American Cultural Studies

American Cultural Studies Program, University Interdisciplinary Programs

American Cultural Studies allows students and faculty to analyze power dynamics, inequality, and agency, at the intersection of race, gender, status, religion, class, and ability. Our courses place particular emphasis on minoritizing and other exclusionary practices shaping limits to national belonging, and how those experiences are lived. We pay attention to the roles of institutions, policies, discourse, and other socio-cultural processes. We educate students in historical and social inquiry, textual analysis and interpretation, and critical theory and practice. We expose students to theoretical foundations in Settler Colonialism, Queer and other Feminisms, Critical Race Theory, Borders, and Transnationalism.

ACS serves those students and faculty who are interested in the study of such processes. The program allows students the opportunity to study issues that are key to nation building as an unequal social process. The program draws on the rich curricular offerings of the various departments and colleges within the university.

Students who want a liberal arts education of breadth and depth will find that, because of its flexibility, the program adapts well to their needs. The ACS major combines the social sciences with humanities to prepare students with a rich undergraduate background for advanced study in law, domestic social services, public service, government service, education, and graduate work in American studies, ethnic studies and the social sciences.