Last update: Assistant Professor Gyorgy Toth, PhD. (30.07.2014)
Now over a decade old, our 21st century has already seen Transatlantic Relations weaken, strengthen, and undergo significant transformation from the post-9/11 "Coalition of the Willing" through the Iraq War, a long economic crisis, and the conflict in Ukraine. This course investigates the relations between the United States and various European countries with an emphasis on cultural and social history. We will be surveying the history of transatlantic cultural relations in chronological order, and will be examining a variety of thematic case studies. In a lecture section, students will be given a brief background of the major U.S. historical developments and the ongoing transatlantic relationship as they pertain to each case study. Students will be critically examining rhetorical and analytical concepts such as the meanings of various notions of "America" and their relationship to the United States, "Americanization," "anti-Americanism," "transatlanticism," and "cultural imperialism." We will interrogate how the notion of "America/n" has been marked and marketed, and explore how European attitudes towards various aspects of the U.S. have broken down along lines of class, race and nationality. Students of history will also learn more about the potential of transnational scholarly approaches and research methodologies.
In addition to those studying (U.S. or European) History, American Studies or English Language and Literature, this course will be useful for all those students who care to learn about the dynamics of cross-cultural interaction between the U.S. and European countries in the fields of business, politics, popular culture, journalism, and tourism. This course will increase their historical competency, and equip them with the intellectual tools to critically take on issues of transatlantic relations on both continents.
