What's Your Sign?

This course explores the cultural history of popular tools that we use to define the self, from horoscopes to Myers-Briggs questionnaires and Buzzfeed personality tests. We will trace these tools to origins that include ancient medicine and 19th-century philosophy, applying theories of self-definition to diverse objects of analysis, such as Charles Dickens's _Oliver Twist_ and the rise of queer astrology. Assignments include a guided research project and the opportunity to design your own personality test. The class will take a field trip to see _Wicked_ on Broadway.