12/26/2024 3:52:09 PM	HUMAN 6 Course Outline as of Fall 2000	Changed Course
CATALOG INFORMATION
Discipline and Nbr:  HUMAN 6	Title:  AMERICAN CULTURES
Full Title:  American Cultures
Last Reviewed:10/12/2020

Units		Course Hours per Week			Nbr of Weeks	Course Hours Total
Maximum	3.00	Lecture Scheduled	3.00		17.5 max.	Lecture Scheduled	52.50
Minimum	3.00	Lab Scheduled	0		6 min.	Lab Scheduled	0
		Contact DHR	0			Contact DHR	0
		Contact Total	3.00			Contact Total	52.50
		Non-contact DHR	0			Non-contact DHR Total	0

Total Out of Class Hours:  105.00

Total Student Learning Hours: 157.50

Title 5 Category:  AA Degree Applicable
Grading:  Grade or P/NP
Repeatability:  00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP
Also Listed As: 
Formerly:  HUMAN 31

Catalog Description:

An interdisciplinary exploration of American identity and the invention of what it means to be an American.  The course will explore the cultural contributions of at least three racial or ethnic groups, focusing on the visual arts, music, drama, film, literature and philosophical/religious thought within a cultural context of the United States. Course materials may be presented either chronologically or thematically.

Prerequisites/Corequisites:

Recommended Preparation:

Limits on Enrollment:

Schedule of Classes Information
Description:

An interdisciplinary exploration of American identity, focusing on the visual arts, music, drama, film, literature, and philosophical/religious thought in the United States.

(Grade or P/NP)
Prerequisites:
Recommended:
Limits on Enrollment:
Transfer Credit:CSU;UC.
Repeatability:00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP

ARTICULATION, MAJOR, and CERTIFICATION INFORMATION

Associate Degree:		Effective:	Fall 1981	Inactive:
Area:	E G	Humanities American Cultures/Ethnic Studies
CSU GE:	Transfer Area			Effective:	Inactive:
	C2	Humanities		Spring 1984
IGETC:	Transfer Area			Effective:	Inactive:
	3B	Humanities		Fall 1981
CSU Transfer:	Transferable	Effective:	Fall 1981	Inactive:
UC Transfer:	Transferable	Effective:	Fall 1981	Inactive:
C-ID:

Certificate/Major Applicable: Not Certificate/Major Applicable

COURSE CONTENT

Outcomes and Objectives:
At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:

In this course the student will:

1     Analyze representative works of the visual arts, film, drama, music,

     literature, and/or philosophy/religion from culturally diverse

     groups within the United States.

2.     Relate works to their historical and/or cultural context.

3.    Compare and contrast the cultural experiences and cultural

     expressions of three or more racial or ethnic groups within the

     United States.

4.    Participate in cultural activities outside of class by attendance at

     museum visits, lectures, forums, performances, films, poetry

     readings, etc. as well as scheduled

     field trips.

5     Examine their own ideas, values, beliefs, and experiences in

     comparison

     with the ideas, values, beliefs, and experiences of other cultural

     or racial groups within the United States.

6.    Demonstrate in writing the ability to analyze, compare and contrast,

     to weigh arguments, to examine values, and to integrate materials

     from several disciplines.

Topics and Scope

1.    The course will focus on representative primary works of visual art,

     music, film, drama, literature and philosophy/religion which

     represent a variety of cultural expressions in the United States

     from the earliest indigenous cultures to the present day.

2.    The course will address major theoretical or analytical issues

     relevant to understanding the meaning of and dynamic interactions

     between race, ethnicity and gender in the United States.

3.    The course will explore the experiences and cultural expressions of

     at least three of the following six ethnic/racial groups:  African

     Americans, American Indians, Asian Americans, Chicano/Latino

     Americans, European Americans, and Americans of Middle Eastern

     origin.

4.    In addition, the course may examine how issues of class, sexual

     orientation, age, religion, or disability impact cultural expression

     or cultural participation in the United States.

5.    Works which are chosen will be studied within their historical

     and/or cultural context.

6.    The course may be structured either thematically or chronologically.

7.    The course may be team taught or supplemented by lectures or

     presentations from a variety of disciplines related to the study of

     American cultures.

Assignments:

1.  Careful reading and analysis of assigned primary texts.

2.  Reading assignments related to establishing historical or cultural

   context.

3.  Examinations, including quizzes, mid-term, final, and/or take-home

   exam.

4.  Written essays requiring students to analyze representative works of

   literature, visual art, music, drama, film, or philosophy/religion.

5.  Written essays requiring students to compare and contrast; examine

   ideas, values, beliefs, and experiences; and/or to integrate two or

   more disciplines.

6.  Participation in cultural activities, including museum visits,

   concerts, poetry readings, lectures, and field trips (optional field

   trips).

7.  Creative projects (optional, depending on instructor).

Methods of Evaluation/Basis of Grade.

Writing: Assessment tools that demonstrate writing skill and/or require students to select, organize and explain ideas in writing.		Writing 50 - 80%
Written homework, Essay exams, Term papers, Fml. Lec. When Comb. Classes
Problem solving: Assessment tools, other than exams, that demonstrate competence in computational or non-computational problem solving skills.		Problem Solving 0 - 0%
None
Skill Demonstrations: All skill-based and physical demonstrations used for assessment purposes including skill performance exams.		Skill Demonstrations 0 - 0%
None
Exams: All forms of formal testing, other than skill performance exams.		Exams 10 - 30%
Multiple choice, True/false, Matching items, Short answer
Other: Includes any assessment tools that do not logically fit into the above categories.		Other Category 10 - 30%
Field trips, cultural activities, and/or creative projects

Representative Textbooks and Materials:

American literature anthologies such those published by Norton (1995).

Literary texts by authors of varied ethnic/racial backgrounds, such

as Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn, Richard Wright's Native Son, Ralph Ellis

on's Invisible Man, Tony Morrison's Beloved, Greg Sarris's Grand Avenue,

Leslie Marmon Silko's Ceremony, Sandra Cisnero's House on Mango Street or

Maxine Hong Kingston's China Men.

Autobiographical texts, such as Benjamin Franklin Autobiography, Frederick

Douglass Narrative, John Neihardt Black Elk Speaks, Alex Haley The

Autobiography of Malcolm X, Maxine Hong Kingston Woman Warrior, Richard

Rodriguez Hunger of Memory.

Texts reflecting immigrant experiences, such as Upton Sinclair's The

Jungle, Bharati Mukherjee's Jasmine or Carlos Bulosan America is in the

Heart.

Anthologies or textbooks such as:

Lucy Lippard:  Mixed Blessings (art multicultural focus) (Pantheon, 1990)

Orvile Miles:  Inventing America.  (St. Martins 1996)

Dale Steiner:  Of Thee We Sing (HBJ 1987)

Print PDF