- American Material Culture

Catalog description

Introduction to the material aspects of American culture and the variety of ways in which artifacts-three-dimensional objects, the built environment, design and architectural styles, technological processes and production, decorative and folk arts-serve as social and cultural documents. The course centers on the cultural attitudes and values embodied in as well as shaped by the production, utilization, and conservation of material objects. Readings, discussions, museum and other field trips, and object-oriented research projects assist students in enhancing their visual literacy and in making connections between material culture and the larger culture.