Social communities and cultural identities do not only emerge out of relations of kinship, friendship or shared ideas, but they are fundamentally lived and structured through the built environment. Form, decoration, use, construction and building materials are closely linked to the social, symbolic, economic and technical context of their emergence. In this block seminar, we will engage with the ways in which residential and other buildings in urban spaces partake in shaping our societies. Aspects such as migration, economic status, gender or age influence our perception and navigation in urban spaces. But also state power and politics manifest in and through the urban environment.
Small fieldworks in Fribourg will be the basis for the student projects to be delivered at the end of the block seminar. The submission which is due end of April can consist of a podcast, written paper or short film. In addition, students are expected to read the compulsory readings and to deliver discussion inputs in the thematic sessions.
- Enseignant·e: Madlen Kobi