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| Veranstaltungen
im Sommersemester 2003 |
HS
Cultural Studies
Violence
in the United States
Do 11-13 h |
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Instances
of violence are among the features that strike observers of the
United States, both inside and outside the country, as a characteristic
element of life in America. This perceived ubiquity of all forms
of violence once prompted an American to state that "violence
is as American as apple pie." Since events in recent months,
with their news coverage of sniper attacks and a rhetoric of war,
have reemphasized the image of America as a fatal environment this
course attempts to cast a critical eye on the phenomenon. It will
address a variety of issues including historical acts of violence
and the depiction of violence in the media. — To obtain a "Schein"
for this class, students will be required to work on a series of
oral and written assignments encouraging them to make use of their
full range of academic skills.
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| PS
Kulturstudien
Basic
Documents of American Culture
Do 15-17 h |
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This
class is designed to familiarize students with central issues of
American history and culture. It will present various types of documents,
including presidentials speeches, legislative acts, letters, essays,
and selections from American literature. – Students interested
in signing up for this class should be prepared to work on a number
of different assignments covering the range of basic academic skills
(e.g. short oral presentation, mini-essay, selected bibliography,
webliography). Another prerequisite for participation is a willingness
to become actively involved in in-class discussions. – The
texts to be studied will be made available by the beginning of term.
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HS
Literaturstudien
The
Small Town in American Fiction
Di 9-11 h |
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New
York, Los Angeles, Chicago – these are the cities that quickly
come to mind when people think about America. While these urban
centers tickle the imagination of Americans and tourists alike,
their impact on the country as a whole may have been less intensive
than that of the small town. "The country town is one of America's
great institutions," wrote American social philosopher Thorstein
Veblen and, according to his view, it has had "a greater part
than any other in shaping public sentiment and giving character
to American culture." – This class will examine some of
the material that American writers have produced about small-town
life, about its culture, its economics, and its social makeup. In
the course of the semester an intensive study of literary texts
and their respective contexts will reveal an ambivalent picture
of an institution that has been at times a positive influence and
other times an inhibiting one on a large segment of the American
people. – Participants will have to complete a series of assignments,
both oral and written, to receive credit for this class. Texts will
be made available by the beginning of term.
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Einführung
Literaturstudien
Introduction
to American Poetry
11-13 h |
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Are
you one of those people who find poetry fascinating, and yet are intimidated
by the fact that it can be difficult? Then this class may have something
to offer to you. It is designed to help you read a poem slowly, carefully,
and attentively and thus to improve your thinking, writing, and reading
skills. You will thereby learn about basic approaches to the analysis
of literary texts and develop a better understanding for the relationship
between literature and the cultural and historical contexts from which
it springs. Finally, in its selection of poems to be studied, the
course will give you a chance to discover the range of topics and
themes that American poets have dealt over the past 200+ years. —
The requirements for a "Schein" include the successful completion
of a variety of oral and written assignments (e.g. short oral presentation,
mini-essay, selected bibliography). Texts will be made available by
the beginning of term. |
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