American Life and Institutions

BA level studies

English in Public Communication

semester 4

full time studies

obligatory courses

(in Polish) Realizowany w sali

ECTS points in relation to student’s duties

Number of ECTS points: 2

1 ECTS – 30 hours: participation in classes

1 ECTS – 25 hours: preparation + 5 hours: consultations

Course description

The course highlights manifold aspects of life in the United States in all its diversity, uniqueness and contradictory nature.

Course objectives:

The main aim of the course is to familiarise the students with key facts regarding American Life and Institutions in the modern times.

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Course content:

Major thematic focus of the course will fall on such issues as American spaces (utopias, dystopias and the ground in between); checks and balances: different branches of power, including executive, legislative power and the judiciary; multiculturalism; elections; the position of the United States on the international stage and its relations with other countries; major legislative acts; the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution and the pervasive recurrence of gun violence in the last twenty years; the genesis of the Democratic and Republican party; religion; education; American Universities and campuses; American economy: various economic theories and the most recent economic crisis.

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Methods of instruction/ forms of classroom activity:

multimedia presentation, discussion, pair-work, group work, ICT tools/MSTeams

Reading list

Bordman, M. In The USA.

Bromhead, Peter. Life in Modern America. New Edition. - Harlow: Longman, 1988.

Fiedler, Eckhard. America in Close-up. Harlow : Longman, 1995.

Gołębiowski, Marek. Dzieje kultury amerykańskiej. Warszawa : Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, 2007.

Lewicki, Zbigniew. Historia cywilizacji amerykańskiej : era sprzeczności: 1787-1865.

Warszawa : Wydawnictwo Naukowe Scholar, 2010.

--------. Historia cywilizacji amerykańskiej: era tworzenia: 1787-1865. Warszawa : Wydawnictwo Naukowe Scholar, 2010.

--------. Historia cywilizacji amerykańskiej. Tom 3. Warszawa : Wydawnictwo Naukowe Scholar, 2012.

Steveneson, Douglas K. American Life and Institutions. Stuttgart : Ernst Klett Verlag, 1997.

Supplementary reading

Diniejko, A. An Introduction to The United States of America.

Falk, R. Spotlight on The USA.

Fine, S., & Brown, G. The American Past.

Foner, Eric. American History Now.

Meikle, Jeffrey L. American Plastic: A Cultural History.

Morrison, S.E. The Oxford History of the American People.

Murolo, Priscilla. From the Folks Who Brought You the Weekend: A Short, Illustrated History of Labor in the United States.

O’Callaghan, B. An Illustrated History of The USA.

Tiersky, E. and Tiersky, M. The USA: Customs and Institutions.

Learning outcomes acc to PRK 2019

Knowledge

Student knows and understands

1. economic, political and institutional facts referring to American Life and Institutions in the modern times (k_W06/ P6S_WG)

2. principles of functioning of American institutions, systems, norms and values (k_W09/P6S_WK)

Skills

Student can

3. create and read English-language texts and prepare elaborate presentations relating to American Life and Institutions in the modern times (k_U04/P6S_UK)

Social competences

Student is ready to

4. participate in various forms of cultural life in and engaged and creative way (k_K04/P6S_KO)

Forms of evaluation of learning outcomes

1. Active participation in class - 20% of the final grade (outcome 1,2,3,4)

2. Student presentations - 30% of the final grade (outcome 1,2,3)

2. Final written test - 50% of the final grade (outcome 1,2)

Pass at 60% of the final grade