Introduction to culture and history of the USA 340-AS1-2ACHW

American Studies is a field of knowledge and a university course on more than 400 universities around the globe. The fundamental goal and rationale behind drawing up a course such as ours is, above all, to offer a dissection and an interdisciplinary investigation into the American experiment, to generate a genuine interest in various aspects of the ‘American way of life’ as well as laying the foundations for a better understanding of such a complex country. It is hoped that having gone through the course, students will pursue their individual interests in the field, thus shedding some more light on their favourite aspects of the USA, be it social, cultural, political or other. Viewed from this perspective, the course may be treated as an intellectual springboard for a fuller, more accurate grasp of what America has come to be and denote.

The areas to be looked into and discussed during the lectures and classes include:

- The Defining Events in US History
- The Key Achievements of American Culture
- Traditional American Values and Beliefs
- The American Religious Heritage
- The Frontier Heritage
- The Heritage of Abundance
- The World of American Business
- Government and Politics in the United States
- Ethnic and Racial Diversity in the United State
- Education in the United States
- How Americans Spend Their Leisure Time
- The American Family
- American Values at the Crossroads

Presentations - suggested topics:

1. The funny industry of America - przemysł rozrywkowy USA – jego historia i prezentowany przez niego prześmiewczy wizerunek Ameryki.
2. A nation of immigrants. Ameryka jako kraj imigrantów - geneza, źródła i historia fal imigracji do USA.
3. Historia zimnej wojny w kontekście współczesnej polityki zagranicznej USA.
4. 9/11 – zamachy terrorystyczne 11 września – przyczyny oraz skutki dla USA.
5. Hollywoodzkie spojrzenie na wojnę – analiza wybranych filmów, relacje Hollywood z armią amerykańską. Propaganda pro-amerykańska.
6. Polityka językowa w USA. Status języka angielskiego w USA. Status mniejszości językowych.
7. Who needs first ladies? – rola ‘instytucji’ pierwszej damy w historii USA.

1. SCHUCK P. H. AND JAMES Q. WILSON (eds.) (2008) Understanding America. The Anatomy of an Exceptional Nation. New York: Public Affairs.
2. ROBB L. D. (2004) Operation Hollywood. How the Pentagon Shapes and Censors the Movies. New York: Prometheus Books.
3. BREWER S. A. (2009) Why America Fights. Patriotism and War Propaganda from the Philippines to Iraq. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
4. ROLLINS P.C. AND JOHN E. O’CONNOR (eds.) (2008) America’s Wars in Film and History. Why We Fought. Kentucky: The University Press of Kentucky.
5. LOVEVALL F. (2002) Terrorism and 9/11. A reader. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.
6. TRUMAN M. (1995) First Ladies. An Intimate Group Portrait of White House Wives. New York: Fawcett Books.
7. MASLON L. AND MICHAEL KANTOR (2008) Make’em Laugh. The Funny Business of America. New York: Twelve.
8. HARRIS B. (2005) First Ladies Factbook. New York: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, Inc.
9. Gaddis J. . Teraz juz wiemy. Howa historia zimnej wojny. Warszawa, Amber, 1997.
10. ________. Bezład. trans. Krzysztof Murawski. Warszawa: Editions Spotkania, 1993.
11. ________. Strategies of Containment, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1982.
12. ________. The Game Plan. USA vs USSR. Translated by Jerzy Kowalski. Warszawa: Nowe Wydawnictwo Polskie, 1990.
13. ________. The United States and the End of the Cold War, New York: Oxford University Press, 1992.
14. Brzeziński Z.. Wielka Szachownica. Trans. Tomasz Wyżyński. Warszawa: Politeja, 1997.
15. Daalder I.H. and Lindsay J.M. 2003 America Unbound The Bush Revolution in Foreign Policy. Washington: Brookings Institution Press
16. Crawford, J. (ed.), [1992] Language Loyalties. A Sourcebook on the Official English Controversy. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
17. Dendrinos B., Gounari P., Macedo D., The Hegemony of English, Paradigm Publishers, Colorado 2003.
18. Kamensky, J., Governing the Tongue. The Politics of Speech in Early New England. Oxford University Press, 1997, Oxford
19. Phillipson R., Linguistic Imperialism, Oxford University Press, New York 1992.
20. Daniels, R., [2002] Coming to America. A History of Immigration and Ethnicity in American Life. Perennial, New York.
21. Daniels, R., [2005] Guarding the Golden Door. American Immigration Policy and Immigrants since 1882. Hill and Wang, New York.
22. Gabaccia, D. R., [2002] Immigration and American Diversity. A Social and Cultural History. Blackwell Publishers, Oxford.
23. Maryanne Datesman, JoAnn Crandall, Edward N. Kearny (eds.), [2014], American Ways: An Introduction to American Culture (4th Edition). Pearson

1. SCHUCK P. H. AND JAMES Q. WILSON (eds.) (2008) Understanding America. The Anatomy of an Exceptional Nation. New York: Public Affairs.
2. ROBB L. D. (2004) Operation Hollywood. How the Pentagon Shapes and Censors the Movies. New York: Prometheus Books.
3. BREWER S. A. (2009) Why America Fights. Patriotism and War Propaganda from the Philippines to Iraq. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
4. ROLLINS P.C. AND JOHN E. O’CONNOR (eds.) (2008) America’s Wars in Film and History. Why We Fought. Kentucky: The University Press of Kentucky.
5. LOVEVALL F. (2002) Terrorism and 9/11. A reader. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.
6. TRUMAN M. (1995) First Ladies. An Intimate Group Portrait of White House Wives. New York: Fawcett Books.
7. MASLON L. AND MICHAEL KANTOR (2008) Make’em Laugh. The Funny Business of America. New York: Twelve.
8. HARRIS B. (2005) First Ladies Factbook. New York: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, Inc.
9. Gaddis J. . Teraz juz wiemy. Howa historia zimnej wojny. Warszawa, Amber, 1997.
10. ________. Bezład. trans. Krzysztof Murawski. Warszawa: Editions Spotkania, 1993.
11. ________. Strategies of Containment, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1982.
12. ________. The Game Plan. USA vs USSR. Translated by Jerzy Kowalski. Warszawa: Nowe Wydawnictwo Polskie, 1990.
13. ________. The United States and the End of the Cold War, New York: Oxford University Press, 1992.
14. Brzeziński Z.. Wielka Szachownica. Trans. Tomasz Wyżyński. Warszawa: Politeja, 1997.
15. Daalder I.H. and Lindsay J.M. 2003 America Unbound The Bush Revolution in Foreign Policy. Washington: Brookings Institution Press
16. Crawford, J. (ed.), [1992] Language Loyalties. A Sourcebook on the Official English Controversy. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
17. Dendrinos B., Gounari P., Macedo D., The Hegemony of English, Paradigm Publishers, Colorado 2003.
18. Kamensky, J., Governing the Tongue. The Politics of Speech in Early New England. Oxford University Press, 1997, Oxford
19. Phillipson R., Linguistic Imperialism, Oxford University Press, New York 1992.
20. Daniels, R., [2002] Coming to America. A History of Immigration and Ethnicity in American Life. Perennial, New York.
21. Daniels, R., [2005] Guarding the Golden Door. American Immigration Policy and Immigrants since 1882. Hill and Wang, New York.
22. Gabaccia, D. R., [2002] Immigration and American Diversity. A Social and Cultural History. Blackwell Publishers, Oxford.
23. Maryanne Datesman, JoAnn Crandall, Edward N. Kearny (eds.), [2014], American Ways: An Introduction to American Culture (4th Edition). Pearson

1. SCHUCK P. H. AND JAMES Q. WILSON (eds.) (2008) Understanding America. The Anatomy of an Exceptional Nation. New York: Public Affairs.
2. ROBB L. D. (2004) Operation Hollywood. How the Pentagon Shapes and Censors the Movies. New York: Prometheus Books.
3. BREWER S. A. (2009) Why America Fights. Patriotism and War Propaganda from the Philippines to Iraq. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
4. ROLLINS P.C. AND JOHN E. O’CONNOR (eds.) (2008) America’s Wars in Film and History. Why We Fought. Kentucky: The University Press of Kentucky.
5. LOVEVALL F. (2002) Terrorism and 9/11. A reader. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.
6. TRUMAN M. (1995) First Ladies. An Intimate Group Portrait of White House Wives. New York: Fawcett Books.
7. MASLON L. AND MICHAEL KANTOR (2008) Make’em Laugh. The Funny Business of America. New York: Twelve.
8. HARRIS B. (2005) First Ladies Factbook. New York: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, Inc.
9. Gaddis J. . Teraz juz wiemy. Howa historia zimnej wojny. Warszawa, Amber, 1997.
10. ________. Bezład. trans. Krzysztof Murawski. Warszawa: Editions Spotkania, 1993.
11. ________. Strategies of Containment, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1982.
12. ________. The Game Plan. USA vs USSR. Translated by Jerzy Kowalski. Warszawa: Nowe Wydawnictwo Polskie, 1990.
13. ________. The United States and the End of the Cold War, New York: Oxford University Press, 1992.
14. Brzeziński Z.. Wielka Szachownica. Trans. Tomasz Wyżyński. Warszawa: Politeja, 1997.
15. Daalder I.H. and Lindsay J.M. 2003 America Unbound The Bush Revolution in Foreign Policy. Washington: Brookings Institution Press
16. Crawford, J. (ed.), [1992] Language Loyalties. A Sourcebook on the Official English Controversy. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
17. Dendrinos B., Gounari P., Macedo D., The Hegemony of English, Paradigm Publishers, Colorado 2003.
18. Kamensky, J., Governing the Tongue. The Politics of Speech in Early New England. Oxford University Press, 1997, Oxford
19. Phillipson R., Linguistic Imperialism, Oxford University Press, New York 1992.
20. Daniels, R., [2002] Coming to America. A History of Immigration and Ethnicity in American Life. Perennial, New York.
21. Daniels, R., [2005] Guarding the Golden Door. American Immigration Policy and Immigrants since 1882. Hill and Wang, New York.
22. Gabaccia, D. R., [2002] Immigration and American Diversity. A Social and Cultural History. Blackwell Publishers, Oxford.
23. Maryanne Datesman, JoAnn Crandall, Edward N. Kearny (eds.), [2014], American Ways: An Introduction to American Culture (4th Edition). Pearson

Sufficient knowledge of English must be at a level capable of reading and understanding both original historical texts and contemporary reporting and editorializing:
Questions concerning individual lecture topics will constitute the final written exam.

- The sick leave should be presented to the lecturer within the period of two weeks after issuing the document
- The main platforms of the course will be Blackboard and USOSmai.

Sufficient knowledge of English must be at a level capable of reading and understanding both original historical texts and contemporary reporting and editorializing:
Questions concerning individual lecture topics will constitute the final written exam.

Sufficient knowledge of English must be at a level capable of reading and understanding both original historical texts and contemporary reporting and editorializing:
Questions concerning individual lecture topics will constitute the final written exam.