Vietnam National University Hanoi

VNU University of Languages and International Studies

FACULTY OF LINGUISTICS AND CULTURES OF ENGLISH SPEAKING COUNTRIES
Division of International Studies

INTRODUCTION TO BRITISH & AMERICAN STUDIES

Course Code: ENG2052

Number of credits: 03
Status: Required
Language of instruction: English
Time & location:
Course instructor: Nguyễn Thanh Hà, Ph.D.
hatnguyen99@gmail.com
Division of International Studies

OBJECTIVES
This course cultivates critical historical and historiographical awareness. It fosters
understanding of some of the key constructs in socio-political and cultural analysis, namely
nation state, culture, identity, and power, as well as the capacity to use them in studying the UK,
the US, and other countries. You are encouraged to attend to how you relate to what is presented
as the British and the American. Be aware of different perspectives and your limits of thought.
Also, the course offers language to participate in common conversations about the two countries
and their peoples.
In the course, you will read various texts, work in teams to conduct a seminar in English
on a given issue, and learn to develop a well-reasoned essay.

ASSESSMENT
Attendance and Participation (5%)

Quizzes (10%)
This element of assessment aims to encourage students’ regular reading of course
materials and acquisition of basic vocabulary about the UK and the US. The teacher may deliver
a lecture, receive and answer questions before giving the quizzes, but you are supposed to be able
to answer the questions in the quizzes based on your reading of the relevant prescribed texts
before coming to class.

Seminars: Presentation & Discussion (25%)

The course features 04 student-led seminars, whose topics and key questions are given
and specified in this course guide. Each seminar will be led by two groups, which means there
should be 08 groups in total.
The seminars are case studies through which participants are supposed to see the
complexity of contemporary social phenomena, to become open to multiple perspectives, to
formulate and articulate their ethical commitments.
In each seminar, the leading groups make oral presentations to introduce the issues of
interest and then facilitate in-class discussions of the issues. One week before leading a
seminar, make sure that you have sent your teacher a detailed outline of your presentation
+ the questions (structured and open-ended) prepared for the in-class discussion as well as
arranged a meeting with her. To participate in the in-class discussion, the other class members
must get prepared by having read the relevant prescribed texts and answered the questions of the
seminar before coming to class. This means that you are supposed to submit 03 preparatory

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notes for the three seminars you attend as common participants. Not only your presentation and
facilitation as leaders but also your participation as common participants is evaluated.
Your performance is graded individually. Prepare a detailed report of each member’s
contributions if you want your teacher to see beyond what is observable in class.

Grading Criteria
1. Addressing the issue(s) Thoughtful organization 1
Sufficient information 1
Multiple perspectives 1
Logical arguments 1
Relevant and interesting details 1
2. Performing the presentation and Intelligible, effective, and beautiful language 2
leading the discussion Thoughtful questions, answers, and comments
3. Collaborating Positively contributive to the group’s performance 1
as a whole
4. Participating in seminars led by Adequate note-taking (hand-written, sufficient, 2
other groups correct, intelligible)
Thoughtful questions, answers, and comments
Total 10

Sitting Exam (60%)

The final exam consists of three parts. One includes structured questions about basic
concepts and facts that you have been familiarized with during the course. The other asks you to
write a short essay that addresses one or some of the issues discussed in the course. The final part
of the exam paper is optional. It elicits your interpretation of figurative expressions related to the
course contents. If your response is of good quality as judged by the examiners, you will receive a
bonus point.
See Guidelines for Reviewing the Course (subject to revisions)

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CONTENTS, MATERIALS, & SCHEDULE

Contents Materials

W1 Introduction Main texts

Course introduction Chapter 1
Nation, nation-state, culture, identity, and power
as organizing concepts Other resources
● Define these concepts. American studies
Introduction to British and American studies British studies, the latest import
● What is the UK? the US? from the US?
● What does being British/American mean? Quốc tế học: Quan hệ quốc tế,
(identity, citizenship, nationality, culture, khu vực học, nghiên cứu phát
stereotype, belonging, value) triển, nghiên cứu văn hóa
● Why are we studying the UK and the US?
(power relations, positionality)
● Give examples to illustrate the following
statement: ‘Britain’/ ‘America’ is a set of
places, peoples, and ideas that are always
contested and which change with the
political, economic, and social tides of
history.

W2 History and Historiography Main texts

Brief History of the UK and the US Chapter 2: Reading 1
● Why study history? The difference between the
● What is history? What is historiography? United Kingdom, Great Britain
How is a historical period defined? and England Explained (Video,
● Study A Short History of the United CGP Grey 5:14)
Kingdom carefully. It is an example of
how the dominant/official history of a Other resources
country is often told. Who are the The Favourite (2018)
characters? What kinds of events are
selected?
● Briefly describe the following significant
events and periods in the making of the
UK as they appear in common historical
accounts: Birth of the Union (1707), Acts
of Union (1800), Napoleonic Wars (1803-
1815), Victorian Era (1837-1901), UK
Decolonization (1945-1975), Thatcher Era
(1979-)

W3 Self-study Main texts

History and Historiography (cont.) Chapter 2: Reading 2
Brief History of the UK and the US (cont.) Apollo 10½: A Space Age
● Study Toward the City on a Hill: A Brief Childhood (2022)
History of the United States carefully. It is How America became a
an example of how the dominant/official superpower (Video, Vox 8:55)
history of a country is often told. Who are Special relationship
the characters? What kinds of events are (Wikipedia)
selected? Why is it possible to say that 35 Maps that explain how
this version of the history of the US is America is a nation of
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 Eurocentric? immigrants (Vox, January 12,
● How does Apollo 10½: A Space Age 2015; updated 2017)
Childhood (2022) differ from
dominant/official historiography? Other resources
● Briefly describe the following significant American imperialism: Crash
events and periods in the making of the course US history #28 (Video,
UK and the US (as sovereign states and CrashCourse, 14:03)
empires) as they appear in common
historical accounts:
○ The US: American Civil War
(1861-1865), Jim Crow Era
(1876–1965), First Red Scare
(1917-1920), Second Red Scare
(1947-1957), American Civil
Rights Movement (1954-1986),
Vietnam War (1955-1975),
Reagan Era (1980-)
○ The UK & the US: Boston Tea
Party (1773), American
Revolution (1765-1783), First-
wave Feminism (19th century–
early 20th century), World War I
(1914-1918), Paris Peace
Conference (1920), Roaring
Twenties (1920s), The Great
Depression (1929-1939), World
War II (1939-1945), Bretton
Woods Conference (1944),
Washington Conversations on
International Peace and Security
Organization (1944), Cold War
(1947-1991), Second-wave
Feminism (1960s-1970s), War on
Terror (2001-present)
● UK-US relations: What does the Special
Relationship mean? How has the
relationship between the UK and the US
changed over time?

W4 National Beliefs and Values Main texts

● What are some of the beliefs and values Chapter 3
that are usually claimed as British and
American? How is this possible to make Other resources
these claims? (history, evidence)
● What does the phrase “a city upon the
hill” refer to?
● What is “the American dream”?
● What is American exceptionalism?
Describe instances of American
exceptionalism.

W5 British and American Political Systems: An Main texts

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 Overview Chapter 4
● What is a constitution?
● What is a constitutional monarchy? Other resources
● What is a parliamentary democracy?
● What is a representative democracy?
● What does ‘separation of powers’ refer to?
● What is a bill?
● Describe the political systems of the UK
& the US in terms of constitution, form of
government, branches of government,
political parties, and election.
● How are powers divided in American
federalism?

W6 Self-study: Preparing for Seminar 1

W7 Seminar 1 – The Making, Unmaking, and Main texts

Remaking of Abortion Laws in the US
Presentation 1: The case of Roe v. Wade
● Who represented the two sides in the case
of Roe v. Wade? What was Roe’s claim in
the case?
● When and how did the case make its way
to the Supreme Court? What was the
social and political context at the time?
● What was the final ruling? What
arguments were raised to support the
majority decision vs. the dissent? Did
these arguments primarily rely on moral,
legal, or empirical grounds*? What other
factors contributed to the controversy?
● How did this Supreme Court’s decision
interact with state laws about abortion?
What was the impact on abortion access
across the US?
● What was its impact on other laws or on
related social outcomes (such as health
and well-being, gender equality, and
income equality)?
Presentation 2: Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health
Organization or The overturning of Roe v. Wade
Who represented the two sides in the case of Dobb
v. Jackson Women's Health Organization? What
was Jackson WHO’s claim in the case?
● When and how did this case make its way
to the Supreme Court?
● What was the public opinion about the
issue? Please consult & cite specific
surveys and note the exact wording of the
questions asked.
● What was the final ruling? What
arguments were raised to support the
How a case gets to the US
Supreme Court
Public opinion:
Gallup News on Abortion
(trends from 1976 to 2022)
Pew Research on 2022 public
opinion on abortion
Roe v. Wade case summary
From Quimbee (video, basic
facts)
From Khan Academy (video,
more detailed)
From Wikipedia
From FindLaw
Dobbs case summary
From Wikipedia
Outcomes (abortion access &
inequality):
Abortion ruling prompts variety
of reactions from states (AP
news)
Roe overturned: What you need
to know about the Supreme
Court abortion decision
How overturning Roe will
adversely affect historically
marginalized women
Other resources
https://www.pbs.org/
newshour/classroom/2022/06/
supreme-court-overturns-roe-v-
wade/

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 majority decision vs. the dissent? Did
these arguments primarily rely on moral,
legal, or empirical grounds*? What other
factors contributed to the controversy?
● How did the American public and other
countries/international bodies react to the
decision?
● How has this Supreme Court’s decision
interacted with state laws about abortion?
What has been the impact of the decision
on abortion access across the US? What
other laws could be affected?
* Moral: as related to the question of whether
something is morally right or wrong; can be
related to religious beliefs
Legal: as related to constitutionality, legal
precedents, other laws, and the role of the court in
relation to other branches
Empirical: as related to scientific evidence about
fetus viability, medical effectiveness and practices,
the impact of reproductive choices on well-beings
and other social outcomes.
Discussion: An article in the Guardian called the
ruling “a mockery of democracy”. Do you agree or
disagree with the article? (Source:
https://www.theguardian.com/law/2022/jun/26/us-
supreme-court-abortion-ruling-democracy)

W8 British and American Economic Systems Main texts

● What is a free enterprise system? Chapter 5
● What does the devaluation of a country’s
currency mean? Other resources
● Name four or five economic activity 2017 Index of Economic
sectors that are usually present in Freedom
descriptions of a nation’s economy. Thatcherism and the end of the
● What can be said about the shift in the post-war consensus
growth pattern of economic sectors during Market economy: Crash Course
the end of the 20th century in the UK and Government and Politics
the US? The role of financial services in
● In the context of the UK, the decline of the UK economy
which sector is a major concern?  Entrepreneurs are GREAT Part
● Describe the shifts of how the government 1, Part 2
in the UK has intervened in economic life. The City of London - Money
When did the state become much more and Power Part 1, Part 2
involved in economic planning and
nationalize industries? When did the trend
start going in the other direction?
● Describe the current pattern of mixed
economy of public and private sectors in
the UK.
● Describe the situation of budget deficit in

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 the UK and the US.
When did the global financial crisis happen? What
have been some of the symptoms/ consequences of
the global financial crisis?

W9 British and American Educational Systems Main texts

● Modern education systems Chapter 6
○ According to David Labaree
(1997), what are the three goals of Other resources
the American education system? The purpose of education
Illustrate each goal with examples Another brick in the wall
of educational practices in the US. Education reform has failed to
○ What is educationalization? improve social mobility
● What key moments have shaped the
British and American educational systems
respectively?
○ How did the 1944 Education Act
Change the education system in
England and Wales?
○ Progressive education is a
pedagogical movement that began
in the late nineteenth century and
has persisted in various forms to
the present. What was/were
characteristic of progressive
education?
○ What is the significance of the
Brown v. Board of Education
case?
○ In the US, what is affirmative
action in education?
○ What are the features of No Child
Left Behind?
● What are contemporary debates on
education in Britain and the States? What
solutions have been proposed?

W10 Self-study: Preparing for Seminars 2 & 3

W11 Seminar 2 – Brexit & Economic Reasoning Main texts

Presentation 1: Brexit – Background information
and non-economic arguments
● Present a brief history of British
Euroscepticism.
● What is Brexit? Describe the main events
of Brexit.
● Describe the patterns of voting in the EU
referendum
● What are non-economic arguments for and
against Brexit? Who have presented them?
What evidences have they given? How
have the arguments been criticized?
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British Euroscepticism: a brief
history
Brexit: All you need to know
about the UK leaving the EU
The Brexit debate explained in
2 minutes
Brexit: The movie
Brexit and the economy: The
Facts Explained
Local voting figures shed new
light on EU referendum
 Presentation 2: Economic arguments for and Other resources
against Brexit
● What are economic arguments for and
against Brexit? Who have presented them?
What evidences have they given? How
have the arguments been criticized?
● What are the economic issues that the UK
has to negotiate with EU as the country is
leaving EU?

Discussion: How do the economic arguments

display identity politics (claims made about
groups of people)?
Sample essay question for the final exam

W12 Seminar 3 – American Public Schools in Main texts

Education Reforms Chapter
● Presentation 1: Overview of the movie Waiting for “Superman” (2010)
and the stratification of schools in the US Waiting for “Superman”
○ Key information about and (Wikipedia)
synopsis of the movie (Waiting Waiting for “Superman”
for ‘Superman’) (IMDb)
○ Summary of the main argument(s)
of the movie about charter schools Other resources
○ Purposes of education, the crisis
state of education, and No Child
Left Behind
○ Comparisons between the
different types of primary or
secondary educational institutions
(state school, private school, and
charter school)
○ Comparisons between schools in
affluent neighborhoods versus
schools in poorer ones
○ Assessment of and comments on
the main argument(s)
● Presentation 2: Review of teachers’ issues
○ Summary of the main argument(s)
of the movie about teachers
○ Teaching standards
○ Teacher appraisal and tenure
○ Teacher’s unions
○ Assessment of and comments on
the main argument(s)
● Discussion: What can be some of the
problems when charter schools become
popular? To what extent are teachers
responsible for the quality of education?

Sample essay question for the final exam: The

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 education system is seen as both the result of and
solution to social problems. How do you
understand this statement? Use examples from
your course to elaborate your understanding.

W13 British and American Cultures of Everyday Main texts

Life Chapter 7
● Enjoy details of everyday life cultures.
● Reflect on decisions in disseminating Other resources
stereotypes and overgeneralizations.
● Reflect on practices of freedom.

W14 Seminar 4 – Watching British and American Main texts

■ Lives All or Nothing (2002)
● Presentation 1: Motherhood in Boyhood Boyhood (2014)
(2014)
○ Key information about and Other resources
synopsis of the movie
○ Select and present the visuals that
demonstrate the aging of the
mother’s body over 12 years
○ Select and present the visuals that
demonstrate what the mother does
to take care of her children.
○ How do the mother’s
circumstances define her
children’s circumstances?
○ Describe the mother’s social life.
Does she have a career for
herself?
○ What do you see as the mother’s
‘flaws’?
● Presentation 2: Working-class women in
All or Nothing (2002)
○ Key information about and
synopsis of the movie
○ Describe the social and domestic
working conditions of the female
characters in the movie. Select
and present the visuals that
demonstrate these conditions.
○ How do their circumstances affect
the way they relate to their family
members?
○ Describe some of the male-female
relationships in the movie.
○ How do the female characters
struggle to deal with distress,
survive and maintain dignity?
● Discussion
Sample essay question for the final exam

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 Drama is a form of film that involves fictional
stories; however, many drama movies realistically
unravel social conditions, bringing certain scenes
and issues into public attention and discussion. In
the course, you have watched several drama
movies featuring the weight of daily routines and
encounters that women and girls suffer from.
Those scenes and issues used to be considered not
important and exciting enough to appear on the
silver screen. It is possible to say that these works
of art have done compassionate feminism. Based
on instances from the movies, describe some of
the struggles that a female character has to
undergo in such a developed society as the UK or
the US. Also, describe the ways she goes
through/endures them in order to portray the
interplay between circumstances, luck, strategies,
decisions and morality.

W15 Review

GENERAL CLASS POLICIES

Discussion: Contribute to discussion in each class and participate in all small group activities
Readings: Complete readings by the day assigned. Bring the textbook to class.
Class Time: Being significantly tardy or leaving early will result in you being marked absent.
Absences: Keep your teacher informed about your absence if possible. You are allowed 03 unexcused
absences, and this doesn’t mean that you should use up all these opportunities and then try to make
excuses for other absences. Absences may be excused only for very limited reasons (including
hospitalization).
Late/Missed Assignments: The schedule of the preparatory notes and seminars is fixed. If your
missing one or some of them affects your final grade severely, please discuss the problem with your
teacher. If the teacher does not manage to propose any alternative measure of assessment or deadline,
please accept the fact that your grade does not meet your expectation.
Academic Integrity: Academic dishonesty is not tolerated. Penalties are an F on the assignment and an
F in the course.
Always communicate with your teacher first if you encounter any problem with the course. If you run
into problems that call for a third party, contact the course coordinator.

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