Filologia 2010-2011 - Gredos - Universidad de Salamanca

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Guía Académica 2010-2011 Facultad de Filología
Universidad de Salamanca
Adams, Willi Paul, Los Estados Unidos de América, Siglo XXI, 1984.
Bradbury, M., and H. Temperley, eds., Introduction to American Studies, New York, 1989.
Breidlid, Anders, et al., eds., American Culture: An Anthology of Civilization Texts, London: Routledge.
Bryson, Bill, Made in America, London, 1994.
Campbell, Neil, and Alasdair Kean, American Cultural Studies: An Introduction to American Culture, New York: Routledge, 1997.
Hernández Alonso, J., Los Estados Unidos de America: Historia y cultura, Salamanca, 2002.
Mauk, David, and John Oakland, American Civilization: An Introduction, Routledge, 1997.
Ravitch, Diane, ed., The American Primer, Harper Collins, 1990.
Takaki, Ronald, A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America, Boston, 1993.
REQUIREMENTS FOR THIS COURSE
Class Attendance and Participation: Students will have many opportunities in class to show their interest and progress in the subject. Do not
forget that up to a 30% of your final grade can depend on your participation in class.
Compulsory Readings: Texts and documents: The selection of short texts must read before we deal with them in the classroom.
Compulsory Video Documentaries: There is also a series of documentary films dealing with key aspects of American history and culture that
you are required to watch. Screenings will take place during class time, and they will be announced in advance. The documentaries (mostly
award-winning films offering an academic approach to American history and culture) will be viewed in the original English version, and are
designed to complement the class discussions and presentations. They will frequently be accompanied by a sheet of questions, comments,
aspects to take into account, etc.. Needless to say, you can expect to be tested on these documentaries in the final exam.
Class Presentations: ALL students are required to undertake a class presentation (5-10 minutes, in English) dealing with key events, topics,
documents, etc. of American history and culture, preferably contemporary aspects of US reality that you can draw from newspapers such as The
New York Times on the web, podcasts from NPR (National Public Radio) etc. Presentations are carried out under my guidance. You are encouraged
to offer your own informed approach to whatever area of American culture you are interested in, whether it is American fast food, cult
movies, comic heroes, the hippie movement, hip hop culture, ... you name it.
Optional Paper: Students can turn in an essay (approx. 8-10) by the third week of May. The essay must be concrete and to the point: no
general overviews, please! Just try to give your informed perspective on a topic. Needless to say, the paper must be type-written and in English.
Exam: There will be a written exam at the end of the semester. The students will have to identify and comment on historical/cultural texts as
well as answer short questions dealing with the issues discussed in class.
14952-ESTUDIOS CULTURALES DE GRAN BRETAÑA
Asignatura Troncal. Primer Semestre. 6 créditos
Prof. Manuel González de la Aleja Barberán
OBJETIVOS
Teorías literarias como el Postestructuralismo o la Deconstrucción han hecho hincapié en la importancia del contexto histórico, cultural e ideológico
en el que lo literario se ha producido. A través de su idea de que el lenguaje es arbitrario y, por lo tanto, también lo es la realidad que
reproduce, estos críticos han llamado la atención sobre lo arbitrario también de la historia, obviamente, otro producto del lenguaje. La “Historia”
se convierte en discurso, no un producto objetivo de hechos pasados sino en la narración de esos hechos. Un periodo histórico no es una
secuencia lógica e inevitable sobre la realidad sino una construcción ideológica, ficticia, que se impone, simplifica y manipula esa realidad. Ya no