The science of government; that part of ethics which has to do with the regulation and government of a nation or state, the preservation of its safety, peace, and prosperity, the defense of its existence and rights against foreign control or conquest, the augmentation of its strength and resources, and the protection of its citizens in their rights, with the preservation and improvement of their morals.
Primarily focusing on the architectural examples of the modern and present architecture, the course raises concerns related to the political (mis/re)use of spaces, structures, and signs. By contextualizing each architectural case in its specific sociopolitical history, we will ask the following questions: How is architecture used as a site of power and resistance in politically charged societies? Why is architecture-as-representation so central to the making of coercive narratives about modern identities and civil order? How do these shifting uses of the landmark leave their imprint on architectural form, function, and meaning?
Our aim will be to analyze how architecture both endorses political discourse and, by contrast, sustains social resistance. Above all, what can modern, dynamic Jakarta and societies inform us about the politics of space and identity?
