American Studies Courses

An introduction to how historical and contemporary analyses of cultural, political, and social forces in America, the Atlantic world (Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean), and Africa have influenced the life experiences of people of color.  To illuminate those life experiences, the course employs the concept of race (as a theoretical, historical, and critical category), historiography, social analysis, and cultural critique. (Credit, full course.)  Roberson

An examination of major issues and topics in the cultural history of the U.S. from the 1893 Columbian International Exposition to the implosion of the internet dot.com bonanza in 2000. To dissect and analyze the discourses of race, gender, class, and sexuality in American life, the class concentrates on texts and images from the periods under examination, with special attention to the production and consumption of popular culture. (Credit, full course.) Register

Reading and discussion of significant texts from various disciplines including important theoretical analyses of American cultural and intellectual life. (Credit, full course.) Staff

Restricted to American studies majors. (Credit, full course.) Staff

Did the World Wars “put psychology on the map” and convert Americans to the “therapeutic gospel”? How is the polygraph test related to Wonder Woman? Did humanistic psychology inspire Yippies and feminists in the 1960s—and can humanistic psychologists be “real men”? This seminar explores such questions, using primary and secondary sources that link the history of psychology and popular culture in the U.S. Students evaluate critically the current popularization of psychology and explore relationships between popular and academic psychology. Prerequisite: four courses, in any combination, from psychology and American Studies, or permission of the instructor. (Credit, full course.) Barenbaum

Restricted to American studies majors. (Credit, full course.) Register