AMST 201(F,S) Introduction to American Studies

To be an "American" is something beyond being a citizen of the United States. Yet precisely what it means is seldom clear. Access to Americanness as a symbolic identity varies with factors such as class, race, ethnicity, gender, religion, and region-categories which themselves change in meaning over time. Looking at representative stories Americans tell about themselves, we will focus on the following questions: What distinguishes the stories from one another? Conversely, what common assumptions and goals seem to be present amid the variety? What uses have been made of the claim to an American identity? Evidence for our answers will be drawn from materials such as film, music, paintings, buildings, and household objects, as well as from more conventional texts. Class discussion and a series of short papers will develop students' skills of analysis and expression. Open to first-year students with Advanced Placement credit in American History; preference to first-year students and sophomores.

Hour: First Semester: KENT, KUNZEL Second Semester: SANBORN