"Education is a kind of continuing dialogue,
and a dialogue assumes,
in the nature of the case, different points of view"
                                            Robert Hutchins (1899 - 1977)

Courses

Spring 2010

AMST 101-01           Explorations of Race/Racism                      

MWF 3:30 pm-4:30 pm           HUM 112           Daniel Gilbert

The main objectives of this introductory course are: to explore the historical construction of racial categories in the United States; to understand the systemic impact of racism on contemporary social processes; to consider popular views about race in the light of emerging scholarship in the field; and to develop an ability to connect personal experiences to larger, collective realities. We will engage several questions as a group: What are the historical and sociological foundations of racial categories? When does focusing on race make someone racist? What is white privilege, and why does it matter? All students will be asked to think and write about their own racial identity. This course, or its equivalent, is required for majors and minors. No prerequisites. 

AMST 203-01          Race, Ethnicity and Politics                          

MWF 2:20-3:20pm          CARN 206             Paru Shah         
*Cross-listed with POLI 203-01*

This seminar seeks to provoke open debate and discourse about the politics of race and ethnicity in the United States, and the policy responses that attempt to address racial inequality. This course has three primary objectives: (1) to examine theories regarding the relationship between racial/ethnic politics and public policy, (2) to develop a more in-depth understanding of specific policy areas, and (3) to gain hand-on experience with institutions working on racial/ethnic policies. The first portion of the semester focuses on the conceptualization of race and ethnicity, public attitudes regarding race and ethnicity, and the political representation of minorities in the US. We will spend the remainder of the semester examining specific public policies areas that affect racial and ethnic minorities –education and affirmative action, welfare, residential segregation, immigration, and public health. Throughout the semester, students will spend part of their time in the classroom reading about these policy issues, and part of their time working in local community agencies engaged in addressing racial inequalities within the Twin Cities. At the end of the semester, students will have a comprehensive knowledge of the impact of race and ethnicity on political institutions, behaviors, and government policy.

AMST 285-01          Asian American Community and Identity         

MWF 1:10 pm-2:10 pm        HUM 110          Karin Aguilar-San Juan *Cross-listed with SOCI 285-01*

This course introduces the basic issues and problems that shape the Asian American experience. The main learning objectives are: to identify and dismantle stereotypes about Asian Americans; to create a common vocabulary for describing the Asian American experience; to explore the historical and sociological foundations of Asian American community and identity; and to cultivate an appreciation of various theoretical approaches to race and ethnicity. No prerequisites. Spring semester. (4 credits)

AMST 292-01    Engaging the Public: Writing and Publishing in American Studies         

W    1:10 pm-3:10 pm          LEONARD CTR 36    Professor Jane Rhodes  and Macalester Library Director Terri Fishel        
*2 credit course.*

This course will focus on ways to disseminate research findings and knowledge beyond the American Studies classroom. Course content will focus on writing, editing, and the art of preparing a journal article for publication. It will also consider how to engage various publics, including other students, the College, and local communities, through digital publishing. Students will be involved in preparing a student peer-reviewed open access journal and will be part of a collaborative model for circulating research and criticism. Students will design and launch the journal, organize a peer-review process, and learn about some of the broader issues involved in publishing including verifying facts, copyright, intellectual property, author rights, and open access.

AMST 294-03          Race and Sound

M 7:00 pm-10:00 pm             HUM 217          Daniel Gilbert         
*First day attendance required.* This seminar examines sound as a fundamental form of racialized experience, creativity and struggle in the modern history of the United States. Readings and class discussions examine a range of components of the modern soundscape, including the development of key genres of performed and recorded popular music (such as forms of blues, country, jazz and salsa), the political uses and meanings of radio and sound film, and the history of call centers, ring tones and other components of racialized sonic experience. Seminar participants design and write substantial essays on elements of race and sound in modern American culture.

AMST 294-04          Baseball: The Cultural Politics of Race, Gender and Nation         

MWF          10:50 am-11:50 am          HUM 112          Daniel Gilbert        
*First day attendance required*

From its early development within the nationalisms of the 19th century to its contemporary place amid the currents of globalization, baseball has been both a pervasive and contested form of modern mass culture. This course examines the ways in which baseball’s players, owners, writers and fans have made the sport a central stage for the elaboration of a range of political, economic and cultural projects. Key topics include: the racial segregation and integration of teams and leagues, the construction of masculinity and femininity on the playing field and in media representations, the transnational configuration of player development and recruitment, the history of players’ unions, and the territorial struggles that have shaped ballparks and stadiums. In addition to key selections from the scholarly literature, readings will include a range of primary sources and cultural texts, from first-hand accounts to fiction, film and visual art. Prior engagement with baseball is NOT a prerequisite for this class. All students interested in the cultural politics of race, gender and nation are welcome.

AMST 294-05          Critical Perspectives in American Indian Land Law         

M          7:00 pm-10:00 pm          HUM 112          Terry Janis    

This course will take a critical review of US Indian law as it relates to the land of Indian nations. Students will then examine the process of law reform. We will review and identify the laws that have a destructive impact on Indian nations and those that have a beneficial impact. The class will then consider how those laws can be improved or reformed. Finally, students will explore and identify practical strategies for implementing these reforms.    

AMST 305-01          Race, Sex, and Work in Global Economy            

TR          1:20 pm-2:50 pm          CARN 105          Corie Hammers         
*Cross-listed with WGSS 305-01; First day attendance required*

This seminar presents feminist and queer studies of global capitalism, which examine power relations under contemporary globalization in terms of the racial and sexual dynamics of labor, citizenship, and migration. Course material considers the local and transnational dynamics of free trade, labor fragmentation, and structural adjustment, as these shape industrial and informal labor, and community organizing around gender, sexuality, and HIV/AIDS. The material foregrounds ethnographic analyses of the everyday conditions of people situated in struggles with the effects of global capitalism. Prerequisite: see paragraph above.

AMST 334-01          Cultural Studies and the Media                        

MWF     12:00 pm-1:00 pm     HUM 113          Leola Johnson         
*Cross-listed with HMCS 334-01*

An overview of contemporary approaches to media as culture, a determining as well as determined sphere in which people make sense of the world, particularly in terms of ethnicity, gender, identity, and social inequality. Students develop tools for analyzing media texts and accounts of audience responses derived from the international field of cultural studies and from the social theory on which it draws. Analysis emphasizes specificity of media texts, including advertisements, films, news reports, and television shows. Experience in cooperative discussion, research, and publication. Prerequisite: Humanities, Media and Cultural Studies 110, or permission of instructor.

AMST 341-01          Urban Social Geography                                   

TR 9:40 am-11:10 am       MAIN 009   Daniel Trudeau         
*Cross-listed with GEOG 341-01*

Urban social geography is the study of social and spatial dimensions of city life. In this course, we will explore some of the ways in which urban society in America is organized geographically. We will also consider how the spatial patterns of urban life influence public policy issues in the American context. Topics covered in this course include causes of racial segregation, debates about gentrification, urban poverty and deprivation, sustainable suburban development, the transition from government to governance in cities, and the delivery of urban services that affect the education, health and economic welfare of urban populations. Students will learn current research, engage debates about critical urban issues, and learn techniques useful for analyzing spatial patterns in the urban landscape.

AMST 394-01          AMST Race Relations in America         

W          7:00 pm-10:00 pm          HUM 112          Christine Manganaro

Concentrating on historical scholarship and methodology, this course surveys the history of race relations in the United States by thematically examining processes of racial formation as well as race as a subject and product of state policy. A thematic approach will allow us to compare and contrast how inequality has been produced, maintained, and resisted in a number of historical contexts among various racialized groups. This course focuses on domestic issues while considering the influence of global movements of people and ideas on American race relations. We will focus on forms of colonization, immigration, exclusion, segregation, integration, assimilation, and other policies and processes that have shaped American race relations during the last two centuries.     
*First day attendance required*

AMST 400-01          Critical Perspectives in American Studies         

TR          1:20 pm-2:50 pm          HUM 112          Jane Rhodes         
*First day attendance required*

The Senior Capstone is required of all majors. Majors who meet college criteria are encouraged to conduct an honors project in conjunction with their Senior Capstone. Spring semester.(4 credits)