American Studies 101: U.S. Cultural Diversity.
Introduces students to issues of cultural diversity that are central to the field of American studies. A comparative course, addressing the diverse experiences of people identified historically along a continuum of gender, race, and class and focusing on the perspectives of at least three ethnic groups in the United States, at least one of which should be non-European in origin. (New course, 35 students)
American Studies 200: Aspects of American Culture.
Selected Topics in American studies at the introductory level. The subject matter will vary from year to year, dependent upon interests of faculty and the needs and interests of students.
American Studies 201: Introduction to American Studies.
This course will acquaint students with the interdisciplinary field of American Studies—its origin and evolution; its intellectual foundations and concerns, and its social and political impact. It examines a central focus of American Studies scholarship over the past half-century, the operation of ideology in American culture. Working with a definition of ideology as a set of ideas and practices which shapes how we interpret our world, this course investigates the rise of various ideologies in American history, and their effects on our understanding of race, gender, class, sexuality, national identity, inequality, justice, and beauty. We will look at how political, religious, and educational institutions, literature, film, music, and other cultural forms are affected by, transmit, and reinforce certain ideologies. Conversely, we will examine the possibility that intellectual inquiry and artistic works have the power to call into question and even transform our ways of seeing and structuring our worlds.
American Studies 202: Workshop in Cultural Analysis.
Intensive workshop focused on various approaches to the interpretation of social and cultural materials. The course provides an early exposure to theories and methods that will be returned to in greater depth in the senior year. Intended to develop independent skills in analysis of the primary materials of American Studies. Prerequisite American Studies 101 or permission of the instructor. (New Course, 15 students)
American Studies 301: Topics in American Studies.
Selected topics in American studies at the intermediate level. Topics offered will vary from year to year reflecting interests of faculty and students as well as evolving concerns of the field, e.g. Mass Media and American Culture, Gender in America, Social Mobility in America, Popular Culture, Race and Racism in America, etc. Prerequisite: American Studies 101 or permission of the instructor.
American Studies 302: Workshop in Field Methods.
Approaches to the responsible collection and analysis of social and cultural materials to be found in the immediate community and environment. Intensive training in participant observation, interviewing, and the analysis of cultural scene, as well as the ethics of fieldwork will be stressed. (New course, 15 students)
American Studies 401: Research and Methods in American Studies.
An integrative seminar focusing on the achievements and problems of interdisciplinary study. Students examine the history and current literature of American studies, discuss relevant philosophic questions, and, in research projects, apply techniques of interdisciplinary study to a problem related to their thematic concentration. Prerequisite: American Studies major, minor, or permission of the instructor.
American Studies 402: Seminar in American Studies: Selected Topics. 
Topics chosen annually on the basis of student interest and scholarly concerns in the field. Such topics, explored through reading, discussion, field work , and research, have included: American Autobiography, Photographs and American Culture, Ethnicity in the United States, Mass Media and American Culture, Sex and American Ideology, etc. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.
American Studies 403: Group Project: Selected Topics.
An alternative to American Studies 402, student majors in this course will conduct a collaborative research project on a topic of mutual interest to students and faculty and produce a joint project reporting on their work. Prerequisite: AS 401 or permission of the instructor . (New Course, 15 students)
Courses typically approved for meeting the Social structure and Institutions requirement:
Anthropology 215: Anthropology of Political and Legal Systems; 335: Urban Anthropology ; 336: Social Organization ; Economics 222: Environmental Economics; 223: Political Economy; 225: Poor in America; 234: Economic Anthropology; 243: Economics of Labor Unions; 243: Economics of Labor Unions ; History 211: [when appropriate: New Nation 1787-1828; 288: American History in the Civil War Period; 388: African-American History; History 389: Native Peoples of Eastern North America History 392: Immigrant America; 394: The Family in America; Political Science 222: Public Policy Analysis; 231: Public Administration; 241: Women and Blacks in American Politics; 243: Mass Media and American Politics; 245: Political Parties and Interest Groups; 246: The Legislative Process; 247: The American Presidency; 248: The Judiciary; 249: American Federalism; Sociology 225: Urban Life; 226: Race, Class, and Gender; 225: Urban Life; 340: Social Change and Social Movements; 345: Social Policy: Family and Work.
Courses typically approved for meeting the Representation requirement:
American Studies 200: Topics (as appropriate, such as Mass Media and American Culture); Anthropology 210: Language and Culture; Art History 201: History and Art of the Film or the Photograph; 204: American Art 205: Topics in Art History (as appropriate); 207: Criticism and Theory in the Arts (as appropriate); 313: 19th Century Art (as appropriate); 314: 20th Century Art (as appropriate) 315: Topics in Contemporary Art (as appropriate); 391: Studies in Art History (as appropriate); 404: Seminar: Topics in the History of Art (as appropriate); Dramatic Arts 302: Special Topics in Theatre and Dance (as appropriate); 313: Theatre History Seminar (as appropriate); English 101: Texts and Contexts (as appropriate); 220: Critical Approaches and Literary Methods; 327: Feminist Theory; 329: Special Topics in Literature and Theory (as appropriate); 330-339: Studies in Form and Genre (as appropriate); 345: Women Writers (as appropriate); 348: Native American Novel; 349: Special Topics (as appropriate); 358: Studies in Early American Literature; 359: Special Topics in Literature before 1800 (as appropriate);364: Studies in Modern Fiction and Poetry (as appropriate); 366: Studies in Drama (as appropriate); 370: Studies in American Literature; 374: The American Novel; 376: The American Short Story; 379: Special topics in 19th and 20th Century Literature (as appropriate); 383: Contemporary American Fiction; 387: Contemporary American Drama; 389: Special Topics in Contemporary Literature (as appropriate); 399: Topics in Authorial Studies (as appropriate); Music 108: American Jazz; 353: Seminar in Classics and Romance Music (as appropriate); 354: Seminar in 20th Century Music (as appropriate); Philosophy 245: Philosophy in the U.S.; Political Science 205: American Political Thought; Religion 208: Religion in the U.S. (as appropriate); 241: Topics in Arts, Literature and Religion (as appropriate); 250: Topics in Religion and Gender (as appropriate); 260: Topics in Religious Traditions (as appropriate); Women's Studies 300: Topics in Women's Studies (as appropriate).
Thematic Concentration : At least three courses with no more than two of these three to be taken in one department.
Courses for the thematic concentration are to be chosen in close consultation with the American studies adviser to illuminate a topic of the student's choice. Although each topic will dictate a different selection of courses, the American Studies Program has approved the following list of American context courses offered by other departments and programs. These courses represent a partial listing of the many courses offered at Dickinson that might be of special interest to American studies majors . Thematic concentrations and the courses which comprise them must be approved by the student's advisor.
Anthropology:
210, Language and Culture; 212, Applied Anthropology; 214, Ecological 215, Anthropology of Political and Legal Systems; 216, Medical Anthropology; 217, Cross- Cultural Perspectives on Gender; 218, Bio social Aspects of Female Sexuality; Anthropology; 223, Native peoples of East North America; 233, Anthropology of Religion, 334, Economic Anthropology; 335, Urban Anthropology; 336, Social Organization; 337, Ethnology of Mesoamerica; 390, Anthropology Seminar.
Economics:
100, Contemporary Economics; 214, A Contemporary Economic Issue; 222, Environmental Economics; 223, Political Economy; 225, Poor in America; Latin American Economics; Economics of Natural Resources; 243, The Economics of Labor Unions; 344, Public Finance; 347, Money and Banki0, Industrial Organization and Public Policy; 371, Topics in Economic History.
Education:
Education 221, Social Foundations of Education.
English:
English 327, Feminist Theory; 329, Special Topics in Literature and Theory; 335, Film Studies; 345, Women Writers; 348, Native American Novel; 349, Special Topics in Literature and Culture; 358, Studies in Early American Literature; 364, Studies in Modern Fiction and Poetry; 366, Studies in Drama; 370, Studies in American Literature; 374, The American Novel; 376, The American Short Story; 379, Special Topics in 19th and 20th Century Literature; 383, Contemporary American Fiction; 389, Special Topics in Contemporary Literature; 399, Topics in Authorial Studies.
Environmental Studies:
111, Environment, Culture, and Values; 214, Ecological Anthropology ; 222 Environmental Economics; 260, Contemporary Science; 330, Environmental Disruption and Policy Analysis.
Fine Arts:
Fine Arts 201, History and Art of the Film or the Photograph; 204, American Art; 205, Topics in Art History; 314, 20th Century Art.
History:
History 130, Latin American History, 131, Latin American History; 204, Introduction to Historical Methodology; 211, Topics in American History; 247, American Colonial History; 281, Recent U.S. Histo286, New Nation 1787-1828; 288, American History in the Civil War Period; 304, Collateral Research; 311, Studies in American History; 349 & 350, American Intellectual and Social History I and II; 382, Diplomatic History of the United States; 388, African-American History; 389, Native peoples of Eastern North America; 392, Immigrant America; 394, The Family in America; 404, Senior Research Seminar.
Music:
Music 108, American Jazz.
Philosophy:
Philosophy 210, Philosophy of Feminism; 245, Philosophy in the United States; 251, Philosophy of Religion; 252, Philosophy of Art; 253, Philosophy of Society; 255, Philosophy of Law; 385, Theories of History.
Political Science:
Political Science 241, Women and Blacks in American Politics; 242, Political Behavior; 243, Mass Media and American Politics; 244, Public Opinion; 245, Political Parties and Interest Groups; 246, Legislative Process; 247, American Presidency; 256, The City; 290, Selected Topics in Political Science.
Religion:
Religion 206, Jews and Judaism in the United States; 208, Religion of the United States; 241, Topics in Art Literature and Religion: American Jewish Fiction; 318, Topics in Religion and Culture.
Sociology:
222, The Family Phenomenon; 225, Urban Life; 226, Race, Class and Gender; 240, Qualitative Methods; 250, Comparative Social Pathology; 300, Deviant Behavior and Social Control; 340, Social Change and Social Movements; 345 Social Policy: Family and Work; 390, Sociology Seminar. |
