Memorial Mania: Memory and Modern Tragedy
This course is no longer being offered.
Course Description
What role do monuments and memorials play in society? Using memorials to September 11 as a jumping off point, we will explore the recent memory boom in America today.
This course will investigate the role memorials play in society and examine the politics of memorialization. We will broaden our conception of monuments beyond stone statues to include museums, national parks, music, art, film and the web. Movies and viewings of local memorials will supplement our seminar experience. Case studies include the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Oklahoma City National Memorial, the United States Holocaust Museum, and memorials to 9/11.
To better understand the dynamic nature of creating meanings "both in the past and present" from American monuments. Students will learn to read historical sources critically, appreciating the connection between the past and present, myth and truth.