NOTE: WILL BE FINALIZED ON 9/8
TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE
THE 1980s COMMENCE
September 9th
Introduction to the course
September 14th
Ledbetter, Les. 1980. “John Lennon of Beatles Is Killed.” The New York Times, December 9.
ABC News. 2009. Nov. 9, 1989: The Berlin Wall Falls. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnCPdLlUgvo.
Assignment due: Initial Reflections
September 16th
Williams, Raymond. 1998. “The Analysis of Culture.” In Cultural Theory and Popular Culture: A Reader, ed. J. Storey, 48–59. Athens: UGA Press.
Burgett, Bruce. 2007. “Sex.” In Keywords for American Cultural Studies, eds. Burgett, B., and G. Hendler, 217-221. NY: NYU Press.
Halberstam, Judith Jack. 2007. “Gender.” In Keywords for American Cultural Studies, eds. Burgett, B., and G. Hendler, 116-120. NY: NYU Press.
Somerville, Siobhan B. 2007. “Queer.” In Keywords for American Cultural Studies, eds. Burgett, B., and G. Hendler, 187-191. NY: NYU Press.
THE COLD WAR & REAGANOMICS
September 21st
Moffitt, Kimberly R, and Duncan A Campbell. 2011. “Introduction: the 80s as a decade.” In The 1980s: A Critical and Transitional Decade, eds. K.R. Moffitt and D.A. Campbell, 1-14. Lanham, Md.: Lexington Books.
Morris, Edmund. 1999. “I, Ronald Wilson Reagan” in Dutch: A Memoir of Ronald Reagan, 410-433. New York: Random House.
September 23rd
Tyvela, Kim. 2011. “Cold War crucible: the Berlin Wall and American exceptionalism.” In The 1980s: A Critical and Transitional Decade, eds. K.R. Moffitt and D.A. Campbell, 381-397. Lanham, Md.: Lexington Books.
Reagan, Ronald. 1987. Reagan’s Address at the Brandenburger Tor, West Berlin, Germany, i.e. “Tear Down This Wall.” June 12, 1987. West Berlin, Germany. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjWDrTXMgF8.
Reagan, Ronald. 2008. President Ronald Reagan – “Evil Empire” Speech. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=do0x-Egc6oA.
September 28th
Boris, Eileen. 2007. “On Cowboys and Welfare Queens: Independence, Dependence, and Interdependence at Home and Abroad.” Journal of American Studies 41 (3): 599–621.
Weiss, Robert P. 2011. “Privatizing the Leviathan state: a “Reaganomic” legacy.” In The 1980s: A Critical and Transitional Decade, eds. K.R. Moffitt and D.A. Campbell, 89-108. Lanham, Md.: Lexington Books.
RECALLING THE WAY WE (NEVER) WERE: FAMILIES ON SCREEN AND IN THE PULPIT
September 30th
Fetner, Tina. 2008. “Where’s the Party?: Entering the Republican and Democratic Folds” in How the Religious Right Shaped Lesbian and Gay Activism, 64-84. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
Fetner, Tina. 2008. “Culture wars: battles for the hearts and minds of America” in How the Religious Right Shaped Lesbian and Gay Activism, 101-118. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
October 5th
Dwyer, Michael. 2011. “‘Fixing’ the fifties : Alex P. Keaton and Marty McFly.” In The 1980s: A Critical and Transitional Decade, eds. K.R. Moffitt and D.A. Campbell, 201-223. Lanham, Md.: Lexington Books.
Zemeckis, Robert. 1985. Back to the Future. Universal Pictures. [watch online via library]
THE REVOLUTION WAS TOTALLY TELEVISED AND IT WAS RAD *AND* DOPE
October 7th
Morikawa, Suzuko. 2011. “Reading MTV: proliferation of United States culture in the age of globalization.” In The 1980s: A Critical and Transitional Decade, eds. K.R. Moffitt and D.A. Campbell, 325-338. Lanham, Md.: Lexington Books.
WATCH ALL:: Billboard. 2011. “The 10 Best ’80s Music Videos: Poll Results | Billboard.” Billboard. August 1. http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/468693/the-10-best-80s-music-videos-poll-results.
October 12th No class – Trinity Days!
October 14th
Peterson, James Braxton. 2011. “‘Life in marvelous times’: commemorative narratives of the golden era in hip hop culture.” In The 1980s: A Critical and Transitional Decade, eds. K.R. Moffitt and D.A. Campbell, 455-470. Lanham, Md.: Lexington Books.
Anderson, Reynaldo, Jason Thompson, and Nikita Harris. 2011. “Fear of a Black planet: Michael Jackson, Michael Jordan, and Eddie Murphy and the globalization of Black masculinity.” In The 1980s: A Critical and Transitional Decade, eds. K.R. Moffitt and D.A. Campbell, 401-416. Lanham, Md.: Lexington Books.
N.W.A. 1988. Straight Outta Compton. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMZi25Pq3T8.
N.W.A. 1988. Fuck Tha Police. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WiT-c3NA0M.
STYLE FOR SALE: TOYS, ART, & OTHER OBJECTS OF THE 1980s
October 19th
Ardenne, Paul, and Michel Vale. 1995. “The Art Market in the 1980s.” International Journal of Political Economy 25 (2): 100–128.
Tannenbaum, Judith. 1991. “Robert Mapplethorpe: The Philadelphia Story.” Art Journal 50 (4): 71–76. doi:10.2307/777326.
Molesworth, Helen. 2012. “Robert Mapplethorpe.” In This Will Have Been: Art, Love, and Politics in the 1980s, 369-373. Chicago, IL; New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
October 21st
Ryder, Demian. 2011. “An army of one in 1:18 scale: the profit of patriotism in G.I. Joe.” In The 1980s: A Critical and Transitional Decade, eds. K.R. Moffitt and D.A. Campbell, 181-200. Lanham, Md.: Lexington Books.
THE THIRD WAVE
October 26th
Rubin, Gayle. 1984. “Thinking Sex: Notes for a Radical Theory of the Politics of Sexuality.” In Pleasure and Danger: Exploring Female Sexuality, ed. Carole S. Vance, 267–319. New York: Routledge & Kegan Paul Books.
October 28th
Moraga, Cherríe. 2002. “La Güera” in This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color, eds. Cherríe Moraga and Gloria Anzaldúa, 24-33. Berkeley, CA: Third Woman Press.
Yamada, Mitsuye. 2002. “Invisibility is an unnatural disaster: reflections of an Asian American woman” in This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color, eds. Cherríe Moraga and Gloria Anzaldúa, 34-40. Berkeley, CA: Third Woman Press.
Lorde, Audre. 2002. “The master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house” in This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color, eds. Cherríe Moraga and Gloria Anzaldúa, 106-110. Berkeley, CA: Third Woman Press.
Espada, Martín. 2015. “Return.” Martín Espada.
October 29th (Th)
REQUIRED:: Martín Espada will give the Jan Cohn Lecture in American Studies at 5:30 p.m. More information: http://www.martinespada.net.
October 30th (Fri)
REQUIRED:: Visit to Wadsworth Atheneum “Guise & Dolls” Exhibit
A VISIBLE LESBIAN AND GAY MOVEMENT
November 2nd
Castells, Manuel. 1983. “Cultural Identity, Sexual Liberation and Urban Structure: The Gay Community in San Francisco.” In The City and the Grassroots: A Cross-Cultural Theory of Urban Social Movements, 138–70. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
Michael J. Bowers v. Michael Hardwick, 478 U.S. 186 (Supreme Court 1986).
November 4th
Beam, Joseph. 1986. “Brother to Brother: Words from the Heart” in In the Life: A Black Gay Anthology, ed. Joseph Beam, 180-191. Alyson Books.
Harris, Craig G. 1986. “Cut off from among Their People” in In the Life: A Black Gay Anthology, ed. Joseph Beam, 40-44. Alyson Books.
Rich, Adrienne. 1980. “Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence.” Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society 5 (4): 631–60.
November 9th
Higgins, Collin. 1980. 9 to 5. 20th Century Fox Pictures.
Assignment due: Political Reading of Robert Mapplethorpe Artwork
November 11th
Kushner, Tony. 1995. “Part One: Millenium Approaches” in Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes, 1-126. New York: Theatre Communications Group.
November 16th
LISTEN TO AT LEAST FOUR INTERVIEWS: ACT UP Oral History Project. 2015. “ACTUP Oral History Project: Interviews.” ACT UP Oral History Project. http://www.actuporalhistory.org/interviews/index.html.
Fetner, Tina. 2008. “Taking to the streets: protest and direct democracy” in How the Religious Right Shaped Lesbian and Gay Activism, 84-100. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
Assignment due: Research Paper Topic
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, THE ENVIRONMENT, & STAR WARS
November 18th
Ferguson, Charles H, and Charles R Morris. 1993. “Guerrilla Warfare,” “The Rise of the Clones,” and “Revenge of the Nerds” in Computer Wars: How the West Can Win in a Post-IBM World, 17-29, 51-65, and 66-83. New York: Times Books.
EXPLORE:: The BBS Corner. 2015. “Telnet BBS Guide.” http://www.telnetbbsguide.com/.
November 21st (Sat)
REQUIRED:: Saturday Morning Television and Gaming Day!
November 23rd
WATCH AT LEAST FOUR VIDEOS:: History Channel. 2015. “Titanic Exclusive Videos & Features – HISTORY.com.” Titanic Videos. http://www.history.com/topics/titanic/videos.
NOTE – ADDED:: The New York Times. 1912. “Titanic Sinks Four Hours After Hitting Iceberg; 866 Rescued By Carpathia, Probably 1,250 Perish; Ismay Safe, Mrs. Astor Maybe, Noted Names Missing,” The New York Times, April 15. http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/big/0415.html.
NOTE – ADDED:: Dixon, Chris. 2015. “Do Humans Have a Future in Deep Sea Exploration?” The New York Times, September 14. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/15/science/piloted-deep-sea-research-is-bottoming-out.html.
Daley, P., & O’Neill, D. 1991. “Sad Is Too Mild a Word”: Press Coverage of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill. Journal of Communication, 41(4), 42-57.
November 25th No class! Happy Thanksgiving!
IMAGINED COMMUNITIES: AT HOME & ABROAD
November 30th
Anderson, Benedict. 2006. “Introduction,” “Cultural Roots,” and “The Origins of National Consciousness” in Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism, 1-36. New York: Verso.
Lee, Spike. 1989. Do the Right Thing. 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks.
Assignment due: Analyzing 1980s Saturday Morning Culture
December 2nd
Stamberg, Susan. 2015. Maya Lin : NPR – On Designing the Vietnam War Memorial. Accessed January 26. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1113838.
Schnell, James. 2011. “The opening of China and the evolution of China-U.S. cross-cultural understanding.” In The 1980s: A Critical and Transitional Decade, eds. K.R. Moffitt and D.A. Campbell, 357-368. Lanham, Md.: Lexington Books.
December 7th
Swigger, Jessie. 2011. “New right, new history, common ground: populism and the past.” In The 1980s: A Critical and Transitional Decade, eds. K.R. Moffitt and D.A. Campbell, 161-180. Lanham, Md.: Lexington Books.
CNN. Challenger Disaster Live on CNN. 2007. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4JOjcDFtBE&feature=youtube_gdata_player.
NOTE – ADDED:: tbd reading on Tiananmen Square Massacre
ESPN Classic. 1980. Miracle on Ice Highlights. Lake Placid, NY. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSkc6c35A4Q.
THE END OF AN ERA & BEGINNING OF ANOTHER
December 9th
Tousignant, Marylou. 2014. “The Berlin Wall Fell 25 Years Ago.” The Washington Post, November 6.
December 14th
Class reflections
December 17th
Final assignments due: Final Paper & Wikipedia Entry Edit