Utopianism: Space, Place, and Order (10 credit points)

Pre-requisites for enrolment

No previous knowledge necessary.

Content of Course

1. Introduction
   1. Utopian political thought: History
   2. Four Time-Spaces
   3. Four Heterotopes
2. Arcadia
   1. Order in the Past
   2. Religious: The Garden of Eden
   3. Political: Locke and Hobbes' States of Nature and Civility
3. Utopia
   1. Order in the Present
   2. Ancient Times: Plato's Republic
   3. The Renaissance: Sir Thomas Moore
   4. The American West: Californian Utopian Communities
4. Dystopia
   1. Disorder in the Present
   2. Mediaeval Torments: Dante's Hell
   3. Brave New Worlds: Huxley and Orwell
   4. Feminist Malestream Monotonies
5. Apocalyptia
   1. Order in the Future
   2. Messianic: The Book of Revelations
   3. Earthly Delights: Diggers and Ranters
   4. Freedom of Labour: Marx
6. Heterotopia I: Formatories
   1. Order From Birth: Hetherington & Heterotopia
   2. Foucault on Orphanages & Schools
   3. Markus on Schools
7. Heterotopia II: Factories
   1. Order At Work
   2. Markus on Factories
   3. Adam Smith and Manufactories
   4. Robert Owen and New Lanark
8. Heterotopia III: Reformatories
   1. Order from Correction
   2. Bentham on the Panopticon
   3. Markus & Foucault on Prisons
   4. Parks & Gyms
9. Heterotopia IV: Informatories
   1. Order in Education
   2. Public squares, riots and libraries
   3. From Speakers Corners to the Internet and the Matrix (film)
10. Review / Revision: Overview Lecture

Teaching method(s)

Lecture based with class discussion.

Learning outcomes

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

• Read and investigate utopian literature for themselves;
• Use the appropriate language and understand concepts such as 'heterotopia';
• Provide examples of various types of utopia and heterotopia;
• Relate 'purist' ideals to their compromised use in everyday settings;
• Think about buildings and cities in terms of underlying social relationships of power.

 

Sources

Core Readings

Essential

Foucault, M., 1977. Discipline & Punish: The Birth of the Prison. London: Peregrine.
Hetherington, K., 1997. The Badlands of Modernity: Heterotopia and Social Ordering. London: Routledge.
Markus, T., 1993. Buildings & Power: Freedom & Control in the Origin of Modern Building Types. London: Routledge.
More, T.,1516. Utopia Copyright Free eBook.

Recommended

Morton, A. L.,1952. The English Utopia. London: Lawrence & Wishart.

Class Handouts

Each week a 4-page Lecture Summary and/or Reading will be provided. Additional material will be available on CD-ROM or via email.

Assessments

10 credit courses have one assessment. Normally, the assessment is a 2000 word essay, worth 100% of the total mark, submitted by week 12. To pass, students must achieve a minimum of 40%. There are a small number of exceptions to this model which are identified in the Studying for Credit Guide.

Studying for Credit

If you choose to study for credit you will need to allocate significant time outwith classes for coursework and assessment preparation. Credit points gained from this course can count towards the Certificate of Higher Education.

Queries

If you have questions regarding the course or enrolment, please contact COL Reception at Paterson's Land by email COL@ed.ac.uk or by phone 0131 650 4400.

Student support

If you have a disability, learning difficulty or health condition which may affect your studies, please let us know by ticking the 'specific support needs' box on your course application form. This will allow us to make appropriate adjustments in advance and in accordance with your rights under the Equality Act 2010. For more information please visit the Student Support section of our website.