- •1. British and American Studies as a science. Its aim and field of study, neighboring sciences
- •2. English as a global language. Multiculturalism. Variants, dialects & variations.
- •3. Old English period: the 1st inhabitants of the territory; old relicts.
- •4. The uk: geography, landscape, people population & climate. Official regions & counties.
- •5. The uk: Roman invasion & influence.
- •6. The uk: Scotland, Wales, the Northern Ireland.
- •7. Medieval Britain (12-14c.). Formation of the nation. Norman invasion.
- •8. Geography of the uk. Population. The main industrial centres.
- •9. Places of interest in gb. Traditional holidays, sport games.
- •10. Official symbols of the uk.
- •11. Theatre and music in gb.
- •12. National sports in the uk.
- •13. British Literature (modern writers).
- •14 .Culture and religion in gb.
- •15. The uk and the usa as English speaking countries. Other English-speaking countries in the modern world. Contacts, spheres of influence.
- •16. Britain by the 16th century, the Renaissance in culture and sciences.
- •17. The great Empire: Britain in the 17th century.
- •18.Britain in the 18th century: British - American contacts.
- •21. The Modern Britain: industrial centers and branches
- •22. Religion in England, Scotland and Wales
- •23. System of government in England, Scotland and Wales
- •24. Geography of England, Scotland and Wales, comperative analysis
- •25. Political structure of Ukraine and the uk (comperative analysis)
- •26. American history: protestants and puritans; the first colonies
- •27. American flag and other official symbols of the country
- •28. The usa: establishing the nation and state system
- •29, 39. American Holidays and sport games
- •30. Physical culture and Leisure. What does «American dream» mean?
- •36. American economy: from the 17 century to present times
- •37. American arts, theatre, music
- •38. Medicine and health care in the usa
- •40. American political parties
- •41. Science and technology in the usa
- •42. American youth: religious views, values and organizations
- •43. Population in the usa. Multiculturalism. American English and its variations
- •44. Movements of social protest in the usa and rasism (abolitionism, feminism, Ku-Klux-Klan)
- •45. The uk and usa through the Great Depression
- •46. The World War II. The uk and the usa
- •47. The usa: the Northerners and the Southerners
- •48. The usa: capital, system of the states
- •50. American South: agricultural regions and centres
- •51. Royal collection and all the castles.
29, 39. American Holidays and sport games
In 1971, the dates of many federal holidays were officially moved to the nearest Monday by then-President Richard Nixon. There are five holidays which are not necessarily celebrated on Mondays: Thanksgiving Day, Veterans Day, New Year's Day, Independence Day and Christmas Day. When New Year's Day, Independence Day, or Christmas Day falls on a Sunday, the next day is also a holiday. Schools and businesses close on major holidays like Independence Day and Christmas Day but may not always be closed, for example, on President's Day or Veterans Day. Sports play an important role in American society. They enjoy tremendous popularity but more important they are vehicles for transmitting such values as justice, fair play, and teamwork. The typical American sports of baseball, basketball ad football, however, arose from games that were brought to America by the first settlers that arrived from Europe in the 17th century. These games were re-fashioned and elaborated in the course of the 19th century and are now the most popular sports in the United States. Various social rituals have grown up around athletic contests. The local high school football or basketball game represents the biggest event of the week for residents in many communities across the United States Individual competitions accompanied the growth of team sports. Shooting and fishing contests were part of the colonial experience, as were running, boxing, and horse racing. Golf and tennis emerged in the 1800s. Recent decades have given birth to a wide variety of challenging activities and contests such as sail boarding, mountain biking, and sport climbing, collectively referred to as "extreme sports".
30. Physical culture and Leisure. What does «American dream» mean?
Physical culture and sport have a considerable influence on the development of society and social relationships. In order to appreciate this, a sociological approach is essential. Sport organisations affect the separate areas of work and sport in numerous ways. The results of two Bulgarian studies of the time budgets from the years 1970/71 and 1976/77 show that the amount of time spent on sports and taken from working hours has increased. Only if this increase benefits the quality of work and productivity is it useful for the population. This is discussed with respect to the new categories of additional labour time and additional leisure time. Americans are not regularly active during their leisure time. Watching TV is the leisure activity that occupie the most time, accounting for about half of leisure time on average for both men and women. Socializing, such as visiting with friends or attending or hosting social events, was the next most common leisure activity, accounting for about three-quarters of an hour per day for both sexes. What is the American dream? The first settlers hoped for freedom of religion; in their home countries they had been persecuted because of their religious and political views. Bad living conditions in Europe and the hope for better living standards in America attracted more and more settlers to migrate to the new world. The booming US industry during the first half of the 20th century caused the myth “from rags to riches”.