| The United States in th 20th Century |
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This Course Guide has been taken from the most recent presentation of the course. It would be useful for reference purposes but please note that there may be updates for the following presentation.
POLS A214
The United States in th 20th Century
| Course aims |  |
The aim of the course is to examine the twentieth century American experience by drawing on the disciplines of sociology, politics, geography, history, economics and literature. An understanding of American society in this century is crucial to understanding more of the world today because the United States has been the dominent power internationally since World War II and has had an enormous impact, not only on global economy and politics but also on the world's culture through American films, music, literature and television.
Block 1 The United States in the Twentieth Century: Culture (Weeks 1-11)
Questions the cultural experience of America, considers the construction of the American identity and asks if there is a uniquely American culture and, if so what are its products.
Block 2 The United States in the Twentieth Century: Markets (Weeks 12-22)
Discusses development of US economy and its components including competiveness, manufacturing, retailing, regionalism, and gender.
Block 3 The United States in the Twentieth Century: Democracy (Weeks 23-32)
Examines key institutions and processes of American politics and how they support democracy.
Block 4 The United States in the Twentieth Century: Empire (Weeks 33-44)
Explores the relationships and developments of American foreign policy this century.
Block 5 The United States in the Twentieth Century: Key Documents
Contains primary sources relevant to the themes and issues in the four preceding blocks.
| Set book | |
C.N. Degler, Out of our Past: The Forces That Shaped Modern America, Harper Collins (3rd edition), 1984.
| Audio-visual course material | |
The audio-visual material comprises nine television programes and seven audio-cassettes. These materials play a very important part in the course, supplementing and complementing the printed material.
| Tuition and assessment | |
There will be eight tutor-marked assignments (TMA) (you will find the details in the Assignment Booklet) and an end-of-course three-hour examination. The TMAs will, as a rule, related to the main block theme. 50% of your final course grade is derived from the best six of eight TMA grades.
| Examination | |
The final examination will be of three hours' duration and has a value of 50% of the total course grade. The examination will cover all parts of the course. You will receive a specimen examination in the second semester indicating the format and type of questions you will find on the examination. You will be advised of the examination arrangements after you have sent in your examination registration card.
(The preceding has been slightly adapted from the Open University Course Guide prepared by Richard Maidment)
| How to use the course materials | |
All students have to develop good study skills, but for distance learners, who work much of the time by themselves and who may have limited time available for studying, it is especially important to learn to study efficiently. Here are some suggested approaches to your course materials.
How to read the study guides
If you have already studied OUHK courses that have helped you to develop your reading skills then just skim read this section to refresh your memory. If you do not know what I mean by 'skim read' or if you have never come across the idea of developing different reading strategies for studying, read on.
When you read the study guides, documents, and set book, you should always have a pencil and a notebook close by so that you can make brief comments in the margin or mark passages that strike you as important or interesting. Using a pencil rather than a pen allows you to erase what you've written if you change your mind. At the end of a page or other break in the set text or when you stop reading for that period, you can go back, look at your marginal notes or underlinings and make more complete notes in your notebook based on what you have jotted down. These notes should be written as soon as possible when they are fresh in your mind. You can also note down any questions you might have as well as any words or expressions you don't understand to ask your tutor.
How to use the study guides
In a distance learning institution like the OUHK it is the study guides that will guide your progress through the course. Not having to attend timetabled classes is one of the great advantages of distance learning because it means you can read and work through specially designed study material at your own pace, at a time and place that suits you best. Think of your study guides as tutorials in print. You will find that they are addressed directly to you and expect you to contribute to the process of learning. In the same way as you are given an in-class exercise, your study guides have questions and exercises for you to do at appropriate points. These exercises and questions have been designed to give you the practice necessary to achieve the objectives of the course and to pass the examination but it is left up to you to see that you do them, and that you make the learning process an active rather than a passive one.
| Tutors and tutorials | |
Before the starting date for the course you will be advised by the OUHK Registry of the name, address and phone number of your tutor. Your tutor will:
- conduct the tutorials for your group
- grade and comment on your assignments
- be available at certain times to help you by phone
Your tutor is your first point of contact with the OUHK. Please consult him or her first about any problem you have or advice you need. The reasons you have may have for ringing your tutor include questions about the set book or the study guides, difficulties with the exercises or assignments or clarification of your tutor's comments about or grading of your assignments. It is by marking your assignments that your tutor will offer you advice on how to improve your work and you should take his or her comments very seriously. Remember that if your tutor makes a lot of comments on your work, it does not necessarily mean that you have written a poor assignment. Your tutor is simply using the assignment marking sheet as a means of communicating with you. However, all your assignments must be your own work. Tutors have been advised not to coach students on specific assignments.
Your tutor will also advise you if you need to contact the course coordinator.
To assist you further in this course, your tutor will conduct regular tutorials. There are approximately fifteen tutorials spread throughout the course. They will provide an opportunity for you to raise problems you have encountered with the previous week's work. Attendance at tutorials is not compulsory, but students usually find them very helpful.
Please note that it is not your tutor's role to give lectures on the course materials at the tutorials. The study units are designed to guide you through the course and your tutor will not be responsible for teaching you in any formal sense. You will need to have covered the relevant materials before the tutorial in order to benefit from the discussions and group work which it will consist of. Your own and other students' observations and interpretations of the text can often be of great value in understanding the materials.
The OUHK encourages students to form self-help groups. At the first tutorial your tutor will assist you in forming such groups if you are interested. They are usually organised by locality and students take responsibility for arranging meetings and agendas.
| Conclusion | |
I hope that you enjoy your study of POLS A214. Remember that although this Course Guide has stressed that you are responsible for your studying and learning, the staff of the OUHK are here to help you. If you do get into difficulties with any aspect of your course contact your tutor.
Good luck with your studies.
