Overall Curricular Goals of the American Studies Major
- To answer the question of national identities: "What does it mean to be or to become American (in the present and in the past)?"
- To understand past and present assertions of American "exceptionalism" and to critique these notions.
- To comprehend how diverse groups of people are integral to national politics and cultures
a. To analyze systems of power in relation to race/gender/class/ sexuality/citizenship
b. To understand how categories of race, gender, class and sexuality have changed over time - To situate U.S. national cultures in global contexts, including borderlands, empire, hemispheric, and comparative contexts.
- To use effectively multiple disciplinary methods and approaches in research projects that engage aspects of American identities, cultures, and/or politics.
- To demonstrate the connection between classroom learning and public life.