Space, Time, and the South African City
Parsons School of Design: Sch. Art and Dsgn Hist and Th
CRN: 18269
Credits: 3
This seminar aims to explore how socially-constructed notions of space, time, and the city inform contemporary urban design and creative practice in South Africa. By exploring a rich collection of cultural artifacts spanning architecture, archaeology, film, photography, and visual art, students will learn what South African material and visual culture teaches us about past, present, and future African stories. Readings in postcolonial and decolonial theory will be used to challenge concepts of how space and time have been theorized in major disciplines throughout the social sciences and humanities. The physicist concept of “spacetime” will serve as a conceptual starting point to explore how South Africa’s colonial and apartheid legacies have been visually and materially inscribed into South Africa’s built environment. Students are encouraged to explore African-centered concepts of spacetime that practically decolonize and rehabilitate marginalized histories for the country's diverse communities of color.
College: Parsons School of Design (PS)
Department: Sch. Art and Dsgn Hist and Th (ADHT)
Campus: New York City (GV)
Course Format: Seminar (R)
Modality: In-Person
Max Enrollment: 15
Repeat Limit: 2
Add/Drop Deadline: September 9, 2025 (Tuesday)
Online Withdrawal Deadline: November 17, 2025 (Monday)
Seats Available: Yes
* Seats available but reserved for a specific population.
Status: Waitlist*
* Status information is updated every few minutes. The status of this course may have changed since the last update. Open seats may have restrictions that will prevent some students from registering. Updated: 10:14pm EDT 4/1/2025