AMST 1201: Introduction to American Studies
MWF 11:15-12:05, #11975 What does it mean to be American? This course introduces ways of examining the United States while investigating significant historical and contemporary events and popular culture. How has America imagined itself through its history and culture? How does America imagine itself today? Students will also be introduced to the practice of American Studies; the course is designed to teach students to critically analyze United States culture and society. Note: the theme for this semester will be racism in post-Civil War America. Professor: Richard TestaAMST / MUSI 1002: Sing and Shout! The History of the United States in Song
Th 9:00-10:45am, #16906, MUSB 102 Develop an understanding of American people, history and culture through the study and singing of American folk songs. CA 1. CA 4. Professor: Mary JundaAMST/ENGL 2274W: Disability in American Literature and Culture
Tu Th 5:00-6:15pm, #16369The term “freaks,” like so many other derogatory epithets, has come to have a two-fold meaning. Originally meant pejoratively, the word freak has been reclaimed by many within the disabled community as a badge of difference, as a mark of one’s identity, and as an indication of being extraordinary. In this course we will explore the ways in which the extraordinary body has been used culturally to help reinforce ideas of normality. We will ask how disability has been enfolded in depictions of various “others,” including African Americans, women and children. We will also consider how ideas of disability continue to evolve, and how our quest for perfection shapes everyone’s future. In the process we will also be engaging a variety of theoretical questions that have material consequences on social policy, and the lives of people affected by those policies. Professor: Anna Mae Duane
AMST 3042: Baseball and Society: Politics, Economics, Race and Gender
Tu Th 2:00-3:15pm, MCHU 205This is a rigorous course designed for the intellectually curious. Baseball serves as the vehicle for studying society within historical, political, sociological, and economic contexts. Topics include, but are not limited to, the impact of sports on individuals and families, labor relations, scandals, assimilation and integration, multiculturalism, gender relations, urban development, public finance, baseball during war, women in baseball, gays in sports, baseball in court and in politics, and the globalization of the game. Professor: Steven Wisendale
AMST / POLS 3082: Critical Race Theory as Political Theory
Tu Th 3:30-45pm, #16326 This course is about the political uses and abuses of race. It examines racial identities, policies, and conflicts in the United States from the perspective of political science and political theory. Specific topics include interactions between states and social movements; the intersections of race, class, and gender; and the potential problems with “post-racialism” and “identity politics.” Professor: Fred LeeAMST / ENGL 3265W: American Studies Methods
Tu Th 9:30-10:45am, #11472 This course aims to introduce you to American Studies research methods and to develop interdisciplinary writing skills by approaching a specific theme in US history and culture. In this section, we will explore the theme of fascism and antifascism in the 20th century United States. Some questions we will explore are: what is fascism? What were its essential features in Europe and Japan before WWII? How has it appeared in US history, and what impact has it had on this side of the Atlantic? Also, what is antifascism, and more broadly, what forces have checked the rise of fascism in the past? Professor: Chris VialsAMST / POLS 3807: Constitutional Rights and Liberties
Tu Th 9:30-10:45am, MCHU 205, #16327The role of the Supreme Court in interpreting the Bill of Rights. Topics include freedoms of speech and religion, criminal due process, and equal protection. Professor: David Yalof
AMST / POLS 3822: Law and Popular Culture
MW 4:40-5:55pm, #16328Exploration of themes in the study of law and courts by contrasting scholarly work against representations of such themes in movies, television, and other media of popular culture. Professor: Jeffrey Dudas