American Studies

What does soul mean? Delve into soul in all its expressive forms, present in religion and food, film and literature. With a grounding in American race, class and gender politics during the latter half of the 20th century, navigate the popularity of soul, from the Black Power movement to its own temporalization in a “post-soul” era.

“Nothing is more wonderful than the art of being free, but nothing is harder to learn how to use than freedom,” wrote Alexis de Tocqueville in his famous analysis of Democracy in America. Examine how the principles and institutions of the American political system have evolved since the nation’s founding.

Why is education often at the center of struggles for racial justice? Including discussions on Critical Race Theory, civil rights and Black Power, consider the interplay of race and education in student protest traditions in the U.S., interrogating sites of student rebellion and systems of power in educational institutions.

How do museums and monuments define national identity? What does American visual culture look like in an international context? Starting in the late nineteenth century, we’ll encounter a variety of cultural artifacts, from fine art to advertising, analyzing the relationship between high and low culture, the role of mass media in American society, and the persistence of folk traditions in everyday life.