BA Seminar: Religion in the United States 4219-ZS042
The class, as in the first semester, is devoted to the
research process: it aims to develop skills in searching for,
evaluating and selecting scholarly sources, as well as
formulating claims and arguments, including efficient
paraphrasing, summarising, citing and attributing sources.
Secondly, the class discusses the requirements for
undergraduate theses and the review process. Thirdly,
male and female students are introduced to the
methodologies of cultural studies and media studies. As
part of the class, male and female students write further
chapters of their undergraduate thesis. Each month,
students receive feedback from the instructor on their
progress. The instructor helps to select the literature of the
subject and suggests its selection in constant consultation
with the thesis writers. Some of the literature is available in
the syllabus bibliography.
Type of course
obligatory courses
Course coordinators
Learning outcomes
Upon completing the course, the student will:
KNOWLEDGE
- Understand methods, concepts, and theories related to cultural studies.
- Have knowledge and understanding of facts and phenomena related to culture and religion in the USA.
- Grasp the interdependence of culture and politics, relationships between cultural and social phenomena, and the interdisciplinary nature of American studies research.
- Be familiar with the procedures and norms of the research process and the requirements for scholarly work.
- Understand basic principles and concepts related to intellectual property protection and copyright law, particularly regarding plagiarism and academic ethics.
SKILLS
- Formulate and explain a research problem using source analysis and methods and research tools typical of cultural studies and related fields.
- Select, interpret, and evaluate source texts and literature.
- Organize the research process leading to the writing of a bachelor's thesis.
- Develop a coherent and logical written argument in English; be familiar with English text editing principles.
- Document work in Chicago style and avoid plagiarism.
- Present research in an accessible and engaging manner.
SOCIAL COMPETENCES
- Critically assess content related to religion in the USA conveyed by media and other environments.
- Utilize acquired interdisciplinary knowledge about religion in the USA to formulate their own opinions.
- Organize their research process effectively.
- Properly plan and conduct cultural/media analysis on a chosen example.
- Respectfully evaluate the work of others and provide constructive criticism.
Assessment criteria
Active participation and in-class/homework assignments
20%. Final project 70% (including a research proposal 5%,
annotated bibliography 10%, outline 5%; the first draft of
the final paper 40%, the second draft of the final paper
10%). In-class presentation 10%.
Bibliography
Chaves M., American Religion. Contemporary Trends,
Princeton University Press 2011.
Dawkins R., God Delusion, Bantam Press, London 2006.
Eck D., A New Religious America. How a “Christian
Country” Has Become the World’s Most Religiously Diverse
Nation, HarperCollins, 2001.
Global and Local Televangelism, Palgrave 2012.
Harris S., End of Faith, W.W. Norton, 2004
Inglehart R., Religious Sudden Declain,
Philip Kitcher, Life After Faith: The Case for Secular
Humanism , Yale University Press, 2014.
Abraham Joshua Heschel, No Religion Is an Island,
Nesci D., Revisiting Jonestown, Lexington Books, Lanham
2018.
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: