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University of Southern California
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Courses of Instruction

American Studies and Ethnicity (AMST)

The terms indicated are expected but are not guaranteed. For the courses offered during any given term, consult the Schedule of Classes.

101gm Race and Class in Los Angeles (4, Fa) Analysis of race and the economic, political, gender, and social dimensions of contemporary Los Angeles including topics such as residential segregation, economic inequality, and city politics.

105 Asian American Theatre (4, Fa) Critical, theoretically and politically informed analysis of plays and performances by and about Asian Americans through readings, discussion, and field trips to the theatre. Recommended preparation: an introductory course in American Studies.

133g Religions of Latin America (4) (Enroll in REL 133g)

200 Introduction to American Studies and Ethnicity (4, FaSp) Introduction to American studies and ethnic studies. Provides an overview of major theories, concepts, and issues.

202m Interethnic Diversity in the West (4) Introduction to community, culture, and ethnicity within the Western United States with emphasis on African American, Asian American, and Chicano/Latino cultures and social patterns.

206m The Politics and Culture of the 1960s (4, Sp) Examines political and cultural change in the United States during the decade of the 1960s.

220m The Making of Asian America (4, FaSp) Historical, social, and cultural analysis of (East, South, and Southeast) Asians in the United States. Themes examined: immigration, race and gender relations, ethnic culture, community and identity.

240gm Collective Identity and Political Violence: Representing 9/11 (4, FaSp) (Enroll in ANTH 240gm)

285m African American Popular Culture (4, Sp) Examines history of popular cultural forms such as literature, music, dance, theatre, and visual arts produced by and about African Americans.

301g America, the Frontier, and the New West (4, FaSp) Introduction to the interdisciplinary study of American political, cultural, and social life with a particular emphasis on the Western United States as a region. Recommended preparation: HIST 200, ENGL 263.

320 Social Construction of Race and Citizenship (4, FaSp) Comparative perspective on the social construction of race and citizenship. Social, economic and political experiences of selected groups in the U.S. are examined.

328 Asian American Politics (4, FaSp) (Enroll in POSC 328)

336 Re-Viewing Religion in Asian America (4) (Enroll in REL 336)

350 Seminar in Ethnic Studies: Theories and Methods (4) Advanced study in theories and methods for analyzing ethnicities in the United States with particular attention to comparative study of colonization, immigration, racism, and class. Prerequisite: AMST 202 or departmental approval.

357m Latino Social Movements (4, FaSp) Focuses on the political experience of Latinos in the U.S. Comparative analysis of their political experiences and perspectives, their histories of identity formation, and their political organizations.

364 African American Art (4, FaSp) (Enroll in AHIS 365)

365 Leadership in the Community -- Internship (4, FaSp) Eight to 10 hours per week in a community-based internship plus two hour lecture. Theoretical and practical issues associated with community leadership.

366m Chicana and Latina Experiences (4) (Enroll in SOCI 366m)

375m Asian Americans: Ethnic Identity (4, FaSp) (Enroll in SOCI 375m)

376m Contemporary Issues in Asian American Communities (4, FaSp) (Enroll in SOCI 376m)

377 Legacies of Viet Nam (4, Fa) Examination of 20th century Viet Nam, the country, and "Vietnam," the American war, through the literature, film, and visual culture that have been produced by Americans, Vietnamese, and overseas Vietnamese.

380 American Popular Culture (4, FaSp) (Enroll in HIST 380)

385 African American Culture and Society (4, Sp) Examines social and cultural issues affecting the past and present lives of African Americans in the United States.

390 Special Problems (1-4) Supervised, individual studies. No more than one registration; by petition only.

395m African American Humor and Culture (4, FaSp) Examination of one of several traditions of African American humor for insights into shifting notions of race, culture, language and identity in and beyond Black America.

424m Political Participation and American Diversity (4, Fa) (Enroll in POSC 424m)

428 Latino Politics (4, Fa) (Enroll in POSC 428)

432m Racial and Ethnic Relations in a Global Society (4, Fa) (Enroll in SOCI 432m)

442 American Literature, 1920 to the Present (4, FaSp) (Enroll in ENGL 442)

458 Race and Ethnicity in Entertainment and the Arts (4, FaSp) (Enroll in COMM 458)

465 Studies in American Art (4, max 8, FaSp) (Enroll in AHIS 465)

475m Blackness in American Visual Culture (4, FaSp) (Enroll in AHIS 475m)

490x Directed Research (2-8, max 8) Individual research and readings. Not available for graduate credit. Prerequisite: departmental approval.

498 Senior Seminar in American Studies (4, Sp) Method and theory in American Studies. Prerequisite: AMST 301g or departmental approval.

499 Special Topics (2-4, max 8) Special topics in the earth sciences. Field trip required when appropriate to the topic. Departmental approval required.

500 Introduction to American Studies and Ethnicity (4, Fa) An exploration of themes, theoretical influences, and methodological approaches current in American Studies and Ethnic Studies. Open to first year graduate students in American Studies and Ethnicity only.

510 Readings in Chicano/Latino Studies (4, FaSp) Perspectives from the major debates that have driven the development of the field of Chicano/Latino/a studies across the disciplines.

520 Readings in Asian American Studies (4, FaSp) Graduate seminar covering critical themes in the interdisciplinary field of Asian American Studies, including perspectives from anthropology, literature, sociology, history, political science, religious studies, cultural studies, women/gender studies and psychology.

525 Seminar in American Art (4, FaSp) (Enroll in AHIS 525)

560 Readings on Race and Ethnicity (4, FaSp) Exploration of research on race and ethnicity in the United States as it pertains to political, social, economic, cultural and historical issues.

562 The Practice of Ethnography (4) (Enroll in ANTH 562)

570 Readings on Los Angeles and Urban Culture (4, FaSp) Exploration of some of the leading scholarship from a variety of disciplines writing about Los Angeles and the Southern California area. Particular emphasis is placed on the intersections of historical, contemporary and cultural issues that inform recent scholarship on Los Angeles.

580 Readings in Cultural Studies (4, FaSp) Seminar in theoretical approaches to cultural studies, with an emphasis on the analysis of race, gender, sexuality, and class in the U.S.

590 Directed Research (1-12, FaSpSm) Research leading to the master's degree. Maximum units which may be applied to the degree to be determined by the program.

599 Special Topics (2-4, max 8) Seminar in selected topics in American studies and ethnicity.

660 Interdisciplinary Research Seminar in Race and Ethnicity (4) Explores issues of conducting interdisciplinary research in race and ethnicity and guides students through the design and completion of a journal-quality research paper. Recommended preparation: graduate reading course in race and ethnicity.

670 Interdisciplinary Research Seminar on Los Angeles (4) Introduces students to issues of urban-based research concerning Los Angeles and guides students through the design and completion of a journal-quality research paper. Recommended preparation: graduate reading course on Los Angeles.

680 Interdisciplinary Research Seminar in Cultural Studies (4) Explores theoretical approaches to cultural studies as an interdisciplinary field and guides students through the design and completion of a journal-quality research paper. Recommended preparation: graduate reading course in cultural studies.

700 Theories and Practices of Professional Development (2, FaSpSm) Offers students a structured environment in which to write their dissertation proposals and focuses on professional development. Graded CR/NC. Prerequisite: completion of qualifying exam.

790 Research (1-12, FaSpSm) Research leading to the doctorate. Maximum units which may be applied to the degree to be determined by the program. Graded CR/NC.

794abcdz Doctoral Dissertation (2, 2, 2, 2, 0) Credit on acceptance of dissertation. Graded IP/CR/NC.