ARC3715H F
Instructor: J. P. King
Meeting Section: L9101
Synchronous
Thursday, 6:00pm - 9:00pm

Global consumer society is turning resources into waste faster than waste can be turned back into resources. With this in mind, how might we recognize the creation of waste as a core part of a capitalist belief system that is actively shaping culture, products, and relationships, alongside the built and natural environments? Focused on the relationship between humans and the materials they waste, this studio-seminar course is framed as a transdisciplinary research unit, emphasizing design thinking and research-creation methods in service of asking the question: How does waste shape the world?

Students will build upon the core curriculum by creatively identifying and responding to waste as an affective force. Students will learn to situate themselves within the emerging field of Discard Studies by examining the relationships between objects, environments, and users. Through a carefully guided series of thematic lectures, studio assignments, collective discussions, key readings, and playful activities, students will develop a comprehensive understanding of contemporary global consumer culture, equally defined by cycles of consumption and disposal. Online classes will be comprised of a dynamic and lively series of thematic presentations, real-time creative and collective research activities, and intimate dialogues. This course will leverage virtual tools and experiences to experiment with the possibilities of online learning. Assignments are flexible and designed to support the student's individual research interests and professional goals. Selected readings draw upon recent trends in art, design, psychology, philosophy, history, environmental studies, and anthropology.

Key topics include: The Circular Economy, The Failure of Recycling, Design for Deconstruction, The Anthropocene and The More-Than-Human World, Plastics, Disposable Product Design, The History of Shopping, Identity Construction, Consumer Behaviour and The Psychology of Disposal, The History and Infrastructure of Municipal Solid Waste Management, The Creation and Destruction of Value, The Social Life of Objects, and New Materialism, amongst others.

COURSE OBJECTIVES: Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:

1. Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the emerging field of Discard Studies, alongside its various methods and modes of analysis.
2. Exercise interdisciplinary strategies of engagement with the subject of waste in a manner best suited to the student’s individual practice.
3. Apply critical thinking, research, oratory, visual, sculptural, and written skills to the analysis and interpretation of the material world.
4. Identify and access the resources that will best support their existing practice or skill set, and utilize those in the development and realization of a final project.