MXP-182 Change Genres: Self-Help as Cultural Production

According to Market Research the self-help industry was worth $9.9 billion in 2016 and is set to reach $13.2 billion in 2022. This growth was especially marked in 2020, when millions were living in lockdown conditions due to the pandemic, and the self-directed, transformative appeal of the self-help book (arguably, the industry’s cornerstone) was heightened. Despite its popularity, criticisms of the self-help genre abound. However, when we focus on the primary aim of self-help–to change for the better–we can expand its definition and reclaim its utility both individually, in small group settings, and as a form of cultural production. In this course, students will investigate “change genres”, specifically self-help, memoir, and advocacy narratives, as sites of inspiration and self-guided transformation. We will unpack formulas for a myriad of self-help sub-genres (learning, leadership, fitness), memoir (recovery, life-crafting), and advocacy (anti-racism, end-of-life); consider ways the genre may at once support change and encode bias; interrogate the cultural “work” of change genres; investigate the role of reflection in self-help and coaching; adapt a change narrative for new audiences; and create change tools for personal or small group use. May experience 2 credits