The Materiality of History: Material Culture Theory and Practice

Focusing on Native American, early American, and contemporary US material culture, this course develops critical methods for analyzing historic materials, not as silent monuments to the past, but as legible research materials for scholarly work. Who studies 'things', and with what methods? From the invisible to the living to the monumental, what are the limits of "thingness"? What is the role of commodification and American consumerism? Through selected readings and site visits, we will identify 'best practices' for integrating artifacts, collectibles, and every day things with documentary research in narrating and exhibiting the past. Enrollment limited to 20 juniors and seniors.