CS261-5-AU-CO:
America and the World
2023/24
Philosophical, Historical and Interdisciplinary Studies (School of)
Colchester Campus
Autumn
Undergraduate: Level 5
Current
Thursday 05 October 2023
Friday 15 December 2023
15
11 September 2023
Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
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)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
-
Zinn, H. (1980) ‘Introduction’, in A people’s history of the United States. London: Longman.
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Kendi, I.X. (2017a) ‘3: Coming to America’, in
Stamped from the beginning: the definitive history of racist ideas in America. London: The Bodley Head. Available at:
https://app.kortext.com/Shibboleth.sso/Login?entityID=https://idp0.essex.ac.uk/shibboleth&target=https://app.kortext.com/borrow/983331.
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Dunbar-Ortiz, R. (2014b) ‘Birth of a Nation (Chapter 5)’, in
An indigenous peoples’ history of the United States. Boston: Beacon Press. Available at:
https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=1926756&site=ehost-live&authtype=sso&custid=s9814295&ebv=EK&ppid=Page-__-53.
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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.
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Malavet, P.A. (2004) ‘The legal relationship between Puerto Rico and the Estados Unidos de Norteamérica (United States of America)’, in
America’s colony: the political and cultural conflict between the United States and Puerto Rico. New York: New York University Press, pp. 28–48. Available at:
https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&db=nlabk&AN=219451.
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Denis, N.A. (2015) ‘Four Hundred Years of Solitude’, in War against all Puerto Ricans: revolution and terror in America’s colony. New York, NY: Nation Books, A Member of the Perseus Books Group, pp. 11–18.
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Ellner, S. (2012) ‘The Distinguishing Features of Latin America’s New Left in Power’,
Latin American Perspectives, 39(1), pp. 96–114. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1177/0094582X11425333.
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Nieto, J.Z. (2007) ‘U.S. Security Policies and United States–Colombia Relations’,
Latin American Perspectives, 34(1), pp. 112–119. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1177/0094582X06296356.
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Hakim, P. (2006) ‘Is Washington Losing Latin America?’,
Foreign Affairs, 85(1). Available at:
https://doi.org/10.2307/20031841.
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Abrams, E. (no date) ‘U.S. Policy Toward Venezuela Takes a Body Blow | Council on Foreign Relations’,
Council on Foreign Relations [Preprint]. Available at:
https://www.cfr.org/blog/us-policy-toward-venezuela-takes-body-blow.
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Pollack, M.A. (2015) ‘Who supports international law, and why?: The United States, the European Union, and the international legal order: Table 1.’,
International Journal of Constitutional Law, 13(4), pp. 873–900. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1093/icon/mov053.
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Çali, B. (2015) ‘Comparing the support of the EU and the US for international human rights law qua international human rights law: Worlds too far apart?’,
International Journal of Constitutional Law, 13(4), pp. 901–922. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1093/icon/mov058.
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Joseph R. Biden Jr. (no date) ‘Why American Must Lead Again: Recusing U.S. Foreign Policy after Trump’,
Foreign Affairs, 99(2). Available at:
http://heinonline.org/HOL/Page?public=false&handle=hein.journals/fora99&id=274.
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Löfflmann, G., Skonieczny, A. and Biegon, R. (2023) ‘The Trump Shock: Populism and Changing Narratives of US Foreign Policy’, in P. Giurlando and D.F. Wajner (eds)
Populist Foreign Policy. Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 117–145. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-22773-8_5.
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 |
|
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
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Matt Lodder, email: mlodder@essex.ac.uk.
PHAIS General Office - 6.130; isugadmin@essex.ac.uk.
Yes
Yes
Yes
Dr Kevin Corstorphine
University of Hull
Lecturer
Available via Moodle
Of 17 hours, 17 (100%) hours available to students:
0 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s), module, or event type.
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