I've taught Michael Warner to good effect. While his essay "Publics and Counterpublics" is probably too difficult, I'd recommend the first chapter of that book, "Public and Private," which is really excellent and much more accessible. Conceptualizing "privacy" and adding the gender and sexuality lens as a hook really helps students grasp pretty abstract concepts. Or you might consider an "original" text -- say Kant's "What Is Enlightenment?", which is helpfully short and pretty specific about what counts as "public" and what "private" and the implications that follow. Something like that could create an opportunity for collaborative close reading early in the semester, and might also usefully set up a later reading of Habermas and others. Best, Tyler ________ Tyler Bickford, PhD Core Lecturer Columbia University tb2139@columbia.edu 845-418-4049 http://www.tylerbickford.com On Aug 14, 2012, at 9:39 AM, Adam Fish wrote: Dear List, I am teaching an undergraduate course on media and the public sphere and looking for an article that introduces the public sphere. Habermas is too dense; Nancy Fraser probably too. The article could be an anthropological case study that frames the data in the theory of the public sphere or a more straight theoretical article. Any ideas? Thank you! Best, -- Adam Fish, PhD Lecturer, Media Studies Sociology Department, Lancaster University mediacultures.org, @mediacultures _______________________________________________ The Air-L@listserv.aoir.org mailing list is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org Join the Association of Internet Researchers: http://www.aoir.org/