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E-mail: lrogers@mizar.usc.eduDirector: Mauricio Mazon, Ph.D.
Director, American Studies: Thomas Gustafson, Ph.D.
Director, African American Studies: Thomas C. Cox, Ph.D.
Director, Asian American Studies: Dorrine Kondo, Ph.D.
Director, Chicano/Latino Studies: George Sanchez, Ph.D.
The program in American Studies and Ethnicity integrates humanistic and social scientific perspectives and brings them to bear on an examination of the United States with a particular emphasis on comparative study of the peoples, cultures, history and social issues of the Western United States. The program offers four separate majors and minors in American Studies, African American Studies, Asian American Studies, and Chicano/Latino Studies. Drawing upon the cultural resources of a cosmopolitan city on the Pacific Rim and upon the strength and diversity of its professional schools as well as departments in the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, these majors and minors provide a richly interdisciplinary curriculum that is unique for its constitution of American Studies and Ethnic Studies as a comparative and interethnic program that takes as its focus a region - Los Angeles, California and the West - marked by challenging social and cultural changes.
Undergraduate Degrees
American Studies
American Studies offers challenging and diverse opportunities to study the peoples, cultures and institutions of the United States in interdisciplinary courses. Combining the study of history with literature, the arts and the social sciences, American Studies seeks to bring together these various disciplines and modes of inquiry in a common project: the effort to understand the diverse peoples and cultures that have composed the United States and to provide critical perspectives on the words, deeds, myths and material practices that have shaped this country in its full regional, ethnic, class and gender diversity. An education in American Studies will be particularly appropriate for students interested in pursuing careers in law, journalism, government, foreign service, social work, international business, public administration and education.
The program in American Studies is administered by an Advisory Committee comprising a director and two other faculty members, one from the social sciences and the other from the humanities. These faculty members serve as advisors to majors and minors, thus providing, in conjunction with the sequence of courses, a unique opportunity for students to undertake an interdisciplinary concentration under close faculty supervision.
Bachelor of Arts
Program Major Requirements
Ten courses in American Studies or courses certified for American Studies credit are required. The required courses include: ENGL 263 American Literature; HIST 200 The American Experience; AMST 301 America, the Frontier and the New West; AMST 498 Senior Seminar in American Studies.
Students must choose the remaining six courses required for the major from the approved list of American Studies courses and in terms of an area of concentration. Concentrations include: (1) American Cultural and Intellectual Life; (2) American Social and Institutional Life; and (3) Gender and Ethnicity in America. Only one of the six concentration courses can be taken below the 300 level. Of the six concentration courses, no more than three can be taken in one department.
On choosing a major in American Studies, the student must consult with the program chair about the assigned advisor, whom the student will be expected to consult in choosing a series of courses with intellectual coherence and sufficient range and depth. In exceptional cases, a student has the option of structuring his or her own concentration. The rationale for and content of such an individual program must be submitted in writing to the program chair for approval by the program chair and the steering committee.
Program Minor
Course Requirements
For the minor in American Studies, 24 units in American Studies and related fields are required. These units must be distributed as follows: ENGL 263; HIST 200; AMST 301 and 498; and two additional courses. These additional courses must be chosen from the courses certified in American Studies, at the 300 level or above.
Students will be required to follow general education requirements.
Concentrations
American Cultural and Intellectual Life Units ANTH 305 Medicine and Politics 4 ECON 348 The American Economy 4 ENGL 441 American Literature, 1865-1920 4 ENGL 442 American Literature, 1920 to the Present 4 GEOG 222 Geography of American Politics 4 GEOG 310 Approaches to the Study of Cities 4 GEOG 331 Geography of the United States and Canada 4 GEOG 425 Historical Geography of the United States 4 HIST 341 American Social History 4 HIST 342 War and the American Experience 4 HIST 356 The Old South 4 HIST 357 The New South 4 HIST 457 The American West 4 HIST 472 History of the Mexican American 4 JOUR 466 Minorities and the Media 4 JOUR 467 Women, Men, and the Media 4 POSC 300 Principles, Institutions, and Great Issues of American Democracy 4 POSC 320 Urban Politics 4 POSC 333 Stigma and Society: Physical Disability in America 4 POSC 334 Interest Groups and Elite Behavior 4 POSC 422 Political Attitudes and Behavior 4 POSC 423 Presidents and the Presidency 4 POSC 425 Legislative Process 4 POSC 435 Politics and the Economy 4 POSC 437 Mass Media and Politics 4 REL 469 Black Religion in America 4 REL 481 History of Religion in America 4 SOCI 331 Cities 4 SOCI 345 Social Institutions 4 SOCI 360 Social Inequality: Class, Status, and Power 4 SOCI 369 The Family in a Changing Society 4 SOCI 435 Women in Society 4
American Social and Institutional Life Units ANTH 305 Medicine and Politics 4 ECON 348 The American Economy 4 ENGL 441 American Literature, 1865-1920 4 ENGL 442 American Literature, 1920 to the Present 4 GEOG 222 Geography of American Politics 4 GEOG 310 Approaches to the Study of Cities 4 GEOG 331 Geography of the United States and Canada 4 GEOG 425 Historical Geography of the United States 4 HIST 341 American Social History 4 HIST 342 War and the American Experience 4 HIST 356 The Old South 4 HIST 357 The New South 4 HIST 457 The American West 4 HIST 472 History of the Mexican American 4 JOUR 466 Minorities and the Media 4 JOUR 467 Women, Men, and the Media 4 POSC 300 Principles, Institutions, and Great Issues of American Democracy 4 POSC 320 Urban Politics 4 POSC 333 Stigma and Society: Physical Disability in America 4 POSC 334 Interest Groups and Elite Behavior 4 POSC 422 Political Attitudes and Behavior 4 POSC 423 Presidents and the Presidency 4 POSC 425 Legislative Process 4 POSC 435 Politics and the Economy 4 POSC 437 Mass Media and Politics 4 REL 469 Black Religion in America 4 REL 481 History of Religion in America 4 SOCI 331 Cities 4 SOCI 345 Social Institutions 4 SOCI 360 Social Inequality: Class, Status, and Power 4 SOCI 369 The Family in a Changing Society 4 SOCI 435 Women in Society 4
Gender and Ethnicity in America Units ANTH 315 North American Indians 4 ENGL 446 African-American Poetry and Drama 4 ENGL 447 African-American Narrative 4 ENGL 448 Chicano and Latino Literature 4 ENGL 470 Women in English and American Literature after 1850 4 ETST 202 Minority Cultures in the United States 4 HIST 250 History of the Black American 4 JOUR 466 Minorities and the Media 4 JOUR 467 Women in the Media 4 LING 375 Sociolinguistics 4 POSC 333 Stigma and Society: Physical Disability in America 4 POSC 381 Sex, Power, and Politics 4 POSC 421 Ethnic Politics 4 POSC 427 Black Politics in the American Political System 4 REL 302 Religious Vision and American Women Writers 4 REL 469 Black Religion in America 4 SWMS 301 Introduction to Feminist Theory and the Women's and Men's Movements 4 SWMS 364 Racial and Ethnic Women in America 4 SOCI 342 Race Relations 4 SOCI 360 Social Inequality: Class, Status, and Power SOCI 435 Women in Society 4 African American Studies
African American Studies is a multidisciplinary program designed to provide students with a critical understanding of the historical, cultural, social and political experience of African Americans, with a particular emphasis on the development and culture of the African American communities in California and the West as well as on both historical and contemporary effects of global issues on African American communities. By drawing upon courses in American Studies and by emphasizing comparative as well as interdisciplinary study, this program offers training in the analytic tools and methods of interpretation appropriate for studying the African American experience in its particularity and ethnic and cultural study in general. The program is particularly appropriate for students interested in integrating studies in the humanities and social sciences and for students preparing to work and interact with diverse communities and cultures in the United States and abroad in such fields as education, human services, business, journalism and public administration.
The program in African American Studies is administered by an advisory committee comprising a director and two other faculty members, one from the social sciences and one from the humanities. These faculty members serve as advisors to majors and minors, providing, in conjunction with the sequence of courses, a unique opportunity for students to undertake an interdisciplinary concentration under close faculty supervision.
African American Studies Major
Degree: B.A., American Studies and Ethnicity (African American Studies)
Core Requirements Units AMST 202 Interethnic Diversity in the West 4 AMST 301 America, the Frontier, and the New West 4 AMST 350 Seminar in Ethnic Studies: Theories and Methods 4 200/300/400-Level Required Courses Units History One course from each of the following categories: HIST 250 History of the Black American 4 HIST 455 Advanced Topics in African-American History 4 Literature and Culture ENGL 246x Introduction to African-American Literature 4 ENGL 446 African-American Poetry and Drama 4 ENGL 447 African-American Narrative 4 Social and Political Issues POSC 427 Black Politics in the American Political System 4 American Comparative Ethnicities and/or Gender ANTH 315 North American Indians 4 ANTH 316 North American Indians in American Public Life 4 ANTH 328 Culture Change and the Mexican People 4 ANTH 371 Cross-Cultural Research on Urban Gangs 4 ENGL 445 The Literatures of America: Cross-Cultural Perspectives 4 ENGL 448 Chicano and Latino Literature 4 ENGL 449 Asian-American Literature 4 ENGL 470 Women in English and American Literature after 1800 4 ENGL 476 Images of Women in Contemporary Culture 4 HIST 354 Mexican Migration to the United States 4 HIST 378 Introduction to Asian American History 4 HIST 472 History of the Mexican-American 4 GERO 433 Ethnicity and Aging 4 JOUR 466 Minorities and the Media 4 LING 375 Sociolinguistics 4 POSC 421 Ethnic Politics 4 POSC 441 Cultural Diversity and the Law 4 SOCI 342 Race Relations 4 SOCI 356 Immigrants in the United States 4 SOCI 366 Chicana and Latina Experiences 4 SOCI 375 Asian Americans: Ethnic Identity and Social Change 4 SPAN 479 Comparative Chicano/Mexican Cultures 4 SWMS 305 Sex/Gender/Sexuality as an Issue in American Public Life 4 SWMS 364 Racial and Ethnic Women in America 4 SWMS 384 Overcoming Prejudice 4
Upper Division Electives
UnitsTwo courses from: COLT 385 Pan-African Literature and Culture 4 CTCS 407 African American Cinema 4 ENGL 446 African-American Poetry and Drama 4 ENGL 447 African-American Narrative 4 HIST 356 The Old South 4 HIST 455 Advanced Topics in African-American History 4 MUHL 486 Jazz Masters of the 20th Century 2 REL 469 Black Religion in America 4 Program Minor
Core Requirements Units AMST 202 Interethnic Diversity in the West 4 AMST 301 America, the Frontier, and the New West 4 AMST 350 Seminar in Ethnic Studies: Theories and Methods 4 200/300/400-Level Required Courses Units One course from each category: History HIST 250 History of the Black American 4 HIST 455 Advanced Topics in African-American History 4 Literature and Culture ENGL 246 Introduction to African-American Literature 4 ENGL 446 African-American Poetry and Drama 4 ENGL 447 African-American Narrative 4 Social and Political Issues POSC 427 Black Politics in the American Political System 4 Upper Division Elective Units One course from: COLT 385 Pan-African Literature and Culture 4 CTCS 407 African American Cinema 4 ENGL 446 African-American Poetry and Drama 4 ENGL 447 African-American Narrative 4 HIST 455 Advanced Topics in African-American History 4 MUHL 486 Jazz Masters of the 20th Century 2 REL 469 Black Religion in America 4 Asian American Studies
Asian American Studies is a multidisciplinary program designed to provide students with a critical understanding of the historical, cultural, social and political experience of Asian Pacific Americans, with a particular emphasis on the development and culture of the Asian American communities in California and the West as well as on both historical and contemporary effects of global issues on Asian American communities. By drawing upon courses in American Studies and by emphasizing comparative as well as interdisciplinary study, this program offers training in the analytic tools and methods of interpretation appropriate for studying the Asian American experience in its particularity and ethnic and cultural study in general. The program is particularly appropriate for students interested in integrating studies in the humanities and social sciences and for students preparing to work and interact with diverse communities and cultures in the United States and abroad in such fields as education, human services, business, journalism and public administration.
The program in Asian American Studies is administered by an advisory committee comprising a director and two other faculty members, one from the social sciences and one from the humanities. These faculty members serve as advisors to majors and minors, providing, in conjunction with the sequence of courses, a unique opportunity for students to undertake an interdisciplinary concentration under close faculty supervision.
Asian American Studies Major
Degree: B.A., American Studies and Ethnicity (Asian American Studies)
Core Requirements Units AMST 202 Interethnic Diversity in the West 4 AMST 220 The Making of Asian America 4 AMST 301 America, the Frontier, and the New West 4 AMST 350 Seminar in Ethnic Studies: Theories and Methods 4 200/300/400-Level Required Courses Units One course from each of the following six categories: History HIST 378 Introduction to Asian American History 4 Literature and Culture ENGL 449 Asian American Literature 4 Social and Political Issues SOCI 375 Asian Americans: Ethnic Identity and Social Change 4 Contemporary Issues SOCI 376 Contemporary Issues in Asian American Communities 4 California and the West GEOG 326 Los Angeles Landscapes 4 HIST 457 The American West 4 HIST 458 History of California 4 PPMT 406a Los Angeles Mini Semester 4 American Comparative Ethnicities and/or Gender ANTH 315 North American Indians 4 ANTH 316 North American Indians in American Public Life 4 ANTH 328 Culture Change and the Mexican People 4 ANTH 371 Cross-Cultural Research on Urban Gangs 4 CTCS 407 African American Cinema 4 ENGL 445 The Literatures of America: Cross-Cultural Perspectives 4 ENGL 446 African-American Poetry and Drama 4 ENGL 447 African-American Narrative 4 ENGL 448 Chicano and Latino Literature 4 ENGL 470 Women in English and American Literature after 1800 4 ENGL 476 Images of Women in Contemporary Culture 4 HIST 354 Mexican Migration to the United States 4 HIST 378 Introduction to Asian American History 4 HIST 455 Advanced Topics in African-American History 4 HIST 472 History of the Mexican-American 4 GERO 433 Ethnicity and Aging 4 JOUR 466 Minorities and the Media 4 LING 375 Sociolinguistics 4 MUHL 486 Jazz Masters of the 20th Century 2 POSC 421 Ethnic Politics 4 POSC 427 Black Politics in the American Political System 4 POSC 441 Cultural Diversity and the Law 4 REL 469 Black Religion in America 4 SOCI 342 Race Relations 4 SOCI 355 Immigrants in the United States 4 SOCI 356 Mexican Immigrants in a Diverse Society 4 SOCI 366 Chicana and Latina Experiences 4 SOCI 375 Asian Americans: Ethnic Identity and Social Change 4 SPAN 479 Comparative Chicano/Mexican Cultures 4 SWMS 305 Sex/Gender/Sexuality as an Issue in American Public Life 4 SWMS 364 Racial and Ethnic Women in America 4 SWMS 384 Overcoming Prejudice 4 Program Minor
Core Requirements Units AMST 202 Interethnic Diversity in the West 4 AMST 301 America, the Frontier, and the New West 4 AMST 350 Seminar in Ethnic Studies: Theories and Methods 4 200/300/400-Level Required Courses Units One course from each category: History HIST 378 Introduction to Asian American History 4 Literature and Culture ENGL 449 Asian American Literature 4 Social and Political Issues SOCI 375 Asian Americans: Ethnic Identity and Social Change 4
Upper Division Elective
UnitsANTH 371 Cross-Cultural Research on Urban Gangs 4 ENGL 445 The Literatures of America: Cross-Cultural Perspectives 4 HIST 457 The American West 4 HIST 458 History of California 4 GERO 433 Ethnicity and Aging 4 JOUR 466 Minorities and the Media 4 LING 375 Sociolinguistics 4 POSC 421 Ethnic Politics 4 POSC 441 Cultural Diversity and the Law 4 SOCI 342 Race Relations 4 SOCI 355 Immigrants in the United States 4 SWMS 364 Racial and Ethnic Women in America 4 SWMS 384 Overcoming Prejudice 4 THTR 526 Seminar in Dramatic Literature 4 Chicano/Latino Studies
Chicano/Latino Studies is a multidisciplinary program designed to provide students with a critical understanding of the historical, cultural, social and political experience of Chicanos and Latinos, with a particular emphasis on the development and culture of the Chicano/Latino communities in California and the West as well as on both historical and contemporary effects of global issues on Chicano/Latino communities. By drawing upon courses in American Studies and by emphasizing comparative as well as interdisciplinary study, this program offers training in the analytic tools and methods of interpretation appropriate for studying the Chicano/Latino experience in its particularity and ethnic and cultural study in general. The program is particularly appropriate for students interested in integrating studies in the humanities and social sciences and for students preparing to work and interact with diverse communities and cultures in the United States and abroad in such fields as education, human services, business, journalism and public administration.
The program in Chicano/Latino Studies is administered by an advisory committee comprising a director and two other faculty members, one from the social sciences and one from the humanities. These faculty members serve as advisors to majors and minors, providing, in conjunction with the sequence of courses, a unique opportunity for students to undertake an interdisciplinary concentration under close faculty supervision.
Chicano/Latino Studies Major
Degree: B.A., American Studies and Ethnicity (Chicano/Latino Studies)
Core Requirements Units AMST 202 Interethnic Diversity in the West 4 AMST 301 America, the Frontier, and the New West 4 AMST 350 Seminar in Ethnic Studies: Theories and Methods 4 200/300/400-Level Required Courses Units One course from each of the following five categories: History HIST 472 History of the Mexican-American 4 Literature and Culture ENGL 448 4 Social and Political Issues ANTH 328 Culture Change and the Mexican People 4 SOCI 356 Mexican Immigrants in a Diverse Society 4 SOCI 366 Chicana and Latina Experiences 4 California and the West GEOG 326 Los Angeles Landscapes 4 HIST 457 The American West 4 HIST 458 History of California 4 PPMT 406a Los Angeles Mini Semester 4 American Comparative Ethnicities and/or Gender ANTH 315 North American Indians 4 ANTH 316 North American Indians in American Public Life 4 ANTH 371 Cross-Cultural Research on Urban Gangs 4 CTCS 407 African American Cinema 4 ENGL 445 The Literatures of America: Cross-Cultural Perspectives 4 ENGL 446 African-American Poetry and Drama 4 ENGL 447 African-American Narrative 4 ENGL 448 Chicano and Latino Literature 4 ENGL 449 Asian American Literature 4 ENGL 470 Women in English and American Literature after 1800 4 ENGL 476 Images of Women in Contemporary Culture 4 HIST 378 Introduction to Asian American History 4 HIST 455 Advanced Topics in African-American History 4 GERO 433 Ethnicity and Aging 4 JOUR 466 Minorities and the Media 4 LING 375 Sociolinguistics 4 MUHL 486 Jazz Masters of the 20th Century 2 POSC 421 Ethnic Politics 4 POSC 427 Black Politics in the American Political System 4 POSC 441 Cultural Diversity and the Law 4 REL 469 Black Religion in America 4 SOCI 342 Race Relations 4 SOCI 355 Immigrants in the United States 4 SOCI 375 Asian Americans: Ethnic Identity and Social Change 4 SPAN 479 Comparative Chicano/Mexican Cultures 4 SWMS 305 Sex/Gender/Sexuality as an Issue in American Public Life 4 SWMS 364 Racial and Ethnic Women in America 4 SWMS 384 Overcoming Prejudice 4 Upper Division Electives Units Two courses from: ANTH 328 Culture Change and the Mexican People 4 ANTH 371 Cross-Cultural Research on Urban Gangs 4 COLT 388 U.S. Latino Fiction and the Literature of the Americas 4 HIST 354 Mexican Migration to the United States 4 HIST 457 The American West 4 HIST 458 History of California 4 LING 375 Sociolinguistics 4 SOCI 342 Race Relations 4 SOCI 355 Immigrants in the United States 4 SOCI 356 Mexican Immigrants in a Diverse Society 4 SOCI 366 Chicana and Latina Experiences 4 SPAN 413 Social and Geographic Varieties of Spanish 4 SPAN 479 Comparative Chicano/Mexican Cultures 4
Program Minor
Core Requirements Units AMST 202 Interethnic Diversity in the West 4 AMST 301 America, the Frontier, and the New West 4 AMST 350 Seminar in Ethnic Studies: Theories and Methods 4 200/300/400-Level Required Courses Units One course from each category: History HIST 472 History of the Mexican-American 4 Literature and Culture ENGL 448 Chicano and Latino Literature 4 Social and Political Issues ANTH 328 Culture Change and the Mexican People 4 SOCI 356 Mexican Immigrants in a Diverse Society 4 SOCI 366 Chicana and Latina Experiences 4 Upper Division Elective Units One course from: ANTH 328 Culture Change and the Mexican People 4 ANTH 371 Cross-Cultural Research on Urban Gangs 4 COLT 388 U.S. Latino Fiction and the Literature of the Americas 4 HIST 354 Mexican Migration to the United States 4 HIST 457 The American West 4 HIST 458 History of California 4 LING 375 Sociolinguistics 4 POSC 421 Ethnic Politics 4 SOCI 342 Race Relations 4 SOCI 355 Immigrants in the United States 4 SOCI 356 Mexican Immigrants in a Diverse Society 4 SOCI 366 Chicana and Latina Experiences 4 SPAN 413 Social and Geographic Varieties of Spanish 4 SPAN 479 Comparative Chicano/Mexican Cultures 4
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