Question for Discussion: What is American Studies? Why should we study American culture and society? How does studying American
history help us understand the central problems facing our society
in the 21st century.

Reading: Rutten, "America, the Delusional; Foner, "Freedom Belongs to All"; Turley, "10 Reasons The U.S. Is No Longer The Land Of The Free"

American Studies Internet Resources for
Sewall History classes:

• American Studies Resources on the Internet

• U.S History Sources on the Web

• American Studies Web: Subject Map of Web Sites

• American Studies Crossroads Site

• WWW-Virtual Library: History Catalog

• WWW Links for History Teachers

1.Lewis' Rules of Classroom Order

2. Disruptive Class Behavior

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Borkat, "A Liberating Curriculum "

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Writing Guidelines for Sewall Classes

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What is American Studies?

• American Studies at Yale:
  
  The American Studies program examines, from several perspectives, the development and expressions of a national culture and myriad subcultures, as well as borderland and diasporic cultures. By means of a combination of foundational lecture courses, core seminars, American Studies courses, and courses from relevant disciplines (literature, history, the arts, and the social or behavioral sciences), students in the American Studies program explore diverse aspects of the American experience locally, nationally, and globally. Each student chooses one of five areas of concentration: national formations; the international United States; material cultures and built environments; politics and American communities; and visual, audio, literary, and performance cultures. (Yale College Programs of Study)
  
  
  
• American Studies at UT Austin:
  
  American Studies focuses on the cultural, social, and intellectual life of the United States of America. Its students analyze the American past and present from the perspectives of several disciplines, learn to synthesize their knowledge, and develop the critical habit of mind needed for cultural analysis. Such skills, we believe, are essential for the formation of a knowledgeable and politically engaged American citizenry.
  
  
  
• What is an Ironic Interpretation of American History?
  

  
  

2. American Studies Internet Resources for
Sewall History classes:

• American Studies Resources on the Internet

• American Studies Web
  
  
• American Studies Crossroads Site

3. What are the major problems facing the U.S.
in the 21st century?

• Dr. Lewis: Major Problems Facing the U.S. in the 2000s
  
  
• Fall 1999  AmSt. 2010 students' list of America's major problems
  
  
• Assignment: Come to class with a list of what you think are the major problems facing the U.S. in the 21st century
  
  

4. Introductory Reagings

• 
  
  
• Rutten, "America, the Delusional;
  
  
• Robert Samuelson, "Pay Attention, Kids"
  
  
• Foner, "Freedom Belongs to All"
  
  

5. Assignment for next Class:

• High School History and American History
  
  
• Assignment: Come to class with a list of what you think are the major problems facing the U.S. in the 21st century
  
  

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  What is Critical Thinking and Argument?

  1. Colbert Super PAC - Mitt Romney Attack Ad
     
     
  2. Colbert Ad Attacks Romney For Being A ‘Serial Killer’
     
     
  3. Mitt Romney -- the Serial Killer Ad
     
     
  4. Colbert ad pokes fun at super PACs, Romney
     
     
  5. Why do we laugh at Colbert's Antics?
     
     
  6. Is Colbert Using Humor to Poke Fun of the Primaries?
     
     
  7. Can Colbert's Humor be both Funny and Serious
     at the same Time? How do we Know?
     
     
  8. 'Stop Mitt the Ripper': Stephen Colbert's hilarious Super Pac attack ad on Romney
     
     
  9. Will Colbert and Stewart's Mitt The Serial Killer Ad Make Corporate Personhood a Presidential Election Issue?
     
     
  10. Super PAC Satire: Colbert Explains (Faux) Presidential Run to ABC News
      
      
  11. Stephen Colbert super PAC urges S.C. to vote for Herman Cain
      
      
  12. The New York Times on Colbert's Presidential Campaign

  So What is Critical Thinking and Arguing?

  1. Overview of Critical Thinking Skills
     
     1) Be capable of taking a position or changing a position as evidence dictates
     (2) Remain relevant to the point
     (3) Seek information as well as precision in information
     (4) Be open minded
     (5) Take the entire situation into account
     (6) Keep the original problem in mind
     (7) Search for reasons
     (8) Deal with the components of a complex problem in an orderly manner
     (9) Seek a clear statement of the problem
     (10) Look for options
     (11) Exhibit sensitivity to others’ feelings and depth of knowledge
     (12) Use credible sources
     
     
  2. Our Concept and Definition of Critical Thinking
     
     
  3. Video: What is Critical Thinking
     
     
  4. What is Critical Thinking?
     
     
  5. Daily Reading Assignment for Class
     
     
  6. Word Document: Daily Reading Assignment

  
  
  

1. Why should we study American culture and society?

2. What are the major problems facing America in the 21st Century?

• Major Problems Facing the U.S. in the 2000s
  
  
• Fall 1999  AmSt. 2010 students' list of America's major problems

3. How can we use the past to help us understand our present and future society?

4. What is democracy? and What are the responsibilities of citizens of a democracy?

5. How can understanding the history of American culture and society help Americans better exercise their responsibilities as citizens in our democratic society?

 

Definitions:

Irony: Irony occurs where there is a disjunction between what we were trying to do and what we, in fact, achieve. Irony often involves our unintended creation of the very event or situation we were trying not to create, for example, during the Cold War we tried to prevent war by being prepared to "fight and win" the very war we were trying to prevent.

Tragedy: a dramatic or literary work depicting a protagonist--hero--who struggles for a moral cause only to face ruin or profound unhappiness in the end.

Satire: the use of irony, derision, or wit to attack, challenge, and ridicule a perspective or idea..

In his book, The Irony of American History,
Reinhold Niebuhr defined the irony of American history
in this way:

"Pure tragedy elicits tears of admiration and pity for the hero who is willing to brave death or incur guilt for the sake of some great good. Irony however prompts some laughter and a nod of comprehension beyond the laughter; for irony involves
comic absurdities which cease to be altogether absurd when fully understood. Our age is involved in irony because so many dreams of our nation have been so cruelly refuted by history. Our dreams of a pure virtue are dissolved in a situation in which it is possible to exercise the virtue of responsibility toward a community of nations only by courting the prospective guilt of the atomic bomb.   
(That is, by threatening to blow up to world
in order to save the community of nations)"(p.2)