Abstract
The concept of ethnicity is a prevailing explanatory device in studies of colonial architecture. This paper argues for decentring ethnicity in buildings research through treating buildings as ‘assemblages’ of both material and social ‘things’. Drawing on a case study from the late 19th-century settler landscape of Manitoba, Canada, we illustrate how settler architecture – conceived of as an ‘assemblage’ – can shed light on the events, processes and material consequences of homesteading in a new land. Through decentring ethnicity as a determining factor in building projects, the role of settler architecture as a material indicator of resistance or assimilation becomes more easily questioned. An archaeological interpretation of buildings as assemblages draws attention towards their materiality and the embodied experiences of building by highlighting the historical and geographical contingencies of the settlement landscape.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 27-48 |
Number of pages | 12 |
Journal | Journal of Social Archaeology |
Volume | 17 |
Issue number | 1 |
Early online date | 18 Dec 2016 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Feb 2017 |
Keywords
- Buildings
- Assemblage
- Settler Society
- Canada
- Archaeology
- ethnicity
- Architecture
- Manitoba