SFE11320 English: American Culture (Spring 2021)

The course is connected to the following study programs

Mandatory course in the one-year English programme.

May be taken in the optional 60 ECTS part of the Bachelor's Programme in Society, Language and Culture (this applies for students who started 2018 or earlier).

Lecture Semester

One-year programme in English: 2nd semester (spring).

Bachelor's Programme in Society, Language and Culture: 6th semester (spring).

The student's learning outcomes after completing the course

Knowledge

The student has:

• knowledge and understanding of American culture and society

• knowledge of academic conventions regarding essay writing in English

Skills

The student:

• has analytical and critical skills in his or her encounters with historical and cultural texts

• is capable of studying  cultural texts in the context of their history

• has improved his or her skills in written argumentation and oral discussions in English

• is capable of using the MLA style of referencing

General competence

The student:

• is capable of independent and critical thinking in the analysis of American culture and social phenomena

• masters research techniques in searching, evaluating and using secondary literature on the internet and in the university college's library

Content

The course is a wide-ranging review of the development of American history and culture from the founding of the USA until the present, with a main focus on the 1900s. Topics covered include the beginnings of the U.S., its political structure, issues of race, class, gender, sexuality, religion, and various other related subjects. The textbook will be supplemented by newspaper articles and other cultural texts. We will alos spend time devolping skills in research, analysis and essay writing. 

Forms of teaching and learning

Teaching varies between physical and online lectures, seminars, talks and activities in small groups. The students are expected to read the course material every week and take active part in classroom and online discussions and group assignments. Students are encouraged to study in groups where they can go through the literature and work together on assignments outside the scheduled teaching sessions.

Workload

Approx. 280 hours.

Coursework requirements - conditions for taking the exam

• One individual written assignment with an extent of 3-4 pages. 

Required coursework must be approved before the student can take the exam.

Examination

An individual written exam (5 hours)

Permitted aids: English dictionary.

Grade scale A-F.

Examiners

One external and one internal examiner or two internal examiners.

Course evaluation

Feedback from our students is vital in order for us to be able to offer the best possible courses and study programmes. The course is evaluated every semester.

The results are considered by/in teacher groups, the head of studies and the local programme committee.

Literature

The reading list is last updated 26th of March 2020. The reading list may be subject to change until the start of the semester.

MLA Handbook, 8th Edition. The Modern Language Association of America (MLA), 2016.ISBN: 9781603292627 (paperback)

American Cultural Studies. Fourth Edition, edited by Neil Campbell and Alasdair Kean, Routledge, 2016. ISBN: 978-1-138-83314-2 (paperback). 

*All material handed out in lectures or uploaded to Canvas is part of the curriculum. All students must have access to an English-English dictionary, for instance, Collins Cobuild Dictionary, Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, or another dictionary for non-native speakers of English (Learner¿s dictionaries).