Course Details

This course examines different case studies in American mobility, and how movement is central to the history, culture, political economy, and social organization of the United States – in the past and present. In this course, we will look at immigration, involuntary migration, internal migration, and forced displacement; relocation for the purpose of work, education, and lifestyle; commuting, driving, and riding the rails; how cultural ideas like the “road trip” have been captured and represented as part of the American psyche; transportation, infrastructure, and environmental impact; and more. As an interdisciplinary American Studies course, we will use secondary sources that draw on ethnographic, historical, environmental studies, literary studies, cultural studies, and sociological methods to explore mobility. We will also read fiction, watch TV and films, listen to music, and engage with other sources, texts, and media that highlight movement’s impact on American culture, identity, society.