AJ2307 American History, Culture and Literature

Faculty of Education
Autumn 2024
Extent and Intensity
0/3/0. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Zdeněk Janík, M.A., Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Dita Hochmanová, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Mgr. Barbora Kašpárková, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. Zdeněk Janík, M.A., Ph.D.
Department of English Language and Literature – Faculty of Education
Contact Person: Jana Popelková
Supplier department: Department of English Language and Literature – Faculty of Education
Timetable
Mon 13:00–13:50 učebna 36, Tue 12:00–12:50 učebna 35
  • Timetable of Seminar Groups:
AJ2307/01: Mon 11:00–12:50 učebna 4, D. Hochmanová
AJ2307/02: Wed 16:00–17:50 učebna 11, D. Hochmanová
AJ2307/03: Wed 8:00–9:50 učebna 6, B. Kašpárková
AJ2307/04: Wed 10:00–11:50 učebna 57, B. Kašpárková
Prerequisites (in Czech)
AJ2102 Practical Language 1B
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
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
The students are introduced to history, literature, and culture of the United States of America from Pre-Columbian era to the 20th Century. The goal is to introduce important authors, literary movements, historical events and cultural context of the given period and analyze their interrelation. Students will understand how literary texts reflect historical events and cultural myths. They will learn to identify cultural values and interpret them with the purpose to enhance respect to otherness. Students will discuss the role of context, gender, race, and ethnicity in history and in forming of literary genres and topics.
Learning outcomes
At the end of the course, the students will be able to: - identify and describe major trends in postwar American literature and understand their relationship to American society and culture - familiar with major works of fiction, art, and historical events which influenced the social life of the U.S. of America - develop skills in analytical reading and proposal writings - understand and frame literary works as a form of social commentary which responds to specific historical occurrences
Syllabus
  • 1. Pre-Columbian America (Native Americans' myths about the creation of the world) 2. Colonial beginnings: clash of cultures and cultural misunderstandings (William Bradford, Anne Bradstreet, Mary Rowlandson) 3. Revolution and Enlightenment: National Period LIT: Benjamin Franklin, Jean de Crevecoeur H: Colonial America 4. Road to Independence LIT: Romantic period and Transcendentalists H: The British Colonies and the War of Independence 5. Road to Independence LIT: Birth of Modern American poetry (Whitman, Dickinson) H: The British Colonies and the War of Independence 6. Slavery and the Hope for Freedom LIT: Slavery Narrative and Female Activism (Douglass, Mark Twain, H. B. Stowe, Harriet Jacobs, Ch. P. Gilman, Stanton) H: Slavery, the Civil War and Segregation 7. Slavery and the Hope for Freedom LIT: American Gothic: Ambiguity and Anxiety H: Slavery, the Civil War and Segregation 8. The Gilded Age: Era of Wealth and Inequality LIT: Social realism and naturalism 9. Immigration and Westward Movement LIT: Regional realism H: Industrialization, Immigration 10. Immigration and Westward Movement LIT: Regionalism (W. Cather) H: Industrialization, Immigration 11. Toward Modern America LIT: Modernism (Hemingway, Fitzgerald) H: US Imperialism, Great Depression and New Deal 12. African American Experience LIT: Harlem Renaissance (Hughes and Hurston) H: African-American Experience
Literature
    required literature
  • DAVIDSON, James West. Nation of nations : a concise narrative of the American Republic. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1996, xxiv, 947. ISBN 0070157383. info
  • Columbia literary history of the United States. Edited by Emory Elliott - Martha Banta - Houston A. Baker. Collector's edition. New York: Columbia University, 1988, xxviii, 12. ISBN 0-231-06780-1. info
    recommended literature
  • Murrin, John M. et al. Liberty, Equality, Power: A History of the American People. 5 th ed. USA: Thomson Wadsworth, 2008.
  • Oxford guide to British and American culture : for learners of English. Edited by Jonathan Crowther - Kathryn Kavanagh. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999, viii, 599. ISBN 0194313328. info
  • Encyclopedia of southern culture. Edited by Charles Reagan Wilson - William R. Ferris - Ann J. Abadie - Mary L. Ha. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina press, 1989, xxi, 1634. ISBN 0807818232. info
Teaching methods
discussion-based seminars, pair and group work, issue-based learning
Assessment methods
Continuous assessment: 80% attendance; participate in the discussion; complete 6 quizzes with a 70% passmark; Formative assessment: Final essay (70%)
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
Teacher's information
Students doing their Erasmus study stay abroad and students with IPS are not required to attend the classes, but they are obliged to submit all the required assignments and take the exams. In the course, the use of AI is permitted for learning but not for cheating. It is acceptable to use AI for brainstorming ideas, basic proofreading, and suggestions for improvement. It is unacceptable to have a text generated, translated or reformulated. Remember to acknowledge all innovative ideas that are not yours. For generated ideas, use in-text citations. At the end of each assignment, state how you worked/did not work with AI. When in doubt, consult your teacher. Upon successful completion of the course, you will earn 5 ECTS credits. Each ECTS credit represents 25 to 30 hours of work.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2022, Autumn 2023.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/ped/autumn2024/AJ2307