“American
Thought and Culture in the Early Cold War Era”
History
502B
Syllabus and
Survival Guide
Dr.
Thomas W. Devine
Phone:
(818) 677-3550 (office) (818)
773-2681 (home)
Email:
tom.devine@csun.edu
The
following books – listed in the order in which we will read them – are available
at the Matador Bookstore. Any other
readings will be provided in class.
To
subvert the system and to save yourself some money, you might consider buying
used copies of the books. I would
suggest the following web sites where you are likely to find used or discounted
copies at significantly lower prices:
http://www.bookfinder.com/; http://www.half.com/; http://www.alibris.com/; http://www.abebooks.com/
This
colloquium, which covers on the period 1945-1962, will examine the early – and
most volatile – years of the Cold War. In exploring the effects of this
protracted superpower conflict on American thought and culture, we will read
both primary sources and the work of political, diplomatic, cultural, and
intellectual historians. During the
semester’s first few weeks, we will investigate the origins of the Cold War from
both the United States and Soviet perspectives and then move on to analyze the
numerous ramifications it produced, particularly within American society, but
also abroad. Though we will be
covering a wide variety of topics, there are certain themes that we will be
revisiting throughout the course of the semester:
You
will also have the opportunity to follow the historiography that has developed
around the topics we will explore.
Though the emphasis of the course will not be on historiographical
issues, I will introduce and we will all discuss scholarly controversies where
appropriate.
Requirements
Leading
Discussion
One
person (or, on some occasions, two people) will be responsible for leading the
discussion each week. The
discussion leader(s) will compose a list of 8 questions that address the major
themes and substantive issues raised in the reading. The discussion leader(s) will meet with
me ahead of time to go over his or her questions. Before the seminar begins, he or she
will also provide each member of the class 1) a copy of the questions and 2) a
2-page single-spaced précis of the required reading. (I can handle the copying
if you get your questions and précis to me shortly before class.)
This is a seminar-style course in which active participation in the weekly discussions is crucial to the class’s success. Our meetings will be conversations – free, open, and informal exchanges of ideas based on the assigned readings – and I expect everyone to take part. I will do my best to insure each student has ample opportunity to contribute, but, ultimately, it will be up to you to make certain that you remain an active participant rather than a passive observer. Since the reading load for this course is heavy, I have deliberately avoided weekly writing assignments and other “busy work” to give you time to complete the required reading and to think about it critically BEFORE coming to class. It is your responsibility to do so.
Select
a topic covered in the assigned reading or one closely related to material in
the course that you find to be of interest and explore a selection of the
available primary sources related to this topic. Then, in a 10-page essay, present your
own historical analysis of these sources.
So as to prevent you from putting this assignment off until the last
moment, I will ask for a written status report on your work at the mid-point of
the semester. Do not resubmit work that you have already prepared in conjunction
with another class.
In a 7-8 page
essay due at the end of the semester, you will answer one of five questions that
will be directly related to the course themes listed above. The essay will be based only on the
assigned reading.
On one occasion during the semester, each person will bring a snack for the entire class to enjoy at the break. Optimally, this snack will be related in some way to that week’s topic.
Grading
Class
Participation
--50%
Semester
Project [10 pages]
--25%
Final
Essay (7-8 pages)
--25%
All
grading will be done on the +/ – system.
Attendance
Since
this class meets only once a week, it is important, and it is expected, that you
will be at every session.
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 adversely
affect your final grade. Also,
given the heavy weight placed on in-class discussion, any absence is likely to
detract from your participation grade.
To make up for a missed class, you may turn in a 2-page, single-spaced
précis summarizing the reading for the class you missed.
Classroom Procedure/Common
Courtesy
Although
our discussions can (and should) be lively and informal, it is also important to
keep in mind that you are in a seminar room and that you should act
accordingly. Please be courteous to
your classmates. Wait to be
recognized before speaking and do not interrupt others when they have the
floor. Also, be aware that everyone
is trying to be an active participant, but some find this easier than
others. Whenever possible, if you
have already made a comment on a particular point, defer to those who have not
yet spoken.
Problems
I
appreciate that most CSUN graduate 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. Do not wait until the end of the
semester when it will be too late.
I am more than willing to work with you to insure you “survive,” but I
need to know you are having difficulties.
You will find that as long as you keep me up to speed, I will be very
sympathetic.
Discussion
Topics and Assignments
Schedule
30
Jan.
Origins of the Cold War I: The American
Perspective
Reading:
Woods
and Jones, Dawning of the Cold War
Discussion
Leader: ___________________________________
6
Feb.
Origins of the Cold War II: The Soviet
Perspective
Reading: Mastny, The Cold War and Soviet
Insecurity
Discussion Leader: ___________________________________
13
Feb.
The Cold War and Presidential Politics
Discussion Leader:
___________________________________
20
Feb.
Locating the “Vital Center”: Intellectuals Adapt to the Cold
War
Reading: Pells,
The Liberal Mind in a Conservative Age, Ch. 1-3
William L. O’Neill, A Better World, Ch. 7
Discussion Leader:
___________________________________
27
Feb.
OPEN DATE
6
Mar.
The Cultural Impact of Anti-Communism
Reading:
Whitfield, The Culture of the Cold War
Discussion
Leader: ___________________________________
13
Mar.
War by Other Means: Selling the American Way of
Life
Reading:
Hixson, Parting the Curtain
Discussion Leader:
___________________________________
20
Mar.
“The Whole World is Watching” – Race Relations and
Diplomacy
Reading: Dudziak,
Cold War Civil Rights
Discussion Leader: ___________________________________
27
Mar.
The Cold War at the Grass Roots
Reading: Jenkins, Cold War at Home
Discussion Leader:
___________________________________
3
Apr.
“Anxiety, Alienation, Affluence, and Anti-Communism”: Social Thought
in Eisenhower’s America
Reading: Pells,
Liberal Mind in a Conservative Age, Ch 4-6,
Epilogue
O’Neill,
A Better World, Ch 10
10
Apr.
“The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit” : Cold War Meets Corporate
America
Reading: Whyte,
Jr., The Organization Man
17 Apr. SPRING BREAK
24
Apr.
Domestic Containment: Marital Bliss in the Atomic
Age
Reading: May,
Homeward Bound
Discussion Leader:
___________________________________
1
May
“Do You Know Where Your Children Are?” : Saving America from the
1,000,000 Delinquents
Reading: Gilbert, Cycle of Outrage
Discussion Leader:
___________________________________
8
May
Reprise: “Isn’t It Ironic?”
Reading: Niebuhr,
The Irony of American History
Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., “Reinhold Niebuhr’s Role in American
Political Thought and Life,” from The Politics of Hope, Houghton Mifflin,
1963
Discussion Leader:
___________________________________
15
May
OPEN DATE