Washington Center

The Politics of Museums

Credits: 
4
Instructor: 
Day and Time: 
Tuesdays, 6:00-9:00 p.m.
Quarter Dates: 
September 23 to December 12, 2014
Campus: 
UCDC
Category: 
Quarter Elective
Description: 

Washington is a city full of museums and memorials, and this class will take advantage of the D.C. setting to consider questions related to historical memory and memorialization. Enriched by our readings related to the politics of “remembering” the past through museums and memorials, we will visit and analyze selected sites on the National Mall. The class will focus on meanings and controversies especially related to 1) the major war memorials (Korea, Vietnam, World War II), and 2) specific exhibits at the Holocaust Museum, the Air and Space Museum, the Museum of American History, and others. You will generally visit the various sites on your own, fitting visits into your own schedule during the week they are assigned. Assignments also will include two essays, two classroom presentation, and a journal with analysis of the readings and activities you did for the class. There may be some small cost involving transportation and museum admission.

Syllabus:

Course ID: 
UCDC154-01F14