EC2 2022-2023 (archives) + 2023-2024
Unit24: Environmental Issues and Energy Policy in the US and in the UK:
Climate change is now one of the most serious issues. What with a rising number of natural disasters and and scientific evidence of climate change, politicians have to take a stand on the matter. We will thus try and study the energy policy implemented in the US and in the UK, not to mention its underlying stakes.
Unit25: Immigration in the US and in the UK (+Australia):
Immigration is a never-ending challenge for governments, and it is even more so in times of crisis. We will here reflect on the different stakes of this burning issue. Here are keywords for the
unit: immigrants, minorities, multiculturalism, melting pot, salad bowl, border patrol, undocumented workers, deportees, wetbacks or boat people, Hispanics or Latinos, "scroungers", fear tactics,
...
Unit23: Education Matters: Raising Hopes or Failing Dreams?
Education is a hot-button issue both in the US and in the UK. In this unit, we will try and study the American and the British educational systems. We will also address the main issues they are faced with, such as elitism vs social mobility, "traditional" learning vs e-learning or lack of diversity, not to mention a few education-related issues.
Unit21: "A Man's Man's World": The Glass-Ceiling, the Gender Gap and other gender-related issues:
The glass-celing” and the “gender gap” are notions which seem to go hand in hand with women’s situation on the job market. Taking a look at women’s (and minorities’) economic and political progress, we will try to see whether women and the LGBTQ+ community are now in a position to shatter the glass-ceiling. We will thus also focus on the world of work and the job market to see whether most of them can now make it to the top!
Health is a burning issue which is seldom off the agenda in the developed world. It has long been troublesome for successive governments on both sides of the Atlantic. Focusing on the Covid fallout and the healthcare system in the US and in the UK, we will try and understand the problems both systems are plagued with. We will also try to think about the consequences of an aging world population and how the health sector has been adjusting to this very phenomenon.
Unit20: Globalization, Finance, Covid19, and their Impact on the World of Work and the Job Market:
In the wake of the transition from a manufacturing-based economy to a service-based economy - thanks to the digital revolution - and the economic crisis, the world economy has been faced with a number of challenges, not to mention the Covid-19 pandemic. Here we will try and study a few of these issues and reflect on the causes and the consequences of the various crises the world has been confronted with.
NSA? FISC? DOJ? Prism? Feeling a little lost? In this Unit, we will try to have a better grasp on the recent NSA snooping scandal in the US. You will find out more about Snowden, Manning or other whistleblowers who made the news in the US and in the UK, study key articles about the surveillance leaks and programs, and reflect on the debate pitting civil liberties against national security.
Unit19: "The American Culture of Violence":
A lot of people consider the US is steeped in violence. Indeed, many mass shootings have recently hit the headlines, the death penalty still exists in more than 30 states and US History is plagued with instances of violence inflicted on others. We will here try to understand the reasons why some people criticize the US this way and reflect on how valid these arguments are.
Unit16: The Media in the US and in the UK: "No News is Good News"?
The media is a cornerstone of the US and the British cultures. Here, you will reflect on the blurred line between
privacy and the right to information and the changes the media has been faced with. You will also scrutinize the violence of contemporary media or the intermingling of the media, business
and politics, not to mention the notions of fake news, free speech or cancel culture. This unit will also give you the opportunity to practice the ELVI written exam.
Unit17: Key issues in US Politics and the 2022 midterms:
Two years after the 2020 election, Republicans and Democrats are still at each other's throats. The 2024 campaign is already under way. In the wake of the 2022 midterm election, Joe Biden could be come a lame duck president and Trump could consider coming back to the White House. Here we will try to have a better grasp of the issues at stake in US politics right now and of the role of money in US elections and campaigns. This unit will also help you review Unit3.
Britain is said to be at a crossroads right now. Indeed, the next few months (and years!) will be crucial for this country: in the aftermath of the Brexit vote, the UK has to renegotiate its
status in (and out of) the European Union and to overcome major challenges like a huge energy crisis and the Queen's passing. A political, constitutional crisis is looming and attention has
shifted to the possibility of a greater devolution of powers. All this bodes ill for Britain's clout around the world, doesn't it?