American Civilization: The 20th Century

This course covers the changing society and culture of the United States during the 20th century. It begins with American regionalism in 1900 and traces the rise of mass culture and economic depression in the period from WWI through WWII, followed by the changing conflicts of idealism, realism, and popular culture to the end of the Cold War, the rise of the internet, and the new problems posed by 21st century globalism. The course will emphasize the discussion and analysis of primary source materials, employing material culture, texts, and film as forms of evidence. The concept of culture enables us to treat the changing cultural context as the “natural” environment of Americans during the 20th century.