Study Programmes 2015-2016
ARCH1959-1  
Heritage and postmodernity
Duration :
24h Th
Number of credits :
Master in architecture (120 ECTS)2
Master in architecture (120 ECTS)2
Lecturer :
Stéphane Dawans, Claudine Houbart
Language(s) of instruction :
French language
Organisation and examination :
Teaching in the second semester
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite :
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Course contents :
As the course  ARCH1739-2, this seminar discusses in-depth questions of philosophy applied to heritage , but approached from the point of view of postmodernity and postmodernism (we will specify the terms). Since 1964 and the drafting of the Venice Charter, times have indeed changed. A historian like François Hartog does not hesitate to speak of the transformation of historicity regime, the sociologists often speak of post-Fordist society, the philosophers sometimes  prefer the word  post-modern and the architects often prefer to use  post-modernism ... All this indicates that a paradigm shift took place around 1980, when the Venice Biennale took "The presence of the past" as provocative title.
The Heritage specialist can not ignore this new context and its profound implications in the theoretical field of the conservation / restoration .
We won't  hesitate to change a little the quote from Pierre Hamel and Claire Poitras and affirm with them : "As in all social sciences, in the field of urban studies also [we add in the heritage field], postmodernism has renewed themes and research problems" (see : les classiques des sciences sociales en ligne : http://classiques.uqac.ca/).
Therefore, we will work together to highlight how postmodernity transforms the philosophy of heritage from basic texts (architects, philosophers ...), live documents (or TV shows, movies, ...) ... and of course case studies.
Learning outcomes of the course :
Mastery of conceptual tools in the field of heritage reflection.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills :
ARCH1733
Planned learning activities and teaching methods :
seminar
Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning) :
face-to-face
Recommended or required readings :
A reading portfolio will be  delivered during the seminar. Several readings will be recommended depending on the cases studied, including these three fundamental referencess :
Fredric Jameson, Le postmodernisme ou la logique culturelle du capitalisme tardif, traduit de l'américain par Florence Nevoltry, Ecole nationale supérieure des beaux-arts de Paris, 2011 [première édition en 1991 aux Duke University Press]. François Hartog, Régimes d'historicité. Présentisme et expériences du temps, paris, Seuil, 2003. Kevin Walsh, The Representation of the Past, Museums and Heritage in the Post-Modern World, London & New York, Routledge Press, 1992.
Assessment methods and criteria :
examen oral et/ou écrit et/ou travail
Work placement(s) :
Organizational remarks :
Contacts :
Stéphane Dawans Claudine Houbart
Items online :
Course Notes-2016
Course Notes-2016