HSOC-310: The 1960s: A Cultural History

An interdisciplinary exploration of the period from 1958-1972 - a revolutionary turning point in 20th century American culture, and how it laid the foundation for many of the current and future issues of the 21st century including media and technology, ecology and sustainability, and designing the future. This class about a series of events in time and space in the mid twentieth century in which a number of forces- political, social, cultural, technological, environmental, perceptual, intellectual, and generational - interface, collide, overlap, combust, fuse, and fracture. Some might say that the 60s actually begins in 1956 in Little Rock, Arkansas. Others might say it is with the election of John F. Kennedy in 1960, or more accurately with his assasination in November 1963. Likewise, it can be seen as coming to an end with either the election or the resignation of Richard M. Nixon 1974. Or ultimately, with the final departure from Vietnam in 1973. For many, 1968 was the the fork in the road, the place where the timeline split, the year in which possibilities for a different future were irrevocably lost, and the course of the future we are now living with was determined. The prologue and the epilogue are just as crucial to understanding the period as the hard lines of a numerical chronology. Thus it is best seen and understood through a series of transparent "maps" of the various terrains, laid one over the other, and the mindsets that shaped and altered them. As a seminar style class incorporating the visual and performing arts, literature, television, film, fashion, advertising, design, social and political movements, science and technology, we.will examine, analyze, and compare the diverse cultural output of the 1960s with critical insight into the creative, political, and social dynamics of the era, and its relevance to our current time and issues. Timelines and interdisciplinary presentation projects. Learning objectives/outcomes 1- To have a greater knowledge of the culture of the 60s, and its application to our present cultural environment, with a comprehension of the deeper meaning of innovative, experimental, and revolutionary thinking and creative concepts and processes within that context, and be able to apply it to future work. 2- An in-depth understanding of the complex interface between the avant-garde arts, communications media, and design within the larger social and political framework, and the ability to analyze, critique, and connect to contemporary issues. 3- The ability to raise questions about ethical issues and social consequences in media, the arts, design, technology, and how to apply that to current and future practice. 4 - Increased visual and cultural literacy and a greater awareness of its importance to the world social and political environment and the role of citizen designer in 21st century.