Catalog Entries |
Spring 2021
Apr 19, 2024 |
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| AMST 0231 - Tourism in American Culture |
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*See the U.S.A.: The History of Tourism in American Culture*
In this course, we will explore the history and evolution of American tourism, beginning in the 1820s, when middle-class tourists first journeyed up the Hudson River valley, and ending with our contemporary and continuing obsession with iconic destinations such as Graceland, Gettysburg, and the Grand Canyon. We will explore how the growth of national transportation systems, the development of advertising, and the rise of a middle class with money and time to spend on leisure shaped the evolution of tourism. Along the way, we will study various types of tourism (such as historical, cultural, ethnic, eco-, and 'disaster' tourism) and look at the creative processes by which places are transformed into 'destinations'. Our texts will come from visual art, travel literature, material culture, and film and television. We will consider their cultural meaning and reflect on our own motivations and responses as tourists, and by so doing contemplate why tourism was-and still is-such an important part of American life. 3 hrs. lect.
0.000 OR 1.000 Credit hours 0.000 OR 1.000 Lecture hours 0.000 TO 2.000 Other hours Levels: Undergraduate Schedule Types: Discussion, Lecture Interdisciplinary Division Program in American Studies Department Course Attributes: AMR, CW, HIS, NOR |
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