US in the Sixties (43:381)
Spring 2011 – Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, 1-1:50
Chad Montrie Office Hours: Mondays and 306 Coburn Hall (ext. 4275) Wednesdays, 12-1pm
and by appointment
This course examines the United States during the 1960s. Because history does not actually fit into neat packages of ten-year periods, however, our investigation must range more widely, from the late1950s to the early 1970s. Also, rather than make a comprehensive study of that period, we will focus our attention on social movements, looking at five in particular: 1) Black Civil Rights, 2) New Right 3) Anti-War, 4) American Indian, and 5) Women’s Liberation. Each of these will give us a unique window on the past and, at the same time, reveal the interconnected nature of various transformations in American life.
Required Reading(available in the South Campus bookstore):
Daisy Bates, The Long Shadow of Little Rock
John Andrew, The Other Side of the Sixties
Michael Foley, Confronting the War Machine
Mary Crow Dog, Lakota Woman
Dorothy Sue Cobble, The Other Women’s Movement
Assignments:
Discussion Participation – 20%
Book Introduction– 5%
Topic Papers (2) – 30%
Primary Source Analysis (5) – 20%
Comparative Analysis Paper – 25%
Discussion:I will assess class participation based on both the quantity and quality of the contributions you make during discussions of readings, films, and in response to guest speakers. This requires your presence, of course, but also your active involvement. Toward that end, it will be helpful for you to make written responses to reading and viewing questions that I will provide, although you do not have to turn these in to me.
Book Introduction: Besides expectations of participation during book and film discussions, you are also required to work with a group of students (between 3 and 4) planning the introduction for one of our five readings. We will do sign-ups for this during the first week of classes and I will talk more than about what your introduction should include. Generally, however, you should tell us something about the larger historical context for the events or themes mentioned in the book as well as review the other key scholarly literature dealing with similar questions and interpretations. Your task is not to answer the reading questions for students but to get them ready for the discussion.
Topic Paper: Two of the three writing assignments for the course are topic paper, due at different points during the semester. Thesewill respond to a particular prompt that I will give you, one that provides an opportunity to draw on various course materials. The papers should be 5-6 pages in length, typed and double-spaced, with one inch-margins, and accompanied by a completed “Writing Contract” (attached to this syllabus).
Primary Source Analysis:Another part of your course grade will be based on in-class exercises with primary sources. These will require analysis of documents, images, material objects, or other relics of the past, applying what we have talked about in other class meetings as well as what you are reading. You will work in a small group (2-3 students), study and discuss the source or sources, and make written responses to be handed in at the end of the class meeting (one from each participant in the group, due at the end of class).
Comparative Analysis Paper:The third of your two writing assignments will require comparative assessment of the five social movements addressed in the course. I will give you a choice of prompts for this, but each will require use of various readings, films, lecture and discussion notes, and your own faculty for critical thinking. The final draft should be 8-10 pages in length, typed and double-spaced, with one inch-margins, and accompanied by a completed “Writing Contract.”
Late Assignment Policy:For this course you are allowed a combination of two late submissions of an assignment or missed class discussions due to excused absences. These must be documented with the attached form (see below) and some other written record of the reason for your absence (e.g., a doctor’s note, a relative’s obituary, court papers, etc.). Any assignment you missed as a result of your absence must be turned in during the next class meeting, when you return, in which case it will receive no penalty. Likewise, you must do make-up work to receive full credit for the missed discussion. Once you have used your two excused absences, any assignment not submitted on the day it is due (in class) or any discussion you failed to attend will receive an “F”. Over-sleeping, family vacations, and other such reasons for failing to turn in an assignment or missing class are not legitimate as grounds for an excused absence, even with documentation.
Grading Scale: On all assignments the grading scale is as follows: A (92.5 and above), A- (89.5 to 92.4), B+ (87.5 to 89.4), B (82.5 to 87.4), B- (79.5 to 82.4), C+ (77.5 to 79.4), C (72.5 to 77.4), C- (69.5 to 72.4), D+ (67.5 to 69.4), D (62.5 to 67.4), and F (62.4 and below). If at any time you have questions about the grading on an assignment and/or wish to dispute a grade you should come see me during office hours. I will only consider serious and well-reasoned arguments for changing a grade.
Plagiarism and Cheating: When you use the words or ideas of others, you must document your source with the proper method of citation. For this course, you will be expected to use footnotes or endnotes to indicate your sources. The one exception to this rule is the use of lecture material. Evidence of plagiarism—in violation of University policy—will result in an F on the assignment and might lead to a formal disciplinary procedure (refer to the University’s course catalog for more details).
Classroom/Course Accommodations: If you have any special learning needs please let me know and I will see about making the course and/or classroom more accommodating (typically you must have documentation from Disability Services). Also notify me if your religious observances conflict at some point with assignment due dates or examinations and we will make different arrangements if necessary.
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Tentative Lecture and Reading Schedule
Black Civil Rights
Week I
Jan. 24 -Syllabus Review and Introductions
Jan. 26 – Sign up for Book Introduction, Lecture and Discussion: Movement Roots
Jan. 28 – Lecture and Discussion: Federal Government
Assignment: Read Daisy Bates, The Long Shadow of Little Rock
Week II
Jan. 31 – Lecture and Discussion: Beloved Community
Feb. 2 – Primary Source Analysis #1
Feb. 4 – Lecture and Discussion: Black Power
Assignment: Read Daisy Bates, The Long Shadow of Little Rock
Week III
Feb. 7 –Book Introduction and Discussion: Bates
Feb. 9 –View Spartacus(on your own MediaCenter, O’Leary)
Feb. 11 – DiscussSpartacus
Assignment: Read John Andrew, The Other Side of the Sixties
Young Americans for Freedom
Week I
Feb. 14 – Lecture and Discussion: Cold War and Second Red Scare
Feb. 16 – Lecture and Discussion: Facilitating White Flight
Feb. 18 – View The Green Berets(on your own, MediaCenter, O’Leary)
Assignment: Read John Andrew, The Other Side of the Sixties
Week II
Feb. 21 – President’s Day (no class)
Feb. 23 –Discuss The Green Berets
Feb. 25 – Topic Paper In-Class Workshop
Assignment: Read John Andrew, The Other Side of the Sixties
Week III
Feb. 28 -- Primary Source Analysis #2
Mar. 2 -- Book Introduction and Discussion: Andrew
Mar. 4 -- Topic Paper Workday (no class, but extended office hours)
Assignment: Write Topic Paper; Read Michael Foley, Confronting the War Machine
Anti-War
Week I
Mar. 7 -- Discussion: Colonial Context; Topic Paper#1 due
Mar. 9 -- Discussion: Bringing the War Home
Mar. 11 – Primary Source Analysis #3
Assignment: Read Michael Foley, Confronting the War Machine
Week II
(Mar. 14, 16, 18 – Spring Break, no class)
Assignment: Read Michael Foley, Confronting the War Machine
Week III
Mar. 21 -- Discussion: Counter Culture
Mar. 23 – View Cool Hand Luke (on your own, MediaCenter, O’Leary)
Mar. 25 -- DiscussCool Hand Luke
Assignment: Read Michael Foley, Confronting the War Machine
Week IV
Mar. 28 – Lecture and Discussion: Credibility Gap
Mar. 30 -- Book Introduction and Discussion: Foley
Apr. 1 – Guest Speaker (TBA)
Assignment: Read Mary Crow Dog, Lakota Woman
American Indian Movement
Week I
Apr.4 – Lecture and Discussion: 500 Years of Genocide
Apr. 6 – Lecture and Discussion: Resistance
Apr. 8 -- Primary Source Analysis #4
Assignment: Mary Crow Dog, Lakota Woman; View Lakota Woman(MediaCenter)
Week II
Apr. 11 – View Little Big Man (on your own, MediaCenter, O’Leary)
Apr. 13 – Discuss Little Big Man
Apr. 15 – Book Introduction and Discussion: Lakota Woman
Assignment: Dorothy Sue Cobble, The Other Women’s Movement
Women’s Liberation
Week I
Apr. 18 – Patriot’s Day, no class)
Apr. 20 – Comparative Analysis Paper In-Class Workshop; Topic Paper #2 due
Apr. 22 – Primary Source Analysis #5
Assignment: Dorothy Sue Cobble, The Other Women’s Movement
Week II
Apr. 25 – Lecture and Discussion: Women’s Rights
Apr. 27 – Lecture and Discussion: Women’s Liberation
Apr. 28 (Friday class schedule)–View The Apartment (on your own MediaCenter, O’Leary)
Apr. 29 – University Day, no class
Assignment: Dorothy Sue Cobble, The Other Women’s Movement
Week III
May 2 – Discuss The Apartment
May 4 – Book Introduction and Discussion:The Other Women’s Movement
May 6 – Comparative Analysis Paper Workday (no class, but extended office hours)
Assignment: Work on Comparative Analysis Paper
Week IV
May 9 – Class Social; Comparative Analysis Paper due
Petition for Excused Absence
Name:
Date of Absence:
Assignment Submitted Late/Class Meeting Missed:
Reason for Absence:
Please also attach written documentation indicating the reason for your absence (e.g., doctor’s note, a relative’s obituary, court papers, etc.).
Petition for Excused Absence
Name:
Date of Absence:
Assignment Submitted Late/Class Meeting Missed:
Reason for Absence:
Please also attach written documentation indicating the reason for your absence (e.g., doctor’s note, a relative’s obituary, court papers, etc.).
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