PSCE
3060

Racism, Classism and the Constructed Environment

Parsons School of Design: School of Constructed Env.

Non-Liberal Arts
Undergraduate Course
Degree Students
Racism and Classism
Spring 2025
Taught By: Teah Brands and Randall Jones
Section: A

CRN: 9305

Credits: 3

Legacies of slavery and economic injustice are embedded in our constructed environments, in the US and worldwide. Yet, designers and architects have conveniently ignored or, at best, unsatisfactorily acknowledged our complicity with systemic racism and privilege for too long. In the United States, white supremacy and racism have caused acute harm and injustice to Black Americans and Indigenous peoples for 400 years and longer, resulting in their impoverishment, social ostracization, physical brutality, and death. Moreover, the uneven distribution of wealth, income, and opportunity have created additional vulnerability to the cascading global impacts of climate change and pandemics that have tragically resurfaced and deepened long-standing divides of race and class in American life and across the world. Through a combination of readings, lectures, discussions, and reflections, this class will consider how racism and classism have informed the professions and industries that shape our constructed environment, including architecture, industrial design, interior design, and lighting design. Regular lectures from various guests representing disciplines across the built environment will complement in-person discussions, readings, and reflections. By understanding the legacy of injustice in the Constructed Environments, we may begin the necessary and challenging work of moving forward more equitably.

Open to: All undergraduate students. Pre-requisite(s): none.

College: Parsons School of Design (PS)

Department: School of Constructed Env. (SCE)

Campus: New York City (GV)

Course Format: Seminar (R)

Modality: In-Person

Max Enrollment: 16

Repeat Limit: N/A

Add/Drop Deadline: February 3, 2025 (Monday)

Online Withdrawal Deadline: April 15, 2025 (Tuesday)

Seats Available: Yes

Status: Open*

* 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: 7:50pm EST 12/11/2024

Meeting Info:
Days: Friday
Times: 12:10pm - 2:50pm
Building: Johnson/Kaplan 66 West 12th
Room: 407
Date Range: 1/21/2025 - 5/6/2025