HMKK13001U Modern culture/4-Cities: Urban Culture and Cultural Theory
Modern Culture
This course establishes the basic principles for a humanities approach to the city. The course explores seminal texts from the tradition of 20th-century cultural theory in order to outline key concepts that allow us to understand the city as urbanity, i.e. as a complex cultural phenomenon.
A variety of discourses contribute to this project; architectural and literary studies as well sociological and philosophical texts will be discussed via readings of major theoretical studies by Roland Barthes and many others. Steen Eiler Rasmussen, Jan Gehl, Henning Bech et al. invite us into the realm of “Perception and lifeworld – Copenhagen”. Georges, Perec, Michel de Certeau and Sophie Calle explore “Movements and text – Paris”. Adding a social dimension, Siegfried Kracauer and Walter Benjamin elaborate urban culture as “Spaces and memory – Berlin”.
Copenhagen, Paris and Berlin provide materials from the history of the European metropolis from 1850 to the present. In addition, various experiences and bodily approaches to urban culture enable us to develop the analytic dimension of studies in urban culture. In this way, the course outlines the foundations of an interdisciplinary approach to modern urbanity.
The course implies a lecture and a seminar (in smaller groups) every week. The seminar hours provide time for student presentations that, in turn, generate material for the written synopsis to be handed in for the oral exam taking place at the end of the semester.
Students at the University of Copenhagen may pass this course as part of the “KANDIDATTILVALG URBAN CULTURE” which also includes Kristin Veel's course on Urban cultural history.
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See the semester shelf at the department library: Institutbiblioteket for IKK, reeh@hum.ku.dk
- Category
- Hours
- Lectures
- 20
- Preparation
- 296
- Seminar
- 20
- Exam
- 84
- Total
- 420
Exchange students: apply for courses in Mobility Online. Questions regarding course registration should be directed to visitingstudents@hum.ku.dk .
International fee-paying guest students: visithttps://humanities.ku.dk/education/guest/ on how to sign up for courses.
- Credit
- 15 ECTS
- Type of assessment
- Other
- Exam registration requirements
4-cities students - only for Erasmus Mundus Master’s Course in Urban Studies students: Curriculum for the subject elements offerede by The University og Copenhagen as part of the Erasmus Mundus Master's programme in Urban Studies, 2020 (ku.dk)
MA-level: Fagstudieordning for kandidattilvalget i urban kultur, 2019- Aid
- All aids allowed
- Censorship form
- No external censorship
Course information
- Language
- English
- Course code
- HMKK13001U
- Credit
- 15 ECTS
- Level
- Full Degree MasterFull Degree Master choice
- Duration
- 1 semester
- Placement
- Autumn
- Schedule
- Fall 2024
Study board
- Study board of Arts and Cultural Studies
Contracting department
- Department of Arts and Cultural Studies
Contracting faculty
- Faculty of Humanities
Course Coordinators
- Henrik Reeh (4-7467676a426a776f306d7730666d)
Lecturers
Henrik Reeh