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Study Abroad Program
British Life & Culture Course
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Course Outline
Students coming to London on AIFS study programs are given the opportunity to learn about British life and culture not only by living in the capital and experiencing the excitement and diversity of one of the oldest cities in Europe but by travelling around the British Isles to compare and contrast conditions and lifestyles. The compulsory British Life and Culture course is presented in a constructive way to offer lectures and supporting visits on a wide range of issues. These inter-related elements can be used enterprisingly to build up a coherent frame of reference about what life is like in Britain.
Each student is expected to develop a personal agenda for learning about Britain so that, with an earnest degree of application, albeit it tempered with the practical pleasures of discovery, there lies a prospect of rewarding study. This can be either wide ranging across disciplines at an introductory level, or specialized according to individual inclination. Course work and assessment is determined by the home faculty.
Course Objectives
To portray British Life and Culture:
- in a historical, geographical, cultural and political context
- by examining some of the main institutions and making comparisons with those in the USA
- by exploring aspects of its social fabric, theatre and the creative arts and undertaking related visits
- by demonstrating and developing the ability to articulate the questions that underpin the experience of living in another culture
A tentative program of lectures and visits with a brief review of what each entails is detailed below:
Lecture 1
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Lecture 1: Introduction to the United Kingdom - the country and its people
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Lecture 2
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The history of London and London "exceptionalism"
Related Fieldtrip: Guided walking tour of the Old City of London
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Lecture 3
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Social Class
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Lecture 4
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British Theatre
Related Fieldtrip: Guided tour and talk at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre
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Lecture 5
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The British Education System
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Lecture 6
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The Power of British Media
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Lecture 7
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The Monarchy, its role and its future
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Lecture 8
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Britain and International Relations
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Lecture 9
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Leisure, sports and national habits
Related Fieldtrip
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Lecture 10
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Final review of course
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NOTE 1: These are subject to change and a final schedule will be sent to students enrolled in the class
NOTE 2: This course can be transferred to your DMACC transcript as either a Hum. 249 or Hist. 249 course.