2020 Fall

HISTORY 139A 001 - LEC 001

Topics in United States History: American Labor History

The Working Class in the United States

Karen L Sawislak

Aug 26, 2020 - Dec 11, 2020

Mo, We, Fr

01:00 pm - 01:59 pm

Internet/Online

Class #:34026

Units: 4

Instruction Mode: Remote Instruction
Asynchronous Instruction
Time Conflict Enrollment Allowed

Offered through History

Current Enrollment

Total Open Seats: 0

Enrolled:

Waitlisted:

Capacity:

Waitlist Max:

No Reserved Seats

Hours & Workload

9 to 8 hours of outside work hours per week, 0 to 1 hours of the exchange of opinions or questions on course material per week, and 3 hours of instructor presentation of course materials per week.

This course explores the history of labor and working people in the United States from the 1830s to the 1980s, examining workers' experiences and expectations within the context of major events and trends in American history (wars, depressions, migrations, reform movements, state action, and political economy) and against the backdrop of changing habits of everyday life (mass consumption, commercial leisure, religious practices, and popular culture). Special emphasis will be placed on the varying experiences and perspectives of African Americans, European Americans, and Asian Americans during this period.

Class Description

This course surveys United States labor and working-class history from the early nineteenth century to the present. Themes and topics include the changing characteristics of work itself; the formation and definition of an American "working class"; the economic impact and social experience of mass immigration and migration; unionism, socialism, anarchism and other forms of working-class organization; and working peoples' evolving relations with their employers and with the state. In addition, this class explores the impact of gender, race, and ethnicity upon the structure of the workplace, working-class communities, families, and cultures, and the larger economy. In addition to required textbooks, course materials will include some articles and brief primary source readings that will be made available via bCourses. In addition, 8-10 films are incorporated into the syllabus. There will also be guest speakers and panel discussions. Methods of assessment will include short responses to the readings and two take-home, open-book examinations (mid-term and final). Depending on course enrollment, there may be group assignments. Instructor bio: Karen Sawislak is a historian and attorney, and has worked for more than 15 years as a staff person for labor unions in the Bay Area. She taught U.S. Labor and Working Class History at Yale and Stanford, and has previously offered History 139A in the UC Berkeley Summer Program. She earned her Ph.D. at Yale and her J.D. at UC Berkeley.

Class Notes

Lectures will be given at class time (1 pm M/W/F) for those who prefer a synchronous schedule, and also will be recorded and available for asynchronous viewing. There will be some opportunities for participation and discussion of readings, films, and other assignments during the class sessions on Fr.. show more