AJL07001: Introduction to American Studies I

This course focuses on the history and development of the American nation, and examines the various currents (social, historical, political, intellectual and cultural) that have contributed to and today compose American culture. The primary text is American History: A Survey, which is supplemented by additional reading materials as well as videos and slides presented in class. One important aspect of the course is the emphasis placed on gaining an awareness of the "mediated" nature of knowledge and understanding, on the idea that cultural and historical knowledge should be seen as part of an ongoing process of critical thinking which is never "completed".