American Culture & Society-Fall 2022

Prof. Sarah Hebbouch

s.hebbouch@um5r.ac.ma
If you have questions, concerns, or want feedback about any aspect of this course, please contact me via email

Course Information
Course website may be accessed throughout our shared Google Classroom Group:

Group A: 64ixkaw
Group E: n4i7jcm

Course Description/Objectives: The aim of this course is to help students improve their knowledge about
American history, culture, and society through selected texts in English. The focus will be on reading texts
related to the American multi-faceted life and cultural diversity. The emphasis will be on active reading that
helps foster critical thinking with the purpose of evaluating information, debating ideas, and making inferences.
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
1. Explore the central themes in modern American culture
2. Discuss the complexity of American culture;
3. Debate a range of cultural traditions and practices;
4. Recognize the contributions of marginalized communities;
5. Express a thoughtful, critical and informed attitude

Course Requirements
READINGS: Reading assignments for a given day should be completed prior to class meetings because the text
will often be used to provide background for lecture themes. Students are encouraged to mention in class any
issues or questions that they may encounter in the readings. Access to supplemental readings will be provided
by the professor throughout the semester. You are responsible for all readings, whether discussed in class or not.
CLASS ATTENDANCE: You are responsible for all material presented in class, some of which will not be
available through the assigned texts alone. If you miss a class for any reason, please arrangements with a
classmate for determining what you have missed. Consistent class attendance is essential to your success in this
course. Absences will limit your understanding of the material, and the natural consequence of frequent
absences will be reflected in your performance in the class.
PARICTIPATION: Attend class regularly, ask questions, participate in in-class activities. Some in-class
activities will be graded.
ASSESSMENT: Assessment in this course is based on the presentations you deliver in relation to the course
content we will be covering in class and on your participation in class. It is important that you attend class
regularly, since we will be working through lots of new concepts, data sets, and analysis together.
EXAMS: we will have one final exam.
EVALUATION: Course grades will be determined on the basis of performance, presentations, class
participation, and final exam.

Communication & Class Policy

Please silence and put away all electronics before class. I will, from time to time, e-mail with important
information. It is your responsibility to check your email daily to receive important messages.
POLICY ON ACADEMIC (DIS-) HONESTY: Cheating, including plagiarism, will not be tolerated. This
includes copying work from other students or other sources without proper citation, and allowing others to copy
from your work. If you are unsure about what constitutes cheating or plagiarism, please do not be afraid to ask
me. Students are encouraged to work together on homework assignments; however, each student must turn in
his/her own work. If you work with someone else on a homework assignment, write the names of the
individual(s) you worked with on the top of your assignment.
ACCOMODATION FOR DISABILITIES: If you have a disability that you believe requires an academic
accommodation for participation in this course, you are encouraged to let me know as soon as possible.

Weekly Semester Calendar

Weeks Topics Names of Presenters

Week 1 Overview of the Course & Introduction to Culture &

Society in the U.S.

The History of America

 Discovery & Settlement of the New World;
 Independence & nation building;
Week 2  An emerging identity;
 Slavery, Secession, & the Civil War;
 The Great Depression;
 The Cold War & Civil Rights;
 The end of the Cold War
American Values
 Material Wealth;
 Hard work & Self- Reliance;
Week 3  Self-improvement;
 Humanitarianism;
 Religious diversity in the USA
The Heritage of Abundance
 A History of Abundance;
 From Producers to Consumers;
Week 4  The Impact of TV;
 What American Consumers Like;
 Capitalist Ideology
 Falling Expectations & Economic hardships

The American Family

 Marriage & Divorce;
Week 5  The Role of the Child;
 Equality in the Family;
 The Role of the Family in Society
 Four Stages of Marriage Relationships

Government & Politics in the U.S.

Week 6  The US Constitution;
 The Organization of the American Government;
 The Ideal of the Free Individual

Education in the US
 Public Schools in America;
 The Educational Ladder;
Week 7  Attending an American University;
 Educating the Individual;
 Inequalities in the American Educational System;
 Challenges for American Education
 The Media
Week 8  Americans’ Views of the Media
 Misconceptions the Media Promote

Ethnic & Racial Assimilation in the United States

 The USA: Melting Pot or Salad Bowl?
 The Establishment of the Dominant Culture
 The Assimilation of Non-Protestant & Non-
Week 9 Western Europeans;
 The African-American Experience;
 The Assimilation of Future Immigrants;
 The Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and
1960s;
 Diversity in the Twenty-first Century;
 A Universal Nation

How Americans Spend their Leisure Time

 Competitions;
 Recreational Activities;
 The Impact of Television, Video Games, & the
Internet

Week 10
The World of American Business
 How Business Competition Reinforces Other
Values;
 The Dream of Getting Rich
 The Entrepreneur as Business Hero
 The Corporate CEO/CFO
 The Middle-Class vs One Percent
 Redefining the American Dream
 The Future of American Business