HIS 565SEM - American Social History 1

Since the 1960s, historians have become increasingly interested in writing social histories. Driven by Marxist theories of class struggle, a post-World War II egalitarian ethos, and global civil rights and anti-colonial struggles, early social historians sought to write histories ¿from the bottom up,¿ focusing on historically marginalized, disenfranchised, and disempowered groups. More recent social historians interested in promoting civil and human rights and social justice, and influenced by feminist, queer, and critical race theorists continue to analyze the experiences of and give voice to long silenced individuals and groups. In this course, we will explore the social history of the United States from colonial times to the late 20th century. Along the way, we will ask ourselves what it means to ¿do¿ social history. What types of sources do social historians use? What types of questions do they ask? How has social history changed our perceptions of US history? We will engage in a critical discussion of both ¿classic¿ social history monographs and more recent social histories.

Credits: 3