CS261-5-AU-CO:
America and the World

The details
2024/25
Philosophical, Historical, and Interdisciplinary Studies (School of)
Colchester Campus
Autumn
Undergraduate: Level 5
Current
Thursday 03 October 2024
Friday 13 December 2024
15
05 April 2024

 

Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)

 

(none)

Key module for

BA T700 American Studies (United States),
BA T702 American Studies (United States) (UK Study),
BA T708 American Studies (United States) (Including Year Abroad),
BA T710 American Studies (United States) (Including Foundation Year and Year Abroad),
BA T712 American Studies (United States) (UK Study) (Including Placement Year),
BA T770 American Studies (United States) (including Placement Year),
BA T7P3 American Studies (United States) with Film,
BA T7P4 American Studies (United States) with Film (Including Placement Year),
BA T7P5 American Studies (United States) with Film (UK Study),
BA T7W6 American Studies (United States) with Film (Including Year Abroad),
BA T7W8 American Studies (United States) with Film (Including Foundation Year and Year Abroad),
BA MT26 Criminology and American Studies (UK Study),
BA MT27 Criminology and American Studies (Including Year Abroad),
BA MT28 Criminology and American Studies (Including Foundation Year and Year Abroad),
BA MT2R Criminology and American Studies,
BA MT3R Criminology and American Studies (Including Placement Year),
BA MT62 Criminology and American Studies (UK Study) (Including Placement Year),
BA T711 Latin American Studies (Including Year Abroad),
BA T721 Latin American Studies (Including Placement Year),
BA T731 Latin American Studies,
BA T7N3 Latin American Studies (Including Foundation Year),
BA T7N2 Latin American Studies with Business Management,
BA T7N4 Latin American studies with Business Management (Including Foundation Year),
BA T7M8 Latin American studies with Human Rights (Including Foundation Year),
BA T7M9 Latin American Studies with Human Rights,
BA L994 Global Studies with Latin American Studies,
BA L995 Global Studies with Latin American Studies (Including Foundation Year),
BA L996 Global Studies with Latin American Studies (including Placement Year),
BA L997 Global Studies with Latin American Studies (including Year Abroad),
BA L990 Global Studies and Latin American Studies,
BA L991 Global Studies and Latin American Studies (Including Foundation Year),
BA L992 Global Studies and Latin American Studies (including Placement Year),
BA L993 Global Studies and Latin American Studies (including Year Abroad)

Module description

This module will critically examine the United States' role in international events in history and in contemporary politics, as well as analyse the impact of global currents on the political and cultural life of the United States.


The module will encompass approaches from disciplines including history, sociology, politics, film studies, economics, law and human rights, and will be of interest to students across our humanities and social science faculties, and beyond.

Module aims

The aims of this module are:



  • To examine the global contexts of major issues in contemporary political and social issues in the United States of America.

  • To examine the role of United States of America in global contemporary political and social issues.

  • To analyse and discuss varying disciplinary and ideological perspectives on historical and contemporary issues as they relate to the United States of America’s role in the world.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:



  1. Speak and write with authority about a variety of issues relating to the US’s impact on global issues.

  2. Speak and write with authority about a variety of issues relating to the impact of global issues on the US.

  3. Identify key historical, social, cultural, political and geographical themes that are specific to and defining of these issues in historical and contemporary discourse, particularly in regards to race, class, gender, and national identity.

  4. Approach topics and texts from a variety of disciplinary perspectives, including but not limited to history, political science, and sociology.

Module information

The United States has played an outsized role in global affairs even before the War of Independence. Over a series of interdisciplinary lectures, this module will be delivered by academics from across the Humanities and Social Sciences at Essex.


Lectures might examine, for example, the US' relationships with its neighbours Canada to the north and Latin America to the south; its actions during WW1, WW2 and, in particular, the Cold War; its dominant impacts on culture, including film, television and music; its complex relationships with international bodies such as NATO, the UN, the World Bank, the International Criminal Court, and others; its current and recent international interventions in the Middle East; and its centrality to the global economic order.

Learning and teaching methods

This module will be delivered via:

  • One 1-hour lecture per week.
  • One 1-hour class/seminar per week.

There will also be a Reading Week when no teaching will take place, exact week to be confirmed. As some of the teaching material includes films, some sessions may vary in length and content.

Bibliography

The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course.
The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students.
Further reading can be obtained from this module's reading list.

Assessment items, weightings and deadlines

Coursework / exam Description Deadline Coursework weighting
Coursework   2000 word essay  16/12/2024  100% 
Exam  Main exam: Remote, Open Book, 24hr during January 
Exam  Reassessment Main exam: Remote, Open Book, 24hr during September (Reassessment Period) 

Exam format definitions

  • Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
  • In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
  • In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
  • In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary, for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.

Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.

Overall assessment

Coursework Exam
50% 50%

Reassessment

Coursework Exam
50% 50%
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Andrew Priest, email: apriest@essex.ac.uk.
PHAIS General Office - 6.130; isugadmin@essex.ac.uk.

 

Availability
Yes
Yes
Yes

External examiner

Dr Kevin Corstorphine
University of Hull
Lecturer
Resources
Available via Moodle
Of 18 hours, 3 (16.7%) hours available to students:
0 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
15 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s), module, or event type.

 


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