HIST 3452 - Americanish: Identity and Selfhood in US History

(crosslisted) AMST 3452
(ALC-AS, HA-AS, HST-AS)

Fall. 4 credits. Letter grades only.

A. Sachs.

This course examines the intellectual and cultural life of Americans, over the last two centuries. The emphasis will be on identity, at both the personal and national level (and on how those two types of identity influence each other). We’ll explore the ways in which different versions of “American Culture” have been constructed and contested. Central themes and subjects include individualism, militarism, belonging, technology, philosophy, and art, in addition to race, class, and gender. What cultural baggage are you carrying when you refer to “America” or “Americans”? Over the years, has the term “American” been more unifying or more divisive? (HNA)