Text Only

The Vietnam War in American History and Culture

LMOD25A (89CK)

Martinmas Term 2004

This course will develop students’ knowledge about the social and cultural significance of the history of America’s involvement in Vietnam, going beyond dates and events to focus on the ways in which the Vietnam War has been reported, replayed and reinvented in American history, fiction and film. The opening weeks will be used to provide historical context, after which lectures and seminars will allow students to explore the ways in which Americans have dealt with their nation’s involvement in Vietnam. Perhaps more than any other modern war, Vietnam forced Americans to examine themselves, their values and their ideals, and this course will examine this historical process to illuminate aspects of American society and culture between 1960 and the present.