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Table of Contents Academic Life Academic Regulations The Academic Programs International and Off-Campus Studies Special Programs Admissions and Financial Aid Life Outside the Classroom People Facts and Figures College Calendar |
American Studies http://www.stolaf.edu/depts/american_studies/ Director, 2000-01: James Farrell, History, contemporary culture, environmental history, the sixties; Faculty, 2000-01: Mark Allister, English, environmental literature, American regionalism, men's studies; Raymond DeVries, Sociology/Anthropology, sociology of medicine, medical ethics, maternity care, American wilderness; Carol Holly, English, American literature, American women writers, American autobiography; Judy Kutulas, History, U.S. history, U.S. women, media studies; Matthew Rohn, Art History, visual culture, 20th century art; Mary Titus, English, women writers, southern writers, race and American literature. The American Studies program operates on Lionel Trilling's premise that "the primary function of art and thought is to liberate the individual from the tyranny of his [or her] culture in the environmental sense and to permit him or her to stand beyond it in an autonomy of perception and judgment." Both the matter and the method of American Studies are encompassed by the national motto "E Pluribus Unum," which suggests the ways that we create communities--both cultural and academic--from differences. American culture is a complex dialectic of different regional and cultural strains, and the best methodological approach to America is a multiplicity of disciplinary perspectives, unified by the analytical and integrative skills of each student. By discovering the American cultural patterns that influence their lives, students in American Studies learn how to make lives of critical consequence. Their interdisciplinary training also helps them to make a living in a variety of ways--as journalists, attorneys, ministers, social workers, educators, etc. OVERVIEW OF THE MAJOR The American Studies major is structured for both exploration and coherence. The Level I seminar introduces and integrates different disciplinary questions and concepts in the study of contemporary culture. The Level II seminar combines different disciplines to study a single topic or time period. And the Level III seminar invites students to participate in a substantial interdisciplinary research project. REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MAJOR In consultation with an adviser, students construct nine-course majors which normally include American Studies 100, a 200-level topics course, and a 300-level seminar (when subjects are different, the topics course and the seminar may be taken more than once), and six designated disciplinary courses (with at least one course in each of three departments). Of the nine courses, at least three must be at Level III. Because the United States is composed of a multiplicity of peoples, at least one course dealing with racial and multicultural studies is recommended. Because American Studies is an active interaction with an ongoing culture, we recommend programs of service and/or internships. Because American Studies is implicitly comparative, we also recommend the "perspective by incongruity" of foreign study. DISTINCTION Seniors majors may apply for distinction in American Studies. Candidates must satisfy minimum GPA requirements (3.3 overall, 3.50 in the major), prepare a research project under the direction of a faculty adviser, and submit their work for faculty review. Students declare their interest by 15 October of senior year; the review occurs in April. COURSES Among the courses that count for American Studies are: American Racial and Multicultural Studies 121; Art 250; Communication and Theater 160, 260, 382, 389 (American topics); Dance 246, 251; Economics 242, 244, 245, 371, 374, 376; English 245, 392; Family Studies 232, 242; History Level I courses (American topics) and History 205, 206, 240, 242, 243, 244, 246, 330, 338, 345; Music 345 (American topics); Physical Education 384; Political Science 111, 232, 235, 246, 255, 372, 373, 381; Social Work 221, 235, 258; Sociology/Anthropology 121, 126, 240, 244, 246, 248, 260, 265, 266. Interim courses that count as designated disciplinary courses in American Studies are offered annually; see the Interim announcement or the coordinator for the approved list. 100 American Culture: Interdisciplinary Perspectives This analysis of modern American society introduces theories and methods of culture studies, beginning with anthropological definitions of culture and including perspectives of sociology, political science, history, art history and English. Students examine the moral ecology of everyday life in America, looking at the cultural meanings of work, clothes, food, family, gender, buildings, bodies, television, advertising and education. GE: HBS, MCS-D. Counts toward major: Women's Studies. Offered Fall Semester. 201-210 American Studies: A Topical Approach Students apply theories and methods of culture studies to a selected major topic in American culture. The course employs a discussion format, focusing on critical reading, analytic essays. Recent topics include Masculinity in America. The course is offered Interim or Spring Semester. This course undertakes an intensive study of a particular period or topic through the interdisciplinary perspective of American Studies. This course employs a seminar format, with concentration on student research. Recent topics include: American Cultures, Mall of America, Disney's America, American Women of Color. Offered Spring Semester. |