AN3026MA:

Introduction to the Profession of American Studies

(American Studies MA, Year 1, required, Fall 2016)

Place: Studio 111

Time: MON 10:00-11:40

Tutor: Tibor Glant

Office hours: MON 9-10 & TUE 12-13, and by appointment (120/2, ext. 22507; )

Course description

As the title indicates, this course is intended to provide students – coming in some cases with undergraduate degrees in fields other than English – with an introduction to the field of American Studies and in particular the nuts and bolts of the practice of this profession. After some review of the emergence and history of American Studies as a discipline (situating it in a broader academic context, as well as examining its most recent developments) the course will focus on a variety of practical issues, ranging from research methodology, American Studies around the world with special attention to major organizations, research centers, and conferences to reference literature and other important print and online resources. The basic rules of Academic English, formulating and developing a thesis, researching a topic using traditional and online techniques, the mechanics of documentation, and avoiding plagiarism will all be discussed.

Course requirements

Students will make 10-15-minute group presentations on the various topics listed in the syllabus or raised by the students themselves. The final project for the course will be a 2,500-word academic paper (fully footnoted) presented at a mock conference held in mid-December. A midterm test will be taken on October 17 on all the readings and presentations up to that point. These are all course requirements and failing to complete any of these will result in a fail grade.

Grading policy

Class participation: 25%; In-class presentation: 20%; midterm: 25%; final project (written form): 30%. 100-91%: 5; 90-81: 4; 80-71: 3; 70-61: 2; 60 or below: fail.

Additional information

Required readings are listed under each class below. Most readings are available online or in PDF format from the teachers. The Bissinger book is available from Teri, the film from Eszter in the library. These must be digested BEFORE the November 21 class.

The final project must comply with all the rules of written academic English, including referencing either according to the MLA or the Chicago Manual of Style (both will be introduced in class). The presentation at the mock conference is NOT part of the grade, but it offers an opportunity to students to present their research before a professional audience (fellow students and department staff) and help them decide on the topic of their MA thesis. The conference performance will only improve grades. The essay submission deadline is the start of the last class, 10 a.m. on December 19, 2016.

Students participating in the OTDK this year will give their presentation at the IEAS OTDK event on December 2.


Week-by-week description of course

Week 1 (SEP 19): Orientation

Discussion of syllabus, setting deadlines for papers, presentations, and the mock conference.

Week 2 (SEP 26): American Studies: Theory and Practice

Readings: Henry Nash Smith, “Can ‘American Studies’ Develop a Method?” (JSTOR); Roy Harvey Pearce: “American Studies as a Discipline” (JSTOR); Bruce Kuklick: “Myth and Symbol in American Studies”(JSTOR); Alan Wolfe, “Anti-American Studies” The New Republic, February 20, 2003 (http://www.newrepublic.com/article/anti-american-studies#). Please read the articles in this order.

Week 3 (OCT 03): American Studies in Hungary

Readings: Éva Federmayer, “American Studies in Hungary” (http://ejas.revues.org/451 EJAS 2006/1); AND the two related articles from the BA level Introduction to American Studies from Országh and Abádi-Nagy: Zsolt Virágos, ed., Országh László válogatott írásai (Debrecen: Kossuth Egyetemi Kiadó, 2007), 22-28; and Zoltán Abádi-Nagy, “Anglisztika-amerikanisztika a mai Magyarországon” in Tibor Frank and Krisztina Károly, eds. Anglisztika és Amerikanisztika. Magyar kutatások az ezredfordulón (Budapest: Tinta Könyvkiadó, 2009): 13-31.

Week 4 (OCT 10): Anti-Americanism, Anti-American Studies

The nature of Anti-Americanism in the US and abroad. Student presentations on case studies. Readings: Paul Hollander, “Introduction: The New Virulence and Popularity” in Paul Hollander, ed., Understanding Anti-Americanism: Its Origins and Impact at Home and Abroad (Chicago: Ivan R. Dee, 2004); Max Paul Friedman, “Anti-Americanism and U.S. Foreign relations” (PDF, Diplomatic History Vol. 32, No. 4, 2008).

Week 5 (OCT 17): Mid-Term on classes 2-4

Week 6: (OCT 24): Tools of the Trade

Databases, libraries, and websites providing assistance to AS research. Anthony Brundage, Going to the Sources 4th ed. (Wheeling, IL: Harlan Davidson Inc., 2008), chapters 1-4. (PDF)

Week 7 (OCT 31): reading week, no class

Week 8 (NOV 07): Academic Writing and Referencing.

Academic writing and plagiarism, the Purdue Owl (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/) as a tool for research and writing, MLA (PDF) and CMS (PDF). Reading: Chapter 1 (“Research and Writing”) of the MLA Handbook and Brundage, Going to the Sources, chapters 5-7 (PDF)

+ essay topics must be finalized

Week 9 (NOV 14): Conferences and presentations

Searching for conferences online, application, abstracts, the differences between presentations and academic publications. Preparation for the AS mock conference. No readings for this class.

Week 10 (NOV 21): Sample Topics 1: High School Football in Texas

Reading and film to watch: H. G. Bissinger, Friday Night Lights. A Town, a Team, and a Dream (1990) AND the movie version. Multiple copies are available from the department library; screening of the movie on request, copy in library.

Week 11 (NOV 28): Sample Topics 2: TBD

Week 12 (DEC 05): Consultation, student conference presentation review

Week 13 (DEC 12): MA 1 students’ mock conference: may be rescheduled for the open slot on WED at 12-14.

Week 14 (DEC 19): Essay submission deadline, evaluation by appointment in the exam period

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