GOVT 86.44
American Public World
Course Description:
This course explores the role of physical spaces, objects, and landmarks in American public life. We will explore how these places come into existence, shape historical narratives, and reinforce attachment to or alienation from American civil society. The public world combines architecture and design with many of the central concerns of political theory: power, democracy, citizenship, affect, history, and narrative, to name but a few. Our readings combine theorists like Hannah Arendt, Jurgen Habermas, and Henri Lefebvre on what constitutes a shared world, as well as Alexis de Tocqueville and others on how monuments, plazas, and other forms of public space affect public life in the American context. The course opens with some general writings on the relationship between space, time, and the presence of a tangible "public," drawn primarily from Hannah Arendt. Part II explores the power of symbolism, particularly in monuments and other prominent public spaces, to reinforce identity and attachment to national identity. Part III looks at smaller-scale shared spaces and their role in supporting democratic participation. Each of the first three sections will explore a case study from the "object world," such as the Statue of Liberty or the Vietnam Memorial; these applied studies will culminate in our final unit, an extensive discussion of Confederate monuments and the active negotiation over publicly visible sites as representations of race and violence in American history.