Ateneo - UPO

This is a course on American Cultural Studies. It examines some key concepts in the culture of the United States by looking at how those concepts have circulated in in popular music. It assumes the centrality of black popular music in American cultural history, focusing in particular on the legacy of black feminist performers and on the function of popular music in the context of the social and historical turbulences of the postwar years.

Textbooks.
Required:

1) Angela Davis, "Blues Legacies and Black Feminism", New York: Random House 1998 (o Vintage 1999)

Selections from the following texts will be discussed. Texts will be available for consultation at the library:
Southern, Eileen, The Music of Black Americans: a History, 1987 ed. New York: Norton.
Burnim, Mellonee V. and Portia K. Maultsby. African American Music: An Introduction. 2nd ed. New York: Routledge Press
Benjaminson, Peter, The Story of Motown, Rare Bird Books, A Barnacle Book; New - Revised - Illustrated edition, 2018.
Smith Suzanne, Dancing in the Street. Motown and the Cultural Politics of Detroit, Cambridge, Harvard UP, 1999.

From Bruce Burgett, Glenn Hendler, eds. "Keywords for American Cultural Studies" New York University Press, 2007.
Craig Werner," A Change is Gonna Come: Music, Race and the Soul of America" University of Michigan Press; Revised edition, 2006

By attending class and completing the written and research assignments, students will:
1) acquire a basic literacy of key concepts in United States culture and in its history of race and race relations focused on the significance of popular music, and in particular of African-American music within the broader social and political landscape of the United States in the postwar years.

2)investigate the contested meaning of “freedom” as one of the quintessential keywords defining the American experience by looking at how music has engaged with it;

3)think and write critically about the relationship of music to cultural history, African-American history and the history of race relations and ethnicity by reading and researching for their assignments;
4) develop historical, material, and intercultural and knowledge and competence by participating in class discussion and by presenting in class their research and the assigned readings and listening exercises;d readings and listenings to class;

5) build the foundation for civic engagement and lifelong understanding of cultural differences, discriminatory practices, structures of inequality, but also the immense creative potential of music, language and inter-racial social practices by engaging the nation’s multi-ethnic and multi-racial past and present.
The advanced level (27-30L) is characterized by a deep competence in the analysis and understanding of the material, independent research that demonstrates originality and critical thinking, excellent communication skills both in writing and orally, and a high degree of autonomy in using advanced methodological tools for research and reflection. The ability to synthesize and present complex concepts clearly and structurally is essential at this level.

In summary, the base level (18-21) focuses on knowledge of the main information and clear but simple communication, while the intermediate level (22-26) involves more critical analysis, the application of theoretical tools, and greater autonomy in research and resource use. Both levels lay the foundation for further in-depth exploration, which is realized at the advanced level.

No specific pre-requisite. Interest for the subject of this class and for collaborative projects;
English B2 level.

Face-to-face, in class teaching.

Students with physical disabilities, Learning Disabilities or Special Education Needs can request specific services and tools via the Staff Sviluppo e Coordinamento Carriere e Servizi alle Studentesse e agli Studenti, consulting the University webpage: https://www.uniupo.it/en/services/services-students-physical-or-learning-disabilities Students with disabilities, learning disabilities or special education needs, once they have contacted the University Staff, can refer to the tutor in charge of the course to define the examination modalities, concerning academic aspects.

Class Participation (40%) and final podcast (60%).
Sure! Here's the translation:
Final grade will be assigned on completion of:
1) Weekly readings and exercises (20%);
2) In-class presentations (20%);
3) Independent research and writing of a short final text (about 2000 words) for the creation of a podcast episode (60%).

Detailed program and syllabus will be available in September on DIR.
This class is conceived as an innovative, student-centered, hands-on educational project, and requires attendance. Non-attending students should contact the Professor for an alternative, ad-hoc program.

o pass the exam, the student must:
1. **Familiarize with key concepts in U.S. culture**: - **What they should know**: fundamental concepts related to U.S. culture, how these have been reflected in popular and African American music, and how this music has influenced the construction of social relations in the post-war context. - **What they should be able to do**: nalyze and understand how African American music has contributed to social and cultural construction in the United States, focusing on the post-war period.
2. **Investigate the meaning of the concept of "freedom"**: - **What they should know**: he complex and evolving meaning of "freedom" as a central term in the self-representation of the American experience, with particular attention to how African American music has conveyed political and social content. - **What they should be able to do**: ritically examine how music has interpreted and represented freedom, analyzing how music has been a tool to explore and disseminate the concept of "freedom" in various historical phases.
3. **Think and write critically about the relationship between music and cultural history**: - **What they should know**: pecific aspects of the history of African American music (as indicated in the syllabus), its relationship with the history of racial and ethnic relations, and the cultural history of the United States. - **What they should be able to do**: rite and reflect critically on the connections between music and cultural, historical, and racial developments, highlighting how music influences and reflects social and political changes.
4. **Develop historical, material, and intercultural skills**: - **What they should know**: hemes related to the history of racial relations, cultural practices, and relevant historical materials. - **What they should be able to do**: ctively participate in class discussions, present their research and/or assigned materials, and complete assigned listening exercises, demonstrating analytical and interpretive skills.
5. **Create a podcast on a topic established with the instructor**: - **What they should know**: he basics of writing a short text in English for recording a podcast on African American music within the context of U.S. culture. - **What they should be able to do**: evelop a script for the podcast according to the assigned instructions and record it using a smartphone or other digital devices.
hese are the main learning outcomes, where students will develop both theoretical and practical knowledge to address social, cultural, and historical issues related to African American music and the history of racial relations in the United States.