What is material culture? How do objects, used in both our past and present, define our lives and the society we belong to? Why do we feel an intense desire to consume material goods, and what ramifications does that hold? This course will largely explore how things – from bedrooms to Barbies - define us. Special emphasis will be made on how our experiences, beliefs, and our very own bodies can be examined as material and the consequences that may hold on the construction of our identities, ideologies and society at large. Topics include the study of material cultures such as works of art, religious symbols, and styles of clothing.