LFU:online

Institut für Amerikastudien Institut für Amerikastudien

Mag. Georg Engel Mag. Georg Engel

610012

Critical Interfaces: American Cultures: "The Woman by His Side": First Ladies in American History

PS 2

5

wöch.

semestral

Englisch

Whereas the role and powers of the American President are laid down in the Constitution, the First Lady has no constitutionally defined role, although she probably is the person closest to the President and with the most potential power and influence over him. Nowadays she has an office of her own in the White House Establishment and fulfills a number of roles expected of her. Although these roles have evolved from historical precedent, representing contemporary American norms of femininity, it is up to each First Lady as the head of American womanhood to advance the accepted roles of women beyond contemporary limitations. Thus every First Lady can carve out a role suitable to her own personality and put a characteristic stamp of her own on the public perception of her persona. We will examine a number of First Ladies and the roles they developed for their political work within their historical context — often a burden they could not shake off.

Finding relevant information/material (of sufficient credibility); effective presentation in class; developing debating skills within the peer group; writing a research paper; formulating essential results in a final test.

Final exam and research paper

Anmeldungsvoraussetzung/en im BA: positive Beurteilung des Pflichtmoduls 19 Entspricht im Lehramtsstudium (344): PS2: American Culture
Beginn: 8.3.2011