COURSE UNIT TITLE

Offered By

American Culture and Literature (English)

Level of Course Unit

First Cycle Programmes (Bachelor's Degree)

Course Coordinator

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR LEMAN GIRESUNLU

Offered to

American Culture and Literature (English)

Course Objective

This course introduces students to major intellectual trends in American culture from the Turn of the Century to the 1950s as well as contemporaneously, based on each semester's study material. The content therefore should be expected to include major art works, architectural styles, cultural artifacts, literary works, intellectual trends, throughts and values deemed relevant as part of the cultural evolution and transformation underwent in the United States throughout the years.


The course focuses on the reasons for the objects/artifacts that make up the culture to exist and emerge in history, as well as the meaning patterns that these objects have gained in culture. During this course, students not only acquire field knowledge, but also gains knowledge and experience about presenting their work in the classroom by learning academic research methods. The content and mechanical structure of academic articles related to the field will also constitute part of the study process. Students who register to this course learn the steps of research, apply them to the subject matter they decide to research, develop their own ideas, learn to choose a research topic, classify, draft a research proposal, present proposal and final research in class. The course engourages students to work intensively and collaboratively in brain storming and working interactively with classmates. During the course, students learn to analyze subject matter form a critical distance.

Learning Outcomes of the Course Unit

Mode of Delivery

Face -to- Face

Prerequisites and Co-requisites

None

Recomended Optional Programme Components

None

Course Contents

Recomended or Required Reading

Thomas J. Schlereth, Material Culture: A Research Guide.
Arthur Asa Berger, What Objects Mean: An Introduction to Material Culture
Dan Hicks, The Oxford Handbook of Material Culture Studies ( Oxford Handbooks)
Jules David Prown and Kenneth Haltman, American Artifacts: Essays in American Culture.
( Course study resources maybe subject to change with prior notice)

Planned Learning Activities and Teaching Methods

Classes
1) All selected teaching material; written and visual are to be notified prior to the semester.
Syllabi maybe altered with due notice.
Lectures maybe inclusive of power point presentations; black board use, and handouts.
2) Teaching material is posted on the blog site (online) allowing for duly class preparation.
3) Audio/visual resources will be included to the class.
Computer applications:
The Course Blog will be inclusive of various course related reading and audio/visual material, as well as class related announcements.

Assessment Methods

Further Notes About Assessment Methods

Exams:
1. Throughout the semester two (2) exams will be administered.
2. Midterm: (%40)
Midterm exam will be in test form, inclusive of multiple choice, fill in the blanks, open ended
type questions. This exam aims to test student understanding of acquired information.
Final: (%60)
Final exam will be in test form, inclusive of multiple choice, fill in the blanks, open ended type
questions. This exam aims to test student understanding of acquired information.
Homeworks maybe assigned to constitue (%10) of the final grade.

Assessment Criteria

1 . Student research proposals are assesed based upon academic research and writing principles.
2. In class written or test exams asses knowledge
3. Student final paper and in class presentations are assesed based upon academic research and writing principles.
All submitted projects are expected to abide by academic code of ethics.

Language of Instruction

English

Course Policies and Rules

1) Class attendance is compulsory (%70)
2) Students held exempt from class participation, from a previous semester,
need be aware of current course content, as it maybe subject to alteration.
3) Students are expected to abide by academic code of ethics.

Contact Details for the Lecturer(s)

Faculty of Letters

Office Hours

To be announced.

Work Placement(s)

None

Workload Calculation

Contribution of Learning Outcomes to Programme Outcomes