In the midst of an ongoing war against terrorism, this course examines American social history during times of war or threats of war. Throughout, we will examine not the battles and factors that determined the military outcomes, but the domestic struggles and changes that have defined our national experience. How have Americans responded at home to war and threats of war throughout the twentieth century and into the first? What internal divisions and shared identities has war inspired or revealed? How has the experience or threat of war shaped American values, politics, and experience? Scheduled readings will focus on four periods: WWII, the Cold War, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf War, and the current War on Terrorism. Themes covered include support for wars, pacifist and anti-war movements; social impact of war, perceptions of soldiers; images of the enemy and their impact on Americans identified with national enemies; and the role of media in influencing American perception of war.
Additional required articles will be available at the start of the semester through Electronic Resources.
What does it mean to be male or female in America? How different are our ideas about gender from those of other cultures? Where did our ideas about gender come from and how do they influence our lives, institutions, values, and cultures? How important is gender in American society and culture? What ways have we found to explain sex differences, adapt gender roles, and consider alternatives? In this course we will begin by examining dominant theories of sex and gender, reviewing colonial and Victorian Euro-American gender systems in the U.S, as well as those of African Americans and Native Americans. Our focus, however, is the twentieth century, and the development of modern (early 20th c) and contemporary (post 1970s) gender roles and ideas. How much have American expectations for male and female behavior and life paths changed over time and what aspects have been retained? We will explore the ways that cultural images, political changes, and economic needs have shaped the definition of acceptable behavior and life choices based on sex and gender. We will also pay close attention to the roles that race, class, culture, sexuality, marital status and other key factors play in determining male and female roles and influencing images of femininity and masculinity.
In addition to these three books, several dozen article readings will be available at the start of the semester on Electronic Reserves.
In the wake of the events since September 11, 2001 and the current continuing war on terrorism, this course turns to look historical at the internal ramifications of warfare on American society. Throughout, we will examine not the battles and factors that determined the military outcomes, but the domestic struggles that have defined our national experience. How have Americans responded at home to war and threats of war throughout the twentieth century and into the first? What internal divisions and shared identities has war inspired or revealed? Scheduled readings will focus on five periods: WWI, WWII, Cold War, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf War, and the current post 9/11 war and ongoing events. Issues covered include meanings of patriotism, critiques of democracy, pacifist movements and challenges to American military activities; perceptions of soldiers; images of the enemy and their impact on Americans identified with national enemies; and the role of media in influencing public perception of war.
Available at campus bookstore and on reserve at library:
Additional required articles will be available at the start of the semester through Electronic Resources.
This seminar examines American culture and history through the lives and experiences of women of color. How did and do ideas about race and gender attempt to define and limit the lives of women of color as well as other Americans? How have women of color responded to and reinterpreted white American ideas about their identity in order to develop their own self-definitions and ideologies? We look both comparatively at common themes in the experience and history for women of color of different cultures, and focus on the specific circumstances and social contexts of some African American, Latina, Asian American and Native American groups.
Additional required articles will be available at the start of the semester through Electronic Resources.