AMST 30185 - American West

Institution:

University of Notre Dame

Subject:

American Studies

Description:

The American West is a region characterized at once by its physical setting, the historical processes that have occurred there, and the set of meanings American culture has ascribed to the region. It is home to a highly diverse set of peoples that have been interacting with one another for centuries. It is described by physical and political boundaries (the Mississippi River, the Pacific Ocean, and borders with Canada and Mexico), economic development (extractive industry, tourism), and by imaginative constructs (the "frontier," the "Wild West," and the mythic characters inhabiting such places). This semester we will use a variety of approaches to explore the American West from the mid-19th century through the late 20th century. We will focus on two specific themes: 1) the political, economic, social, and environmental relationships that have shaped the region; and 2) the cultural meanings and mythic representations people have attached to it. The Mythic West, far from separate and distinct, has always been intimately connected to real western people, places, resources, and politics. We will study how the American West and its images have developed together, often in tension with one another, and how they have created the West that we know today.

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.nd.edu

Phone Number:

(574) 631-5000

Regional Accreditation:

North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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