Universität Wien

240191 VS The North as Construct and Imagination (P3) (2012S)

Images, Visions, Memories, and Stereotypes of the Arctic and Subarctic

5.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 24 - Kultur- und Sozialanthropologie
Continuous assessment of course work

Anwesenheitspflicht in der ersten Einheit!
Moodle

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 40 participants
Language: German

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

  • Tuesday 13.03. 10:45 - 14:00 Seminarraum D, NIG 4. Stock
  • Wednesday 14.03. 10:45 - 14:00 Übungsraum (A414) NIG 4. Stock
  • Tuesday 15.05. 10:45 - 14:00 Seminarraum A, NIG 4. Stock
  • Wednesday 23.05. 10:45 - 14:00 Übungsraum (A414) NIG 4. Stock
  • Tuesday 12.06. 10:45 - 14:00 Seminarraum A, NIG 4. Stock
  • Tuesday 19.06. 10:45 - 14:00 Seminarraum D, NIG 4. Stock

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

We will explore the cultural semantics of concepts such as Arctic, Subarctic and North by dealing with the ideational, emotional, and ideological connotations of a spatial and directional category. A number of images, concepts, stereotypes, and visions representative for the development of an imaginatio borealis will be introduced. The perspective will be diachronic, following western imaginations from Antiquity through the Middle Ages to Modernity. At the same time, the 20th and 21st centuries will receive particular attention, focusing on domains as diverse as science narratives, national mythologies, and popular culture.

Assessment and permitted materials

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

The seminar deals with the symbolic meanings associated with a geographic category and its linkages with political and socioeconomic realities. The goal of the exercise is to demonstrate the social construction of space and memory. The construct of the North is the example at hand but the theoretical points to be communicated in the seminar are relevant for all parts of the world.

Examination topics

Reading list

Association in the course directory

Last modified: Mo 07.09.2020 15:40