Rhetorics of Continuity and Change: A Survey of American Cultural History
Hannah Spahn
Kommentar
This course provides an extended overview of American cultural history ranging from the period of British settlement in the seventeenth century to present issues in US society. We will read influential texts (speeches, legal documents, essays, etc.) by authors such as John Cotton, Thomas Jefferson, Frederick Douglass, Ida B. Wells, Randolph Bourne, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Martin Luther King, Joan Didion, Barack Obama, and many others. Throughout our readings, we will explore public rhetoric as a key factor shaping the cultural trajectory of the United States. After a brief introduction to basic methodologies of cultural analysis, students will investigate the rhetorical, structural, and discursive features of the primary texts through close readings. We will also explore select representations from the fields of visual culture, art, and film. In addition, students need to do independent research on a selection of key terms that are essential for understanding the evolution of American public discourse and intellectual history.
Schließen16 Termine
Regelmäßige Termine der Lehrveranstaltung