Minor in American Studies - America in the 1960s
HIST 3369 America in the 1960s
CREDIT HOURS: 3
The “long sixties” – a period from the mid-fifties through the early seventies – was an extraordinary time in American history when a number of different groups attempted to transform American society. In many ways they were successful, and we are still living with the legacy of the sixties today. This course is designed to introduce students to the numerous issues, conflicts, and problems that confronted Americans in the 1960s. The course will focus on the various movements of social reform that characterized this period. We will also discuss the rise of the “new left” and the “new right” and what these ideological movements meant for American political culture. The overall goal of the course is to encourage students to think about how individuals adjust their values to fit a particular political and cultural climate. Why do some people conform to political and social values, while others do not? Students will come at these questions from a variety of perspectives. Art, film, fiction, and music will be used throughout the course.
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