Hist. 446
U.S. Popular Culture Since 1930
Fall 2014
ACW 132
Tuesdays 3-5:30
“The first step - especially for young people with energy and drive and talent, but not money the first step to controlling your world is to control your culture. To model and demonstrate the
kind of world you demand to live in. To write the books. Make the music. Shoot the films. Paint
the art.” Chuck Palahniuk
Professor:
Phone:
Office:
Email:
Website:
Dr. A. Canfield
Office Hours:
792-2362
Spalding Hall 100
[email protected]
www.lcsc.edu/directories/faculty-and-staff/amy-canfield
Mondays: 1:30-2:45
Tuesdays: 10:30-11:45
Wednesdays: 7:30-8:45
Thursdays: 1-2:45
or by appointment
Course Description
This class will explore how popular culture both reflects larger trends in society as well as shapes
them. We will trace changes in the forms of entertainment since 1930, paying particular attention to
larger themes and events in U.S. history and how these were mirrored in popular culture (such as
books, films, television, radio shows, and music). In addition to reflecting these larger trends, we will
also study the impact of popular culture in questioning aspects of society and its values. As such, we
will use popular culture as a lens through which to view larger society and culture. As a class, we will
seek to provide answers to a multitude of questions, including: How has popular culture shaped our
national memory? How has popular culture served as a venue for debates over national, group, and
individual identities? What role do audiences have in examining popular culture? What can we learn
about history from popular culture? How are different views and different voices reflected in popular
culture? Why are there conflicting messages in popular culture, and what does this reveal about
history? This will not be an exhaustive study of all aspects of popular culture; rather we will deal with
larger historical themes and use examples from popular culture to illuminate changing views and
perceptions.
Objectives
As a History course, Hist. 446 will help you:
 Recognize the connections between history and popular culture, identifying ways in which
popular culture reflected trends in society and ways in which popular culture shaped society.
 Understand and interpret primary and secondary sources relating to the history of popular
culture.
 Define the major political, social, and economic changes in U.S. history since the beginnings of
the Great Depression, and explain their influences on popular culture.
 Research, write, and present on a topic or theme within popular culture, demonstrating an
understanding of content and analysis.
 Improve your critical analysis skills for primary and secondary documents.
More generally, as a Social Sciences course, this class should also help you to do the following:
 Think critically about the history and development of social origins, social thought, and major
societal periods and trends.
 Demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of the diversity of human perspectives and
behavior.
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

Develop strong professional communication skills, including writing a clear, concise, and
organized paper and presenting ideas orally in a clear, concise, and organized fashion.
Understand and evaluate evidence related to social issues.
Readings
 Articles and primary documents, available on BlackBoard
BlackBoard Component
We will utilize the BlackBoard component of this course in minimum ways. On BlackBoard, you will
find examples for various assignments for your final research paper (see below), all of your primary
documents and articles, the questions for your documentary film review (see below), the study guides
for the midterm and the final, and the syllabus. I may use BlackBoard for announcements about the
class, but I will also send those out via email. I will also keep the grade book on BlackBoard so you
can always track your points during the semester. Points for attendance and participation, though, will
only be entered right before midterms and after the last day of class. I recommend that you keep all
work I hand back to you in case there is every a discrepancy in the grade book.
Course Requirements and Assignments
Documentary review: Over the course of the semester, we will watch three documentaries. The first,
To Be Somebody, examines how the career of boxer Joe Louis reflects racial conflicts and tensions in
the United States, especially during the Great Depression and World War II. The second, Smothered:
The Censorship Struggles of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, focuses on how a television
network reacted to countercultural challenges to the status quo (regarding drug use, U.S. involvement
in Vietnam, etc.), in the seemingly-innocent format of a variety show. The final documentary, Respect
Yourself: The Stax Records Story, focuses on how race, social changes, and violence affected a major
recording studio in Memphis and the music it produced in the 1960s and 1970s. We will watch all three
of these in class, and together discuss their content and the film‟s analysis of history and popular
culture. Students are required to write a response paper to one of these documentaries. I will provide
specific questions to answer that will guide your paper, and help you analyze it (available on
BlackBoard). One of the goals of this paper is to help you learn how others have approached a topic in
history, using popular culture to reveal larger issues and make deeper connections. This 2-3 page paper
is worth 75 points. See the course schedule for the due dates associated with each documentary.
Primary document analysis paper: As a class, we will read and discuss (formally) six different
primary documents dealing with different aspects of popular culture. You are required to read all of
these, and be prepared to discuss them with the class. These documents will be available on
BlackBoard. While you are required to read and analyze all of the documents, you are only required to
write an analytical paper on one of these documents. One of the goals with this paper is to work with
students on analyzing primary documents that are in a different form than many we will use in class
(such as films, songs, TV shows, etc.). Your paper should reveal a reflection of what the document
means. You need to summarize its content, identify its historical context (citing any outside research),
and reflect on what it reveals about its given topic. Pay attention to who created/wrote it, and what it
reveals about bias and that moment in history. What conclusions can you draw from this source, and
what is its larger significance? This 2-3 page paper is worth 75 points. See the course schedule for the
due dates associated with each document.
Article Response: There are six articles/secondary readings required for this class, all available on
BlackBoard. Again, while you are required to have read and analyzed all of them, and be prepared to
discuss them in class, you are only required to write an essay on one of them. One of the goals with this
paper is to help students learn how to identify an author‟s argument (thesis), her/his evidence, and
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critique the author‟s effectiveness in proving the argument. This essay needs to demonstrate an
understanding of the central problem or question within the article, and reveal a critical consideration
of the article and its argument. Do you agree with the author? Is anything missing from his or her
argument? Was the evidence sufficient to defend the argument? This 2-3 page paper is worth 75 points.
See the course schedule for the due dates associated with each document.
Film response paper: As a class, we will watch four films: Freaks (1932), Double Indemnity (1944),
Rebel Without a Cause (1955), and Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the
Bomb (1964). You are required to write a 2-3 page response to one of these films. One of the goals
with this paper is to help you analyze another form of a primary document (as opposed to the written
ones many students are used to). In this paper, choose a prominent theme or idea from the movie (such
as social constructions of gender, anti-establishment views, discrimination, miscommunications, etc.)
and respond to how the film dealt with that theme. What does the film reveal about history? About
society? Did the film shape ideas or reflect ideas? This paper is worth 75 points. For due dates
associated with each film, see the course schedule.
Exams: There will be a midterm and a final for this course. These exams will be a combination of
identifications and short essays based on lectures, class discussions, readings, and the films and
documentaries we viewed in class. These exams are each worth 100 points, and are not cumulative. A
study guide for each exam will be available on BlackBoard two weeks before the exam. I will provide
a study-guide at least one week before each exam with potential identification terms and essay
questions. The midterm exam will be October 21 during the first 75 minutes of class. The final is
Thursday, Dec. 18, 3-5 pm. Please note the date of the final exam and plan accordingly; if you cannot
take the exam on that date, you will take an Incomplete for the course and have to finish it in the spring
semester. There will be no alternative dates for the exam, except for in cases of school-related
activities. You will need to bring a blank bluebook (exam book) to each exam. DO NOT PUT YOUR
NAME ON THE COVER OF YOUR BLUEBOOK.
Participation and attendance: This class will have lectures to give each student an overview of
specific subjects, but it will also include class discussions. As such, participation and attendance
constitute a portion of your final grade. Please come to class with the reading assignments completed,
as they will provide a foundation for discussions. In an upper-division course, I expect a high degree of
critical discussion from everyone, so don‟t just skim the readings quickly; read carefully and
thoughtfully. The better prepared you are to discuss what you have read, the better the discussion. For
any primary documents, make sure you are clear with who wrote/said/created it, when it was written,
what the historical context was, and its larger point and significance. Be able to tie the documents in
with the discussion topic, readings, and lectures. For the articles, make sure you know the thesis
(argument) and the main pieces of evidence. Be able to discuss whether you agree or disagree with the
author‟s conclusions. If it appears that students aren‟t completing the readings, or are just not engaging
in discussion, I reserve the right to make students email me 7-10 discussion questions in advance of
each class. Participation from everyone is required and is worth 75 points. Attendance is worth an
additional 25 points.
Final research paper: This paper is the major project for the course and is worth 200 points. The
topic is of your own choosing, but whatever your topic, you need to have a clear thesis and supporting
evidence. You are taking a stand (making an argument) with this paper, using both primary and
secondary sources to reach a conclusion. Primary sources include films, TV episodes, songs, comics,
speeches, letters, etc. This is not just a review of the work already completed on a topic. You should
use other secondary works to help you analyze the primary sources (whether those are films, TV
shows, songs, radio programs, written documents, etc.) and to guide you to your own conclusion based
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on your own research question. You are going to spend a considerable amount of time researching this,
so make sure it is a topic in which you are interested.
For this research project, you need to choose a theme in American history since 1930, and demonstrate
how popular culture either reflected that theme or helped to shape it. Potential topics include: social
violence, Vietnam protest, consensus culture in the 1950s, social constructs of femininity and/or
masculinity, lynchings, racism, sexism, celebratory culture, anti-communism, the changing role of
technology, cultural creations of paranoia, feminism, the sexual revolution, Civil Rights, optimism in
the Great Depression, American triumphalism in the 1980s, “malaise” of the 1970s, anti-establishment,
celebrity culture, etc. Do not feel limited by this list. You will need to use at least FOUR examples
from popular culture as evidence in your paper. For example, if you are writing a paper arguing that the
New Deal renewed optimism in the nation, you could use the song “Brother, Can You Spare A Dime”
to demonstrate feelings of hopelessness prior to the New Deal and compare it to the confidence of the
song “There‟s a New Day Comin‟” regarding employment, and then find examples of optimistic
viewpoints in two films, such as The Wizard of Oz and It’s a Wonderful Life.
The goal of this assignment is not to report on popular culture anecdotes, but to use examples from
popular culture to illuminate aspects of history; to form a strong thesis and use evidence to argue your
conclusions; and to provide a new and thorough understanding of the topic. The following assignments
are designed to ensure that students are completing their research in a timely fashion. You cannot skip
any of these assignments; you cannot hand in a subsequent assignment without completing the one
before it. Meaning: you cannot skip the topic proposal and head straight to the research question
assignment, you will simply have to go back and do the first assignment (although, with my late policy,
this might mean receiving no actual points for the assignment). There are examples for the topic
proposal, the research question and annotated bibliography, and hypothesis and outline available on
BlackBoard.
First, you will need to hand in a topic proposal. This should be just a short, one-paragraph
description of your topic. Clearly identify the scope of your proposed research (your topic). Also,
answer the following questions: Why did you choose this topic? What is your goal with the
project? If I feel your topic is too narrow or too broad, I can help you focus it a bit more. I will
also provide you with research suggestions, including sources. The goal of this assignment is to
make sure that you are beginning to consider your research project early enough to fully complete
all of your research. This proposal is due September 16, and is worth 25 points.
Next, you will hand in a research question and annotated bibliography. For this, you need to
take your topic and form a research question with it. So if, for example, your topic was anticommunism, you might pose a research question of “How did popular culture reinforce ideas of
anti-communism in the United States in the 1950s?” There might be other questions tied to this,
such as “How did different mediums—TV, film, fiction, music, etc.— underline national goals of
weeding out suspected communists?” “What was the connection between popular culture and the
government in this regard?” “Were there any sub-currents that questioned this anti-communist
stance?” When you write these research questions, start thinking about how you might build an
answer to these questions. If you find that you are just describing an issue, but not making an
argument, you will need to reconsider your question. For the annotated bibliography, you need to
include at least two out-of-class secondary sources that will help you in your research and at
least three out-of-class primary documents. You will need to write one paragraph per source that
sums up its contents, relates its main idea and/or argument, and describes how you believe you will
use it for your paper (how it works as evidence for your argument). Come see me before this
assignment is due if you have questions on potential sources, need help identifying a topic, or want
assistance forming a research question. The goal of this assignment is to make sure that you are
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beginning your project early enough to fully compete all of your research, that you have examined
sources that will help you answer your research questions, and that you have begun considering
your larger argument. This assignment is due on October 7 and is worth 75 points.
The secondary sources can be full-length books or scholarly/peer-reviewed articles. The library
has multiple works on popular culture. If you need assistance finding scholarly articles, please
see either me or a reference librarian. For the primary documents, there are some collections
within the library and numerous sources online. Make sure if you find a document online, you
correctly cite where you got it from (so I can also access it) and that it is from a reputable
source. If you are unsure, please come and see me. Remember, films, songs, TV episodes, etc.,
count as primary documents.
Next, you need to hand in a proposed thesis and outline of your paper. For your proposed thesis,
you need to lay out the fundamentals of your hypothesis (a rough sketch of your thesis and main
argument). Your hypothesis is not just a topic summary; you are to take a stand on some issue that
you are going to prove in your paper. Keep in mind that at this point, your argument is just a
hypothesis. Without full research at this point, your thesis could easily change by the time your
final paper is due. The goal of this assignment is to make sure that you have a workable argument
and that you have considered how to frame your work in terms of writing. This assignment is due
on November 4 and is worth 50 points.
The next potential step is to hand in a rough draft of your paper. This is a recommendation, but
not a requirement. If you choose to hand in a rough draft, it must be submitted no later than
December 2. This is worth a bonus of 20 points, but again is not required.
Your final paper should use information from class discussions, lectures, course readings, and
(primarily) outside research. It needs to be well-researched, have a strong main argument that is
identified and articulated clearly, demonstrate a strong understanding of the topic, and contains
plenty of relevant and accurate evidence. This 8-10 page paper is due at the final (Thursday, Dec.
18, 3 pm). No late work will be accepted. This paper is worth 200 points.
Each student will also give a five-minute formal presentation on his or her topic, and this
presentation is worth an additional 50 points. For your presentation, you need to be able to clearly
explain your argument, your sources, and your evidence. There may be questions from other
students, so be prepared to answer these. I expect this to be a well-prepared talk which utilizes a
PowerPoint or Prezi presentation. Student presentations are scheduled for the final day of class,
December 9.
Late assignments
Assignments are due in class on the date noted on the syllabus. Late work will be accepted (except for
on the final research paper), but will lose five points for each day late, including weekends. The first
five point deduction starts as soon as class that day is over, so if you hand in something after class on
the day that it is due, you will lose five points. If you hand it in the day after it is due, you lose ten
points. Late assignments also have a two-week deadline (meaning: if something is due on September 1,
I will not accept the work after September 15). Assignments will not be accepted via email. NO
EXCEPTIONS. You may hand assignments in to the marked folder attached to my office door if you
are unable, for some reason, to hand them in in class. Fair warning, I use the date I pick up assignments
handed in at my door as the date they were handed in. Meaning: if you hand something in on Friday
afternoon, I won‟t get it until Monday morning and you will lose points for the weekend, too. Make it
easier on yourself and hand everything in on time in class.
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Documented Absences
If you have a documented excused absence, let me know as soon as you can. These include jury duty,
school-related activities, and documented emergencies. A routine doctor‟s appointment is not included
as an “excused” absence. Please arrange appointments around your class schedule.
Disability Statement
Disability Accommodations: Students requiring special accommodations or course adaptations due to
a disability and/or a health-related issue should consult their course instructors and the LCSC Student
Counseling Center immediately (RCH 111, 792-2211). Official documentation may be required in
order to provide an accommodation and/or adaptation.
Classroom Etiquette
Basic “rules of respect” will be observed at all times in this course. Please arrive on time for class
meetings and turn off all cell phones and IPods/MP3 players during class. Laptops may be used for the
purpose of taking notes; however, if you are using your computer for other purposes during class (such
as instant messaging or Facebooking), this privilege will be revoked. In addition, please refrain from
talking to your neighbors while the professor or your fellow classmates are speaking. We will often
discuss highly sensitive subject matter in this class including, but not limited to, issues of race,
ethnicity, class, gender, sexuality, religion, and politics. Since history is open to multiple
interpretations, disagreement is fine—but disagreements are to be grounded in historical interpretation.
They must be targeted at ideas and they must be delivered respectfully. Personal attacks against
individuals will not be tolerated. You can expect the same respect from me that I expect from you.
**Fair warning: the study of popular culture often takes us into potentially controversial areas
regarding class, race, gender, language, and stereotypes. We may cover material that some people
consider “offensive,” vulgar, or even obscene. The goal in discussing or showing such examples is
not to offend, but to provide illustrations and examples of changing popular culture. If some of the
examples offend or bother you, or if you have questions on how I am either using or interpreting the
material, please come and talk to me.**
Email
Make sure you use my correct email ([email protected]). DO NOT just rely on the auto-complete
feature; type it in fully yourself. I am not responsible for emails sent to an incorrect address.
Additionally, you must use LCMail ([email protected]) for all course emailings. This is the
address that I will send all email to if I need to get a hold of you. You may set your LCMail account to
forward to another email, but you are still responsible for any email I send out to your LCMail account.
Do not delete any emails to me unless I have responded. I will always respond to let you know that I
received your message. If I have not replied within two days, assume that I did not get the email. I only
check my work email during work hours (Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm), so don‟t worry if you don‟t get a
response from me to an email sent in the evening or on the weekend.
Also, when emailing me (or any professor), please be sure to use basic email etiquette. Always use a
polite salutation at the beginning of your message. “Hey” or “Hey Prof” is not suitable. I am not your
buddy; I am your professor. Use correct grammar and punctuation; you are not sending a text message
to a friend. Always proof read and spell check your message. Do not send an email until you have used
your resources wisely; always check the syllabus for clarification before asking when the next test is
scheduled, for example. Finally, your subject line should clearly note what class you are in (HIST.
446). I have around 100 students and cannot always place immediately who you are and which course
you are in.
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Academic Integrity
Academic honesty is expected of all students. Instances of academic dishonesty will result in the
failure of the class. Academic dishonesty includes plagiarism (the use of someone else‟s words or ideas
without acknowledgement), cheating on assignments or exams, multiple submissions, and assisting
someone else in committing academic dishonesty. Academic dishonesty is a serious offense and will be
treated as such. Violations of academic honesty will be reported to the appropriate school officials and
the student will fail the course. No exceptions.
Grading guidelines
Before I grade and evaluate the content of any paper, I will first consider other aspects:
All papers must conform to typical academic writing standards for the history discipline and be
cited correctly. You must use footnotes (not endnotes) and correct Chicago or Turabian citation.
No MLA (parenthetical) citation is allowed. Improper citations will lose half a point for each
instance. Please come see me if you have questions on this. You can access the Turabian guide
online (http://www.press.uchicago.edu/books/turabian/turabian_citationguide.html) or you can use
the library‟s reference copy (call number Ref PN151.F56 L55 2007). I do not require
bibliographies, just footnotes. If you are still unsure of how to footnote sources, please see my
website.
No page numbers will result in five points off. Use of any font besides Times New Roman, 12
point will lose five points. Papers that are not double-spaced will lose five points. Improper use of
the words [there, their, and they‟re]; [where, we‟re, and were]; and [its and it‟s], will also lose half
a point. Finally, papers that are not stapled (and paper-clipping doesn‟t count) will lose 2 points.
Please staple your work, make sure that your first and last name is at the top of the first page (I
don‟t require title pages), and that you have proofread your work. The most important part of
writing, though, is to organize your paper before beginning to write it. Historians, in general, do not
use first person in their writings. For this class, you will be required to adhere to this. In your final
research paper and primary document analysis papers, for every contraction and use of first person
(I, we, me, our, us, etc.), I will subtract half a point.
Additional LCSC information/Syllabus Addendum
Consumer Information
In 2008, the federal government required all post-secondary institutions offering federal financial aid programs to
provide key data to both prospective and current students. To comply with this requirement, Lewis-Clark State College
has developed a consumer information page, which may be accessed at http://www.lcsc.edu/student-consumerinformation/
Student Rights and Responsibilities
Students have the responsibility for knowing their program requirements, course requirements, and other information
associated with their enrollment at LCSC. Students should review the LCSC General Catalog
(http://webdev.lcsc.edu/catalog and the LCSC Student Handbook (http://www.lcsc.edu/media/1152314/13-14-StudentHandbook-Revised.pdf) for more information.
Accidents/Student Insurance
Students participating in LCSC classes normally must look to their personal health insurance policy (Student Health
Insurance Plan or comparable private coverage) should an accident occur. In the event of an accident, please seek
medical help, if necessary, and report the incident to LCSC Security (792-2226). Fieldtrips or other special student
activities may also require students to submit a signed participation waiver (forms can be obtained from the supporting
Division Office).
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Enrollment Verification/Attendance
Students who are not actively pursuing their classes may have to repay part or all of their financial aid awards
depending upon the circumstances.
Illegal File Sharing
Students using LCSC‟s computers and/or computer network must comply with the college‟s appropriate use policies
and are prohibited from illegally downloading or sharing data files of any kind. Specific information about the
college‟s technology policies and its protocols for combating illegal file sharing may be found on the VP for Student
Affairs‟ web page (http://www.lcsc.edu/student-affairs/student-code-of-conduct/ ).
Diversity Vision Statement
Regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, or sexual orientation, you will be
treated and respected as a human being.
Disclosures
During this course, if you elect to discuss information with me which you consider to be sensitive or personal in nature
and not to be shared with others, please state this clearly. Your confidentiality in these circumstances will be respected
unless upholding that confidentiality could reasonably put you, other students, other members of the campus
community, or me in danger. In those cases or when I am bound by law to report what you have told me, such as
incidents involving sexual assault or other violent acts, I will submit a report to appropriate campus authorities.
Points
Documentary review
Primary document analysis
Article response
Film response
Midterm exam
Final exam
Topic proposal
Research question and ann. bib.
Proposed thesis and outline
Oral presentation
Final research paper
Participation
Attendance
Total
Hist. 446: Popular Culture
75 points
75
75
75
100
100
25
75
50
50
200
75
25
1000 points
Fall 2014
Grade scale:
A 920-1000 points
A- 900-919
B+ 880-899
B 820-879
B- 800-819
C+ 780-799
C 720-779
C- 700-719
D+ 680-699
D 600-679
F below 599
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Tentative Course Schedule:
Week 1, Aug. 26: Introduction; and Escaping the Great Depression: Popular Culture’s in the 1930s
 Discussion: Why Study Popular Culture?
Week 2, Sept. 2:
From Hopelessness to Optimism: Pop Culture Shifts During the Depression
 Film viewing: Freaks (1932), 65 mins.
Week 3, Sept. 9:
From New Deal to War: Patriotism, Tolerance, and Challenges
 Primary document 1 discussion: Cover of Captain America (1941)
 Documentary viewing: The Great Depression: To Be Somebody (1993) 52 mins
 Due: Film response to Freaks
Week 4, Sept. 16: World War II, continued: Rallying Support Back Home
 Film viewing: Double Indemnity (1944) 107 minutes
 Primary document 2 discussion: “Radio Researcher Paul Lazarsfeld Presents
Information about Women Listeners to Broadcasters and Advertisers” (1942)
 Due: Documentary review of To Be Somebody
 Due: Primary document analysis 1 of Captain America
 Due: Topic proposal
Week 5, Sept. 23: Creating a Post-War Consensus: Homogeny and Consumerism in the Cold
War
 Primary document 3 discussion: “Federal regulator Newton Minow Criticizes
Television as a „Vast Wasteland‟” (1961)
 Due: Film response to Double Indemnity
 Due: Primary document analysis 2 of “Radio Research Paul Lazarsfeld”
Week 6, Sept. 30: Hollywood Under Attack: HUAC, Good Girls vs. Bad Girls, and Undercurrents
of Rebellion
 Article 1 discussion: “‟With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility‟: Cold War
Culture and the Birth of Marvel Comics,” by Karen Bettez Halnon and Saundra
Cohen
 Primary document 4 discussion: “Frederic Wertham, Crusader against Comics,
Makes His Case to Parents” (1953)
 Due: Primary document analysis 3 of “Federal regulator Newton Minow”
Week 7, Oct. 7:
Musical Reponses to Social and Racial Tensions: Rock and Roll and Early
Protest Music
 Article 2 discussion: “Why Elvis?” by Michael Bertrand
 Primary document 5 discussion: “Time Magazine Describes Objections to Rock
„n‟ Roll” (1956)
 Due: Article response 1 to “‟With Great Power‟”
 Due: Primary document analysis 4 to “Frederic Wertham”
 Due: Research question and annotated bibliography
Week 8, Oct. 14:
What’s Wrong With Kids Today: Counterculture in the 1950s
 Film viewing: Rebel Without a Cause (1955) 111 mins
 Article discussion 3: “Boy Culture/Bad Boys,” by James Gilbert
 Due: Article response 2 to “Why Elvis?”
 Due: Primary document analysis 5 to “Time Magazine Describes Objections”
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Week 9, Oct. 21:
Girl” Groups and Feminism
 MIDTERM for the first 75 minutes of class
 Article discussion 4: “Fractured Fairytales” from Susan Douglas‟s Where the
Girls Are
Week 10, Oct. 28: Shattering the Consensus: America in the 1960s
 Primary document 5 discussion: “Paul Ackerman, Journalist, discusses the
political potential of music” (1956)
 Due: Article response 3 to “Boy Culture/Bad Boys”
 Due: Article response 4 to “Fractured Fairytales
 Due: Film response to Rebel Without a Cause
Week 11, Nov. 4: Let the Sun Shine In on Our Purple Haze: Drugs, Religious Changes, Protest,
and Music in the 1960s
 Documentary Viewing: Smothered: The Censorship Struggles of the Smothers
Brothers Comedy Hour (2003) 93 mins
 Due: Proposed thesis and outline
Week 12, Nov. 11: Cultural Responses to Vietnam: The Countercultural Legacy
 Article discussion 5: “Ivy League Jeremiad: The Struggle between Winning and
Character” by David W. Zang
 Film viewing: Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the
Bomb (1964) 95 mins
 Due: Documentary review of Smothered
Week 13, Nov. 18: Relax!
 Documentary viewing: Respect Yourself: The Stax Story (2007), 155 mins.
 Due: Film response to Dr. Strangelove
 Due: Article response 5 to “Ivy League Jeremiad”
No class, Nov. 25: Thanksgiving break
Week 14, Dec. 2: A Cultural Crisis of Confidence
 Article discussion 6: “Films of the Late 60s and Early 80s, from Counterculture
to Counterrevolution (1967-1971)” by Michael Ryan and Douglas Kellner
 Due: Documentary review of Respect Yourself
 Due: Rough draft of final research paper (optional)
Week 15, Dec. 9:
Student presentations
 Due: Article response 6 to “Films of the Late 60s and Early 80s”
Final Exam
Thursday, Dec. 18
3-5 pm
Don’t forget your final research paper and a bluebook
Hist. 446: Popular Culture
Fall 2014
Page 10 of 11
Outline of Major Events in U.S. History Since 1930
*(Stock market crashed in October 1929, beginning the Great Depression)*
1933
1934
1935-1937
1935
1941
1941-1945
1944
1945
1946
1948
1949
1950
1950-1954
1952
1953
1954
1955-1956
1956
1957
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1968
1969
1970
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1979
1980
Franklin Roosevelt sworn in as U.S. President; New Deal programs begin; Prohibition ends
Dust Bowl begins
U.S. releases Neutrality Acts
Elvis is born
Japan bombs Pearl Harbor
U.S. involvement in World War II
D-Day
FDR dies; Harry Truman assumes presidency; Germany surrenders; U.S. uses atomic bombs
against Japan; World War II ends; United Nations founded
U.S. begins “Containment Policy” (beginnings of Cold War)
Truman wins presidential election
U.S.S.R. explodes its first atomic bomb; NATO established
North Korea invades South Korea, beginning Korean War
Senator Joseph McCarthy attempts to “hunt down” alleged Communists
Dwight Eisenhower wins presidential election; U.S. explodes first hydrogen bomb
Rosenberg trial and executions; Korean War ends
Brown v. Board ruling; French lose power in Vietnam
Montgomery bus boycott
Eisenhower wins presidential election
U.S.S.R. launches Sputnik (space race begins)
Cuban revolution; Castro becomes dictator
First televised presidential debates; John Kennedy wins presidential election
Bay of Pigs invasion; Berlin Wall erected; U.S. begins sending military “advisors” to Vietnam;
Peace Corps created
Cuban Missile Crisis; Students for a Democratic Society founded
Feminine Mystique published; March on Washington, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.‟s “I Have a
Dream” speech; President Kennedy assassinated; Lyndon Johnson assumes presidency
Civil Rights Act passed; Tonkin Gulf incident; Johnson wins presidential election; Johnson begins
his “Great Society” programs
Malcolm X assassinated; U.S. begins official involvement in Vietnam; Race riots across the nation
(Watts and Detroit have some of the worst)
National Organization for Women created
Dr. King assassinated; Tet Offensive; My Lai Massacre; Robert Kennedy assassinated; Richard
Nixon wins presidential election
“Vietnamization” begins; Neil Armstrong walks on the moon; Woodstock; Stonewall riots, Gay
Rights movement begins; U.S. bombs Cambodia
Kent State and Jackson State shootings
Democratic National Headquarters at Watergate Hotel burglarized; Nixon wins re-election
Roe v. Wade ruling; U.S. signs Paris Peace Accords, pulling out of Vietnam
Richard Nixon resigns, Gerald Ford assumes presidency
North Vietnam invades South Vietnam
North and South Vietnam unite; James Carter wins presidential election
The world loses Elvis Presley
Iran Hostage crisis begins; Nuclear accident at Three Mile Island
Ronald Reagan wins presidential election
Hist. 446: Popular Culture
Fall 2014
Page 11 of 11