Courses of Instruction

AMERICAN STUDIES (AMS-Arts and Science)

105 American Studies Film Series (1)

This course examines selected films addressing a particular theme or issue in American culture. Themes and films vary from semester to semester.

204 Introduction to Public History (3)

Introduction to the major issues addressed by historians who work in the public sphere, with emphasis on the creation of a shared public past and the disciplines that comprise the field of public history. Cross-listed with HST 204.

MPF 205 Introduction to American Studies (3)

Introduces students to the interdisciplinary study of American culture from an historical and contemporary perspective. Drawing from a variety of source materials and relying on a range of interpretative techniques, students examine aspects of thought, expression, and behavior in the United States. IIA, H.

206 Approaches to American Culture (3)

Examines a specific topic or case study, e.g., a form of cultural expression, a place, an historical moment, a social movement, an identity group. Emphasis is placed on interdisciplinary skills, teaching students to analyze and inter-relate different kinds of texts to explore the idea of culture. Prerequisite(s): AMS 205.

213 Appalachia: Cultures and Music (3)

The history of country music since 1925 in the context of Appalachian culture, regional modernization, and the emergence of national media. Authenticity and cultural traditions, fans and artists, performance ceremonies, African American and gospel contributions, technological innovation in recording, radio, movies, and television. Cross-listed with HST.

214 History of Miami University (3)

Miami University since 1809 from perspectives of local culture; national, social, and economic forces; and history of higher education. Key moments of change; continuity and difference through time; groups and traditions; architecture and landscape; influences of gender, class, race, and region. Cross-listed with HST 214.

MPF 222 Italian American Culture (3)

A survey and investigation of the history of Italian immigration in America, the development of Italian American communities across the land, and the contributions that Italian Americans have made to American society and culture. Taught in English. No prerequisites. Offered once a year. Cross-listed with ITL and FST. IIIA, IIB, H. CAS-B.

MPT 241 Religions of the American Peoples (4)

American religious pluralism and the experience of minority peoples such as Roman Catholics, Jews, and Eastern Orthodox. Emphasis on historical, social, and cultural themes. Readings in fiction and autobiographical writings. Cross-listed with REL 241.

MPT 242 Religious Pluralism in Modern America (4)

Historical and cultural analysis of religious communities of the U.S. of primarily non- European origin. Includes African American, Native American, Latino, and Middle Eastern and Asian traditions, including Islam. Cross-listed with REL 242.

301 Practice in American Studies (3)

Focusing on a specific theme or issue, the course explores public culture through applied study and research. The course connects theory and praxis through collaborative and interactive research and learning in American Studies. Approaches include service learning, field research, experiential learning, or applied research. Prerequisite: AMS 205.

302 United States and the World (3)

Examination of American culture, identity, politics, and history in the context of growing global interconnectedness. Course themes and issue vary, but all focus on the membership of the United States in a broader international community and how the United States both shapes and is shaped by globalization. Prerequisite: AMS 205.

304 History, Memory, Tradition (3)

Examination of the role of history, memory, and tradition in American culture, and the theoretical underpinnings of public history. Cross-listed with HST 304.

310 Special Topics in American Studies (1-4; maximum 16)

Topical offerings in American Studies on themes such as popular culture, material culture, ethnicity, or periods in American life such as the 1950s. May be taken for credit more than once with different content and permission of instructor. Prerequisite: AMS 205 or permission of instructor.

340 Internship in American Studies (1-20)

Supervised work experience in Cincinnati and local social, cultural, and historical institutions. Open to junior and senior American studies majors with permission of the Director of American Studies.

MPT 341 Protestantism and the Development of American Culture (4)

History and symbolic structure of American Protestantism and its role in the development of American culture. Cross-listed with REL 341.

348 Ethnic American Literatures (3)

Intensive introduction to theories of race, ethnicity, and identity through the study of American literature by ethnic minorities. Cross-listed with ENG 348. CAS-B-LIT.

362 The Era of the American Revolution (3)

Origins, events, and legacies of the American Revolution with particular emphasis on political and social developments. Cross-listed with HST 362.

363 The Early American Republic 1783-1815 (3)

Emphasizes the Constitution, the Federalists, and the Jeffersonian with study of Washington, Madison, Hamilton, John Adams, and Jefferson as major figures. Cross-listed with HST 363.

379 U.S. Consumerism, 1890-Present (3)

Examines the history of mass consumerism in North American society, including the rise of mass production and the mechanisms that have made mass-produced goods available to American and global markets. Cross-listed with HST 379.

MPT 382 Women in American History (3)

Survey of the history of women's lives and roles in American society from the colonial period to present. Emphasis on examining women's individual and collective roles in private and public spheres and on exploring how specific economic and political transformations have affected women's lives. Cross-listed with HST and WMS 382.

MPT 392 Sex and Gender in American Culture (3)

Examination of change over time in the construction of sexual norms, attitudes, and behaviors in American culture, as well as of gender roles. Covers the period just prior to the Indian-European encounter to the present. Cross-listed with HST 392.

396 The American South Since 1877 (3)

Intensive study of the region since reconstruction. Expansion of cotton culture and industrialization; age of segregation; white and black cultures; modernization; desegregation. Cross-listed with HST and BWS 396. Offered infrequently.

397 American Environmental History (3)

Introduction to human-natural environmental relationships in English North America and the United States, ca. 1600 to present. Chronological and regional approach with emphasis upon political economy and the American conservationist/ environmentalist movement. Cross-listed with HST 397.

MPC 401 Senior Capstone in American Studies (4)

A colloquium in which students undertake and complete a research or creative project in an area of American cultural studies. Emphasis is on the collaborative selection and design of issues for discussion as well as on sharing the process of project development. Required for American studies majors and minors. Prerequisite: AMS 205, nine additional hours of American studies-related course work, or permission of instructor.

405 American Studies Workshop (4)

Study and practice of advanced cultural analysis and research in American Studies. Prerequisites: AMS 205, AMS 301.

433 Oral Tradition: History and Practice (3)

Traces the oral tradition in historical writing and introduces theory and practice of oral history as a methodology basic to historical research. Offered infrequently. Cross-listed with HST 433.

435 Public History Practicum (3)

Combines classroom study and fieldwork in the community. Students examine the presentation of history to the public, curriculum and public institutions, and issues of public culture to develop projects that incorporate work with a local museum or historical society and a local classroom teacher. Cross-listed with HST 435.

MPT 442 Religion, Society and Culture in New England (4)

Historical investigation of the ways in which religion, especially that of Puritan origin, has interacted with other aspects of social and cultural life in New England from colonial beginnings to the present. Offered infrequently. Cross-listed with REL 442.

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