Material Culture (339-0-1)
Instructors
Jennifer Anne Lupu
Jennifer A. Lupu is a doctoral candidate in Anthropology at Northwestern University and a visiting scholar at the Hannah Arendt Center at Bard College. Her historical archaeology research has included studies of brothels, medicine use and access, and LGBTQ experiences in late-19th to early-20th century Washington, DC. She was previously a predoctoral fellow at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History, and her research has been funded by the Smithsonian, the Social Sciences Research Council, and the Sexualities Project at Northwestern.
Meeting Info
ANTHRO Sem Rm 104 - 1810 Hinmn: Mon, Wed 9:30AM - 10:50AM
Overview of class
‘Material culture' is a term for the physical, tangible parts of the world as used and shaped by humans. This can include tools, clothing, utilitarian objects, architecture, jewelry, food-associated items, and much more. In this class, we will examine all of these object types, alongside literatures from museum studies, archaeology, historical preservation, and many other fields. We will discuss how these various fields analyze, present, and preserve material items. How can material objects teach us about human social worlds? What is the barrier between a natural object and a constructed one? How and why do museums curate objects for public engagement? Students will gain skills in writing about objects and curating them for museum exhibits. Some consider the use of tools or other materials to be a defining feature of human experience; certainly, humans have reshaped and modified landscapes, chemicals, and raw materials more extensively than any other species. Relationships to the material world vary cross-culturally and even between individuals. We will discuss theoretical literatures relating to material objects including new materialisms, commodity fetishism, gift-giving, phenomenology, Indigenous ontologies, object agency, and thing theory. Bringing in perspectives from various discourses, we will explore the materials that surround and are made meaningful through their mobilization in human social worlds.
Registration Requirements
None
Learning Objectives
"- learn about what "material culture" is, and how it is used in a range of disciplines
- understand the common theoretical literatures that relate to material items, including New Materialisms, indigenous ontologies, object agency, and phenomenology
- develop practical skills for researching and describing objects, for example in the style of museum placards"
Class Materials (Required)
All materials provided via canvas. No required textbook.
Class Attributes
Social & Behavioral Sciences Distro Area