HIST 354
American Social History (US)
Catalog Entry
HIST 354
American Social History (US)
Three hours lecture/discussion: (3)
Prerequisite: Three hours of History at the 100 level.
An intensive study of American life, customs, character, and social problems.
Note(s): Cultural or Behavioral Analysis designated course.
Detailed Description of Content of Course
The specific content of the course will vary depending on the intentions of the instructor
and the shifting priorities of the field of United States Social History. However,
in past semesters, topics have included the family, housing, children and child-raising,
medicine and health care, aging, labor and workplaces, consumption, communications,
and conviviality.
Detailed Description of Conduct of Course
Although the course would generally be classified as lecture, significant portions
of class time are devoted to questions designed to stimulate critical thinking skills
and the examination of primary documents which introduce students to the basic raw
materials of historical study. In addition, regularly scheduled class periods are
reserved for discussions on assigned readings and monographs. Students prepare written
critical analyses as preparation for thoughtful discussions.
Goals and Objectives of the Course
Departmental Goals and Objectives:
1. Students will practice thinking critically and analytically about historical issues,
acquire a broader knowledge and deeper understanding of pertinent historical events
and processes, and cultivate a familiarity with the concepts of historical argument
and interpretation.
2. Students will develop disciplinary research skills by designing strategies to locate
and analyze primary and secondary source evidence, processing and organizing the resultant
data, and composing proper citation and bibliographical entries.
3. Students will apply their critical thinking, research, and compositional skills
to the creation and presentation of thesis driven essays that discuss, for example,
historical social, economic, political, and/or cultural developments and that address
issues such as the causes and consequences of historical change and continuity.
Course Goals and Objectives:
Departmental Goals and Objectives:
Course Goals and Objectives:
Assessment Measures
Knowledge and understanding of the material covered in this course will be measured
using an array of assessment tools that may include, among other things, class attendance
and participation, written examinations, formal writing assignments of various types,
and informal writing assignments. All exercises are designed to expand the student's
ability to evaluate historical events and to develop his or her ability to compose
persuasive arguments.
Other Course Information
None
Review and Approval
October 2010 Reviewed and Approved by Sharon A. Roger Hepburn, Chair
04/2011
March 01, 2021
February 26, 2026