Course content

The aims of the course are to give an introduction to central concepts and perspectives within the ‘material turn’ which is currently underway in the humanities and social sciences, and to provide the participants with tools to position their own research within this field. Inspiration is taken from the recent rise in academic interest in the materiality of culture, the agency of things, and the relationship between technology and culture. What roles does material culture play in society – today and in the past – and how can we study these? What significance may objects and things have for historical developments? In what way can material be said to influence or even steer changes in a given society?

Exploring central concepts such as agency, materiality, anthropocentrism, and object-oriented ontology, the course will provide insight into the different epistemological and ontological starting points which underlie the varied directions taken within the material turn across the humanities and social sciences, leading to a deeper understanding of the historical relationships that form the basis for these developments.

Learning outcomes

For a grade pass on the course, students should be able to:

  • outline the key concepts and the critical debates which are linked to analyses of materiality and material culture.
  • critically account for central concepts such as materiality, (non-human) agency, symmetry, anthropocentrism, relational ontology, cultural technology.
  • navigate within the interdisciplinary field to which the study of materiality is connected (especially Art History, Ethnology, Archaeology, History, Musicology, History of Ideas, Literature).
  • apply the central concepts and perspectives to their own research, as well as placing their own research in relation to the material turn.
  • use the central concepts presented in the course to conduct a critical discussion of scholarly practices.

Practical information

The course requires active participation in the course sessions, plus completion of all the assignments, including the written assignments and questions in advance of each course session.

The course is examined through submission of a research-oriented essay of about 3000 words plus presentations of course literature.

Teaching activities include lectures and seminars.

The course will be based to a large degree on participants’ independent study. The teaching sessions will be concentrated in two intensive blocks with a number of study weeks in between to make it possible for students from further away to attend.

Period: Second half of the Autumn semester (Nov-Dec), 2017.

Language of instruction: English

Course director: lecturer Alison Klevnäs & researcher Adam Wickberg Månsson

Theme coordinator: Alison Klevnäs

Course title in Swedish: Den materiella vändningen

The course is offered by the Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies in collaboration with the Department of Culture and Aesthetics

The course is part of the theme Människa och materialitet / Materiality and the Human