American Social History

In our last class on Monday 5/2, we’ll consider whether, as some argue (or wish), America is a “post-racial” society. Is this more true, or less true, since Obama’s election, for instance?

Reading – some links are below: start with the top one, and proceed as time and interest allow, taking note of the core questions and issues in this ongoing cultural discussion in America today:

• “The Myth of Post-Racial America,” June 2010 column in the Washington Post by Steven Levingston
• Commentary on CNN.com, “Post-Racial America Isn’t Here Yet” by Leonard Pitts Jr.
• “Not in my Neighborhood” author Lawrence Bobo also says no – a view from black America, posted on The Root blog
• NPR radio clip (20 minutes) on “Are We Living in a Post-Racial America?“
• “What is Post-Racial America?” – a conservative viewpoint posted on “View From the Right” blog
• “Edging (At Times Clumsily) Toward a Post-Racial America,” Robin Givhan, Washington Post, 16 March 2008
• “Post-Racial America?” by University of California professor John Iceland
• “Post-Racial,” by Michael Crowley, in New Republic, March 2008

Deadlines and Grades

I will be doing project data input to the Digital Worcester website, aiming to get that done before the end of finals period. If anyone would like to help me with the data entry, I will give extra credit for that service. Let me know if you’re interested, I would love to get those all into the database before summer. Since everyone completed the project & submitted all necessary parts, everyone will be receiving the full 20 points for that project.

Your research paper can be submitted anytime from now until May 9th. It needs to be in by the afternoon of May 9th. If you want it returned to you with comments (or electronic markup if it’s submitted in electronic form), let me know. Otherwise I do not plan to write extensive comments–I’ll just give it a grade, since I rarely have students ask for their final papers or exams back.

The exam on the third unit will be Monday, May 9th at 12:30 pm in our regular classroom. You don’t need to bring anything special, just something to write with. It will be similar to the other two exams: essays based on our class discussion and on our course readings. I always get this question at the end of the term, so let me address it now: no, you do not HAVE to take the 3rd exam. Doing so will help you provide closure on the unit and will demonstrate your learning in the course to yourself as well as to me. That in itself is reason enough to take it, in my opinion. However, since the lowest exam is dropped, if you have 2 exam grades that you are happy with, you are not required to take the third one or to show up on that day.

The last assignment is a reflection paper, which is due on or before May 9th. Please respond to these questions in a well-constructed paper of 2-3 pages long:

1) The course objective is:

In this course, we will explore topics in the social history of the United States, through a wide variety of sources including newspapers, periodicals, tracts, photographs, archival records, didactic literature, fiction and oral history. You will gain experience with the work of social history in your readings and assignments. You’ll consider and experiment with ways of writing history that take “the little guy” (and gal) into account.

Discuss how well you’ve achieved this course objective through your participation in class, your written work, and your scholarly research.

2) Provide feedback on the Digital Worcester project. What did you learn from it? How could it be improved?

3) Reflect on your learning in this course. What was your approach to learning social history? How well did it work for you? And if you have specific suggestions on the course’s design (either what worked or what didn’t), I would welcome your feedback.

The reflection paper can be dropped off in my office mailbox (S-327B) along with your research paper if you don’t plan to be there on the 9th.

Thanks for a great semester!