AMST 101: Introduction to American Myth: Baseball and American Culture

This 5-credit American Studies course immerses students in what is still sometimes called Our National Pastime. Studies include a ton and a half of reading; a massive amount of video watching, including Hollywood films and the 20+ hour documentary Baseball: A Film by Ken Burns; and a hand-cramping amount of writing.

Students will learn to:

Detail the surprising origins of Our National Pastime, as well as its growth.

Evaluate myths that baseball has evoked, such as its pastoral nature and fulfillment of the Jeffersonian ideal.

Place the game in historical, economical, and sociological contexts in eras ranging from before the Civil War.

Analyze issues affecting baseball and society, including race, gender and class; gambling; labor and management; globalization; and drug use.

Recognize the names and roles of the sport’s most historically influential people.

Pick and justify and all-time All-Star team.

Students’ reading and writing levels should meet or exceed those of English 101. Success will depend partly on being able to commit a minimum of 12 hours per week, probably way more.

Caution: books and materials can add up, thanks largely to the need to access Baseball: A Film by Ken Burns. New, this series costs roughly $200. Options for saving money include the following: reselling the set at the end of the course, either to the BCC bookstore or on Ebay; renting it at major video stores; borrowing from a local library; viewing the reserve copies in the BCC library. But please understand: viewing the series is required to earn a passing grade.