Course Details in 2024/25 Session

Module Title	LI Option: American Empire: The United States and the World
School	History and Cultures
Department	History
Module Code	09 38257
Module Lead	John Munro
Level	Intermediate Level
Credits	20
Semester	Semester 1
Pre-requisites
Co-requisites
Restrictions	None
Contact Hours	Lecture-10 hours Seminar-20 hours Guided independent study-170 hours Total: 200 hours
Exclusions
Description	How the United States – as the most powerful society in human history – conducts its foreign relations is of great significance to everyone on the planet. In this module, we will explore the imperial dimensions of transnational US history in order to understand how the country has risen to a position of unparalleled might. To come to terms with this story, we will focus on structures of dominance based on gender, race, and class in order to ascertain not only how the world has been influenced by the US but also how its projection of power has profoundly shaped the United States domestically. Using a broad definition of what constitutes "foreign relations" and adopting a critical approach to the idea of "American empire" we will pay attention to the policies of Presidents and Secretaries of State, but will also be concerned with themes of migration, consumerism, globalization, oppression, liberation, and forms of popular culture which both represent and construct the global trajectories of US power.
Learning Outcomes	By the end of the module students should be able to: Analyse and explain key events and historical processes relevant to the subject under scrutiny. Analyse and explain reasons for and implications of these events and processes. Identify the main scholarly views on the subject under investigation. Work with an appropriate degree of learner independence to explain and analyse the material under scrutiny. Communicate explanation and analysis of the subject clearly and effectively in writing.
Assessment	38257-01 : 3,000 word take home paper : Exam (School Arranged) - Written Seen (100%)
Assessment Methods & Exceptions	Assessment: S1 = 1 x 3,000 word essay (100%) S2 = 1 x 3,000 word Take Home Examination (100%) Reassessment: Resubmission of failed component(s)
Other
Reading List