The
United States, 1920-1960
Syllabus and Survival
Guide
History 474A – Spring 2014
Tuesday
7:00 pm – 9:45 pm, Sierra Hall 288
Instructor
Dr.
Thomas W. Devine
Office
Hours: Sierra Tower 624,
Tuesdays and Thursdays 1:00-2:00 and by appointment gladly given.
Email: tom.devine@csun.edu Phone:
(818) 677-3550
Teaching Assistant: Johnathan Hayward
Spirit of the Course
This course will offer an interpretive survey of
political, cultural, economic, and social trends in the United States between
1920 and 1960. Since it is impossible to “cover” everything in a class that
meets officially only 14 times, out of necessity, the syllabus will be
selective in the topics that it addresses. Rather than emphasize “coverage” (i.e. what happened), we will focus on why specific events and trends
took on larger significance over time (i.e. so
what?) The course is structured chronologically, but there
will be some discontinuities in the timeline as we explore particular themes –
gender roles, race relations, popular culture, diplomacy, and so on.
In
addition, the course will provide you with ample opportunities to improve your
writing. We will be working on how to write a coherent, logical essay that
takes a particular point of view and makes a persuasive case for it – a skill
that will serve you well in the world beyond History 474A. In fact, it is no
coincidence that many employers in various fields say they like to hire History
majors. They know that History students have been trained to think critically,
analyze data effectively, argue persuasively, and write clearly – all skills in
high demand (and very low supply) in today’s job market.
Finally,
as someone who believes an informed citizenry is vital to sustaining the health
of a democracy, I hope that by studying the unfolding of American history in
this period, you will leave the course a more informed citizen than when you
entered. Today, Americans are astonishingly ignorant of their own nation’s
history and even more clueless about the world around them. This is not only
embarrassing but unfortunate, for as George Orwell reminds us in his novel1984,
those who have no knowledge of the past are not only powerless, they are
inevitably dominated by those who do possess such knowledge – something to
think about as we begin the semester.
Reading
The
following books – listed in the order in which we will read them – are
available at the Matador Bookstore. All
other readings will be provided in class or made available on the web
syllabus. The Bookstore sends back all
books after week four of the semester, so if you plan to purchase your books
there, you should buy all of them early in the semester.
• Joshua Zeitz, Flapper:
A Madcap Story of Sex, Style, Celebrity, and the Women Who Made America Modern
• David Ruth, Inventing the Public Enemy: The
Gangster in American Culture, 1918-1934
• Jeffrey P. Moran, The Scopes Trial: A Brief History
with Documents
• Patrick Maney, The
Roosevelt Presence: The Life and Legacy of FDR
• Paul Fussell, Wartime:
Understanding and Behavior in the Second World War
• Sloan Wilson, The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit
• Thomas Hine, Populuxe
To
subvert the system and to save yourself some money, you should consider buying
used copies of the books. You are likely
to find used or discounted copies at significantly lower prices at the
following websites:
www.bookfinder.com; www.half.com; www.amazon.com; www.abebooks.com
Requirements & Grading
Participation/Quizzes/Homework --25%
1st
Paper --10%
Option
A due February 16
Option
B due March 14
2nd
Paper --20%
Option A due April 26
Option B due May 9
Primary
Source Assignment --20%
Option
A on “The Modern Woman” due February 22
Option
B on “World War II Ads and Images” due April 5
Final
Exam [May 13, 8:00-10:00] --25%
• All
grading is based on 100 points and will be done on the +/ – system.
• You must write 2 analytical papers. For each
assignment, you may choose whether you wish to do Option A or Option B. If you
do both, I will count only the higher grade.
• You must do 1 of the two Primary Source
Assignments. If you do both, I will count only the higher grade.
• Late papers will be penalized. Any paper turned
in more than a week after its due date will not be accepted.
• Any
assignment not turned in or not accepted will receive a grade of ZERO in
the calculation of the final grade.
Explanation
of Requirements
Class Participation
Though this course will include some
lectures, it is not a “lecture course” – the emphasis will be on discussion and
classroom interaction rather than listening passively to the professor. Class
participation is important and will count heavily in your final grade. Have the
reading done BEFORE you come to
class and be ready to comment on it – simply being “present” will not earn you
a high grade. You will find that the key to success in this class is attending
every session and participating in the discussion. If you do those two things,
everything else will become easier.
Quizzes
There
will be occasional short quizzes throughout the semester. The purpose of the
quizzes is to provide you an incentive to complete the reading and to indicate
to me who has read and who hasn’t. If you have done all the reading – or even
most of it – you should have no difficulty doing well on the quizzes. Racking
up high quiz scores is the easiest path to securing a good grade in this class.
Analytical Papers
The
two paper assignments will focus on the material covered in the assigned
readings and during class discussion. If
you wish, you may do both first paper options and I will count the higher
grade. Likewise, you may do both of the second paper options and I will again
count the higher grade. You must, however, do one of the first two assignments
and one of the second two assignments. There will be a choice of topics which
will be handed out well before the due date.
Papers must be at least 1500 words.
Grades will be based on the quality of your ideas and how effectively you
present them. Keep your graded papers and refer back to my
corrections and suggestions so you do not make the same mistakes again.
Primary Source Assignment
This
assignment will allow you to mine cotemporary magazines and newspapers as a way
of producing some of your own historical analysis. I will provide you with a
choice of topics that lend themselves to primary research in sources available
on campus or on the internet. A more detailed description of the assignment
will be handed out in class, however you should expect
to write an essay of approximately 2000 words.
Final Exam
You
will receive a review sheet with 12 questions, 9 of which will appear
verbatim on the Final Exam. Of those 9, everyone will have to answer 6. Of
those 6, you can choose 5 and the remaining one will be a question that the
entire class must answer.
The exam will be cumulative, but will emphasize material covered in the second
half of the course. You are responsible for bringing an unmarked green book to the final.
The
Writing Center
This class is linked to the Writing Center, so when completing one of
the two analytical paper assignments, you will submit a draft of your essay to
a tutor. The tutor will meet with you to go over the draft and you will then
have a week after that meeting to revise and resubmit your essay for a grade.
You can set up an appointment with a tutor by calling the History Department at
818 677-3566. All students in this class are required to have at least one
meeting with a writing tutor.
Surviving History 474A…
Getting the Reading Done
This
class will require extensive reading, some of which you may find challenging, some
of which you’ll find more entertaining. It will serve you well if you figure
out approximately how many pages you can read in an hour and then calculate how
many hours it will take you to read each assignment. Most History majors read
scholarly books and articles at about 20-30 pages an hour. Novels generally
take less time. If you know ahead of time how long it will take to get through
an assignment, you can manage your time more realistically. Don’t read every
word of the first third of an assignment but nothing thereafter because you ran
out of time. To help insure you get the reading done, make a commitment to
reading 10 pages of the next assignment as soon as you get home from class.
Once you’re into an assignment, it will be easier to keep going. Each day you
put off beginning an assignment makes it less likely you’ll be able to finish
it in time for class. If it’s clear you won’t have enough time to complete an
assignment, use the study questions to guide your reading. Skim through the
book or articles until you come across material that is covered in the
questions and then jot down your answers. (This will help when it comes time to
write the papers and review for the final exam.) Since the study questions focus on the most
important parts of the reading, if you are able to answer them, you will also
arrive in class better prepared to participate in the discussion.
Attendance
Since
this class meets only once a week and its success depends on active student
participation, it is important – and it is expected – that you will be at every
session. I do take attendance before and after the break. If you are
a person who rarely comes to class and relies on copying notes from a friend,
this is not the course for
you. I understand that inevitably an occasion may arise when you are unable to
attend. Out of fairness to your
classmates who do attend every week, however, each absence past the first two
will reduce your final grade. More than four absences over the course of the
semester will put in you in jeopardy of failing the class, regardless of your
grades on the written assignments.
Laptop Policy
Since
“multi-tasking” is a constant temptation, laptops and tablets end up being more
of a distraction than an aid. I do not allow you to use them in my classroom
unless you have a medical note stating that you must have one.
Common Courtesy
You
are at a university among professional people so you should act like you belong
here. Do not embarrass yourself by acting rudely. Please turn off and put away all
cell phones and other electronic gadgets while you are in class. Playing with
your phone during class is rude and people who do it are advertising to those
around them that they don’t know how to behave in a professional environment.
Please arrive on time and do not walk out in the middle of class unless it is
an emergency or you have spoken to me about it ahead of time. Do not begin
gathering up your things before the end of the class period. This kind of rude
and disruptive behavior reflects poorly on you and distracts your classmates
who are paying good money to be here. Please act courteously and
professionally. Show some class. It’s part of being an educated person.
Academic Honesty
Do
not lie to me about why you missed class or failed to turn in an assignment. It
is unnecessary and it insults my intelligence. Do not cheat on quizzes or
exams. I will catch you and you will receive an automatic zero for the
assignment. Do not plagiarize from written sources or from the web. Since
plagiarism is always obvious
and easily caught (I know how to use google too), it is better to hand in your
own work and get a C- than someone else’s and get an F. If you have plagiarized in the past and
gotten away with it, it was not because the professor didn’t know what you were
doing. Rather, the professor did not
think you were worth the effort of pursuing it. Be advised: I do think
you are worth the effort. Any and all plagiarized assignments will receive a
grade of zero and put you in jeopardy of failing the course. If you are unsure
what plagiarism is, please consult with me or the teaching assistant BEFORE
you hand in an assignment.
Problems
I
appreciate that many CSUN evening students are stretching themselves quite
thin, often working full time while taking classes at night. If
you are feeling overwhelmed, find yourself falling behind, or are having any
problems outside of class that are adversely affecting your performance in
class, be sure to let me know. I am more than willing to work with you to
insure you “survive,” but I need to know you are having difficulties. Do not
wait until the end of the semester when it will be too late. The university
will not allow you to withdraw from a class after the drop deadline simply
because you are doing poorly. Contact me as soon as a problem arises and we can
work something out. If you are struggling academically, both the teaching
assistant and I will gladly give you extra help.
Schedule of Topics
& Assignments
21
January Introduction
An explanation of course objectives,
mechanics, and procedures.
28
January “These Wild Young People”
– Flappers, Sheiks, and the Birth of Modern America
Reading:
Joshua Zeitz, Flapper, Chapters 1-12, 17, 21,
22, 24, 25
4
February “The American Gangster” –
Capone and Culture in the Jazz Age
Reading: David Ruth, Inventing
the Public Enemy
Notes on Inventing the Public Enemy
11 February “From Harding to Hard Times” – Boom,
Bust, and the Origins of the Great Depression
Reading: Burton Folsom, “What
Caused the Great Depression?”
Warren I. Cohen, Empire
Without Tears, Chapter 2
Peter Fearon, War, Prosperity
& Depression: The U.S. Economy, 1917-1945, Chapter 3
18 February “Trial of the Century” – Cultural
Divisions and the Backlash against Modernity
Reading: Jeffrey P.
Moran, The Scopes Trial
25 February “Getting By and
Expecting Better” – Everyday Life During the Great Depression
Reading: Lawrence W. Levine, “American Culture and the Great
Depression”
James R. McGovern, And a Time for Hope, Introduction,
Chapters 4-6
4 March “A First Class
Temperament” – Franklin D. Roosevelt as Leader, Politician, and Icon
Reading: Patrick Maney, The Roosevelt Presence, pp. 1-108
11 March “New Deal, Old Deal, Raw Deal?” – Assessing Roosevelt’s
Policies
Reading: William E. Leuchtenburg, “The Triumph of Liberal Reform”
Barton
Bernstein, “The Conservative Achievement of New Deal Reform”
Anthony Badger,
“The Unanticipated Consequences of New Deal Reform”
David Kennedy,
“What the New Deal Did”
18
March “Washington Goes to War”
– FDR and World War II
Reading: Patrick Maney, The Roosevelt Presence, pp. 109-203
25
March “The ‘Good War’?” – The
Soldier’s Perspective
Reading: Paul Fussell, Wartime, Chapters 1-3, 7, 9-11, 13, 18
1 April “Anxiety and Anticommunism” –
Politics, Diplomacy, and the Origins of the Cold War
8
April SPRING BREAK
15 April “Out of the Army and Into the Rat Race” – Adjusting
to the Postwar World
Reading:
Sloan Wilson, The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit
22 April “Joe McCarthy, Richard Nixon,
Studebaker, Television” – The Cold War at Home
Reading:
Peter Biskind,
“Pods and Blobs”
J. Ronald Oakley, “Good
Times: The American Economy in the Fifties”
Elaine Tyler May,
“Explosive Issues: Sex, Women, and the Bomb”
James W. Davidson
and Mark H. Lytle, “From Rosie to Lucy”
29 April CLASS CANCELLED
6 May “I’ll
Take It!” Postwar Consumer Culture from Tailfins to TV Dinners
Reading: Thomas Hine,
Populuxe [You can skip or skim pp. 139-166]
FINAL EXAMINATION – May
13, 2014 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM
