American Studies 2065 -- Global America

"The South in the Nation and the World"

Prof. Lauren Braun
MWF< 12:00-12:50PM

Dating back to the emergence of a  modern United States, the South has almost continuously stood in economic, cultural, and political opposition to the rest of the country.  Yet, is this "otherness" really so distinctive, and if it is, why?  This course will examine the US South from a comparative perspective, using the Italian south or mezzogiorno as a secondary case study.  Utilizing the work of historians, writers, economists, filmmakers, social scientists and musicians, we will explore what really lies behind such caricatures as the redneck NASCAR fan, the civil war re-enactor, and the Dirty South millionaire in order to better understand what southernness means to and for all Americans.