Undergraduate Course: Objects of Desire (DESI08009)
Course Outline
| School | Edinburgh College of Art |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Course type | Standard |
Availability | Available to all students |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 2 Undergraduate) |
Credits | 20 |
| Home subject area | Design |
Other subject area | None |
| Course website |
None |
Taught in Gaelic? | No |
| Course description | Objects surround us; they inflect upon everything we do; they literally determine the world we live in. However, so often they remain taken for granted. In this course we will investigate the capacity that objects have to tell us about the societies in which they were created and used. Based on a combination of historical research, cultural theory and contemporary uses and potential of design, this course will focus on the context of production, materiality and making. It will provide a close study of the representation and consumption of objects and the ways that taste and value contribute to our understanding of the world. All lectures will be delivered by historians, theorists and practitioners from the School of Design. Aims of the course are:
To introduce students to the conceptual and historical aspects of craft and design in Britain.
To encourage students to think broadly about the implications of making, value and taste on the production of objects.
To allow students to undertake a personal project related to the social biography of an object.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
| Additional Costs | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus? | Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Delivery period: 2014/15 Semester 1, Available to all students (SV1)
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Learn enabled: No |
Quota: 100 |
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Web Timetable |
Web Timetable |
| Course Start Date |
15/09/2014 |
| Breakdown of Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 10,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 9,
External Visit Hours 6,
Feedback/Feedforward Hours 5,
Formative Assessment Hours 5,
Summative Assessment Hours 3,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
158 )
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| Additional Notes |
written review of a design event 500 words 25%. Documentation of an object 2500 75%.
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| Breakdown of Assessment Methods (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
1. Demonstrate an understanding of the social relations that objects create
2. Critically analyse a range of textual and non-textual discourses concerning the production, dissemination and consumption of objects
3. Demonstrate the ability to write, talk and visualise narratives about objects and the web of social relations that surrounds them |
Assessment Information
Written review of a design event: 500 words 25%
Documentation of an object: 2,500 words 75%
Mid-semester formative feedback via self review.
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Special Arrangements
| None |
Additional Information
| Academic description |
Not entered |
| Syllabus |
Not entered |
| Transferable skills |
Not entered |
| Reading list |
Bennett, J. (2010). Vibrant Matter: A Political Ecology of Things. Durham: Duke University Press
Candlin, F & Guins, R. (Eds.) (2009). The Object Reader. London: Routledge
Forty, A. (1986). Objects of Desire: Design and Society since 1750. London: Thames and Hudson
Highmore, B. (Ed.) (2008). The Design Culture Reader. London: Routledge
Julier, G, (2013) The Culture of Design, Sage
Miller, D. (2009). Stuff. London: Polity Press
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| Study Abroad |
Not entered |
| Study Pattern |
Lecture hours 10
Seminar/Tutorial hours 9
External Visits hours 6
Feedback/Feedforward hours 5
Formative Assessment hours 5
Summative Assessment hours 3
Programme Level Learning and Teaching hours 4
Directed Learning and Independent Learning hours 158 |
| Keywords | Objects, design, craft, history, materiality |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Juliette Macdonald
Tel: (0131 6)51 5723
Email: juliette.macdonald@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Jane Thomson
Tel: (0131 6)51 5713
Email: jane.thomson@ed.ac.uk |
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