HIST 242 The "Good War:" World War II and American Culture and Society (Not offered 1999-2000)

This course explores aspects of American culture, politics, and society during the Second World War. Through primary documents including memoirs, oral histories, fiction, and film, as well as historical analyses, we will examine a range of experiences of Americans on the homefront. We will pay particular attention to the racial, ethnic, class, gender, sexual, and regional relations engendered, shaped, and challenged during the war. Themes include mobilization for war; the use of propaganda; efforts to boost morale; women and the war effort; the internment of Japanese and Japanese-Americans; African-American resistance to segregation and inequality; the development of the atomic bomb and responses to its use; American national identity; and World War II and historical memory. Evaluation will be based on class participation, two short papers (5-7 pages), and a final exam. Group A

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