American Popular Culture

Tentative syllabus

Subject to change until the first day of class

Prof. Philip F. Napoli

History 43.18 Code: 5491 Section MW11

&

American Studies 68 Code: 5301 Section MW11

M,W 11:00-12:15PM  Room: 519 A

Course Information

I. What This Course Is About

American popular culture has only recently become the subject of serious scholarly inquiry. For most of the century it has been considered either entirely ephemeral, or a mass narcotic. Newer studies, however, have amply demonstrated that popular culture, when properly considered, has the ability to offer deep insights into the fundamental problems of the American experience. Issues of race, class, and gender are at the heart of much of this new work.

This course will take advantage of a substantial portion of those works as we explore the history of American popular culture from about the middle of the 19th century to the present. While issues of representation are central to the study of popular culture, this course will do more than consider texts. We will be especially concerned with the problems of production, distribution, and reception. Our effort will be to understand how these genres emerged, why they did so at particular junctures in American history, and why they took the forms they did. As such, the historical context of the popular culture form will be as important as the form itself.

II. Goals:

This course will provide an overview of:

• the history of the production, distribution, and reception of American popular culture
• the connection between American social history and American popular culture

In addition, this course will also help train students to:

• think critically
• write clear, concise analytical statements and papers

III. Objectives:

As a result of this course, students will be able to:

• Describe the major developments in the history of American popular culture
• Explain the connection between the emergence of these popular culture forms and their historical context.
  
  

IV. What is expected of you?

• You are expected to know this syllabus and understand what it says. If you have questions, ask me.
• You must attend regularly and be on time for class. It matters. Please notice that class participation represents 10% of your grade. You can't participate if you are not here. If for some reason you have trouble speaking up in class, please contact me immediately so that we can work out another way for you to contribute and earn your class participation grade. Why give away 10% of your mark? Contribute! Class is more fun that way, anyway.
• You are expected to take notes in class. These will be of assistance as you prepare for your exams. Understand that what I say in class is what I consider important.
• Take notes on your readings. Purchase a spiral-bound or composition notebook for this course, and use it for these notes. When reading the primary sources on the internet or in Blackboard, summarize what you are reading in your own words. These notes will be useful when studying for the midterm and final.
• Bring the documents (the internet readings and/or printouts from Blackboard) to each class. We will work with those items in each session.
• You must do the assigned readings before the class meeting. Remember to pace yourselves.
• Unless a physical ailment precludes you from doing so, I ask that you maintain your seat throughout a class session. Civility and etiquette suggest that you respect both your instructor and fellow classmates sufficiently to retain your seat during the class.
• Attendance will be taken at the end of the class period.
• No cell phones or other electronic devices are permitted in class. So, turn off the phones and put away the Ipods. If I see them I will ask you to place them on my desk at the front of the room until the class meeting has ended. If I see anyone using such a device during quizzes and/or tests you will received a “0” for the assignment.
• Oh, yes, and don’t try to take a nap in my class. I WILL wake you up, and it will affect your class participation grade,

V. How the Class Works:

Each class will begin with an informal lecture on the topic to be covered. I teach a highly interactive class, and therefore expect students to come prepared to talk and share their ideas about the material. I will call on you in class and expect you to contribute.

NB: I reserve the right to alter the reading assignments as required.

VI. Evaluation mechanisms and rules:

1. You will be graded on the following:

• class participation, including in-class writing assignments: 10%
• 4 3-5 page document analysis papers: 40%
• Mid-term: 20%
• Final: 30%

Some Options:

a) You may rewrite each of the four short papers, provided that I have all rewrites by the date of the final exam. The exams cannot be retaken.

b) The midterm exam is mandatory. But in stead of writing the 4^th paper and taking the final exam, you may write a 15+ page paper that looks closely at 3 or more primary source documents (such as films, short stories or novels). This option will be worth 40% of your grade. You MUST discuss this option with me by mid-term, so I can help you shape the paper and keep you heading in the right direction.

Please note: No student that does not contribute in class, complete all the papers and take the final will be given a passing grade.

2. The grading scale is: A+ = 97% and above; A = 96-94%, A- = 93-90%; B+ = 89-87%, B = 86-84%, B- = 83-80%; C+ = 79-77%, C = 76-74%, C- = 73-70%; D+ = 69-67%, D-67-64%, D- = 63-60%; F = below 60.

3. Exams can be made up only in the case of a documented (i.e. a doctor's note or other official certification of your absence) emergency.

4. Late papers will be accepted, with academic penalty of 1/3 of a letter grade per class session late. Late penalties continue to accrue if the paper is turned in after the last day of class.

5. I will not grant incompletes. Material that is not submitted by the final exam date is entered as a “0” in my grade book, and your grade calculated accordingly.

6. Students are expected to attend all class meetings as scheduled. Failure to attend class will have a negative impact on your class participation grade. 4 or more unexcused absences will result in a failing grade.

VII. Honesty:

This class will strictly adhere to the Academic Integrity policies described in the Brooklyn College Bulletin. (http://www.brooklyn.cuny.edu/bc/policies/pdf/CUNY%20PolicyAcademicIntegrity.pdf)

All work you turn in for this class must be your own. Any deviation from this standard will result in a "0" for the assignment. Note this well: There are College disciplinary procedures that I must follow if I identify material that is inappropriately “borrowed” from another source.

Plagiarism. According to the MLA style guide, plagiarism "is to give the impression you have written or thought something that you have in fact borrowed from someone else." [Joseph Gibaldi and Walter Achtert, MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 3rd edition (New York: Modern Language Association of American, 1988), p. 21.] If you borrow an idea, a sentence, or more from a source, you must let the reader know what that source is. It's only fair to the original author.

If you do not know what plagiarism is, ask me, consult a work such as the MLA guide, or check out web sites like this one: http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/wts/plagiarism.html

VIII. How I Test:

1. Exam questions will be of three types.

A. Short answer. These questions will not require the development of a thesis, but do demand a substantial grasp of both fact and interpretation and be based on the primary documents and lectures.

B. Book questions. I have assigned 4 serious history books for this class, and I will test to be sure you have read all of them.

C. Essays. Essay questions will be "big" questions that cover a lot of ground and give you a chance to show the depth and breadth of your understanding. A coherent thesis statement supported by appropriate factual information is essential in writing good exam essays, as it is in any type of essay.

IX. Papers:

How I Grade Papers: Papers will be evaluated for both content (evidence and argument) and style of presentation. Well-written papers are important.

• A: Excellent work. An A essay adopts a fresh or original approach to the subject under discussion. It contains a strong thesis statement, a logical argument, and factual information that support its conclusions. It is clearly written, and contains no grammatical or technical errors. It uses source materials appropriately and well.
• B: Good work. A B essay has a thesis and a logical structure, though it may contain factual or interpretive errors or weaknesses. It is not an original approach to the problem, but rather is a competent discussion. It may contain a few, but not many, technical errors. Its use of source material is not as skillful as it could be.
• C: Average work. A C essay has a thesis, but one that is weaker than others. Its structure is flawed. It contains weak logic, and/or errors of fact or interpretation. Spelling and technical errors occur frequently. Source materials are not well utilized.
• D: Poor Work. A D essay is one that does not contain a clear thesis, and has serious structural or logic problems. Spelling and other technical errors are plentiful. It may in fact not complete the assignment. However, it does demonstrate a certain, if rather low, degree of effort.
• F: Failing Work. An F essay demonstrates an inadequate grasp of the material or the assignment. Spelling and other technical errors make this difficult to read.

You will submit all written work for this course using the Blackboard system’s “Digital Drop Box.” No hard copy and no emails please. This protects both you and me. You, because you can prove to me that you submitted the paper, and me because I’m always sure of having it.

All papers are due by midnight of the due date indicated in the course calendar. The drop box puts a time stamp on your document, so there is no fudging about whether or not you are late.

Because I permit rewrites, I don’t comment on drafts. That seems fair to me.

Essay Format:

• Because you will be emailing your papers to me, essays must be typewritten, in a 12pt. font, and have one-inch margins. Fix the defaults on your word processor. I know it sounds nuts, but I WILL deduct points for improperly formatted papers. You MUST follow instructions. (Anyway, it is easy.)
• Text on the 1st page must begin at the upper margin of the paper.
• Papers must bear a standard title page.
• Other than the title page, each page must be numbered.
• Footnotes and a bibliography are required, if you use books and/or resources I have not assigned. Check Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses and Dissertations (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996) or a similar guide for information on correct citation styles.
• Spelling counts. Use spell-check on your computer, or get someone to proofread for you.

Papers lacking these elements will be marked down.

Document Analysis Papers

Various due dates. See below.

You will write 4 brief (3-5 pages) document analysis papers for this class, based on specific guidelines I will hand out to you.

X. What you will need:

• Stewart Ewen: Captains of Consciousness
• John Kasson: Amusing the Million
• Neil Harris, Humbug: The Art of P.T. Barnum
• Marcus Reeves, Somebody Scream!: Rap Music's Rise to Prominence in the Aftershock of Black Power
• Optional Book: Horatio Alger, Ragged Dick and Mark the Match Boy. (We will be reading Ragged Dick, and there is a free edition available on-line at (http://etext.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/AlgRagg.html)
• Internet access and access to Blackboard. If you don’t have a Blackboard account, get a friend to help you set one up.

All books have been ordered at Shakespeare’s on Hillel Place, but in almost all cases you can find cheaper editions at www.half.com.

XI. Me:

Office location: 514 Whitehead

Office hours: MW 12:15-1:45pm and by appointment.

Email: pnapoli@brooklyn.cuny.edu
NB: I'm on a very limited Schedule this fall, as I try to finish my manuscript.

XII. The golden rules of email correspondence

1)   Email is a FORMAL means of communication (at least when you correspond with your professors, employers, etc.). Avoid abbreviations, slang and cuteness. Let's treat each other with respect. Use capital letters, punctuation, greetings and salutations as in a professional message.

2)    ALWAYS write your name in the SUBJECT line.  It's impossible for me to remember the handles of dozens of students. I am afraid I cannot commit the last few free neurons left in my brain to remembering the identity hidden behind flatbush_prince_of_darkness@aol.com .

3)   The use of magic words (please, thank you) and politeness in general is strongly encouraged.

4)   Sign every message at the bottom. Why? Because if it is a long message, this avoids me having to scroll up to see who sent it.

5)   Exchange phone numbers or email addresses with your classmates. Please do not write to let me know that you were not in class (I already know); to ask that I summarize what we did or will do in class; or what the next assignment is. There is only one of me and there are lots of you. Email a classmate for that.

Fall 2008 American Popular Culture
Course Calendar
Course Calendar		Readings
Part I: Building an Entertainment Industry
Book: Neil Harris, Humbug: The Art of P.T. Barnum
Wed. Aug. 27	Course Introduction
Mon. Sept. 1	College Closed
Wed. Sept. 3	American Popular Culture before 1830	Internet Reading: Charlotte Temple, http://encyclopediaindex.com/b/chtem10.htm
Mon. Sept. 8	Minstrelsy	Blackboard, from: Inside the Minstrel Mask, Black Musicians and Early Ethiophian Minstrelsy, 113-134
Wed. Sept. 10	Popular Literature I: The West in the American Imagination	Internet Reading: Bret Harte, “The Luck of Roaring Camp,” http://www.bartleby.com/310/4/1.html; Stephen Crane, "Blue Hotel," http://infomotions.com/etexts/literature/american/1800-1899/crane-blue-375.htm
Mon. Sept. 13	Popular Literature II:	Internet Reading: Horatio Alger, Ragged Dick, or Street Life in New York, http://etext.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/AlgRagg.html
Wed. Sept 17	Barnum	Blackboard: Barnum on Barnum
Part II: Into the 20th Century
Mon. Sept. 22	Drinking and Nightlife: The Rise of the Saloon	Blackboard: "Among the Coal Miners" by Margaret Blake Robinson; “The Experience and Observations of a New York Saloon-Keeper, As told by Himself,” Royal L. Melendy, “The Saloon in Chicago,”
Wed. Sept. 24	Drinking and Nightlife	Blackboard: "Tango Pirates, 1915"; NYT, April 14, 1929, "Speakeasy Census Shows Brisk Trade" ; Lusk, "The Drinking Habit," 1932;
Mon. Sept. 29	No Classes
Wed. Oct. 1	No Classes
Book: John Kasson: Amusing the Million
Mon. Oct. 6	The Rise of Mass Culture: Working, Consuming, Communicating, Playing	Internet Listening: Uncle Josh buys an automobile, Cal Stewart http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/papr:@filreq(@field(NUMBER+@band(edrs+50263l))+@field(COLLID+edison))
Wed. Oct. 8	No Classes
Mon. Oct. 13	College Closed
Conversion Day – classes follow a Monday Schedule: Tues. Oct. 14	Amusement Parks	Blackboard: "A Day at Coney Island," Harpers Weekly, September 14, 1889; "To Coney Island," Scribners 1880; Forrester B. Washington, "Recreational Facilities for the Negro," Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Vol. 140, The American Negro (Nov., 1928), pp. 272-282.
Mon. Oct. 15	Vaudeville	Blackboard: Stein, Charles W., ed. American Vaudeville as Seen by its Contemporaries. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1984; Intenet Listening: The Arkansas Traveler (Descriptive Scene), performed by Steve Porter and Ernest Hare Edison 51010-R, recorded 1922 http://lcweb2.loc.gov/mbrs/varsrs/e51010.wav
Wed. Oct. 20	MIDTERM
Book: Stewart Ewen: Captains of Consciousness
Mon. Oct. 22	Early 20th Century Film I	Blackboard: Early Movies 1900-1915
Wed. Oct. 27	Early 20th Century Film II	Internet Reading: Report on Motion Picture Theatres of Greater New York http://www.cinemaweb.com/silentfilm/bookshelf/17_fi_3.htm; Louis Reeves Harrison, "David W. Griffith: The Art Director and His Work," The Moving Picture World, November 22, 1913, page 847-848. http://www.cinemaweb.com/silentfilm/bookshelf/12_mpw02.htm; Peter Milne, "Motion Picture Directing," (1922, New York: Falk Publishing Co., Inc.), pages 70-89. http://www.cinemaweb.com/silentfilm/bookshelf/12_dwg06.htm; Eric T. Clarke, "An Exhibitor's Problems in 1925," Transactions of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers, January 1926, pages 46-61. Paper given at conference held October 5-8, 1925, Roscoe, New York. http://www.cinemaweb.com/silentfilm/bookshelf/3_25_5.htm
Wed.. Oct. 29	Early 20th Century Radio I	Internet Reading: "Music over the Wires," The New York Times, October 9, 1890, page 3: http://earlyradiohistory.us/1890wire.htm; "The Pleasure Telephone," The Strand Magazine, September, 1898, pages 339-345: http://earlyradiohistory.us/1898pls.htm; Voice-Broadcasting the Stirring Progress of the "Battle of the Century," The Wireless Age, August, 1921, page 11-21: http://earlyradiohistory.us/century2.htm; "Radio as a Revolutionist," The Nation, March 29, 1922, pages 361-362: http://earlyradiohistory.us/1922revo.htm
Mon. Nov. 3	Early 20th Century Radio II	Internet listening: Select one of these Jack Benny Radio Programs and listen to the entire thing http://www.archive.org/details/NakedGordPresentsTheJackBennyProgram; Blackboard: Amos n Andy 1928 7/17 radio program (aprox 6 mins.); Internet Reading: Announcing NBC various publications, Sept. 1926, http://earlyradiohistory.us/1926nbc.htm; "How Much It Costs to Broadcast," Radio Broadcast, September, 1926, Page 367-371: http://earlyradiohistory.us/howmuch.htm; Fireside Chat #1 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt On the Bank Crisis March 12, 1933 http://history.sandiego.edu/GEN/20th/fc/01.html
Wed. Nov. 5	Advertising	Stewart Ewen: Captains of Consciousness
Mon. Nov. 10	Blues and Jazz I	Blackboard: LeRoi Jones on the Blues; T-Bone Walker and the Blues;
Wed. Nov. 12	Blues and Jazz II:	Blackboard: Lawrence Levine, "Jazz and American Culture"; Cecil Austin, "Jaz," Music and Letters, 1925; L. D. Reddick, "Dizzy in Atlanta," Phylon (1940-1956), Vol. 10, No. 1 (1st Qtr., 1949), pp. 44-49 ;
Part III: To the Close of the 20th Century
Book: Marcus Reeves, Somebody Scream!: Rap Music's Rise to Prominence in the Aftershock of Black Power
Wed. Nov. 17	Television I	TBA
Mon. Nov. 19	Television II	TBA
Wed. Nov. 24	Early Rock and Roll	Blackboard: Berry, Richard, Elvis and the reaction to Rock; Ray Charles; Rhythm and Blues 19; rock and roll 1956 presley; Rock is Immoral; Variety on R & B fears
Mon. Nov. 26	1960s Folk and Rock	Blackboard: Dylan and Folk Rock; Beatles, Frank Zappa and the Nation; Vance Packard and the Beatles; Motown to James Brown
Wed. Dec. 1	Disco and Punk and After	Blackboard: Disco Punk and New Wave
Mon. Dec. 3	MTV:	Blackboard: "Rock Video All Day and All Night, NYT, 1984; "Rocking Demographics Roll MTV Into Solvency," Ad Week, 1984; "MTV's Message," Newsweek, 1985; "MTVs 10th Anniversary," The Washington Times 1991
Mon. Dec. 8	Hip Hop/Rap I:	Blackboard: "Rap Rates with Adutlts," Billboard, 1991; Rap and Race, Newsweek, 1992; Internet Reading: "Hip-Hop at the Smithsonian," 2006 http://americanhistory.si.edu/news/pressrelease.cfm?key=29&newskey=318; "RECOGNIZE! Hip Hop and Contemporary Portraiture" National Portrait Gallery, February 8 through October 26, 2008, http://www.npg.si.edu/exhibit/recognize
Wed. Dec. 10	Hip Hop/Rap: II:	open
Mon. Dec. 15	open	open
Wed. Dec. 17	Final Exams Begin