ASA26001 Seminar on American Society

Hiroshima University Syllabus

Japanese

Academic Year 2026Year School/Graduate School School of Integrated Arts and Sciences Department of Integrated Arts and Sciences

Lecture Code ASA26001 Subject Classification Specialized Education

Subject Name アメリカ社会研究演習

Subject Name
（Katakana）アメリカシャカイケンキュウエンシュウ

Subject Name in
English Seminar on American Society

Instructor See the "Class Schedule" of the syllabus

Instructor
(Katakana) シラバスジュギョウケイカクトウサンショウ

Campus Higashi-Hiroshima Semester/Term 3rd-Year,  Second Semester,  Intensive

Days, Periods, and Classrooms (Int) Inte

Lesson Style Seminar Lesson Style
(More Details) Face-to-face

Credits 2.0 Class Hours/Week 　 Language of Instruction B : Japanese／English

Course Level 2 : Undergraduate Low-Intermediate

Course Area（Area） 23 : Arts and Humanities

Course Area（Discipline） 07 : History

Eligible Students

Keywords

Special Subject for Teacher Education 　 Special Subject 　

Class Status
within Educational
Program
(Applicable only to targeted subjects for undergraduate students)
Criterion referenced
Evaluation
(Applicable only to targeted subjects for undergraduate students) Integrated Arts and Sciences
（Knowledge and Understanding）
・Knowledge and understanding of the importance and characteristics of each discipline and basic theoretical framework.
・The knowledge and understanding  to fully recognize the mutual relations and their importance among individual academic diciplines.
（Abilities and Skills）
・The ability and skills to collect and analyze necessary literature or data among various sources of information on individual academic disciplines.
（Comprehensive Abilities）
・The ability to conduct research proactively by combining knowledge,  understanding, and skills for the tasks, based on flexible creativity and imagination.

Class Objectives
/Class Outline Among contemporary supporters of Donald Trump, two groups stand out: evangelicals and the Scots-Irish. Liberal America has often portrayed the former as a variant of “fanatical fundamentalists” and the latter as “racist rednecks.” However, the historical realities of both groups are far more complex and multifaceted.
Even the definition of evangelicals remains elusive, and when their history is traced back, unexpected points of convergence with liberal traditions emerge. The history of the Scots-Irish begins in the borderlands between Scotland and England, passes through Northern Ireland, and extends into the Appalachian Mountains of the United States. Known for their deep resentment against being controlled by outsiders, they have formed the core of the white working class in the United States and are famously represented by the background of J. D. Vance, author of Hillbilly Elegy.
This course excavates the histories of evangelicals and the Scots-Irish—groups that function as the “shadow” of liberal America—and seeks to present a more accurate picture of their worldview and historical significance.

Class Schedule lesson1　Guidance for the intensive course: The “lost souls” of liberal America — the worlds of evangelicals and the Scots-Irish
lesson2　Evangelicals, fundamentalists, and the religious right: the illusion of “evangelicals”?
lesson3　Evangelical eschatology and its unexpected image of America: America as one of the nations destroyed by God at the end of the world
lesson4　Southern Baptists who cannot fully become evangelicals: fundamentalists as liberals?
lesson5　The unexpected aspects of the Scopes Trial: images created by the media
lesson6　Radical social and world reformers of nineteenth-century evangelicalism: anti-Freemasonry, total abstinence, abolitionism, Graham crackers, and “perfect” gender relations
lesson7　How to capture the hearts of the masses: revival meetings, party conventions, rock concerts, and Steve Jobs
lesson8　Shared roots of contemporary evangelicals and liberals: substance over form in religion and making the world a millennium
lesson9　The anti-authoritarian tradition of the Scots: William Wallace and John Knox
lesson10　Ulster’s problem children: the birth of nonconformists
lesson11　Called “the scum of the earth”: resistance to the establishment
lesson12　The Paxton Boys, Fair Play, and the Whiskey Rebellion: anti-government traditions of the borderlanders
lesson13　Andrew Jackson: the leader of the borderlands
lesson14　Why they fought on the same side as slaveholders despite owning no slaves: resistance to rule by outsiders
lesson15　The unknown world of the Scots-Irish: from anti-Yankee to anti-liberal sentiment, challenges to English grammar, and Jacksonians’ domestic and foreign policies

In-class presentations: 50%
Final report: 50%

Text/Reference
Books,etc. Textbook
Yamamoto, Takahiro. The “Lost Souls” of Liberal America: Evangelicals and the Scots-Irish. Sairyusha, 2025.
Reference Books
Colin Woodard, American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America (New York: Penguin Books, 2011).
David Hackett Fischer, Albion’s Seed: Four British Folkways in America (New York: Oxford University Press, 1989).

PC or AV used in
Class,etc. Handouts, Audio Materials, Visual Materials

(More Details)

Learning techniques to be incorporated Discussions, Paired Reading, Post-class Report

Suggestions on
Preparation and
Review During the intensive course period, each student will be asked to give one in-class presentation. Specific chapters of the textbook will be assigned in advance.
Class 1: Preparation (60 min): Read the Introduction / Review (60 min)
Class 2: Preparation (60 min): Read Chapter 1 / Review (60 min)
Class 3: Preparation (60 min): Read Chapter 2 / Review (60 min)
Class 4: Preparation (60 min): Read Chapter 3 / Review (60 min)
Class 5: Preparation (60 min): Read Chapter 4 / Review (60 min)
Class 6: Preparation (60 min): Read Chapter 5 / Review (60 min)
Class 7: Preparation (60 min): Read Chapter 6 / Review (60 min)
Class 8: Preparation (60 min): Read Chapter 7 / Review (60 min)
Class 9: Preparation (60 min): Read Chapter 8 / Review (60 min)
Class 10: Preparation (60 min): Read Chapter 9 / Review (60 min)
Class 11: Preparation (60 min): Read Chapter 10 / Review (60 min)
Class 12: Preparation (60 min): Read Chapter 11 / Review (60 min)
Class 13: Preparation (60 min): Read Chapter 12 / Review (60 min)
Class 14: Preparation (60 min): Read Chapter 13 / Review (60 min)
Class 15: Preparation (60 min): Read Chapter 14 / Review (60 min)

Requirements

Grading Method In-class presentations: 50%
Final report: 50%

Practical Experience

Summary of Practical Experience and Class Contents based on it

Message Through this course, I hope to present a historical and comprehensive way of understanding the current divisions within American society.

Other

Please fill in the class improvement questionnaire which is carried out on all classes.
Instructors will reflect on your feedback and utilize the information for improving their teaching.

Academic Year	2026Year	School/Graduate School	School of Integrated Arts and Sciences Department of Integrated Arts and Sciences
Lecture Code	ASA26001	Subject Classification	Specialized Education
Subject Name	アメリカ社会研究演習
Subject Name （Katakana）	アメリカシャカイケンキュウエンシュウ
Subject Name in English	Seminar on American Society
Instructor	See the "Class Schedule" of the syllabus
Instructor (Katakana)	シラバスジュギョウケイカクトウサンショウ
Campus	Higashi-Hiroshima	Semester/Term	3rd-Year, Second Semester, Intensive
Days, Periods, and Classrooms	(Int) Inte
Lesson Style	Seminar	Lesson Style (More Details)	Face-to-face

Credits	2.0	Class Hours/Week		Language of Instruction	B : Japanese／English
Course Level	2 : Undergraduate Low-Intermediate
Course Area（Area）	23 : Arts and Humanities
Course Area（Discipline）	07 : History
Eligible Students
Keywords
Special Subject for Teacher Education		Special Subject
Class Status within Educational Program (Applicable only to targeted subjects for undergraduate students)
Criterion referenced Evaluation (Applicable only to targeted subjects for undergraduate students)	Integrated Arts and Sciences （Knowledge and Understanding）・Knowledge and understanding of the importance and characteristics of each discipline and basic theoretical framework. ・The knowledge and understanding to fully recognize the mutual relations and their importance among individual academic diciplines. （Abilities and Skills）・The ability and skills to collect and analyze necessary literature or data among various sources of information on individual academic disciplines. （Comprehensive Abilities）・The ability to conduct research proactively by combining knowledge, understanding, and skills for the tasks, based on flexible creativity and imagination.
Class Objectives /Class Outline	Among contemporary supporters of Donald Trump, two groups stand out: evangelicals and the Scots-Irish. Liberal America has often portrayed the former as a variant of “fanatical fundamentalists” and the latter as “racist rednecks.” However, the historical realities of both groups are far more complex and multifaceted. Even the definition of evangelicals remains elusive, and when their history is traced back, unexpected points of convergence with liberal traditions emerge. The history of the Scots-Irish begins in the borderlands between Scotland and England, passes through Northern Ireland, and extends into the Appalachian Mountains of the United States. Known for their deep resentment against being controlled by outsiders, they have formed the core of the white working class in the United States and are famously represented by the background of J. D. Vance, author of Hillbilly Elegy. This course excavates the histories of evangelicals and the Scots-Irish—groups that function as the “shadow” of liberal America—and seeks to present a more accurate picture of their worldview and historical significance.
Class Schedule	lesson1　Guidance for the intensive course: The “lost souls” of liberal America — the worlds of evangelicals and the Scots-Irish lesson2　Evangelicals, fundamentalists, and the religious right: the illusion of “evangelicals”? lesson3　Evangelical eschatology and its unexpected image of America: America as one of the nations destroyed by God at the end of the world lesson4　Southern Baptists who cannot fully become evangelicals: fundamentalists as liberals? lesson5　The unexpected aspects of the Scopes Trial: images created by the media lesson6　Radical social and world reformers of nineteenth-century evangelicalism: anti-Freemasonry, total abstinence, abolitionism, Graham crackers, and “perfect” gender relations lesson7　How to capture the hearts of the masses: revival meetings, party conventions, rock concerts, and Steve Jobs lesson8　Shared roots of contemporary evangelicals and liberals: substance over form in religion and making the world a millennium lesson9　The anti-authoritarian tradition of the Scots: William Wallace and John Knox lesson10　Ulster’s problem children: the birth of nonconformists lesson11　Called “the scum of the earth”: resistance to the establishment lesson12　The Paxton Boys, Fair Play, and the Whiskey Rebellion: anti-government traditions of the borderlanders lesson13　Andrew Jackson: the leader of the borderlands lesson14　Why they fought on the same side as slaveholders despite owning no slaves: resistance to rule by outsiders lesson15　The unknown world of the Scots-Irish: from anti-Yankee to anti-liberal sentiment, challenges to English grammar, and Jacksonians’ domestic and foreign policies In-class presentations: 50% Final report: 50%
Text/Reference Books,etc.	Textbook Yamamoto, Takahiro. The “Lost Souls” of Liberal America: Evangelicals and the Scots-Irish. Sairyusha, 2025. Reference Books Colin Woodard, American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America (New York: Penguin Books, 2011). David Hackett Fischer, Albion’s Seed: Four British Folkways in America (New York: Oxford University Press, 1989).
PC or AV used in Class,etc.	Handouts, Audio Materials, Visual Materials
(More Details)
Learning techniques to be incorporated	Discussions, Paired Reading, Post-class Report
Suggestions on Preparation and Review	During the intensive course period, each student will be asked to give one in-class presentation. Specific chapters of the textbook will be assigned in advance. Class 1: Preparation (60 min): Read the Introduction / Review (60 min) Class 2: Preparation (60 min): Read Chapter 1 / Review (60 min) Class 3: Preparation (60 min): Read Chapter 2 / Review (60 min) Class 4: Preparation (60 min): Read Chapter 3 / Review (60 min) Class 5: Preparation (60 min): Read Chapter 4 / Review (60 min) Class 6: Preparation (60 min): Read Chapter 5 / Review (60 min) Class 7: Preparation (60 min): Read Chapter 6 / Review (60 min) Class 8: Preparation (60 min): Read Chapter 7 / Review (60 min) Class 9: Preparation (60 min): Read Chapter 8 / Review (60 min) Class 10: Preparation (60 min): Read Chapter 9 / Review (60 min) Class 11: Preparation (60 min): Read Chapter 10 / Review (60 min) Class 12: Preparation (60 min): Read Chapter 11 / Review (60 min) Class 13: Preparation (60 min): Read Chapter 12 / Review (60 min) Class 14: Preparation (60 min): Read Chapter 13 / Review (60 min) Class 15: Preparation (60 min): Read Chapter 14 / Review (60 min)
Requirements
Grading Method	In-class presentations: 50% Final report: 50%
Practical Experience
Summary of Practical Experience and Class Contents based on it
Message	Through this course, I hope to present a historical and comprehensive way of understanding the current divisions within American society.
Other
Please fill in the class improvement questionnaire which is carried out on all classes. Instructors will reflect on your feedback and utilize the information for improving their teaching.

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