Course Overview
As interest in the history of working people has grown over the last 30 years, the definitions of "labor history," "work," and the "laboring classes" have expanded considerably. Consequently, this course will examine the history of working people - men and women, paid and unpaid, of various racial and ethnic groups, in diverse geographic regions - primarily from the Early Republic to the present. Although the title "American Labor History" might lead one to believe that this course will focus on a narrowly defined sub-field of a much larger subject, the themes that arise from the broader definition of labor history will allow us to cast a wider net. As we examine issues of race and gender, culture and community, politics and the state, we will be taking an alternative (not narrow) view of the sweep of modern American history.
The course begins with a brief study of work life in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth centuries, and will then explore the ways in which the nature of work changed as a result of the market revolution and the rise of industrialization. Particular attention will be paid to the labor movement and its struggle for better wages, hours, working conditions, and benefits from its earliest manifestations in the Nineteenth century through its peak and subsequent backslide in the decades following World War II. We will pause at various times to explore issues of workplace culture, the relationship of the state to labor, and the diversity of work and workers.
Required Readings
The following books are available for purchase at the Durham Book Exchange and one copy of each will be held on reserve in the Dimond Library:
Eric Arnesen, et al, eds., Labor Histories: Class, Politics, and the Working-Class Experience
Kevin Boyle, The UAW and the Heyday of American Liberalism
Elizabeth Jameson, All That Glitters: Class, Conflict, and Community in Cripple Creek
Jacqueline Jones, A Social History of the Laboring Classes
Lucy Larcom, A New England Girlhood
Grace Lumpkin, To Make My Bread
Assorted handouts (forthcoming)
This course is reading intensive and its success will depend largely on the active participation of everyone in the class. Most class meetings will involve some discussion. Please do the reading before you come to class each week. Sometimes, the discussion will center on a film or music, but in most cases, we will discuss the readings for the week. Therefore, it is very important that each of us take the responsibility for being prepared and for sustaining the discourse. This means that you must complete and think about the readings before you come to class. Please remember to bring the book(s) that we are discussing with you.
Assignments and Grades
Your final grade in this course will be calculated as follows:
|
First paper:
|
|
20%
|
|
Mid-semester exam:
|
|
20%
|
| Oral history paper:
|
|
20%
|
| Final exam:
|
|
20%
|
| Class participation:
|
|
20%
|
Exams
You will take two examinations covering material from lectures, readings, films, and discussions. The final exam will not be cumulative but will cover material presented since the mid-semester exam.
Papers
You will be asked to write two papers. The first assignment is to read a monograph from a labor history bibliography that I will provide, and to write a critical essay (8-10 pages, typed, double-spaced) on it. Each student will negotiate the deadline for this paper with me individually as it should be due at roughly the same time we cover the subject in class.
The second paper (10-15 pages, typed, double-spaced) will be based on an oral history interview that you will conduct with a family member or friend regarding their experience as part of the laboring classes. In most cases, the person you interview will be someone whose life of work occurred primarily before 1960. It may be a former industrial or agricultural worker, or perhaps a former homemaker. It may be a union activist or someone who never joined a union. One of the main objectives here is to talk with someone whose experience is increasingly alien to us as the American economy becomes increasingly service-based and high-tech. These papers will not be mere transcriptions of your interview; rather, you will be expected to place the experience of your interview subject in context with current generalizations and interpretations in the vast field of labor history. A more detailed description of the assignment - with interview tips - is forthcoming.
Participation
Please note that one-fifth of your grade is based on your attendance and participation. I do keep track of attendance and of who takes part in discussions. Please keep up with the reading and come to class prepared to discuss it or with questions in mind. If you miss a class, it is your responsibility to find out if any assignments or announcements were made.
Help and Assistance
I will do everything possible to be accessible. My office hours are listed at the top of this syllabus and I am available by appointment as well. Please contact me at home (before 9:00 p.m.) If you have any questions about any aspect of this course. If I am not there, leave a message on the machine, and I will respond as soon as possible. In addition, I try to check my e-mail every day: msfoley@hopper.unh.edu.
If you think you could use some assistance with your writing, check out the University Writing Center at Hamilton Smith Hall (862-3272). There you will find trained writing consultants who can help with all aspects of writing for a history course (though they are not an editing or proofreading service). The Center is an excellent resource; please take advantage of it.
