AMST 5000: Proseminar in American Studies

Prof. Sharon Ann Musher

Course Description: This course provides an introduction to American Studies, including a history of the field from its origins to the present. Students will be introduced to a selection of exemplary American Studies texts, which they will be asked to analyze critically. Focusing on what scholars have written about and within the field of American Studies, this course raises several questions about the notion of “America,” its meaning and boundaries: How has the idea of “America” changed among scholars and writers over the last century? What is the relationship between popular movements (civil rights, women’s rights, gay rights, etc.) and American Studies? What impact has globalization had on American Studies? Does America extend beyond the bounds of the United States? We will explore these questions and others.

Required Readings:

  1. Maddox, Lucy. ed., Locating American Studies: The Evolution of a Discipline. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999.
  2. Marx, Leo. The Machine in the Garden. 1964. NY: Oxford University Press, 2010.
  3. Coontz, Stephanie. A Strange Stirring. NY: Basic Books, 2012.
  4. Levine, Lawrence. The Unpredictable Past. NY: Oxford University Press, 1993.
  1. Wald, Priscilla. Constituting Americans: Cultural Anxiety and Narrative Form. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 1995.
  2. Hasia Diner, Lower East Side Memories: A Jewish Place in America
  3. Lizabeth Cohen. A Consumer’s Republic. NY: Vintage Books, 2003.
  4. Victoria de Grazia. Irresistible Empire. Cambridge: MA, Belknap Press of Harvard University, 2006.
  5. Kathy Peiss, Zoot Suite: The Enigmatic Career of an Extreme Style. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2011.

Assignments

1. Locating American Studies: What is American Studies? What are the key turning points, methods, approaches, and interpretations in the field? Where has it been, and where is it heading, or where do you think it should be heading. This is a paper that you will write as a midterm and then re-write as a final. Each draft should draw on specific works read for class andmay also bring in additional relevant works. Your final draft should include an explanation of how your thinking on the topic has changed over the semester.

2. Weekly response papers (1.5-2pp): 300-500 word weekly commentaries on the readings should include three parts:

A. A discussion of the author’s central argument(s)/method(s)

B. An analysis of the works. What are its strengths and weaknesses? What do you find mostinteresting about it? Do you agree with the author’s interpretations? What questions does the work raise for you?

D. Finally, how/why do these works fit into American Studies? In what ways are they in dialogue with other works of American Studies? How does reading them contribute to your understanding of the field of American Studies?

  1. Facilitators/Note takers: Each student will facilitate the discussion of one reading, and be responsible for taking and posting class notes on Blackboard for one class session. When students serve as facilitators, they should report to the class key findings/interpretations (5 mins.). They might want to share some additional reading regarding the author, the circumstances surrounding the work, etc. They should also pose one question to the class for discussion.
  2. Research Paper (12-15pp): Choose a topic that you are interested in researching, or have been working on. Take on the intellectual persona and or research approach of two different scholars/writers we will read this semester (one pre-1980 and one post-1980) and present the topic from their perspectives and in their manner. Finish the paper with an analysis of both perspectives and a synthesis/reflection of your own. 3,000-5,000 words.

Attendance: Although regular attendance and class participation are critical to your success in this course, I understand that crises arise. You may have up to two “free” absences. Note that I do not distinguish between excused and unexcused absences, so use those absences carefully. Any more than 2 such absences will adversely affect your grade. If you have 3 absences, your grade for the semester will be lowered by a full grade (for example, a B will become a C). If you have 4 absences, you will automatically fail the class. Students who miss more than one class cannot earn an A.