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AMERICAN STUDIES EXTENDED UNIVERSITY COURSE DESCRIPTIONS - FALL 2013

UNM West COURSES – call 925-8669 for locations

186.006 Intro to Southwest Studies W 9:00 – 2:00 Cordova
Arts & Sciences group: Humanities/ Core Curriculum: Humanities
This course provides both an introduction to the complex history and culture of the southwestern United States and a demonstration of the possibilities of the interdisciplinary study of regional American culture. It is multicultural in content and multidisciplinary in methodology. It examines cross-cultural relationships among the peoples of the Southwest within the framework of their expressions and experiences in art, culture, religion, and social and political economy.

More specifically, this course will consider:
What is this place we call the Southwest? How is it defined- geographically, politically, and culturally? Who are the people that live there? How have their lives been transformed by social and historical forces into the cultures we see today? At the same time, how have these same groups retained their traditions, customs, and beliefs in response to change? This course will explore contemporary Southwestern cultures, their multiple voices and culture expressions, using an interdisciplinary approach that draws from geography, anthropology, history, literature, and the arts.

201.001 Introduction to Chicana and Chicano Studies M 9:00 – 2:00 Cordova *1st 8 weeks
Arts & Sciences group: Humanities
This course will introduce students
to the field of Chicano/a Studies and provide an introductory exploration of historical, political, social, and cultural dimensions of the Mexican American experience in the United States, with special reference to New Mexico. (Offered with CCS 201, Introduction to Chicana and Chicano Studies)

340.003 “Staging” Age in the Movies F 10:00 – 3:00 Gravagne *1st 8 weeks
Arts & Sciences group: Humanities
What is age? What kinds of meaning does it hold? How does it become a master category that engages with other categories such as gender, class, sexuality, and race/ethnicity to structure our expectations, opportunities, and selves? In this class, we will investigate how movies such as Up, Calendar Girls, Howl’s Moving Castle, and Beginners can make the stages of age visible, revealing both the coercive nature of our present age relations and the possibility of living the stages of age differently.

340.005 American Pop Culture F 10:00 – 3:00 Dewan *2nd 8 weeks
Arts & Sciences group: Humanities
Popular Culture is a ubiquitous term that may be narrowly defined as the existing aspects of shared culture that encompass the most immediate and contemporary elements in our lives. In this course, we will critically examine the impact and role of popular culture in 21st century American life, including the realms of advertising, television, film, music, the internet, sports, and video games. Since these spheres penetrate nearly all aspects of our lives, learning how to critically think, speak, and write about them is an essential tool in navigating through the Information Age. This course is designed to teach students how to decipher the symbols and underlying meanings in popular culture, including its relationship to race, gender, and national identities.

340.006 Chicana Popular Culture T 9:00 – 2:00 Cordova *1st 8 weeks
Arts & Sciences group: Humanities

343.001 Urban Legends F 10:00 – 3:00 Dewan *1st 8 weeks
Arts & Sciences group: Humanities
This course is an exploration of urban legends in contemporary culture. We will explore recurring themes and means of transmission, as well as the cultural meanings and interpretations that have been ascribed to them. Our readings and discussions will examine the underlying components of these stories, including issues of race, class, ethnicity, gender, sexuality and ideology.

 

Online Courses

For more information, special technology fees and computer requirements please go to the EU Website at eu.unm.edu

182.004 Intro to Environment, Science & Tech Berger
182.010 Intro to Environment, Science & Tech Cleaver

Arts & Sciences group: Social Science / Core Curriculum: Social Science
This is an introduction to American attitudes toward nature, science, technology and the impacts of those attitudes on built and natural environments regionally, nationally and globally. This course covers the period from World War II to the present, focusing on the environmental effects of such diverse scientific and technological products as chemical pesticides, nuclear power, and television.

More specifically, this course will consider:
In this course we will look at current environmental issues, delving into contentious topics and passionate debates, while asking difficult questions. How does consumerism impact the environment, and how much stuff do we really need? Is wilderness a necessity or a luxury? Should an endangered fish have water rights? Are pesticides giving us cancer? We'll consider debates within the scientific community, explore conflicts between developers and environmentalists, and look at the promise and limitations of technological solutions.

184.001 Intro to American Pop Culture Fishken Harkins
Arts & Sciences group: Humanities
Popular culture can be defined as the beliefs and practices that characterize a particular culture, as well as the objects, narratives, and rituals through which they are organized and that are widely shared, enjoyed, and understood among a population. It is also generally understood as the culture of ordinary people, as opposed to highly educated or specialized elites.

This course examines many aspects of popular culture, including movies, action figures and other toys, cartoons/comics, advertising, television, and urban legends. The class involves learning how to read popular culture as a text and as an indicator of societal norms, diversions, and diversities.

185.005 Intro to Race/Class/Ethnicity McSherry
185.008 Intro to Race/Class/Ethnicity Matjaka

Arts & Sciences group: Social Sciences/Core Curriculum: Social Sciences
This is an interdisciplinary introduction to the issues, and social and cultural formation of race, class and ethnicity in American life and society. The course is designed to foster an appreciation of the heterogeneity of experience in American life. The course is focused on the study of cross-cultural group relations.

More specifically, this course will consider:
Who are you? For most of us, self-description includes our race, class, and ethnicity, but what do these terms mean? Are these terms fixed and unchanging? This course introduces the terms, race, class and ethnicity and offers a critical discussion of their historical meaning and their meaning in modern society. We will pay attention to cross-cultural and interdisciplinary themes within thee definitions.

186.020 Intro to Southwest Studies Barajas
186.021 Intro to Southwest Studies Eleshuk Roybal

Arts & Sciences group: Humanities/ Core Curriculum: Humanities
This course provides both an introduction to the complex history and culture of the southwestern United States and a demonstration of the possibilities of the interdisciplinary study of regional American culture. It is multicultural in content and multidisciplinary in methodology. It examines cross-cultural relationships among the peoples of the Southwest within the framework of their expressions and experiences in art, culture, religion, and social and political economy.

More specifically, this course will consider:
What is this place we call the Southwest? How is it defined- geographically, politically, and culturally? Who are the people that live there? How have their lives been transformed by social and historical forces into the cultures we see today? At the same time, how have these same groups retained their traditions, customs, and beliefs in response to change? This course will explore contemporary Southwestern cultures, their multiple voices and culture expressions, using an interdisciplinary approach that draws from geography, anthropology, history, literature, and the arts.

330.006 Raza Genders & Sexualities Samora
Arts & Sciences group: Humanities
In this interdisciplinary course we will study Latin@ culture and activism as they are informed by and intersect with performances of gender and sexual identities. We will especially focus on expressive culture including creative writing, visual art, and other mediums while considering Latin@ culture as a field of struggles over belonging and representation. Feminist analysis and queer critique will be central to our work. Students will be expected to write responses to texts including readings, films, exhibitions, or other cultural productions. As well, they will complete a final analytical project that demonstrates aptitude in an aspect of Latin@ sexualities and genders. (This course is offered with CCS 393, Raza Genders & Sexualities.)

330.007 Transnational Feminism M 4:00 – 6:30 MITCH 115 Diaz
Arts & Sciences group: Humanities
This course examines transnational feminist theories, methodologies, and praxis. In addition, the course explores how globalization affects women. The course seeks to provide an interdisciplinary approach to the study and analysis of Transnational American Studies in the context of transnational feminism anchored in the cultures of the United States and their development over time. In this community embedded seminar, students will study how non-profits, NGOs, immigrant-advocacy/activist organizations work to improve labor conditions, educational access, health care, and cultural practices. (This course is offered with CCS 331, Transnational Feminism).

350.004 Introduction to the Harlem Renaissance Coleman
Arts & Sciences group: Humanities
This course is offered with AFST 397, Introduction to the Harlem Renaissance.
This course will be a historical, cultural, and literary analysis of the movement known as the 'Harlem Renaissance'. The rough time period covered is 1914-1935. We will begin with a brief look at the social, racial, and economic conditions under which the majority of black Americans were living under at the turn of the century. From there we will proceed into an analysis of the factors that contributed to the creation of a critical mass of artists and intellectuals in Harlem. Topics such as racial violence, migration, and isolation issues of the urban experience will be primary topics for conversation. The Harlem Renaissance was a political, literary, and artistic movement. This course will explore each area and attempt to determine the extent to which the black people living in Harlem during this time had a lasting and significant impact on the social conditions of African Americans living in other parts of the country and the world. The readings covered in this course will reflect the diversity of perspectives and artistic inclinations that Harlem Renaissance artists and intellectuals held. The readings will also serve as a backdrop for wide ranging discussions of race, class, and culture.

 

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