The American Experience: The U.S. and the World

Catalog description

The United States and other countries faced a series of crises in the twentieth century: World War I, The Great Depression, World War II, and the collapse of Communism. This learning Community examines the interconnected crises by emphasizing how governments and political movements, through the promotion of particular ideas and doctrines, "created" a history or reality, shaped a shared culture, recruited, mobilized, and induced willing sacrifice. The curriculum of these courses stresses the analysis of propaganda and its effects in order to develop critical thinking and cross-disciplinary writing and research skills. Students will learn to distinguish fact from "fiction," analyze how facts best support generalization, understand and evaluate historical and cultural interpretations of facts. "Texts" for the Learning Community will include primary and secondary historical documents, literature, film, online sources, and visits to the Museum of Television and Radio.