702-437 Multicultural/Postcolonial Cities

Admission into the fourth- and fifth-year programs.

This subject studies multi-culturalism in the built environments of Australia and of South and Southeast Asia focusing on colonial encounters and postcolonial aspirations. Using race, class, gender and migration as theoretical starting points it explores the geographical and spatial imperatives of colonial and national projects in domestic, institutional, and urban architectures. Ideas of orientalism, nationalism, modernity, and globalization will be examined in order to raise questions regarding the nature of postcolonial space, its historic tensions and its social transformations into new landscapes for pluralism and multiculturalism. Writings of Foucault, Bhaba, Said, Spivak, Hage, Lefebvre and the subaltern studies group will be read in conjunction with literature that applies these theories to specific architectural examples. Topics include explorations of modern subjectivities and urban communities that are shaped by ethnic diversity, aboriginality, feminist geography, myth, memory and the media.

On completion of the subject students should be able to:

• Gain exposure to issues that can inform both the design and research orientations of students.

• Formulate, select or consolidate their design/research topics and projects for later years

On completion of the subject students should have developed the following skills and capabilities:

• Research through the selection of architectural case studies and regular use of the library

• Critical thinking and analysis through required reading, discussion, essay writing and presentations and assessment of arguments.

• Understanding social, political, historical and cultural contexts through contextualisation of knowledge, developing critical self awareness and being open to aspects of Asian and Australian culture (including aboriginal and multi-cultural issues).

• Communicating knowledge intelligibly and economically, in written and oral form through essays, discussion and class presentations.

• Design analysis through selection and critique of architectural case studies.

Selected readings, a 15 minute presentation and a 5000 word paper on a selected topic that applies theoretical ideas to a spatial or architectural exploration.