Module Identifier GG26010  
Module Title THE AMERICAS  
Academic Year 2003/2004  
Co-ordinator Dr Deborah P Dixon  
Semester Semester 2  
Other staff Dr Luke C Desforges, Professor Timothy J Cresswell  
Course delivery Lecture   20 Hours 10 x 2 hours  
Assessment
Assessment TypeAssessment Length/DetailsProportion
Semester Exam2 Hours Seen examination - answer two questions from four.100%
Supplementary Exam2 Hours Resit examination in same format.100%

Learning outcomes

On completion of this module students will have gained an appreciation of:-

Students will be able to:


Aims

The aim of this module is to introduce students to the varied social, economic, and cultural landscapes of the Americas.

Content

The purpose of this module is to introduce students to the varied social, economic, and cultural landscapes of the Americas. Focusing on several key themes, such as colonization and independence, nation building and modernization, the course will emphasize how and why diverse forms of government have attempted to 'shape' New World social formations, as well as the aims and ideals of select groups who have worked to produce alternate visions of society. In-depth case studies ranging from the making of the American West to the Cuban revolution, and from the civil rights movement to the rise of Aryan patriot groups will be used to draw out these themes. Students will read both theoretical works and empirical studies of particular peoples and places, and will explore how people and place have been represented in maps as well as diverse written texts. Themes:

  1. Colonial Encounters
  2. Independence in the New World and its Legacy
  3. Modernization and Development in the US
  4. Modernization and Development in Central and South America
  5. Imagining America
  6. Nation Building and Cultural Marginalization
  7. Socialism and its Variations across the Americas
  8. Race: From Civil Rights to Patriotism
  9. New Social Movements
  10. Conclusions and Revision

Reading Lists

Books
** Essential Reading
Radcliffe, Sarah (1993) Viva: Women and popular Protest in Latin America. London: Routledge. Classmark: JC311.R1
Cronon, William, Miles, George and Gitlin,Jay (eds) (1992) Under an Open Sky: Rethinking America's Western Past. Norton. Classmark: F591.U5
Jackson, John Brinckerhoff (1994) A Sense of Place, A Sense of Time. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. Classmark: GF90.I6
Kay, Cristobal (1989) Latin American Theories of Development and Underdevelopment. London: Routledge.
Nelson Limerick, Patricia (1987) The Legacy of Conquest. Norton. Classmark: F591.T7

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 5