Title

The Pedagogy and Politics of Art in Postmodernity: Cognitive Mapping and The Bothersome Man

Abstract

This essay inquires into the pedagogical and political dimensions of art in the contemporary moment. Specifically, it seeks to reanimate Fredric Jameson's notion of "cognitive mapping," which he introduced as a response to the postmodern problem of representing the social totality. To that end, the essay begins by explicating the twin impulses of cognitive mapping. It, then, undertakes a sustained rhetorical analysis of Jens Lien's award-winning 2006 Norwegian film, The Bothersome Man, demonstrating how the film employs entropic satire to, at once, map and critique the cultural logic of late capitalism. The essay concludes by reflecting on the important contributions rhetorical scholars can make to a renewed interest in cognitive mapping.

Document Type

Article

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1080/00335630.2013.806816

Keywords

Affect, Cognitive mapping, Entropic satire, Fredric Jameson, Utopian impulse

Publication Date

7-15-2013

Journal Title

Quarterly Journal of Speech

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