MCS 305 - American Landscapes: Place, Power and Culture

3 credits
This course examines how urban and rural landscapes from the 1820s to today actively shape American politics, culture, and identity. Exploring environments as dynamic media, we analyze how utopian ideals, health initiatives, and justice movements have used spatial design for multiple purposes, including advancing social progress or, at times, enforcing mechanisms of control. Drawing on literature, case studies, and site visits, students investigate how constructions of nature and place reflect shifting identities and power, revealing the force of environment and urbanism in American life.
Prerequisite(s): ENG 100 or ENG 101