FYS 109D #WASTESTREAM ARCHAEOLOGY
Since the beginning of human history, discard(s) — the act and the things — have been a universal part of the human experience. What can the objects we label "trash," "garbage," and "rubbish" reveal about human culture? How does the assignment of these categories shape our attitudes about consumption, disposability, and the contemporary waste stream? Located at the intersections of archaeology, cultural anthropology, discard studies, and environmental studies, this course explores the structures, ideologies, and practices shaping the motivations, acts, and outcomes of discard in the contemporary. Emphasis is placed on investigating and theorizing discard behavior, with special attention to the ways that the analytic and methodological lenses of archaeology can be applied to the illicit, invisible, fringe, and otherwise seldom-studied elements of the waste stream in the twenty-first century.
Enrollment Limit
Enrollment limited to 16 students.
Attributes
MOIE