A315
United States History Since 1945

Section: C410

Day(s): Monday - Wednesday

Time: 2:30 P.M. – 3:45 P.M.

Instructor: M. H. Little

Telephone: (317) 274-0098

Email: mlittle@iupui.edu

Welcome to A315 United States History Since World War II. This course is designed as the third in a three-part sequence, beginning in 1890. The course is topical within a chronological framework. Emphasis is placed on the study of political, demographic and intellectual changes in American society since 1945, although some sessions will be devoted to earlier periods as well as the development of post-WWII U. S. Cold War foreign policy and current problems and challenges confronting Americans too.

Coursework will consist of attending weekly lectures and discussions of lectures, readings and other course materials, occasional quizzes over the assigned readings, two 5-7 page essays (excluding cover and end-notes pages), and a take-home midterm and final examination. Please note that prompt and regular attendance as well as the completion all assignments and examinations is absolutely essential for successful completion of the course. Students’ course grades will be calculated on the basis of: (a) attendance and participation; (b) essays; quizzes; and examinations. Late submission of assignments will result in the deduction of one entire grade for each day that it is late. It is understood that there are always unforeseen events which may prevent a student from attending class, but in the event that this occurs, students are required to report their absence immediately at the telephone number listed at the top of this syllabus. For a more detailed explanation of the objectives of this course as they relate to IUPUI’s undergraduate education goals, please consult the following link: Principles of Undergraduate Learning. All of the information contained in this syllabus is subject to change.

Administrative Withdrawal

A basic requirement of this course is that you will participate in class and conscientiously complete writing and reading assignments. Keep in touch with me if you are unable to attend class or complete an assignment on time. If you miss more than half our class meetings within the first four weeks of the semester without contacting me, you will be administratively withdrawn from this section. Our class meets twice per week. Thus, if you miss more than four classes in the first four weeks, you may be withdrawn. Administrative withdrawal may have academic, financial, and financial aid implications. Administrative withdrawal will take place after the full refund period, and if you are administratively withdrawn from the course you will not be eligible for a tuition refund. If you have questions about the administrative withdrawal policy at any point during the semester, please contact me.

Academic Dishonesty

It should be noted that any form of academic dishonesty committed in the course will not be tolerated. This includes obvious types of dishonesty such cheating on examinations and plagiarism as well as submitting the same paper for credit in two different courses. Any student who is found guilty of such criminal behavior by the instructor will be awarded an F for the course as well as having his/her dishonesty recorded as a permanent part of his/her student record. For a more detailed explanation of the different types of academic dishonesty, please consult the IUPUI Student Responsibilities and the Student Rights and Responsibilities handbooks.

The following texts are required reading for the course. They are available for purchase at either the IUPUI Bookstore, Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble.com. Readings marked with an asterisk (*) can be accessed through Oncourse or JSTOR.

David A. Horowitz and Peter N. Carroll. On the Edge: The United States Since 1945

Thomas R. Frazier (ed.) The Many Sides of America: 1945 to the Present

Paul Fussell. Wartime: Behavior in World War II

Nelson George, Hip Hop America

Eric Schlosser. Fast Food Nation

Weekly assignments are as follows.

Week Of:

Aug. 18th - Introduction to the course

Read: Horowitz and Carroll, pp. vii-viii; Frazier, v-vi

Aug. 25th - World War II and Its Impact on Post-War America

Lecture: World War II and Modern Memory

Read: Fussell, pp. all; Frazier, pp. 3-7

Sept. 1st - The Cold War and the Search for National Security

Lecture: The Origins of the Cold War

Read: Horowitz and Carroll, pp. 1-43; Frazier, pp. 8-16

Sept. 8th - The Anti-Communist Crusade at Home

Lecture: McCarthy and the Anti-Communist Hysteria

Read: Horowitz and Carroll, pp. 47-78; Frazier, pp. 29-41

Written Assignment #1 due Wednesday, September 10, 2003

Sept. 15th - Eisenhower, Domestic Politics and Foreign Policy

Lecture: The Eisenhower Administration

Read: Horowitz and Carroll, pp. 81-117; Frazier, pp. 53-60

Sept. 22nd - Popular Culture and the 1950s

Video: “I Love Lucy: The Very First Show”

Read: George, Lipsitz, “The Meaning of Memory: Family, Class and

Ethnicity in Early Network Television Programs.” Cultural Anthropology,

Vol. 1 (Nov. 1986), pp. 355-387*; Nancy P. Weiss, “Mother, The

Invention of Necessity: Dr. Benjamin Spock’s Baby and Child Care.”

American Quarterly, Vol. 29 (Winter, 1977), pp. 519-546*; Frazier, pp.

61-70.

Sept. 29th - Open date
Review and Midterm Examination
Take-home midterm examination due Wednesday, October 1, 2003

Oct. 6th - Kennedy, Liberal Activism and the New Frontier

Lecture: The Kennedy Administration

Read: Horowitz and Carroll, pp. 120-157; Frazier, pp. 82-94

Oct. 13th - Racial Reform and Politics

Video: “Eyes on the Prize: Awakenings, 1954-1957”

Read: Kenneth O’Reilly, “The FBI and the Civil Rights Movement during

the Kennedy Years--From the Freedom Rides to Albany.” Journal of

Southern History, Vol. 54 (May, 1988), pp. 201-232*; Robert Korstad

and Nelson Lichtenstein, “Opportunities Found and Lost: Labor,

Radicals and the Early Civil Rights Movement.” Journal of American History, Vol. 75 (Dec., 1988), pp. 786-811*; Scott A. Sandage, “A Marble House Divided: The Lincoln Memorial, the Civil Rights Movement, and the Politics of Memory, 1939-1963.” Journal of American History, Vol. 80 (June, 1993), pp. 135-167*; Frazier, pp. 71-82

Oct. 20th - Racial Polarization, Feminism and the New Left

Video: “Berkeley in the Sixties”

Read: Horowitz and Carroll, pp. 161-185; Frazier, pp. 136-148

Oct. 27th - U. S. Foreign Policy, Southeast Asia and Vietnam

Lecture: The Vietnam War

Read: Laurence E. Grinter, “How They Lost: Doctrines, Strategies and

Outcomes of the Vietnam War.” Asian Survey, Vol 15 (Dec. 1975), pp.

1114-1132*: E. M. Schreiber, “Opposition to the Vietnam War Among

American University Students and Faculty.” British Journal of Sociology,

Vol. 24 (Sep., 1973)*; Peter C. Rollins, “The Vietnam War: Perceptions

Through Literature, Film and Television.” American Quarterly, Vol. 15

(Dec., 1975), pp. 419-432*; Frazier, pp. 71-82; Frazier, pp. 129-132

Written Assignment #2 due Wednesday, October 29, 2003

Nov. 3rd - The Embattled Presidency

Lecture: Nixon and Watergate

Read: Horowitz and Carroll, pp. 188-222; Frazier, pp. 159-183

Nov. 10th - Carter, Regan and American Conservatism

Lecture: The Carter and Reagan Administrations

Read: Horowitz and Carroll, pp. 226-269; Frazier, pp. 193-203, 205-223

Nov. 17th - American Corporations, Globalization and Consumerism

Video: “American Eats: History on a Bun”

Read: Schlosser, all

Nov. 24th - America Returns to Centrist Politics

Lecture: The Bush and Clinton Administrations

Read: Horowitz and Carroll, pp. 275-308; Frazier, pp. 267-323

Dec. 1st - Current Perspectives on Popular and Youth Culture

Video: “Merchants of “Cool”

Read: George, all

Dec. 8th - Classes End
Final Examination Wednesday, December 10, 2003 1:00 – 3:00 P.M.

I, ______________________________________ have read the preceding syllabus in its entirety in my instructor’s presence and fully understand its contents.
(Print Full Name)

Signature ___________________________________________ Date ____________