Inside America Home Page

Course Mission

Inside America directly supports the Mission Statement of Ramapo College through our exploration of diversity within America and by our understanding of the USA within a global context. The challenge to the student is to grasp this moving target --- an extraordinarily dynamic society in a singularly turbulent world.

Inside America brings you into the states and regions of the U.S.A. to examine current trends and their significance. The main goal of Inside America is that the student’s mental map of the USA should become more vibrant, informed, and insightful: The student should be able to identify and articulate major trends, themes, problems, challenges, and movements which characterize the changing social, economic, and political landscape "inside America."

Inside America performs several curricular roles:

• Inside America is required of American Studies majors.
• It fulfills the Values, Ethics, Aesthetics and Society category of General Education.
• It counts toward the Environmental Studies major as an upper-level elective.
• With the approval of the convener, Inside America counts toward the Political Science major.

The three main goals of the course are:

1. The map of the USA must come to life for you. You should be able to explain and integrate current political, economic, social, and ecological dynamics.
2. You should come to identify the political values and character of the states and regions.
3. You should be able to discern how each state confronts the challenges of sustainable development and globalization, vital contemporary themes.