MW 2:00-3:15
Dr. Karalee Surface
As writer Jeva Lange explains, “Rock and roll is a rich history of reactions that still reverberate throughout our culture. The history of rock and roll is a history of race, of gender, of protest, and it is tied deeply into the structure and struggles that underlie society’s foundation.”
In this course we’ll explore the social and cultural landscape of post-World War II America through the lens of rock and roll music. On one level, we’ll tell the story of how rock emerged. First, we’ll trace the development of early rock music in the 1950s—from its country and blues roots to the rise of the first rockabilly artists and the eventual corporate, political, and social backlash against it. Next, we’ll turn our attention to how the music of the 1960s is an expression and extension of the social, cultural, and political changes of the decade. In our final unit, we’ll explore the ways in which rock became fragmented in the late twentieth century—giving special attention to the emergence of abrasive, often angry music (i.e., punk/grunge/rap), the impact of music videos, and also to a more expansive view of rock music that moves away from a strictly U.S. focus to explore the influence of rock music on a more global scale. At a deeper level, by situating rock music in its historical context, this class will take a look at the problematic interrelated issues of music, politics, gender, race, class, and culture in the post-war era.
This course fulfills the Humanities requirement for the MCC Discovery tier theme of Expanding our Horizons, and the ultimate goal is to do just that—helping students to reexamine our nation’s history (and the discipline of history itself) through music and gain a richer appreciation for how the two intersect.