American Studies (AMST)

AMST 1000. Dean's Seminar. 3 Credits.

The Dean’s Seminars provide Columbian College first-year students focused scholarship on specific intellectual challenges. Topics vary by semester; see department for more details.

AMST 1050. Explorations in American Culture. 3 Credits.

Exploration of different aspects of American culture depending on the topic. Topic announced in the Schedule of Classes. May be repeated for credit provided the topic differs.

AMST 1070. The American Cinema. 3 Credits.

History and criticism of American films. The course enables the student to recognize and evaluate cinema techniques, to express the evaluation clearly in writing, and to understand the role of films in the context of American culture. Laboratory fee. (Same as AH 1070)

AMST 1099. Variable Topics. 1-36 Credits.

AMST 1100. Politics and Film. 3 Credits.

How American films interpret and challenge political power in America.

AMST 1160. Race, Gender, and Law. 3 Credits.

Significant civil rights cases, critical race theory, feminist theory, and current public policy debates on domestic violence, mass imprisonment, sexual assault, and racial profiling.

AMST 1200. The Sixties in America. 3 Credits.

A survey of American society, culture, and politics during the decade of the 1960s. Topics include the civil rights movement, the student movement, the Vietnam War, and the counterculture.

AMST 2000. Sophomore Colloquium. 3 Credits.

The Sophomore Colloquia are small seminar-style courses limited to second-year students in Columbian College. These courses engage students deeply in a discipline, focus on a narrow issue of high interest and impact, and require independent research projects of the students. Topics vary by semester; see department for more details. Permission of the instructor required prior to enrollment.

AMST 2010. Early American Cultural History. 3 Credits.

How culture was important in the creation of the United States—in its origins as a colonial outpost and its expansion across the continent; in its hierarchies and expressions of power, especially as organized by race, class, ethnicity, or gender; in the creation of democracy and the valuing of free expression; and in the development of cities and the varied uses of the countryside. Same as HIST 2010.

AMST 2011. Modern American Cultural History. 3 Credits.

The effects of culture in the shaping of the United States since 1876. The role of the mass media; effects of cultural conceptions on the physical landscape; changing ideas of race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality; and the political meanings of cultural conflict. Transnational influences on U.S. culture and effects of U.S. culture abroad. Same as HIST 2011.

AMST 2020. Washington, DC: History, Culture, and Politics. 3 Credits.

Introduction to interdisciplinary methods of studying the contemporary city. Major problems of metropolitan life, past and present, analyzed by faculty and community leaders. Emphasis on experiential team projects. Same As: AMST 2020W, HIST 2020, HIST 2020W.

AMST 2020W. Washington, DC: History, Culture, and Politics. 3 Credits.

Introduction to interdisciplinary methods of studying the contemporary city. Major problems of metropolitan life, past and present, analyzed by faculty and community leaders. Emphasis on experiential team projects. Includes a significant engagement in writing as a form of critical inquiry and scholarly expression to satisfy the WID requirement. Same As: AMST 2020, HIST 2020, HIST 2020W.

AMST 2071. Introduction to the Arts in America. 3 Credits.

A survey of American art from the period of colonial exploration and settlement to the postmodern present. Political and social meanings of painting, sculpture, architecture, prints, and photographs. The relationship of art to religion and nationalism; issues of class, race, and gender. Same as AH 2071.

AMST 2120W. Freedom in American Thought and Popular Culture. 3 Credits.

America was founded on the premise of providing freedom to its people. But what, exactly, is freedom? The question has been debated in America since its founding and continues today; this course examines varied answers provided by American political thought and popular culture. Includes a significant engagement in writing as a form of critical inquiry and scholarly expression to satisfy the WID requirement. Credit cannot be earned for this course and PSC 2120W.

AMST 2125. Varieties of Feminist Theory. 3 Credits.

Classical and contemporary texts on feminist explanations of women’s status. Relationships within the sex/gender system and arrangements based on class and race. Evaluation, through the lens of feminist theory, of several academic disciplines in the sciences, social sciences, and humanities. Same as WGSS 2125. Prerequisites: WGSS 1020 or WGSS 2120.

AMST 2144. Explorations in Historical Geography. 3 Credits.

Examination of selected themes in the cultural geography of the United States over the course of its history, in relation to an overview of the historical geography of the country. Same as GEOG 2144.

AMST 2210. The African American Experience. 3 Credits.

This course provides a survey of the historical, political, and cultural dimensions of the African American experience in the U.S. The course is organized chronologically and thematically and covers topics such as American slavery, medical experimentation, Hurricane Katrina, aesthetics, hip-hop, and Afro-futurism.

AMST 2320. U.S. Media and Cultural History. 3 Credits.

History and analysis of twentieth-century U.S. media and culture, including the rise of consumer culture, film, and television. Racial, gendered, and national identities in the context of modernism, mass culture, and globalization. (Same as HIST 2320)

AMST 2350. U.S. Religion and Politics. 3 Credits.

How religion and politics have influenced each other in the United States and how Americans have understood those influences. Religious violence; conflicts between faith and science; religious factors in racial and gender politics; and the separation of church and state. Same as HIST 2350.

AMST 2380. Sexuality in U.S. History. 3 Credits.

Examination of the changing social organization and meaning of sexual practices and desires in American culture, with particular attention to the relationship between sexuality and gendered racial and class identities and politics. Same as HIST 2380 and WGSS 2380.

AMST 2385. Sex and Citizenship. 3 Credits.

How gender and sexuality have shaped Americans’ understanding of citizenship; the state regulation of marriage, reproduction, military service, immigration, and access to other government resources and benefits; the cultural representation of women, LGBTQ individuals, and other sexual and gender minorities as second-class citizens; and the efforts of women, LGBTQ groups, and others to claim full equality in American culture and politics.

AMST 2385W. Sex and Citizenship. 3 Credits.

How gender and sexuality have shaped Americans’ understanding of citizenship; the state regulation of marriage, reproduction, military service, immigration, and access to other government resources and benefits; the cultural representation of women, LGBTQ individuals, and other sexual and gender minorities as second-class citizens; and the efforts of women, LGBTQ groups, and others to claim full equality in American culture and politics. Includes a significant engagement in writing as a form of critical inquiry and scholarly expression to satisfy the WID requirement.

AMST 2410. Modern U.S. Immigration. 3 Credits.

Survey of immigration policy and immigrants’ lives from the turn of the twentieth century to the present day. Same As: AMST 2410W, HIST 2410, HIST 2410W.

AMST 2410W. Modern U.S. Immigration. 3 Credits.

Survey of immigration policy and immigrants’ lives from the turn of the twentieth century to the present day. Includes a significant engagement in writing as a form of critical inquiry and scholarly expression to satisfy the WID requirement. Same As: AMST 2410, HIST 2410, HIST 2410W.

AMST 2430. Capitalism and Culture. 3 Credits.

Cultural and political history of American capitalism from Wall Street to Whole Foods, including advertising, automation, baseball, Fordism, graffiti, housework, punk, real estate, strike-breaking, sex work, and slavery.

AMST 2440. The American City. 3 Credits.

An interdisciplinary introduction to the ethnic, cultural, political, and architectural landscape of the American city. Urban theory, race and ethnicity, urban history, planning and architecture, city politics, and cultural representations of the city. Same as HIST 2440.

AMST 2440W. The American City. 3 Credits.

An interdisciplinary introduction to the ethnic, cultural, political, and architectural landscape of the American city. Urban theory, race and ethnicity, urban history, planning and architecture, city politics, and cultural representations of the city. Includes a significant engagement in writing as a form of critical inquiry and scholarly expression to satisfy the WID requirement. Same As: AMST 2440, HIST 2440, HIST 2440W.

AMST 2450. History and Meaning of Higher Education in the United States. 3 Credits.

Analysis of the ways in which college experiences were reflective of competing social, economic, and cultural goals. How colleges provided social mobility for some students at the same time they reinscribed inequality in other ways.

AMST 2490. Themes in U.S. Cultural History. 3 Credits.

Cross-cultural or global perspective on the ideas, values, and modes of expression that have made American life distinctive. Topics vary by semester. May be repeated for credit provided the topic differs. Consult the Schedule of Classes for details. Same As: HIST 2490.

AMST 2490W. Themes in U.S. Cultural History. 3 Credits.

Examination of the ideas, values, and modes of expression that have made American life distinctive, as revealed through a cross-cultural or global perspective. Topics vary by semester. May be repeated for credit provided the topic differs. Includes a significant engagement in writing as a form of critical inquiry and scholarly expression to satisfy the WID requirement. Same As: HIST 2490W.

AMST 2495. Special Topics in African American History. 3 Credits.

Concentration on specific issues central to the African American experience. Consult the Schedule of Classes for issues to be addressed.

AMST 2520. American Architecture I. 3 Credits.

Stylistic properties, form and type characteristics, technological developments, and urbanistic patterns are introduced as a means of interpretation of historic meaning. Buildings are analyzed both as artifacts and as signifiers of social, cultural, and economic tendencies. 1600–1860. (Same as AH 2154, CAH 2154)

AMST 2521. American Architecture II. 3 Credits.

Continuation of AMST 2520. Stylistic properties, form and type characteristics, technological developments, and urbanistic patterns are introduced as a means of interpretation of historic meaning; analysis of buildings both as artifacts and as signifiers of social, cultural, and economic tendencies. 1860 to present. (Same as AH 2155, CAH 2155)

AMST 2533. Material Culture in America. 3 Credits.

Review and analysis of the cultural messages embedded in our material surroundings. Consideration of a range of humanly created artifacts, ranging from specific objects to vast landscapes. Same as ANTH 2533.

AMST 2600. U.S. Popular Music and Culture. 3 Credits.

Interdisciplinary approach to U.S. popular music as a means for thinking critically about identity, culture, and history from the nineteenth century to the present; popular music as a cultural reflection of society and a key means through which Americans enact and negotiate social opportunities, challenges, and struggles.

AMST 2610. Science, Technology, and Politics in Modern America. 3 Credits.

The history of science and technology and their role in political and social life from the late 19th century to the present.

AMST 2610W. Science, Technology, and Politics in Modern America. 3 Credits.

The history of science and technology and their role in political and social life from the late nineteenth century to the present. Includes a significant engagement in writing as a form of critical inquiry and scholarly expression to satisfy the WID requirement. Same As: AMST 2610, HIST 2610, HIST 2610W.

AMST 2620. Human Mind and Artificial Intelligence. 3 Credits.

The history of computers, robots, and artificial intelligence; visions of the future presented in science fiction; how human perceptions of machines affect their perceptions of the human mind.

AMST 2630. Discovering the Mind. 3 Credits.

Introduction to the ways in which the mind sciences have shaped how we understand ourselves, human nature, sex and race, morals, politics, and power.

AMST 2680W. Hashtag America. 3 Credits.

Influential technoskeptic and techno-utopian writing about social media and new media; the relationship between the Internet and society from various scholarly perspectives. Includes a significant engagement with writing as a form of critical inquiry and scholarly expression to satisfy the WID requirement.

AMST 2710. The United States in the World. 3 Credits.

U.S. cultural and political engagement with the rest of the world in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Global culture, transnational ideas and social movements, travel and tourism, and the impact of media. Same As: HIST 2710.

AMST 2730. World War II in History and Memory. 3 Credits.

Examination of Americans’ histories and memories of World War II. Same as HIST 2730.

AMST 2730W. World War II in History and Memory. 3 Credits.

Examination of Americans’ histories and memories of World War II. Includes a significant engagement in writing as a form of critical inquiry and scholarly expression to satisfy the WID requirement. (Same as HIST 2730)

AMST 2750. Latinos in the United States. 3 Credits.

Exploration of the term Latino and its impact on discussions of race, identity, and citizenship expectations throughout U.S. history. How geographic, linguistic, aesthetic, political, and economic factors construct Latino identity and influence policymaking and international relations. Same As: AMST 2750W, ANTH 2750, ANTH 2750W.

AMST 2750W. Latinos in the United States. 3 Credits.

Exploration of the term Latino and its impact on discussions of race, identity, and citizenship expectations throughout U.S. history. How geographic, linguistic, aesthetic, political, and economic factors construct Latino identity and influence policymaking and international relations. Includes a significant engagement in writing as a form of critical inquiry and scholarly expression to satisfy the WID requirement. Same As: AMST 2750, ANTH 2750, ANTH 2750W.

AMST 3099. Variable Topics. 1-12 Credits.

AMST 3151. American Art in the Age of Revolution. 3 Credits.

American art during the eighteenth-century consumer revolution, the American War for Independence, and the early republic; socioeconomic and political purposes of art, focusing on Enlightenment symbolism and the visualization of national identity. Credit cannot be earned for this course and AH 3151.

AMST 3152. American Art in the Era of National Expansion. 3 Credits.

American art from the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825 to the Spanish-American War in 1898. Emphasis on the role of art in the expansion of the United States, exploring issues of race, class, and gender; art, and religion. (Same as AH 3152)

AMST 3324. U.S. Urban History. 3 Credits.

History of American urban life and culture from the colonial era to the present, focusing on transitions from pre-industrial to industrial and post-industrial forms. The social and spatial configuration of U.S. cities, and the urban politics of race, class, and gender. Same as HIST 3324.

AMST 3351. U.S. Social History. 3 Credits.

Survey of American society and social change from the Civil War to the present. Gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, and class perspectives. (Same as HIST 3351)

AMST 3352. U.S. Women's History to 1865. 3 Credits.

History of women in the Americas and in the United States from trans-Atlantic encounters through the Civil War. (Same as HIST 3352, WGSS 3352)

AMST 3352W. U.S. Women's History to 1865. 3 Credits.

History of women in the Americas and in the United States from trans-Atlantic encounters through the Civil War. (Same as HIST 3352, WGSS 3352) Includes a significant engagement in writing as a form of critical inquiry and scholarly expression to satisfy the WID requirement.

AMST 3353. U.S. Women's History II. 3 Credits.

Continuation of AMST 3352. History of women in the Americas and in the United States from trans-Atlantic encounters from 1877 to present. Same As: HIST 3353, WGSS 3353.

AMST 3360. African American History to 1865. 3 Credits.

Major themes and concepts emerging from the early history of the African presence in the Americas and black experiences in the new nation of the United States. Focus on the emergence and evolution of the concept of race, the ways race evolved in concert with Atlantic slavery, and how race intersected with gender, economics, religion, and nationality. (Same as HIST 3360)

AMST 3361. African American History Since 1865. 3 Credits.

African American efforts to realize full freedom after emancipation from slavery. Gender politics, cultural expression, labor organizing, and radicalisms; dynamics of racism within major eras of African American activity from Reconstruction through the Great Migration; and the history of civil rights, Black Power, and black feminism. (Same as HIST 3361)

AMST 3362. African American Women's History. 3 Credits.

Addresses the history of African American women’s labor, cultural expression, institution-building, activism and strategies to combat oppression from the antebellum period through the late twentieth century. Investigates the intersection of race, gender, and class as it has shaped U.S. society, racism, the black freedom movement and African American women’s experiences. (Same as AMST 3362W, HIST 3362, HIST 3362W, WGSS 3362, WGSS 3362W)

AMST 3362W. African American Women's History. 3 Credits.

The history of African American women’s labor, cultural expression, institution-building, activism, and strategies to combat oppression from the antebellum period through the late 20th century; the intersection of race, gender, and class as it has shaped U.S. society, racism, the black freedom movement, and African American women’s experiences. Includes a significant engagement in writing as a form of critical inquiry and scholarly expression to satisfy the WID requirement. (Same as AMST 3362, HIST 3362, HIST 3362W, WGSS 3362, WGSS 3362W)

AMST 3367. The American Jewish Experience. 3 Credits.

The study of the Jewish minority in America from colonial times to the present. Emphasis on the interaction between a powerful majority culture and that of protean minority people. (Same as HIST 3367)

AMST 3600. Popular Music and Politics. 3 Credits.

The interactions and intersections of music and politics, focusing on the twentieth-century United States; music as political expression, music in social protest movements, and music as a tool of political organizing.

AMST 3625. Ethnographic and Historical Perspectives on Data Ethics. 3 Credits.

An introduction to ethics of data sciences from two disparate perspectives: historical and ethnographic. For students in all fields interested in understanding and evaluating the ethical implications of data and algorithms. Same As: ANTH 3625.

AMST 3810. Planning Cities. 3 Credits.

An examination of historical and contemporary trends and dynamics in urban planning in the United States and abroad. Same as GEOG 3810. Prerequisite: GEOG 1001.

AMST 3811. Historical Archaeology. 3 Credits.

Survey of the basic data and methods of research in the material culture of recent history. Same as ANTH 3811.

AMST 3835. Historical Archaeology Field Program. 3 Credits.

Practical experience with a variety of excavation and laboratory techniques in historical archaeology; specific site and topics announced in the Schedule of Classes. Same as ANTH 3835.

AMST 3900. Critiquing Culture. 3 Credits.

Modes of analysis, including ethnography and other cultural studies methods, applied to examination of the interaction of cultural texts and practices with structures of power. Theories and themes central to American studies; scholarly debate about mass culture, ideology, visuality, discourse, and affect. Restricted to American studies majors or American studies minors with permission of the instructor.

AMST 3901. Examining America. 3 Credits.

Modes of power and forms of identification within and across U.S. national borders. Social constructions of the nation; forms of diversity and identity, such as race, gender, and sexuality; and the transnational flow of people, ideas, culture, and religion. Restricted to students in the American studies program.

AMST 3950. Special Topics. 3 Credits.

May be repeated for credit provided the topic differs. Topics announced in the Schedule of Classes.

AMST 3950W. Special Topics. 3 Credits.

May be repeated for credit provided the topic differs. Topic announced in the Schedule of Classes. Includes a significant engagement in writing as a form of critical inquiry and scholarly expression to satisfy the WID requirement. Credit cannot be earned for this course and HIST 3301W.

AMST 4400. Independent Study. 1-3 Credits.

Open to a limited number of American studies majors as directed research or as an internship with a Washington museum or historical society. Approval of advisor required.

AMST 4450. Internship. 1-3 Credits.

Open to a limited number of American studies majors pursuing an internship directly related to the study of American culture. Students must make the case for a scholarly project that emerges from the internship and must write a significant final paper. Approval of a supervising faculty member required for registration. P/NP grading only.

AMST 4500. Proseminar in American Studies. 3 Credits.

Directed research and writing on special topics. May be repeated for credit provided the topic differs. Restricted to students in the American studies program. Prerequisites: AMST 2010, AMST 2011, AMST 3900 and AMST 3901.

AMST 4500W. Proseminar in American Studies. 3 Credits.

Directed research and writing on special topics. May be repeated for credit provided the topic differs. Includes a significant engagement in writing as a form of critical inquiry and scholarly expression to satisfy the WID requirement. Students select two of the prerequisite courses. Restricted to students in the American studies program. Prerequisites: AMST 2010, AMST 2011, AMST 3900 and AMST 3901.

AMST 4701W. Epidemics in American History. 3 Credits.

The history of epidemics in the United States from the late nineteenth to the early twentieth century. The development of medical and public health responses to epidemics, and their social, political, cultural, and economic impacts. Sources include primary documents, historical accounts, memoirs, fiction, and films. Includes a significant engagement in writing as a form of critical inquiry and scholarly expression to satisfy the WID requirement.

AMST 4702W. Race, Medicine, and Public Health. 3 Credits.

The experiences of African Americans as patients and health care providers; the history of the relationship between race, American medicine, and public health. Emphasis on the importance of understanding the historical roots of contemporary policy dilemmas such as racial and ethnic disparities in health and health care. Includes a significant engagement in writing as a form of critical inquiry and scholarly expression to satisfy the WID requirement.

AMST 5099. Variable Topics. 1-99 Credits.

AMST 6100. Scope and Methods in American Studies. 3 Credits.

Consideration of American studies as an area for research and teaching; introduction to bibliography. Required of candidates for the degree of Master of Arts in the field of American studies.

AMST 6110. Cultural Theory and American Studies. 3 Credits.

Major issues in critical and cultural theory as they relate to American culture. Various interpretive approaches including discourse analysis, cultural studies, new historicism, anthropological theory, etc. Prerequisites: AMST 6100 or permission of the instructor.

AMST 6120. Theories and Practices in the Study of Media. 3 Credits.

Examination of theories and methods in the study of media and popular culture; case studies explore specific issues related to cultural products such as film, television, music, and the Internet.

AMST 6190. Topics in American Studies. 1-4 Credits.

Topics vary by semester. May be repeated for credit provided the topic differs. Consult the Schedule of Classes for more details. Credit cannot be earned for this course and ANTH 6591, ENGL 6451, HIST 6001.

AMST 6195. Research Seminar in American Studies. 3 Credits.

May be repeated for credit provided the topic differs.

AMST 6210. The United States in the World. 3 Credits.

Analysis of the cultural constructions of race, nation, and empire, including the role of art, media, travel, and transnational actors. Focus on the twentieth century.

AMST 6220. Theory and Emotions. 3 Credits.

Interdisciplinary exploration of politics of emotion, with an emphasis on the emotions that attach to race, gender, and sexuality.

AMST 6230. The Politics of Freedom. 3 Credits.

This seminar examines critical interventions into the theories, rhetorics, and practices of freedom. The seminar focuses on the politics of freedom in relation to an array of themes that may include liberalism, slavery, imperialism, political economy, individualism, and neoliberalism.

AMST 6240. Borders and Boundaries. 3 Credits.

Exploration of borders (the literal edge or limit of a territory) and boundaries (intra-societal differences). Readings from cultural anthropology, political science, and social history examine classic tensions between state formation and nation building. The U.S.–Mexico border and other border zones across the globe are used to assess and challenge what is local and particular about border space.

AMST 6410. Readings in American Cultural History. 3 Credits.

Studies in the cultural history of the United States.

AMST 6420. Religion and American Culture. 3 Credits.

Interdisciplinary analysis of religious beliefs, practices, and representations in the United States, as well as intersections of the religious and the secular. Relationships of religion to race, gender, capitalism, science, mass media, and material culture. Same as HIST 6420.

AMST 6430. Gender, Sexuality, and American Culture I. 3 Credits.

The changing social organization, cultural representation, and meaning of gender and sexuality in the United States, with emphasis on their relationship to race, class, region, nationality, empire, and globalization. Pre-colonial to 1877. (Same as HIST 6430, WGSS 6430)

AMST 6431. Gender, Sexuality, and American Culture II. 3 Credits.

Continuation of AMST 6430. The changing social organization, cultural representation, and meaning of gender and sexuality in the United States, with emphasis on their relationship to race, class, region, nationality, empire, and globalization. 1877 to present. Same as HIST 6431/ WGSS 6431.

AMST 6435. Readings on Women in American History. 3 Credits.

Important works in American women’s history; evolution of the field in historiographical context. Same as HIST 6435/ WGSS 6435.

AMST 6450. Race in America. 3 Credits.

Interdisciplinary analysis of the history of race and its changing political, social, and cultural meanings in the United States. Transnational racial formations, struggles for and against civil rights, multiracialism, and interracialism. Same as HIST 6450.

AMST 6455. American Social Movements. 3 Credits.

The history of social movements in the United States, with emphasis on civil rights, feminism, conservatism, and labor in local, national, and transnational contexts; the historical rise and fall of these movements and their larger impact on American life. Same as HIST 6455.

AMST 6460. Popular Music Studies. 3 Credits.

Readings in popular music studies; varying methodologies for American studies work on sound and popular music; cultural histories of popular music; American music transnationally. Restricted to graduate students.

AMST 6470. Cityscapes. 3 Credits.

Interdisciplinary examination of the American city, including urban theory, history, planning, architecture, urban politics, and cultural representations of the city. Same as HIST 6470.

AMST 6475. U.S. Urban History. 3 Credits.

History of American urban life and culture from the Colonial era to the present, focusing on the transitions from pre-industrial to industrial and post-industrial forms, the social and spatial configuration of U.S. cities, and the urban politics of race, class, and gender. Same as HIST 6475.

AMST 6480. Theory and Practice of Public History. 3 Credits.

Theoretical and practical dimensions of public history, as illustrated by recent controversies surrounding public exhibitions and debates on revisionist history as well as more traditional means of presenting the past in public forums. Same as HIST 6480.

AMST 6495. Historic Preservation: Principles and Methods. 3 Credits.

The scope and purpose of the preservation movement in the United States, with focus on developments since the 1960s. Preservation theories, attitudes toward the past and toward design, the intent and impact of legislation, approaches to documentation, the concept of significance, and preservation as an instrument of change. Same as HIST 6495.

AMST 6496. Historic Preservation: Principles and Methods. 3 Credits.

Continuation of AMST 6495. The scope and purpose of the preservation movement in the United States, with focus on developments since the 1960s. Preservation theories, attitudes toward the past and toward design, the intent and impact of legislation, approaches to documentation, the concept of significance, and preservation as an instrument of change. Same as HIST 6496.

AMST 6520. Economics of Preservation. 3 Credits.

Analysis of economic techniques and benefits used to encourage the retention and reuse of historic buildings and districts in the United States. Emphasis on revitalization of older commercial centers and the Mainstreet program. Permission of the instructor required prior to enrollment.

AMST 6525. The Politics of Historic Preservation. 3 Credits.

Overview of the political issues, forces, events, and players that have shaped contemporary preservation practice, with an emphasis on public policy issues that have not been resolved and continue to confront preservation objectives. Permission of the instructor required prior to enrollment.

AMST 6530. Field Methods in Architectural Documentation. 3 Credits.

In-depth thematic examination of cultural landscape, focusing on field techniques for recording, analysis, and interpretation of historic properties. Work at field sites is supplemented by lectures, discussion, and readings. Restricted to graduate students.

AMST 6550. Seminar in American Architecture. 3 Credits.

Advanced research problems addressing artistic, cultural, social, technical, and urbanistic aspects of American architecture in the 19th and 20th centuries. Topics vary. Prerequisites: AMST 2520 or AMST 2521, or permission of the instructor.

AMST 6560. Vernacular Architecture. 3 Credits.

AMST 6610. Constructing the Natural, Unnatural, and Artifactual. 3 Credits.

What is nature and what is natural? What is unnatural? What is artificial? Examination of how the answers to these questions are products of specific and historically contingent cultural formations. Credit cannot be earned for this course and ANTH 6591.

AMST 6650. Advanced Workshop in American Studies. 1-4 Credits.

Required for first- and second-year PhD students; open to other graduate students. Provides instruction and guidance in the process of writing, revising, and submitting journal articles, conference papers, and dissertations. Faculty and peer review of written work. Students are expected to enroll for the full academic year. Restricted to American studies graduate students.

AMST 6709. Interpretation in the Historic House Museum. 3 Credits.

Seminar integrating advanced practices of museum education with current scholarship in architectural history, material culture, and social history. Extensive use of Washington museum resources. Admission by permission of instructor. Same as EDUC 6709.

AMST 6710. American Material Culture. 3 Credits.

Opportunities for research and publication based on historical objects in the collections of the Smithsonian Institution.

AMST 6720. American Decorative Arts I. 3 Credits.

Recognition and evaluation of domestic artifacts from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries.

AMST 6721. American Decorative Arts II. 3 Credits.

Continuation of AMST 6720. Recognition and evaluation of domestic artifacts from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries.

AMST 6730. Studies in American Art and History. 3 Credits.

Selected problems and themes in American cultural history involving the use of artistic materials in different media; emphasis on methodology and analytic techniques. May be repeated for credit. Same as AH 6255.

AMST 6835. Historical Archaeology Field Program. 3 Credits.

Practical experience with a variety of excavation and laboratory techniques in historical archaeology; specific site and topics announced in the Schedule of Classes. Same as ANTH 6835.

AMST 6930. Independent Study. 3 Credits.

Permission of the instructor required prior to enrollment. Restricted to master's and doctoral candidates.

AMST 8998. Advanced Reading and Research. 1-9 Credits.

May be repeated for credit. Restricted to doctoral candidates preparing for the general examination.

AMST 8999. Dissertation Research. 3-12 Credits.

May be repeated for credit. Restricted to doctoral candidates.