Fall 2011 Material Culture Classes
AH/CLAS 330/700: The Art and Archaeology of Ancient Greece (Cahill)
TR 8:25-9:40am, L140 Conrad A. Elvehjem Building
Explores the art and archaeology of ancient Greece from the Bronze Age through the Hellenistic period.
AH/LCA 379: Cities of Asia (Chopra)
TR 1:00-2:15pm, 104 Van Hise Hall
Historical overview of the built environment of cities of Asia from antiquity to the present; architectural and urban legacy in its social and historical context; exploration of common themes that thread through the diverse geographical regions and cultures of Asia.
AH 463: American Suburbs (Andrezejewski)
MWF 12:05-12:55pm, L150 Conrad A. Elvehjem Building
This course examines the landscape and material culture of American suburbs, particularly of the twentieth century, for what it can tell us about suburban cultures in the United States. The class will include a historical examination of suburban architecture and landscapes from the nineteenth century through the present, but will also focus on topics related to suburbia that include considerations of race, class, gender and region, as well as how suburban life has been represented in print and visual culture. Students will work on research projects related to Madison area suburbs as well.
AH/DS/HIST 464: Dimensions of Material Culture (Andrzejewski and Gordon)
W 2:25-4:55pm, 1310 Sterling Hall
Approaches to the interdisciplinary study of the material world in order to analyze broader social and cultural issues. Guest speakers explore private and public objects and spaces from historic, ethnographic, and aesthetic perspectives.
AH 479: Art and History in Africa (Drewal)
MW 1:05-2:20pm, L150 Conrad A. Elvehjem Building
Selected African art traditions in their historical and cultural settings.
AH 563: Art, Craft & Industry: Arts & Crafts to Present (Lasser)
R 2:00-4:00pm, L166 Conrad A. Elvehjem Building
Interdisciplinary study of the way people use objects and environments to express identities and relationships in households, communities, and larger social/economic systems.
AH 579: Exhibiting Africa in a Museum (Drewal; Honors Seminar!)
M 6:00-8:00pm, L170 Conrad A. Elvehjem Building
AH 805: Seminar-Ancient Art and Architecture (Cahill)
R 400-6:00pm, L166 Conrad A. Elvehjem Building
AH865: US Modernism and the Culture of Things (Kroiz)
M 4:00-6:00pm, L166 Conrad A. Elvehjem Building
This seminar will introduce students to the burgeoning interdisciplinary field of “thing” theory to examine the relationships of objects, subjects and things. We will consider the materiality and agency of inanimate objects themselves, as well as the role of objects in establishing and mediating social relationships. In addition to our theoretical focus on things, we will also focus historically to consider U.S. modernism as a phenomenon formulated within a culture of proliferating consumer goods. We will draw on methodologies from art history and material culture studies, as well as literature studies, anthropology, and political science. We will also examine primary source materials from the turn of the nineteenth to the twentieth century.
ANTH 354: Archaeology of Wisconsin. (Schroeder; fulfills ethnic studies req.)
T 6:00-8:30pm, 6102 Sewell Social Sciences
Introduces students to the archaeological evidence for the diverse Native American cultures of Wisconsin over the past 12,000 years.
CLAS 430: Troy: Myth and Reality (Aylward)
TR 8:25-9:40am, 114 Van Hise Hall
Explores topics in the archaeology of ancient Greece and Rome, such as the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the archaeology of Greek and Roman religion, or Late Antique Palaces.
DS 430: History of Textiles (Gordon)
TR 2:30-3:45pm, 1335 Sterling Hall
Designs and meanings and interrelationships of textiles in selected cultures and time periods.
DS 642: Taste (Chopra)
T 4:00-6:30pm, 399 Van Hise Hall
Exploration of the idea of taste - both "good" and "bad", in "popular" and "high" culture. Cross-cultural readings from theoretical and historical perspectives, relating to architecture, landscape, public space, art, and clothing.
Note: Janet Gilmore on sabbatical next year. Julie Allen on leave next year.