American Consumer Culture For many Americans in the 20th century, consumer goods came to embody the promise of the "good life."  Yet mass consumption also fostered economic, political, and social inequalities and engendered anti-consumerist activism. In this course we will pursue an interdisciplinary approach to American consumer culture, focusing on the rise of commercialized leisure and advertising; the role of radio, television, and film in shaping consumer practices; and the relationship of consumerism to social inequality and democratic citizenship. Readings will include works by Veblen, Marcuse, Bordieu, Marchand, Cohen, and Schor.

Theory and Method in American Studies (Junior Year) A reading of influential secondary texts that have defined the field of American Studies during the past fifty years.  Particular attention will be paid to the methodologies adopted by American Studies scholars, and the relevance these approaches have for the writing of senior essays and theses.

Formation of Modern American Culture I: 1830-1919 An introduction to the study of American culture from 1830 through World War I with an emphasis on the changing shape of popular, mass, and elite cultural forms. We will explore a widely-accepted scholarly notion that a new, distinctively national and modern culture emerged during this period and that particular ideas of social formation (race, class, gender, sexuality, etc.) came with it. We will practice the interdisciplinary interpretation of American culture by exploring a wide range of subjects and media: economic change, social class, biography and autobiography, politics, photo-journalism, novels, architecture, painting, and photography. Required of all American studies majors and minors.

American Misogyny In this course we will explore the place of misogyny in U.S. media and politics.  Early topics will include film noir, Cold War gender scapegoating, and lesbian pulp fiction.  Subsequent topics will include the backlash against second-wave feminism, the rise of “post-feminism,” and the impact of reality TV and social media on feminist and antifeminist expression.  We will conclude by examining how misogyny informs U.S. culture and politics in the Trump era. Throughout the course, we will consider how discourses of misogyny are inflected by white, cisgender, ableist, ageist, and class privilege.

Class, Culture, and Representation In this course we will examine the contested meanings of social class in U.S. culture from 1930 to the present. We will ask the following: How have workers, the workplace, and economic inequality been imagined in U.S. film, art, and popular culture? How have categories such as race, gender, and sexuality informed ideas about class? And how do the realities of economic inequality mesh with civic narratives of meritocracy and the “American Dream”?  Readings will include works by Barbara Ehrenreich, Studs Terkel, Tillie Olsen, and Helena Maria Vilamontes. Films, music, and other media will supplement written materials.

Political Consumerism and the Consumerization of Politics In the United States, we fashion our identities through the purchases we make. We form communities based on shared loyalty to particular brands and consumer lifestyles. Political campaigns are commercialized and voters choose among prepackaged candidates. For many, the way to participate in social activism is to buy something. But can we solve problems such as globalization, environmental degradation, and excessive consumption through more or different consumption?  Our study of current issues in U.S. consumer culture will include culture jamming, boycotts, and the anti-sweatshop and Fair Trade movements, as well as greenwashing, cause branding, and other corporate practices.

Holly Allen

I found this class incredibly relaxing and easy to follow. The subject material was interesting and enlightening. While readings could be heavy, they were often easy to understand and complete in time. I would recommend this class!

Holly is a great professor, who teaches this class pretty well. She makes the class interesting, and if you want to fully engage class discussions are the way to go. She was always super nice and accommodating, and the projects were very reasonable.

fair grading & easy class -- lots of analysis of ads, but not that difficult if you put effort into it. instructor is pretty approachable and especially responsive to emails and any questions, so definitely take advantage of that