AMST 200 - Rethinking America: Questions, Debates, Futures

Credits: (4)
College Curriculum: COLL 200
Domain (Anchored): CSI
Domain (Reaching Out): ALV

Over the past half century, scholarship and public debate have brought to light aspects of the United States that were often hidden, dismissed and even suppressed. The many communities and peoples whose lives made up the US were not equally represented in narratives about “America,” and often saw their stories distorted when not ignored. Rethinking America considers key ideas, beliefs and themes in past and contemporary American experience. With a wide array of sources and methods, diverse voices, and numerous perspectives, we investigate core ideas and debates that have defined and contested America over time. Considering neglected and once dismissed perspectives helps us better ask and answer contemporary questions and more importantly, cultivate broad understanding and empathy. This course serves as an Introduction to American Studies - the interdisciplinary investigation in the US and “America” and the peoples whose lives have made up them both.