American Studies 340 - SYMPOSIUM IN AMERICAN STUDIES

Topics course. Limited to senior majors. Just how free are we to express ourselves in the United States? Where does one person?s freedom of expression run up against another?s assumed freedom not to be offended? This course explores the limits of acceptable political, cultural and artistic expression over the course of American history. We will examine the foundations of free expression in the U.S. Constitution and the evolving understanding of freedom of expression in the First Amendment jurisprudence through the 19th and 20th centuries, and we will deal in some depth with examples of banned discourse. Our discussions will necessarily entail some materials deemed at various times and for various reasons to be seditious, offensive or obscene, though such material will always be framed by specific contents and questions and, in the most delicate cases, alternatives will be provided for students who wish to opt out. Permission of instructor required.

Topic: Banned in the U.S.A. Instructor Permission. Limited to AMS majors Limited to seniors