American Cultures
Instructor: Despina Kakoudaki
Introduction to Course Descriptions
The American Cultures Requirement was created in U. C. Berkeley in order to respond to student concerns that their coursework did not include diverse points of view. As a result, undergraduate students in Berkeley now have to take at least one American Cultures class before they graduate.
These courses are developed in collaboration between the Subcommittee on American Cultures and the various Academic Departments of the University. Instructors (such as myself) create an original Course Description according to the Guidelines of the Subcommittee, and submit it for approval. Often a course is revised a number of times before it is approved, and this is because the Guidelines challenge both the way we think, and our usual course styles. In an American Cultures course the materials of the class have to be drawn from at least three ethnic communities of the United States. Each community has to be represented equally, while the point of view of the class should combine an integrative but also a comparative approach. Students should be able to learn about the history of these groups, but also be able to combine their knowledge to imagine a wider American reality.
Part of the challenge comes from the amazing wealth of relevant historical and cultural material, across disciplines. At the same time, a lot of us did not necessarily have these materials available to us when we were High School or University students, and as a result Instructors often engage in original research in order to create an American Cultures course.
Another challenge comes from the fact that times change. In Berkeley the demand for diversity and representation has made a greater impact on the way courses are designed and taught in a variety of disciplines. High School students nowadays have a much better understanding of the many histories and traditions of this country. New academic departments and new libraries emerged to satisfy some of these needs. In this framework, the American Cultures Requirement is now only one of the ways students can learn about the history of ethnic groups in America, even though it still poses urgent and difficult questions: Can we think of the "integrative" aspect of our histories in new ways? Is diversity or ethnic representation in the curriculum something we can call "done"?
In my teaching career in Berkeley I have submitted two proposals for American Cultures courses, both of which were approved. I taught each course twice. The two courses are an interesting combination. Both focus on history and representation, but they "look," so to speak, in opposite directions. The first class, "A Story to Pass On," focuses on the weight and burden of history on authors of different backgrounds. The second course, "New Voices," explores the imaginative futures and possible landscapes that authors have created, using their past but not necessarily feeling the need to represent it historically.
Feel free to browse through this material, and see how the two courses balance each other out. Also, look under the "Study Questions" section of this website, for specific handouts and paper topics related to these courses.
A Story to Pass On: History and Haunting in American Cultures
New Voices: Experimental Genres, History and Fantasy in American Cultures
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