The course will introduce students to American historiography, the various approaches to writing history, the theories and methodology, and the ongoing transformation of the study of the American past. During the course of the semester we will study essays by scholars focusing on the current trends in historiography, recent developments in major themes of American history.

The course is practice oriented. Based on the skills acquired at the BA level, it develops the students’ knowledge of conducting scholarly research and communicating their findings to an audience, both in speech and writing. Part of the curriculum are research methodology, archival and database processing skills, academic writing, processing, and engaging with theoretical texts, the requirements of scholarly integrity. Students will complete a master’s paper and practice their academic presentation skills.

The aim of the course is to provide an overview of the social history of the United States to better understand the impact of the social changes on the American people, their identity and character. The course focuses on the sociologists’ take on American history. We will also discuss various themes, within the context of social history, as we consider the development of American society: including immigration, class, race, gender, religion, labor, education, family, wealth, living standards, and urbanization, to mention a few. With regards to the themes listed previously, the course will place a special focus on the social changes of the past century.