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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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Guidelines
for First-Year Students
Interested
in American Studies
Welcome to Macalester
College! The Department of American Studies serves as the
academic focal point for scholarly engagement with multiculturalism.
The department’s emphasis is on the study of race and ethnicity
in a national and transnational frame. American Studies embraces
a range of methodologies to consider such complex issues as how
we define borders, who is a citizen, and how movements for social
change have shaped society. The department’s courses require
a rigorous and systematic examination of cultural, social, economic
and political systems and narratives, and offer structured opportunities
so that students can apply theoretical concepts to concrete settings
of civic engagement.
American Studies provides an interdisciplinary approach to the study
of racial categories and racialized experiences in the United States
by encouraging close and systematic examination of a wide range
of cultural and political narratives, and by creating structured
opportunities to apply theoretical concepts in concrete settings
of civic engagement. the department underscores the central significance
of race in shaping every aspect of U.S. history and contemporary
life. We encourage our students to take advantage of study abroad
or away programs or the many interesting possibilities for internships.
As an interdisciplinary department, American Studies draws faculty
from, and cross-lists classes with, many other departments. The
department offers both a major and a minor. You can decide to double
major in American Studies and any other discipline of your choice
(or major/minor), for example, history or political science. Cross-listed
classes enable you to count credits in both disciplines.
Courses numbered 100-199 are designed for beginning students.
Mid-level courses (numbered 200-299) are also open to new students
who have a special background or interest in the subject of the
course. We will be happy to answer any questions that you may have.
Contact Person:
Jane Rhodes
Phone Number: 651-696-6431
Hours Available: By appointment
E-Mail Address: rhodes@macalester.edu
Note: You may also contact Kathie Scott at scott@macalester.edu,
651/696-6410
General Distribution Requirements
American Studies 110, 128, 210, 224, 230, 232, 233, 249, 331, 354,
and 444 count toward the general distribution requirement in humanities.
American Studies 100, 101, 103, 112, 203, 240, 250, 254, 264, 285,
300, 305, and 370 count toward the social science general distribution
requirement. Any topics courses offered (at any level) require approval
by the department to qualify for either distribution. Courses approved
for the American studies major offered through other departments
meet the general distribution requirements of that department.
Multiculturalism Requirement
Many courses in the American Studies department will satisfy the
U.S. Multiculturalism requirement.
TYPICAL FIRST-YEAR LEVEL COURSES
100 RACE, CLASS, AND SEXUALITY IN U.S. FEMINISMS (Same as Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies 100)
This course is an interdisciplinary introduction to a variety of feminist analyses of United States history and contemporary sociopolitical life, figured around the relationship of gender to race, class, sexuality, ability, colonialism, and nationalism. Through analytical reading, writing, and discussion, the course aims to develop an understanding of gender as a tool to organize society on the basis of difference and power and as a performative practice, which is also a mode of agency and activism for positive social change. Materials from history, literature, sociology, anthropology, and film are included. Spring semester. (4 credits)
101 EXPLORATIONS OF RACE AND RACISM
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. Spring semester. (4 credits)
103 THE PROBLEM OF RACE IN U.S. SOCIAL THOUGHT AND POLICY
This course has been developed as an entry-level exploration of the impact of race on contemporary U.S. public discourse. The course has two principle objectives: to create a forum that encourages individuals to articulate well-informed opinions and attitudes about race; and to locate those ideas in an analytic framework that promotes a shared understanding of race and racial inequality in the contemporary context. Offered Fall 2007 as a First Year Course only. (4 credits)
110 INTRODUCTION TO AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES
This class will explore what it has meant to be African-American in the United States, and how this identity shaped Black community, thought, and life. This course, using a variety of disciplinary approaches, exposes students to issues and problems in the development of African-American identity, and provides students with theoretical tools and contextual sensibilities necessary for advanced courses and independent projects in African American Studies. Spring semester. (4 credits)
112 SEXUALITY, RACE, AND NATION: INTRODUCTION TO LESBIAN/GAY/BISEXUAL/ TRANSGENDER AND QUEER STUDIES (Same as Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies 110)
This course examines how sexuality, race, and nation relate in the lives of people in the United States, which we read in relation to histories of colonialism and globalization. Course material foreground scholarship, testimony, cultural work, and social movements by LGBT, two-spirit, same gender loving, and queer people of color, and by white LGBT and queer anti-racist allies. Their stories offer a template through which all students may examine how everyday life is shaped by sexuality, race, and nation—both as power relations, and as spaces for creating new identity and action. Every year. (4 credits)
140 BLACK PUBLIC INTELLECTUALS
This course will address the tradition of public intellectuals in numerous Black communities. We will expand the definition of "politics" to include theater, literature, and film. We will interrogate the concept of who chooses the scholarly leaders for Black communities. We will examine numerous topics such as Communism, The American Dream, Incarceration, Feminism, and Ebony Voices in the Ivory Tower. Spring semester. (4 credits)
SEVERAL TOPICS COURSES ARE ALSO OFFERED EACH SEMESTER WITH A "194" COURSE NUMBER DESIGNATION
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