Three credit hours. Independent Study Individual study of special problems in American studies in areas where the student has demonstrated the interest and competence necessary for independent work. One to four credit hours. An in-depth, interdisciplinary examination of the complex relationships between politics, economics, and cultural production in the 1980s. Working from a grounding in the history of the decade and in cultural theory, students will explore the ways cultural texts like films, novels, music, music videos, advertising, plays, news media, and television were instrumental in shaping national political culture and American identity.
Final project is a substantial research paper.
Senior standing as American studies major. Four credit hours. An interdisciplinary seminar incorporating theoretical approaches to the study of American thought and culture. Topics will vary. Senior standing as American studies major.