American Cultural Studies

The material on this page is from the 1996-97 catalog and may be out of date. Please check the current year's catalog for current information.

Professors Turlish (English) (on leave, winter semester and Short Term), Branham (Rhetoric) (on leave, fall semester and Short Term), and Taylor (English); Associate Professors Kessler (Political Science), Brinkley (Sociology and Women's Studies), Creighton (History), Chair, Bruce (Religion) (on leave, 1996-1997), and Eames (Anthropology); Assistant Professors Nero (Rhetoric), Carnegie (Anthropology) (on leave, 1996-1997), Chin (English) (on leave, fall semester), Hill (Political Science) (on leave, 1996-1997), Gordon-Mora (Political Science) (on leave, winter semester), Jensen (History), and Hinshaw (African American Studies and American Cultural Studies); Mr. Pope.L (Theater)

American cultural studies is an interdisciplinary program that seeks to understand the differences and commonalities that inform changing answers to the question "What does it mean to be an American?" Courses offering diverse methods and perspectives help to explore how self-conceptions resist static definition, how cultural groups change through interaction, and how disciplines transform themselves through mutual inquiry. The centrality of courses in American cultural studies helps provide a lens through which to view how groups of Americans see themselves and each other and how American institutions have constructed such differences as race, gender, class, ethnicity, and sexuality. Seen as such, the critical study of what it means to be American relies not on fixed, unitary, or absolute values, but rather on dynamic meanings that are themselves a part of cultural history. Respecting diverse claims to truth as changing also allows them to be understood as changeable.

The major in American cultural studies requires ten courses in addition to a senior thesis. There are three required introductory courses: an introduction to African American history, a course introducing race, ethnicity, and gender as analytical categories, and a course introducing interdisciplinary methods of analysis. Seven courses in addition to the thesis are to be chosen from the list below. These electives should include advanced courses in at least two disciplines and constitute a coherent area of concentration. In addition, one course should study the African diaspora, one course should use gender as a primary category of analysis, and one course should have an experiential or fieldwork component. The proposed area of concentration and sequence of courses should be worked out with the faculty advisor and approved by the fall semester of the junior year. All majors must complete a senior thesis (see American Cultural Studies 457 or 458 below).

Courses
250. Interdisciplinary Studies: Methods and Modes of Inquiry. Interdisciplinarity involves more than a meeting of disciplines. Practitioners stretch methodological norms and reach across disciplinary boundaries. Through examination of a single topic, this course introduces students to interdisciplinary methods of analysis. Students examine what practitioners actually do and work to become practitioners themselves. This course is the same as African American Studies 250 and Women's Studies 250. Prerequisites: any two courses in women's studies, African American studies, or American cultural studies. E. Eames

360. Independent Study. Independent study of selected topics by individual students. Students must meet periodically with faculty and complete papers or projects. Students are limited to one independent study per semester. Written permission of the instructor is required. Staff.

457, 458. Senior Thesis. Under the supervision of a faculty advisor, all majors write an extended essay that utilizes the methods of at least two disciplines. Students register for American Cultural Studies 457 when completing thesis in the fall semester, and for American Cultural Studies 458 when completing thesis in the winter semester. Majors writing an honors thesis register for both American Cultural Studies 457 and 458. Staff.

The following courses are cross-listed with other departments.

Core Courses
African American Studies 262. Ethnomusicology: African Diaspora. L. Williams. Same as Anthropology 262, Music 262.

Anthropology 101. Social Anthropology. D. Jenkins.
Anthropology 234. Myth, Folklore, and Popular Culture. Same as Religion 261. L. Danforth.
Anthropology 250. Caribbean Societies: Emergence of Post-Nationalism. C. Carnegie.
Anthropology 253. Western North America: Native Cultures, Histories, and Environments. D. Jenkins.
Anthropology 262. Ethnomusicology: African Diaspora. L. Williams. Same as African American Studies 262, Music 262.
Anthropology 275. Gender Relations in Comparative Perspective. E. Eames.
Anthropology 322. First Encounters: European "Discovery" and North American Indians. B. Bourque.
Anthropology 333. Culture and Interpretation. D. Jenkins.
Anthropology 335. The Ethnographer's Craft. C. Carnegie.
Anthropology 336. Ethnohistory of the Andes. D. Jenkins.
Anthropology 347. New World Archeology. B. Bourque.
Anthropology 370. Post-Emancipation Societies. C. Carnegie.
Anthropology s21. Cultural Production and Social Context, Jamaica. Same as English s21. C. Carnegie, T. Chin.
Anthropology s23. Environment and Environmentalism: Native and European Land Use in the American West. D. Jenkins.
Anthropology s25. Ethnicity, Bilingualism, Religion, and Gender: Topics in Ethnographic Fieldwork. L. Danforth.
Anthropology s32. Introduction to Archeological Fieldwork. B. Bourque.

Art 283. Contemporary Art. E. Rand.
Art 284. American Art. E. Rand.
Art 361. Museum Internship. R. Corrie.
Art s23. Art and Artists in New York. R. Feintuch.
Art s25. American Architecture: Bates College. Staff.
Art s29. Just View It: Popular Culture, Critical Stances. E. Rand.
Art s32. The Photograph as Document. E. Morris.

Biology 200. The Social Context of Science. E. Minkoff.

Economics 225. Economics of Health Care. J. Hughes.
Economics 230. Economics of Women, Men, and Work. J. Hughes.
Economics 245. The Economics of Wealth, Poverty, Race, and Gender. M. Murray.
Economics 331. Labor Economics. J. Hughes.
Economics 348. Urban Economics. M. Murray.

Education 231. Perspectives on Education. S. Wortham.
Education 233. Environmental Education. P. Corcoran.
Education s21. Perspectives on Education. Staff.

English 141. American Writers to 1900. L. Turlish.
English 152. American Writers Since 1900. L. Turlish.
English 241. American Fiction. L. Turlish, C. Taylor.
English 250. The African American Novel. T. Chin.
English 294. Storytelling. C. Taylor.
English 395A. Twentieth-Century Caribbean Narrative. T. Chin.
English 395B. A Dissenting Tradition in Twentieth-Century American Literature. C. Taylor.
English 395C. Frost, Williams, and Stevens. R. Farnsworth.
English s17. Sexual Harassment and the U.S. Senate's Thomas-Hill Hearings. Same as Sociology s17. C. Malcolmson, C. Brinkley.
English s21. Cultural Production and Social Context: Jamaica. Same as Anthropology s21. C. Carnegie, T. Chin.
English s23. Beatniks and Mandarins: A Literary and Cultural History of the American Fifties. L. Turlish.

First-Year Seminar 014. African American Enslavement. J. Carignan.
First-Year Seminar 153. Race in American Political and Social Thought. L. Hill.
First-Year Seminar 187. Hard Times: The Economy and Society in the Great Depression. A. Williams.
First-Year Seminar 201. Using the Land. T. Wenzel.

French s32. The Cultures of Martinique. R. Williamson.
French s35. French in Maine. M. Rice-DeFosse.

History 140. Origins of the New Nation, 1500-1820. J. Leamon.
History 141. America in the Nineteenth Century. M. Creighton.
History 142. The Republic, Industrial and Imperial, 1890-1980. H. Jensen.
History 181. Latin America. A. Chomsky.
History 240. Colonial America, 1660-1700. J. Leamon.
History 241. The Age of the American Revolution, 1763-1789. J. Leamon.
History 243. African American History. H. Jensen.
History 247. The Social History of the Civil War. M. Creighton.
History 260. Topics on the Left: A History of American Radicalism. J. Carignan.
History 261. American Protest in the Twentieth Century. H. Jensen.
History 281. Social History of Central America. A. Chomsky.
History 283. Latinos in the United States. A. Chomsky.
History 342. The United States in the Sixties and Seventies. C. Beam.
History 349. Black America in the Twentieth Century. J. Carignan.
History 390B. The Nixon Presidency. C. Beam.
History 390C. Gender and the American Civil War. M. Creighton.
History 390E. Perspectives on the History of Early America. J. Leamon.
History 390F. The American West. M. Creighton.
History 390G. The United States in Vietnam, 1945-1975. C. Beam.
History 390H. U.S. Relations with Latin America. A. Chomsky.
History s19. Origins of the Cuban Revolution. A. Chomsky.
History s24A. The Civil-Rights Movement. H. Jensen.
History s25A. Japanese-American "Relocation" Camps. A. Hirai.
History s26. Brazilian Slavery Through Documents. A. Chomsky.
History s42. Historical Archeology. J. Leamon.

Music 246. American Music: Imaginary Landscapes. W. Matthews.
Music 247. Jazz and Blues: History and Practice. W. Matthews.
Music 262. Ethnomusicology: African Diaspora. L. Williams. Same as African American Studies 262, Anthropology 262.
Music s26. Jazz: History and Practice. W. Matthews.
Music s29. American Musicals on Film. W. Matthews.

Political Science 115. American Government and Public Policy. D. Hodgkin.
Political Science 118. Law and Politics. M. Kessler.
Political Science 211. American Parties and Elections. D. Hodgkin.
Political Science 214. City Politics. D. Hodgkin.
Political Science 217. The American Presidency. D. Hodgkin
Political Science 227. Judicial Power and Economic Policy. M. Kessler.
Political Science 228. Constitutional Freedoms. M. Kessler.
Political Science 235. Black Women in the Americas. L. Hill.
Political Science 249. Politics of Latin America. E. Gordon-Mora.
Political Science 276. American Foreign Policy. J. Richter.
Political Science 310. Public Opinion. D. Hodgkin.
Political Science 322. American Legislative Behavior. D. Hodgkin.
Political Science 325. Constitutional Rights and Social Change. M. Kessler.
Political Science 329. Law and Gender. M. Kessler.
Political Science 374. The Latin Caribbean. E. Gordon-Mora.
Political Science 421. Congressional Internship. D. Hodgkin.
Political Science s20. Environmental Politics. Staff.
Political Science s21. Internships in Community Service. M. Kessler.
Political Science s23. Organized Interests and American Democracy. D. Hodgkin.
Political Science s24. Urban Political Change: Lewiston. D. Hodgkin.
Political Science s25. Labor, Class, and Community Action. W. Corlett.
Political Science s31. Internships in State and Local Government and Politics. Staff.

Psychology 210. Social Psychology. R. Wagner.

Religion 216. American Religious History, 1550-1840. M. Bruce.
Religion 217. Religion in the American Experience. C. Straub.
Religion 247. City Upon the Hill. M. Bruce.
Religion 261. Myth, Folklore, and Popular Culture. L. Danforth. Same as Anthropology 234.
Religion 306. Seminar on American Religious Thought and History. M. Bruce.
Religion s24. Religion and the City. M. Bruce.
Religion s27. Field Studies in Religion: Cult and Community. T. Tracy.
Religion s28. Fundamentalism. M. Bruce.

Rhetoric 255. Moving Pictures: The Rhetoric of Committed Documentary. R. Branham.
Rhetoric 275. African American Public Address. C. Nero.
Rhetoric 278. The Rhetoric of Nuclear Culture, 1939-1964. R. Branham.
Rhetoric 386. The Language and Communication of Black Americans. C. Nero.
Rhetoric 390. Contemporary Rhetoric. R. Branham.
Rhetoric s20. Performance of African American Literature. C. Nero.

Sociology 236. Urban Sociology. T. Cowan.
Sociology 240. Race and Ethnicity in the United States. C. Brinkley.
Sociology 340. Political Sociology. T. Cowan.
Sociology s17. Sexual Harassment and the U.S. Senate's Thomas-Hill Hearings. C. Brinkley, C. Malcolmson. Same as English s17.
Sociology s26. Urban Transformations: A Tale of Three Cities. T. Cowan.

Spanish 215. Readings in Spanish American Literature. S. Rosman.
Spanish 250. The Latin American Short Story. Staff.
Spanish 255. Re-Writing Modernity in Contemporary Latin American Fiction. S. Rosman.
Spanish s33. Women, Nation, and Literary Culture in Latin America. S. Rosman.

Theater 215. Popular Performance in Urban America: 1820-1920. Staff.
Theater 225. The Grain of the Black Image. W. Pope.L.
Theater 226. Minority Images in Hollywood Film. W. Pope.L.
Theater 250. Twentieth-Century American Dance. M. Plavin.
Theater 252. Twentieth-Century American Dance II. M. Plavin.
Theater s28. The Living Stage: Theater in New York. M. Andrucki.
Theater s29. Dance as a Collaborative Art. M. Plavin.

Women's Studies 201. African American Women and Feminist Thought. C. Brinkley.
Women's Studies 310. The Demography of U.S. Women. C. Brinkley.
Women's Studies s30. Gender and Geography. C. Brinkley.