Undergraduate Course: Objects of Desire (DESI08009)
Course Outline
| School | Edinburgh College of Art |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 2 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | 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.
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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| Course description |
Not entered
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2021/22, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 48 |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| 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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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Formative Assessment:
Mid-semester, you will receive formative feedback on the proposed subject matter of your end-of-course summative essay.
Formative assessment will consist of a draft plan (1000 words) outlining your intentions for the summative submission.¿
Summative Assessment, 3000 word essay - Biography of an object
The final summative submission asks you to create a fully documented biography of an object. Your Biography of an Object should be fully referenced and (where appropriate) illustrated. For more assessment information please see the Learn page for the course.
Relationship between Assessment and Learning Outcomes:
The summative submission is assessed against all 3 Learning Outcomes equally. |
| Feedback |
Feedback is given on all assessment within 15 working days of submission. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of the social relations that objects create
- Critically analyse a range of textual and non-textual discourses concerning the production, dissemination and consumption of objects
- Demonstrate the ability to write, talk and visualise narratives about objects and the web of social relations that surrounds them
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Reading List
Adamson, G. (2009). The Craft Reader. London: Bloomsbury
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
MacGrgegor, N, (2012). A History of the World in 100 Objects, Penguin.
Miller, D. (2009). Stuff. London: Polity Press
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Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Jessamy Kelly
Tel: (0131 6)51 5816
Email: Jessamy.Kelly@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Lola Gaztanaga Baggen
Tel: (0131 6)51 5926
Email: l.gaztanabaggen@ed.ac.uk |
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