Cultural Diversity of the Western Hemisphere 4219-AW215
This course takes students on a journey across the Americas, exploring the incredible diversity of cultures, histories, and ways of life that make up the Western Hemisphere. It will look at how indigenous traditions, colonial encounters, migration, and cultural exchange have shaped communities and identities over time. The course highlights both the threads that unite the region and the rich differences that give each country of the region its unique character.
The lecture will explore a wide range of cultural expressions—from traditions, religion, and holidays, to language, music, dance, cuisine, sports, and arts. Throughout the course, students are invited to reflect on connections and contrasts across the hemisphere, to think about how local and global influences intersect, and to appreciate the complexity of the cultures in the Western Hemisphere. The course give the students a richer understanding of the Americas—not just as a collection of countries, but as a living, evolving cultural landscape full of stories, creativity, and shared human experience.
Type of course
elective monographs
Course coordinators
Learning outcomes
Upon completing the course a student:
KNOWLEDGE
- has knowledge of the cultures in the Western Hemisphere
- recognizes the specifics and complexity of contemporary American societies, their diversity and national identities
- is aware of both differences and common denominators of American cultures
SKILLS
- can analyse, evaluate and use the information on American cultures from various sources
- is able to explain current events and phenomena occurring in the Americas, placing them in the proper cultural context
- has the ability to formulate arguments in the discussion about American cultures
SOCIAL COMPETENCES
- understands the need for continuous learning, is open to new phenomena and ideas and ready to change opinion in the face of new data and arguments
- is ready to use knowledge of Western Hemisphere cultural diversity in a professional career
Assessment criteria
The evaluation will be based on the results of the final exam.
Grading:
51-62% 3
63-72% 3.5
73-82% 4
83-92% 4.5
93-99% 5
100% 5!
The number of absences may not exceed 2.
Bibliography
Core reading
1. Allsopp J., Rickford J.R. (ed.), Laguage, Culture and Caribbean Identity, University Press of the West Indies, 2012.
2. Bigsby Ch., The Cambridge Companion to Modern American Culture, Cambridge University Press, 2006.
3. Henighan T., Maclean's Companion to Canadian Arts and Culture, Raincoat Book, 2000.
4. King J., The Cambridge Companion to Modern Latin American Culture, Cambridge University Press, 2004.
5. Levander C.F., Levine R.S. (ed.), Hemispheric American Studies, Rutgers University Press, 2008.
Further reading
1. Beushausen W. (ed.) et al, Caribbean Food Cultures: Culinary Practices and Consumption in the Caribbean and Its Diasporas, Transcript-Verlag, 2014.
2. Carpenter K., Interweaving Tapestries of Culture and Sexuality in the Caribbean, Palgrave, 2017.
3. Elson L.C., The history of American music, Kessinger Publishing, 2005.
4. Hanke L., Do the Americas have a common history?, Alfred A. Knopf, 1964.
5. Lovera, J.R., Food Culture in South America, Greenwood, 2005.
6. Murrell N.S., Afro-Caribbean Religions: An Introduction to Their Historical, Cultural and Sacred Traditions, Temple University Press, 2009.
7. Schechter J.M., Music in Latin American Culture: Regional Traditions, Schrimer, 1999.
8. Smith A.F., The Oxford companion to American food and drink, Oxford University Press, 2007.
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: