TTh 2:00-3:15
Dr. Kristen Foster
This colloquium will focus on the domestic upheavals of the “the Sixties” in the United States and ask to what extent these events became a revolution. Each week we will meet to discuss shared readings, film, and music, and examine together how the upheavals of these years shaped a culture that left the United States changed forever. What makes change revolutionary? What differentiates these changes from chaos and anarchy? What might make these years in American history truly revolutionary, or not revolutionary at all? Topically, we will explore the post-World War II years and the culture of conformity that Americans tried to forge in the fires of this devastating conflict. The majority of the course, however, will be spent examining the voices that challenged conformity on all levels. The Beats, the Civil Rights Movement, the Counterculture, the New Left in general, Women’s Lib, and the Vietnam War will all receive our careful attention. As a colloquium, you can expect demanding reading assignments, intensive discussions, and shorter papers.