Liberal Arts Courses

Writing About Material Culture

Course No. WRHC 312  Credits: 3.0

How is the material world understood in human culture? What do "things" mean -- and why? Students will investigate various disciplinary approaches to material culture, through Freudian, semiotic, sociological, Marxist, and archaeological studies. Interdisciplinary approaches will be emphasized. In addition, the course will illuminate our personal attachments, the hidden history of things, our experience of material consciousness (as artists and designers), and the scholarly "packaging" of objects in support of cultural/art history. Prerequisites: WR 101 and WR 102. 3 credits.