University of Essex

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

The details

Year: 2024/25

Department: Philosophical, Historical, and Interdisciplinary Studies (School of)

Campus: Colchester Campus

Term: Autumn

Level: Undergraduate: Level 5

Status: Current

Start date: Thursday 03 October 2024

End date: Friday 13 December 2024

Credits: 15

Last updated: 05 April 2024

Requisites for this module

Pre-requisites: (none)

Co-requisites: (none)

Pre and / or co-requisites: (none)

Prohibited modules: (none)

Key module (requisite for): (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:

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

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

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.

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

Zinn, H. (1980) ‘Introduction’, in A people’s history of the United States. London: Longman.
The Declaration of Independence: A Transcription | National Archives (no date). Available at: https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript.
The Constitution of the United States: A Transcription | National Archives (no date). Available at: https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution-transcript.
Morgan, E.S. (1972) ‘Slavery and Freedom: The American Paradox’, The Journal of American History, 59(1). Available at: https://doi.org/10.2307/1888384.
Indian Removal Act (1830) | Constitution Center (no date). Available at: https://constitutioncenter.org/the-constitution/historic-document-library/detail/indian-removal-act-1830.
Two Documents on the Cherokee Removal (1829 and 1830) (no date). Available at: https://www.historyisaweapon.com/defcon1/cherokeeremoval.html.
John O’Sullivan Declares America’s Manifest Destiny, 1845 (no date). Available at: http://www.americanyawp.com/reader/manifest-destiny/john-osullivan-declares-americas-manifest-destiny-1845/.
William McKinley explains his decision on the Philippines (no date). Available at: http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtID=3&psid=1257.
Kramer, P.A. (2002) ‘Empires, Exceptions, and Anglo-Saxons: Race and Rule between the British and United States Empires, 1880-1910’, The Journal of American History, 88(4). Available at: https://doi.org/10.2307/2700600.
Blower, B.L. (2014) ‘From Isolationism to Neutrality: A New Framework for Understanding American Political Culture, 1919-1941’, Diplomatic History, 38(2), pp. 345–376. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1093/dh/dht091.
George Kennan’s ‘Long Telegram’ (no date). Available at: https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/coldwar/documents/episode-1/kennan.htm.
Costigliola, F. (1997) ‘“Unceasing Pressure for Penetration”: Gender, Pathology, and Emotion in George Kennan’s Formation of the Cold War’, The Journal of American History, 83(4). Available at: https://doi.org/10.2307/2952904.

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

Supervisor: Dr Andrew Priest, email: apriest@essex.ac.uk.

Teaching staff:

Contact details: PHAIS General Office - 6.130; isugadmin@essex.ac.uk.

Availability

Available to incoming Essex Abroad / Exchange students: Yes

Available to Outside Option: Yes

Available to Audit: Yes

External examiner

Name: Dr Kevin Corstorphine

Institution: University of Hull

Academic role: Lecturer

Resources

Teaching materials: Available via Moodle

Lecture recording: Of 12 hours, 0 (0%) hours available to students:
0 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
12 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s), module, or event type.

Further information

Department website: Philosophical, Historical, and Interdisciplinary Studies (School of)

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Module Directory

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