Academic Calendar 2024-2025

VMCS 1201 (3.00)

Introduction to Visual Culture: the Power of Images and Viewers

This course provides a cross-cultural and interdisciplinary introduction to visual culture from ancient civilizations to our contemporary global world. It presents key terms, concepts, and issues that are central to the study of images, visuality, practices of looking, as well as visual media, technology, and culture. It deconstructs the mechanism and impact of visual communication by illuminating how images exert power in specific geographic and cultural contexts, manufacture desire in viewers and consumers, and construct meaning and experience through time. Lectures target the acquisition of visual literacy and the understanding of visual culture around the world. (Format: Lecture 3 hours)

VMCS 1301 (3.00)

Introduction to Material Culture: Knowledge and Its Textures

This course provides a cross-cultural and interdisciplinary introduction to material culture from ancient civilizations to our contemporary global world. It presents key terms, concepts, and issues that are central to the study of materiality, including maker and creation practices, modes of objectification and commodification, and material ways of knowing often set aside by textually-expressed knowledge. By decentring the text and focusing on the material world, this course will allow a better understanding of otherwise overlooked knowledge and experiences. This course offers a range of approaches to material culture drawing from anthropology, archeology, art history, archival and curatorial studies, the history of the book, ethno-history, Indigenous studies, marketing, museology, race studies, sound studies, and feminist and gender studies. (Format: Lecture 3 hours)

VMCS 1801 (3.00)

Paris, City of Light

This course introduces elements that define the essence of Paris through a series of literary and cultural snapshots. Using multimedia presentations of the Parisian cultural landscape and a broadly interdisciplinary perspective, lectures explore the development of a vibrant and unique urban centre that has always been a magnet for creative minds and cultural fervour. It uses drawings, engravings, paintings, maps, texts, songs, and film to investigate what is perceived as the singularity, timelessness, and seductive appeal of Paris. [Note 1: Language of instruction is English. Note 2: This course is cross-listed with FREN 1801 and may therefore count as three credits in either discipline.] (Format: Lecture 3 Hours)

VMCS 1821 (3.00)

Spain: A Mosaic of Cultures

This course introduces the history and culture (visual, material, media, popular, etc.) of Spain. It focuses on a number of specific eras that were important to the evolution of Spanish identity: the Muslim world, the conquest of America and the Golden Age, the 1898 war, the Spanish Civil War, and the contemporary period. It demonstrates how historical events that occurred in Spain continue to have international repercussions and affect us as a global society today. It explores the culture of Spain across centuries using various resources including film, literature, visual and material objects, popular culture, and music. [Note 1: Language of instruction is English. Note 2: This course is cross-listed with SPAN 1821 and may therefore count as three credits in either discipline.] (Format: Lecture 3 Hours) (Exclusion: SPAN 1801)

VMCS 1991 (3.00)

Special Topic in Visual and Material Cultures

This course either focuses on topics not covered by the current course offerings in a department or program or offers the opportunity to pilot a course that is being considered for inclusion in the regular program. [Note 1: Prerequisite set by Department/Program when the topic and level are announced. Note 2: When a Department or Program intends to offer a course under this designation, it must submit course information, normally at least three months in advance, to the Dean. Note 3: Students may register for VMCS 1991 more than once, provided the subject matter differs.] (Format: Variable)

VMCS 2101 (3.00)

Research Methods Intensive: Visual and Material Culture Studies

Prereq: 3 credits from VMCS 1201, 1301; or permission of the Department
This course provides an opportunity for students to strengthen and diversify their research skills as applied to visual and material cultures through exploration of key terminology, methodological approaches, and ethical considerations. It introduces various procedures for collecting visual and material data from institutional collections (archives, libraries, and museums), researcher-created databases, photo-sharing websites, everyday life, and social media. By combining research and experiential activities, students are exposed to interdisciplinary and cross-cultural forms of critical thinking about and creative engagement with visual and material cultures, both historical and contemporary. Objects under consideration may include fashion magazines, film adaptations, manga, photographs, TV series, video games, visual poetry, and vlogs. (Format: Integrated Lecture/Laboratory 3 hours)

VMCS 2111 (3.00)

Maps and Empire: Uncovering the Instruments of Imperial Ambition

This course is an introduction to cartography, which examines not only the visualization of space but also the creation of tools that can powerfully define and delineate space in Political, social, and cultural ways, and in the process give rise to borders and exclude or include people, things, and resources in life-changing ways. It digests several thousand years of mapping in the western and non-western worlds to teach students how maps work and what types of knowledge they express. Students will be exposed to the uses and implications of mapping as an instrument that furthers the ambitions of monarchs, leaders, and even academics. Students will also be exposed to non-western ways of articulating space and reflect on how the digital realm is urgently requiring our society to assess the ways that maps control how we know the world around us. (Format: Integrated Lecture/Laboratory 3 hours)

VMCS 2121 (3.00)

Food Matters: Cultural Ingredients in a Critical Context

This course examines food as a form of material culture that not only makes our existence possible but also enlivens it. Its textures, smells, sounds, and tastes graft experiences upon memories that comfort or haunt us at all stages of our lives. Students will explore the cultural significance of common ingredients, reflect on how they project identity and ideology, and deconstruct the representation of food, the kitchen, and cooking in visual culture. They will engage critically with cultural materialism, food history, visual and material culture studies, and applied learning. (Format: Integrated Lecture/Laboratory 3 hours)

VMCS 2301 (3.00)

Homo Faber: We Are Makers Instruments of Imperial Ambition

Prereq: 3 credits from VMCS 1301, FGST 1001; or permission of the Department
This course employs the concept of "Homo Faber" (Wo/Man the Maker) cross-culturally and through time to explore how the development of technologies such as containers, clothing, and shelters has shaped human societies and the relations between them. This course explores reflective and critical perspectives about the social, political, economic, environmental, gendered, and racialized impacts of textile technologies, both historical and contemporary. (Format: Variable 3 Hours)

VMCS 2401 (3.00)

Bridging Cultural Differences: Introduction to Intercultural Communication

This course adopts an approach grounded in cultural studies to introduce students to key theories, concepts, and issues in intercultural communication, which is defined as the transmission and reception of verbal and non-verbal messages across languages and cultures. It sheds light on how cultural differences and variables impact communication, reveals the common barriers to intercultural exchange, and reflects on identity and otherness, cultural filters and templates, and the relationship between culture, media, and language. Examples are drawn from textual, visual, and material cultures of the past, as well as contemporary mass media contexts. By playing the role of cultural mediators, students will learn how to deconstruct cultural templates and frames of reference, analyze past and present intercultural encounters and conflict, and interpret standards and values as embedded in various contexts of expression (pictures, advertisements, texts, films, etc.) (Format: Lecture/Tutorial 3 hours) (Exclusion: VMCS 2991 Intercultural Communication)

VMCS 2501 (3.00)

Introduction to Archaeology

This course introduces the methods, basic techniques, and theory of archaeology and excavation. It uses examples of both past and present archaeological research done in the Old and New Worlds to illustrate the topics under discussion. [Note 1: This course is cross-listed with CLAS 2501 and may therefore count as three credits in either discipline.] (Format: Lecture 3 Hours)

VMCS 2521 (3.00)

The Archaeology of Daily Life in the Greek and Roman World

An examination of the evidence used by archaeologists to recreate the social history of ancient Greece and Rome. The course will consider how archaeology can shed light on such topics as the lives of men, women, and children; the home; government; the economy; the army; and entertainment. [Note 1: This course is cross-listed with CLAS 2521 and may therefore count as three credits in either discipline.] (Format: Lecture 3 Hours)

VMCS 2531 (3.00)

The Archaeology of Religion in the Greek and Roman World

An examination of the evidence used by archaeologists to recreate the religions of the ancient Greeks and Romans. The course will consider how archaeology reveals ancient views and practices involved in the worship of the Olympian Gods; the religions of Egypt and the Near East; Royal and Emperor cults; Mithraism and mystery cults; Judaism; and early Christianity. [Note 1: This course is cross-listed with CLAS 2531 and may therefore count as three credits in either discipline.](Format: Lecture 3 Hours)

VMCS 2991 (3.00)

Special Topic in Visual and Material Cultures

Prereq: 3 credits from VMCS 1201, 1301; or permission of the Department
This course either focuses on topics not covered by the current course offerings in a department or program or offers the opportunity to pilot a course that is being considered for inclusion in the regular program. [Note 1: Prerequisite set by Department/Program when the topic and level are announced. Note 2: When a Department or Program intends to offer a course under this designation, it must submit course information, normally at least three months in advance, to the Dean. Note 3: Students may register for VMCS 2991 more than once, provided the subject matter differs.] (Format: Variable)

VMCS 3101 (3.00)

The Colonising Word: Textual Culture and The Persistence of Colonialism

Prereq: Second-year standing; or permission of the department
By problematizing textual culture, this course exposes the ways that our architecture of knowledge continues to support white, primarily male supremacy through its valuation of textuality as a legitimate vehicle of truth and knowledge. In addition to exploring the origins of textual culture as well as its relationship with oral ways of knowing, this course interrogates non-western textual and oral knowledge. It seeks, moreover, to contrast the ways that non-western oral knowledge is valued differently than western verbal knowledge. Students will also be exposed to ways of knowing that do not rely upon textuality, with a focus on visual and material culture. By embracing non-textual knowledge, students will discover ways of knowing as expressed, created, and used by women, Indigenous groups, and people of colour more broadly. (Format: Integrated Lecture/Laboratory 3 hours)

VMCS 3111 (3.00)

Travel and Tourism

Prereq: 3 credits from VMCS 1201, 1301; or Second-year standing; or Permission of the Department
This course examines the ways in which visual and material cultures shape and are shaped by travel and tourism. Topics will include the history of tourism and travel, the role of visual and material culture in creating and sustaining tourist destinations, the impact of tourism on local communities and their material culture, and the ways in which travelers themselves create and consume images and objects associated with travel and tourism. Examples will be drawn from a range of cultures and global tourist destinations. (Format: Integrated lecture and laboratory, 3 Hours)

VMCS 3201 (3.00)

The Innovative Gaze: Snapshots of Visual Culture in the City

Prereq: 3 credits from VMCS 1201, 1301; or permission of the Department
This course examines the multifarious relationship between the city and visual culture through the prism of creativity, innovation, and design. Using cultural snapshots of a selection of cities at defining moments in their history, it sheds light on the impact of images and visual expression on urban spaces and the communities inhabiting them. It focuses on culturally important and globally significant cities that foster innovation and embody a unique creative vision in their visual language, in order to reflect on how metropolitan culture and visuality in the public sphere display artistic principles, ideological preoccupations, societal values, and political views through architecture, fashion, food, open-air sculpture, street art, and interior and urban design. It considers the representation of cities in advertising, digital media, illustration, film, music videos, painting, photography, and other visual media. (Format: Integrated Lecture/Laboratory 3 hours)

VMCS 3211 (3.00)

Global Megahits: Streaming, Adaptation, And Popular Culture

Prereq: Second-year standing; or permission of the Department
This course focuses on the internationally streamable series as a visual form, an adapted product, and a powerful means of communication about national cultures and geographic contexts. It provides instruction in formal and contextual analysis of the streamable series and its role in popular culture and as product thereof. Examples of series produced to cater to the diverse tastes of international audiences are drawn from dynamic non-Hollywood centres of production such as Egypt, India ("Bollywood"), Mexico, Nigeria ("Nollywood"), South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. Topics include: the codes and conventions of this globalised cultural form; the streamable product as an international event (fan audiences, global marketing, social media engagement, etc.); the role of images in shaping popular culture; visual and material culture in transnational contexts; and the digital media's role in movements for social, cultural, and political change. (Format: Integrated Lecture/Laboratory 3 hours)

VMCS 3241 (3.00)

Field Course in Visual Culture Culture in the City

This course offers an immersive opportunity to experience and examine visual culture in a real, non-simulated context though a first-hand encounter with images and visual representation. Fieldwork is designed to facilitate the direct application of key terms, concepts, and issues in visual culture to the analysis of images, practices of looking, and media of communication. Visits to sites of significance in visual culture (archives, castles, churches, libraries, monuments, museums, palaces, etc.), interactions with local image producers, and interest-guided exploration will illuminate how images communicate meaning, exert power in a specific geographic and cultural context, inspire desire in the viewer, and travel across borders. [Note: Enrollment is limited and students should be aware of the additional costs of travel and participation fees.] (Format: Field Study)

VMCS 3301 (3.00)

Critical Making

Prereq: Second-year standing; VMCS 1301; or permission of the Department
This course guides participants to interrogate the concept and practices of critical making (in and out of the classroom) while exploring how "making" can be a practice that strengthens and/or contests social norms and systems. The concepts of gender, race, and power are integrated throughout the course in lectures and assignments. Drawing our attention to makers' agency, the course covers historical and contemporary topics in critical making that may include the Arts and Crafts and Craftsman movements, craft in feminist protests, "making" in ritual contexts, and cultural appropriation and technology. (Format: Integrated Lecture/Laboratory 3 hours)

VMCS 3311 (3.00)

Fashion-Ology: the Material Culture of Clothing

Prereq: Second-year standing; 3 credits from VMCS 1301, FGST 1001; or permission of the Department
This course focusses on clothing which is one of the largest and most rapidly expanding sectors of the global economy measured in terms of employment, sales, and pollution. It examines the social systems, body practices, and power configurations that underlie historical and contemporary clothing practices both cross-culturally and locally, focusing on Canada's fashion industry and dress practices. Topics include non-western and non-capitalist clothing practices; gender (male, female, and LGBTQ+) identities in fashion; the ready-made clothing manufacturing and retail industries; environmental impacts of the clothing industry; and labour practices. (Format: Variable 3 Hours)

VMCS 3501 (3.00)

Archaeological Field Course

This course involves participation in an archaeological field project, through which students gain experience in archaeological methods such as site survey, supervised excavation, recording and interpretation of evidence, and the processing of finds. The field location varies according to the project. [Note 1: Permission of the Department is required. Note 2: This course is only available to students during the Spring/Summer term. Enrollment is limited and students should be aware of the additional costs of travel and participation fees. Note 3: This course is cross-listed with CLAS 3501 and may therefore count as three credits in either discipline.] (Format: Field Course)

VMCS 3511 (3.00)

Laboratory Methods in Classical Archaeology

Coreq: CLAS 3501
This course introduces students to the laboratory methods used by Classical archaeologists in the study of materials recovered from Greek and Roman sites. The field location and nature of the remains studied vary according to the project. [Note 1: Permission of the Department is required. Note 2: This course is only available to students during the Spring/Summer term. Enrollment is limited and students should be aware of the additional costs of travel and participation fees. Note 3: This course is cross-listed with CLAS 3511 and may therefore count as three credits in either discipline.] (Format: Field Course)

VMCS 3621 (3.00)

The Archaeology of Greek Colonization of Southern Italy

Prereq: Second-year standing; 3 credits from CLAS, ARTH (or FINH), HIST at the 1/2000 level; or permission of the Department
This course surveys the art and archaeology of Magna Graecia and Sicily, the areas of Southern Italy colonized by the Greeks between the 8th and 3rd centuries BC. The course begins with an overview of the Italian cultures living in Southern Italy and Sicily during the Late Bronze Age and the Iron Age, and their interaction with contemporary Greek cultures (e.g., Mycenaeans). Most of the course focuses upon the period between the mid-8th century (when Greek colonization started) and the late 3rd century BC (when Rome colonized or otherwise dominated the region). It examines urban planning, architecture (private and public), sculpture, painting, and minor arts. It uses a broad contextual approach, locating archaeological evidence within its historical, political, economic, and cultural context, and pays special attention to concepts such as colonization, cultural interaction, and acculturation, as well as to the differences and similarities between Greek and Roman colonization, and between ancient Greek and modern colonization. [Note 1: This course may count as 3 credits in Art History. Note 2: This course is cross-listed with CLAS 3621 and may therefore count as three credits in either discipline.] (Format: Lecture 3 Hours) (Exclusion: 17/WI CLAS 3991 The Greeks in Southern Italy)

VMCS 3631 (3.00)

Greek Art and Archaeology

Prereq: Second-year standing; 3 credits from CLAS, ARTH (or FINH), HIST at the 1/2000 level; or permission of the Department
This course introduces the art of the ancient Greek world - urban planning, architecture (private and public), sculpture, painting, minor arts - from the Bronze Age to the Hellenistic period. It engages the analyzed monuments and artifacts within the political, economic, religious, intellectual, and social context in which they were created. It uses this contextual approach as a framework for a more comprehensive understanding of art and artistic movements in their diachronic development. It considers other themes such as the way we experience ancient Greek culture today, and questions about archaeological investigative practice, the antiquities trade, and cultural heritage. [Note 1: This course may count as 3 credits in Art History. Note 2: This course is cross-listed with CLAS 3631 and may therefore count as three credits in either discipline.] (Format: Lecture 3 Hours) (Exclusions: CLAS 3601; CLAS 3611)

VMCS 3721 (3.00)

Art and Archaeology of Pompeii

Prereq: Second-year standing; 3 credits from CLAS, ARTH (or FINH), HIST at the 1/2000 level; or permission of the Department
This course closely examines the archaeological remains from the city of Pompeii in the Bay of Naples: its road system, sewers, public markets, cult places, burial monuments, brothels, bathhouses, political buildings, and houses and residential areas. It pays special attention to the occupation phases of the city before the foundation of the Roman colony in 80 BC, and the impact that the Roman conquest of Pompeii had on its architectural and artistic forms. It also explores the 'hidden history' of Pompeii as a means to raise awareness about the role of material culture in giving voice to cultures and communities that have not left written sources to us. [Note 1: This course may count as 3 credits in Art History. Note 2: This course is cross-listed with CLAS 3721 and may therefore count as three credits in either discipline.] (Format: Lecture 3 Hours)

VMCS 3731 (3.00)

Roman Art and Archaeology

Prereq: Second-year standing; 3 credits from CLAS, ARTH (or FINH), HIST at the 1/2000 level; or permission of the Department
This course introduces the artistic, architectural, and archaeological monuments of the Roman world from the eighth century BC to the fifth century AD. It traces Roman art and architecture from its early origins under Etruscan influence through to the periods of the Roman Republic and Principate. It engages monuments and artifacts within their political, economic, religious, intellectual, and social context. This approach provides a framework for a more comprehensive understanding of art and artistic movements in their diachronic development. [Note 1: This course may count as 3 credits in Art History. Note 2: This course is cross-listed with CLAS 3731 and may therefore count as three credits in either discipline.] (Format: Lecture 3 Hours) (Exclusions: CLAS 3701, CLAS 3711)

VMCS 3811 (3.00)

Images and Texts / Images Et Textes

Prereq: second-year standing; or permission of the Department
This course explores the intersection of verbal texts and visual arts in Francophone literature and culture from the Middle Ages to the twenty-first century. It adopts an interdisciplinary approach to examine how, different yet inseparable, words and images have always interacted with each other in a variety of ways and forms such as verbal portraiture, literary references to pictorial works, engravings and photographs used as illustrations or book covers, and the use of words in paintings. [Note 1: Language of instruction is English.] [Note 2: This course is cross-listed as FREN 3811 and may therefore count as three credits in either discipline.] (Format: Lecture 3 Hours) (Exclusion: Any version of FREN 3811 previously offered with a different title)

VMCS 3821 (3.00)

Visual Culture of the Hispanic World

Prereq: SPAN 3101; VMCS 1201; or permission of the Department
This course examines themes and media in visual culture throughout the Hispanic world. It focuses on Indigenous, Latin American, and Spanish cinema, fine art, illustration, maps, other forms of visual and material cultures from key historical periods. To examine visual culture critically, students will engage with socio-historical image analysis, semiotics, and word and image theory. The course is taught in English, but Hispanic Studies students will prepare material in Spanish. [Note 1: This course is cross-listed with SPAN 3821 and may therefore count as three credits in either discipline.] (Format: Integrated Lecture 3 Hours) (Exclusion: SPAN 4201; SPAN 4991 Visual Culture of the Hispanic World)

VMCS 3991 (3.00)

Special Topic in Visual and Material Cultures

Prereq: 3 credits from VMCS 1201, 1301; or permission of the Department
This course either focuses on topics not covered by the current course offerings in a department or program or offers the opportunity to pilot a course that is being considered for inclusion in the regular program. [Note 1: Prerequisite set by Department/Program when the topic and level are announced. Note 2: When a Department or Program intends to offer a course under this designation, it must submit course information, normally at least three months in advance, to the Dean. Note 3: Students may register for VMCS 3991 more than once, provided the subject matter differs.] (Format: Variable)

VMCS 4301 (3.00)

Destruction

Prereq: Third-year standing; VMCS 1301; or permission of the Department
This course examines how thinking about destruction helps us to understand our complicated relationship with material objects, what practices and meanings are associated with the destruction of material objects in different cultures, and how we respond to destruction in writing and other forms of representation.?In this course, destruction will offer us a lens through which to consider themes of empire, economy, environment, memory, gender, and race. Topics include destruction in western and non-western religions, destruction in conflict and punishment, destruction in waste management, destruction as a market tool, and destruction in art and as art. (Format: Seminar 3 Hours)

VMCS 4950 (6.00)

Independent Study in Visual And/Or Material Culture

This course permits senior students, under the direction of faculty members, to pursue their interest in areas not covered, or not covered in depth, by other courses through a program of independent study. [Note 1: Permission of the Department/Program Advisor. Students must obtain consent of an instructor who is willing to be a supervisor and must register for the course prior to the last day for change of registration in the term during which the course is being taken. Note 2: A program on Independent Study cannot duplicate subject matter covered through regular course offerings. Note 3: Students may register for VMCS 4950/51 more than once, provided the subject matter differs.] (Format: Independent Study)

VMCS 4951 (3.00)

Independent Study in Visual And/Or Material Cultures

This course permits senior students, under the direction of faculty members, to pursue their interest in areas not covered, or not covered in depth, by other courses through a program of independent study. [Note 1: Permission of the Department/Program Advisor. Students must obtain consent of an instructor who is willing to be a supervisor and must register for the course prior to the last day for change of registration in the term during which the course is being taken. Note 2: A program on Independent Study cannot duplicate subject matter covered through regular course offerings. Note 3: Students may register for VMCS 4950/51 more than once, provided the subject matter differs.] (Format: Independent Study)

VMCS 4990 (6.00)

Honours Thesis

The Honours thesis is based on independent research on visual and/or material cultures under the direction of a faculty member of the Visual and Material Culture Studies Program. The subject must be approved by the Program Advisor. This course is open only to candidates for Honours in Visual and Material Culture Studies in their senior year. The candidate will receive guidance in research methods and thesis writing from the supervisor. [Note 1: Consent of supervising staff member prior to registration and permission of the Program Advisor are required.] (Format: Independent study/Thesis)

VMCS 4991 (3.00)

Special Topic in Visual and Material Cultures

Prereq: 3 credits from VMCS 1201, 1301; or permission of the Department
This course either focuses on topics not covered by the current course offerings in a department or program or offers the opportunity to pilot a course that is being considered for inclusion in the regular program. [Note 1: Prerequisite set by Department/Program when the topic and level are announced. Note 2: When a Department or Program intends to offer a course under this designation, it must submit course information, normally at least three months in advance, to the Dean. Note 3: Students may register for VMCS 4991 more than once, provided the subject matter differs.] (Format: Variable)