Revised 04/2016

HUM 260 - Survey of Twentieth-century Culture (3 CR.)

Course Description

Explores literature, visual arts, philosophy, music, and history of our time from an interdisciplinary perspective. Lecture 3 hours per week.

General Course Purpose

Students will interpret common historical, cultural, political, topical or artistic themes by analyzing material from the humanities and other diverse academic fields.

Course Prerequisites/Corequisites

Prerequisites: ENG 112

Course Objectives

The objective of this course is to examine the complexities of our 20th Century world through the lens of several disciplines. At the completion of this course, the students will be able to:

  • Describe and distinguish between several cultural, intellectual and artistic developments of the last 100 years;
  • Identify, classify and interpret major contemporary works in several distinct art forms;
  • Analyze and evaluate cultural, intellectual and artistic works in their historical, socio-economic, cultural, artistic and political context;
  • Define and evaluate the different cultural perspectives expressed by specific groups during a particular era;  Demonstrate effective reading and writing skills by successfully communicating one's ideas with careful attention to language and employing the ability to form cogent arguments;
  • Demonstrate effective research skills by tracing the roots of an issue, evaluating primary and secondary source material and incorporating that information into one's analysis of an issue, and;
  • Demonstrate critical thinking skills by analyzing a variety of complex materials, ideas, movements, policies and social structures to interpret and explain concepts with sensitivity to cultural differences

Major Topics to Be Included

  •  Literature of the 20th century covering the genres of romanticism,
  • The gothic novel, transcendentalism, realism/naturalism, modernism
  • Music of the 20th century including jazz, rock and roll, blues, classical, folk and country music
  • Historical milestones including, WWI, WWII, Korean War, Vietnam War, Civil Rights movements, and International relations including the Cold War
  • Race relations including Jim Crow, segregation/desegregation, Japanese American internment camps
  • Political and social movements such as women’s voting rights
  • American conservatism
  • LGBT rights and immigration
  • Economics including the Great Depression, the New Deal, and Black Monday

Optional Topics

  • Political ideologies
  • Government policies
  • Economic trends
  • Pop culture
  • Class structure
  • Regional and national identities
  • Gender politics
  • Language acquisition
  • Social construct of race
  • Immigrant experience
  • Religious ideologies
  • Protest movements