Contemporary American Society

Contemporary American Society 2019: Issues, Preoccupations, and Dreams (CAS) explores American society in 2019. CAS will explore and ascertain the issues that Americans are grappling with today. The seminar offers examinations and explanations of the major issues facing American society, including the role of race, gender, and class in contemporary America. The course will also address issues of education and mobility; whether the nation is as polarized as some commentators have claimed; the consequences of mass migration; the salience of religion; technology and changing media; the social and economic effects of regionalization and globalization; and where America’s security starts and finishes in an age of fluidity. These factors are important components of contemporary American society. One theme of the course will be to consider the idea and application of the American dream.