FF:AJ16172 Contemporary Issues in US & UK - Course Information

AJ16172 Contemporary Issues in US and UK Culture and Politics

Extent and Intensity

0/2/0. 2 credit(s) (plus 2 credits for an exam). Recommended Type of Completion: zk (examination). Other types of completion: z (credit).

Teacher(s)

doc. Jeffrey Alan Smith, M.A., Ph.D. (lecturer)

Guaranteed by

Jeffrey Alan Vanderziel, B.A.
Department of English and American Studies – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Tomáš Hanzálek
Supplier department: Department of English and American Studies – Faculty of Arts

Timetable

Tue 10:50–12:25 B2.23

Prerequisites (in Czech)

( AJ09999 Qualifying Examination || AJ01002 Practical English II ) && AJ07002 Intro. to American Studies II

Course Enrolment Limitations

The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
The capacity limit for the course is 25 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/25, only registered: 0/25, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/25

fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with

there are 7 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display

Course objectives

This course will examine current cultural and political controversies, primarily in the United States but also in the United Kingdom. Lectures and discussions will aim to contextualize present-day issues, locating them in the broader streams of history and cultural development that help explain how and why they arose, what is at stake in them, who the groups in contention are, and how the contrasting positions in current debates reflect and help construct different racial, cultural and political identities. Besides gaining an ability to follow and understand events in the English-speaking world with depth and insight, students will have the opportunity to become “issue experts” in one area of their choice.

Syllabus

• Details of the syllabus will be developed on the basis of final enrollment and on students' interests. The tentative week-by-week schedule below offers a rough idea, but specific topics for discussion each week will depend in part on events in the news, and on the topics students choose to present in reports in class. Students will also discuss and share information about news events in a group discussion forum on Facebook.
• For essential background, these assigned "core readings" have been posted online:
• > L. Sandy Maisel, American Political Parties and Elections: A Very Short Introduction
• > Anthony Wright, British Politics: A Very Short Introduction
• > Colin Woodard, "The Real U.S. Map"
• > David Hackett Fischer, Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways in America, excerpts
• > Jonathan Haidt, The Righteous Mind, chapter 7: "The Moral Foundations of Politics"
• There will also be various recommended readings, including these:
• > Peter S. Wenz, Beyond Red and Blue: How Twelve Political Philosophies Shape American Debates
• > Jonathan Haidt, "What the Tea Partiers Really Want"
• > Colin Woodard, "A Geography Lesson for the Tea Party"
• In addition to specified readings, students be following news from the U.S. and the U.K. regularly and avidly, using and supplementing the website and RSS feeds that the instructor provides for this purpose, and should read any news items that fellow students or the instructor post to the course's online forum.
• WEEKLY TOPICS:
• Week 1: Regions, states, and counties of the US and UK
• Week 2: Government structures and policymaking procedures
• Week 3: Presidents, prime ministers, and party organizations
• Week 3: Political traditions; "red" vs. "blue"
• Week 4: Racial and ethnic issues
• Week 5: Class, mobility, and economic issues
• Week 6: Popular cultures and stereotypes
• Weeks 7-10: Further student reports on selected issues in the news
• Week 11: Exam review and conclusion
• Week 12: Final exam: first sitting

Literature

required literature
• American political parties and electionsa very short introduction. Edited by Louis Sandy Maisel. New York: Oxford University Press, 2007, xvi, 175 p. ISBN 9780195301229. info
• Books: Wright, British Politics; Wenz, Beyond Red and Blue; Articles: Woodard, "The Real U.S. Map," Parts 1 -5

Teaching methods

Lecturer, class discussions, readings, film viewings, student presentations.

Assessment methods

100% final exam, supplemented in part with credit for in-class presentations. Resits possible, but these will be essay assignments.

Language of instruction

English

Further comments (probably available only in Czech)

Study Materials
The course is taught annually.

Teacher's information

https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0ByITdoqGbUYXfkhoTS1FdFZ2cHQ1ZGFrS2l4eXZPXzhTNTVtZUU4eUNMQ1pBbGVrcS1IVm8&usp=sharing

• Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2015, recent)
  
• Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/spring2015/AJ16172