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Academic Year 2005/2006

Junior Colloquium: Cultural Studies and American Studies
AMST 204 SP

The aim of our colloquium is to place some contributions of British cultural studies and American studies in a critical dialogue with one another. From this critical exchange we will develop a more rigorous grasp of cultural theory and a more complex understanding of what is at stake in cultural criticism and cultural history. Topics include the concepts of ideology, hegemony, and contradiction; the theorizing and historicizing of forms of subjectivity; Marxist theories, feminist theories, antiracism work. Numerous exercises (including a field trip) and analyses of texts (literary, historical) will put our theoretical work into practice.

MAJOR READINGS

Terry Eagleton, WHAT IS IDEOLOGY?, THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THEORY
Cornel West, THE DILEMMA OF THE BLACK INTELLECTUAL
Frederick Douglass, NARRATIVE
Lawrence Levine, BLACK CULTURE AND BLACK CONSCIOUSNESS
Leroi Jones, (Amiri Baraka) THE DUTCHMAN AND THE SLAVE
Graeme Turner, BRITISH CULTURAL STUDIES
Allan Bloom, THE CLOSING OF THE AMERICAN MIND
Joel Pfister, THE AMERICANIZATION OF CULTURAL STUDIES

EXAMINATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS

Three five-page papers plus some exercises. Each student will take a turn at leading class discussion.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS and/or COMMENTS

Only American Studies majors may take this course.

COURSE FORMAT: Seminar

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Level: UGRD    Credit: 1    Gen Ed Area Dept: SBS AMST    Grading Mode: Graded   

Prerequisites: [HIST235 or AMST236] OR [HIST236 or AMST255] OR [ENGL203 or AMST155] OR [ENGL204 or AMST156] Links to Web Resources For This Course.

Last Updated on MAR-30-2006

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