Subject: USSO

Term: Summer 2021

USSO 291J: Narratives of Immigration (800/3526)

MWF 09:00-10:30 AM Jun 01-Jul 27

Byrne, C

As one of the most pressing issues of the twenty-first century, immigration has captured the imagination of politicians and authors alike. In this class, we will explore the stories of those who have migrated to the United States. We will analyze how various writers create autobiographical and fictional narratives of migration, addressing issues such as adjusting to different cultures, learning new languages, and adapting to new environments. Through these stories and histories, we will ask broader questions about immigration, including: Is migration a basic human right? Is it ethical to define someone as being "illegal" for peacefully working and living in a different country from where they were born? What are the gender, ethnic, cultural, and racial barriers that exist when migrating between countries? What are the cost(s) of citizenship and embracing a new country as one's home?

USSO 291X: "We're Dying in America": The History of the U.S. AIDS Crisis (800/3527)

MWF 12:00-01:30 PM Jun 01-Jul 27

Milne, A

Thirty-seven years have passed since the summer of 1981, when the Centers for Disease Control published a report on the mysterious deaths of five previously-healthy gay men. In that time, more than thirty-nine million people have died of AIDS around the globe. Approximately 600,000 of those people died in the United States; at least 10,000 more Americans will die this year. Why, given the global scope of the crisis and the dramatic impact it has had on US society and culture, do so few students learn about the AIDS crisis in school? Why does it receive less attention than, for example, terrorism? In this course, we will study the first 20 years of the United States' AIDS crisis, and use what we learn to contemplate the current status of HIV-positive people and people with AIDS. We will examine the origins of AIDS as a biological, political, and cultural phenomenon in the hopes of understanding why the United States experienced the virus as it did. We will also address the myriad responses to the virus by presidents and preachers, artists and activists, doctors and business people. How did this tragedy impact American politics and culture? What lessons did we learn, and what mistakes are we still repeating today? How can (and should) the history of AIDS inform our response to the opioid crisis, or the battle over Obamacare? Are we ready for the next epidemic?