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2012/2013  BA-BLC_BAS2  British and American Studies 2

English Title
British and American Studies 2

Course information
Language English
Exam ECTS 7.5 ECTS
Type Mandatory
Level Bachelor
Duration One Semester
Course period Autumn
Time Table Please see course schedule at e-Campus
Study board
Study Board for BSc og MSc in Business, Language and Culture, BSc
Course coordinator
  • Department of International Communication
    Kevin McGovern - Department of International Culture and Communication Studies
Main Category of the Course
  • International Political Economy
  • Language and Intercultural Studies
Last updated on 17-09-2012
Learning objectives
Content:
At the end of the course students should be able to:
• describe, analyse and discuss different trends and competing models of regional integration in Europe and the Americas
• identify and analyse critically the central issues, underlying assumptions and theoretical underpinnings of UK/US discourses relations between, respectively, Britain and Europe, and the US and Latin America,
• critically relate trade theory, and theories of regional integration to processes of regionalism/regionalisation
• explain policy positions on issues of regional integration in view of economic factors, institutional patterns, competing interests and ideologies
• develop an independent, coherent, and lucid argument on topics within the content of the course, drawing upon a range of sources appropriately.

Language:
At the end of the course students should be able to:
• use a wide range of vocabulary, both general and specific to the subject matter
• use a wide range of grammatical structures correctly
• pronounce the language in a manner that facilitates communication
• present complex ideas in a coherent and cohesive manner
• employ linguistic styles appropriate to academic English
• communicate precisely and fluently on complex topics
Examination
British and American Studies 2
The exam in the subject consists of two parts:
British and American Studies 2 - written (partial examination 1):
Weight 50%
Type of test Written Exam
Marking scale 7-step scale
Second examiner Second internal examiner
Exam period December/January
Aids Closed Book
Duration 4 Hours
  • The written examination is a four-hour closed book examination in which students are required to write an essay based upon the relevant course literature.
  • No electronic aids or paper dictionaries are allowed.


Students are required to submit two home assignments (maximum 3 standard pages each). Both assignments have to be passed for the student to take the written examination at the end of the course.

In the oral and written examinations students are graded according to the 7-point grading scale. The grade for each examination reflects both the student’s command of the course content and oral/written communication skills in English. Further details are given in the exam guidelines that students will receive during the course.  

British and American Studies 2 - oral (partial examination 2):
Weight 50%
Type of test Oral Exam
Marking scale 7-step scale
Second examiner External examiner
Exam period December/January
Aids Without preparation
Duration 30 Minutes
  • Prior to the oral examination, each student is required to submit a short paper (2-3 standard pages) on a theme within the framework of the course content.
  • The paper provides the point of departure for an individual 30-minute oral examination. Overall assessment of oral performance.
  • Present at the exam is the teacher and an external examiner.

If the paper is not submitted at the appropriate time, it will be regarded as non-appearance.

In the oral and written examinations students are graded according to the 7-point grading scale. The grade for each examination reflects both the student’s command of the course content and oral/written communication skills in English. Further details are given in the exam guidelines that students will receive during the course.
Examination
There are two partial examinations in this course: an oral and a written examination at the end of the third semester, based on the course readings.
Course content

This course provides students with some of the knowledge, understanding and skills necessary for working in markets or organisations in the US and the UK that engage in cross-border activities in their respective regions: the Americas and Europe. The course focuses on the political economy of regional integration in the cases of the US and the UK, examining the development of policy coordination and regulation of trade, investment, the environment, the macroeconomy, and security issues in regional arenas, yet in the context of both regionalisation and globalisation processes. With reference to the respective roles and interests of the US and UK, competing models of regional integration are analysed.

For example, in the case of the US, regional co-operation in the form of NAFTA and a possible FTAA, as well as alternative or complementary bilateral arrangements, are criticised by some for a narrow approach to integration centred on free trade and investment. This contrasts with the EU, where supranational institutions are vested with powers to coordinate a range of economic, social and environmental policy areas. The course thereby covers debates and tensions relating to the ongoing process of deepening and widening integration in the Americas and Europe.


While the issues examined are mainly derived from the literature of international political economy, the course also relates secondarily to culture and identities as relevant to economic and political integration. Issues and debates are examined from multiple perspectives, such as those of business, labour, consumers and environmentalists. A critical approach is taken to the issues and concepts taught, with emphasis on how different texts relate to the systems of knowledge on which they base their arguments. Finally, the course has a strong emphasis on the accumulation of subject-specific concepts and vocabulary, as well as speaking and writing the English language accurately, fluently, and in a manner appropriate to discussing complex issues at a high level.
Teaching methods
The course consists of a combination of lectures and classes, with the latter organised around student presentations of the assigned texts. In each class session, a 10-15 minute student presentation (normally two students) forms the basis of the ensuing discussion of the text(s). Presentations and class discussions are meant to complement rather than repeat the readings. Furthermore, the presentations enable the teacher to give each student individual feedback, both on his/her grasp of the content and on proficiency in English. It should be stressed that the reading load is fairly demanding.
Expected literature

For a precise reading list, please refer to the course plan. The following titles are for guidance only:
 
McGuire, Steven and Smith, Michael (2008): The European Union and the United States. Competition and Convergence in the Global Arena. Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan Ch.7: Regionalism and Interregionalism (pp. 184-199)
Majone, Giandomenico (2005): Dilemmas of European Integration. The Ambiguities and Pitfalls of Integration by Stealth, Oxford: OUP: Ch.1: From Community to Diverse Union (pp. 1-22)
Wood, Steve & Quaisser, Wolfgang (2008): The New European Union. Confronting the Challenges of Integration. Boulder, Lynne Rienner. Ch. 7: Considering Europe’s Future (pp. 193-210)
Allen, David: The United Kingdom: A Europeanized Government in a non-Europeanized polity. In: Simon Bulmer and Christian Lequesne (eds.) (2005) The Member States of the European Union, Oxford: OUP (pp 119-141)
 
Conquest, Richard: Is the Euro Sustainable? The Bruges Group (2009)
Wall, Stephen (2008) A Stranger in Europe. Britain and the EU from Thatcher to Blair, Oxford, OUP: Ch.10: A Stranger in Europe (pp. 204-220)
 
Fawcett, Louise: The Origins and Development of the Regional Idea in the Americas. In: Louise Fawcett and Monica Serrano (eds) (2005), Regionalism and Governance in the Americas. Continental Drift. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan (pp. 27-51)
 Smith, Peter H. (2008) Talons of the Eagle. Latin American, the United States, and the World. Third edition, New York: (OUP). Conclusion: Structure and Change in U.S.-Latin American Relations (pp. 395-414)
Hurrell, Andrew: Hegemony and Regional Governance in the Americas. In: Louise Fawcett and Monica Serrano (eds) (2005), Regionalism and Governance in the Americas. Continental Drift. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, (pp. 185-207)
Flores-Macías, Gustavo A.: NAFTA’s Unfulfilled Immigration Expectations. Peace Review: A Journal of Social Justice, 20: (pp. 435-441), October 1, 2008
Morales, Isidro (2008), Post-NAFTA North America. Reshaping the Economic and Political Governance of a Changing Region, Basingstoke, UK; New York, USA: Palgrave Macmillan. Ch. 1: Challenges for US Economic Leadership (pp24-37 ONLY); Ch. 6: Post-NAFTA Deepening and Widening Trends: Towards the Continentalization of Energy Markets and the Enlargement of the Southern Sphere (pp 169-170 & 180-194); Conclusions (pp 195-202)
Faux, Jeff: Obama’s Mexican challenge. Dissent, Spring 2009, pp. 41-49
Frydman, Felipe: Mercosur and the US. No finishing date. In: Joseph A.McKinney and H.Stephen Gardner (eds) (2008) Economic Integration in Europe and the Americas. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge (Ch.8, pp 96-104
Last updated on 17-09-2012