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American Studies Conference 2008
Courses in American Studies
Honors Projects
Dean for the Study of Race and Ethnicity
Crosslisting Courses
Urban Faculty Seminar
Department Conception (5/7/2003)
Department of Multicultural Life
Student Organizations
Fall 2007
American Studies Open House Photos
Guidelines for First-Year Students
Consortium
for Faculty Diversity at Liberal Arts Colleges
Digital Commons at Macalester
Mahmoud El-Kati Distinguished Lectureship in American Studies
Politics of Difference: U.S./Mexican Border-Class Project
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Top 10 Questions
These questions
were developed by Rebecca Hossain '05 and Erik Morales '04. The answers
were written by Prof. Karin Aguilar-San Juan. Please feel free to share
your questions and insights with us.
What is American Studies?
American Studies is the academic site for the study of race at Macalester
with an emphasis on race as a central dimension of U.S. history and contemporary
social life. The idea for a department emerged in Spring 2003 out of a
long collaborative effort between the African American Studies and Comparative
North American Studies programs to meet the needs of the College regarding
multiculturalism and diversity. AS Courses will fall into one of three
areas of emphasis: Racial Concepts and Theories; Cultures, Histories
and Practices; and Political Activism and Social Justice.
Is AS an interdisciplinary major?
Yes. Understanding the construction of racial categories and racialized
experiences in the United States requires an interdisciplinary approach.
Our courses currently offer historical, cultural, religious, psychological,
political, and sociological approaches to the study of race. Our civic
engagement component encourages you to deal with real-world complexities
of racial difference and inequality. AS will teach you how to build a
broad, comparative, and applied framework for understanding the racial
dimensions of American national identity.
What do I need to do to major in AS?
You will need to take the Introduction to American Studies, or a course
that we approve as its equivalent. We have approved CNAS 331-01: Racial
Formation, Culture, and US History (Fall 2003) and CNAS 101-01: Explorations
of Race in Contemporary North America (Spring 2004) as equivalents to
the introductory course.
To declare an AS major, you must have completed or be currently enrolled
in the introductory course.
Your major plan has to include eleven content courses in addition to the introductory course, the junior year civic engagement seminar: "Where Theory Meets Practice,"
and the senior year capstone seminar: "Critical
Perspectives in American Studies." In order to graduate with a major in American Studies, a total of 56 credits must be earned in courses offered by the department (this includes cross-listed courses approved for American Studies majors).
We encourage you to do an internship after the civic engagement seminar,
and to enroll in a Study Abroad or Study Away program in your senior year.
Is there a specific theme (race, globalization,
gender, postmodernism, etc.) to AS?
The main theme that drives the Department is race. We see racial difference
and racial inequality as foundational aspects of American national identity.
We hope that our curriculum allows you to explore and analyze the inter-relationships
between racialized notions of U.S. nationhood, citizenship, and community
in a global context. In stressing the continuing significance of race,
we take our cues from explorations of race in African American Studies,
Asian American Studies, Chicano/Latino Studies, Native American Studies,
Women's and Gender Studies, Queer Studies, critical race theory, and transnationalism
and diaspora studies.
Is it possible to double major with one
being AS?
As long as you can fulfill the requirements of the AS major in the sequence
we have set up, you may take on other majors or minors. We expect our
majors will be able: 1) to articulate some of the many ways in which racial
categories and racialized experiences shape U.S. social life; 2) to identify
and work with different conceptual approaches to race, including historical,
sociological, literary, cultural, and others; 3) to demonstrate proficiency
with a range of research tools; 4) to perform as knowledgeable interlocutors
in settings of civic engagement; and 5) to demonstrate excellence in all
aspects of academic life.
Could you give me some examples of "topics" courses
within AS?
Here are the titles of a few courses you will be able to count toward
your AS major: Jazz and Social Issues, Asian American Community & Identity, Blackness and the Media, Latino Family as History, Race and
Class in U.S. Feminism. American Studies courses generally fall into three themes-Racial
Concepts and Theories; Cultures, Histories and Practices; and Political
Activism and Social Justice. Each course addresses a specific topic within
a broad, comparative framework.
What could I do for an internship within AS?
The Twin Cities offers many interesting possibilities for internships.
In the past, majors in African American Studies and Comparative North
American Studies have worked with Admissions Possible, a mentoring program
for high school students; Indigenous Tourism Rights International, a nonprofit
dedicated to the concerns of indigenous people regarding tourism around
the world; and Breaking Free, a programs providing HIV/AIDS education
to young women.
Could I still study abroad? What could I do for my study abroad/away
program?
We do expect our majors to take advantage of study abroad and study away
programs. Study in South Africa, for example, would provide a valuable
and relevant international experience. Of equal relevance would be a Study
in the Twin Cities program, such as that provided by HECUA.
What can I do after college if I major in AS?
The AS major offers an interdisciplinary curriculum and will prepare you
for a wide variety of opportunities after you graduate from Macalester.
Possible career paths include the legal profession, government, the media,
post-secondary education, and of course, academia.
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