English-Speaking Countries after World War II

2023/2024

Category 'Best Course for Broadening Horizons and Diversity of Knowledge and Skills'

Category 'Best Course for New Knowledge and Skills'

Type: Mago-Lego

Delivered by: School of Foreign Languages

When: 3, 4 module

Online hours: 20

Open to: students of all HSE University campuses

Instructors: Alexey Bakulev, Elena Styrina

Language: English

ECTS credits: 6

Contact hours: 50

Full Syllabus Ask Question

Abstract

Designed to encourage language skills and critical thinking, the course invites students to learn about and reflect on important aspects of the history, culture, and language of English-speaking countries since 1945. Students are exposed to various materials including primary sources, analytical essays, interviews, and films and encourage to evaluate and interpret those materials and draw their own conclusions about historic, political, social, economic, and cultural phenomena of the countries both in the regional and worldwide contexts.

Learning Objectives

To provide extensive knowledge on history, geography, culture, political environment, and social life of the English speaking countries, especially the UK and the USA, since 1945.
To develop skills of intercultural communication in English-speaking environments in the UK and US context since 1945.
To further develop students’ critical thinking skills in the context of the UK and US studies.
To teach students to analyze historic, cultural, economic, social, and political phenomena in terms of the 5 C's of historical thinking: context, causality, change over time, contingency, and complexity.

Expected Learning Outcomes

Students will adhere to British behavioral culture taking into consideration English, Scottish, Welsh, Irish attitudes, values, linguistic norms and conversational formulas.
Students will review, analyze and evaluate the context, causes, and effects of major political and socio-cultural events in the UK after WWII.
Students will analyze the current political situation in the UK, paying special attention to the reasons for and outcomes of Brexit.
Students will review, analyze, and evaluate the U.S. identity in the language alongside cross- and intercultural contexts.
Students will review the WWII immediate context and evalutate critically the role of the U.S in it.
Students will review, analyze, and evaluate the context, causes, and emerging effects of the Containment and the Cold War.
Students will review, analyze and interpret the major international affairs the U.S. has been involved in since 1945.
Students will review, analyze and interpret the contexts of the Civil Rights Movement and other internal conflicts, including the tensions between the Democrats and Republicans.

Course Contents

Identity in the UK.
20-21 centuries. The UK as part of the world
Internal conflicts in the UK in modern era. What is what in modern Britain?
The U.S. Identity
The End of WWII
The U.S. and Russia/U.S.S.R: The Cold War and Containment
The U.S. International Affairs
The U.S. Internal Conflicts

Assessment Elements

Online Course
Students do not have to complete the final test given by the platform; they will be given the one designed by their course professor(s).
Presentations
You will make one presentation per module. If a student reads the script of the presentation, they get a warning. If the reading continues, the student gets a zero.
Final Examination
The final exam is conducted orally and includes questions covering the materials of both Module 3 and Module 4. The final exam materials and criteria can be updated closer to the end of the course, but no later than the terms specified in the HSE University regulating documents.
Essays
You will write one essay per module.
Tests / Quizzes
The number of tests will depend on the group dynamics, but there will be at least two tests per module.
Class Participation and Home Assignments
Class participation involves taking part in discussions, debates, round-table talks, case studies; independent preparation for seminars (information search; reading papers; watching videos; annotating and rendering the obtained materials). If a seminar is held online, class participation is graded under the condition that the student keeps their camera on. Online participation via chat only is worth 1 point maximum.

Interim Assessment

2023/2024 4th module
0.1 * Class Participation and Home Assignments + 0.2 * Essays + 0.3 * Final Examination + 0.1 * Online Course + 0.1 * Presentations + 0.2 * Tests / Quizzes

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

A Few Lessons from American History: Reader for Students of English . — Москва : СТАТУТ, 2014. — 80 с. — ISBN 978-5-8354-1011-8. — Текст : электронный // Лань : электронно-библиотечная система. — URL: https://e.lanbook.com/book/61518 (дата обращения: 00.00.0000). — Режим доступа: для авториз. пользователей.
Royle, E. (2012). Modern Britain Third Edition : A Social History 1750-2011 (Vol. 3rd ed). London: Bloomsbury Academic. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=435126
The United States since 1945 : a documentary reader, , 2009

Recommended Additional Bibliography

Erickson, C. W. (2004). Counterterror Mobilization and Democracy: A Comparison of the War(s) on Terror of the United States and Russia, 1998-2004. Conference Papers —— Midwestern Political Science Association, 1–68. https://doi.org/mpsa_proceeding_24932.PDF
Hannerz, U. (1989). Cities of the United States: studies in urban anthropology (Book). International Journal of Urban & Regional Research, 13(1), 168. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=sih&AN=10329995
Зайцева С.Е., Щавелева Е.Н. - Curious Facts about Great Britain. (Бакалавриат и специалитет) - КноРус - 2019 - ISBN: 978-5-406-00958-1 - Текст электронный // ЭБС BOOKRU - URL: https://book.ru/book/932467

Authors

STYRINA ELENA VYACHESLAVOVNA
BAKULEV Aleksey VALENTINOVICH

Course Syllabus