AP/HUMA 4156 3.00

Culture in Objects: the humanities and material culture studies

How do three-dimensional objects or artefacts - that is, matter that has been crafted or worked on by humans - embody, transmit and transform intangible aspects of culture, such as values, knowledge, or history? Over the term, students will develop intensive case studies of an object of their choice. They will gain experience with the theories and practices of material culture studies through their case study. The course readings introduce students to the theories and practices of material culture studies, which is a multidisciplinary field drawing from traditions in philosophy, history, anthropology, and archaeology, among others.

The study of the meaning of objects, and how they embody and reproduce human culture, has deep roots in the humanities tradition. As part of their work, students will be asked to consider the past, present and future of this tradition, in order to reflect carefully on the contemporary surge of interest in material culture within the academy. This means placing our work within the context of changing ideas of the museum, the collection, the connoisseur and materiality itself. We consider how the identity and meaning of each of these key terms continues to shift with the evolution of digital spaces and collections.