About Us    Contacts   

Course Syllabus

Week 1. February, 8

The Fundamental Values of American Democracy. The American Idea. Status and Social Class in America. The USA: the Nation of Volunteers.

Link to enter the webinar on 20.02. https://my.webinar.ru/record/917184/?i=b4483076860dad1b9964e35d3e6cd896

Case study: The impact of volunteerism on Americans.

Reading:
Democracy in America. Vol. 2. Philosophical Method of the Americans (A. de Tocqueville)
Of the Taste for Physical Well-being in America (A. de Tocqueville)
Why Democratic Nations Show a More Ardent and Enduring Love of Equality than of Liberty (A. de Tocqueville)
Of Individualism in Democratic Countries (A. de Tocqueville)
Empowering a Community (G. Moore)
National Service: Getting Things Done for America (H. Wofford)
America’s Voluntary Spirit (B. O’Connel)

Week 2. February, 15.

Various Types of Discrimination in the USA.

Webinar https://my.webinar.ru/record/924330/?i=3275523b99fb8873b9de8d93a8ef1618

Case study: Americans with Disabilities Act.

Reading:
Exclusion and Inclusion: the Impact of Affirmative Action (Ricardo R. Fernandez)
How the Americans Combat Individualism by the Principle of Self-Interest Rightly Understood
Why the Americans are so Restless in the Midst of their Prosperity
The Pendulum Swings of Indian Policy

Group Research Project "Discrimination in the USA".

Week 3. February, 22.

Education: Structure, Principles, Standards, Reforms and Progress.

WEBINAR record

Reading:
The historical timeline of the public education in the USA
USA school system

Week 4. March, 1

American Universities. The Impact of New Technologies on American Education. The Role of Community Colleges in US Higher Education.

Link to enter the webinar on 13 MARCH at 14.45 https://my.webinar.ru/event/931930

Group case study: No Child Left Behind.

Reading:
Higher Education in the USA
Study in the USA

Week 5. March, 15.

TThe American Mass Media. Constitutional Protection. Libel Law. FCC Regulations. New Media versus Old Media.

WEBINAR record

Case study: The New Media and U.S. Politics.

Reading:
The Media in the USA

Week 6. March, 22.

Midterm.

Week 7. March, 29.

Colloquium #3

Week 8. April, 5.

Journalism in the United States Today. Principles of Investigative Journalism.

Case study: Media Ethnics Codes.

Reading:
The Media's Role in Changing the Face of U.S. Courts (Gary A. Hengstler)
Independent Media's Role in Building Democracy (Frederick W. Schieck)
Internet Becoming Battleground for Journalists (E. Green)

Week 9. April, 12.

Religious Life in America.

PowerPoint Presentation: Religion in the USA


Reading:
The Demographics of Faith (B. Grim, D. Masci)
The Evolution of Religious Freedom as a Universal Human Right (D. Davis)
Balancing Work and Religion (C. Connell)
That the Americans Apply the Principle of Self-interest Rightly Understood to Religions Matters (A. de Tocqueville)

Week 10. April, 19.

American English: History, Major Dialects, Variations, Influences, National standards. Race and Language.

PowerPoint Presentation: American English


Reading:
How American Democracy has Modified the English Language (A. de Tocqueville)
A National Map of the Regional Dialects of American English (W. Labov, S. Ash, C. Boberg)
Spanglish: Speaking la Lengua Loca (I. Stavans)

Week 11. April 26.

The Arts in America: New Directions. Movies and Modern America. What is a Typical American Movie?

Reading:
Film: Movies and Modern America (R. Pells)
Literature: Snapshots From the Bridge (S. Birkerts)
Music: the Quintessential American Sounds (T. Smith)
Theater: Playwrights New and Old (C. Jones)

Week 12. May, 3.

Colloquium #4.

Week 13. May, 10.

Final test.

Week 14. May, 17.

Course Reflection

end faq