CS261-5-FY-CO:
Crisis of the American Idea
2022/23
Interdisciplinary Studies Centre (ISC)
Colchester Campus
Full Year
Undergraduate: Level 5
Current
Thursday 06 October 2022
Friday 30 June 2023
30
14 September 2022
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)
The module, taught by staff from across the Humanities and Social Sciences at the University, is titled 'Crisis of the American Idea'. Across a wide spectrum of political opinion one finds a shared conviction that something is amiss in the American project. Some point to Trump's election as evidence that something has gone badly wrong. At the same time Trump's supporters pointed to an American crisis as their reason for electing him. What they agree on is that there is indeed an American crisis underway.
This module takes an extended, interdisciplinary look at The American Idea and its current crisis. We take our point of departure from an observation made by Margaret Thatcher on one of her visits to Washington DC. Europe, Thatcher claimed, was the creation of its history; America was created by philosophy. Thatcher's observation is borne out by looking at the faces of American coins, which are thick with ideas about America: "Liberty," "e pluribus unum," "In God we trust." Even the name of the nation - The United States of America - expresses a complex thought, incorporating ideas about federalism, divided self-governance, unity in plurality. A principal aim of this module will be to unpack and unpick the American Idea, both as it was expressed in the early history of the American Project and as it has been articulated in and by its subsequent history. We will then try to assess the current crisis. To what extent is it a crisis internal to the American Idea itself and to what extent is it a failure of implementation of that idea? To what extent can this crisis also be traced the US' foreign relations and domestic policies to those defined as its cultural and
political "others"?
The aims of this module are:
1. To examine the historical roots of major issues in contemporary political and social issues in the United States of America.
2. To examine whether or not the current status of US political discourse might be understood as a ‘crisis’.
3. To analyse and discuss varying perspectives on contemporary issues as they relate to the foundational ideas, ideologies and texts of the United States of America.
4. To discuss the place and status of United States in relation to its neighbours in Latin America and the Caribbean and its various marginalised communities;
5. Fundamentally, to examine if the current ‘crisis’ is a crisis of these founding ideas, ideologies and texts, or a crisis of their (mis-)implementation.
At the end of the module, the student should be able to:
1. Speak and write with authority about a variety of issues relating to the US’ political and cultural history, particularly in relation to its foundational ideas and ideologies
2. 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
3. Discuss the relationship between ideas of (for example) liberty, freedom and, justice, and their execution in the US context
4. Approach topics and texts from a variety of disciplinary perspectives.
No additional information available.
There will be a one hour lecture and one-hour class/seminar each week. There will also be a Reading Week each term when no teaching will take place, exact weeks TBC.
As some of the teaching material includes films some sessions may vary in length and content.
This module does not appear to have a published bibliography for this year.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
| Coursework |
Assignment 1 (2000 words) |
|
50% |
| Coursework |
Assignment 2 (2000 words) |
|
50% |
| Exam |
Main exam: Remote, Open Book, 24hr during Summer (Main Period)
|
| 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.
Interdisciplinary Studies Centre General Office - 6.130; Email: istudies@essex.ac.uk.
Yes
Yes
Yes
Dr Kevin Corstorphine
University of Hull
Lecturer
Available via Moodle
Of 38 hours, 38 (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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