ARCH 640Contemporary Theory, Culture and Criticism

Against the backdrop of the larger interdisciplinary field known as cultural studies, this course will trace and examine critical bodies of theory that have influenced the development of contemporary architectural thought and practice. This course will emphasize and study important writings and theoretical systems that have emerged in various fields including philosophy, art theory/criticism, literary theory, psychoanalysis, the natural and social sciences, and cultural studies, to investigate the ways in which these have generated conceptual tools within architectural theory, criticism and analysis while contributing to the evolution of architectural practice. Pedagogical Objectives: To present a thematically and chronologically organized survey of contemporary architectural theory that focuses on the relationship between seminal theoretical texts drawn from outside of the architectural discipline and critical developments in contemporary architectural theory and practice. The course is intended to provide students with an advanced knowledge base in contemporary architectural theory to ground more specialized graduate elective coursework while acting as a support for thesis and other forms of advanced architectural research.