Now, millions flock to the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C., and to other memorials. This course examines texts and films to understand the phenomenon of memory preservation. Noncredit spaces are limited. A comprehensive survey of American society, politics, and culture from the Civil War to the present. Topics like the changing nature of race relations and gender roles, urbanization, and the influence of the rise of modern technology and mass communications are emphasized.
Students study a variety of primary documents, videotapes, and audio recordings.
Noncredit spaces are limited. An exploration of America during the 1970s and 1980s through an analysis of selected films of the era, which illuminate significant aspects of American society in the years immediately following the tumultuous decade of the 1960s. The Civil War was arguably the most controversial and traumatic event in American history. This course considers how and why the war developed, its long-term results, and why it is such an important part of America's cultural heritage. Through an examination of novels, films, diaries, and letters written by Civil War participants, students analyze the impact of this war and our continuing fascination with it.