New minor in Southern Studies offered
by Turner
A new interdisciplinary minor in Southern Studies has been introduced at Coastal this fall. And, in fact, Laura DeCrane, a senior English major, will be the first Southern Studies minor graduate in the spring.
The Southern Studies minor immerses Coastal Carolina students in diverse perspectives on the American South, a key subject of interest because of CCU’s location and resources. Students who minor in Southern Studies will explore the South’s many subcultures and its continuing centrality to understandings of “Americanness” in a fluid, transnational world.
The minor features courses that reflect the region’s deep and complex histories, from native cultures to slavery-supported plantations, from the Civil War to the Civil Rights movement, and up to current development and globalization. Courses will be drawn from several disciplines, such as history, anthropology, archeology, literature, linguistics, politics, religious studies, music, film studies, photography and art. The minor will help students view the South, not in isolation, but in connection with other cultures and places, including how national and global cultures are expressed locally across the region. It will thus embrace the principle of renowned historian and Coastal professor Charles Joyner to “ask big questions in small places.”
The Southern Studies minor satisfies the growing need for students to draw connections between disciplines and diversify their learning experience. Coastal Carolina represents an ideal setting for a minor in Southern Studies because of the diversity of its surrounding areas: geographic and ecological (e.g., coastal plain, flatlands, foothills, mountains), social and economic (e.g., Lowcountry rice and indigo plantations, military bases, textile mills, upcountry yeoman farms), as well as ethnic (e.g., Native American, Gullah, Appalachian).
The minor also fosters opportunities to partner with state and area institutions for events and programs of mutual interest (e.g., author visits and readings; archaeological digs; tours to area plantations, cemeteries and other historic sites), including the Waccamaw Center for Cultural and Historical Studies, the Center for Archaeology and Anthropology, the Horry County Oral History and Language Project and the Virtual Georgetown Project.
Contact Turner with any questions about the Southern Studies minor at dturner1@coastal.edu.
Welcome, y’all!
Below are Southern Studies-approved courses for the Spring and for Maymester.
SPRING 2013:
ENGL 209: Blue Ridge to Blue Sea: Cultures of the American South (Daniel Cross Turner) [QEP-designated Travel Course]
TR 12:15-1:30 p.m.
ENGL 350: Language Variation in North America (Daniel Hasty)
MWF Noon-12:50 p.m.
HIST 371: Civil War and Reconstruction (Maggi Morehouse)
W 4-6:30 p.m.
HIST 389: The New South (Eldred “Wink” Prince)
TR 12:15-1:30 p.m.
HIST 250: Historical Research and Writing (Bernard L. Allen) [Topic: Appalachian History]
TR 12:15-1:30 p.m.
POLI 421: Sustainable Development (Pamela Martin)
TR 10:50 a.m.-12:05 p.m.
RELI 366: Religions of the West African Diaspora (Preston McKever-Floyd)
TR 3:05-4:20 p.m.
ANTH 430: Southeastern Archaeology (3). Prehistoric and historic archaeology of the Southeastern United States provide an introduction to the Native peoples of the region and to the impact of European contact. Topics covered will include subsistence and settlement, cultural patterns, exchange, social complexity and culture contact.(Carolyn Dillian)
TR 9:25-10:40 a.m.
MAYMESTER 2013:
ANTH 395: Prehistoric Archaeology Field School (4). This course will introduce students to archaeological field and laboratory methods. In the field, students will learn techniques of archaeological excavation, mapping and survey. Excavations are likely to recover evidence of historic and prehistoric habitation including tools, pottery, food remains and hearths. During the field season, students will also spend time processing the collected artifacts at an archaeological laboratory. Processing will include washing, labeling, identifying and analyzing archaeological materials. Students will have the opportunity to learn from professional archaeologists during demonstrations and guest lectures, and will compile their own artifact analyses. Discussions will also cover the practice of archaeology today, specifically addressing current state and federal laws dealing with the treatment and excavation of archaeological sites and museum collections. Assignments for this class may include textbook readings, a final paper and a field journal.
ENGL 201: Creative Writing: Writing the River (Hastings Hensel): Students will make four kayak trips along the Waccamaw River and produce creative writing responses.
