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Course Lecturer:

Type of Course: Elective

Course Objectives:     By the end of the semester, students will possess an increased awareness of the ideas and events which are influencing contemporary American society and culture, and will be able to analyze the structures and processes that are contributing to social change. Students will also develop critical reasoning and analytical skills which will enable them to communicate about such issues.

Course Content: Contemporary political, demographic, multicultural, and technological issues are impacting American society on a daily basis, and are transforming traditional institutions such as the family, education, government, work, and the media.
This course provides an in-depth study of some of the most controversial topics of debate in contemporary American society and their ramifications for everyday life.  Topics to be covered in this course include the American political system, the electoral process, lobbyists, the post-September 11 world, healthcare, the environment, civil rights, gender equality, abortion, gun control, capital punishment, pornography, gay rights, religion in public life, and substance abuse.

Course Length: One semester

Language of Course: English

Pre-requisite(s): None 

Main Teaching Methods: The course will combine lectures and audio-visual materials with discussion of the assigned readings

Assessment Methods: Class participation, student presentations, exams and papers.

Reading List:

Finsterbusch, Kurt. Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Social Issues. New York: McGraw Hill, 2007.

Lyman, M. Stanford. Color Culture and Civilization: Race and Minority Issues in American Society. Urbana: U. of Illinois Press, 1995.

Reichert, Tom, ed. Issues in American Advertising: Media, Society and a Changing World. Chicago: Copy Workshop, 2008.

Singh, Robert. Contemporary American Politics and Society: Issues and Controversies. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Pub., 2003.

ECTS Credits: 5