Programme/Approved Electives for 2021/22
None
Available as a Free Standing Elective
Yes
How did the United States develop into the deeply divided superpower of the 2020s? By exploring a range of primary and secondary sources, you will develop the tools for more detailed historical investigation. From the close of World War I through the Cold War and the culture wars, you'll examine a range of events and developments relating to politics, economics, foreign relations, race, gender and sexuality that have shaped the modern United States.
Aims
This module seeks to engage students in a critical discussion of crucial issues in twentieth-century US history. We will examine selected developments in American politics and society using primary and secondary source materials. This will give students a sense of how people thought about themselves and their society in various decades, and provide a backdrop for understanding current affairs in the US.
Talis Aspire Reading ListAny reading lists will be provided by the start of the course.http://lists.lib.keele.ac.uk/modules/ams-20063/lists
Intended Learning Outcomes
Describe and analyze the main developments in US history from the turn-of-the century to the 1990s and engage with differing interpretations of important events in this time period: 1,2Discuss and interpret texts and present findings in appropriate oral and/or written form: 1,2Evaluate evidence critically, argue logically, and challenge taken-for-granted assumptions: 1,2Apply their critical understanding of historical processes through the analysis of a range of primary and secondary texts relating to the development of the United States in the twentieth century: 1,2
12 one-hour lectures: 12 hours 12 one-hour seminars: 12 hours12 one-hour workshops: 12 hoursRequired readings and seminar preparation: 40 hoursShort paper preparation: 26 hours Long essay preparation: 48 hours
Description of Module Assessment
1: Short Paper weighted 35%Short paper (c. 1500 words)Short paper of 1500 words (+/- 10%, excluding notes and bibliography). Students will analyse and contextualise a primary source relating to a topic area covered in this module.
2: Essay weighted 65%Long essay (c. 2,000 words)Submitted essay of 2,000 words (+/-10%, excluding notes and bibliography). Students will either choose from a choice of questions, or create a question in consultation with the seminar tutor.
This assessment will develop the ability to engage with relevant scholarship and to construct a persuasive argument concerning a topic or theme addressed in the module. It tests all of the module ILOs.