20th
Century
Syllabus and Survival Guide
History
305 – Fall 2006
Monday
7:00-9:50 pm, Sierra Hall 279
Instructors
Dr.
Thomas W. Devine
Office
Hours:
Neil Thompson Michelle
Reeves
Office Hours: TBA E-mail Office Hours: TBA E-mail
Readings
The
following books are at the Matador Bookstore and are listed in the order in
which we will read them. Any other
readings will be provided in class or emailed to you as pdf files.
To subvert the system
and save yourself some money, you should consider buying used copies of the
books. Used or discounted copies are available at the following web sites: bookfinder.com; amazon.com; half.com
Any
edition of the books is acceptable. You do not need to pay more in order
to get the second edition of Starr’s book or any particular edition of either
novel.
Though
there is no assigned textbook for this course, many of you may find that you
need one to provide basic background information, particularly on the Soviet
side. I recommend Peter
Kenez, A History of the Soviet Union from the Beginning to the End, a short and accessible survey
that also devotes some attention to Soviet popular culture. Richard
Stites, Russian Popular Culture:
Entertainment and Society since 1900 is also helpful.
Requirements,
Grading, & Deadlines
Class
Participation and Quizzes 20%
Analytical
Paper (Friday, 13 October OR
Friday, 24 November) 15%
Take Home
Midterm (Friday, 27 October) 20%
(First
draft due by Dec 3rd at noon;
Final draft by Dec 14th) 20%
In-Class
Final Examination [Monday, 18 December] 25%
Unless otherwise
noted, all take-home assignments are due by 11:59 pm on the day listed above.
All
grading will be done on the +/ – system.
Any assignment not completed will be counted as a “zero” in calculating
your semester grade.
Spirit
of the Course
The central premise of
this course is that popular culture deserves serious attention since it often
reveals much about the priorities, assumptions, mores, and values of the
society that produces it. Throughout the
semester we will be using a comparative approach to explore twentieth century
This
course is designed as a general education class and requires no “expertise” in
history. Unlike other history classes
you may have taken, this course is not about memorizing a series
of facts presented in a textbook and regurgitating them for exams. In this course, you will be learning not simply more
history, but a different way of understanding history and, in tandem, sharpening
your own skills as a “cultural critic” – skills that will allow you to become
not only a more sophisticated student of history, but also a better informed
participant in and observer of the world around you.
Finally, as
someone who believes an informed citizenry contributes to the health of
democracy, I hope that by studying recent history through the medium of popular
culture, you will leave this course a more informed citizen than when you
entered. Knowledge of the past is essential for those who wish to shape the
present. Indeed, as
George Orwell reminds us in his novel1984 – a book that had much to say about both Soviet and American culture –
those who have no knowledge of the past are not only powerless, they inevitably
are dominated by those who do possess such knowledge – something to think about
as we begin the semester.
Explanation of Requirements
Class Participation
Though
this course will include some lectures, it is not primarily a “lecture course”
– the emphasis will be on discussion and classroom interaction rather than
listening to the instructors. 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 discuss it – simply being
“present” will not earn you a high participation grade. Since not everyone is
comfortable speaking in front of others, your performance on the quizzes will
also be considered in calculating your participation grade.
Quizzes
There
will be occasional short quizzes throughout the semester – some announced, some
not. The purpose of the quizzes is to provide an incentive for completing the
reading and to ascertain 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.
Analytical
Paper
There
will be two short paper assignments (4-6 pages) that will focus on the material
covered in the readings and during class discussion. You must complete only one of these assignments. If you wish, you may do both papers and I
will count the higher grade. There
will be a choice of topics handed out two weeks before the due date. Since the paper topics will address issues we
have previously discussed in class, it will be useful to take notes during our
discussions and keep in mind the questions and themes that emerge from these
discussions – you will likely see them reappear in the paper topic questions.
Primary Source
Assignment
We
will distribute to each student a copy of Soviet Life, a magazine
produced in English by the Soviet government intended to educate American
audiences about life in the
Midterm and Final
Examinations
The
Midterm and Final Examinations will consist of short answer questions and a
long essay. You will have a choice of
topics for the long essay. The midterm
will be a take-home assignment. You are responsible for bringing an unmarked
blue book to the final which will be given in class on December 18th.
On Writing Papers…
I believe in rewarding improvement. If you perform poorly on the
first essay but your written work gets better throughout the semester, I will
take this into account when determining your final grade. Likewise, if you
start out well but then slack off significantly as the semester continues, this
will also be taken into account.
Corrections
Though I will make grammar and spelling corrections on your
papers, you are not being graded on grammar and spelling per se.
A poorly written paper, however, usually fails to convey ideas effectively, so
in this sense good writing does matter. There is no way of
separating “the writing” from “the ideas.” Keep your graded papers and
refer back to my corrections so you do not make the same mistakes again. My
goal is to ensure that you leave the class a better writer than when you
entered. You should make this your goal as well.
Emailing Papers
You may email your paper to me as an attachment. In fact, this is the
recommended method as it is the best way to ensure that your paper does not get
lost. When emailing, send a copy to
yourself. If you receive the email, it’s likely I did as well. Though I will
send you a confirmation email when I receive your paper, it is YOUR
RESPONSIBILITY (and not the email server’s) that I get it.
Late
Papers
Late papers will be penalized unless you have a seemingly
legitimate excuse or can formulate one entertaining enough to make me laugh out
loud. However,
you must turn in your paper before the next one is due or you will receive and
automatic zero for the assignment.
Getting Help
If you are having difficulty with the written assignments, please ask one of
the instructors for help. We all have extensive experience in teaching
writing skills and are willing to work with you on an individual basis to
improve your essays. We will read and edit drafts if we receive them with
enough lead time before the assignment is due.
If you want to do well on your written assignments, it is definitely
worth making the effort to have us work with you on a draft.
If you do not have much experience writing papers, you should make
use of the Writing
Center, which is in the Student Services Building. You can
make a half-hour appointment with a writing counselor by calling 677-2033
or signing up at the appointment desk in Room 414.
Surviving History 305…
Attendance
Since active student participation is crucial
to the class’s success, you
are expected to be at every meeting. I do take attendance. Frequent absences will dramatically lower
your course grade.
Do not leave at the break and expect to be credited
with having attended the entire class. If you are a person
who rarely attends class and relies on copying notes from a friend, you would
be best served by registering for another course.
Common Courtesy
Since
I assume your parents have taught you good manners, most of this should go
without saying, but I put it in writing here so that there will be no
misunderstanding. Please turn off all cell
phones, pagers, and other electronic devices while you are in class. 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 talk or read the newspaper in class since it is rude and
a distraction to your classmates who are paying good money to be here. In
short, don’t embarrass yourself – act courteously.
Academic Honesty
This, too, should go without saying, but,
unfortunately, academic dishonesty is a fact of life. Do not tell me things that are not true and
expect me to believe them. It is unnecessary and it insults my intelligence. Do not cheat on quizzes or tests. 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, 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, but because the professor did not
think you were worth the effort it would take to prove plagiarism. 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 BEFORE handing 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. 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.
Film Festival
In conjunction with this course, the
History Department will hold a semester-long film festival that will feature
screenings of classic films from both the Soviet Union and the
Schedule
of Topics and Assignments
The reading assignment listed for each day should be completed BEFORE
you arrive at class.
Schedule
Sept. 11 Introduction
What is Popular Culture? What impact does it have? Who or what determines that impact?
Sept. 18 Rebellion Against Victorianism: The Emergence of Popular Culture in 20th
Century
Sept. 25 The
Impact of the Bolshevik Revolution on Russian Popular Culture: Movies and Music
Peter Kenez, Cinema and Soviet Society,
Chapter 1
Richard Taylor, “The Bolsheviks, Propaganda and
the Cinema,” pp. 26-42
S.
Frederick Starr, Red & Hot, Chapters 1, 2, 3
Film Clip: “Man with a Movie
Camera” (1928)
Oct. 2 “Flappers
and Foxtrotters” – Flaming Youth in the
Anne E.
Gorsuch, Youth in Revolutionary Russia, Chapters 4, 6
Thomas Hine, The
Rise & Fall of the American Teenager, Chapter 10
John Carter, “These Wild Young People:
By One of Them” from the Atlantic Monthly (1920)
Film Clip: “Our
Dancing Daughters”
Oct. 9 “Tough
Guys in a World of Chance” – the Private Detective as American Depression Era
Hero
Film Clip: “The
Maltese Falcon” (1941)
Oct. 16 “Realism
vs Surrealism” or “Karl Marx vs Groucho Marx” –
Optional
If you would like a
little background information on Soviet history during the 1930s in order to
give you some context for the assigned readings on Soviet Cinema and “socialist
realism,” Chapter 5 of Peter Kenez’s text offers a brief and accessible
summary:
Peter Kenez, A History of the Soviet Union from the Beginning to the End,
Chapter 5
Robert Sklar,
Movie-Made America, 2nd ed., pp. 175-194
Charles J.
Maland, Chaplin and American Culture,
pp. 143-158
Film Clip: “Chapaev” (1934)
“The
Radiant Path” (1936)
“Duck
Soup” (1933)
“Modern
Times” (1936)
“She
Done Him Wrong” (1933)
Oct. 23 “The
‘Culture’ of Stalinism” – Icons, Heroes, Public Spectacles…and the faint hint
of dissent
S.
Frederick Starr, Red & Hot, Chapters 5, 6
Oct. 30 “Uncle
Joe and Comrade Roosevelt” –
S. Frederick Starr, Red
& Hot, Chapters 8, 9
THERE
WILL BE A QUIZ IN CLASS ON THESE
Film Clip: “
Nov. 6 “The Great Patriotic War”
Satirized
THERE WILL BE A QUIZ IN CLASS ON THE NOVEL
ON NOVEMBER 6TH
Nov. 13 “The Freeze” – Fear,
Insecurity, and the Politicizing of Popular Culture during the Early Cold War
S. Frederick Starr, Red & Hot, Chapter 10
Film Clip: “The Fall of
“Them!”
“The
Thing”
Nov. 20 “The Thaw” – Stiliagi, Beats, Rebels, and the
Emergence of Dissent in the 1950s and 1960s
Joseph F. Trimmer, “The Byron of Fairmount: James
Dean as Cult Hero,” pp. 44-61
Film Clip: “Rebel
Without a Cause”
Nov. 27 “The
Dance” –
Walter L.
Hixson, Parting the Curtain: Propaganda, Culture, and the Cold War, 1945-1961,
Chapter 7
THERE WILL BE A QUIZ IN CLASS ON THESE
Dec. 4 “Rockin’
in the Free World/Rock Around the Bloc” – Rock’n’Roll and the Politics of
Rebellion
Robert G. Pielke, “Elvis and the Negation of the Fifties”
Robert G. Pielke, “The Beatles and the Affirmation of the Sixties”
Film Clip: “Elvis
1956”
THERE WILL BE A QUIZ IN CLASS ON THESE
Dec. 11 “Entertainment:
The Central Experience of Life or a Replacement for It?”
Stites,
Russian Popular Culture, pp. 204-209