本课程首先安排于9月11日在纽约实地考察一天。届时学生与建筑师和摄影记者会面，和参观曼哈顿下城的清理现场。实地考察和阅读作业会扩大形成跨文化，跨历史的基础。课程包括城市文化的「归零地」讯号文本，也会考虑文学、电影、艺术，以及建筑和舞蹈的作品。课程引用这些作品，形成临时的范畴，用于分析世贸遇袭的各种反应。

这个课程的中心文章是《集体回忆》。法国社会学家Maurice Halbwachs为城市毁坏对社会群体的影响提出深刻见解。然而，Halbwachs的见解：集体身份的确在毁坏中深化――在今天是否仍然作实？他以非建筑方法建立社群的论点，更突显如何分析由911事件衍生媒体和文化的问题。

讨论的议题包括：

• 是否应该有一个世贸纪念碑？如果是，那么应该何时、如何规划？受众群是谁？除建纪念碑外，对911事件还应该有怎样的其他适当的文化反应？
• 有什么样特别的文学作品和像征来描绘德累斯顿，广岛和曼哈顿下城这些地方的遗迹？它们是否可以与文学作品描绘的奥斯维辛死亡集中营比较？（编注：德国东部城市德累斯顿，在1945年2月13日被盟军猛烈轰炸十四小时；盟军在1945年8月6日向日本广岛投下原子弹；美国纽约曼哈顿下城是世界贸易中心所在；第二次世界大战期间，德国在波兰奥斯维辛建造集中营囚禁和杀害犹太人。）
• 这些地点有何共通和分歧之处？它们是如何烙印于记忆？
• 欧洲社会思想应用于美国和日本的文化和历史，有什么限制？

大多数日子，学生需要就指定阅读作业提出的问题递交一份简短的书面回答（每份100到150字）。尽管这些回答不会打分，但这些个人准备可以增进课堂讨论。再者，经常练习写作有助为长篇论文作准备，不管是本课程还是其他。课程在学期中分发22个题目，学生可选答15个。为体现进度，每次作业应连续记号（如1/15，2/15……）。这些写作作业不得延期。讨论时请保持礼貌。

评分： 参与课堂讨论和递交15份简短书面回答--25%

2.本课程基本目的之一，是发展和提炼批判性分析和见解。为此，学生要写两篇论文。在截止日期前两周，学生必需提交文章提纲。最后完成的论文必须列出全部参考资料，论文须符合MLA标准（编注：Modern Language Association美国现代语言协会制定的论文格式）。

论文在指定日期的中午截收。未经导师同意迟交的论文将会被降 一个等级。迟交一周以上的将降两个等级。请保留论文打印副本。

评分 ：第一篇论文――15%，第二篇论文――20%

3.除了写作作业，学生还要做一次口头报告。学生需就当日的阅读资料发表一页讲稿。在20分钟的报告时间内，学生要总结作者的主要观点，描述产生文本的历史背景，和提出几个讨论问题。

报告的评分标准由以下几点决定：见解、清晰度；更重要的是报告者能激发同学参与思考的程度。

评分：一次口头报告――15%

4.有一次累计的期末考试 。考试由一个「确认」部分和「问答题」组成。问答题会从考试前一周分发的清单选考。

评分：期末考试――25%

要合格，学生必需完成所有课程要求。

This course begins with a one-day field trip to New York on 11 September. Students will meet with architects and photojournalists, and view the clearing in Lower Manhattan. Following the excursion, reading assignments will expand to form a cross-cultural, trans-historical base. The curriculum engages signal texts on the notion of "ground zero" in urban culture. Works of literature, cinema, and art, as well as architecture and choreography will be considered. The course draws from these works to develop a provisional scope through which to analyze the diverse responses to the World Trade Center attacks.

A central text for this course is Collective Memory. Here French sociologist Maurice Halbwachs offers critical insights on the impact of urban destruction on social groups. Does Halbwachs' argument--that collective identity actually deepens in the wake of demolition--still hold today? His thesis about the non-architectural means of community building render more salient the question of how to analyze the media and culture produced in the wake of September 11.

Among the topics of discussion are:

• Should there be a World Trade Center memorial? If so, when and how should it be planned? Who would be the audience? Besides a built memorial, what are other adequate cultural responses to the events of September 11?
• What are the specific literary and iconographic dimensions of the ruin of Dresden, Hiroshima, and Lower Manhattan? Can they be compared to literary representations of the death camps in Auschwitz?
• What are the points of convergence and divergence among these four sites? How do they register in memory?
• What are the application limits of European social thought on the cases of American and Japanese culture and history?

On most days students shall submit brief written responses (100-150 words each) to the question on the reading assignment. Although these responses will not be graded, such individual preparation will enhance class discussions. Further, regular writing practice will prepare students for longer papers, both in this course and beyond. Of the 22 questions distributed over the course of the semester students may select 15 to which they would like to respond. Students shall account for their progress with this series by consecutively marking each text (i.e. 1/15, 2/15… ). No extensions shall be granted for these writing assignments. Courtesy toward others in discussions is expected.

Grading: Participation in class discussion and submission of 15 brief written responses--25%.

2. One of the primary goals of this course is the development and refinement of critical analysis and argument. To this end students will write two essays. About two weeks before a given due date students must submit a brief outline of the essay they plan to write. In finished essays any and all references must be cited. Essays must conform to MLA standards.

Essays are due at noon on the dates indicated. Essays submitted late without prior permission from the instructor will be penalized by one full letter grade. Essays submitted more than one week late will be penalized by two full letter grades. Always keep a printed copy of your essay.

Grading: First essay--15%, Second essay--20%.

3. In addition to the writing assignments, students will also be expected to deliver an oral presentation. Students shall prepare and present a one-page handout on the day's reading. In these twenty-minute presentations students should provide a summary of the author's main points, describe the historical context in which the text was produced, and open up a few questions for discussion.

Presentations will be evaluated according to the following criteria: insight, clarity, and importantly, the degree to which presenters stimulate the thoughtful participation of their classmates.

Grading: One oral presentation--15%.

4. A cumulative final examination shall be given. The examination shall consist of an identification section and a selection of essay questions from a list distributed one week prior to the test date.

Grading: Final examination--25%.

To receive a passing grade for this course students must meet all course requirements.