Mad Men Mad Women: History of Women in the Twentieth Century ((4 Credits))

Catalog description

This course will examine the history of women using the visual narrative of AMC’s Emmy Award-winning show, Mad Men. The backdrop – a fictional Madison Avenue advertising firm in March 1960 – on its surface seems to be a story of the “mad men.” Yet, a central focus of the show is the evolution of women’s lives in this dynamic period of American history. We will examine the transformation of the lives of women examining primary and secondary source materials. Some of these themes include women in prewar and postwar America, “the problem with no name”, women’s changing landscape in the workplace and the home, the sexual revolution, and the rise of feminism and women’s activism. Students will examine roles of gender, class and race through the course readings, our main texts, and the television series. As a class we will connect historical themes to contemporary themes and movements.