Through research, discussion, making, and writing activities, this course examines the social nature of material culture. Material Culture is all of the things we make, and all of the interactions we have with those things. From reading systems of power, to tools for critique and subversion, to speculative and discursive design; this course looks closely at how the made world shapes our experience. The role of art and design in that matrix is not simply to function efficiently but to change lives in material or conceptual ways, by changing the way people think and feel. We will look at a broad range of writing and materials, and consider the opportunities to engage new ideas in our work. Students will bring their own examples and interests to class, pursue their own research, and make critical objects and proposals as part of exercises and projects.Context topics courses examine the application of design through multiple critical and cultural lenses. Topics for the course, chosen at the discretion of the instructor, could include media, the body, ecology, economics, politics, technology, history and other areas that may be addressed through multiple distinct discursive approaches. In each case, the topic in question is examined as a field of actual or potential design practice rather than as a static horizon for objective research. Requirements include writing among outcomes.

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