Course Meeting Times
Lectures: 2 sessions/week, 1.5 hours/session
Prerequisites
There are no prerequisites for this course.
Course Description
This course examines how people learn, practice, and evaluate various ways of knowing, learning, and making. Historical perspectives on and social science theories of materiality, design, embodiment, apprenticeship, skill, labor, expertise, and tacit knowledge are used to explore distinctions and connections among art, craft, and science. Throughout, we interrogate how these categories enact, produce, and/or subvert power hierarchies. Ethnographic, archaeological and historical case studies include textiles, glassblowing, home cooking, factory and laboratory work, collectible art, and tourism industries, as well as the relationship between making things and making selves.
Notebooks
Students will be required to purchase a notebook with pen and pencil for class. This will be your notebook for the entire semester in which you will handwrite/draw/sketch/map your assignments (neatly and legibly) and observations during the course. These will be turned in at the end of the semester, will graded by me, and can be returned to you if you like.
Readings
All required readings (75–100 pages per week) are listed in the Readings section.
Grading Policy
| ACTIVITIES | PERCENTAGES |
|---|---|
| Participation and attendance (includes overall notebook grade (15%)) | 25% |
| Assignment 1: Instructions | 10% |
| Assignment 2: Archaeological documentation | 10% |
| Assignment 3: Write-up on the MIT Museum visit | 10% |
| Assignment 4: Write-up on the Harvard Natural History Museum and/or Peabody Museum visit | 10% |
| Assignment 5: Show and tell and write-up of your “Following Instructions” experience | 10% |
| Assignment 6: Your cheesemaking experience | 10% |
| Assignment 7: YouTube craft experience or final reflections essay | 15% |
For further detail on the activities listed above, see the Assignments section.
Student Responsibilities
Attendance and Participation
Attendance is mandatory and will be recorded. If you are unable to attend class, please contact me in advance. Students will be granted two unexcused absences, but any more will significantly impact your grade. You are expected to participate in discussions and demonstrate proficiency in the assigned readings by being prepared with responses to the questions I pose and/or with questions of your own. Informal in-class exercises and presentations
may be asked of you throughout the semester.
Academic Integrity
Students are expected to adhere to MIT’s Academic Integrity policies. All work (research papers, weekly papers, presentations) must be completed independently. Students are encouraged to discuss the readings and their projects with each other (they may, for example, want to practice their presentations for their classmates), but they are individually responsible for all written work. Violating the Academic Integrity policy in any way (e.g., plagiarism) will result in official Institute sanction. Possible sanctions include receiving a failing grade on the assignment, being assigned a failing grade in the course, having a formal notation of disciplinary action placed on your MIT record, suspension from the Institute, and expulsion from the Institute for very serious cases.
