The discipline of American Studies is defined in terms of its theory, methodology and content; and a model course for American Studies is presented which is oriented toward general education studies at the lower division level. (Author/NHM)

Understanding U.S. culture is difficult, because the information explosion creates an increase in the number and complexity of various cultural relationships. American Studies is a valuable and unique discipline because it directly addresses this problem, the basic purposes of education, and the relationships that shape students' culture. This…

The debate over whether the 50 states are meaningful units for macro-sociological research has mostly been conducted on the basis of deductive reasoning. Three sets of analyses that are intended to provide much needed empirical data on this issue were studied. The first set involved all variables in the "County and City Data Book" used…

American popular music -- ballads, folksongs, and mass media songs -- can be used in an American studies class to trace social history. This takes advantage of young people's loyalty to music and enlists their aural sensitivities in learning about the United States. (JH)

The paper describes a secondary level American Studies unit on U.S. foreign policy. The interdisciplinary approach of American studies focuses on the interrelationships of social science, language arts, fine arts, and natural sciences that shape American culture. The four-week unit on foreign policy was taught in a two-hour time block. Students…

Demographic, social, and economic characteristics of persons of Spanish origin in the United States are presented in this advance report. Data were collected in the March 1974 Current Population Survey, indicating that there were about 10.8 million persons of Spanish origin in this country. Subcategories of Spanish origin are: Mexican, Puerto…

Offering a program for uniting English with social studies, this curriculum guide for 11th grade American studies helps students develop into responsible, informed, capable citizens. The integrated approach of the social sciences, humanities, history, literature, writing, art, music, speech, and fields related to science and technology emphasizes…

This article describes a Topics Program in American Studies for college bound and non-college bound high school students. The philosophy behind the program is discussed and outlines of the objectives, skills, and topic titles are presented. For journal availability see SO 504 433. (Author/RM)

Describes an innovative geographic location activity in which students trace and correct a mimeographed map of the United States two times. The first time, the state names are given. The second time, the student must fill in and correctly spell the name of each state. (Author/DB)

This project began with a list of the kinds of topics that would be of most interest in a study of the old west. Some of the topics that were mentioned for the project included Lewis and Clark, Native American tribes and nations, early pioneers, the fur trade, Texas independence, the Pony Express, homesteaders, gunfighters, the Indian wars, and…

Explores the cultural legacy of the United States. Characterizes the society as one which promotes cohesiveness and political unity, yet emphasizes individual initiative. Provides a number of salient historical examples in making this point. (KO)

The Americanization movement and civics education can be interpreted as symbolic action sanctioning a particular status order with certain definitions and interpretations of social phenomena. The purpose most commonly attributed to it is the transformation of immigrants. The movement is biased toward cultural homogeneity and the anonymity of the…

Many Asian-American studies programs have emerged on college campuses recently, due largely to high Asian-American enrollment and student pressure. The field originated in the 1960s, and has broadened to incorporate many ethnic groups. Courses may be either broad-based, comparing ethnic or immigrant groups, or narrowly focused on specific themes.…