City & Suburb: American House and Housing Since 1850

Catalog description

This architectural history course examines the development of American house and housing choices in cities and suburbs circa 1850-2000. A recurring picture of the "American Dream" has typically included the image of a single house nestled within a fenced green yard. However powerful and durable that image is, the history of house and home in America is a far more complex story. We will look at urban and suburban dwellings ranging from privately-owned single-family detached dwellings to multi-unit apartments in public housing. As a social history course, we will be considering a range of factors including transportation and new technologies, economics, race, class, income, gender. Although we will look at aesthetic movements, this course is not a history of famous houses or styles, but rather a history of housing types and settings and their historical context. Students will complete several essay exams and an independent research project. Non-majors are welcome.