In the eyes of many the United States' southern region stands apart from the rest of the nation. Its institutions' have been described as \"peculiar,\" its culture lacking, and its people a \"problem.\" At the same time, \"the South\" is not an easily definable place. This Advanced Option Module examines southern identity and history from the antebellum period (1820-1861) to contemporary debates over the \"Global U.S. South.\" Using the insights of cultural, social, political, and economic history it will ask students to think of the South as a specific place as well as a national construction. Using traditional primary sources alongside works of fiction, film, and music, students will explore the often-complicated relationship between the U.S. South, nation, and world. Each week students will use the assigned readings and primary documents to evaluate the ways white southerners, African Americans, and recent immigrants shaped the region's history. Topics covered will include capitalism and slavery; the Civil War; Reconstruction; The New South; Dixie and commodification; Jim Crow; the Civil Rights Movement; southern food; the \"southernization\" of American life; and the Global U.S. South. Students will leave the module with a greater understanding of the complicated history and culture of the U.S. South and how it continues to shape national questions about race, citizenship, and belonging in America.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module students should be able to:
analyse and critically appraise key events and historical processes relevant to the subject under scrutiny
analyse and critically evaluate a wide range of relevant primary source material
critically evaluate the historiographical context and trends of the subject under exploration
summarise, synthesise and evaluate the subject material in a sophisticated written form
