Course Description: A house or a home? Often used as synonyms in daily conversations, the concept of house and home can mean very distinct things for different people. In this course, we will define “house” to be a physical structure and “home” to represent the abstract ideas contributed to the place that one sleeps at night — if that is their definition. We will explore the concepts of space, identity, materialism, belonging, and separation through the ‘house’ versus ‘home’ dichotomy. To further deepen the understanding of house vs. home, we will look at it through the eyes of people that have two houses: children of separated parents. It will have a commentary about how children react and are able to function in their homes. It’s their stories, not their parents.

The final project will be an exhibition of photographs and supporting multimedia pieces.

Week 1: What is your “home”?

Rykwert, Joseph. “House and Home.” Social Research 58.1 (Spring 1991): 51-62. Web. 9 Sept. 2016.

Rykwert explores the idea of home through the linguistic vocabulary available within languages. He relays that “home” does not have to be a building, but can be any type of shelter. He advises architects and those involved with creating living spaces that they are not in the business of “houses,” but of “homes.”

Moore, Jeanne. “Placing Home in Context” Journal of Environmental Psychology 20 (2000): 207-217

Moore explores the idea of home throughout environmental literature and highlights gaps in discussion. It explores how home is viewed in psychology within social, cultural, and political frameworks.

Week 2: Why is “home” important?

Marcus, Clare C. “Environmental Memories.” Place Attachment 12 (1992): 87-97

Our upbringing is affected by the environment that we live in. Environmental Psychology says that environment has more to do with a child’s memory and identity creation than their social circumstances. Here Marcus, believes that the malleability of a child’s environment influences their ability to create valuable memories and identity.

Week 3: Stories of Separated/Divorced Families 

Koenig, Ronnie. “Divorced Parents, Living Close for the Children’s Sake” New York Times. January 15, 2016. Web.9 Sept. 2016. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/17/realestate/divorced-parents-living-close-for-the-childrens-sake.html?_r=0

New York City provides an interesting opportunity for families that decide how they want to handle working with their kids after separating. In this article, it follows parents that moved only floors away from each other to allow their children to not have to move far to see each parent.

Week 4: Research and Documentation

Project Review: Home

Photographs will be the main focus of the final project in order to visualize the concept of home. First, we will look at past works and theories about photography.

Diane Arbus: Photography

Street photography focuses a great deal on candid shots and looking at people in their environment. This is the ideal focus for work in this class.

MoMA: Exhibition Experience

What does it take to put together an art show? What mediums and flow helps or hurts the ability for people to look at art?

Week 5: Understanding the Resources for Children of Divorced Families

Terry Gaspard, MSW, LICSW “How To Help Your Children Live Happily In Two Homes”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/terry-gaspard-msw-licsw/how-to-help-your-children-live-happily-in-two-homes_b_8596630.html

Parents must think about their kids in a business sense. Working with kids of different ages is really important and require various control as they grow up. Children should be involved in what schedule they have.

Wallerstein, Judith S. What about the kids?

This book provides a guide for parents separating and what to expect from their kids and how they will feel.

Julien, Jane Gordon. “Never Too Old to Hurt From Parental Divorce.” New York Times 24 Apr. 2016: 15(L). Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 23 Sept. 2016.

Marquardt, Elizabeth. Just Whom is this Divorce Good For?

Week 6: Conflicting Ideas About Children Having Two Homes

McDonald, Lucy. The children who have two homes
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/features/the-children-who-have-two-homes-2091246.html

Having dual custody is a newer phenomenon that’s taking more interest. It is not that common in the UK, but growing and happens in Australia and some in other classes.

Oaklander, Mandy. This Divorce Arrangement Stresses Kids Out Most
http://time.com/3836627/divorced-parents-joint-custody/

Part time living for students in separate houses may not be the worse case scenario. As well as their being difficulties to children, it may be better than completely removing a student from their homes.

Robert E. Emory. Two Homes, One Childhood

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/divorced-children/201607/two-homes-one-childhood

There are two steps in a divorce: figuring out how to tell a child and situate them into two new lives and the actually working with a child that has to go through two differnet houses. Emory explores the ways parents need to treat their situations.

Week 7: Looking at Exhibition Styles and Presentations

Public, Private, Secrete at ICP Museum

This exhibition looked at the varying things we can understand from today’s digital world. What we share, don’t share, or privately share reflects a lot on who we are and the society we live in. It’s fascinating to see the type of media that comes out of this generation of technology.

The exhibition utilizes movies, audio, video, and movement throughout spaces. Some work is covered up, others are blown up.

Week 8: Reflecting on Personal Experiences and Anecdotes; Finding Subjects

Thinking about my own story is incredibly important for completing this project because my own assumptions, beliefs, and tendencies will influence the way I photograph and design. Over the past weeks I have recognized that my story of separation is incredibly different from other feelings and ideas that children like me have.

Defining my subjects:

• Live within two houses throughout NYC
• Be at the end of high school or in college
• Have parents that divorced or separated at different times of their lives; cannot be separate because of immigration or other reasons.
• Can be by themselves or have other siblings

Looking at further cases, I have spoken with several children and seeing what perceptions are present and preliminary thoughts.