HIS2212 : History and Memory in the United States (Inactive)
HIS2212 : History and Memory in the United States (Inactive)
- Inactive for Year: 2024/25
- Module Leader(s): Mr Jon Coburn
- Owning School: History, Classics and Archaeology
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
Semester 2 Credit Value: | 20 |
ECTS Credits: | 10.0 |
European Credit Transfer System | |
Pre-requisite
Modules you must have done previously to study this module
Pre Requisite Comment
N/A
Co-Requisite
Modules you need to take at the same time
Co Requisite Comment
N/A
Aims
This course examines how Americans have thought about their past and how that is significant to our understanding of American history. Beginning soon after independence, Americans worked to shape the historical memory of the nation’s origins in order to help define a distinctively American identity. As divisive issues arose, so too did conflicting ideas about the national past. The course begins with a thorough consideration of the origins of the study of historical memory and the wealth of recent literature that provides a methodological and theoretical framework for these studies. Overviews of historical memory in the United States set out the major topics and issues and their interrelations. The course then gives special attention to how memory and identity have been mutually constituted by looking at case studies associated with particular regions, social groups, and events.
This course is intended:
•To familiarise students with the historiographical literature relating to the study of memory and history
•To develop an understanding of how historical memory has developed in the United States
•To develop an appreciation for the regional, ethnic, class, and racial variations in the development of historical memory in the United States
Outline Of Syllabus
The following is a guide only. Actual subjects may differ from those listed.
Lecture 1: Introduction to Historical Memory
Seminar 1: Historical Memory in the United States
Lecture 2: Theory and Methodology in Memory Studies
Seminar 2: Social Memory vs. Public Memory vs. Collective Memory vs. Historical Memory
Lecture 3: Overview of Historical Memory in the United States
Seminar 3: Non-U.S. Case Studies
Lecture 4: The American Revolution
Seminar 4: Memory of the Revolution in the Early Republic
Lecture 5: The Civil War
Seminar 5: Contested Memories of the Civil War
Lecture 6: The Great Depression
Seminar 6: Remembering the Great Depression
Lecture 7: The South
Seminar 7: Memory and Southern Culture
Lecture 8: New England
Seminar 8: Imagining New England
Lecture 9: The West
Seminar 9: The West as Symbol
Lecture 10: Immigrants
Seminar 10: Irish Identity in America
Lecture 11: Migrants
Seminar 11: The Great Migration and the Dust Bowl
Lecture 12: Occupational Groups
Seminar 12: A Miner’s Life
Learning Outcomes
Intended Knowledge Outcomes
In terms of the acquisition of subject knowledge, students who successfully complete this course will be able to:
•Show a familiarity with the major developments in the study of historical memory and an ability to reflect critically on those debates
•Account for the range of expressions of historical memory in American culture and their roles in American history
•Distinguish between the historical memory of various regions and groups of people in the United States and explain the nature of and reasons for those differences
Intended Skill Outcomes
In terms of the acquisition of skills, students who successfully complete this course will be able to:
•Engage with a range of secondary readings and outline the major historiographical debates
•Evaluate and compare competing theoretical and methodological models
•Write clear, well-argued essays that present sound arguments
•Discuss and debate topics in a seminar setting with peers
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 65 | 1:00 | 65:00 | 40% of guided independent study |
Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 12 | 1:00 | 12:00 | N/A |
Guided Independent Study | Directed research and reading | 34 | 1:00 | 34:00 | 34% of independent study |
Guided Independent Study | Directed research and reading | 65 | 1:00 | 65:00 | 40% of independent study |
Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 12 | 2:00 | 24:00 | Seminars |
Total | 200:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
Lectures impart core knowledge and an outline knowledge that students are expected to acquire and they stimulate development of listening and note-taking skills.
Seminars provide students with an opportunity to participate in discussion and thus to improve their oral communication skills.
Reading Lists
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Exams
Description | Length | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Written Examination | 2880 | 1 | A | 50 | 48 hour take home exam |
Other Assessment
Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
---|---|---|---|---|
Written exercise | 1 | M | 25 | 2000 words (including footnotes but excluding bibliography) |
Portfolio | 1 | M | 25 | 10 weekly writing assignments totalling 2000 words |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The 48hr take home exam tests acquisition of a clear general knowledge of the subject plus the ability to think and analyse a problem quickly, to select from and to apply both the general knowledge and detailed knowledge of aspects of the subject to new questions, problem-solving skills, adaptability, the ability to work unaided, and to write clearly and concisely. The essay tests acquisition of a clear general knowledge of the subject as well as the ability to develop an appropriate topic, gather and synthesize information relevant to the topic, and express complex ideas clearly in written form using appropriate scholarly apparatus.
No variation of the deadlines will be allowed except on production of medical or equivalent evidence.
All Erasmus students at Newcastle University are expected to do the same assessment as students registered for a degree.
Study-abroad, non-Erasmus exchange and Loyola students spending semester 1 only are required to finish their assessment while in Newcastle. This will take the form of an alternative assessment, as outlined in the formats below:
Modules assessed by Coursework and Exam:
The normal alternative form of assessment for all semester 1 non-EU study abroad students will be one essay in addition to the other coursework assessment (the length of the essay should be adjusted in order to comply with the assessment tariff); to be submitted no later than 12pm Friday of week 12. The essays should be set so as to assure coverage of the course content to date.
Modules assessed by Exam only:
The normal alternative form of assessment for all semester 1 non-EU study abroad students will be two 2,000 word written exercises; to be submitted no later than 12pm Friday of week 12. The essays should be set so as to assure coverage of the course content to date.
Modules assessed by Coursework only:
All semester 1 non-EU study abroad students will be expected to complete the standard assessment for the module; to be submitted no later than 12pm Friday of week 12. The essays should be set so as to assure coverage of the course content to date.
Study-abroad, non-Erasmus exchange and Loyola students spending the whole academic year or semester 2 are required to complete the standard assessment as set out in the MOF under all circumstances.
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- HIS2212's Timetable
Past Exam Papers
- Exam Papers Online : www.ncl.ac.uk/exam.papers/
- HIS2212's past Exam Papers
General Notes
N/A
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