Academic Year/course:
2017/18
416 - Degree in English
27822 - History and Culture of the United States
Syllabus Information
Academic Year:
2017/18
Subject:
27822 - History and Culture of the United States
Faculty / School:
103 - Facultad de Filosofía y Letras
Degree:
416 - Degree in English
ECTS:
6.0
Year:
2
Semester:
First semester
Subject Type:
Compulsory
Module:
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5.1. Methodological overview
The primary objective of this module is the acquisition of a general knowledge about the history and the culture of the United States of America as well as the development of abstract thinking and critical skills for the analysis of written and audio-visual cultural texts. An active methodology is followed, favouring both individual and cooperative group work. Classes include expository sessions, in which learners are expected to participate actively, and practical sessions, in which a selection of texts will be analysed. In addition to in-class teaching, students will be given an opportunity to write an individual essay.
5.2. Learning tasks
1. Guided activities (theory and practice):
a) Lectures: 1,2 ECTS credits (30 hours). Theory: expository sessions where the basic concepts of each unit are introduced.
b) Practical sessions: 1,2 ECTS credits (30 hours). Practice (individual and group work): learners carry out a number of tasks aimed at the critical analysis of various cultural texts. Learners adopt a critical stance and apply their knowledge of U.S. history and culture to the analysis of texts.
2. Supervised activities:
a) Individual and group tutorials: 0,3 ECTS credits (7,5 hours). Monitoring the different steps in the writing of an individual academic essay.
3. Individual work:
a) Individual work: 2,7 ECTS credits (67,5 hours). Reading of compulsory bibliography, viewing of audio-visual texts, and on-line work.
Learners will be provided with detailed information as regards individual work in class and/or on the Moodle platform.
4. Assessment:
a) Written exam (theory and practice): 0,1 credits (2,5 hours). Submission of an individual essay, if applicable.
5.3. Syllabus
(27822) History and Culture of the United States
1.U.S. Physical and Human Geography. Mayor mountain and river systems. Climate. Cultural and economic regions. Waves of immigration. Ethnic and racial diversity.
2.The Invention of America. The Foundational Myths of American Society. National Identity and Symbols.
3.Historical Overview: Colonial America. American Republic: A New Nation.
A Divided Nation: Antebellum America. Towards a Global Presence, 1870-1920. The US in the Twentieth Century. Toward an American Century. Post-Cold War. Globalization and Its Discontents.
4.Political Institutions. U.S. Congress. U.S. Presidency. Supreme Court. Electoral System.
5.4. Course planning and calendar
Planning and Course calendar
Learners will be provided with further information on the subject in class and on the Moodle online platform.
See the website of the University of Zaragoza for the academic calendar year (http://academico.unizar.es/calendario-academico/calendario) and the website of the Faculty of Philosophy and Arts for the schedule of classes (https://fyl.unizar.es/horario-de-clases#overlaycontext=horario-de-clases) and the exam timetable (https://fyl.unizar.es/calendario-de-examenes).
5.5. Bibliography and recommended resources
| BB |
Brinkley, Alan. The unfinished nation : a concise history of the American People / Alan Brinkley . 5th. ed. Boston [etc.] : McGraw Hill, cop. 2006 |
| BB |
Foner, Eric. Give me liberty! : an American history / by Eric Foner . - Seagull 3rd ed. New York ; London : Norton, cop. 2012 |
| BB |
Mauk, David. American Civilization : an Introduction / David Mauk and John Oakland . 2nd ed. New York : Routledge, 2000 |
| BB |
The Enduring Vision : a History of the American People / Paul D. Boyer...[et al.] . 4th ed. Boston : Houghton Mifflin, cop. 2002 |
| BC |
A companion to 19th-century America / edited by William L. Barney. Malden, Mass. : Blackwell, cop. 2006 |
| BC |
A companion to American cultural history / edited by Karen Halttunen . Malden, MA : Blackwell, 2008 |
| BC |
A companion to Colonial America / edited by Daniel Vickers . Malden (MA) : B. Blackwell, 2006 |
| BC |
A new introduction to American studies / edited by Howard Temperley and Christopher Bigsby . Harlow (England) [etc.] : Pearson Education, 2006 |
| BC |
Campbell, Neil. American cultural studies : an introduction to American culture / Neil Campbell, and Alasdair Kean . 1st ed. London ; New York : Routledge, 1997 |
| BC |
Introduction to American studies / [edited by] Malcolm Bradbury and Howard Temperley . 3rd ed. New York : Longman, 1998 |
| BC |
Madsen, Deborah L.. American Exceptionalism / Deborah L. Madsen Edinburgh : Edinburgh University Press, 1998 |
| BC |
Making America : the society and culture of the United States / edited by Luther S. Luedtke . 1st ed., 4th print. Washington, D.C : U.S. Information Agency, Division for the Study of the United States, 1988 |
| BC |
Modern American culture : an introduction / edited by Mick Gidley . 3th imp. New York : Longman, 1997 |
| BC |
Ruling America. A History of Wealth and Power in a Democracy / Stever Fraser & Gary Gerstle ( eds.) London & Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 2005 |
| BC |
The Cambridge companion to modern American culture / edited by Christopher Bigsby. Cambridge ; Madrid : Cambridge University Press, 2006 |
| BC |
Understanding the American Dream: Understanding What Shapes Our Fortunes / Mark Robert Rank, Thomas A. Hirschl, Kirk A. Foster. Oxford & New York: Oxford University Press, 2014 |