Fall Semester 2004
AMS 280 Major Themes in American Studies (3 credits)
Spring Semester 2005
AMS 280 Major Themes in American Studies (3 credits)
AMS 310: Topics in American Studies (3 credits)
AMS 881
AMS 210 American Popular Culture (4 credits)
Prof. Gary Hoppenstand
Tu-Th 7-8:50 p.m.
This course introduces students to a variety of forms of popular culture in the United States from Buffalo Bill to Bugs Bunny, from Moby-Dick to Jaws. We will apply American Studies and popular studies theory and methods to an examination of American popular culture, specifically icons, stereotypes, rituals, heroes, narrative formulas, and systems of myth and belief in American society.
Civic America
Prof. David Cooper
Tu-Th 3:00-4:20 p.m.
A central question that has long troubled Americans is how--and whether--we should reconcile our many separate, communal, and group identities with a shared identity we hold in common as Americans. This course takes a close look at concepts, historical and social movements, and grassroots practices of American civic culture and public life that seek to make the tension in our democracy between the “many and the one” creative and productive. Students will be given the opportunity to experience Civic America first-hand through active learning placements in local organizations and service agencies where citizen volunteers labor to make democracy work.
AMS 265 Transcultural Perspectives (3 credits)
Prof. Roger Bresnahan
Tu Th 12.40-2pm
This course investigates political, cultural, and social effects of U.S. foreign policy in the rest of the world from the dawn of American imperialism with the American takeover of Hawaii and the Philippines in the late 19th century to the present. We will explore the complex images and attitudes that people in the world today have of the U.S. and consequently of Americans, both collectively and individually. Such attitudes span the whole spectrum, from international bully to builder of nations, from exporter of immorality to sponsor of democracy. By assessing the range of responses to America and Americans, this course provides both excellent preparation for study abroad and an opportunity for those who have toured and studied in foreign countries to reflect on their experiences. Guest speakers from MSU's international community will enrich the classroom experience with a broad range of perspectives.
The American Civil War and World War II: Generations Compared
Prof. Jeff Charnley
MW 10:20-11:40 AM 313
This course examines and compares from an American Studies perspective the
two generations who fought the Civil War and World War II and considers the
lasting legacy of both for American culture and society. Among the topics
analyzed will be: the combat and POW experience, conscription, war protest,
the homefront, race and social change, the status of women and how popular
culture relating to the two wars has shaped contemporary American views of
those events.
Fear and Panic in American Culture
Prof. Ann Larabee
In response to the events of September 11, 2001, President Bush declared
that freedom was at war with fear. This course will explore the ways in
which moral panics and fears of alien infiltration have propelled American
political debate, sometimes at great cost to freedom. It will also explore
the abiding power of conspiracy theories and their use in entertainment,
such as the X-Files. Do Americans live in a culture of fear, as Barry
Glassner writes, afraid of the wrong things?
This course will provide students with an understanding of the
historical development of American Studies, including current debates on its
scope and methods. In addition, students will learn research and
bibliographic techniques, with emphasis on navigating online databases.
Professional issues, such as copyright law and publication opportunities,
will also be discussed.
copyright © 2003
Michigan State University