The Meanings of America
Rather than treating American "myth" as a falsehood or simple folklore, we define it as an active, experiential story that runs so deep we live it out unconsciously to make meaning. These myths influence our daily choices, career paths, voting habits, and relationships. Morever, they us navigate the painful contradictions between America's professed ideals and its historical realities. Ultimately, the course is an invitation to evaluate the dynamic, ever-changing experiment that defines American life.
Many thanks to Richard T. Wright for his Myths America Lives By
Image credit: Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, State Names Map I, 2000. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, DC
Your Instructor
PhD in Humanities
Emory University
A teacher, scholar, and administrator in higher education for over thirty years, my odyssey begins in the Appalachian Mountains and now finds me at home in the City of Angels. In between I have encountered a number of gods and monsters but have always looked for ways to wisdom for myself and others. Trained in interdisciplinary humanities, I have taught courses in literature, philosophy, and religious studies in small liberal arts colleges, regional universities, and research institutions. Since 2000 I have created and taught courses online at several universities, including Rutgers, Maryland, and Walden. Publications include articles and books on Native American literature, postmodernism, literature and theology, and other interdisciplinary topics. Currently, I write and teach a few courses and am especially excited about Thicket.
What you'll learn
Listen to the "background noise," which quietly hums behind our daily decisions. Students will learn to identify the invisible, active mythologies that shape how we vote, what we buy, and the careers we pursue
Master the paradox of analyzing a story from the inside. You will practice the challenging task of standing inside your own cultural myths while trying to step outside and critique them at the exact same time
Navigate the cultural struggle between "stasis" and "flow." We will investigate the ongoing tension between closed, static traditions and open, dynamic movements, exploring why a healthy society depends fundamentally on difference
Deconstruct how we define our own identity by creating an "other." Students will analyze the sociological and psychological mechanisms we use to project collective anxieties onto a "scapegoat," examining how societies try to maintain the illusion of absolute innocence
Trade flat, comforting dualisms for the intellectual richness of "multiplicities." You will learn to identify when a system's virtues quietly decay into vices, gaining a modest, humble perspective that rejects the blind overconfidence of absolute certainty
Course Schedule
America's identity was and is forged through national mythologies rather than purely historical facts. By contrasting the reality of pre-1492 America—a thriving, ecologically managed continent of nearly 100 million people with complex urban centers—against the mythological lenses of early European explorers, the lecture reveals how colonizers used indigenous populations as cultural mirrors. Filtered through the dual constructs of the "noble savage" and the "savage," these projections justified land acquisition and the invention of race, transforming a rich, populated landscape into a static, ahistorical wilderness and establishing enduring foundational frameworks of American identity.
What You Get
Live interactive sessions
Engage in real-time discussions with expert instructors
Small discussion groups
Up to 15 students for personalized attention
Session recordings
Review and revisit class content anytime
Dedicated platform
Track progress and organize your schedule
Frequently asked questions
Course-specific questions
Your Instructor
PhD in Humanities
Emory University
A teacher, scholar, and administrator in higher education for over thirty years, my odyssey begins in the Appalachian Mountains and now finds me at home in the City of Angels. In between I have encountered a number of gods and monsters but have always looked for ways to wisdom for myself and others. Trained in interdisciplinary humanities, I have taught courses in literature, philosophy, and religious studies in small liberal arts colleges, regional universities, and research institutions. Since 2000 I have created and taught courses online at several universities, including Rutgers, Maryland, and Walden. Publications include articles and books on Native American literature, postmodernism, literature and theology, and other interdisciplinary topics. Currently, I write and teach a few courses and am especially excited about Thicket.