Cultura e Tradicións en USA e A

CommonwealthPatricia Fra López

GUÍA DOCENTE E MATERIAL DIDÁCTICO

2019/20

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FACULTADE DE FILOLOXÍADEPARTAMENTO DE FILOLOXÍA INGLESA E ALEMÁ

FACULTADE DE FILOLOXÍA. DEPARTAMENTO DE FILOLOXÍA INGLESA E ALEMÁAUTORES: Patricia Fra López, Edición electrónica. 2019ADVERTENCIA LEGAL: Reservados todos os dereitos. Queda prohibida a duplicación total ou parcial desta obra, en calquera forma ou por calquera medio (electrónico, mecánico, gravación, fotocopia ou outros) sen consentimento expreso por escrito dos autores.

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1. DESCRIPTION OF THE SUBJECT

Name and code: Cultura e Tradición en USA e Commonwealth G5061346Type of subject: ElectiveDegree: English Language and Literature, third year, second semesterCredits (ECTS): 6Lecturer: Dr. Patricia Fra López (coordinator) (office number: 311)Email: patricia.fra@usc.esOffice phone number: 881811854Visiting hours: to be announced in class.

2. COURSE OBJECTIVES

The general purpose of this course is to provide students with an overview of

the culture of the USA and the Commonwealth focusing on a series of essential

concepts that have contributed to the creation of a distinctive American

tradition. By placing these concepts in their historical context we shall try to

improve our understanding of the mentality of the people of the USA leaving

behind certain useless prejudices.

3. CONTENTS

1. Introduction to the History and Culture of the USA.

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JOHN ADAMS (HBO, 2008). PAUL GIAMATTI AS JOHN ADAMS, LAURA LINNEY AS ABIGAIL ADAMS.

mailto:patricia.fra@usc.es

2. The First Americans: Native American people and Colonial America. Puritanism and its background. Suggestion for case study: the Salem Witch Hunt trials.

3. The American Revolution through its texts. The Road to Independence seen in:

a. documentaries [PBS Liberty: the American Revolution],

b. Historical shows

[John Adams (HBO, 2008);

Turn: Washington Spies (AMC, 2014)];

c. Crash courses

4. The Civil War: North and South.

a. The Emancipation proclamation, on text and film: Lincoln (Spielberg, 2012)

b. The conflict between the North and the South: North and South (1985); the myth of the old South: Gone with the Wind (Victor Fleming, 1939)

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TURN: WASHINGTON’S SPIES (AMC, 2014)

TWELVE YEARS A SLAVE (Steve McQueen, 2013, based on Solomon Northup’s slave narrative

c. Slavery: Roots (1977); Solomon Northup, Twelve Years a Slave (Steve McQueen, 2013)

d. Reconstruction and the Gilded Age

5. The 1910s (World War I) D.W. Griffith, The Birth of a Nation (1915)

6. The 1920s Literature and film.

The Lost Generation. F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

Music: The Jazz Age.

The era of prohibition: gangsters, the temperance movement

7. The Great Depression (1930s)

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THE BIRTH OF A NATION (D.W. GRIFFITH, 1915), ON THE CREATION OF THE KU-KLUX-KLAN

THE GREAT GATSBY JACK CLAYTON, 1974

a. Literature and film: The Grapes of Wrath (John Ford, 1940)

b. Arts, culture and society: the Works Progress Administration, and the Federal Arts Project: Cradle Will Rock [Tim Robbins, 1999]

c. Photography, documentaries.

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THE GRAPES OF WRATH (JOHN FORD, 1940, BASED ON JOHN STEINBECK’S NOVEL, ON THE DUST BOWL AND THE MIGRANTS FROM OKLAHOMA TO CALIFORNIA

“MIGRANT MOTHER” PHOTOGRAPHED BY DOROTHEA LANGE

8. The 1940s: effect of World War II and the Post-War Era on US culture and traditions

9. The 1950s

a. The Hollywood Witch Hunt. The McCarthy era (through drama and film

• The Crucible (Nicholas Hytner, 1996),

• Trumbo (Jay Roach, 2015),

• High Noon (Fred Zinnemann, 1952), among others)

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CAPTAIN AMERICA 1944

b. The Beatniks: Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac

c. Music: Rock&Roll, R&B

10. The 1960s The Civil Rights Movement. The Black Power Movement

Selma (Ava DuVernay, 2014)

Betty and Coretta (Yves Simoneau, 2013),

Mississippi Burning (Alan Parker, 1988),

Ghosts of Mississippi (Rob Reiner, 1996)

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SELMA 2014 ON THE HISTORIC CIVIL RIGHTS MARCH FROM SELMA TO MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA,

HIGH NOON (SOLO ANTE EL PELIGRO) FRED ZINNEMANN, 1952. A PARABLE ON MACCARTHYSM

11.The 1970s-1980s The Vietnam War through artistic manifestations:

• Hair (1979),

• Apocalypse Now (1979)

The Hippies

Fashion, movies, music, TV: American Pop Culture

• The Godfather, Francis Ford Coppola, 1972),

• fantástico ( Star Wars, George Lucas, 1977),

• comedia: Rocky Horror Picture Show, Jim Sharman, 1975

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GHOSTS OF MISSISSIPPI, ON THE MURDER OF MEDGAR EVERS

THE GODFATHER (MARIO PUZO & FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA, 1972)

12. The 1990s Music: From Boy bands to Great female voices; TV: "Friends", "The X-Files"; Films: "Titanic", "The Matrix”

13. The 2000

14. The 2010s and cultural manifestations in America today: from Obama to Trump.

4. BASIC AND COMPLEMENTARY BIBLIOGRAPHY

Boorstin, Daniel Jr. (ed) Estados Unidos. Una civilización. Barcelona: Labor, 1974.Brogan, Hugh. Longman History of the United States. Nueva York: Longman,

1985.Brogan, Hugh. The Penguin History of the United States of America. Londres:

Penguin, 1985.Burns, M. John et al. The National Experience. A History of the United States of

America. Nueva York: Harcourt, Brace and World, 1963.Caughney, John W. and Ernest R. Man. A History of the United States of America.

Chicago: McNally, 1964.Cook, Chris. Longman Handbook of Modern American History 1763-1996. Londres:

Longman, 1994.Crothers, George. American History. Nueva Cork: Holt, Rinehart and Wnston,

1964.Fawcet, Edmund and Tony Thomas. America, Americans. Londres: Collins, 1983.Forner E and J. A. Garraty (eds). The Reader’s Companion to American History.

Boston: Houghton/Mifflin, 1991.Johnson, Paul. A History of the American People. Londres: Phoenix Press, 1997.

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THE MATRIX (THE WACHOWSKIES, 1999:

Johnson, Thomas H. The Oxford Companion to American History. Nueva York: Oxford UP, 1966.

Jones, Maldwyn A. The Limits of Liberty. American History 1607-1992. Nueva York: Oxford UP, 1995.

Mauk, David and John Oakland. American Civilization. An Introduction. Londres y Nueva York: Routledge, 1997.

Morrison, Samuel Eliot. The Oxford History of the American People. Nueva York: Oxford UP, 1965.

Nevins, Allan. A History of the American People from 1492. Londres: Oxford UP, 1970.

Purvis, Thomas. A Dictionary of American History. Cambridge, Ma: Blackwell, 1997.Silverman, Jason. American History Befote 1877. Nueva York: McGraw-Hill, 1989.Zeuske, Max. A Short History of the United States of America. Leipzig: Verlag, 1989.

Online resources: Digital History 19th Century US History Sites Online

4. COMPETENCES

The following competences, skills and abilities are to be developed by the students [ CB1, CB2, CB3, CB4, CB5, CG1, CG8 in the Verified Report]

- Reading comprehension and analysis of historical and literary texts- Capacity for relating historical events and cultural developments- Debating- Responsibility for their own work- Stimulation of critical and independent thought- Acceptance of cultural diversity- Creativity - Practice and consolidation of written and spoken English

Independent research abilities

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http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/index.cfmhttps://public.wsu.edu/~amerstu/19th/hist.htmlhttps://public.wsu.edu/~amerstu/19th/hist.html

5. TEACHING METHODOLOGY

The participation of the student, which will be fostered with diverse activities, illustrations and practical explanations, is the basis for the teaching method to be used in class. Although the contents of the subject are susceptible to a more theoretical explanation, we will try to combine the theory with a much more practical approach. Therefore, illustrative materials such as maps, historical documents, films and/or documentaries, portraits and biographies of relevant historical characters, articles, etc. will support the contents of each unit. In general, the lecturer offers an essentially theoretical approach to the contents, always with the support of illustrations (like photocopies, maps, historical documents, etc.). For the practical phase, the students will do certain activities related to the theoretical content of the units. Finally, the student will be required to produce autonomous work which will have an impact on the continuous evaluation of the subject. Continuous evaluation will be assessed considering some of the following activities related to the practical credits of the subject: reading and/or summarizing texts and/or articles and/or answering some questions about them, presentations (individually or in small groups) on a topic chosen from the list of the contents. We will open at least one debate forum per unit on the virtual classroom, to discuss ideas and materials related to the cultural manifestations of each unit. Other types of activities may also be suggested by the lecturer. The activities must be handed in/submitted by the due date determined by the lecturer. Otherwise, the task will not be considered for the continuous evaluation.

All activities will be included in the personal file of the student and will be taken into account for the continuous evaluation. As such, responsibility competence is fostered by which the student participates in the process of the continuous evaluation and shows responsibility by completing assignments throughout the year.The lecturer will control the students’ attendance and participation.

6. ASSESSMENT SYSTEMWhile this course requires not only active participation and attendance to class meetings as well as active participation on the online debate forums in the virtual classroom, students will also be responsible for independent research and class preparation. This course is intended to challenge students intellectually, and provide the opportunity to further their academic development. Because such development is multi-faceted, the assessment

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system reflects that in that it encompasses the various aspects• Attendance & Participation 10%o Attendance will be noted for each class session, but up to one week of absences (3hrs, or 2 sessions, excused or unexcused) will not affect the attendance grade. Each absence beyond 2 will result in the loss of 1%.o Active participation in class is required to receive this percentage. Each student should make at least one meaningful intervention per class. (It should be noted that while 2 absences will not count against the attendance grade, the participation grade will suffer.) Each student should also participate weekly in the debate forum on the virtual classroom.• Debate forum 30%

• All students are responsible for contributing WEEKLY to the debate forum on the virtual classroom. A new topic will be posted by the presenter(s), and each student must respond before the following class.

• Contributions will consist of a written section, on a topic which cannot be the same as the one for presentation or topic of feedback given) of a minimum of 200 words each, as well as a list of diverse materials (audiovisual, bibliographical or websites) which were consulted for the preparation of the entry.

• Formal Feedback—1 student assigned to another presentation. 1 page of feedback (minimum). 15%

• Each student will be assigned to give formal feedback to another student or group on their presentation. This should comprise of positive comments, constructive criticism, suggestions for future presentations, and overall impressions. It should be 1 page double-spaced ((minimum 500 words). This should be turned in to the lecturer within a week of the presentation. Once feedback is approved of by the lecturer, the student giving feedback will meet with the presenter to go over their comments.

• Presentation/lesson 45%o This will consist of the preparation, oral and written presentation in class of one of the topics of your choice, included in the syllabus. The choice of topic will be approved of by the lecturer, and the class presentation must also be revised with her during office hours.o Each student will be responsible for directing one week of class, and covering the topic of that week. There is a lot of freedom in how to approach this assignment, but it should be engaging, interactive, and informative. There is an immense amount of possible material to cover

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for each topic, thus it is important to focus on culture and traditions, rather than history. That being said, a brief historical introduction to the time period should always be incorporated to give a background to the topic.o Keep in mind that you will be responsible for 3hrs of class time (1hr on Thursday, and 2hrs on Friday). Think about what kind of materials, resources, technologies, and activities you will include to fill this time in order to create an engaging, stimulating intellectual environment. All students should be given the opportunity to participate in some way (small and large group discussion or activities, etc.).o Any reading or media consumption that the learning students need to prepare outside of class should be provided no later than 6 days before the class.o The student will also be responsible for opening a new topic on the debate forum to be discussed. This debate topic should be regarding material that could not be covered in class, so that the students can do outside research to contribute to the forum.

The assessment system will be the same in May and in July.

For those students who FAIL the subject, they will be given the opportunity of doing another presentation and deliver it to the teacher. They may be exempt from attending classes again, provided that they had the full 20% of the mark devoted to active participation on the previous year. Students who are officially exempt from attending lectures and those re-taking the subject will contact the lecturer, who will assign the tasks they have to comply for a continuous evaluation to take place. In certain cases, they will sit an exam in May and/or July

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7. STUDY TIME AND INDIVIDUAL WORK

The subject comprises 15 weeks. Each week will be devoted to one unit

Since this is an ECTS subject, the student will need 150 hours (lectures and autonomous work included) to pass the subjectStudents should check the virtual classroom regularly, as it will be updated with each week’s topics and materials.

8. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE STUDY OF THE SUBJECT

Attending class is required, as well as complementing the classes by

doing all the activities designed for the subject. In this way, the student will

benefit from having the mark divided into distinct assignments, instead of

having to rely upon just one mark in May and/or July.

The students are also encouraged to attend any type of extra-curricular

activity that may bring them in contact with historical, social and cultural

aspects of the history of the USA and the Commonwealth, such as attending

plays or historical films shown at the cinema. Besides, the lecturer may suggest

fiction books portraying American historical characters or narrating historical

events of a certain period. Titles may be provided at the student’s request.

9. COMMENTS

The subject will be taught in English.

Plagiarism of activities will not be tolerated under any circumstance as

well as copy and paste from the internet and will result in an immediate fail.

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8. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE STUDY OF THE SUBJECT