California Studies

College of Behavioral and Social Studies
Dean: Joel J. Kassiola

California Studies Program
SCI 377
415-338-6583
Director: Lee Davis

Faculty

Professors—Birt, Boxer, Chandler, Cherny, Crawford, Cordova, DeLeon, Geisler, Gregory, Kelley, LeGates, Leonard, LeVeen, Monteverdi, Mustart, Nathan, Niesen, Pahl, Pestrong, Powell, Randall, Seely, Tabb, Tierney, Tygiel, Wilkinson

Associate Professors—Davis, Hossfeld, Johnson, Mar, Murphy, Potepan

Assistant Professors—Carrillo, De La Torre, Mirabal, Quesada

Lecturer—Guy

Program

Minor in California Studies

Program Scope

California Studies is a multi-disciplinary program whose purpose it is to study the consensus and conflict, unity and diversity, and the continuity and change that characterize the many cultures, artistic and creative expressions, earth and geosciences, as well as social structures, of past and present California.

Students pursuing this minor may draw upon the strengths of many departments offering courses on the various dimensions of California; in particular, Anthropology, American Studies and Humanities, History, American Indian Studies, Asian American Studies, Art, English, Geography, La Raza Studies, Black Studies, Political Science, Economics, NEXA, Biology, Meteorology, and Geology. Certain core courses are required to obtain the minor, with additional elective courses to be chosen by the student.

In differing measures, each student should emerge from the minor with a grasp of California history and political processes, a knowledge and appreciation of the rich diversity of California cultures, creative arts and literatures, an informed view of California's environmental richness and ecological relationships, and a continuing interest in the mutable and dynamic California landscape.

General Education Cluster in California Studies

One of the General Education Segment II clusters is called "California Cultures and Environments." Over ten courses are offered within this cluster. Students select one course from each of three components. Humanistic Aspects includes courses focusing on the application of knowledge, theories, and methods from the study of California within various academic disciplines as well as such applied settings as health, education, communications, and social movements. Sociological Aspects includes courses focusing on the institutions, norms, and social forces that shape society, history, and culture in California. Scientific Aspects includes courses focusing on the physical aspects of the state of California such as geology, meteorology, and oceanography.

Affiliated Programs at SFSU

The California Studies Association (CSA) is an interdisciplinary association of public intellectuals, housed at SFSU, who are dedicated to understanding, quantifying, writing, and speaking publicly about the dynamic character and potential of California and its citizenry. The CSA was founded in 1990 to encourage the study and exchange of ideas about California's past and present, its diverse people, politics, economy, environment, arts, history, and literature. CSA's members grapple with some aspect of a state which is pivotal in shaping regional, national, international, and global affairs.

The H-CALIFORNIA Internet Resources Site is managed by SFSU. It establishes links with other internet web sites relevant to California Studies.

Career Outlook

California Studies is not in itself a career minor. Rather, this many-sided program prepares men and women for a regional and local application of their major fields of study to the immediate world in which they live, the state of California.

Teaching. The California Studies Minor with its breadth of courses across the SFSU curriculum and its regional emphasis on California offers an excellent preparation for the multiple subject credential in elementary school teaching. By concentrating on courses in a specific credential field—history or social science—California Studies minors can qualify themselves for high school teaching in California.

Other alternatives. A minor in California Studies in combination with a related bachelor of arts or science degree is good preparation for entry into professions requiring advanced degrees. These include law, public administration, city planning, library, and museum work. Independent careers, in writing, in the arts, in politics, and in business, often attract California Studies minors.

MINOR IN CALIFORNIA STUDIES