AJ17065 Vietnam War in American History and Culture

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2016
Extent and Intensity
0/2/0. 2 credit(s) (plus 2 credits for an exam). Recommended Type of Completion: zk (examination). Other types of completion: z (credit).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Dušan Kolcún, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
Jeffrey Alan Vanderziel, B.A.
Department of English and American Studies – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Tomáš Hanzálek
Supplier department: Department of English and American Studies – Faculty of Arts
Timetable
Wed 14:10–15:45 L32
Prerequisites (in Czech)
AJ01002 Practical English II && AJ04003 Intro. to Literary Studies II
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
The capacity limit for the course is 20 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/20, only registered: 0/20, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/20
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 7 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
The course is an overview of the Vietnam War. The first part provides a historical background, focusing on the political, military, and social aspects, including the anti-war movement, the nature of combat, and the legacy of the war. In addition to the “American view,” the course also looks at the war from the Vietnamese, French, Chinese, and Soviet perspectives. The second part of the course examines the major cultural manifestations of the Vietnam War in American culture, focusing on literature, film, and popular culture. The course materials include historical documents, scholarly articles (ranging from history to film studies and literary criticism), and various audiovisual sources. By the end of the course, the students should be able to explain the basic historical aspects of the Vietnam War and its manifestations in American culture, being able to approach the subject critically.
Syllabus
  • 1. Introduction:course policies; narrating history, bias, facts, and interpretation; Vietnam War as history, Vietnam War and the 1960s in America
  • 2. Chronology: cold war and decolonization; First Indochina War (1946-1954), Vietnam War (1955-1975); South-East Asia after 1975
  • 3. Combat: guerrilla warfare; nature of combat; sides and factions; goals, strategy, and tactics
  • 4. Vietnamese War: perspectives and contexts; Vietnamese civilians and soldiers during the war
  • 5. Anti-War: roots of the antiwar movement; main organizations and forms of protest; the silent majority and the war
  • 6. Legacy: impact in Vietnam and in the US; impact in other countries; controversies and parallels (Afghanistan, Iraq)
  • 7. Film I: Hollywood and the Vietnam War; specificity of films and general trends; the combat film; case study: Platoon (Oliver Stone, 1986)
  • 8. Film II:parodies and symbolic films; case study: Full Metal Jacket (Stanley Kubrick, 1986)
  • 9. Literature I: general trends; non-fiction narratives; case study: Philip Caputo: A Rumor of War (1977)
  • 10. Literature II: fictional narratives; case study: Tim O'Brien: The Things They Carried (1990)
  • 11. Miscellaneous: pop-culture, songs, poetry, drama, TV series, video games; remembering the war
Literature
  • Anderson, David L. (ed.). The Columbia History of the Vietnam War. New York: Columbia UP, 2011.
  • Appy, Christian G. Working-Class War: American Combat Soldiers and Vietnam. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1993.
  • Auster, Albert and Leonard Quart. How the War Was Remembered: Hollywood and Vietnam. New York: Praeger, 1988.
  • Clark, Gregory R. Words of the Vietnam War. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 1990.
  • Dittmar, Linda and Gene Michaud (edd.). From Hanoi to Hollywood: The Vietnam War in American Film. New Brunswick: Rutgers UP, 1990.
  • Hayslip, Le Ly. When Heaven and Earth Changed Places. New York: Plume Books, 1990.
  • Kovic, Ron. Born on the Fourth of July. New York: Pocket Books, 1977.
  • McMahon, Robert J. (ed.). Major Problems in the History of the Vietnam War. Lexington, Mass.: D.C. Heath and Company, 1995.
  • O’Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried. New York: Broadway Books, 1998.
Teaching methods
The course is a 90-minute seminar. It includes lecture segments, audio-visual presentations, analysis of primary materials, and group discussions.
Assessment methods
For partial credit: computer-based test taken during the exam period, required score 60/100.
For full credit: 1) computer-based test taken during the exam period, required score 60/100; 2) essay: open topic, MLA format, c. 2000-2500 words, submitted during the exam period; both requirements must be met, each constitutes 50% of the final grade
Other requirements: attendance (2 absences allowed), active in-class participation
Language of instruction
English
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2013, Spring 2014.
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