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| Semester | spring semester 2023 |
| Course frequency | Every 2nd spring sem |
| Lecturers | Philipp Schweighauser (ph.schweighauser@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | When, testifying about Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election, FBI Director James Comey said that "we remain that shining city on the hill, and they don't like it," he reiterated a belief that was first put into words in 1630, by the Puritan political leader and historian John Winthrop: that America is a shining "city upon a hill," a beacon of freedom that is admired and imitated but also watched by the whole world. Nine years earlier, presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama also tapped deep into the American past when he coined his campaign slogan "yes, we can," giving yet another twist to the can-do attitude celebrated in Benjamin Franklin's "Autobiography" (1771-1790). In this first part of my survey of American literary and cultural history, we will explore the origins of a multitude of topoi, beliefs, and myths that continue to shape how Americans see themselves today. Along the way, you will encounter Native American creation myths, Christopher Columbus's wonder and horror at the New World, the dissenting Puritan voice of Anne Hutchinson, J. Hector St. John de Crèvecoeur's reflections on not only the American melting pot but also slavery, and the cross-dressing heroine of Tabitha Tenney's "Female Quixotism" (1801). |
| Learning objectives | You are introduced to a formative period of American literary and cultural history. |
| Bibliography | Recommendations for moderate weekly readings are taken from the seventh, eighth, ninth or tenth edition of Volume A (Beginnings to 1820) of Nina Baym (gen. ed.), "The Norton Anthology of American Literature" (New York: W. W. Norton). Copies are available at the Labyrinth bookstore. If you plan to attend more than one part of this four-part lecture course and intend to do the recommended reading, it makes sense to buy all volumes (A-B + C-E) of "The Norton Anthology of American Literature" because this is the cheaper option. Make sure you bring along the handouts for each session, including the first. They are available on ADAM, contain the lecture slides, and will facilitate your note-taking. |
| Weblink | ADAM |
| Admission requirements | None |
| Course application | Enrol on services.unibas.ch. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | Online, mandatory |
| Course auditors welcome |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| wöchentlich | Wednesday | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday 22.02.2023 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Wednesday 01.03.2023 | 14.15-16.00 | Fasnachstferien |
| Wednesday 08.03.2023 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Wednesday 15.03.2023 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Wednesday 22.03.2023 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Wednesday 29.03.2023 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Wednesday 05.04.2023 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Wednesday 12.04.2023 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Wednesday 19.04.2023 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Wednesday 26.04.2023 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Wednesday 03.05.2023 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Wednesday 10.05.2023 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Wednesday 17.05.2023 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Wednesday 24.05.2023 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Wednesday 31.05.2023 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Modules |
Modul: Advanced Anglophone Literary and Cultural Studies (Bachelor's degree subject: English) Modul: Anglophone Literary and Cultural Studies (Master's degree subject: English) Modul: Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft BA (Bachelor's degree subject: Ancient Civilizations) Modul: Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft BA (Bachelor's degree subject: Spanish Language and Literature) Modul: Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft BA (Bachelor's degree subject: Nordic Philology (Start of studies before 01.08.2022)) Modul: Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft BA (Bachelor's degree program: Ancient Civilizations) Modul: Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft BA (Bachelor's degree subject: Nordic Philology) Modul: Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft BA (Bachelor's degree subject: Italian Language and Literature) Modul: Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft BA (Bachelor's degree subject: English) Modul: Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft BA (Bachelor's degree subject: German Language and Literature) Modul: Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft BA (Bachelor's degree subject: French Language and Literature) Modul: Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft MA (Master's degree subject: Italian Language and Literature) Modul: Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft MA (Master's degree subject: Slavic Studies) Modul: Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft MA (Master's degree subject: French Language and Literature) Modul: Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft MA (Master's degree subject: Nordic Philology (Start of studies before 01.08.2022)) Modul: Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft MA (Master's degree subject: Spanish Language and Literature) Modul: Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft MA (Master's degree subject: Nordic Philology) Modul: Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft MA (Master's degree subject: German Literature) Modul: Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft MA (Master's degree subject: German Language and Literature) Modul: Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft MA (Master's degree subject: English) Modul: Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft MA (Master's degree subject: Latin Philology) Modul: Introduction to Anglophone Literary and Cultural Studies (Bachelor's degree subject: English) Modul: Koordinaten der Kreativität (Master's degree program: Cultural Techniques) Modul: Literaturgeschichte (Master's degree program: Literary Studies) |
| Assessment format | record of achievement |
| Assessment details | Written test (90 mins) toward the end of term. The test is based on the lectures; the recommended weekly readings are not part of it. |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | one repetition, repetition counts |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | as often as necessary |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Fachbereich Englische Sprach- und Literaturwissenschaft |