Walls, borders and partitions shape, redirect, connect and disconnect flows of people, goods, ideas, resources, information and even our imaginations. Although the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 seemed to promise a time when travel between nations would become easier and less mediated by ideology, in fact the world has become a more walled place. Human security is one reason some of the world’s most stable democracies, have built thousands of miles of walls over the past decade, in their words to wall out terrorists, illegal immigrants and illegal commerce, like narcotics.
What does this mean for culture, economics and human rights? Beyond the visible infrastructure, how do the walls shape stories and lives? In addition to these visible walls, such as the “peace lines” in Northern Ireland, barriers to connection and circulation can also be invisible. Where do the invisible borders exist in Durham beyond which Duke students rarely cross? What similarities and differences exist in how and where one lives due to the physical barriers that exist in Northern Ireland and the mental ones that shape daily life here in Durham?
Walls can be intentional or accidental. The sheer quantity of information and interests at play in multi-agency efforts such as post-conflict and post-disaster reconstruction projects create walls that prevent the flow of information, resulting in barriers to communication and collaboration. What kinds of pathways and platforms are possible for increasing transparency, efficiency, and participation in long-term reconstruction projects that could better facilitate the free circulation not only of people but also the information and resources necessary to rebuild after conflict and disaster?
This class will explore the kinds of communities created by the visible and invisible walls that structure the geography of our lives and explore the possibilities for molding and breeching these walls through peepholes and passageways, doors and demolition, projects and on-the-ground work. This is a full credit course that accepts both students interested in working in clusters and independently. The course is organized around two research clusters:
In The Walls: the game, students will design board games that explore the walls and divisions between Duke/Durham and in Belfast, Northern Ireland – and to encourage players, in a fun and interactive way, to imagine and build passageways within, around, and beneath the walls. Students will research the origins of games involving real or made-up places and extract lessons that can be applied to the creation of the new games. We will use the physical space of Durham and Belfast or exploration, analysis and game making.
In Platforms and Passageways, students will create a pilot methodology and platform for gathering, coordinating, and displaying information in post-conflict and post-disaster reconstruction initiatives. Throughout the semester, students will conduct comparative research on assessment, monitoring, and evaluation methodologies used in community organizing and development projects as well as mapping and visualization tools used to coordinate and illustrate data generated in public and private sector multi-organizational initiatives, marketing, and political campaigns.