinkers.

word count: 300

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. :)

It sounds interesting and insightful, but maybe you can link it more to yourself? like what you did in this area to show your expertise in this and more importantly, to show you?

there's not much to say here. as quanny said, it's an interesting and detailed read. and again, it can benefit by relating to your personal experiences. you have shown WHAT the course will comprise of; you haven't shown WHY it should be floated in the first place. get that sorted, and i think you have a solid, balanced essay.

please critique my essays:)

Thank you for the excellent suggestions :) Here is an edited version of the essay. I tried to incorporate the idea that the class is interdisciplinary so it would fill well at Pomona. I highlighted the edits in green.

I would design a class called "The Politics of Beauty." This course will investigate the influence various historical beauties such as Cleopatra and Madame de Pompadour have had on governments around the world and examine the ways beauty is defined in different countries today. Students will study not only real-life figures but also mythological ones, such as Helen of Troy and the Four Great Beauties of Ancient China. The class will focus on analyzing the impact aesthetics has had on gender roles and the power distribution among different cultures. What implications do current standards of beauty have about the concept of westernization and European dominance in the world, especially in Asian and Middle Eastern cultures? What is considered attractive in America, and how does it tie into the political influences of diverse groups in the United States, including racial minorities, women, and homosexuals? Do biology and psychology play into this, and how? "The Politics of Beauty" will provoke students to engage new ideas from different perspectives and become proficient at identifying cause and effect relationships, which will improve their arguments and broaden their perspectives in preparation for the high intellectual level expected at Pomona College.

I chose "The Politics of Beauty" in response to my observation of how excessively people are pressured to have a pleasing appearance in modern society. Our obsession with beauty is apparent in the proliferous make-up companies, the model industry, and ever-advancing plastic surgery techniques. (deleted sentence and phrase) I was intrigued by the power beauty holds and how aesthetics impacts the political process. This course also combines biopsychosocial and cultural-political perspectives on beauty to make it into an interdisciplinary issue, matching Pomona's ideals for a broad and in-depth liberal arts education. A class such as "The Politics of Beauty" twists the conventional attitude towards a familiar topic and makes us critically examine societal norms using a variety of approaches in a scholarly setting.

word count: 314

I feel it's very well written. I'm sorry I couldn't do anything to help.
Good luck with your college applications!!

Would you please help with mine?

Wow this is a really interesting essay - I think think it's set for submission! It's really showing you how observe your surrounding through your own, unique lens. Well done! :)