HIST174 - Capitalism, Socialism, & Crisis in Twentieth-Century Americas

Activity
LEC
Section number integer
401
Title (text only)
Capitalism, Socialism, & Crisis in Twentieth-Century Americas
Term
2019C
Syllabus URL
Subject area
HIST
Section number only
401
Section ID
HIST174401
Course number integer
174
Registration notes
Course is available to Freshmen and Upperclassmen.
Meeting times
TR 10:30 AM-12:00 PM
Meeting location
FAGN 116
Level
undergraduate
Instructors
Amy C Offner
Description
From the crisis of the Great Depression through the 1970s, the United States and Latin America produced remarkable efforts to remake society and political economy. This course analyzes the Cuban and Guatemalan revolutions, as well as social movements that transformed the United States: the black freedom movement, the labor movement, and changing forms of Latino politics. In all three countries, Americans looked for ways to reform capitalism or build socialism; address entrenched patterns of racism; define and realize democracy; and achieve national independence. They conceived of these challenges in dramatically different ways. Together, we'll compare national histories and analyze the relationships between national upheavals. In studying the US and Latin America together, the class allows students to explore central questions in both regions' histories. What did capitalism, socialism, and communism amount to? What did democracy mean? What were the roots of racial inequality and how did Americans address it? Why were Americans so enticed by economic growth, and how did they pursue it? How did the Cold War shape social movements? What purposes did unions serve? How did Christianity inform movements for and against social change? Studying these regions together also allows us to explore international interactions. How did the black freedom movement in the US relate to the Cuban revolution? How did Latin American immigration shape the US labor movement? How did US Cold War policy influence Latin American revolutionary movements? The goal of this class is for you to interpret the readings and decide what you think. What you learn in this class, and the quality of our experience together, depends on your reading closely, coming to class with informed ideas and questions, and being prepared to help your classmates answer theirs. We will read approximately 100 pages per week. No background is required.
Course number only
174
Cross listings
LALS174401
Fulfills
History & Tradition Sector
Use local description
No
LPS Course
false
Major Concentrations
Major/Minor Requirements Fulfilled