Handbook 1996 : Faculty of Arts (Volume 3 page 149)
Politics subject : Next:166-110 | Prev:166-108 | Search | Help
166-109 "The American Political Mind: Witch Hunts, Outlaws and Frontiers" appears differently in several places - choose the one you want:
1. Politics, Faculty of Arts (v3, p149) : Next:166-110 | Prev:166-108
Year 1 Politics.
Credit points: 12.5 1st year
Coordinator: To be advised.
Contact: Two 1-hour lectures and a tutorial per week.
Timetable: First semester
Objectives:
Students who complete this subject should:
- have been introduced to key aspects of American political culture and tradition;
- have an understanding of the key aspects of the American political system;
- have an appreciation of key individuals, groups and movements which have shaped American life;
- be prepared for advanced subjects in Politics and North American studies.
Content:
This subject explores three principal traditions in American political culture: puritanism (witch hunts); individualism (outlaws); and the frontier. Beginning with their origins we will explore each of these traditions and their influence in American politics. The subject will then examine aspects of the U. S. Consitution and the way that the American Political system has changed.
Assessment:
Written work of 4,000 words.
1. Politics, Faculty of Arts (v3, p149) : Next:166-110 | Prev:166-108
2. Politics, Faculty of Educ(Parkville) (v5, p160) : Next:166-123 | Prev:166-104
Credit points: 12.5
Coordinator: To be advised.
Contact: Two 1-hour lectures and a tutorial each week.
Timetable: First semester.
Objectives:
Students who complete this subject should:
- have been introduced to key aspects of American political culture and tradition;
- have an appreciation of the ambivalences pervading American political discourse;
- have an appreciation of key individuals, groups and movements which have shaped the American political psyche;
- have been introduced to the use of political speeches and texts, symbolic forms and visual representations for the study of political culture;
- be prepared for advanced subjects in Politics and North American studies.
Content:
This subject explores three principal traditions in American political culture: puritanism (witch hunts); individualism (outlaws); and the frontier. Beginning with their origins we will explore each of these traditions and their influence in American political culture. Discussions of Puritanism will include the New England witch hunts, the antebellum moral reformers, the Scopes Monkey Trial, Prohibition, McCarthyism, TV evangelists and the phenomenon known as "political correctness". The exploration of Outlaws will look at extreme individualism - those living above or beyond the law - and individuals like Huck Finn, Wyatt Earp, Teddy Roosevelt, and Oliver North, as well as vigilante groups. Finally, this subject explores the importance of the idea of the Frontier in American political culture. This will include an examination of the continental frontier (the Turner thesis), the hemispheric frontier (Monroe Doctrine), the global frontier (the post-war order) and the American frontier in space.
Assessment:
Written work of 4,000 words.
* Note that CONTACT, CONTENT, OBJECTIVES, POINTS, TITLE differs from the maintainer's version above. A log of variations is available.
2. Politics, Faculty of Educ(Parkville) (v5, p160) : Next:166-123 | Prev:166-104
Status: Official 1996 Date created: Oct 9 1995 Last modified: Oct 9 1995 Authorised by: Academic Registrar Email enquiries: Course_Information@registrar.unimelb.edu.au
Maintained by: Dept. of Political Science, Faculty of Arts.
Copyright © University of Melbourne 1995,1996.