Studying online

There are now 2 possible online modes for units:

Units with modes Online timetabled and Online flexible are available for any student to self-enrol and study online.

Click on an offering mode for more details.

Unit Overview

Description

The nuclear family has been the basic unit of the bourgeois society and the foundation of the political and economic dynamics of industrial capitalism since the mid-nineteenth century. Since its emergence as a key cultural institution, the nuclear family has been under critical scrutiny and the basis for sweeping social critiques. Engels, for example, studied the role of family in establishing the concept of private property, and Freud claimed that it is central to the psychopathology of the modern psyche. At the same time, the single family house has traditionally afforded the modernist architect the opportunity to showcase radical ideas with an enthusiastic client and fairly limited resources, to the point that an iconic house designed at the beginning of an architect's career attained the status of an architectural manifesto which articulated the aesthetic and ethical program of the author. In this unit, students study how iconic designs for single-family houses articulated ideas about domesticity and family life, contributing to the theoretical and political debate of their time. This exploration is global in scope and is based on the analysis of 10 houses from 10 different cultural and geographical contexts and the way they reflected new ideas about the foundations of middle class life.

Credit
6 points
Outcomes

Students are able to (1) understand how modern aesthetic and political ideas are articulated through architectural form; (2) analyse architecture in a global context, taking into account cultural specificity and the role of transcultural exchanges; and (3) clearly articulate findings in written form.

Assessment

Indicative assessments in this unit are as follows: (1) presentation and (2) final essay. Further information is available in the unit outline.



Student may be offered supplementary assessment in this unit if they meet the eligibility criteria.

Unit Coordinator(s)
Assistant Professor Tijana Vujosevic
Contact hours
seminars: 3 hours per week for up to 12 weeks
  • The availability of units in Semester 1, 2, etc. was correct at the time of publication but may be subject to change.
  • All students are responsible for identifying when they need assistance to improve their academic learning, research, English language and numeracy skills; seeking out the services and resources available to help them; and applying what they learn. Students are encouraged to register for free online support through GETSmart; to help themselves to the extensive range of resources on UWA's STUDYSmarter website; and to participate in WRITESmart and (ma+hs)Smart drop-ins and workshops.
  • Unit readings, including any essential textbooks, are listed in the unit outline for each unit, one week prior the commencement of study. The unit outline will be available via the LMS and the UWA Handbook one week prior the commencement of study. Reading lists and essential textbooks are subject to change each semester. Information on essential textbooks will also be made available on the Essential Textbooks. This website is updated regularly in the lead up to semester so content may change. It is recommended that students purchase essential textbooks for convenience due to the frequency with which they will be required during the unit. A limited number of textbooks will be made available from the Library in print and will also be made available online wherever possible. Essential textbooks can be purchased from the commercial vendors to secure the best deal. The Student Guild can provide assistance on where to purchase books if required. Books can be purchased second hand at the Guild Secondhand bookshop (second floor, Guild Village), which is located on campus.
  • Contact hours provide an indication of the type and extent of in-class activities this unit may contain. The total amount of student work (including contact hours, assessment time, and self-study) will approximate 150 hours per 6 credit points.