Material Culture
This class is restricted to Graduate students.
This course is an introduction to approaches to the study of American material culture in its many forms, including decorative arts and mass-produced consumer objects; urban form, vernacular architecture, commemorative landscapes; the body and dress; foodways; and the material culture of childhood. The course will consider the ways scholars use material culture to "do" history, with an emphasis on artifacts as evidence.
Outcomes: 1) Students will understand the theory and practice of material culture study; 2) Students will gain experience in artifactural analysis; 3) Students will research and interpret material culture.
This course is an introduction to approaches to the study of American material culture in its many forms, including decorative arts and mass-produced consumer objects; urban form, vernacular architecture, commemorative landscapes; the body and dress; foodways; and the material culture of childhood. The course will consider the ways scholars use material culture to "do" history, with an emphasis on artifacts as evidence.
Outcomes: 1) Students will understand the theory and practice of material culture study; 2) Students will gain experience in artifactural analysis; 3) Students will research and interpret material culture.