American studies

Introduction to American Studies

Module code: T7044
Level 4
15 credits in autumn semester
Teaching method: Seminar, Lecture
Assessment modes: Coursework

This module will introduce you to a range of key concepts, methodological tools, and theoretical approaches to the interdisciplinary study of American culture. In doing so, it will introduce the analytical and intellectual frameworks that you will use throughout your undergraduate American Studies degree and beyond.

Throughout the module, these concepts, methods, and theories will be applied to a wide range of significant American cultural material, including film, music, images, and, of course, literature. The module also provides you with formal guidance and instruction in the practice of essay writing, referencing, and how to read academic texts effectively.

Module learning outcomes

• Develop knowledge and understanding of 'interdisciplinarity' as underlying principle in American Studies.
• Evaluate the principal features of American Studies as a discipline.
• Develop in essay form interpretive arguments that draw upon American Studies methodologies.