Skip top navigation Skip to main content
Lasell University
Lasell University

2020 - 2021 Academic Catalog

American Studies Minor

The American Studies minor consists of five courses.
Course Code Course Title Credits
Core Courses
ENG210 Survey of American Literature (KP) 3
HIST123 American Civilization I 3
HIST124 American Civilization II 3
Choose 2 from the following:
ENG313 American Multiethnic Literature 3
HIST204 Recent American History 3
LS311 The American Court System 3
MUS215 History of Jazz 3
POLS101 American Government 3
PSYC111 Generations in America 3
SOC301 Race & Ethnicity 3
Credit Requirements for minor: 15 credits

ENG210 - Survey of American Literature (KP)

This course surveys representative periods, authors, or genres in American literature from beginnings in Native American oral literatures through contemporary works. Individual sections organize study of classic and contemporary texts around particular themes, such as Queering American Literatures, American Migrations, Hemispheric American Literature, or Americans on the Edge: "Frontiers" in the American Imagination. Individual sections also trace twentieth- or twenty-first-century movements to their roots in or resistance to earlier movements or forms. This is a writing-intensive course.

HIST123 - American Civilization I

This course examines the chief political, social, and cultural features of American society as they have developed through the period of Reconstruction. Emphasis is on Colonial America, the War of Independence, the Constitution, and the emergence of the Republic through the Civil War.

HIST124 - American Civilization II

This course is a continuation of HIST 123 from the period of Reconstruction to the present. Emphasis is on reconstruction, industrialization, immigration, constitutional issues, and the emergence of American foreign policy. There is some examination of American political life in the nuclear age.

ENG313 - American Multiethnic Literature

This course focuses on the history, variety, and aesthetic conventions of one or more racial-ethnic traditions in American writing. Individual courses might focus on key forms or authors; distinct traditions such as African-American, Latino, Asian-American, or Native American literature; or a survey across several traditions. Examples include Barack Obama and the African-American Tradition, Contemporary Latino Literatures, or Haiti and the US in Haitian-American Writing. This is a presentation-intensive course.

HIST204 - Recent American History

This course focuses on the presidencies from the Kennedy era to the present. Work is divided roughly into three areas: foreign affairs; domestic politics; and economic, social, and cultural needs. Topics range from the Vietnam War to the Iraq War, the weakening of Congress and the expansion of the presidency, the women's movement, changes in popular culture, and domestic economic developments.

LS311 - The American Court System

This course provides students with a working knowledge of the major structures and basic legal concepts that underlie the criminal courts. In addition, the course explores the rules of criminal procedure, including their underlying assumptions, how they evolved, and the goals they hope to achieve. Students learn how the dynamics of the courtroom and the criminal justice system itself affect the actual application of the law. Prerequisite: POLS 101 or LS101

MUS215 - History of Jazz

This is an in-depth study of the history of Jazz with an overview of the influences of African traditions and the development of the blues. Students gain insight into the various jazz idioms through recordings of significant artists and compositions. Topics covered range from Dixieland to contemporary styles with an emphasis on swing and bebop.

POLS101 - American Government

This is an examination of the basic principles that form the foundation for the structure and practice of American government. The impact of the political system on the citizen is explored along with the central assumptions and concepts that serve as the basis for the field of political science.

PSYC111 - Generations in America

This course offers a social-developmental, multidisciplinary overview of issues related to the expanding age population in the United States. Students examine aging stereotypes, characteristics of aging populations, and the impact of age-related forces on individuals in American society. The course is geared toward students in a variety of disciplines and provides a knowledge base that can be applied to other areas of study.

SOC301 - Race & Ethnicity

This course examines the sociological constructs of race and ethnicity with a primary emphasis on people living in the United States. Topics include: the origins and consequences of racial/ethnic discriminations; immigration policies; movements for integration and separatism; the role of class, religion, and gender on issues of race/ethnicity; the impact of widely differing cultural heritages on our national life: and specific present day problems and trends including relationships between people of different racial and ethnic identification. Prerequisite: Any 200 level Social Science course.