21/1 – Architecture of Memory

The aim of this module is to introduce, explore, and overview a number of different but related topics concerning memory and the ways in which we process the past. Throughout the course, we will be connecting the different building blocks of memory to narratives, a basic human strategy for coming to terms with our experience of time, change, and trauma. Drawing on a selection of narratives ranging from literature, history, politics, visual culture and from everyday life, we will consider the relevance of stories and storytelling in shaping and challenging the understanding of ourselves and our environments. Through the study of the distinctive nature of narrative and its various structures, elements, uses, and effects we will decode what it does for us and why we rely on it. By combining theoretical and practical components the students will get first-hand experience in not only analysing but creating narratives themselves. The course will provide students with opportunities for both individual and group learning through discussion, research, and presentation. This module provides the necessary toolkit for the student’s own commemoration of the year 2020 and the pandemic through their final group project.