American National Identity: Past Present & Future ((4 Credits))

Catalog description

Students will examine the way Americans have defined and currently define our national identity as a people, as a community. That definition has changed over time as groups once excluded gradually found greater acceptance. Students will consider those changes and the struggles necessary to overcome resistance on the part of those who hope to define American national identity in more exclusionary terms. They will also study contemporary debates around the changing nature of American national identity, and exclusionary definitions of American national identity that some Americans continue to believe in. The course will explore how questions of immigration, ethnic/racial/religious identity, and demographic changes to our population affect the question of American national identity. Prerequisites: An introductory course in American history is strongly recommended.