COURSE UNIT TITLE

: STUDIES IN AMERICAN IDEA AND THOUGHT

Description of Individual Course Units

Course Unit Code Course Unit Title Type Of Course D U L ECTS
AKE 6042 STUDIES IN AMERICAN IDEA AND THOUGHT ELECTIVE 3 0 0 8

Offered By

American Culture and Literature

Level of Course Unit

Third Cycle Programmes (Doctorate Degree)

Course Coordinator

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR ESRA ÇÖKER

Offered to

American Culture and Literature

Course Objective

This course seeks to examine thought and culture in America through an intensive reading and discussion of essays written by major American thinkers and scholars. Representative works of thought will be considered through the lens of thematic issues that have given rise to American major cultural and political myths.

Learning Outcomes of the Course Unit

1   Analyze influential essays of major American scholars that have given rise to American major cultural and political myths.
2   Distinguish cultural and political myths related to the formation of American identity in selected texts.
3   Understand the place of "myth" in American culture.
4   Distinguish social and cultural values (such as rugged individualism, Protestant Work Ethic, Progress) that have shaped American way of thinking.
5   Demonstrate high competency in critical thinking and analytical skills.

Mode of Delivery

Face -to- Face

Prerequisites and Co-requisites

None

Recomended Optional Programme Components

None

Course Contents

Week Subject Description
1 Introduction: The Significance of Myths in American Culture Class Discussion
2 America s National Myth: The American Creed Class Discussion
3 Presentations Class Discussion
4 Puritans , the Covenant and the Myth of the Chosen People Class Discussion
5 Presentations Class Discussion
6 The Revolutionary Generation and the Myth of Natural Rights Class Discussion
7 The Early National Period and the Myth of the Christian Nation Class Discussion
8 The American Self and the Myth of the American Adam Class Discussion
9 The Virgin Land and the Myth of the Frontier Class Discussion
10 Manifest Destiny and the Myth of Exceptionalism Class Discussion
11 Presentations Class Discussion
12 Multiculturalism and the Myth of the Melting Pot Class Discussion
13 Individualism and Equality in the United States Class Discussion
14 Presentations Class Discussion

Recomended or Required Reading

Bellah, Robert Neelly and et al. Habits of the Heart: Individualism and Commitment in American Life.
Berkeley: U of California P, 1985.
Bender, David and Bruno Leone, eds. American Values: Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego: Greenhaven, 1989.
Breidlid, Anders and et al, eds. American Culture: An Anthology of Civilization Texts. London:
Routledge, 1996.
Colombo, Gary, Robert Cullen and Bonne Isle, eds. Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for
Critical Thinking and Writing. New York: St, Martin s, 1995.
Hollinger, David. Postethnic America; Beyond Multiculturalism. Basic, 1995.
Horsman, Reginald. Race and Manifest Destiny: The Origins of American Racial Anglo-Saxonism. Cambridge;
Harvard UP, 1981.
Hughes, Richard T. Myths America Lives By. Urbana: Univery of Illinois, 2003.
Lipset, Seymour Martin. American Exceptionalism: A Double-Edged Sword. New York: Norton, 1996.

Planned Learning Activities and Teaching Methods

1. Courses: Courses are the primary components of instruction among teaching strategies to lay the theoretical basis of subject and introduce the reading material relevant to the studied topic. Courses display a central role in getting to know the terms and concepts defining the topic.
2. In-Class discussions: In-class discussions aim at questioning the applicability of course material to diverse situations and thus increasing the factual tangibility of the information. The last hour of each weekly lecture is reserved for discussions.
3. Visual presentations and films: It includes the in-class projection of visual data such as pictures, illustrations, photographs, and maps as well as films and documentaries complementing the topic.

Assessment Methods

SORTING NUMBER SHORT CODE LONG CODE FORMULA
1 MTE MIDTERM EXAM
2 FCG FINAL COURSE GRADE
3 FCGR FINAL COURSE GRADE MTE * 0.40 + FCG* 0.60
4 RST RESIT
5 FCGR FINAL COURSE GRADE (RESIT) MTE * 0.40 + RST* 0.60


*** Resit Exam is Not Administered in Institutions Where Resit is not Applicable.

Further Notes About Assessment Methods

None

Assessment Criteria

1. Midterm exam covers the topics instructed in class from the beginning of semester to the day of the exam.
2. Final exam covers the topics instructed in class after the midterm exam to the end of the semester, with some vital references to the content of the midterm exam.
3. Some exam questions are essay type questions that require students to use their analytical and comprehension skills.
4. Students are expected to give reference to the primary sources that they use.

Language of Instruction

English

Course Policies and Rules

1. Students are required to attend 70% of the course schedule.
2. No dictionaries are allowed during the exam. All vocabulary used in the exam are covered previously in the class and expected to be familiar to the student.
3. Any form of cheating in the exam will result in a zero grade and also in disciplinary action.

Contact Details for the Lecturer(s)

korpez@hotmail.com veya esra.coker@deu.edu.tr

Office Hours

Will be scheduled according to the annual program schedule.

Work Placement(s)

None

Workload Calculation

Activities Number Time (hours) Total Work Load (hours)
Lectures 15 3 45
Preparations before/after weekly lectures 12 7 84
Preparation for midterm exam 1 15 15
Preparation for final exam 1 15 15
Preparing assignments 3 7 21
Preparing presentations 4 5 20
Final 1 3 3
Midterm 1 3 3
TOTAL WORKLOAD (hours) 206

Contribution of Learning Outcomes to Programme Outcomes

PO/LOPO.1PO.2PO.3PO.4PO.5PO.6PO.7PO.8PO.9PO.10PO.11PO.12PO.13PO.14PO.15PO.16PO.17
LO.1444353555454
LO.2334353555454
LO.355445555455
LO.455443555455
LO.555443555455