Cold War Cultures HIST 368 Scarboro Spring 2011 Section MWF 12:00 (H-M 303) Office H-M 306 E-mail cristoferscarboro@kings.edu Phone (570) 208-5900 ext. 5637 (o) (570) 735-4762 (h)       Office Hours MW (10:00-11:00; 1:00-2:00) T/Th (11:00-2:00) Moodle Site http://kings.mrooms2.net/course/view.php?id=805
Komar and Melamid, Air Superiority (From the American Dreams Series), 1997

I.  Course Description

World (Cold) War: the Cultures of the Cold War

This course explores the cold war as a global ideological phenomenon premised on differing visions of the “good life.”  Each actor in the cold war was continually engaged in defining what it meant to live well: how to balance the sometimes competing demands of individuals and society, to arrive at correct understandings of consumption and leisure, to accommodate the needs of the public and private spheres.  How these understandings were envisioned, enforced and transformed through culture will be the focus of our investigation.  How did people live the cold war?  What were its comforts and horrors?  How were the intentions of Moscow and Washington met in the streets of Kabul, Prague and Paris?  How were these conceptions of the good life expressed through official, unofficial and dissident culture?

Special attention will be paid to Europe as a central field of contestation over these questions.  As Europeans rebuilt from the devastation of the Second World War, they were forced to accommodate themselves to the military, economic and cultural power of the Soviet Union and the United States.  How did Europeans come to terms with the constraints of the cold war?  What opportunities did it afford?  How did it transform the meaning of “Europe”? How does the end of the cold war and its result impact our understanding of it as a historical period?

We will trace the Cold War’s development through movies, architecture, visual art and novels and through competing visions of the “good life” manifested in consumer culture and leisure: art galleries (both public and private), vacations, housing, washing machines, automobiles and televisions.

II. Purpose:

A. Objectives for the student:

This course will ask the student to make sense of the cold war as a historical phenomenon.  He or she is to become familiar with the major cultural, social, political and economic trends of the cold war and to be able to interpret them in historical context.  Students will engage with understandings of the cultures of the cold war from a wide range of genres, historiographic traditions and methodologies in order to gage historical roots, impact and transformations of cold war culture.  Central to the course is the principle that in taking the class the student will become familiar with historical methodology and thinking.  He or she should be able to locate, evaluate and interpret historical sources and place them in context.  The course’s paper will ask the student to critically engage and evaluate primary and secondary sources and present analyses of them in clear and persuasive writing.  These everyday tools of the historian will serve the student well in any field he or she chooses to enter. 

B.  General Learning Outcomes for the Student:

In addition to the more content-related objectives described above, this course has some general liberal-learning goals of developing academic skills. It is expected that successful completion of this course will help you improve your ability to: manage information, which involves sorting data, ranking data for significance, synthesizing facts, concepts and principles; to understand and use organizing principles or key concepts against which miscellaneous data can be evaluated; to frame questions so as to more clearly clarify a problem topic or issue; to compare and contrast the relative merits of opposing arguments and interpretations, moving between the main points of each position; to organize your thoughts and communicate them clearly and concisely in written form; to obtain practice in selecting and presenting information and arguments within a restricted environment, especially the limitations of time in exams

III. General Requirements

A. Course Readings:  

Us:

Gaddis, John Lewis, The Cold War: A New History, Penguin, 2005.

Wilson, Sloan, The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit, De Capo Press, 4^th ed., 2002.

Them:

Erofeev, Venedikt, Moscow to the End of the Line, trans. by H. William Tjalsma, Northwestern University Press, 1992.

Hensel, Jana, After the Wall: Confessions from an East German Childhood and the Life that Came Next, Public Affairs, 2004. 

Kotkin, Stephen, Uncivil Society: 1989 and the Implosion of the Communist Establishment, Modern Library, 2010.

Zubok, V. M., A Failed Empire: The Soviet Union in the Cold War from Stalin to Gorbachev, University of North Carolina Press, 2008.

Other Readings will be available on the course moodle site <<http://kings.mrooms2.net/course/view.php?id=805 >>.

B. Course Films 

The films for the course are an intrinsic part of the course--they will be the centerpiece of class discussion on the week they are shown, and viewing them is a requirement for the course.   All of these films are on reserve at the King’s College library.  Some are available on-line via www.hulu.com please see the link below.  A subscription to Netflix <<www.netflix.com>> (shared or otherwise) is an inexpensive way to watch the films on your own time. 

Us:

Loader and Rafferty, Atomic Café, 2002.  <<http://www.hulu.com/watch/122397/atomic-cafe>>

Milius, Red Dawn, 1984.

Them:

Menshov, Moscow does not believe in Tears, 1979.

Pichul, Little Vera, 1988.

C. Written Assignments and Group Work:

The primary written assignment in this class is a 10-12 paper on the topic of cold war cultures that incorporates both primary and secondary sources.  Much of this work will be done collaboratively within a group.  On the first day of class you will chose two to three other people with whom you will be working closely together both in researching your paper and in preparing and presenting your final group project.  There will be eight groups total each focusing on one of eight historiographical problems within the structure of the Cold War.  Each of your individual papers will be on the same general topic.  Your paper will be written in several steps much of it collaboratively:

1)  On the first day of the semester you will chose the general topic of your paper and end of semester presentation and the group with whom you will be working with closely all semester. 

2)  On February 18^th you will turn in a group bibliography of secondary sources.  This will consist of a minimum of 50 sources and be the basis of your first draft of the paper your historiographical essay.

3)  On March 14^th your group will turn in a group bibliography of primary sources.  This will consist of a minimum of 20 sources and be the basis of the second draft of the paper.

4)  The historiographical essay is due in class on March 30th.  This essay (which will be incorporated into your final paper) will synthesize the historical scholarship on your topic against which you will situate your own readings of your primary sources.  This essay will need to be a minimum of 5 pages.  Besides a hard copy for me, you will need to e-mail copies to each member of your group. 

5)  On April 4^th your group will critique one another’s historiographical essays in an in-class workshop. 

6)  On April 13^th you will turn in your second rough draft of your paper which will focus on interpreting and integrating primary sources within the framework of your historiographical understanding.  This draft should be unique (that is not include sections from your historiographical essay) and a minimum of 5 pages.  Besides a hard copy for me, you will need to e-mail copies to each member of your group. 

7)  On April 15^th your group will critique one another’s second drafts in an in-class workshop. 

8) On April 18^th your group will workshop one another’s thesis and prepare for the end of semester presentations.

9)  Your final paper of 10-12 pages is due the last day of class May 4^th.

Each stage and component of the paper are to be turned in both in paper form (in class) and electronically via turnitin on the course moodle site. 

You will also be responsible for grading your group mates’ performance during your work together this semester which will be factored into the final grade.

D.  Class Presentations

At the end of the semester you will need to present your research to the class in an oral presentation.  This presentation should last approximately 5 minutes with a two minute question session.  The presentation should outline your thesis, demonstrate a strong understanding of the historiographical debate surrounding your topic and a synthesis of primary and secondary sources.

E. Workshops

Writing workshops are designed to give you opportunities to develop and refine your final paper throughout the semester, and provide a forum for peer review.  You will be asked to bring in some component of your final paper on each of these dates:

You will need to bring a typed set of questions and comments for each of your group-mates’ papers for each workshop.   Your participation in each of these workshops is factored into your class participation grade.

F. Exams:

This class will hold two exams a midterm given on February 28^th and a final during finals week.  The exams will consist of two parts: 1) identifications—these terms will be taken from the list of key terms accompanying the outline for each day; 2) essay questions—these questions will be assigned randomly from the questions assigned to each class meeting on the syllabus. 

You may take a missed exam only at the discretion of the instructor.

G.  Leading Class Discussion and Participation

As well as providing you with the methodological and analytical tools for engaging in historical thinking, this class will ask you to actively take part in a larger conversation of historical issues within the class.  I expect this class to allow us to delve deeply into the historical topics of each week’s readings.  To that end you need to make sure that you arrive to class on time ready to discuss the weekly readings, having carefully read and thought over the material.  You must take an active role in the class discussions.  Thus a portion of your grade will depend on your in-class performance and presence. 

You will be responsible for leading class discussion once during this semester.  This will entail reading the assigned text, song collection or film closely, arranging a list of topics and themes to discuss in class and preparing a series of questions to discuss during class.  You will e-mail a list of 8-10 questions to me and your classmates no later than 5:00 the evening before class so that we will have time to reflect on them and prepare responses.

As part of this class participation, prior to each class discussion you will be responsible for turning in a written description (no more than a paragraph) of the thesis of the class readings.  These will collected at the beginning of class and no late assignments will be accepted.

In a class of this nature it goes without saying that a classroom environment in which everyone feels comfortable is essential.  You should treat your fellow classmates with respect, listen carefully to their comments and respond to them in a polite manner. 

H.  Grading:

It is your responsibility to understand why you have achieved a certain grade, and what steps you can take to maintain or improve your grade.  You should consult with the instructor during office hours or by appointment before and after exams and written assignments.

For your protection, in case of errors in record keeping, you should keep copies of all exams and assignments until you have received official notice of your final grade.

      Your final grade will be based on the following percentages

Your grade distribution for class assignments is as follows:

I. Academic Integrity:

The Department of History adheres to guidelines on academic integrity outlined in the Student Conduct Code in the Student Handbook: 

http://www.kings.edu/student_handbook/studentregulations_rights/conductcode.htm

Cheating and plagiarism will be penalized in accord with the penalties and procedures indicated in that source.  All students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with the definition of these infractions of academic honesty. 

J. Absences:

I will regularly take attendance in this class. Absences due to college activities, emergency or extended illness may be excused by the appropriate college official. You should consult with the professor about making up missed work in advance or as soon as possible after your return.  Other absences are unexcused and will lower the class participation portion of your grade. After any absence, you are responsible for requesting hand-outs and already returned assignments from me or borrowing notes from other students. If you miss an exam, contact me as possible. You may take a missed exam only at the discretion of the instructor.

K.  Dissabilities:

King’s College and I will make every effort to accommodate students with a bona-fide disability that impacts on their ability to learn the course material.  Please meet with me privately so that appropriate arrangements can be made to help in the learning process.

IV. Course Schedule

Course Introduction

Monday, January 17^th

Part I: Setting the Stage—The “Cold” in Cold War

Structure of the Cold War: Cultures and Subjectivities

Wednesday, January 19^th

Question: How was the Cold War an ideological struggle?  How was it a struggle about competing subjectivities?  What role does culture play?

Soviet Ideologies: Marx to “Socialism in One Country” to the "Soviet Zone"

Friday, January 21^st

Question: How did Soviet authorities define the good society?  How did they seek to implement it in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union?

American Ideologies: Middle Class Manifest Destiny

Monday, January 24^th

Question:  How did American authorities define the good society?  How did they seek to implement it in Western Europe and the United States?

Historiographical Problems in Cold War Cultures I:  Origins

Wednesday, January 26^th

Question: How do Gaddis and Zubok understand the origins of the Cold War?

**Readings:    1)  Gaddis, “Prologue” and “The Return of Fear,” 1-48

2)  Zubok, “The Soviet People and Stalin Between War and Peace” and “Stalin’s Road to the Cold War,” 1-61

Atomic Freeze

Friday, January 28^th

Question: What role did the development of the atomic bomb play in the development of the Cold War? Atomic Parity?  How does Gaddis understand its importance?

**Readings:    Gaddis, “Deathboats and Lifeboats,” 48-82

Discussion:  Atomic Café

Monday, January 31^st

Question: What role did the development of the atomic bomb play in the development of the Cold War? Atomic Parity?  How do Loader and Rafertyunderstand its importance?

**Film: Loader and Raferty, Atomic Café

~Discussants:  1) Andre Valliancourt, 2) Eric Butruce, 3) Scott DeVincenzo

Sovietization and Normalization

Wednesday, February 2^nd

Question:

*Readings:      1) Gaddis, “Command vs. Spontaneity,” 83-119

                        2) Zubok, “Stalemate in Germany,” 62-93

Part II: Official Solaces (and Discontents)

Kitchen Debates

Friday, February 4^th

Question: What role does consumption play in developing the Soviet and American vision of the good life?  What are the perils and possibilities of tying visions of the good society to vacations and refrigerators?

*Readings: Zubok, “Kremlin Politics and ‘Peaceful Coexistence” and “The Nuclear

Education of Khruschev,” 94-162

Historiographical Problems in Cold War Cultures II: Cold War Cultures in Documents

Monday, February 7^th

*Readings: 1) “The Anti Communist Crusade” and “To the Brink” <<course moodle site>>

Historiographical Problems in Cold War Cultures II (cont.): Cold War in Documents

Wednesday, February 9^th

*http://www.archive.org/details/ThisGodlessCommunism

Levittown and Blocks

Friday, February 11^th

Question: How do the Soviet Union and the United States approach the problem of housing?  How does it reflect the differences in their visions of the “good life?”  Similarities?

Discussion:  Man in the Gray Flannel Suit

Monday, February 14^th

Question: How does Wilson understand the American good life of the 1950s?  How does this relate to the Cold War?

**Reading: Wilson, Man in the Gray Flannel Suit

~Discussants: 1) James Holland, 2) Chris Becker, 3) Brendan Rennwanz

Fissures

Wednesday, February 16^th

Question:  What were the challenges to the Soviet system in Eastern Europe in the 1950s and 1960s?  How did the Soviet Union address them?

1968 Paris and Prague

Friday, February 18^th

Question:  What were the challenges to the American system in the 1950s and 1960s?  How were they addressed?

***Group Bibliography of Secondary Sources Due***

Triumph of Irony: Socialist Realism to Sots Art / Soup Cans?

Monday, February 21^st 

Question:  How are Sots Art and Pop Art Ironic?  What political role did irony play in the Cold War? 

Discussion: Moscow to the End of the Line

Wednesday, February 23^rd

Question: How does Erofeev understand the Soviet good life of the 1960s and 1970s?

**Reading: Erofeev, Moscow to the End of the Line

~Discussants: 1) Anthony Chadwick, 2) Robert Lane, 3) Andrew Miller

Discussion: Moscow does not believe in Tears

Friday, February 25^th

Question: How does Menshov understand the soviet good life of the late 1970s?  What tensions emerge from official visions?

**Film: Menshov, Moscow does not believe in Tears

~Discussants: 1) Brianne Richards, 2) Kyle Gilligan, 3) Charles Smith

Midterm Exam

Monday, February 28^th

Part III: Cold War Fantasies

Historiographical Problems in Cold War Cultures III:

Wednesday, March 2^nd

**Reading:      1) Gaddis, “The Emergence of Autonomy” and “The Recovery of Equity,”

119-194

2) Zubok, “The Soviet Home front: First Cracks,” “Brezhnev and the Road to

 Détente” and “Détente’s Decline and Soviet Overreach,”163-264

Discussion: Red Dawn

Friday, March 4^th

Question: How does Milius understand the course of the Cold War?  How is Red Dawn a product of its era? 

**Film: Milius, Red Dawn

~Discussants: 1) Brandon Zlotek, 2) Angelo Zingaretti, 3) Jarret Albert

Cold War, Hot War

Monday, March 14^th

Question: How did the Cold War play out in the “Third World?” 

***Group Bibliography of Primary Sources Due***

From Russia with Love

Question: What is meant by cold war fantasies? What ideological work do they engage in?

Wednesday, March 16^th

Cold War Dirty War America and Latin America

Friday, March 18^th

Question: How did the Cold War play out in Latin America? How did the interests of superpowers align with the interests of local actors? 

Vietnam and Afghanistan

Monday, March 21^st

Question:  How were the wars in Vietnam and Afghanistan Cold War conflicts?

Part IV: Collapse

Historiographical Problems in Cold War Cultures IV:

Wednesday, March 23^rd

Question: How do Zubok and Gaddis understand the collapse of Communism?

**Reading:      1) Gaddis, “Actors” and “The Triumph of Hope,” 195-257

2) Zubok, “The Old Guard’s Exit” and “Gorbachev and the End of Soviet Power,” 265-335

Stagnation

Friday, March 25^th

Question: How was stagnation reveal the both the achievement and limits of the Soviet vision of the good society?  What accounts for the systems seeming permanence and retrospective vulnerability? 

Solidarity

Monday, March 28^th

Question:  What role did Eastern Europe play in the collapse of Communism?  Why was the challenge of Solidarity do damaging to Soviet visions of the good life?

Discussion: Little Vera

**Film: Pinchul, Little Vera

Wednesday, March 30^th

Question: How does Pinchul understand the Soviet good society of the mid to late 1980s?

~Discussants: 1) Jennie Hampton, 2) Kristi Ronyack, 3) Matt Wayne

***Historiographical Essay Due***

Glasnost

Friday, April 1^st

Question:  How did Gorbachev seek to transform the Soviet system?  What were his goals?  Results?

Workshop: Historiography

Monday, April 4^th

Discussion: Uncivil Society

Wednesday, April 6^th

Question: How does Kotkin understand the collapse of the Soviet system?

**Reading: Kotkin, Uncivil Society

~Discussants: 1) Amanda Vasiliou, 2) Kelly Sandrock, 3) Angela Wagner

1989

Friday, April 8^th

Question:  Why does Communism collapse in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe?

Discussion: End of History?!

Monday, April 11^th

Question: What does Fukuyama mean by the end of history?  Are we there?

**Reading: Fukuyama, “The End of History?” From the National Interest, 1989

<< http://www.wesjones.com/eoh.htm>>

~Discussants: 1) Kyle Fellows, 2) Chris Deeks

Discussion: After the Wall

Wednesday, April 13^th

Question:  How does Hensel understand the collapse of communism?  How does her work complicate Fukuyama’s proclamation of the “end of history?”

**Reading: Hensel, After the Wall

~Discussants: 1) Brent Guzik, 2) James Martin, 3) Corey Turner

***Second Rough Draft Due***

Workshop: Primary Sources and Synthesis

Friday, April 15^th

Workshop: Thesis

Monday, April 18^th

Class Presentations

Wednesday, April 20^th

Class Presentations

Wednesday, April 27^th

Class Presentations

Friday, April 29^th

Class Presentations

Monday, May 2^nd

Class Presentations

Wednesday, May 4^th

***Final Paper Due***