Students in the Politics, Institutions, and Values concentration examine the structural and cultural processes that shape the distribution of power and resources, and supply the cultural meanings for U.S. society. Courses in this concentration explore a variety of American institutions and social processes, among them the political system, the economy, the educational system, the health care arena, the justice system and numerous other cultural and social spheres. Students will study the dynamic relations among these realms in courses ranging from traditional disciplines, like Political Science and Sociology, to those within interdisciplinary programs such as Women's and Gender Studies and, of course, American Studies.
This concentration particularly encourages students to choose courses that emphasize an historical perspective in order to better understand the interplay of individuals, social groups and subcultures as they shape and are shaped by various institutions over time. A historical perspective also allows for comparisons among traditional, modern and contemporary methodologies for conceptualizing American society. Ultimately, students in the Politics, Institutions and Values concentration should develop the critical skills with which to analyze the complexity of the conflicts among these institutions and processes and their diverse participants, among ruling elites, their members and outsiders, and between the official discourses and the complex real outcomes.
Concentration Courses
Please note that the below list of possible courses is not exhaustive and that many courses listed under "TOPICS" headings may also count toward American Studies. Students may take an unlimited number of TOPICS courses, as long as the topic of each course is different.
Students must choose five courses from the following; however, exceptions may be granted by the Director of the American Studies Program. No more than three courses may be from any one department (AMS notwithstanding); at least three courses should be at the 300-level.
American Studies
Course List | Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
| PERSPECTIVES ON AMERICAN IDENTITIES | |
| AMERICAN BUDDHISMS: RACE AND RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY | |
| CHICAGO HISTORY, GEOGRAPHY, AND CULTURES | |
| HISTORY OF SEX IN AMERICA 1: COLONIAL TO LATE NINETEENTH CENTURY | |
| HISTORY OF SEX IN AMERICA 2: LATE VICTORIANS TO THE PRESENT | |
| LGBTQ+ HISTORY IN THE UNITED STATES, WORLD WAR II TO THE PRESENT | |
| POLITICS AND HISTORY OF THE VIETNAM WAR | |
| TOPICS IN AMERICAN POLITICS, INSTITUTIONS, AND VALUES | |
| TELEVISION AND AMERICAN IDENTITY | |
| ADVANCED TOPICS IN GENDER AND SEXUALITY STUDIES IN THE U.S./AMERICAS | |
| ADVANCED TOPICS IN AMERICAN POLITICS, INSTITUTIONS, AND VALUES | |
African & Black Diaspora Studies
Course List | Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
| AFRICAN AMERICAN POLITICS | |
| DIMENSIONS OF BLACK FAMILY LIFE | |
| PAN-AFRICANISM | |
| AFRICAN-AMERICAN POLITICAL THOUGHT | |
| RECONSTRUCTION AND THE RISE OF JIM CROW | |
| VOTING, REPRESENTATION, AND THE LAW | |
| TOPICS IN PUBLIC LAW | |
Asian American Studies
Course List | Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
| ASIAN AMERICAN HISTORY | |
Community Service Studies
Course List | Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
| RESTORATIVE JUSTICE: ENGAGEMENT WITH THE PRISON | |
| LAW AND POLITICS: PRISON POLICIES AND RESTORATIVE JUSTICE | |
| COMMUNITY FOOD SYSTEMS | |
| CRITCAL ISSUES IN PUBLIC EDUCATION: THE CHICAGO CONTEXT | |
Economics
Course List | Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
| URBAN ECONOMICS | |
| MARKET STRUCTURE AND REGULATION OF BUSINESS | |
| AMERICAN ECONOMIC HISTORY | |
| LABOR ECONOMICS AND ORGANIZATION | |
| ECONOMICS AND GENDER | |
| SUSTAINABLE STRATEGIES FOR ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT | |
Geography
Course List | Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
| URBANIZATION | |
| GEOPOLITICS | |
| RACE, JUSTICE, AND THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT | |
| INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION | |
| SUSTAINABLE URBAN TRANSPORTATION | |
| CULTURAL AND POLITICAL ECOLOGY | |
| HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY OF CHICAGO | |
| URBAN PLANNING | |
History of Art and Architecture
Course List | Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
| MUSEUM AND NON-PROFIT ARTS MANAGEMENT | |
History
Course List | Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
| HISTORY OF CHICAGO | |
| HISTORY OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN THE U.S. | |
| MUSEUMS, MATERIAL CULTURE AND MEMORY: INTRODUCTION TO PUBLIC HISTORY | |
| WESTWARD EXPANSION IN U.S. | |
| ASIAN-AMERICAN IMMIGRATION AND HISTORY, 1840-1965 | |
| HISTORY OF EDUCATION IN THE UNITED STATES | |
| WOMEN IN UNITED STATES HISTORY | |
| U.S. LABOR HISTORY | |
| MAPS IN HISTORY AND CULTURE | |
| INTER-AMERICAN AFFAIRS | |
| LATINOS IN THE UNITED STATES | |
| THE OLD SOUTH | |
| U.S. WOMEN'S HISTORY | |
| AMERICAN COLONIAL HISTORY | |
| THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION | |
| CHICAGO HISTORY MUSEUM EXPERIENCE | |
International Studies
Course List | Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
| INT 150 | GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES ON SOCIAL JUSTICE | 4 |
| INT 200 | INTRODUCTION TO POLITICAL ECONOMY | 4 |
| INT 201 | NATION STATES, NATIONALISM, EMPIRE | 4 |
| INT 206 | IDENTITIES AND BOUNDARIES | 4 |
| INT 302 | CRITICAL SOCIAL THEORY | 4 |
| INT 308 | NATURE, SOCIETY AND POWER | 4 |
| INT 316 | THE SOCIAL AND POLITICAL LIFE OF OIL | 4 |
| INT 317 | READING MARX'S CAPITAL | 4 |
LGBTQ Studies
Course List | Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
| QUEER PIONEERS: CULTURE, GENDER, AND POLITICAL ACTIVISM | |
| LGBTQ POLITICS | |
| SEXUAL JUSTICE: LESBIANS, GAYS AND THE LAW | |
Latin American & Latino Studies
Course List | Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
| LATINO RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE IN THE UNITED STATES | |
| CONSTRUCTING LATINO COMMUNITIES | |
| LATINO COMMUNITIES AND SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT | |
| LATINO COMMUNITIES IN CHICAGO | |
| GLOBALIZATION IN THE AMERICAS | |
| INDIGENOUS POLITICAL STRUGGLES | |
Peace, Justice, and Conflict Studies
Course List | Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
| CHICAGO AND STRATEGIC NONVIOLENCE | |
| COMMUNITIES WORKING FOR SUSTAINABLE JUSTICE AND PEACE: SERVICE IN CHICAGO AND THE U.S. | |
| SOCIAL JUSTICE AND SOCIAL CHANGE | |
Public Policy Studies
Course List | Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
| PUBLIC POLICY AND URBAN ISSUES | |
| PUBLIC POLICY RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS | |
| INTRODUCTION TO NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS | |
| ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE | |
| ISSUES IN NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT | |
| URBAN POVERTY | |
| CITIES, GLOBALIZATION AND PUBLIC POLICY | |
| APPLIED URBAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICS | |
| PUBLIC POLICY AND POLITICS | |
| NATIONAL PARKS POLICY AND GOVERNANCE | |
| GREEN CITIES | |
Political Science
Course List | Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
| THE AMERICAN POLITICAL SYSTEM | |
| AMERICAN POLITICAL CULTURE | |
| WOMEN AND POLITICS | |
| AFRICAN-AMERICAN POLITICS | |
| TOPICS IN POLITICAL CULTURE 1 | |
| THE AMERICAN PRESIDENCY | |
| CONGRESS AND THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS | |
| URBAN POLITICS | |
| STATE POLITICS | |
| AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY | |
| LAW AND THE POLITICAL SYSTEM | |
| CONSTITUTIONAL LAW: FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS | |
| CONSTITUTIONAL LAW: RIGHTS OF DEFENDANTS | |
| CONSTITUTIONAL LAW: EQUAL PROTECTION OF THE LAWS | |
| MASS MEDIA AND AMERICAN POLITICS | |
| URBAN POLICYMAKING | |
| CHICAGO GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS | |
| INEQUALITY IN AMERICAN SOCIETY | |
| PUBLIC OPINION | |
| ADVANCED TOPICS IN AMERICAN POLITICS | |
| AMERICAN POLITICAL THOUGHT | |
| ADVANCED TOPICS IN POLITICAL THOUGHT 1 | |
| THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM | |
| WOMEN AND THE LAW | |
Sociology
Course List | Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
| SOCIAL WORK AND SOCIAL WELFARE | |
| POLICING THE MARGINS | |
| INTRODUCTION TO THE U.S HEALTH CARE SYSTEM | |
| RACE AND ETHNICITY IN THE CITY | |
| RESISTING WHITE SUPREMACY | |
| CRIMINALIZATION, PUNISHMENT, & RESISTANCE | |
| POWER, DEVIANCE AND SOCIAL CONTROL | |
| SOCIOLOGY OF FAMILIES | |
| SOCIOLOGY OF EDUCATION | |
| LAW, POWER AND RESISTANCE | |
| STREET GANGS | |
| GENDER, CRIME AND JUSTICE | |
| HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS | |
| SOCIAL INEQUALITY | |
| POLITICAL SOCIOLOGY | |
| CLASS, POWER AND DECISION MAKING IN THE CITY | |
| HEALTH DISPARITIES | |
Women’s & Gender Studies
Course List | Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
| WOMEN'S LIVES:RACE/CLASS/GENDER | |
| GROWING UP FEMALE IN THE U.S. | |
| GENDER AND EDUCATION | |
| INTERSECTIONAL & TRANSNATIONAL FEMINIST FORMATIONS | |
| BLACK FEMINIST THEORIES IN A U.S. CONTEXT | |
| GENDER, VIOLENCE AND RESISTANCE | |
| GENDER AND FAMILIES | |
| WOMEN AND LAW | |
| QUEER THEORY: AN INTRODUCTION | |
Portfolio Requirement
Throughout the concentration courses, students are required to maintain a “portfolio” which combines reflections on the courses with collections of course materials (syllabi, completed written course work, collections of visuals, e.g., photo essays -- whatever is appropriate to the six courses chosen for the concentration). The reflections on each course and then on the concentration overall should include responses to questions such as “What were the course’s most valuable lessons in research, analysis, writing and communication? How did this course, taken together with the other courses you have chosen for your concentration, influence/develop your understanding of the area of American culture on which you are focusing?” Students turn in their portfolio on the concentration, along with a proposal for the senior seminar project, in the first weeks of the senior seminar. Specific directions for the portfolio can be obtained from your American Studies advisor, from the American Studies Program office, or from the American Studies Program Director.
Open Electives
Open elective credit also is required to meet the minimum graduation requirement of 192 hours.