Module overview
Within this module, you will have the opportunity to study different areas of American history. This will take place in student-led discussions, which are convened and supported by historians with experience in US history in varied forms. You will identify themes and subjects worthy of further analysis and discussion, with guidance and support from staff. As a group, you will work collaboratively to identify areas of particular interest, formulate reading lists, and determine research questions, all with the support of academics. This is with the expectation that these discussions and studies will enable you to undertake independent research at the cutting edge of American historiography and methodology.
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Transferable and Generic Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- research complex historical questions and communicate your findings convincingly and concisely in written assignments.
- utilise and develop your time-management skills.
- use to good effect textual, visual and material culture sources, synthesising this material to develop cogent and persuasive arguments.
Knowledge and Understanding
Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
- the history of America, in particular the different approaches taken by historians to American history.
- a wide variety of secondary source material relating to American history, including theoretical frameworks used in the field.
- a wide variety of primary sources relating to American history.
Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- apply your developed knowledge of American history, structuring your ideas and research findings into well-ordered written assignments.
- engage with historiography and theoretical frameworks, contributing to the debates relating to American history and its relationship to the wider world.
- undertake a thorough critical analysis and assessment of a variety of textual, visual and material culture sources.
Syllabus
Themes to be explored in this module may include re-interpreting American history, transformations in historiography, the state in American history, and sources and secrecy in American history.
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
Teaching methods include seminars.
Learning methods include close analysis of a range of primary sources and discussion of key themes and ideas.
| Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Completion of assessment task | 50 |
| Wider reading or practice | 26 |
| Preparation for scheduled sessions | 50 |
| Seminar | 24 |
| Total study time | 150 |
Resources & Reading list
Textbooks
David K. Johnson (2004). The Lavender Scare: the Cold War Persecution of Gays and Lesbians in the Federal Government. University of Chicago Press.
Richard Hofstadter (1996). The Paranoid Style in American Politics, and Other Essays. Harvard University Press.
Elaine Frantz Parson (2016). Ku-Klux: The Birth of the Klan during Reconstruction. University of North Carolina Press.
Cynthia Miller-Idriss (2020). Hate in the Homeland: the New Global Far Right. Princeton University Press.
Assessment
Summative
This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Written assignment | 100% |
Referral
This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Resubmit assessments | 100% |
Repeat
An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Written assignment | 100% |
Repeat Information
Repeat type: Internal & External