"There is in all the past nothing to compare with the rapid changes now going on in the
civilized world." --Henry George
History 5350: 20th Century U. S. Social
and Cultural History
Instructor: Dr. Lynne Curry Office: 216J Coleman Hall
Office hours: M 2:00 - 4:00 pm Phone: 581-7988/3310
WF 8:00 - 11:00 am & by appointment email: cflc2
Content: This course explores American
culture in the twentieth century through historiography,
research, analysis, and writing.
Readings: Five textbooks are available from
Textbook Rental. Reading assignments are on the course agenda.
The remaining readings are on library reserve. I expect you to
read each assignment carefully, critically, and analytically and
to come to class prepared to discuss. I assume you have a basic
working knowledge of the key events, persons, and themes of
twentieth-century American history. You may wish to refer to a
survey textbook if you need to review. I reserve the right to
modify our reading assignments and schedule, but I will always
inform you in advance of any changes.
Class performance: You are responsible for
completing the readings as well as actively contributing to our
discussions each week; energy, interest, and civility are
mandatory. In addition, you will make several formal
presentations in class; these will be graded as indicated below.
As a courtesy to your classmates and to me, please inform me of
an unavoidable absence in advance.
Writing assignments: You will complete a
journal survey and an article analysis. A three-part research
paper constitutes a major part of your work in this course; plan
to devote the entire semester to this assignment. Further details
are on page 4 of the course agenda.
Documented disability: If you have a
documented disability and wish to receive academic
accommodations, please contact the Office of Disability Services
at 581-6583.
Grading: Unless arrangements are made with me
in advance, late work will be docked one grade level.
Journal survey: 10%
Article analysis: 10%
Research paper, part I: 20%
Research paper, presentation: 10%
Research paper, part II: 30%
Class performance 20%
Agenda
Note: To the extent possible, read each
week's assignments in the order in which they are listed.
Week 1: Introductions and expectations.
Journal survey project due Week 2: After you
have read next week's assignments, choose one of more American
history journals available at the library. Survey the contents of
these journals for the past 25-30 years, including book reviews.
Write a 5-page analysis of your findings. What kinds of topics
have historians written about over the years? Do you note any
trends? Do these trends appear to validate Susman's and Appleby's
views? Why or why not? Be prepared to present and discuss your
findings.
Week 2: Toward a theory of history
Susman, Culture as History (text)
Appleby, "The Power of History"
Presentation and discussion of journal surveys
Week 3: From Victorians to Moderns
Ann Douglas, Terrible Honesty, Introduction, chapters 1 & 2
Article analysis due Week 4: Choose an
article on any aspect of American history from a recent (i.e.,
the last five years) issue of AHR or JAH. Articles
from other journals must receive prior approval from me.
Carefully analyze and evaluate the article's structure. Note:
Your focus in on the way the article is structured, not on its
substantive content. Specifically, look at: (1) Title: Is it
descriptive? Trendy? Obscure? (2) Thesis: Where does it first
appear? Is it clearly worded? How often is it repeated in the
article? (3) Organization: How is the article arranged? Is it
divided into sections? Do these divisions seem to make sense? How
does the author make the transition from one section to the next?
(4) Citations: When does the author use footnotes or endnotes?
Are there too few, just the right amount, or too many? What can
you learn from the notes that is not in the body of the article?
(5) Sources: What primary sources does the author draw from?
Secondary sources? How varied are the sources, and what do you
think accounts for this variation (or lack of)? (6) What are the
strengths of this article's structure? Weaknesses? What did you
learn about your own writing from carefully scrutinizing this
article?
Week 4: Presentation and discussion of article analyses
Week 5: The culture of consumption
Marchand (text), Advertising the American Dream
Lears, "From Salvation to Self-Realization"
Week 6: The cinema of democracy
Bergman, Frank Capra and Screwball Comedy
Roffman and Purdy, Frank Capra's Super-Shysters and Little People
Gehring, Populism and the Capra Legacy
Research proposals due. Bring enough copies for everyone in the class.
Week 7: Presentation, discussion, and critique of proposals
Week 8: Atomic anxiety
Gilbert, Redeeming Culture, Chapter 3
Graebner, The Age of Doubt, chapters 4 and 5
Film: The Atomic Cafe
Week 9: Urbanization and suburbanization
Jackson,Crabgrass Frontier
Week 10: Guest lecture, Dr. Ed Wehrle, Cultural history and the Vietnam War
Readings to be announced
Week 11: Welcome to TV land
Spigel, "Installing the Television Set"
Haralovich, "Sit-coms and Suburbs"
Newcomb, "The Opening of America"
Week 12: The consensus unravels: Gender and sexuality
Breines, "Postwar White Girls Dark Others"
Susan Douglas, "Why the Shirelles Mattered"
Susan Douglas, "Genies and Witches"
Week 13: Darers go first
Curry draft article, "Our Antibodies, Ourselves: Medical Authority, Bodily
Autonomy, and the Limits of the Law, 1900-1930"
Week 14: Thanksgiving recess
Week 15: Research presentations. Final papers due.
Week 16: Research presentations. Graded papers returned.
Instructions for Research Paper
This project consists of three parts: A proposal and critique,
a presentation, and the final paper. Each part must be typed and
double-spaced, using Turabian style (sixth edition).
Proposal: Three to five pages. Bring enough
copies for everyone in the class. All students will read and
provide written critiques of all proposals;
bring one copy of your critique to give to the proposal's author
and one copy to turn in to me. I will choose one student to lead
the discussion of each proposal in class. Critiques consist of
thoughtful, carefully worded comments regarding the extent to
which the proposal succeeds in fulfilling the requirements as
listed below.
The proposal consists of:
1. Topic statement. Your topic statement must demonstrate that
you have done enough preliminary research to become familiar with
this area (what are the key themes and issues within this topic
historians have addressed?). Define your topic as clearly and
precisely as possible. Be mindful of the time constraints of our
semester; your topic should not be too vast to handle in the
amount of time we have this term.
2. Research questions. This is a list of at least three sets
of questions that will serve as a guide to your research and
writing. Each set consists of a broad question you will use as a
starting point and several more detailed questions to sharpen
your focus.
3. Preliminary bibliography: List both primary and secondary
sources you have identified as most pertinent to your topic AND
most likely to answer the research questions you have proposed.
Note that this is a preliminary bibliography; I understand
that your final version may be different.
Final paper and presentation:
1. The body should consist of approximately 20 pages of text.
In addition, you must include a title page, footnotes or
endnotes, and a bibliography.
2. You will give a 20-minute class presentation on your
findings. I will assign your date and time. Address the following:
(1) Concisely summarize your topic and research questions; (2)
Briefly discuss your sources; (3) Succinctly present your
findings and conclusions; (4) Be prepared to answer questions and/or
defend your conclusions.