Courses
The core course is ARMS 121-125, the number differing depending on the General Education credit it receives (ARMS 121 receives MCS-D and ALS-L credit, while ARMS 122 receives MCS-D and HWC credit). This course introduces the cultural and historical background of four important groups in American culture: African Americans, Native Americans, Asian Americans and Latinos. An interdisciplinary approach to culture, the course offers a rich mix of the creative and performing arts, the Humanities and social sciences, and the general area of popular culture.
Discussions and assignments invite students to consider both the distinguishing characteristics and the commonalities of these cultures, within a general framework of race relations in America. We consider both special issues of identity faced by these Americans, and their contributions to cultural pluralism. By the end of the course, students should have a better understanding both of themselves, and of people different than themselves.
In the ARMS 121-25 interdisciplinary course, students learn culture and history through literature and film. In one typical semester, readings include works like The Autobiography of Malcolm X, Jeanne Houston's Farewell to Manzanar, and Harriet Wilson's Our Nig. Students read Luis Valdez's play "Zoot Suit," and a collection of Native American accounts of the Plains Wars entitled Our Hearts Fell to the Ground. The class also read Ronald Takaki's A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America to put all of these things in historical context.
This course is the beginning of a major (or concentration) for people who want to explore the rich diversity of American culture. Unlike many majors, which prescribe sequences of courses for students, American Racial and Multicultural Studies allows students considerable freedom in choosing courses that fulfill their interests (and often, at the same time, fulfill general education requirements). It also complements many majors in the Humanities, social sciences, and the arts.
In addition, a topical course on Multicultural Studies, ARMS 250 is offered periodically. The Precise subject varies. Students are advised to take this course only with appropriate background-that is, some coursework or familiarity with the specific topic.
Approved Departmental Courses:
Africa and the Americas 231
Africa and the Americas
Asian Studies 371
Asia and the West
ARMS 250 - 259 Topical (more than one can count toward major)
Dance 246
Dance in America
Education 170
Urban Schools and Communities
Education 246
English Language Learners: Issues in Education
Education 378
Multicultural Education in Hawaii
Education 379
Urban Education Seminar and Practicum - off campus Mpls/St. Paul
English 245
American Racial and Multicultural Literature
English 284
Performing Arts in New York
English 345
Topics in Multicultural Literature
History 161
Race & Culture in Early America
History 165
Slavery in the Americas
History 167
Trail of Tears
History 181
The Civil Rights Revolution
History 199
United States since 1865
History 270
Seminars for History Majors (Topical)
Race, Gender, Slavery
History 277
African-American History
History 282
Native American History
History 288
Civil War and Reconstruction
History 370 (Topical)
American Seminar Women and Slavery; Emancipation; Civil War
Music 231
History of Jazz
Music 237
World Music
Spanish 273
Cultural Heritage of the Hispanic U.S.
Sociology/Anthropology 120
Jazz in American Society
Sociology/Anthropology 128
Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
Sociology/Anthropology 234
Native North American Culture and Religion
Sociology/Anthropology 242
Contemporary Native American Issues
Sociology/Anthropology 261 Gender in Cross-Cultural Perspective
Sociology/Anthropology 264
Race and Class in American Culture
Semester I Courses that count for Fall 2008-09
English 245
Racial and Multicultural Lit
History 182
The U.S. since World War 2
History 288
Civil War and Reconstruction
History 370
U.S. Seminar on Segregation and Civil Rights
Music 237
World Music
Soc/Anth 128
Intro to Cultural Anthropology
Soc/Anth 234
Native Amreican North American Cultures
Soc/Anty 264
Race and Class in American Culture
