Hist 490/590 Schedule of Topics, Readings, Assignments

Important note: all readings and assignments are to be completed by the day they appear

on the schedule.

S 7	Introduction: What is history? What is cultural history? Key Terms
S 14	Defining and Interpreting Consumer Culture Reading [on Electronic Reserve (password: history)]: Cross, An All Consuming Century, p. 1-13, 21-22 The Roots of American Consumer Society: Colonial Consumption
S 21	Colonial Consumption continued Reading: 1. Bushman, “Shopping and Advertising in Early America” (coursepack or ERes) Journal: A) summarize the essential points of the Bushman article in your own words; and B) choose (and write out) two quotes from the article that you found especially compelling or significant. Discussion: small groups discuss Bushman; essential points of last week’s lecture. Late 19^th Century Readings: 2. Steele, “Reduced to Images: American Indians in Nineteenth Century Advertising” (coursepack or ERes) 3. Leach, “Transformations in a Culture of Consumption: Women and Department Stores, 1890-1925” (try this link; if it doesn’t work, use our library website to search for this article in Journal of American History, vol. 71, Sept. 1984) Journal: choose either the Steele or Leach article, summarize the essential points of the article, and conclude with your response to the article and its arguments
S 28	Jazz Age America Reading: (in coursepack or ERes) 1. Cohen, “Encountering Mass Culture at the Grassroots” Journal: write 2 discussion questions on the Cohen article
O 5	Jazz Age America continued Reading: (in coursepack or ERes) 1. Peiss, “Making Up, Making Over” 2. Swiencicki, “Consuming Brotherhood” Journal: summarize the essential points of both articles; choose (and write out) two quotes from each article that you found especially compelling. You may conclude with your response to the articles and their arguments. Film: It Discussion of film on-line, to be completed by next class.
O 12	The Roaring Twenties Readings: 1. First half of Marchand, Advertising the American Dream 2. George Creel “How We Sold the War” [on-line primary document] 2. Lears, Bruce Barton [coursepack or ERes] 3. Bruce Barton, excerpt from The Man Nobody Knows (1925) [primary document] {ERes only} 5. Lynds, “The Automobile Comes to Middletown, U.S.A,” (1929) [primary document] {ERes only} Spending Through The Slump: America During the Great Depression
O 19	Reading: Marchand, Advertising the American Dream, completed Journal: questions on Marchand (link) Artifact Presentations Graduate students: Research Paper Proposal due
O 26	Midterm Artifact Presentations
N 2	Mass Consumer Culture: The 1940s and 1950s Readings: [coursepack or ERes] 1. Marchand, “Visions of Classlessness” 2. Watson, “Defining Visions” 3. Friedan, “Sexual Sell” 4. Ehrenreich, “Playboy Joins the Battle of the Sexes” Film: The Fifties: “Selling the American Way”
N 9	Counterculture and Consumer Culture: The 1960s Slowing Down, Revving Up: The 1970s and 1980s Readings: [coursepack or ERes] 1. Douglas, “Narcissism as Liberation” 2. Bordo, “Beauty Rediscovers the Male Body” Journal: Choose either the Douglas or Bordo reading, summarize its essential points, share 2 or 3 passages from the reading that you found especially interesting or compelling, and conclude by sharing your reasoned response to the reading. Artifact Presentations
N 16	Recent Trends: The 1990s to the Present Reading: 1. Brooks, “Introduction” & “Consumption” from Bobos in Paradise [you can skim pp. 61-81] {coursepack or ERes 2. Gladwell, “The Coolhunt” (ERes only) Film: The Truman Show On-line discussion by next class Graduate Students: Research Paper Due
N 23	Class Cancelled for Thanksgiving
N 30	Book Review Paper Due Book Presentations
D 7	Book Presentations continued Globalization and the 21^st Century Reading: 1. Schlosser, “Uncle McDonald” in “Global Realization” from Fast Food Nation {ERes only} 2. Debouzy, “Does Mickey Mouse Threaten French Culture?” [skim beginning] {coursepack or ERes}