The “Sixties”: 1945-1975

Catalog description

Taking issue with the ideology that history comes in neat ten-year packages, this course places the period of upheaval often called “the sixties” into a larger historical framework. We wil identify and analyze movements and ideologies that preceded, overlapped and follwed the 1960’s in order to place the events of the decade into a purposeful context. We will examine the cold war state, Vietnam, Watergate, and the cultural and the political polarization exacerbated by the 2004 Presidential election, among other historical benchmarks. The point is to define the historical precedents that provoked the events of the 1960’s, and to show how the beliefs and actions of that decade continue to have a transformative effect on contemporary America. In addition to historical documents, we will make extensive use of other cultural artifacts, including literature, music, television programs and, in particular, the American films of the 1960’s and 1970’s. College of Health and Human Sciences School of Education