Welcome to American Studies!
At Canterbury Christ Church University, the American Studies programme’s primary aim is to provide you with a
flexible, innovative, and high quality education. To this end, we have seven main aims. These are:
1. To provide you with a critical understanding of the USA in terms of its social and cultural diversity and its global
significance;
2. To enable you to engage in a wide ranging multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary study of the USA by providing
modules that allow you to see the links between different disciplines and to combine these approaches;
3. To provide you with a foundation of knowledge in Year 1, to enable you to consolidate this understanding in
Year 2, and to allow you to specialise in and engage with the research of our team in Year 3/4;
4. To enable you to develop an area of expertise within the broad field of American Studies by providing a choice of
specialist strands in the history, culture and politics of the USA;
5. To equip you with the inter- and multidisciplinary skills to undertake extensive independent research, and thus
to prepare you for potential postgraduate study;
6. To encourage you to spend a period of time in the USA or Canada by offering you a field trip to North America, a
semester or a year at an American or Canadian University, and/or study at an American Summer School;
7. To prepare you for the world of work, further training and life-long learning by equipping you with graduate
skills and other attributes likely to maximise your employability after graduation.
As you begin to think about your degree over the summer, you may want to do some reading and/or viewing.
The following are some suggestions that we hope will begin to get you excited about studying American history,
politics, society and culture:
To read:
•
•
•
•
Solomon Northrup, 12 Years a Slave (1853)
F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby (1925)
Eric Foner, Give Me Liberty: An American History (2011) – this is the textbook for the compulsory American
History module in Year One. It will be available from the University Bookstore at a discounted rate at the start of
term, but if you want to purchase it in advance, can be found on Amazon here: http://tinyurl.com/p5ne7qc.
George Herring, From Colony to Superpower: US Foreign Relations Since 1776 (2011) – an excellent and detailed
overview of US foreign policy since the founding of the American republic and the textbook for the first year
module “Rise of the American Colossus”.
To view:
•
•
•
•
•
Django Unchained (2012)
The Searchers (1956)
The West Wing (1999-2006)
The Wire (2002-2008)
Breaking Bad (2008-2013)
To visit online:
•
•
The Eccles Centre for American Studies at the British Library’s Web Exhibitions:
http://www.bl.uk/eccles/webexhibitions.html
The Museum of Modern Art’s Multimedia Learning Area: http://www.moma.org/explore/multimedia
The rest of this document provides you with details of the types of modules you will take as part of an American
Studies degree programme. For more details about opportunities to study abroad, please visit the “Time in the
USA” section of our website.
American Studies Programme Structure (All modules are 20 credits unless otherwise indicated)
BA American Studies (single honours)
BA American Studies students taking the single honours programme will take Divided by a Common Language, A Story of American Freedom for 40
credits, and THREE other modules in Year One (see below). In Years Two and Three students choose SIX more courses in each year from those listed
below, with the Extended Essay and Individual Study the only compulsory options.
BA American Studies (combined honours)
BA American Studies students who are taking a combined studies programme with another subject take A Story of American Freedom for either 20 or
40 credits, and then one or two other modules in Year One from those listed below (to add up to 60 credits in total). They then take 2, 3 or 4 modules
in American Studies in Years Two and Three.
HISTORY
RESEARCH
LEVEL
4
HISTORY OF
NATIVE
AMERICANS
HISTORY
A Story of American Freedom? The History of the United States from Precontact to the Present (20/40 credits)
LEVEL
5
LEVEL
6
Extended
Essay
Individual
Study
(20/40
credits)
LITERATURE AND MEDIA
CULTURE AND SOCIETY
Removal to Red
Power: American
Indian History
1830s-1950s
Isolation to Domination: The United
States of America, 1914-1945
Contemporary
Native America:
Resurgence and
Resistance since
1960
The Modern
Black
Freedom
Movement
A Superhero
History:
Truth, Justice
and the
American
Way
ART AND LITERATURE
Divided by a Common Language:
Culture and Society in Britain and the
USA (2x 10 credits)
The Invention of America: Texts and Contexts from 1607 to the Present
The Beatles:
Cultural Context
and Critical
Understanding
American Modernism
1880-1960
The Global Sixties
Atlantic
Americas:
Commerce,
Domination,
and Resistance
in the Atlantic
World, 15001800
Medium and
Message:
American News
and Media
POLITICS AND FOREIGN POLICY
LITERATURE
Banned Books: A Literary History of the United States
‘
CINEMA
Blood, Terror, and
Belonging: Culture at
American Borders
American Political Culture
Cinema
since 1950
1898 to the Present
and the American Dream
American
Independent
New Voices in Ethnic
American Literatures
POLITICS
Rise of the American Colossus: US Foreign Policy,
Cinema
Contemporary
American Literature
and Culture
FOREIGN POLICY
American
The
Cinematic
City
Uneasy
Neighbours: US
Foreign Policy in
Latin America
The Cold
War
The Bomb
Instrument of
Power: The CIA
and US Foreign
Policy 1947 to
the Present
War and
Revolution in
Vietnam
1930-1975
The
Vietnam
War in
Western
Popular
Culture
Political
Concepts in 21st Century
America
Politics, Identity, and US
Foreign Policy
Module Title
A Story of American Freedom? The History of the United
States from Pre-contact to the Present
Level
Credit Rating
& Duration
4
40 credits (20 ECTS credits)
100 hours academic direction
300 hours practice learning & independent study
Dr Ben Lafferty
n/a
n/a
Academic Responsibility
Pre-Requisites
Co-Requisites
Module Aims
Is American History a story about freedom? In this module, which explores domestic US
history from indigenous Native Americans settlements to the present, students are able to
consider this question, as well as to gain a broad basis of knowledge upon which to build at
Levels 5 and 6. This module also aims to give students a range of essential study skills.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module students should be able to:
1. display sound and critical understanding of key historical issues, events, and
processes, such as the effect of colonisation on Native Americans, the causes of the
Revolution and the Civil War, the impact of the tumult of the 1930s and 1940s on
American women, and African American civil rights struggles;
2. grasp and reflect critically upon a variety of theoretical and ideological perspectives
related to an understanding of the changes in US History over time, including an
assessment of the successes and failures of American society and government to
ensure freedom for all their citizens;
3. gain skills which will include working independently and in groups, critically
assessing historical documents (including images), making use of the library and elearning resources, note-taking, making coherent and informative presentations,
using PowerPoint, collating bibliographies, referencing and planning and writing
essays;
4. appreciate and demonstrate the significance of the notion of freedom to the history
of the US via a piece of extended writing.
Indicative Module Content
The module is structured chronologically, covering the period up to 1865 in Term One, and
Reconstruction to the Present in Term Two. Topics in Term One will include pre-contact
Native American societies, European explorations, colonial America and the Revolution,
antebellum societies, slavery, and the Civil War. Topics in Term Two will include
Reconstruction, the Gilded Age and Progressivism, the Jim Crow South, the exploration of
the West, the Depression and the New Deal, the Civil Rights Movement, and contemporary
American social and cultural history.
Threaded through the chronological narrative is the theme of freedom in American history
and the significant conflicts over its changing meanings, its limits, and its accessibility to
various social and economic groups throughout American history. The module aims to
introduce an element of enquiry-based learning and research-led teaching. As such the
module will cover both traditional historical narratives and introduce students to
interdisciplinary approaches to the study of US cultural history. Themes will include
immigration and the concept of the “melting pot,” race relations, gender, class conflict, and
the notion of “liberty.” Students will use a range of sources to explore these themes,
including traditional textual sources but also art, literature, and other cultural documents.
Also threaded through the module is explicit skills-based learning relating to reading,
writing, and researching American Studies at university level.
Learning and Teaching Strategies
The module utilises a combination of teaching strategies including lectures, group work,
presentations, film screenings, and seminars in which sources, documents and debates are
discussed. Emphasis will be placed on learning skills as well as engagement with, and critical
analysis of, primary sources. The four hours per week will be structured around a two hour
lecture that will give a broad chronological outline of each week’s topic, a more detailed one
hour lecture on a specific historical issue or event, and a seminar that allows students to
discuss primary sources relating to the week’s lectures. VLE is used as a module ‘base,’ and
readings and exercises are available to guide the students. Essential reading will be Eric
Foner, Give Me Liberty (3rd ed.), and other essential reading is indicated to the students in
the Module Booklet.
Part of the assessment for the module (incorporated into Assignment 1) involves work on
the ‘Julius Brenchley Project.’ This is an exciting Christ Church University project in
collaboration with Maidstone Museum that explores the nineteenth century North
American travels of Kent-born Julius Brenchley and the collection of some 220 artefacts that
he left to the museum. The entire collection is now available to view on a new website, and
the module assessment provides students the opportunity to work on aspects of Brenchley's
life, his travels, the artefacts, the tribes he encountered or the historical backdrop against
which he travelled.
Indicative Assessment
100% coursework:
Assignment 1: Skills Portfolio, 5000 words (50%)
Assignment 2: Essay, 2000 words (20%)
Assignment 3: Project, 3000 words (30%)
Indicative Resources
Bibliography
Bailyn, Bernard, The Peopling of British North America: An Introduction (1988)
Boyer, Paul, et al., The Enduring Vision: A History of the American People (2005)
Divine, Robert, et al., America: Past and Present (2002)
Foner, Eric, Give Me Liberty (3rd ed.) (2012)
Hoffman, Elizabeth C., and Jon Gjerde (eds), Major Problems in American History (2 vols)
(2011)
Hofstadter, Richard, The American Political Tradition (2011)
Tindall, George, & David Shi, America: A Narrative History (2012)
Zinn, Howard, A People’s History of the United States (2010)
Journals
American Historical Review, Journal of American History, Journal of American Studies,
Reviews in American History
Websites
Sheffield American History Research Wiki,
http://history.dept.shef.ac.uk/wikiamerica/index.php/Main_Page
American Memory, http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/index.html
Module Title
A Story of American Freedom? The History of the United
States from Pre-contact to the Present
Level
Credit Rating
& Duration
4
20 credits (10 ECTS credits)
100 hours academic direction
100 hours practice learning & independent study
Dr Ben Lafferty
n/a
n/a
Academic Responsibility
Pre-Requisites
Co-Requisites
Module Aims
Is American History a story about freedom? In this module, which explores domestic US
history from indigenous Native Americans settlements to the present, students are able to
consider this question, as well as to gain a broad basis of knowledge upon which to build at
Levels 5 and 6. This module also aims to give students a range of essential study skills.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module students should be able to:
1. display sound and critical understanding of key historical issues, events, and
processes, such as the effect of colonisation on Native Americans, the causes of the
Revolution and the Civil War, the impact of the tumult of the 1930s and 1940s on
American women, and African American civil rights struggles;
2. grasp and reflect critically upon a variety of theoretical and ideological perspectives
related to an understanding of the changes in US History over time;
3. gain skills which will include working independently and in groups, critically
assessing historical documents (including images), making use of the library and elearning resources, note-taking, making coherent and informative presentations,
using PowerPoint, collating bibliographies, referencing and planning and writing
essays.
Indicative Module Content
Students taking the 20-credit version go to the same lectures and seminars as those taking
the 40 credit module.
The module is structured chronologically, covering the period up to 1865 in Term One, and
Reconstruction to the Present in Term Two. Topics in Term One will include pre-contact
Native American societies, European explorations, colonial America and the Revolution,
antebellum societies, slavery, and the Civil War. Topics in Term Two will include
Reconstruction, the Gilded Age and Progressivism, the Jim Crow South, the exploration of
the West, the Depression and the New Deal, the Civil Rights Movement, and contemporary
American social and cultural history.
Threaded through the chronological narrative is the theme of freedom in American history
and the significant conflicts over its changing meanings, its limits, and its accessibility to
various social and economic groups throughout American history. The module aims to
introduce an element of enquiry-based learning and research-led teaching. As such the
module will cover both traditional historical narratives and introduce students to
interdisciplinary approaches to the study of US cultural history. Themes will include
immigration and the concept of the “melting pot,” race relations, gender, class conflict, and
the notion of “liberty.” Students will use a range of sources to explore these themes,
including traditional textual sources but also art, literature, and other cultural documents.
Also threaded through the module is explicit skills-based learning relating to reading,
writing, and researching American Studies at university level.
Learning and Teaching Strategies
The module utilises a combination of teaching strategies including lectures, group work,
presentations, film screenings, and seminars in which sources, documents and debates are
discussed. Emphasis will be placed on learning skills as well as engagement with, and critical
analysis of, primary sources. The four hours per week will be structured around a two hour
lecture that will give a broad chronological outline of each week’s topic, a more detailed one
hour lecture on a specific historical issue or event, and a seminar that allows students to
discuss primary sources relating to the week’s lectures. VLE is used as a module ‘base,’ and
readings and exercises are available to guide the students. Essential reading will be Eric
Foner, Give Me Liberty (3rd ed.), and other essential reading is indicated to the students in
the Module Booklet.
Part of the assessment for the module (incorporated into Assignment 1) involves work on
the ‘Julius Brenchley Project.’ This is an exciting Christ Church University project in
collaboration with Maidstone Museum that explores the nineteenth century North
American travels of Kent-born Julius Brenchley and the collection of some 220 artefacts that
he left to the museum. The entire collection is now available to view on a new website, and
the module assessment provides students the opportunity to work on aspects of Brenchley's
life, his travels, the artefacts, the tribes he encountered or the historical backdrop against
which he travelled.
Indicative Assessment
100% coursework:
Assignment 1: Skills Portfolio, 3000 words (60%)
Assignment 2: Essay, 2000 words (40%)
Indicative Resources
Bibliography
Bailyn, Bernard, The Peopling of British North America: An Introduction (1988)
Boyer, Paul, et al., The Enduring Vision: A History of the American People (2005)
Divine, Robert, et al., America: Past and Present (2002)
Foner, Eric, Give Me Liberty (3rd ed.) (2012)
Hoffman, Elizabeth C., and Jon Gjerde (eds), Major Problems in American History (2 vols)
(2011)
Hofstadter, Richard, The American Political Tradition (2011)
Tindall, George, & David Shi, America: A Narrative History (2012)
Zinn, Howard, A People’s History of the United States (2010)
Journals
American Historical Review, Journal of American History, Journal of American Studies,
Reviews in American History
Websites
Sheffield American History Research Wiki,
http://history.dept.shef.ac.uk/wikiamerica/index.php/Main_Page
American Memory, http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/index.html
Module Title
Divided by a Common Language: Culture and Society in
Britain and the USA
Level
Credit Rating
& Duration
4
10 credits
22 hours academic direction
78 hours independent learning
Co-Requisites
Divided by a Common Language: Supplementary Project
Academic Responsibility
Dr Lydia Plath
Module Aims
The aims of the module are to give students the opportunity to gain insight into major
aspects of political and social life in modern Britain and the USA and to encourage students
to recognise and understand the similarities and differences in the social and cultural
structures of Britain and the USA.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module students should be able to:
1. display knowledge and understanding of the differences and similarities between
culture and society in Britain and the USA;
2. discuss ideas about the cultural, political, and social aspects of life in Britain and the
USA;
3. analyse both primary and secondary sources relating to Britain and USA and
synthesise information;
4. enter into productive cross-cultural dialogue with students from both the United
States and the United Kingdom;
5. demonstrate skills which will include working independently and in groups,
assessing historical documents, making use of the library and e-learning resources,
note-taking, and planning and writing essays.
Indicative Module Content
The module is structured thematically, covering major aspects of British and American
society and culture. The module will be comparative, and topics will include patriotism and
national identity, government structures, immigration, citizenship, identities, religion,
regionalism, the “Special Relationship,” Americanisation and globalisation, and popular
culture. The module will conclude with a discussion of the extent to which either nation is
“exceptional”.
Learning and Teaching Strategies
The module uses a combination of lectures and seminars. Each week there will be a one
hour, often team-taught, lecture that considers a topic from British and American
perspectives, followed by a one hour seminar to allow for in depth discussion between
American and British students.
Indicative Assessment
2500 word portfolio, 100%
Indicative Resources
Bibliography
A. Adonis & S. Pollard, A Class Act: The Myth of Britain's Classless Society (London, 1997).
E. Ashbee, US Politics Today, (Manchester, 2004).
C. J. Bartlett, The Special Relationship: a Political History of Anglo-American Relations since
1945 (London, 1992).
J. Baylis, Anglo-American relations since 1939: the Enduring Alliance (London, 1997).
V. Bogdanor, The Monarchy and Constitution (London, 1997).
G. Davie, Religion in Britain since 1945 (London, 1994).
N. Ferguson, Colossus: The Rise and Fall of the American Empire (London, 2005).
R. D. Heffner & A. Heffner, A Documentary History of the United States (New York, 2009).
J. McCormick, Contemporary Britain (3rd ed., London, 2012).
R. Page & R. Silburn (eds.), British Social Welfare in the Twentieth Century (London, 1999).
Journals
The American Historical Review, The Journal of American History, Past and Present, Journal
of Contemporary History
Websites
www.loc.gov
www.bbc.co.uk
Module Title
: Divided by a Common Language: Supplementary Project
Level
Credit Rating
& Duration
4
10 credits
100 hours independent learning
Co-Requisites
Divided by a Common Language: Culture and Society in Britain
and the USA
Academic Responsibility
Dr Lydia Plath
Module Aims
The aims of the module are to build on the Divided by a Common Language: Culture and
Society in Britain and the USA to give students the opportunity to reflect on the similarities
and differences in the social and cultural structures of Britain and the USA by working on a
project.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module students should be able to:
1. Display developed knowledge and understanding of the differences and similarities
between culture and society in Britain and the USA;
2. analyse both primary and secondary sources relating to Britain and USA and
synthesise information;
3. reflect upon the similarities and differences between Britain and the USA in
contemporary and historical context;
4. demonstrate skills which will include working independently, assessing historical
documents, making use of the library and e-learning resources, note-taking, and
planning and creating a project.
Indicative Module Content
This is an independent study module, where students build on the knowledge they have
gained in the taught module Divided by a Common Language: Culture and Society in Britain
and the USA to reflect upon the question: “Are Britain and the USA divided by a common
language”? As far as possible students – especially those taking Single Honours - will be
encouraged to adopt an interdisciplinary approach to their chosen topic and credit will be
given for drawing upon a variety of primary and secondary sources – historical, political,
literary, visual, etc. They will also be encouraged to present their project in a range of
formats – from extended writing to film, multimedia displays, etc. American Studies staff will
act as a supervisors for the project.
Learning and Teaching Strategies
Students will have meetings with their supervisor regularly and receive guidance from
him/her. The supervisor will also offer advice concerning referencing and guidelines for
bibliographies, the final presentation and layout.
Indicative Assessment
2500 word Project, 100%
Indicative Resources
Bibliography
A. Adonis & S. Pollard, A Class Act: The Myth of Britain's Classless Society (London, 1997).
E. Ashbee, US Politics Today, (Manchester, 2004).
C. J. Bartlett, The Special Relationship: a Political History of Anglo-American Relations since
1945 (London, 1992).
J. Baylis, Anglo-American relations since 1939: the Enduring Alliance (London, 1997).
V. Bogdanor, The Monarchy and Constitution (London, 1997).
G. Davie, Religion in Britain since 1945 (London, 1994).
N. Ferguson, Colossus: The Rise and Fall of the American Empire (London, 2005).
R. D. Heffner & A. Heffner, A Documentary History of the United States (New York, 2009).
J. McCormick, Contemporary Britain (3rd ed., London, 2012).
R. Page & R. Silburn (eds.), British Social Welfare in the Twentieth Century (London, 1999).
Journals
The American Historical Review, The Journal of American History, Past and Present, Journal
of Contemporary History
Websites
www.loc.gov
www.bbc.co.uk
Module Title
The Invention of America: Texts and Contexts from 1607 to
the Present
Level
Credit Rating
& Duration
4
20 credits (10 ECTS credits)
50 hours academic direction
150 hours practice learning & independent study
Dr Zalfa Feghali
N/A
N/A
Academic Responsibility
Pre-Requisites
Co-Requisites
Module Aims
The module provides students with an introduction to American literature, developing their
responses to written and visual narratives of the “New World” and of the United States of
America, from the initial, colonial rhetoric of discovery and the Puritan call for the
foundation of a “City upon a Hill” to the establishment of national cultural traditions in the
19th century and beyond.
Students are encouraged to trace continuities and identify discontinuities in the treatment
of foundational myths, the definition of quintessentially American concepts, and the
acknowledgement of the dark underside of the national narrative of democracy and
progress. The module thus also raises students’ awareness of how native peoples, African
Americans and other ‘minority’ cultures relate to their own environments and ‘American’
identities.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module students should be able to:
1. analyse “America” as a cultural construction and outline the origins and
permutations of this concept through history;
2. identify and discuss the contexts and forces that shape American writers and artists;
3. engage in detailed practical criticism of American textual productions;
4. critically explore the key themes and styles in American literature;
5. demonstrate a range of academic skills, such as cogent essay writing and correct
referencing methods.
Indicative Module Content
While always inviting students to place texts in a historical, political and social context, the
module aims to foster an analytical and critical appreciation of key topics and styles of
American literature (and, to a lesser degree, art). For this reason, it is organized in thematic
clusters rather than in a strictly chronological sequence, exploring a variety of issues such as
the doctrine of exceptionalism, the frontier, the Puritan legacy, wilderness and civilization,
the role of women, the American Dream, individualism, the cult of the ‘new’, slavery and
freedom, the melting-pot, immigration, (regeneration through) violence, etc.
Learning and Teaching Strategies
The module is delivered through a mixture of lectures and seminars, incorporating a variety
of teaching strategies, including class discussions, non-assessed student presentations and
group work. Individual tutorials are held to assist in the planning of coursework essays and
to give feedback on assignments. A VLE site for the module will be available.
Assessment
100% coursework:
Assignment 1: Essay, 1000 words (20%)
Assignment 2: Essay, 1500 words (30%)
Assignment 3: Portfolio, 2500 words (50%)
Indicative Resources
Bibliography
Castillo, Susan, The Literatures of Colonial America Oxford: Blackwell, 2001.
Fiedler, Leslie A. Love and Death in the American Novel. London: Paladin, 1970
Giles, Paul. Virtual Americas: Transnational Fictions and the Transatlantic Imaginary
Durham, N.C. London: Duke University Press, 2002.
Gray, Richard J. A Brief History of American Literature, Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 2011.
Hume, Kathryn, American Dream American Nightmare: Fiction since 1960 Urbana, Chicago:
University of Illinois Press, 2002.
Prchal, Tim and Tony Triglio (Eds.). Visions and Divisions: American Immigration Literature,
1870-1930 New Brunswick, N.J. London: Rutgers University Press, 2008.
Newman, Judie. Fictions of America: Narratives of Global Empire. London New York:
Routledge, 2007
Rice, Alan, Radical Narratives of the Black Atlantic. London New York: Continuum, 2003.
Ruland, Richard and Malcolm Bradbury, From Puritanism to Postmodernism: A History of
American Literature, New York: Viking, 1991
Scofield, Martin. The Cambridge Introduction to the American Short Story. Cambridge New
York: CUP, 2006.
Tyler, Lisa. ‘”How Beautiful the Virgin Forests Were Before the Loggers Came”: An
Ecofeminist Reading of Hemingway’s “The End of Something”’, The Hemingway
Review, 27:2 (2008), 60-73.
Valkeakari, Tuire. ‘Huck, Twain, and the Freedman’s Shackles: Struggling with Huckleberry
Finn Today’, Atlantis, 28:2 (2006), 29-43.
Journals
The Arizona Quarterly, Early American Literature, Journal of American Studies, Modern
Fiction Studies, Teaching American Literature
Websites
Academy of American Poets, http://www.poets.org/index.php
The Walt Whitman Archive,
http://www.whitmanarchive.org/
Module Title
American Cinema Since 1950
Level
Credit Rating
& Duration
4
20 credits (10 ECTS credits)
50 hours academic direction
150 hours practice learning & independent study
Dr Ken Fox
N/A
N/A
Academic Responsibility
Pre-Requisites
Co-Requisites
Module Aims
The module aims to develop the student’s understanding of genre, as a critical concept, as
part of Hollywood industrial practice and as a critical tool for examining audience
expectations and pleasure. The module also aims to examine the history of the decline in
Hollywood studio production in the 1950s and the reconfiguration of the industry in the
New Hollywood. Finally the module aims to examine Hollywood’s relationship to notions of
American national identity and introduce the students to the major social, political,
institutional and aesthetic features of American cinema in the 1950s and 1980s and to
highlight the connections between these periods.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module student should be able to:
1. employ genre as a critical tool in their writing, discussion and debate about
American cinema in the 1950 and the 1980s;
2. analyse the relationship between Hollywood cinema and notions of American
national identity as it relates to the 1950s and the 1980s and beyond;
3. research and write with confidence on American cinema within the context of
American culture, politics and society;
4. make informed connections between themes and issues in American cinema and
other aspects of American society;
5. critically assess the meaning of “the New Hollywood”.
Indicative Module Content
The module will examine the concepts of genre and national identity in the American
cinema of the 1950s and 1980s. The first term will focus on a number of genre case studies
including the western, and the science fiction and horror genres. The questions raised in
relation to Hollywood’s role in representing notions of national identity will be highlighted
through specific reference to films such as The Searchers (Ford, 1956) On the Waterfront
(Kazan, 1954) and Invasion of the Bodysnatchers (Siegel, 1956). How do the films of the
1950s reflect the apparent consensus of the Eisenhower years as well as the paranoia of the
Cold War, McCarthyism, and the emergence of the teenager as a social and economic force?
The second term will examine the 1980s using Robin Wood’s analysis of that period as
producing a “cinema of reassurance”. This analysis will be questioned with a focus on the
representations of the family and teenagers in Hollywood. The emergence of the “New
Hollywood” in the early 1970s will also be addressed as a way of examining how
contemporary mainstream cinema remains rooted in a more flexible, but still all-powerful,
studio system. Films such as E.T. The Extraterrestrial (Spielberg, 1981), Near Dark (Bigelow,
1986), Boyz N The Hood (Singleton, 1991) will be used to focus attention on the close
connections between politics, society and representations of national identity in the ReaganBush era.
Learning and Teaching Strategies
The module utilises a combination of teaching strategies including lectures, screenings,
seminars and outside speakers where appropriate. In order to achieve a diverse learning
experience the teaching sessions uses a variety of methods and tools; besides set essential
reading, PowerPoint, DVD, CD, Video projection, the module also makes extensive use of
VLE. There will be a weekly course of lectures, supported by screenings and seminars.
Essential reading is indicated to the students in the Module Booklet and student
understanding of the debates and concepts are monitored through seminars, discussions
and submitted work.
Indicative Assessment
100% coursework:
Assignment 1: Essay, 2500 words (50%)
Assignment 2: Essay, 2500 words (50%)
Indicative Resources
Bibliography
Alford, M. (2010). Reel Power: Hollywood and American Supremacy. London: Pluto Press.
Buscombe, E. (2000).The Searchers. London: BFI (Film Classics).
Cook, P. (ed.) (2007).The Cinema Book (Third edition). London: BFI.
Jermyn, D. & Redmond, S. (2003).The Cinema of Kathryn Bigelow. London: Wallflower Press.
King, G. (2002). New Hollywood Cinema. London: I.B.Taurus.
Kramer, P. (2006). The New Hollywood: From Bonnie and Clyde to Star Wars: London:
Wallflower Press.
Pomerance, M. (ed.) (2005)
. American Cinema in the 1950s.Berg.
Williams, L.R. & Hammond, M. (eds.) (2006). Contemporary American Cinema.
Open University Press.
Journals
American Cinematographer, Cineaste, Cinema Journal, Journal of American Studies, Screen
Websites
American Film Institute, http://www.afi.com/
Bright Lights, http://www.brightlightsfilm.com/
British Film Institute, http://www.bfi.org.uk/
Internet Movie Database, http://www.imdb.com/
Senses of Cinema, http://www.sensesofcinema.com/
Film Index International (Online Database), http://fii.chadwyck.co.uk/home
Module Title
Rise of the American Colossus: US Foreign Policy, 1898 to the
Present
Level
Credit Rating
& Duration
4
20 credits (10 ECTS credits)
50 hours academic direction
150 hours practice learning & independent study
Dr Steve Long
n/a
n/a
Academic Responsibility
Pre-Requisites
Co-Requisites
Module Aims
In 1898 the United States went to war with the Spanish Empire; and victory in what US
Secretary of State John Hay described as a “splendid little war” arguably marked the starting
point of the rise of the American colossus in the modern era. This module aims to introduce
students to the key events, concepts and historical debates that have punctuated American
foreign affairs since the Spanish-American War. It also aims to provide students with a
foundation of specialist knowledge of US foreign policy through a chronological exploration
of the rise of the United States into a great power in the first half of the 20th century, and
then chart its trajectory as a superpower from the end of World War Two through the Cold
War to the present day.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module students should be able to:
1. Appreciate the manner in which American power has risen in the world since 1898.
2. Display sound understanding of the key developments within US foreign policy
during the 20th century.
3. Grasp and reflect critically upon how historians put forward a range of
interpretations regarding the aims of US foreign policy during this era.
4. Demonstrate an ability to critically engage with contested understandings of US
foreign policy.
5. Begin to develop graduate skills which will include working independently, and in
groups, applying useful research methods and use of library and e-learning
resources with a view to developing the following skills: note taking, summary of
information in visual form for class presentation, use of Power Point, collating
bibliographies, correct referencing, brainstorming and mind-mapping questions and
topics, and essay planning.
Indicative Module Content
US foreign policy is examined on multiple levels in this module, including diplomacy, war and
conflict, foreign economic policy, ideology, presidents and statesmen, the executive and
legislative branches, and the domestic-foreign policy interface. Students will also examine
key themes, issues and historiographical debates in relation to contested notions such as
empire, manifest destiny, liberal internationalism, isolationism, freedom, democracy, open
door trade, neutral rights and non-entanglement.
Learning and Teaching Strategies
The module utilises a combination of teaching strategies including lectures, group work,
presentations and seminars in which sources, documents and debates are discussed.
Students will be encouraged to respond to contested notions of American power through a
variety of different media sources, and will be able to demonstrate their skills in this area by
responding to a collection of political cartoon images. Students will be introduced to several
key primary documents and will be able to demonstrate their ability to critically evaluate
primary evidence. They will also be challenged to engage with the key events and
historiographical debates of US foreign policy, and will be able to demonstrate their skills in
this area. VLE is used as a module ‘base’, and readings and exercises are available (either
scanned or in hard copy) to guide the students. The most essential reading is indicated to
students in the Module Booklet.
Indicative Assessment
100% coursework:
Assignment 1: Portfolio, 2500 words (50%)
Assignment 2: Essay, 2500 words (50%)
Indicative Resources
Bibliography
Ambrose, Stephen, Rise to Globalism: American Foreign Policy since 1938 (1997)
Ferrell, Robert, American Diplomacy: The Twentieth Century (1990)
Herring, George, From Colony to Superpower: US Foreign Relations Since 1776 (2011)
Hogan, Michael J. (ed.), Paths to Power: the Historiography of American Foreign Relations
since 1941 (2000)
Iriye, Akira, The Cambridge History of American Foreign Relations, Vol. 3: The Globalizing of
America 1913-1945 (1995)
LaFeber, Walter, The American Age: U.S. Foreign Policy at Home and Abroad Volume 2 Since
1896 (1994)
Paterson, Thomas, and Merrill, Dennis (eds.), Major Problems in American Foreign Policy:
Since 1914 (2005)
Williams, William A., The Tragedy of American Diplomacy (1991)
Journals
Diplomatic History, Journal of American History, Journal of Cold War Studies, Journal of
Contemporary History
Websites
Foreign Relations of the United States, http://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments
National Archives and Records Administration, http://www.archives.gov/
National Security Archive, http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/
The American Presidency Project, http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/
Module Title
American Political Culture and the American Dream
Level
Credit Rating
& Duration
4
20 Credits
50 hours academic direction
150 hours practice learning & independent study
Dr Mark Ledwidge
N/A
N/A
Academic Responsibility
Pre-Requisites
Co-Requisites
Module Aims
This module will introduce students to key facets of the American Dream. The module will
engage with an analysis of American society which encompasses the foundational myths of
the founding fathers and the ground breaking election of Barack Obama. The module will
interrogate American political culture in a manner that both celebrates and questions the
democratic ideals associated with American society. The module challenges both the
pluralist and meritocratic ideals which suggest that power is dispersed in America and that
success is a by-product of individual accomplishments and hard work. The module provides
a historical, cultural and political analysis of American power that engages with the post
racial discourse associated with the election of Obama, and the emergence of the Tea Party.
The module also tackles the counter cultural movement of the 1960s which includes the
respective analysis of the Dream thesis of Dr King and Malcolm X’s discourse on the
American Nightmare.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module students should be able to:
1. identify the key conceptual tools and events that have shaped US Politics and
American political culture.
2. have the required skills to critically evaluate the ideals associated with the American
Dream; in addition to having a broad overview of the key concepts and debates in
regard to the character of American power.
3. highlight the liberal and illiberal tendencies of American political culture and
examine their respective impact on the American Dream.
4. identify key areas of interest within American politics such as American political
culture, elitism, race, gender, wealth and class.
Indicative Module Content
Term one highlights how American society was infused with notions of the American Dream
and includes lectures on American political culture, Barack Obama, the Tea Party and a
comparative analysis of King and Malcolm’s depiction of American society. Term Two
provides an introduction to American politics and considers the power dynamics that are
often divorced from the mainstream discourse on the American Dream. Term two will also
explore key conceptual frameworks from American politics, including American
Exceptionalism, elitism, and the politics of identity, the gender gap and ethnicity. The final
lecture contextualizes the election of Barack Obama and its meaning in relation to the
American Dream which will highlight the ideals and tensions associated with the American
creed in order to demonstrate the elasticity and or limitations of American democracy.
Learning and Teaching Strategies
The module will be enhanced by research informed teaching and will encourage students to
engage in independent study and critical analysis. Where appropriate the module will utilise
multi-media sources such as power point and film clips in conjunction with lectures and
student led debates. Overall students will be encouraged to read the module material and to
demonstrate their knowledge in written and verbal forms. The module will emphasize the
importance of both critical thinking and critical analysis.
Indicative Assessment
100% coursework:
Assignment 1: Essay, 2500 words (50%)
Assignment 2: Essay, 2500 words (50%)
Indicative Resources
Bibliography
Bailey, C. J., Cain, B., Peele, G. and Peters, B. G. (2006) Developments in American Politics. 5th
ed. Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan.
Birch, A. H. (2002) Concepts and Theories of Modern Democracy. 2nd ed. London: Routledge.
DiClerico, R. (2003) Points of View: Readings in American Politics. 9th ed. Boston: McGrawHill.
Dye, T. R. and Zeigler, H. (2000) The Irony of Democracy: an uncommon introduction to
American Politics. London: Harcourt Brace.
Feingold, S and McKenna, G. (1999) Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Controversial Political
Issues. 11th ed. Boston: McGraw Hill.
Hacker, A. (1992) Two Nations: Black and White, Separate, Hostile, Unequal. New York:
Macmillan.
Janda. K. (2000) The Challenge of Democracy. 6th ed. Wadsworth Publishing.
King, D. (1997) Separate and Unequal: Black Americans and the US Federal Government.
Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Kernell, S., Jacobson, G., Kousser, T. and Giroux, G. (2009) The Logic of American Politics. 4th
ed. Washington DC: CQ Press.
Ledwidge, M., Miller, L. and Parmar, I. (eds.) (2009) New Directions in US Foreign Policy.
London: Routledge.
Ledwidge, M. (2011) Race and US Foreign Policy: The African-American Foreign Affairs
Network. London: Routledge.
Lipset, S. M. (1997) American Exceptionalism: A Double-Edged Sword. London: W. W. Norton
& Company.
McKay, D. (2009) American Politics and Society. West Sussex: John Wiley and Sons.
McKeever, R. J. and Davies, P. (2006) Politics USA. 2nd ed. London: Pearson Longman.
Miroff, B., Swanstrom, T. and Seidelman, R. (2003) Debating Democracy: A Reader in
American Politics. NY: Houghton Mifflin.
Peele, G., Bailey, C., Cain, B. and Peters, B. G. (2005) Developments in American Politics. 5th
ed. London: Macmillan.
Websites
National Archives and Records Administration, http://www.archives.gov/
The American Presidency Project, http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/