131-145 USA Today: Society, Culture, Identity

This subject is recommended for students wishing to complete a major in American studies.

The subject will examine a number of important aspects of American society today, and offer historical, cultural and political analysis of how things came to be the way they are. Stories prominent in the American news media in recent years have included the 'war on terror', a presidential indiscretion, a high school shooting. Editorials debate the death penalty, illegal immigrants, the state of American schools. Sports sections explore why basketball coaches are so often white, while fashion pages show photographs of impossibly thin models. This course examines American society and culture since the 1960s. It looks behind the headlines, and analyses the people and the events that made them. Utilising media analysis, television documentaries and examples of American popular culture, we explore the attitudes of Americans to diversity, gender issues, social inequalities and government. The course aims to give students an awareness of the trajectory of present-day debates about America. Students should gain a critical and interpretative understanding of the state of the USA today and its history, and have acquired skills and strategies for research on contemporary America.

Class participation and written work totalling 4000 words.

A subject reader will be available.