AMERICAN STUDIES

University Professor V.N. Gamble

Professors J.M. Vlach, R.W. Longstreth, J.A. Miller

Associate Professors T.A. Murphy, M. McAlister, C. Heap (Chair), T. Guglielmo, J.K. Kosek

Assistant Professors S. Osman, E. Peña, E. Anker, J. Nash, C.L. Warren

Professorial Lecturers R.D. Wagner, O. Ridout, F. Goodyear, N.E. Davis, K. Ott

Bachelor of Arts with a major in American studies-The following requirements must be fulfilled:

1. The general requirements stated under Columbian College of Arts and Sciences.

2. Required courses in related areas-Two semesters of foreign language or placement into the third semester of a foreign language by examination; also, one course on a foreign culture, either selected from the CCAS list of foreign culture courses or as approved by the department.

3. Requirements for the major-AmSt 2010, 2011, 3900, 3901, 4500, and five courses in the student's area of focus. Areas of focus are cultural politics; global connections; and space, place, and society. A list of appropriate courses for each area of focus is maintained by the department. At least three of the five courses in the area of focus must be offered by the American studies faculty.

Combined Bachelor of Arts/Master of Arts in the field of American studies-Students interested in the dual degree program should consult the department by the middle of the junior year.

Special Honors-For Special Honors in American studies, a major must meet the special honors requirements stated under University Regulations, be recommended by the faculty, and receive a grade of A on the senior paper written for AmSt 4500.

Minor in American studies-Required: 18 credit hours, including AmSt 2010, 2011, and four additional AmSt courses at the 2000-3000 level.

The green leaf indicates that the course addresses environmental, social or economic sustainability.

1050	Explorations in American Culture (3)	Staff
	Exploration of different aspects of American culture depending on the topic. Consideration of various forms of American music, material culture, architecture, or other forms of expression. May be repeated for credit provided the topic differs.
1070	The American Cinema (3)	Staff
	History and criticism of American films. The course enables the student to recognize and evaluate cinema techniques, to express the evaluation clearly in writing, and to understand the role of films in the context of American culture. Laboratory fee. Same as AH 1070.
1100	Politics and Film (3)	Anker
	How American films interpret and challenge political power in America.
1160	Race, Gender, and Law (3)	Nash
	Significant civil rights cases, critical race theory, feminist theory, and current public policy debates on domestic violence, mass imprisonment, sexual assault, and racial profiling.
2010	Early American Cultural History (3)	Murphy
	How culture was important in the creation of the United States-in its origins as a colonial outpost and its expansion across the continent; in its hierarchies and expressions of power, especially as organized by race, class, ethnicity, or gender; in the creation of democracy and the valuing of free expression; and in the development of cities and the varied uses of the countryside. Same as Hist 2010.
2011	Modern American Cultural History (3)	Kosek
	The effects of culture in the shaping of the United States since 1876. The role of the mass media; effects of cultural conceptions on the physical landscape; changing ideas of race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality; and the political meanings of cultural conflict. Transnational influences on U.S. culture and effects of U.S. culture abroad. Same as Hist 2011.
2020	Washington, D.C.: History, Culture, and Politics (3)	Staff
	Introduction to interdisciplinary methods of studying the contemporary city. Major problems of metropolitan life, past and present, analyzed by faculty and community leaders. Emphasis on experiential team projects. Same as Hist 2020.
2120	Freedom in American Thought and Popular Culture (3)	Anker
	America was founded on the premise of providing freedom to its people. But what, exactly, is freedom? The question has been debated in America since its founding and continues today; this course examines varied answers provided by American political thought and popular culture. Same as PSc 2120.
2125	Varieties of Feminist Theory (3)	Nash
	Same as WStu 2125.
2144	Explorations in Historical Geography (3)	Staff
	Examination of selected themes in the cultural geography of the United States over the course of its history, in relation to an overview of the historical geography of the country. Same as Geog 2144.
2320	U.S. Media and Cultural History (3)	McAlister
	History and analysis of 20th-century U.S. media and culture, including the rise of consumer culture, film, and television. Racial, gendered, and national identities in the context of modernism, mass culture, and globalization. Same as Hist 2320.
2350	U.S. Religion and Politics (3)	Kosek
	How religion and politics have influenced each other in the United States and how Americans have understood those influences. Religious violence; conflicts between faith and science; religious factors in racial and gender politics; and the separation of church and state. Same as Hist 2350.
2380	Sexuality in U.S. History (3)	Heap
	Examination of the changing social organization and meaning of sexual practices and desires in American culture, with particular attention to the relationship between sexuality and gendered racial and class identities and politics. Same as Hist/WStu 2380.
2410	20th-Century U.S. Immigration (3)	Guglielmo
	Survey of immigration policy and immigrants' lives. How immigrants have changed the United States and how the United States has changed immigrants. Same as Hist 2410.
2440	The American City (3)	Osman
	An interdisciplinary introduction to the ethnic, cultural, political, and architectural landscape of the American city. Urban theory, race and ethnicity, urban history, planning and architecture, city politics, and cultural representations of the city. Same as Hist 2440.
2490	Themes in U.S. Cultural History (3)	Peña, Warren
	An examination of the special ideas, values, and modes of expression that have made American life distinctive, as revealed through a variety of sources, including fiction, popular media, photography and the arts, and material culture. May be repeated for credit provided the topic differs. Same as Hist 2490.
2495	Special Topics in African American History (3)	Staff
	Concentration on specific issues central to the African American experience. Consult the Schedule of Classes for issues to be addressed.
2520-21	American Architecture (3-3)	Longstreth
	Stylistic properties, form and type characteristics, technological developments, and urbanistic patterns are introduced as a means of interpretation of historic meaning. Buildings are analyzed both as artifacts and as signifiers of social, cultural, and economic tendencies. AmSt 2520: 1600-1860; AmSt 2521: 1860-present. Same as AH 2154- 55.
2530	Folk Arts in America (3)	Vlach
	Ceramics, woodcarving, ironwork, decorative painting, weaving, and other crafts. Same as AH 2156.
2532	Introduction to Folklore (3)	Vlach
	Survey of the forms of folk expression, including verbal art, music, dance, and material culture. Examination of the materials and methods of folklore research. Same as Anth 2532.
2533	Material Culture in America (3)	Vlach
	Review and analysis of the cultural messages embedded in our material surroundings. Consideration of a range of humanly created artifacts, ranging from specific objects to vast landscapes. Same as Anth 2533.
2710	The United States in Global Context, 1898-Present (3)	McAlister
	How the 20th- and 21st-century U.S. has been engaged globally, both politically and culturally, with attention to global culture, transnational ideas and social movements, foreign policy, and economic transformations. Same as Hist 2710.
2730	World War II in History and Memory (3)	Guglielmo
	Examination of Americans' histories and memories of World War II. Same as Hist 2730.
2750	Latinos in the United States (3)	Peña
	Exploration of the term Latino and its impact on discussions of race, identity, and citizenship expectations throughout U.S. history. How geographic, linguistic, aesthetic, political, and economic factors construct Latino identity and influence policymaking and international relations. Same as Anth 2750.
3324	U.S. Urban History (3)	Klemek
	History of American urban life and culture from the colonial era to the present, focusing on transitions from pre-industrial to industrial and post-industrial forms. The social and spatial configuration of U.S. cities, and the urban politics of race, class, and gender. Same as Hist 3324.
3351	U.S. Social History (3)	Stott
	Same as Hist 3351.
3352-53	Women in the United States (3-3)	Harrison, Murphy
	Survey of women's experience in U.S. history, the way gender has organized relations of power, and the impact of race, region, class, and ethnicity on women and on gender roles. Same as Hist/WStu 3352- 53.
3360-61	African American History (3-3)	Chapman
	Same as Hist 3360- 61.
3362	Black Women in U.S. History (3)	Chapman
	Same as Hist/WStu 3362.
3810	Building Cities (3)	Staff
	Same as Geog 3810.
3811	Historical Archaeology (3)	Staff
	Same as Anth 3811.
3835	Historical Archaeology Field Program (3)	Staff
	Same as Anth 3835.
3900	Critiquing Culture (3)	Anker, McAlister
	Modes of analysis, including ethnography and other cultural studies methods, applied to examination of the interaction of cultural texts and practices with structures of power. Theories and themes central to American studies; scholarly debate about mass culture, ideology, visuality, discourse, and affect. For departmental majors; minors admitted with permission of instructor.
3901	Examining America (3)	Osman, Peña
	Modes of power and forms of identification within and across U.S. national borders. Social constructions of the nation; forms of diversity and identity, such as race, gender, and sexuality; and the transnational flow of people, ideas, culture, and religion. For departmental majors; minors admitted with permission of instructor.
3950	Special Topics (3)	Staff
	May be repeated for credit provided the topic differs. Admission by permission of instructor.
4400	Independent Study (1 to 3)	Staff
	Open to a limited number of American studies majors as directed research or as an internship with a Washington museum or historical society. Approval of advisor required.
4500	Proseminar in American Studies (3)	Staff
	For American studies majors. Directed research and writing on special topics. May be repeated for credit provided the topic differs.