INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN STUDIES I

Aspects of American Culture

AMST 211—Fall 2005

Colin S. Cavell, Ph.D. Course Room No.: S17-229

Class UT: 11:00-11:50 [Ramadhan—10:50-11:30] INTERNET: cscpo@arts.uob.bh

Office Hours: By appointment Office No.: S17-263

VOICE: 17438775 (W) 17729091 (H)

An interdisciplinary course that examines the ways different disciplines have approached the study of American culture. Students are introduced to the main cultural movements in American history and to contemporary intellectual debates within the field.

Grading Policy: 20% for Attendance*; 20% for the Class Presentation; 20% for the Midterm Exam; 20% for the Research Paper; and 20% for the Final Exam. A Guidelines sheet will be distributed outlining the requirements for your Class Presentation and for your Research Paper.

Grading Scale: 93-100=A; 90-92=A-; 88-89=B+; 83-87=B; 80-82=B-; 78-79=C+; 73-77=C; 70-72=C-; 68-69=D+; 63-67=D; 60-62=D-; 0-59=F

Attendance Policy*: Attendance in class is mandatory. It is the student’s responsibility to sign the attendance sheet each day of class; failure to sign the attendance sheet—even if in attendance—will be counted as an absence. If your unexcused absences exceed 25% of the total number of lectures of the course in this semester, you will be automatically withdrawn from the course and be given a grade of (WF) which will be counted towards your GPA. As well, you are expected to follow the syllabus and accordingly be prepared for each day's class. This means that you must read the pre-assigned readings before class so that you will be prepared to discuss and debate in class the subject matter scheduled for that day and answer questions related to the issues being covered. NOTE: TURN OFF all cell phones during class.

* Absence from class may be made up by preparing a two-page, typed (i.e. using maximum 12 point font size and maximum double-spaced text with one-inch margin on all sides), summary on the missed material scheduled to be covered the day(s) of your absence. The summary must be in your own words and must not be copied material from the text(s), the internet, or any other source(s). Times New Roman font is strongly recommended; however, if you use an alternative style, make sure your font does not resemble italic or bold text. Also, Comic Sans MS font is not allowed.

Texts:

InfoUSA: Information USA [CD-ROM]. 1999 or 2002 edition. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of State, Office of International Information Programs. [Supplied by professor.]

NOTE: [All class readings from InfoUSA are also available online and can be printed from the AMST 211 class webpage: [http://userspages.uob.edu.bh/cscpo/amst211.htm]

Handouts Provided From:

Colombo, Gary, Robert Cullen, and Bonnie Lisle. 2001. Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing, Fifth Edition. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin’s.

Martin Luther King, Jr. February 23, 1968. Honoring Dr. Du Bois. New York, NY: Freedomways Magazine.

Sept. 17: Introduction to American Studies I

Sept. 19: The Self-Made Man

Film: Benjamin Franklin, DVD (Part 1)

Sept. 21: The Gentleman Farmer

Film: Benjamin Franklin, DVD (Part 2)

Sept. 24: The Historical Context of the U.S. “American” Revolution

Readings: Information USA [CD-ROM]: “The Mayflower Compact” (1620); Poor Richard’s Almanack, 1737: Preface, “Hints for those that would be Rich,” Maxims

Sept. 26: The Historical Context of the U.S. “American” Revolution

Readings: Information USA [CD-ROM]: Poor Richard’s Almanack, 1742: Preface, Maxims, “Rules of Health and long Life,” “Rules to find out a fit Measure of Meat and Drink”

Sept. 28: The Historical Context of the U.S. “American” Revolution

Readings: Information USA [CD-ROM]: Poor Richard’s Almanack Improved, 1758: Preface (including “The Way to Wealth”), Maxims

Oct. 1: Benjamin Franklin's Phenomenal Influence on American Culture

Film: Benjamin Franklin, DVD (Part 2—Role in the American Revolution)

Oct. 3: Development of Political Parties & The Peaceful Transfer of Power

Film: Thomas Jefferson, DVD (Part I)

Oct. 4: First Day of Ramadhan 1426

Oct. 5: Development of Political Parties & The Peaceful Transfer of Power [Ramadhan—10:50-11:30]

Film: Thomas Jefferson, DVD (Part II)

Oct. 8: Slavery & The Abolitionist Movement [Ramadhan—10:50-11:30]

Readings: Information USA [CD-ROM]: The Amistad Revolt: A Historical Legacy of Sierra Leone and the United States (1839)

Oct. 8-Nov. 23: Withdrawal Period with (W)

Oct. 10: Slavery & The Abolitionist Movement [Ramadhan—10:50-11:30]

Readings: Information USA [CD-ROM]: The Amistad Revolt: A Historical Legacy of Sierra Leone and the United States (1839)

Oct. 12: Individualism [Ramadhan—10:50-11:30]

Readings: Information USA [CD-ROM]: Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Self-Reliance” (1841)

Oct. 15: What Kind of Government Should Command a Man’s Respect? [Ramadhan—10:50-11:30]

Readings: Information USA [CD-ROM]: Henry David Thoreau, Civil Disobedience (1846)

Oct. 17: What Kind of Government Should Command a Man’s Respect? [Ramadhan—10:50-11:30]

Readings: Information USA [CD-ROM]: Henry David Thoreau, Civil Disobedience (1846)

Oct. 19: All Men and Women Are Created Equal [Ramadhan—10:50-11:30]

Readings: Information USA [CD-ROM]: Seneca Falls Declaration (1848)

Oct. 22: This Fourth of July is Yours, Not Mine [Ramadhan—10:50-11:30]

Readings: Frederick Douglass, "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?" (1852) [on theAMST 211 class webpage]

Oct. 24: This Fourth of July is Yours, Not Mine [Ramadhan—10:50-11:30]

Readings: Frederick Douglass, "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?" (1852) [on theAMST 211 class webpage]

Oct. 26: Freedom for Slaves as A Goal of the Civil War [Ramadhan—10:50-11:30]

Readings: Information USA [CD-ROM]: Abraham Lincoln, Emancipation Proclamation (1863)

Oct. 29: The Proposition That All Men Are Created Equal [Ramadhan—10:50-11:30]

Readings: Information USA [CD-ROM]: Abraham Lincoln: Gettysburg Address (1863)

Oct. 31: Midterm Exam [Ramadhan—10:50-11:30]

Nov. 2: In-Class Presentation Day [Ramadhan—10:50-11:30]

Nov. 3-5: Eid Al-Fitr Holiday 1426 [No classes]

Nov. 5-11: Mid-semester Break [No classes]

Nov. 12: The American Family

Readings: Colombo, Cullen, and Lisle: Harmony at Home: “The Myth of the Model Family”; Norman Rockwell: “A Family Tree, Freedom from Want, and Freedom from Fear” [In Colombo, et al. Booklet]

Nov. 14: Education

Readings: Colombo, Cullen, and Lisle: “Learning Power: The Myth of Education and Empowerment”; Horace Mann: “From Report of the Massachusetts Board of Education, 1848” [In Colombo, et al. Booklet]

Nov. 16: Self-Help & Economic Success

Readings: Colombo, Cullen, and Lisle: “Money and Success: The Myth of Individual Opportunity”; Horatio Alger, from Ragged Dick, 1867, Ch. XXVI: "An Exciting Adventure." [In Colombo, et al. Booklet]

Nov. 19: Class Divisions

Readings: In Colombo, Cullen, and Lisle: Gregory Mantsios: “Class in America: Myths and Realities” [In Colombo, et al. Booklet]

Nov. 21: Race Divisions

Readings: Colombo, Cullen, and Lisle: “Created Equal: The Myth of the Melting Pot”; Thomas Jefferson, from Notes on the State of Virginia, 1781, Ch. 14, "'Laws': The administration of justice and description of the laws?" [In Colombo, et al. Booklet]

Nov. 23: Race Divisions [continued]

Readings: In Colombo, Cullen, and Lisle: Ronald Takaki: “Race at the End of History” [In Colombo, et al. Booklet]

Nov. 26: Class & Race Divisions

Readings: Martin Luther King, Jr.: “Honoring Dr. Du Bois” [1968] [Handout]

Nov. 28: Class & Race Divisions [continued]

Readings: Martin Luther King, Jr.: “Honoring Dr. Du Bois” [1968] [Handout]

Nov. 30: Gender Divisions

Readings: Colombo, Cullen, and Lisle: “True Women and Real Men: Myths of Gender” [In Colombo, et al. Booklet]

Dec. 3: Gender Divisions [continued]

Readings: Alexis de Tocqueville, from Democracy in America, Vol. II, Sec. 3, Ch. XII: “How the Americans Understand the Equality of the Sexes” [In Colombo, et al. Booklet]

Dec. 5: The Melting Pot Reconsidered

Readings: In Colombo, Cullen, and Lisle: George M. Fredrickson: “Models of American Ethnic Relations: A Historical Perspective” [In Colombo, et al. Booklet]

Dec. 7: The Wild West [Research Papers Due]

Readings: Colombo, Cullen, and Lisle: “Westward Ho!: The Myth of Frontier Freedom” [In Colombo, et al. Booklet]

Dec. 10: The Wild West [continued]

Readings: Frederick Jackson Turner, from The Frontier In American History, Ch. 1: “The Significance of the Frontier in American History’” [In Colombo, et al. Booklet]

Dec. 12: Theories of Culture

Readings: "Culture: From Encyclopedia.com"; Mick Brooks, “Historical Materialism”; Jon Marcoux, “Cultural Materialism”; “Culture Defined: A recent etymology of the word 'culture'"; "Culture: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia"

Dec. 14: Theories of Culture [continued]

Dec. 16 & 17: National Day Holiday

Dec. 19: Theories of Culture [continued] [Last Day for In-Class Presentations]

Dec. 21: Last day of classes; Review

Dec. 27: Final Exam 11:30-13:30

Jan. 1, 2006: New Year's Day [Holiday]

Jan. 7: Last day for submitting grades