This course offers an introduction to the field of American Studies through an interdisciplinary examination of race, class and ethnicity in the United States and in a global context. Using a schedule of keywords, we will engage a range of central themes and concerns. We will examine histories of injustice, and resistance to injustice. Readings and assignments encourage students to notice the privilege and oppression at the core of U.S. society. The class will challenge the widely accepted assumption that we as a nation have moved beyond race and racism. Through readings, films, online sources, and our assignments, this course aims to increase our knowledge of inequity in our society, and the impact of those inequities on various societies and individuals.
