HISTORY OF NORTH-AMERICAN CULTURE

The course aims at introducing students to American cultural studies through the acquisition of concepts and methodologies and the analysis of heterogeneous materials examined and contextualized from a historical/cultural perspective. Students are expected to develop autonomous ability to analyze cultural materials through a specific critical vocabulary of medium-advanced level.

The learning outcomes of these course entail developing:
1. Good knowledge of the basics in American cultural studies;
2. Ability to apply such knowledge to the critical analysis of cultural products;
3. Ability to formulate critical hypotheses and judgments;
4. Communication skills and appropriate terminology;
5. Autonomous reading of handbooks and suggested materials.

Good knowledge of English (≥ B2) ; students are also expected to study the handbook of American cultural studies

The course aims at introducing students to American cultural studies, by providing them with basic knowledge about this discipline and by later focusing on a specific theme: the cultural representation of evangelical fundamentalism in the United States. The syllabus will feature heterogenous materials including literary (novels, short stories, plays, essays, graphic novels) and cinematic (movies and documentaries) products.

Harold Frederic, The Damnation of Theron Ware (1896), selections
Sinclair Lewis, Elmer Gantry (1927), selections + film version
Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee, Inherit the Wind (1955) + film version
James Baldwin, The Fire Next Time (1963), selections
Lee Smith, “Tongues of Fire” (1990)
Alexandra Pelosi, dir., Friends of God (2007)
Sigrid Nunez, Salvation City (2010)



Handbook:
Neil Campbell and Alasdair Kean. American Cultural Studies: An Introduction to American Culture, Routledge, 2016. (Introduction + Chapter 4)

Other primary and critical essays will be uploaded to the moodle platform

WRITTEN EXAM (in English, 2 hours):
1) assessment of students' knowledge of the handbook of American Cultural Studies
2) identification and analysis of excerpts with the purpose of assessing skills for communciation, analysis and contextualization

ORAL EXAM (in English, 15 minutes):
1) discussion of the written exam
2) further questions on the syllabus with the purpose of assessing oral skills for analysis and contextualization
3) further question on the extra-readings for non-attending students

Lectures and class discussion
group activities

English

All students (both attending and non-attending)are required to subscribe to moodle.
Please contact the teacher for further information.

written and oral