AMS 3930: Selected Topics in American Studies

American Cinema

This course is designed to help students gain an understanding of the movie industry and appreciation of feature films as works of art. Students will build a working vocabulary of technical, artistic and scholarly terms for ongoing use in enjoying, studying and evaluating films of all kinds. Students will also gain experience in interdisciplinary methods of study, and build an understanding of the essential connections between aesthetic and practical judgements of value.

American Folklife: Blue Collar Aesthetic

This course is an interdisciplinary examination of the blue-collar families from post-WWII to the present. The purpose of this course is to evaluate identity, work ethic, expression, attitude, ritual, image, tradition, humor and behavior in the blue-collar community with emphasis on psychological and physical class boundaries within mass society. Through analysis and interpretation of both primary and secondary sources, as well as an introduction to using folklore/folklife studies, students will investigate how the blue-collar community is represented in mass media and locate its cultural status in American society. Class time will be minimal lecture with heavy emphasis on active student participation.