CS261-5-FY-CO:
Crisis of the American Idea
PLEASE NOTE: This module is inactive. Visit the Module Directory to view modules and variants offered during the current academic year.
2023/24
Philosophical, Historical and Interdisciplinary Studies (School of)
Colchester Campus
Full Year
Undergraduate: Level 5
Inactive
Thursday 05 October 2023
Friday 28 June 2024
30
11 September 2023
Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
This module, taught by staff from across the Humanities and Social Sciences at the University, takes an extended, interdisciplinary look at The American Idea and its current crisis.
The module aims 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.
The aims of this module are:
- To examine the historical roots of major issues in contemporary political and social issues in the United States of America.
- To examine whether or not the current status of US political discourse might be understood as a ‘crisis’.
- 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.
- 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.
- To examine if the current ‘crisis’ is a crisis of these founding ideas, ideologies and texts, or a crisis of their (mis-)implementation.
By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:
- 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.
- 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.
- Discuss the relationship between ideas of (for example) liberty, freedom and, justice, and their execution in the US context.
- Approach topics and texts from a variety of disciplinary perspectives.
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.
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.
This module will also 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"?
This module will be delivered via:
- One 1-hour lecture per week.
- One 1-hour class/seminar per week.
There will also be a Reading Week when no teaching will take place, exact week to be confirmed. As some of the teaching material includes films, some sessions may vary in length and content.
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Zinn, H. (1980) ‘Introduction’, in A people’s history of the United States. London: Longman.
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Kendi, I.X. (2017a) ‘3: Coming to America’, in
Stamped from the beginning: the definitive history of racist ideas in America. London: The Bodley Head. Available at:
https://app.kortext.com/Shibboleth.sso/Login?entityID=https://idp0.essex.ac.uk/shibboleth&target=https://app.kortext.com/borrow/983331.
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Dunbar-Ortiz, R. (2014b) ‘Birth of a Nation (Chapter 5)’, in
An indigenous peoples’ history of the United States. Boston: Beacon Press. Available at:
https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=1926756&site=ehost-live&authtype=sso&custid=s9814295&ebv=EK&ppid=Page-__-53.
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Morgan, E.S. (1972) ‘Slavery and Freedom: The American Paradox’,
The Journal of American History, 59(1). Available at:
https://doi.org/10.2307/1888384.
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Malavet, P.A. (2004) ‘The legal relationship between Puerto Rico and the Estados Unidos de Norteamérica (United States of America)’, in
America’s colony: the political and cultural conflict between the United States and Puerto Rico. New York: New York University Press, pp. 28–48. Available at:
https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&db=nlabk&AN=219451.
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Denis, N.A. (2015) ‘Four Hundred Years of Solitude’, in War against all Puerto Ricans: revolution and terror in America’s colony. New York, NY: Nation Books, A Member of the Perseus Books Group, pp. 11–18.
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Ellner, S. (2012) ‘The Distinguishing Features of Latin America’s New Left in Power’,
Latin American Perspectives, 39(1), pp. 96–114. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1177/0094582X11425333.
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Nieto, J.Z. (2007) ‘U.S. Security Policies and United States–Colombia Relations’,
Latin American Perspectives, 34(1), pp. 112–119. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1177/0094582X06296356.
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Hakim, P. (2006) ‘Is Washington Losing Latin America?’,
Foreign Affairs, 85(1). Available at:
https://doi.org/10.2307/20031841.
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Abrams, E. (no date) ‘U.S. Policy Toward Venezuela Takes a Body Blow | Council on Foreign Relations’,
Council on Foreign Relations [Preprint]. Available at:
https://www.cfr.org/blog/us-policy-toward-venezuela-takes-body-blow.
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Pollack, M.A. (2015) ‘Who supports international law, and why?: The United States, the European Union, and the international legal order: Table 1.’,
International Journal of Constitutional Law, 13(4), pp. 873–900. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1093/icon/mov053.
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Çali, B. (2015) ‘Comparing the support of the EU and the US for international human rights law qua international human rights law: Worlds too far apart?’,
International Journal of Constitutional Law, 13(4), pp. 901–922. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1093/icon/mov058.
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Joseph R. Biden Jr. (no date) ‘Why American Must Lead Again: Recusing U.S. Foreign Policy after Trump’,
Foreign Affairs, 99(2). Available at:
http://heinonline.org/HOL/Page?public=false&handle=hein.journals/fora99&id=274.
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Löfflmann, G., Skonieczny, A. and Biegon, R. (2023) ‘The Trump Shock: Populism and Changing Narratives of US Foreign Policy’, in P. Giurlando and D.F. Wajner (eds)
Populist Foreign Policy. Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 117–145. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-22773-8_5.
The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course.
The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students.
Further reading can be obtained from this module's
reading list.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
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.
PHAIS General Office - 6.130; isugadmin@essex.ac.uk.
Yes
Yes
Yes
Dr Kevin Corstorphine
University of Hull
Lecturer
Available via Moodle
Of 40 hours, 1 (2.5%) hours available to students:
0 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
39 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s).
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