Courses in American Culture (Division 315)

Amer. Cult. 100. What is an American?

(4; 3 in the half-term). (SS).

Studies the diverse, conflicting ways in which Americans have defined what it means to be an American, in both the past and the present. Studies both the contemporary era of intense controversy over what it means to be an American – what some have called a 'cultural civil war' – and periods of past conflicts over questions of diversity and difference in American life. Lectures and discussions.

Amer. Cult. 102. First Year Seminar in American Studies.

Only first-year students, including those with sophomore standing, may pre-register for First-Year Seminars. All others need permission of instructor. (3). (SS).

This course is designed to introduce students to a wide variety of topics and issues in American Studies in a seminar format from a Social Science perspective. It enables students to have contact with regular faculty in a small-class experience and to elicit their active participation in the topics under discussion.

Amer. Cult. 103. First Year Seminar in American Studies.

Only first-year students, including those with sophomore standing, may pre-register for First-Year Seminars. All others need permission of instructor. (3). (HU).

This course is designed to introduce students to a wide variety of topics and issues in American Studies in a seminar format from a Humanities perspective. It enables students to have contact with regular faculty in a small-class experience and to elicit their active participation in the topics under discussion.

Amer. Cult. 170/Hist. 170/WS 210. New Worlds: Colonialism and Cultural Encounters.

First-year students only. (4). (Introductory Composition).

A multidisciplinary, cross-cultural lecture/discussion course in which "new worlds" is explored over the span of several centuries and geographical regions. The discussion section functions as a "mini-course" within the larger course dealing with more specifically-defined but related topics.

Amer. Cult. 201. American Values.

(4; 3 in the half-term). (HU).

The beliefs, habits, prejudices, and tastes of the American people and their leaders in the past and at the present time. Lectures and discussions.

Amer. Cult. 203. Periods in American Culture.

(3). (HU). May be repeated for credit with permission of concentration advisor.

The course is intended for freshmen, sophomores and juniors as a specific illustration of the issues raised and the approaches used by scholars in American Studies. An interdisciplinary approach to a well-defined period in America's past shapes the content of the course.

Amer. Cult. 204. Themes in American Culture.

(3). (HU). Laboratory fee required. May be repeated for credit with permission of concentration advisor.

The course is intended for first-year students, sophomores and juniors as specific illustrations of the issues raised and the approaches used by American Studies scholars. It is an interdisciplinary approach to a social, cultural or literary theme in American Culture.

Amer. Cult. 205. American Cultures.

(3). (HU).

A multidisciplinary introductory study of cultural diversity and pluralism evidenced by the existence of, dynamics within, and the interactions among cultural groups, races, and histories in America.

Amer. Cult. 206. Themes in American Culture.

(3). (SS). Laboratory fee required. May be repeated for credit with permission of concentration advisor.

The course is intended for first-year students, sophomores and juniors as specific illustrations of the issues raised and the approaches used by American Studies scholars. It is an interdisciplinary approach to a social, cultural or literary theme in American Culture.

Amer. Cult. 207. Periods in American Culture.

(3). (SS). Laboratory fee required. May be repeated for credit with permission of concentration advisor.

The course is intended for freshmen, sophomores and juniors as a specific illustration of the issues raised and the approaches used by scholars in American Studies. An interdisciplinary approach to a well-defined period in America's past shapes the content of the course.

Amer. Cult. 210. Introduction to Ethnic Studies.

(3). (SS). May be repeated with permission for a total of six credits.

This course serves as an introductory course in ethnic studies topics the content of which may vary from term to term.

Amer. Cult. 212. Introduction to Latino Studies – Social Science.

(3). (SS). (R&E).

The social, cultural and historical experiences of Latinos' experience in the U.S. through the study of anthropological, historical, and sociological works.

Amer. Cult. 213. Introduction to Latino Studies – Humanities.

(3). (HU). (R&E).

The social, cultural and historical experiences of Latinos in the U.S. through the study of autobiographical narratives, art, and fictional works.

Amer. Cult. 214. Introduction to Asian American Studies – Social Science.

(3). (SS). (R&E).

The social, cultural and historical experiences of Asian Americans in the U.S. through the study of anthropological, historical, and sociological works.

Amer. Cult. 215. Introduction to Asian American Studies – Humanities.

(3). (HU). (R&E).

The social, cultural and historical experiences of Asian Americans in the U.S. through the study of autobiographical narratives, art, and fictional works.

Amer. Cult. 216. Introduction to Native American Studies – Social Science.

(3). (SS). (R&E).

The social, cultural and historical experiences of Native Americans in the U.S. through the study of anthropological, historical, and sociological works.

Amer. Cult. 217. Introduction to Native American Studies – Humanities.

(3). (HU). (R&E).

The social, cultural and historical experiences of Native Americans in the U.S. through the study of autobiographical narratives, art, and fictional works.

Amer. Cult. 222. Elementary Ojibwa.

(Courses in Ojibwa)

Non-LS&A students must have permission of the American Culture Program Director. (3; 2 in the half-term). (LR).

An introduction to Ojibwa, a native language of Michigan; basic phonological, grammatical, and syntactic patterns; emphasis on acquisition of speaking skills.

Amer. Cult. 223. Elementary Ojibwa.

(Courses in Ojibwa)

Amer. Cult. 222 and permission of the American Culture Program Director. (3; 2 in the half-term). (LR).

Continuation of American Culture 222.

Amer. Cult. 224(307)/Spanish 290. Spanish for Heritage Language Learners.

(Courses in Spanish)

Basic knowledge of Spanish language. (4). (Excl). This course does not satisfy the language requirement.

Addresses the linguistic needs of Latino/a students born and/or raised in the U.S. Spanish grammar, vocabulary building, reading and writing skills are developed along with discussions on bilingualism and biculturalism. Addresses the following identified needs in grammar and discourse competence: (1) basic recognition of and practice in grammar, syntax, structures, spelling, and accentuation; (2) vocabulary development, particularly in levels of abstract thought and professional texts; (3) development of writing skills that would incorporate diverse genres, from literary and critical essays, to business letters, professional memos, reviews of their particular field, and cultural studies.

Amer. Cult. 230/Hist. of Art 230. Art and Life in 19th-Century America.

(3). (HU).

This lecture/discussion class surveys painting, sculpture, architecture, and the visual and material culture of everyday life. It examines the impact of industrialization, Westward expansion, international art movements, and the rise of middle-class taste. Assignments include museum visits, readings in historical sources and recent critical interpretations, and original research.

Amer. Cult. 231. Visual & Material Culture Studies.

(3). (HU).

The purpose of this course is to establish a vocabulary and methods for scholarly work in Visual Culture and Material Culture. Students are asked to interrogate the meanings in and uses of photography, public art, advertising, illustration, architecture, industrial design, film, etc... as these fundamental elements of the viual terrain of the United States construct and convey ideas about "America" and "Americanness."

Amer. Cult. 240/WS 240. Introduction to Women's Studies.

(4; 3 in the half-term). (HU). (R&E).

A survey introduction to women's studies which serves as a foundation for more advanced work. An interdisciplinary approach acquaints students with the broad dimensions of the field.

Amer. Cult. 243/WS 243. Introduction to Study of Latinas in the U.S.

(3). (HU). (R&E).

This course serves to introduce the study of gender, culture, and identity among Latinas in the U.S. It grapples with the cultural forces that have historically created and re-created Latina identities.

Amer. Cult. 260/Hist. 260. Religion in America.

Hist. 160 and 161 are recommended but not required. (3). (HU).

An introduction to the historical study of religion in America, from the early seventeenth century to the present. Emphasis falls on broad movements of people and ideas rather than denominational histories.

Amer. Cult. 272. Environment and Society.

(3). (Excl).

Race, ethnicity, gender, and the environment are highly interconnected in the U.S. cultural system. The "wilderness" may have had its origins in Europe, but the current manifestations are driven by U.S. ideology. The purpose of this course is to explore the points of interaction between race, ethnicity and the environment in a multicultural world.

Amer. Cult. 301. Topics in American Culture.

(1-3). (Excl). Laboratory fee required. May be repeated for credit with permission.

Topics in American Culture provides undergraduates the opportunity to explore a specific topic in American life in depth using an interdisciplinary approach. Seminar topics vary from term to term and are listed in the Time Schedule.

Amer. Cult. 302/Soc. 302. Introduction to American Society.

(3). (Excl).

A survey of the major social institutions of contemporary American society. Special consideration is given to American social stratification, economic institutions, political institutions, religious organizations, educational organizations, and kinship institutions. Analyzes American common values of the maintenance of societal normative integration in the face of change.

Amer. Cult. 304/Soc. 304. American Immigration.

(3). (SS).

As America is a nation of immigrants, this course surveys the immigrant past of ethnic groups such as the Irish, Germans, Jews, Italians, Chinese, Japanese, Blacks, Puerto Ricans, Cubans, and Mexicans. Surveying these varied ethnic histories, we analyze them from contrasting theoretical perspectives on race and ethnic relations, theories of assimilation, internal colonialism, etc. We seek to understand what is unique to and shared among these experiences.

Amer. Cult. 309. Learning through Community Practice.

Permission of instructor. (1-4). (Excl). (EXPERIENTIAL).

This course provides students the opportunity to examine how academic and scholarly discourses inform our understanding of the socioeconomic issues, education, and overall situation of various American working class and disenfranchised communities by integrating serious and substantial academic reading into the semester's work.

Amer. Cult. 310. Topics in Ethnic Studies.

(3). (SS). May be repeated for credit with permission of advisor.

This course serves as a 300-level social science course in ethnic studies the content of which varies from term to term.

Amer. Cult. 311. Topics in Ethnic Studies.

(3). (HU). May be repeated for credit with permission of advisor.

This course serves as a 300-level humanities course in ethnic studies the content of which varies from term to term.

Amer. Cult. 312/Hist. 377. History of Latinos in the U.S.

(3). (Excl). (R&E).

This course is an exploration of the history and culture of Latinos in the U.S. from the colonial era to the present. The diversity among groups that make up the Latino population of the U.S. is examined.

Amer. Cult. 313/Anthro. 314. Cuba and its Diaspora.

(4; 2 in the half-term). (Excl).

Examines Cuban history, literature, and culture since the Revolution both on the island and in the United States Diaspora. In political and cultural essays, personal narratives, fiction, poetry, drama, and visual arts, we will seek a comprehensive and divers view of how Cubans and Cuban-Americans understand their situation as people of the same nation divided for thirty-five years by the Cold War, revolution, and exile.

Amer. Cult. 314/Hist. 378. History of Asian Americans in the U.S.

(4; 3 in the half-term). (Excl).

Examines the nature of American Culture and society through a specific study of Asian/Pacific Americans. The course provides a survey of the experience of Asian immigrants and Pacific Islanders and their citizen descendants in the U.S. from the late eighteenth century to the present.

Amer. Cult. 322. Intermediate Ojibwa.

(Courses in Ojibwa)

Amer. Cult. 223 and permission of the American Culture Program Director. (3; 2 in the half-term). (LR).

Development of conversational skills, development of fluency in handling the more complex verb forms, and special emphasis on increasing active and passive vocabulary.

Amer. Cult. 323. Intermediate Ojibwa.

(Courses in Ojibwa)

Amer. Cult. 322 and permission of the American Culture Program Director. (3; 2 in the half-term). (LR).

Continuation of American Culture 322.

Amer. Cult. 324/Engl. 381. Asian American Literature.

(3). (HU). May be repeated for a total of six credits.

This course considers a range of topics in the study of Asian American literature. It raises questions concerning the canon of texts to be studied, the cultural construction of Asian-American literature, race and ethnicity in America, and the ways in which these texts challenge and expand our understanding of American literature.

Amer. Cult. 327/English 387. Latino/Latina Literature of the U.S.

(3). (HU).

This course considers the relationship between Latino/a literary productions and the social conditions and possibilities of its production. A variety of topics is addressed in the study of such Latino/a literatures of the US as Chicano/a, Puerto Rican, and Cuban American.

Amer. Cult. 328/Engl. 382. Native American Literature.

(3; 2 in the half-term). (HU). May be repeated for a total of six credits.

This course considers a range of topics in the study of Native American literature. It raises questions concerning the canon of texts studied, the cultural construction of ethnicity in America, and the ways in which these texts challenge and expand our understanding of American literature.

Amer. Cult. 330/Hist. of Art 330. Art in America: 1492-1825.

(3). (HU).

Survey of painting, sculpture, decorative arts, and the built environment in North America from the first European exploration through the formation of the United States and the period of the early Republic.

Amer. Cult. 332/Hist. of Art 332. Art on Trial: American Public Monuments and Political Controversy.

(3). (HU). Laboratory fee ($20) required.

This course probes political controversy in American public arts, particularly around representations of gender and race. Using the Dream Plaques on the LS&A Bldg. as focal point, students learn how to question a public monument via concentric rings of interdisciplinary inquiry.

Amer. Cult. 334/Dance 334 (Music). History and Philosophy of Dance in the Twentieth Century.

(3). (Excl).

A study of the historical and philosophical concepts and forces that have shaped the dance of this century; examination of developments in educational and professional practices; and significant contributions of educators and dance artists as these have affected the current status of ballet and modern dance. Experience in the various styles of significant dance artists.

Amer. Cult. 335. Arts and Culture in American Life.

(3). (HU).

This course explores the ways in which arts and culture constitute and reflect American life through different kinds of representations and narrative forms.

Amer. Cult. 336/CAAS 334/Hist. 365. Popular Culture in Contemporary Black America.

(3). (HU).

Through an examination of popular culture, this course critically reassesses the relationship between Black politics and cultural forms emerging from within African-American communities, the commodification of those forms, and representation of Black images in mass media. Beginning with post war jazz, we explore the African-American roots of rock and roll, the development of blaxploitation films, and the shifting, ideological meaning of hair and dress styles.

Amer. Cult. 340/CAAS 340. A History of Blacks in American Film.

(3). (Excl). Laboratory fee ($15) required.

A history of the portrayal of Blacks in American films between 1915 and 1970, with special emphasis on the relationship of Black and American popular culture.

Amer. Cult. 342/Hist. 368/WS 360. History of the Family in the U.S.

(4; 3 in the half-term). (SS).

An interdisciplinary course providing perspective on the contemporary family by studying its historical development. The course includes consideration of changing gender roles; sexuality; childrearing; work patterns; race, ethnicity and class; the changing role of state in family relations.

Amer. Cult. 345. American Politics and Society.

(3). (SS).

This course looks closely at some of the major issues facing contemporary America from multiple disciplinary perspectives in the social sciences. It offers a unique, interdisciplinary approach to contemporary American society and politics.

Amer. Cult. 350. Approaches to American Culture.

Amer. Cult. 201, junior standing, or concentration in American Culture. (3; 2 in the half-term). (Excl).

An intensive study of the various approaches to American culture. Particular attention is paid to selected primary texts and cultural artifacts from one or more periods. Each period is examined from several standpoints such as history, literature, popular culture, folk culture, sociology, and the arts. The course helps students integrate various topics and disciplinary approaches into the study of American culture.

Amer. Cult. 351. Race and American Cinema.

(4). (HU). Laboratory fee required.

Analyzes images of Blacks, Latinos, and Asian Americans in the U.S. portrayed in various media, emphasizing how these stereotypes are related to culture.

Amer. Cult. 360/Great Books 350/Hist. 360. Great Books of the Founding Fathers.

Open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors. (3). (Excl).

Explores the writings of the founding generation of the American Republic.

Amer. Cult. 373/Hist. 373. History of the U.S. West.

(4; 3 in the half-term). (HU).

This course examines both the "place" and the "process" of the history of the U.S. West, a shifting region of the Native North America that was the object first of the Spanish, French and English imperial designs, then of U.S. expansionism, and finally a region with peculiarities to the federal government, distinctive patterns of race relations, and a unique place in American cultural memory.

Amer. Cult. 374/Hist. 374. The Politics and Culture of the "Sixties."

(3). (SS).

This course explores the era of the Sixties using a variety of methodologies and disciplinary approaches.

Amer. Cult. 383. Junior Honors Reading and Thesis.

Junior standing and grade point average of at least 3.0. (3; 2 in the half-term). (Excl). (INDEPENDENT).

Reading of selected works on American Culture. Conferences, written reports, and term papers.

Amer. Cult. 388. Field Study.

Sophomore standing. (1-4). (Excl). Offered mandatory credit/no credit. (EXPERIENTIAL). May be repeated for credit with permission.

Field experience in organizations, institutions, and service agencies under such University of Michigan programs as the Washington and New York Internship Program and Project Community. Students must make individual arrangements with these programs.

Amer. Cult. 389. Reading Course in American Culture.

Permission of instructor. (1-4). (Excl). (INDEPENDENT). May be repeated for credit with permission.

An independent study course available to undergraduates who are interested in designing a reading list for the purpose of exploring new areas in the field of American studies. Each student makes individual arrangements with a faculty member in the student's area of interest.

Amer. Cult. 398. Junior Honors Writing Workshop.

Permission of a concentration advisor in American Culture. (1-3). (Excl).

This seminar is for second-term juniors who plan to write an American Studies Honors thesis during their senior year. It aims at giving students a place to generate their ideas for their thesis, develop a prospectus, and prepare a preliminary bibliography.

Amer. Cult. 399(UC 299). Race, Racism, and Ethnicity.

(4; 3 in the half-term). (SS). (R&E).

An interdisciplinary course critically investigating the concept of race, racism, and ethnicity.

Amer. Cult. 401. Race and Racialization in the Americas.

Amer. Cult. 212 or 213, and 312. (3). (Excl).

This course examines race issues and racializing practices from a Pan-Latino and comparative context.

Amer. Cult. 404/Soc. 404. Hispanic-Americans: Social Problems and Social Issues.

Junior or senior standing. (3). (Excl).

Hispanic-Americans share a cultural heritage yet they comprise variegated experiences in the U.S. Both their reasons for migration and their processes of incorporation vary widely. To understand these, we use various theoretical perspectives and we seek to understand the social problems and social issues Hispanic-Americans serve to exemplify, such as political vs. economic migration, the ethnic enclave, ethnic identity, social movements, cultural vs. structural assimilation.

Amer. Cult. 406/Engl. 384/CAAS 384. Topics in Caribbean Literature.

(3). (Excl). May be repeated for a total of six credits.

The course considers a range of topics in the study of Caribbean literature. It raises questions concerning the canon of texts to be studied, the cultural construction of Caribbean literature, race, and ethnicity.

Amer. Cult. 410. Hispanics in the United States.

(3; 2 in the half-term). (Excl). May be repeated for credit with permission.

This course examines the history, culture, and literature of Hispanics in the United States.

Amer. Cult. 420/Spanish 420. Latin American & Latino/a Film Studies.

(Courses in Spanish)

Spanish 270 or 275. A previous course in Film & Video , or Latin American history, or Latino Studies. (4). (Excl). Laboratory fee ($35) required.

Comparative survey of historical & theoretical development in Latin American and Latino/a audio visual media, with an emphasis on the cinema

Amer. Cult. 422. Advanced Ojibwa.

(Courses in Ojibwa)

Amer. Cult. 323 and permission of the American Culture Program Director. (3; 2 in the half-term). (Excl).

Designed to advance understanding of connected discourse. Grammatical structures are studied in more detail. Some emphasis on recognition of forms from different dialects. Concentration on expanding vocabulary and recognizing the patterns of word formation of informants. Thrust is on study of actual text material.

Amer. Cult. 423. Advanced Ojibwa.

(Courses in Ojibwa)

Amer. Cult. 422 and permission of the American Culture Program Director. (3; 2 in the half-term). (Excl).

Designed to advance understanding of connected discourse. Grammatical structures are studied in more detail. Some emphasis on recognition of forms from different dialects. Concentration on expanding vocabulary and recognizing the patterns of word formation of informants. Thrust is on study of actual text material.

Amer. Cult. 430/WS 430. Feminist Thought.

Amer. Cult. 240 and one 340-level WS course. (3). (Excl).

Examines both classical texts of feminist theory and emerging contemporary scholarship. Individual sections may focus on Black feminist thought, women of color, or a historical interpretation.

Amer. Cult. 432/Hist. of Art 420. National Identity in American Art.

Any prior coursework in history of art, American culture, or American history. (3). (Excl).

This course examines a series of moments, from Colonial portraiture to Abstract Expressionism, which artists, critics, historians, or their public have claimed were uniquely American. By studying related issues in cultural, political, and social history, we examine how Americans have sought to define a national identity though art.

Amer. Cult. 489. Senior Essay.

Senior concentrators and Amer. Cult. 350. (3). (Excl). (INDEPENDENT).

This course is designed for concentrators who desire a more directed research experience with individual faculty at the end of their undergraduate career. It allows a senior concentrator in American Culture the opportunity to write a research paper under the direction of a particular faculty member.

Amer. Cult. 490/Film-Video 451. American Film Genres.

Junior standing. (4). (HU). Laboratory fee required.

The development of American film genres as a popular art form, considered within the broad context of American cultural development since the late nineteenth century.

Amer. Cult. 492/Hist. of Art 492. The White City: The Drama of Urban-Industrial America, The Columbian Exposition, Chicago 1893.

(3). (Excl).

An interdisciplinary study of the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 as an expression of the America signaled by the cultural coming of age of Chicago, the capital of the Midwest. Emphasis is placed on the visual arts and belles lettres as they reflected and informed the perceptions and aspirations of a newly unified nation caught up in the process of modernization. Responses of small-town visitors, utopian visionaries, world-citizens, etc., are compared. The Fair as ideal and as illusion is examined with reference to twentieth-century developments.

Amer. Cult. 493. Honors Readings and Thesis.

Senior standing and a grade point average of at least 3.5 in Honors concentration. (1-3). (Excl). (INDEPENDENT). May be repeated for a total of six credits.

Independent interdisciplinary study supervised by two or more tutors leading to an original paper. This is a two-term course with 1-3 credits each term; a grade is not posted until the end of the second term.

Amer. Cult. 496. Social Science Approaches to American Culture.

(3-4; 3 in the half-term). (Excl). Laboratory fee required. May be repeated for credit with permission of concentration advisor.

Topics in the social sciences focusing on American culture studies.

Amer. Cult. 498. Humanities Approaches to American Culture.

(3-4; 3 in the half-term). (Excl). May be repeated for credit with permission.

Topics in the humanities focusing on American culture studies.

Amer. Cult. 499/Hist. of Art 499. The Arts in American Life.

Senior concentrators, seniors in any Honors curriculum, or graduate students with permission. (3). (Excl). May be repeated for credit with permission.

An historical and critical survey of the relation of the visual arts to American literature, philosophy, and technology from the mid-eighteenth to the mid-twentieth century. Lectures and discussion.

Amer. Cult. 533/CAAS 533/Hist. 572. Black Civil Rights from 1900.

(3). (Excl).

Afroamerican history as reflected in political, economic, cultural, religious, and civil rights protest movements from the 1890's to the 1960's, with a brief introductory review of the post-Reconstruction period beginning with 1877.