Monuments, Museums, and Memory

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

This course explores the subject of monuments as sites of political, historical, cultural, and ceremonial significance. Focusing on a collection of iconic structures worldwide, the course examines how and why monuments are made; what forces transform them into symbols of national identity, cultural otherness, and/or world heritage; and the impact of tourism, heritage management, and nationalism in recent years. Roughly half of the case studies will be located in Asia, supplemented by student research that gives the course a global dimension. Bi-weekly reports, one major research paper.