100. What is an American?(4). (SS).
This lecture/discussion section course will study the diverse, conflicting ways in which Americans have defined what it means to be American, in both the past and the present. A rich tradition of debate over what values and experiences make up our national identity informs most of the central political and cultural conflicts in our history. This course will study both the contemporary era of intense controversy over what it means to be American - what some have called a "cultural civil war" - and periods of past conflicts over questions of diversity and difference in American life. The course will meet for two hours a week for lecture and two hours for discussion. Students will be graded on the basis of classroom participation, midterm and final examinations, and one term paper. Cost:3 WL:1 (Scobey)
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103. First Year Seminar in American Studies. Limited to First- and second-year students . (3). (HU).
Section 001 - History and Legacy of the Salem Witchcraft Trials. For Fall Term, 1997, this section is offered jointly with History 197.006. (DuPuis)
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204. Themes in American Culture. (3). (HU). May be repeated for credit with permission of concentration advisor.
Section 001 - Borders of the American Self: Autobiographies of Migration and Culture-Crossing: Who is American? Who can become American? These questions about identity remain central to debates about our multicultural nation. Through the medium of twentieth-century immigrant and ethnic American autobiography, this course will explore issues at the heart of personal and national identity: complicated intersections of culture, language, migration, race, labor, gender, sexuality, family. How do authors straddling ethnic, national, and linguistic identities write themselves into the "American story" or the "American Dream?" How do they critique or redefine it? Where are the borders between the "ethnic" or "immigrant" self and the "American" self? Central to this course will be questions about self-representation. What does it mean to write one's life story? Although we will primarily focus on non-fiction autobiographies (including Andrew Carnegie, Carlos Bulosan, Richard Rodriguez), we will also consider fiction, oral history, music, poetry, and visual media, exploring different modes of self-representation through class discussions and independent projects. (Garland)
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206. Themes in American Culture. (3). (SS). May be repeated for credit with permission of concentration advisor.
Section 001 - Nature and America: From Wilderness to Winnebagos - Changing Ideas about the Natural World. This course will survey how ideas about nature and wilderness have changed through American history. The course will begin with the earliest interactions between European and Native Americans, but will pay particular attention to contemporary debates over humanity's place in nature. Students will be asked to examine their own assumptions about what is natural by visiting woods, a park, a farm, and a shopping mall in or near Ann Arbor. Readings for this class are interesting and engaging and consist of both primary and secondary sources. The course requires three short papers and a final exam. WL:1 (Randolph)
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213(211). Introduction to Latino Studies - Humanities. (3). (HU). (This course meets the Race and Ethnicity Requirement).
This course will serve as an introduction to the study of the historical situation of Latino/a cultures within the United States. Basic questions of cultural conflict, identity, labor, migrations and immigrations, and social movements will be analyzed through various media, including the short story, novel, poetry/performance, music, film, painting, murals, autobiography, and fashion. Emphasis will be upon issues of race, gender, class, and sexuality as they inform the making of a Latino/a identity. WL:1 (Gonzalez)
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214. Introduction to Asian American Studies - Social Science. (3). (SS). (This course meets the Race and Ethnicity Requirement).
This course aims to re-center the experiences of Asian Americans in the narrative of U.S. history not only to uncover submerged histories but also to examine the complex cultural and political processes by which the Asian American past was documented and re-presented. This class also attempts to explore the social construction of race in the history of the U.S., issues of power as it relates to the politics of historical representation, and the intersections of race, gender, and class in historical narratives. We will engage in theorizing the category "Asian American" and partake in identifying key themes in Asian American historiography such as colonialism, (im)migration, labor, culture, ethnicity, identity, strategies of resistance and accommodation, etc. as they relate to historical inquiry. (Lieu)
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217. Introduction to Native American Studies - Humanities. (3). (HU). (This course meets the Race and Ethnicity Requirement).
This will be an introductory course in contemporary Native American identity and literature. We will look at the ways in which Native American authors defined or reimagined tribalism in the late 20th century. Our readings will begin with the works of the Native American Renaissance (Momaday, Silko, Deloria) and trace their influences through contemporary novels and essays. (Bell)
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240/WS 240. Introduction to Women's Studies. Open to all undergraduates. (4). (HU). (R&E).
See Women's Studies 240.
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Courses in Ojibwa
A full sequence of Ojibwa cannot be guaranteed. Students must consult with the American Culture Program Office before undertaking Ojibwa to satisfy the College language requirement.
222. Elementary Ojibwa.Non-LS&A students must have permission of the American Culture Program Director. (3). (LR).
This course is designed to give the conversational and cultural skills necessary to enable students to use Ojibwa in real life situations. The teaching methods are entirely inductive, and the role of writing is downplayed. There is considerable emphasis on teaching culturally appropriate behavior, and the simple conversational patterns of greetings, leave-takings, introductions, table talk, etc. There is no prerequisite for the course. Cost:2 WL:1 (McCue)
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