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AMERICAN CULTURAL LANDSCAPES, 1600 TO 1900
Geography C160A
Cross-listed as Environmental Design C169A and American Studies C112A
Instructor: Paul Groth / Fall Semester 2006 / 4 units
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COURSE DESCRIPTION
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This course introduces ways of seeing and interpreting American histories and cultures, as revealed in everyday built surroundings—homes, highways, farms, factories, stores, recreation areas, small towns, city districts, and entire regions. The course encourages students to read landscapes as records of past and present social relations, and to speculate for themselves about the meanings of material culture.
Course requirements include a self-guided field trip on an urban cross-section through Oakland; a ten-page research essay about a typical cultural landscape or landscape element (the essay is due during the twelfth week of the term); and a midterm and final exam. The discussion sections include two small-group field trips near campus, writing seminars, and skill-building workshops in visually interpreting buildings, streets, and maps. Readings are Daniel Boorstin’s politically reactionary but nonetheless useful The Americans: The National Experience; William Cronon’s Nature’s Metropolis, Jack London’s novel about life in West Oakland, The Valley of the Moon, and a hefty reader with review notes for the lectures at the back. A full syllabus for the course is posted by Paul Groth’s office, 597 McCone Hall.
A second semester of the survey, the “B” course offered during the spring semester, continues the chronological survey into the present. The “A” course, however, is complete; after one semester students will have a solid background for interpreting American farms, small towns, and cities.
This course deals with culture, and America, but it does not deal equally with three different cultures. Thus, it does NOT satisfy the University's American Cultures requirement.
Registration for a section is required by Telebears—but NOTE!—that section assignment is very tentative. Final section placement will be determined by cards filled out, in person, on the first day of class.
Lectures:11:00-12:30 PM, Tuesdays and Thursdays
112 Wurster Hall (the Wurster Auditorium)
Sections:A one-hour discussion section is required each week. Section options:
101 Tu 1-2...in 104 Wurster
102 Wed 12-1.in 170 Wurster
103 Th 10-11.in 104 Wurster
104 Th 4-5...in 801A Wurster
Prerequisites:No prerequisites. People from all majors are enthusiastically welcomed.