Introduction : History : Site Images
Introduction to the Program
The Program in American Culture at Vassar College is designed to introduce students to the analysis of American society, institutions, mores, civilization and culture from a variety of intellectual disciplines and perspectives.
American Culture offers students an opportunity to study the civilization of the United States from a variety of perspectives and through the methodologies of different intellectual disciplines. Because of the social diversity of Americans, the study of American culture necessarily involves consideration of many cultures and must ask how this diversity coexists with a national identity; therefore, all courses incorporate multiple examinations of race, ethnicity, class and gender in America. Study of the subject matter is multidisciplinary and most courses are team-taught. Majors create their own courses of study using the resources of the program as well as those of other departments within the college.
The program offers a number of interdisciplinary courses that focus on issues within a specifically American context. The senior thesis/project allows in-depth research on a particular element of the student's chosen focus.
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The History of the Program
The Related Studies Program in American Culture began in 1943 as a cooperative effort of the departments of History, English, and Political Science, as well as the departments of Economics, sociology, and anthropology. The major organizer and creator of the program was English professor Helen Lockwood, who served as the first chair of the Committee of American Culture Advisors, which informally ran the program. Students were free to choose courses from a list of approved classes and were required to distribute their classes among the participating departments. The number of students in the program ranged from three to fourteen over the next several years. In 1957, as a part of the general movement in academia away from multidisciplinary study, the program was eliminated.
In 1972 the program re-emerged as a multidisciplinary program in The Changing American Culture due to the efforts of English professor John Christie. The new program used faculty from various departments of the college to teach courses offered under the specific auspices of the program, including a seminar in American Culture, Special Studies courses, a senior project and colloquium, and an "Issues for the Seventies" lecture series. A panel of advisors and a steering committee administered the program. In 1976 the program changed its title to the American Culture Program; it has added a number of courses since its revival.
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A Word About the Images Used on the Site
As you browse the pages of this site, you will notice that the images at the top change randomly. We have used almost fifty images in the site, but they represent only a tiny sampling of art and Americana belonging to two of Vassar's major collections, the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center and the Special Collections Department.
The Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center contains over 12,500 paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings, and photographs. The art center, designed by Cesar Pelli, is home to one of the finest teaching collections in the nation. Students in the American Culture program as well as in departments and programs across the curriculum take advantage of this unique academic resource.
The Archives and Special Collections Department of the Vassar College Libraries is the principal repository of the College's noteworthy collections of rare books, manuscripts, archival records of Vassar College, and other special materials. The collections are available to students and are an important resource for those researching American culture and history.
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