HIST163 - MODERN AMERICAN CULTURE

Status
O
Activity
LEC
Title (text only)
HIST163 - MODERN AMERICAN CULTURE
Term
2015C
Subject area
HIST
Section number only
201
Section ID
HIST163201
Registration notes

SECTION ACTIVITY CO-REQUISITE REQUIRED; HISTORY & TRADITION SECTOR

Meeting times
MW 1000AM-1100AM
Meeting location
COLLEGE HALL 314
Instructors
PEISS, KATHY
Description
Through the twentieth century, American culture took on new forms and meanings, spurred by technological innovation, commerce, and institutions, and shaped by an ever-changing population. In the process, American culture became self-consciously 'modern'-embraced, contested, repudiated, and continually redefined. This course explores the history of American culture from the 1890s to the 1990s, with a focus on the following questions: Why did culture become such an important part of American economic, social, and political life in the twentieth century? How has culture been created, understood, and mobilized by different groups in American society at different times? What have been the politics of culture over the twentieth century? Topics include the rise of 'culture industries' and mass entertainment, including amusement parks, film, radio, and television; the growth of consumer culture; the impact of gender in such arenas as sports and fashion; the role of working-class peoples, African Americans, and immigrants in American culture; the cultural response to the Depression and World War II; and popular activism. The course emphasizes the study of primary documents-journalism, fiction, letters and diaries, music, photographs, and film-as a means of understanding the past.
Course number only
163
Use local description
No
LPS Course
false
Major Concentrations
Major/Minor Requirements Fulfilled