History 474B -- US Since 1960

The United States Since 1960 – Syllabus and Survival Guide

History 474B – Fall 2014

Tuesday 4:00 pm – 6:45 pm, Sierra Hall 288

Instructor

Dr. Thomas W. Devine

Office Hours: Sierra Tower 624, Tuesday, 2-3 pm; Thursday, 2:30-3:30 and by appointment gladly given.

Phone: (818) 677-3550 Email: tom.devine@csun.edu

Spirit of the Course

This course will offer an interpretive survey of political, cultural, economic, and social trends in the United States since 1960. Since it is impossible to “cover” everything in a class that meets officially only 15 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.

If all goes according to plan, you will leave in December with a broader and deeper knowledge of the events of this period and their significance in shaping present day U.S. society. It is my hope that you will also finish the course with something more: a rich sense of the “fabric” of this era – a feel for how people lived their daily lives, the tragedies they suffered, and the triumphs they celebrated; an appreciation for the ideas, ideologies, fads, and follies that intrigued and seduced them; an understanding of the problems and tough decisions that confronted both everyday people and top policy makers; and, perhaps most importantly, a recognition of the contingencies of history and an empathy for the historical actors who benefited from or fell victim to these contingencies.

Finally, 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 474B.

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.

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

Class Participation/Reading Quizzes --25%

1^st Paper --25%

Option A due September 21

CLICK HERE FOR PAPER 1 OPTION A

Option B due October 12

CLICK HERE FOR PAPER 1 OPTION B

Option C due November 23

CLICK HERE FOR PAPER 1 OPTION C

Primary Source Assignment --25%

Due October 30

CLICK HERE FOR PRIMARY SOURCE ASSIGNMENT

Final Exam [5:30pm-7:30pm December 16] --25%

CLICK HERE FOR FINAL EXAM STUDY GUIDE

• 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.

• 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.

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 Paper

This paper assignment will focus on the material covered in the assigned readings and during class discussion. If you wish, you may do more than one of the paper options and I will count the highest grade. 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 focus on 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 474B…

You will find that the key to success in this class is completing the reading, attending every session, and participating in the discussions. If you do those three things, everything else – papers, homework assignments, quizzes, and the final exam – will come easier.

Getting the Reading Done

This class requires a lot of 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 and memoirs 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. Do not leave at the break and expect to be credited with having attended the entire class. 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 class you miss past the first two will reduce your final grade. If you miss more than four classes over the course of the semester, you will be 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 try to act like you belong here. Do not embarrass yourself by behaving badly. Don’t speak while others are speaking. Please turn off and put away all cell phones and other electronic gadgets while you are in class. Texting or constantly playing with your phone during class is rude and distracts both me and your classmates. Beyond that, it makes you look foolish, and people – like me – will judge you accordingly. 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. Go to the restroom before class or during the break so as to keep from distracting others by walking out of the room during class. In short, act courteously and professionally. 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 the 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. Plagiarized assignments will receive a grade of zero. Beyond that, your name will be circulated among other faculty as someone who lacks integrity and you risk being expelled from the University. If you are unsure what plagiarism is, please consult with me 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. Either come to see me or send an email as soon as a problem arises and we can work something out. If you are struggling academically, I will gladly give you extra help.

Schedule of Topics & Assignments

26 August Introduction

An explanation of course objectives, mechanics, and procedures

2 September “The Torch is Passed” – John F. Kennedy and Promise of the ‘60s

Reading: David Farber, The Age of Great Dreams: America in the 1960s, Chapter 2

Allen Matusow, The Unraveling of America, Chapter 3

Hugh Brogran, “Death and a Presidency”

STUDY QUESTIONS

Kennedy Address to the Nation on September 30, 1962 regarding integration of the University of Mississippi

[Click on the Play arrow to start. Click HERE for written transcript.]

Kennedy Address to the Nation on June 11, 1963 regarding the integration of the University of Alabama

[Click on the Play arrow to start. Click HERE for written transcript.]