Sites of the Self: Maps, Gardens, Houses: An Introduction to American Studies
AMST 178
Spring 2021
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01
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We are where we are. We make ourselves out of the places we create and inhabit. This course examines three of the artifacts/sites central to culture: maps, gardens, and houses. Each attempts to reveal an immaterial ideal in a material form. Maps give a "god's eye" view of the world's totality; gardens recreate lost paradises; and houses embody their inhabitants. Using literature, images, and film, we will discuss global maps--from medieval mappamundi to satellite imagery; visions of paradise, celestial and earthly; private and public gardens, emphasizing the central role of Frederick Law Olmstead; and ideas about houses, ranging from the 19th century designer and horticulturalist Andrew Jackson Downing to the 20th century Buckminster Fuller, often credited as the originator of the geodesic dome, one example of which is Spaceship Earth at Epcot Center, in Walt Disney World. We will end with an examination of the recent proliferation of design shows on Home and Garden TV. |
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| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
SBS AMST |
| Course Format: Lecture / Discussion | Grading Mode: Student Option |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: (AMST) |
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Past Enrollment Probability: 90% or above |
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