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LANGARA COLLEGE
DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY
HISTORY 2245
RIGHTS, ROCK, AND REVOLUTION:
THE UNCIVIL WAR OF THE 1960S
Instructor: Craig Keating
Office: B247a
Office tel: 604.323.5826
Email: ckeating@langara.bc.ca
Office Hours: Wednesdays, 11:30-12:30
or by appointment
CONTENT:
The focus of this course will be “the sixties.” While the term can be taken to refer
simply to the decade of the 1960s, in this course it refers to the emergence of a
movement of unprecedented social, cultural, personal and political protest the
origins of which can be located in the 1950s and the direct effects of which
continued into the 1970s.
The aim of the course will be to explore the historical roots, development, and
enduring effects of the sixties. While the focus will be on the American experience
of the sixties, the lecture series will also seek to draw in the experience of the
sixties in other western countries. Apart from exploring the various impulses of
the sixties movement, the course will also focus on seeking to explain how it was
that such a wide ranging protest movement could emerge in a society that was
experiencing an equally unprecedented period of economic growth, equality, and
stability.
FORMAT:
The course will be a combination of lectures, readings, and discussions. The
lecture series will endeavour to parallel readings from the text as closely as
possible – however, it will deal with a good deal of material that is not covered in
the text. Attendance at lectures is this very important for success in this course.
Discussions will be based on materials covered in lectures and assigned readings.
GRADING:
Participation
Research Paper
Film Journal
Final Exam
20%
30% (due Nov. 17, 2010)
20%
30%
TEXTS:
1. Terry H. Anderson, The Sixties (3rd edition)
2. Guide to Academic Essays
3. 1 package of 5x7 note cards.
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LEARNING OUTCOMES:
On the successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
1) identify the major issues and themes of the history of the sixties;
2) recognize the principle issues, historical figures, social groups, and cultural
forces that shaped the sixties;
3) describe and critically appraise leading academic theories about the history of
the sixties;
4) display an informed understanding of the causes, course, and lasting effects
of the sixties.
ASSIGNMENT DESCRIPTIONS:
Research Paper:
Students are required to submit a research paper dealing with an issue relevant to
this course. Papers shall be 2000-2500 words in length (10-12 pages) exclusive of
title page, bibliography, and endnotes or footnotes. Papers must follow requirements
for format and citation as outlined in Guidelines for Academic Essays. Papers are
due, in class, on Wednesday, November 17, 2010.
While a list of topics for the paper will be posted on the course website, students are
encouraged to write on topics of interest to them. In either event, students are
required to submit a topic outline for approval by the instructor no later than
Wednesday, October 20, 2010. Outlines should provide as much detail as possible
about the topic students wish to write on, a working hypothesis, and a list of at least
five sources students are proposing to use in the writing of their paper.
As regards sources, students should be aware that encyclopedias, course textbooks,
articles in current newspapers or magazines, Wikipedia, Microsoft Encarta and other
similar internet sources, and self-published articles available on the internet are not
permissible sources. Students are encouraged to use books or scholarly articles
available in the Langara College Library or through its website. These sources may
be either secondary or primary sources. Papers must show the balanced use of no
fewer than five (5) acceptable sources. Students should consult the instructor if they
have any question as to the permissibility of their sources.
Students are advised to retain a copy of your paper, rough materials and working
notes until the original has been returned to you. You may be asked to produce
them.
Participation:
The participation grade will be based on several components:
-
Regularity: Students are expected to attend and be active participants in
all lectures and discussion groups.
Readiness: Students are expected to complete all of the assigned readings
and come to class prepared to discuss them.
Discussion Note Cards: At the outset of each discussion session, students
will be required to submit a 5”x7” note card that contains a) a proper
bibliographic citation for the article assigned for that week’s discussion; b)
a summary of the article’s thesis and key points; and c) your response to
the reading – how effective it was, its relation to other issues dealt with in
the course, or any other point of relevance to the course.
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Note cards will be graded on a “pass/fail” basis.
Film Journal:
An important component of this course will be the screening of films about this era.
The sixties occurred in the recent past and its history has been maintained by an
extensive record of film. This course seeks to present of much of this visual
documentary history as possible.
By way of processing what is screened, students will be required to submit regular
entries in an ongoing film journal. Each entry must be submitted (via email on the
Blackboard course website) by the end of each week (i.e. no later than 5 pm the
Friday). Length is optional, but no more than a page of typed text is necessary.
Film journal entries must include the following: i) the title of the film view; ii) a
summary of the key points of the film; iii) an assessment of how the key points in
the film relate to the themes and issues being dealt with in the lecture series and in
course readings; and iv) any other reflections on the film that a student wishes to
include.
Film journal entries will evaluated on the following basis: i) the conformity of each
entry to the requirements of the assignment as described; ii) the adequacy and
effectiveness of the summary; iii) the critical insight displayed in relating the film to
other issues being dealt with in the course; and iv) the clarity of writing (see below
in this course syllabus).
The grade for the assignment will be cumulative, although students can expect
feedback based on each contribution.
Final Exam:
The final exam will be based upon lectures and readings throughout the term. The
exam format will be discussed in class closer to the end of the term. An exam outline
will be provided prior to the conclusion of classes.
POLICIES:
Late Policy: There are no grade penalties for assignments handed in after the due
date. However, assignments submitted after the due date will only receive a grade.
No comments will be provided by the instructor to explain the grade assigned to late
assignments. No assignments will be accepted after December 6, 2010.
Communications: Students should feel free to discuss the assignments, lectures,
readings and any aspect of the course with me during class time, posted office
hours, or by appointment if you cannot come during office hours. Unless specified,
email correspondence should be limited to Yes or No questions or to book
appointments. Email responses may take up to 48 hours, although you should
usually receive a response within 24 hours.
Course Readings: Course readings are a crucial component of this course. Students
are expected to complete all assigned readings and come to class prepared to
discuss them. Each week I will post “reading questions” on the course website to
guide student readings to the points that I (at least) think are relevant – although
students should not limit themselves to my concerns.
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Attendance: Attendance in class is not optional. You are expected to attend each
class, having completed assigned readings for that day. Please respect your fellow
students by arriving on time and not packing up books until lectures are over. There
should be no use of electronic communications (including cell phones, pagers,
Blackberries, or ipods) during class time.
Evaluation:
While students will be evaluated according to the specific requirements of each
assignment, the following general criteria will be used:
Written work:
1. Mechanics: that is, freedom from spelling and grammatical errors; accurate
references consistently using the approved academic referencing style for history
papers; inclusion of all required components of each assignment, including title
pages, foot/endnotes, and bibliography.
2. Writing style: clear, succinct, grammatical writing.
3. Structure: The focus of the written assignment is clearly presented in the
introduction and the rest of the assignment follows logically from this introduction; a
thesis or argument is clearly presented; ideas and sections of the assignment are
clearly linked; repetition and duplication are avoided; the assignment consistently
remains focused on the topic at hand.
4. Precision and accuracy: Saying exactly and specifically what you mean and
avoiding vagueness and generalities; the absence of factual errors.
5. Analysis: Student writing is expected to be critical, reflective, and original.
Oral presentation:
1. Success in communicating key concepts succinctly and accurately, thereby
demonstrating sound understanding of the work being presented.
2. Mechanics of communication, such as manner of speaking, structure of oral
presentation, and organization of thought.
3. Ability to respond appropriately and fairly to questions and to contribute to and
stimulate unstructured discussion among peers.
Grading system:
A+ = outstanding performance; evidence of highly original thinking and excellent
knowledge of subject matter.
A = Exception Performance: Strong evidence of original thinking; superior grasp of
subject matter and ability to critically evaluate evidence.
B = Good performance: good grasp of the subject matter; some evidence of critical
ability; reasonable command of issues.
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C = Adequate performance: an understanding of the subject matter; basic command
of issues; limited critical ability.
D = Minimally acceptable performance: some evidence of familiarity with subject
matter; little evidence of critical and analytical skills.
F = Inadequate performance: little evidence of understanding of subject matter;
weak critical and analytical abilities.
History 2245 – 2010/03 – C. Keating 5
COURSE SCHEDULE
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Week 1, Sept. 8 - Introduction
Anderson:
Preface
Discussion: None
Film:
None
Week 2, Sept. 13 and 15 – Seeds of the Sixties I
Anderson:
Introduction
Discussion: Elaine Tyler May, “Cold War-Warm Heath: Politics and the Family in
Postwar America in Steve Fraser and Gary Gerstle (eds.) The Rise and
Fall of the New Deal Order, 1930-1980. Princeton, NJ: Princeton
University Press, pp. 153-181 (On Reserve under History 2242)
Film:
“Coming Apart: Picture This”
Week 3, Sept. 20 and 22 – Seeds of the Sixties II
Anderson:
Introduction
Discussion: Uta Poiger, “Rock ‘n’ Roll, Female Sexuality, and the Cold War Battle
over German Identities,” Journal of Modern History v. 68, no. 3 (Sept.
1996): 577-616 (On Reserve)0
Film:
“Making Sense of the Sixties #1: Seeds of the Sixties”
Week 4, Sept. 27 and 29 – Contradictions
Anderson:
Introduction
Discussion: “The Port Huron Statement” (on reserve)
Herbert Marcuse, “One-Dimensional Man” (on reserve)
Allen Ginsberg, “Howl” (on reserve)
(Full citations to follow online)
Film:
“Eyes on the Prize #2: Fighting Back (1957-1962)”
Week 5, Oct. 4 and 6 – Civil Rights I
Anderson:
Chapter 1
Discussion: Martin Luther King, Jr., “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” (follow link on
Course website.
Film:
“Eyes on the Prize #4: No Easy Walk (1961-1963)”
Week 6 Oct.
Anderson:
Discussion:
Film:
13 - Vietnam I
Chapter 1
No Discussion this week
No Film this week
Week 7, Oct. 18 and 20 – Civil Rights II
Anderson:
Chapter 2; Chapter 3, pp. 73-75, 80-86, 92-94
Discussion: Malcolm X, “Message to the Grassroots” (on reserve),
SNCC, “The Basis of Black Power” (on reserve),
Kevin Kruse, “The Fight for ‘Freedom of Association’” Segregationist
Rights and Resistance in America” (on reserve)
(Write Note Card on Malcolm X and SNCC or Kruse)
Film:
“Eyes on the Prize #9: Power! (1966-1968)
Research Paper Outline due, in class, Wednesday
October 20, 2010
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Week 8, Oct. 25 and 27 – Vietnam II
Anderson
Chapter 2; Chapter 3, pp. 75-80, 86-92, 97-100; Chapter 4, pp. 101107
Discussion: Richard Hammer, “One Morning in the War,” in William H. Chafe and
Harvard Sitkoff (eds.) A History of Our Time: Readings on Postwar
America. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999, pp. 277-290.
Film:
“Sir!, No Sir!”
Week 9, Nov. 1 and 3 – Summers of Love?
Anderson:
Chapter 3, pp. 94-97; Chapter 4
Discussion: George Lipsitz, “Who’ll Stop the Rain? Youth Culture, Rock ‘n’ Roll, and
Social Crises” in David Farber (ed.) The Sixties: From Memory to
History. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1994 (On
Reserve)
Film:
“Summer of Love”
Week 10, Nov. 8 and 10 – Liberation
Anderson:
Chapter 5 (except “Enough to War” and “Civil War”) Chapter 7,
“Sixties Culture,” “Strike for Equality,” “Think Global, Act Local,”
“Women in Revolt”
Discussion: Beth Bailey, “Prescribing the Pill: Politics, Culture, and the Sexual
Revolution in America’s Heartland,” Journal of Social History, v. 30, no.
4 (Summer 1997): 827-856.
Film:
“Easy Rider”
Week 11, Nov. 15 and 17 – Civil War
Anderson:
Chapter 6
Discussion: No Discussion this week
Film:
No film this week
Research Paper due, in class, Wednesday,
Nov. 17, 2010
Week 12, Nov. 22 and 24 – The Unraveling of the Sixties
Anderson:
Chapter 7,
Discussion: We will discuss the film this week
Film:
“The Weather Underground”
Week 13, Nov. 29 and Dec. 1 – Legacies
Anderson:
Legacies
Discussion: We will discuss the film this week
Film:
“Rebels: A Journey Underground #4: A Riot of My Own”
Week 14, Dec. 6 – Review
No Readings/No Discussions/No Film
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