Art History 135: Architectures of Race

The built environment plays a major role in how we understand and experience race. Racial difference also shapes the buildings and landscapes we occupy and imagine. In this course, we will approach these phenomena by studying 1. how modern and contemporary architecture has enclosed, divided, circulated, and framed bodies in particular ways, and 2. how specific architectural structures have emerged as racial formations, from the eighteenth century to present day. Topics may include: plantations, parks, skyscrapers, slums, suburbia, freeways, prisons, camps, shantytowns, and zoos. Students will acquire historical contexts and develop analytical skills for engaging both race and the built environment. Lecture-based with discussion posts, papers, and presentations. May be elected as Indigeneity, Race, and Ethnicity Studies 135.