Department of American Studies

Ethnic Studies, Diversity, and Differences

Students in this concentration seek to understand how social differentiation along the lines of gender, race, sexuality, social class, region, national origins, and age, for example, shape institutions and cultural practices in the U.S. Emphasis is on the historic emergence of categories of social difference, and their interactions, especially as revealed in cultural practices and artifacts like literature, art, music, cityscapes, and popular culture. Students may focus on one specific ethnic groups, such as African Americans, Latino/as, Asian Americans, Native Americans.

Check regularly with the Department of American Studies for updates on new courses, additional special topics courses, and other relevant courses not listed here. No more than two courses may be applied from a single department outside American Studies. [Updated 11/10/10]

Current Courses from American Studies:

45:01        Understanding American Cultures
45:30        Introduction to African American Culture
45:49        Introduction to American Indian and Native Studies
45:50        Food in America
45:60        Sex and Popular Culture in the Postwar U.S.
45:85        Native American Material Culture
45:102      Black Popular Music
45:105      Native Peoples of North America
45:129      African American Cinema and Culture
45:140      American Subcultures
45:145     Immigration and American Culture
45:150      Topics in American Cultural Studies: Black Popular Culture
45:151      American Business Cultures
45:153      The Civil Rights Movement
45:155      Performing American Queerly
45:170      American Regional Identities
45:198      American Communities

Current Courses from Other Departments:

1H:104     American Indian Art
8G:09        American Lives
8G:05/149:05         Literatures of Native American Peoples
8G:011      Literature and Sexualities
8G:013      Literatures of Latinos/as in the U.S.
8:52/131:52           Literature, Culture and Women
8:69/129:69           Selected African American Authors
8:82          Latino/a Studies
8:83          Topics in African American Literature
8:84          Topics in Culture and Identity
8:86          Topics in Asian American Literature
8:113        Native American Literature
8:115        Literatures of the American Peoples
8:118        Jewish American Literature
8:133        Inter-American Studies
8:137        African American Autobiography
8:160        African American Literary/Rhetorical Criticism I
8:162/129:162       Midwest African American Lit & Culture
8:185/149:185       Native American Autobiography
16:40        Diversity in American History
16A:65/ 129:65     Intro. to African American History
16A:104 History of the American Deaf Community
16A:106 Disability in American History
16A:110/149:102 Intro to Amer Indian History & Policy
16A:113 Latina/o Immigration
16A:115/149:115 Native North American I: Pre-Contact-1789
16A:116 Native North America II: 1789-Present
16A:122: Varieties of American Religion
16A:141 American Working Class to 1900
16A:146 Immigrant America 1845-1925
16A:147 History of Slavery in the U.S.
16A:154/31:158    Sexuality in the U.S.
16A:171 US Women’s History to 1870
16A:172 Women in America 1870-Present
16A:187 African American History 1619-1865
16A:189 African American Hist. Since Reconstruction
16A:184/129:184 Black Global Metropolis: Sexual History
19:165/129:122    African Americans and Mass Communication
19:167      Gender and Mass Media
28:74        Inequality in Sport
28:78/131:78         Women, Sport, and Culture
28:79/129:79         Race and Ethnicity in Sport
30:107      Women and Politics in the United States
30:108      Latino Politics & Immigration Policy
30:112      Minority Representation in American Politics
30:114      African American Politics
32:34/129:50         Intro. to African American Religions
32:60        Intro. to Native American Religions
32:63        African American Islam
32:82        American Indian Activism
32:126      20th Cen. African American Religion: Civil Rights to Hip Hop
32:158      Native American Women and Religious Change
33: 185     Cultural Diversity and Identity
34:18/131:18         Gender and Society
34:66        Social Inequality
34:126      Social Movements in the U.S.
34:135      Sociology of Sexuality
34:152      African American and Latino Social Inequality
34:155      Race and Ethnicity
35:135      Latinos in the United States
35:174      Latino/a Popular Culture
36:41/131:41         Gender Roles and Communication
36:75        Gender, Sexuality, and Media
36:76/129:76         Race Ethnicity and Media
48:52        Gender and Film
49:03        Theatre and Society: Romantics and Rebels
49:190/129:175    African American Theater I
49:191/129:191 African American Theater II
113:51      Diversity in Action in American Society
113:133/131:133 The Anthropology of Women’s Health
129:060    Introduction to African American Society
129:062    Foundations of African American Studies
129: 79     Race and Ethnicity in Sport
129:116/8:116       African American Literature I
129:117/8:117       African American Lit. II
129:128/10:128/48:128 Racial Narratives and American Performance
129:140    Topics in African American Studies
129:183    Black Feminist Tradition and Culture
131:10     Introduction to Gender, Women’s and Sexuality Studies
131:55      Gender, Race and Class in the US
131:67/16A:67      Survey of US Women’s History
131:142    Mothers and Motherhood
131:151    Feminist Theory
131:153    Feminist Cultural Studies
131:159    Native American Women & Religious Change
131:163    US Minority Women Writers
137:080    Dance and Society: U.S. Forms in Transnational and Critical Contexts
149:005    Literatures of Native American Peoples
149:060    Intro to Native American Religions
149:065    Sexuality/Gender in the History of Native America
149:070    Indians and Allies
149:076    American Indian Environmentalism
149:082    American Indian Women: Myth Ritual and Sacred Power
149:101    American Indian & Native Studies Seminar
149:113    Native American Literature
149:158    Native American Women & Religious Change
149:164/131:164 American Indian/First Nations Women
149:168    American Indians in the Arts
154:110    Introduction to Sexuality Studies
154:120    Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Identities
610:150    US Latino/a Cultural Studies