Department of American Studies

Early course readings and discussions explore the design of interdisciplinary work by analyzing how history, film, music, and ethnography have captured the workings of capitalism in the U.S. and the Caribbean in the late twentieth century.

How has temp work transformed our notions of job security and stability? What does American prosperity look like from the bottom? How do musicians and filmmakers unearth their own sense of human agency through everyday practices of self-expression in the midst of oppression? The bulk of the semester is devoted to the development of your research paper (17-25 pages). We will collectively read and comment on classmates writing. This is an intensive writing class, with an emphasis on drafting and rewriting the final product.

Prerequisite: junior or senior status.

• IW
• What are CASE requirements?