What can architecture and design tell anthropologists about culture? This seminar addresses this question using a distinctly anthropological approach that focuses on topics as diverse as the ethnographic analysis of vernacular architecture in rural Newfoundland, how the Danish notion of hygge (coziness) informs a culturally distinct design aesthetic, and the ways in which city planning influences cultural identity in Boston. Students engage in themed discussions and participate in case-based workshops that utilize foundational anthropological practices including participant-observation, visual anthropology, and ethnographic writing to form real-world dialogues about the cultural significance of design and architecture. Core anthropological concepts such as cultural relativity, applied ethnography, globalization, and the anthropology of space and place serve as the central themes for the course as we apply contemporary anthropological theory to cross-cultural understandings of architecture and design.

Units: 1

Max Enrollment: 20

Prerequisites: None

Distribution Requirements: SBA - Social and Behavioral Analysis

Typical Periods Offered: Every other year

Semesters Offered this Academic Year: Not Offered

Notes: Wendy Judge Paulson '69 Ecology of Place Living Laboratory course.This course does not satisfy the Natural and Physical Sciences Laboratory requirement.