This Place Called "America"

What does it mean to study "America"? This course introduces students to American Studies, an interdisciplinary field that asks how people's everyday lives, cultural practices, and social struggles shape the meanings of "America" across time and place. Through readings, discussions, and analysis of primary sources, literature, film, music, and visual culture, students will explore topics such as race and citizenship, music and popular culture, urban and rural life, and America's place in the world. By examining both well-known and overlooked voices, students will consider how the U.S. has been defined, contested, and reimagined from its founding to the present.