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CS92PROD
Anthropos and the Archive
CHUM 338
Fall 2008 not offered
Crosslisting: COL 338, HIST 299, FGSS 338, ANTH 310, AMST 338, ENGL 338

This course will address various theories of the archive and how the idea of the "human" comes to figure within them. Can the human be equated with a "subject" or a "self"? How does subjectivity emerge in relation to the knowledge-body that is the archive? In what ways does this subjectivity encompass both the agent doing the archiving and the very subject that is being archived? By examining key critical works on the nature of knowledge and the archive, we will begin to uncover the various methodologies of knowledge production and the way that these form how we think of and define ourselves. The class will look at accepted notions of history and the way that history materializes in the collection of things deemed worthy of preservation in the narrative that emerges from the archive itself. As we shall see, neither the narrative nor the act of preservation can claim neutrality. In the face of this, we will be looking at our own accepted versions of truth and of the possible Real. The course is structured around a longer, more sustained research project of each students' own choosing. While exploring the theory of archives, students will perform their own archival research within the Wesleyan University Archives and Special Collections.

Essential Capabilities: None
Credit: 1 Gen Ed Area Dept: None
Course Format: SeminarGrading Mode: Graded
Level: UGRD Prerequisites: None
Fulfills a Requirement for: None

Last Updated on NOV-13-2024
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