AMS X11S AMS 311S Topics in Introductory Seminar in American Studies 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Writing, reading, and discussion on an American studies topic, with emphasis on the evaluation of information, analytical reading, and critical writing. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Core Curriculum: 010
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: May be repeated for credit when the topics vary.
Academic Level: Lower Division
Topic 1: Consumer Culture in America. Examines consumer culture in the United States through historical and theoretical texts, including film, books, and scholarly works.
Topic 2: American Sports and Culture. Examines how the games Americans play reflect beliefs about success, class hierarchies, gender roles, race relations, and global ambitions.
Topic 3: United States Culture and Globalization. Introduction to the concepts and processes of globalization and how globalization has shaped and been shaped by culture in the United States at different periods in history.
Topic 4: American Places of Leisure. Explores the history of American amusement spaces, using them as a lens through which to explore larger currents of cultural change. Subjects include issues of race, gender, class, corporate history, globalization, and the rise of convergence culture, all as played out within recreational spaces. American Studies 311S (Topic: American Places of Leisure) and 311S (Topic 4) may not both be counted.