ARCHGEN 714 Special Topic: Architecture and Political Philosophy - Course Outlines

Course Prescription

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Course Overview

This seminar aims to familiarise students with the political role of architecture and urban space. Emphasis is placed on the focused exploration of key notions drawn from selected readings in political philosophy mainly by Michel Foucault, Gilles Deleuze, Felix Guattari, Giorgio Agamben, Hannah Arendt, Chantal Moufee and David Harvey. Students will be equipped with methods for deploying philosophical concepts as a tool to analyse the ways through which architecture constructs our habits and habitats in negative or positive ways. We will analyse how architecture is constrained by various financial, socio-political, cultural and/or military forces whilst it has agency to generate real alterative worlds. Students will be familiarised with the inherit spatial dimension of numerous global crisis, including but not limited to, the structural racism embedded in urban planning, the brutal treatment of asylum seekers, the desire for spaces of commerce to accumulate capital for the few rather than civic spaces to enable the agency of citizenship, the micropolitics and surveillance of social distancing during the pandemic, global warming, food scarcity, and modern forms of slavery. The seminar aims to explore this thesis that we can no longer afford to reduce architecture to neutral backdrop of political realities, architecture is a political force in and of itself.

Course Requirements

Restriction: ARCHGEN 710-713, 715, 716

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

Demonstrate broad understanding of the relation between political philosophy and contemporary architectural theory. (Capability 1.1, 2.1, 2.3 and 3.3)
Develop an independent academic research approach within architectural discourse. (Capability 5.1 and 5.3)
Discuss and analyse the relationship between the formation of architecture and socio-political, economic and cultural forces. (Capability 2.3 and 6.3)
Demonstrate improved written and verbal communication skills. (Capability 1.1, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 3.2, 3.3, 5.1, 5.3 and 6.3)

Assessments

Assessment Type	Percentage	Classification
Assignments	20%	Individual Coursework
Assignments	10%	Individual Coursework
Presentation		Individual Coursework
Weekly submissions and participation	10%	Individual Coursework
Final essay	60%	Individual Coursework
5 types	100%

Assessment Type	Learning Outcome Addressed
	1	2	3	4
Assignments
Assignments
Presentation
Weekly submissions and participation
Final essay

This course is internally assessed. During the semester, each student will conduct a systematic literature review, creative two images, present a half-hour seminar on a research topic, will write a summary of selected readings, and will then develop their presentation into an essay of between 3,000-3,5000 words (excl. footnotes and bibliography). The seminar presentation is not graded but provides the opportunity for formative feedback and is essential for meeting terms, i.e. if a student does not present a seminar, then their essay will not be accepted and will not be graded.

Late Submissions:

Where a student has been unable to attend to their studies for a period of time in the semester they may apply for an Extension of Time. Late submissions will be considered on medical and special grounds when supported by a health or other professional, and when the application is made according to the procedure below. Coursework not received by the due date, and for which no extension of time has been approved, will receive the grade ‘DNC’ (Did Not Complete). For assignments not received by the due date, and for which no extension of time has been approved, will receive 20% penalty for each day delay in submission. Requests for extensions of time must be submitted and approved before the due date unless there are exceptional circumstances. Students applying for an extension of time must obtain an Extension of Time Form for Coursework Submission from the School of Architecture and Planning Office (6th Floor of the Architecture Building, Building 421, 26 Symonds Street) and complete the required details. The application form must be signed by Farzaneh Haghighi.

Teaching & Learning Methods

This course is 2-hrs weekly lectures, discussions and seminars. Relevant lecture materials will be available for you to download from Canvas the afternoon after the lecture.

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in. For this course, you can expect 10 hours of lectures followed by group discussion , 12 hours of student presentations followed by group discussion, 12 hours of reading and thinking about the content, and the rest on assignments preparation.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is required at scheduled activities including lectures, student presentation and group discussions to complete/receive credit for components of the course. Lectures will be available as recordings. The course will not include live online events. The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable delivery.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Digital Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

In the event of unexpected disruption

We undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions, the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and your assessment is fair, and not compromised. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. In the event of a disruption, the University and your course coordinators will make every effort to provide you with up to date information via Canvas and the University website.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.

Capability 1:	Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice
Capability 2:	Critical Thinking
Capability 3:	Solution Seeking
Capability 5:	Independence and Integrity
Capability 6:	Social and Environmental Responsibilities

ARCHGEN 714 : Special Topic: Architecture and Political Philosophy

Creative Arts and Industries

2021 Semester Two (1215) (15 POINTS)