Course Synopsis:

This course examines the political, social, and cultural history of the twentieth century’s most contested decade: the sixties. It adopts global perspectives to ask how and why the sixties mattered in the development of the modern world. A diverse range of themes will be covered, from the political controversies stirred up by the Vietnam War, the civil rights movement, decolonisation in Africa, Mao’s cultural revolution, and the upheavals of 1968 to the social and cultural changes occasioned by the introduction of the birth control pill, the rise of The Beatles, and the mass availability of television. Each week’s classes will focus on a single broad theme, with a mixture of lectures and discussions based on assigned readings.

Methods of Evaluation and Weights:

Class contributions:  20%
Book review:  20%    
Research essay:  35%    
Final exam:  25%

Texts and/or Resources Required:

Gerard DeGroot: The Sixties Unplugged (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 2008).

- Additional readings posted on the HIST 3440 Courselink site.

*Please note:  This is a preliminary web course description only.  The department reserves the right to change without notice any information in this description.  The final, binding course outline will be distributed in the first class of the semester.