Tues. & Thurs.
1:50-3:00 PM
Auerbach 425
Donn Weinholtz
Phone: 768-4186
Email: Weinholtz@hartford.edu
AUCW 212
Discovering America: 1945 - Present
Section 20087 – Fall 2005
Welcome to “Discovering America: 1945 - Present”
This interdisciplinary course combines elements of history, economics, sociology,
literature and film to examine the United States since the end of World War II. The period
that we will study has involved more change than any similar span of time in human
history. We will wrestle with critical events and issues that have helped to provoke, or
have resulted from, this change. Throughout, I will try to help each of you to meet the
following objectives:
1) synthesize information that you obtain from class and from your readings;
2) analyze the United States as an evolving, complex system within a larger, global
environment;
3) compare the similarities and differences in the life experiences of Americans
from different ethnic and socioeconomic groups;
4) write clear, concise, reflective essays effectively communicating your ideas;
5) collaborate effectively on an in-class, group presentation addressing a critically
important issue facing the United States.
The required texts for the course are: Pietra Rivoli’s The Travels of a T-Shirt in
the Global Economy, Bill Moyers’ Moyers on America, August Wilson’s Fences and my
own Longing to Live…Learning to Die. These books are available at the University
Bookstore. Additional readings will be distributed as the course proceeds on the course
website:
uhaweb.hartford.edu/weinholtz/
Assignments and Grading
It is very important to me that each of you is engaged as an active learner. The
course assignments are designed to promote this goal. Although there will be no in-class
examinations, you will write four, brief (4-page) essays and participate in one group
presentation. These assignments will be equally weighted and will comprise five-sixths of
your grade. The remaining one-sixth of your grade will be based on your class participation.
When grading your essays, I will be looking at multiple criteria, including the extent
to which you: 1) adequately express your grasp of major facts and concepts; 2) focus on key
points; 3) probe complex situations; 4) generalize correctly to new situations; 5) develop
conclusions consistent with your arguments and evidence; 6) display creativity and 7) use
correct spelling and grammar. On your group presentations, I will be looking for evidence
of: 1) solid research, 2) clear collaboration, 3) effective communication and 4) creative
presentation. I will use the standard University grading system, so grades will range from A
to F on a four-point scale (A=4, A-=3.67, B+=3.33...F=0). On the first 2 papers, you will
have the option of doing a rewrite in order to pull your grade up a maximum of one full
letter (e.g. C to B).
Late Policy
Finally, over the years I have found it necessary to have a “late policy” for papers
that students submit. Each of your essays will be due at the start of class on the date
specified. Unless you have a legitimate, verifiable, serious excuse, an essay that is
submitted late, but within 24 hours of the specified due date, will automatically be marked
down one partial grade increment (e.g. A to A- or B- to C+). An essay that is more than
24 hours late, but no more than one week late, will automatically be marked down one full
grade(e.g. A to B or C to D). Essays submitted more than one week after the due dates will
be marked down two full letter grades (e.g. A to C or B to D). The due dates for the,
writing assignments appear below on the course calendar, along with the dates for the group
presentations. You will receive your essay assignments the week before they are due. The
rewrite option will not apply to papers that are handed in late.
AUCW 212 Course Calendar
T 8/30
Orientation to Course
The U.S. as a Dynamic System
Syllabus
Systems handout
Global Economics
Th 9/1
Norma Rae
Rivoli: vii - 57
T 9/6
Norma Rae
Rivoli: 61-107
Th 9/8
The Cotton, Textile and
Apparel Markets
Rivoli: 111- 172
T 9/13
Government Regulation and
Innovative Markets
Rivoli: 175 - 215
Th 9/15
The Depression and Post
WWII Inflation (M. Harris)
Moyers: 183 - 186
The Environment
T 9/20
Oil: The Ultimate Global
Commodity
Maas: Breaking Point
Th 9/22
Global Warming
McKibben: Climate of Denial
Moyers: 3 - 13
T 9/27
A New Manufacturing Paradigm
McDonough&Braungart:
Next Industrial Revolution
First Paper Due
The U.S. Military
Th 9/29
Thirteen Days
Eisenhower: The Military
Industrial Complex
T 10/4
Thirteen Days
May: JFK and Cuban...
Th 10/6
The Cold War and the
Cuban Missile Crisis
Cold War Timeline
T 10/11
Vietnam
Bender: Papers Reveal JFK...
Moyers: 189 - 210
Th 10/13
Afghanistan and Iraq
Moyers: 47 - 59
Packer: The Home Front
Cole: Ten Point Plan
Politics and The Media
T 10/18
Network
Moyers: 107 -129
Th 10/20
Network
Moyers 130 - 152
T 10/25
Media Consolidation and the
Decline of Journalism
Moyers: 153 - 179
American Cultural Diversity
Th 10/27
Crash
Second Paper Due
T 11/1
Crash
Civil Rights Timeline
Th 11/3
Honestly Confronting Differences
Weinholtz: Abernathy Essay
T 11/8
Black and Poor in the 50’s
Wilson: Fences
Th 11/10
Art Miller (Guest Speaker)
Rubin: Emmett Till
Getting Sick and Dying in America
T 11/15
Dealing with Dying
Weinholtz: Longing to Live...
Th 11/17
Aging, Hospitals and
Nursing Homes
Moyers: 220 -233
T 11/22
Group I
Third Paper Due
Th 11/24
Thanksgiving
T 11/29
Group II
None
None
Th 12/1
Group III
None
T 12/6
Group IV
None
Th 12/8
Group V
None
T 12/13
Concluding Thoughts
Course Evaluation
Final Paper Due
AUCW 212
Student Information Sheet
Name:
Home Town:
Local Address:
Phone:
Email:
Year in School:
Major:
Please indicate an issue or event, occurring since 1945, that greatly interests you?