1. 11 January — Course roster, Introduction, outside reading plus US-2 web resources, student questions; map review (see also the Map Index, basic maps and Map Terminology); geography and regionalism.
2. 18 January — Map Terminology followup.
3. 25 January — Western Expansion, Demographics and Regional Identity
4. 01 February — Conclusion of Western Expansion and Regional Identity, plus U.S. values & cultural mythology
5. 08 February — Urban Development and Terminology; Post-WWII Social Change and the 'GI Bill of Rights'
6. 15 February — Urban Development and the GI Bill, continued; Social Structure I: population, mobility, diversity; unifying factors vs multiculturalism.
7. 22 February — Social Structure II, including Affirmative action policies, and traditional vs. multicultural values, etc..
8. 29 February — Economic Structure and Institutions
   • (The 2 student questions [required] are due today via e-mail [no attachments] to <john.d.hopkins [at] uta.fi>)

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9. 14 March — Class Review of Student Questions.
10. 21 March — Student Questions, Continued; U.S. Government and Political Structure, I
11. 28 March — Government and Political Structure, II
12. 04 April — Education in the United States

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13. 18 April — U.S. Media Overview
14. 25 April — Course exam; B-4117 — 10.00 sharp!
15. 02 May — Flex Date

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    • Please take a moment to complete a course evaluation form. Thank you!

TRENPK8a (FAST-US-2) is a compulsory basic course worth 2 ECTS credits for the English Translation and FAST Area Studies curricula. Evaluation is by a number grade, based on an exam covering (1) U.S. geography and map skills, (2) institutional vocabulary, and (3) U.S. social and cultural issues, with 30 of 50 points required to pass. Students must also submit at least two course-related questions via e-mail.

Students should join the USA2-L and FAST-L e-mail lists and use the US-2 web resources at <www.uta.fi/FAST/US2>.

While there is no 'book equivalent' for US-2, students may consult Contemporary America, by Russell Duncan and Joseph Goddard (Palgrave Macmillan) and American Civilization: An Introduction, by David Mauk and John Oakland (Routledge) as reference readings.