HIST 125: The Social History of Popular Music in 20th Century America
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| Course Concept | Course Goals | Required Texts and Readings |
| Optional Links and Readings | Course Requirements | Honor Code |
| Course Mechanics | Course Schedule | Contacting Your Instructor |
Course Concept
This course has been designed around the simple belief that American popular music must be understood in a historical context. In other words, the study of musical practices over time and space illuminates fundamental issues in culture and society. Perhaps, most basically, popular music and American civic identity function similarly: American popular music paradoxically and simultaneously unifies and divides the American public, much as Americans are simultaneously unified and divided by their American-ness. Americans understand music and define what it means to be members of American society from their own gendered, racial, economic, and regional perspectives.
Course Goals
Overall, the four main goals of the course are to:
- Learn history: We will acquire knowledge of the basic facts and trends of certain strands of American popular music (such as, how the movement of jazz to northern cities coincided with the post-World War I Great Migration) and, by doing so, will be able to identify the significant questions about popular music in the period: How have musical genres influenced each other? How have race, class, gender, and place interacted with popular music? How did the maturation of a consumer culture affect popular music? To what extent did technology affect the production and consumption of mass culture in general and popular music in particular? Is it possible to think of popular music as evolving in a cyclical manner—in periods of innovation and fragmentation followed by periods of mainstreaming and consolidation?
- Think Historically: By learning to ask how and why, as well as who, what, where, and when, we will gain an understanding of historical change (for example: How did racial segregation around the turn of the twentieth century affect the development of jazz? How did changing race relations in the 1940s or 1970s again affect jazz?).
- Retrieve/recover history: Through exposure to a wide variety of historical sources and practices, we will learn how historians go about “recovering” (interpreting) the past. We will analyze a variety of secondary sources (writings by scholars, including the textbook) and primary sources (fanzines, cartoons, advertisements, music criticisms, lyrics, musical compositions, and so on), learn to assess their reliability, and produce our own interpretation of them.
- Do history: After learning some of the historian’s tools, we will employ these tools in producing history ourselves by conducting primary and secondary research, and then producing interpretive arguments based on historical evidence.
Required Texts and Readings
The texts can be obtained from Friday Center Books & Gifts at the Friday Center either by ordering online or by printing and mailing the book order form.
Required Texts
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American Popular Music from Minstrelsy to MP3, by Larry Starr and Christopher Waterman, Oxford University Press, USA, 2nd edition (2007) (ISBN# 019530053X)
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Stomp and Swerve: American Music Gets Hot, 1843–1924, by David Wondrich, Chicago Review Press (2003) (ISBN# 155652496X)
- Creating Country Music: Fabricating Authenticity, by Richard A. Peterson, University of Chicago Press (1999) (ISBN# 0226662853)
- All Shook Up: How Rock ’n’ Roll Changed America, by Glenn C. Altschuler, Oxford University Press (2004) (ISBN# 0195177495)
Additional Required Readings
Throughout the course, you will also have additional required readings that are available from the UNC Undergraduate Library’s Electronic Reserves.
Optional Links and Readings
With each lesson, you will find lists of optional readings and links. Additionally, throughout the lesson notes, certain names and terms will have hyperlinks that you may click on for further information, if you choose. Like the optional links and readings, these hyperlinks are not required reading. They are there to satisfy your curiosity or clarify points if you need further explanation. The only required reading and listening will be found under the “Reading Assignment” and “Listening Assignment” sections for each lesson.
Course Requirements
Grading
Your final grade will be determined as follows:
- listening journal: 17.5 percent
- midterm exam: 20 percent
- response papers: 17.5 percent
- discussion forum participation: 20 percent
- final exam: 25 percent
Your listening journal will be one of the most important tools for learning in this course. With each lesson, I will assign songs that will be available either on Blackboard under “Listening Assignments,” on your American Popular Music CD, or via direct links to Web pages that contain the audio files. Listen to the songs critically and then write your thoughts in your listening journal. Ask yourself questions such as: How do the songs fit in with the lesson? Why did my instructor choose these particular examples? Usually I will provide you with questions to prompt critical listening, but over time, you should be able to formulate your own questions. The first lesson will provide you with some basic tools to use as you analyze songs as historical texts. Use and expand upon these tools as the course progresses. I encourage you to incorporate music into your journal from your own collections or ones that you find elsewhere. For example, when we discuss country music of the 1920s and 1950s, you might look for country music (or its influences) in music you already listen to or music that is popular today. Your observations in your journal needn’t always be formal or cohesive. You may use free-writing to get yourself started: Does the music prompt particular memories? Does it make you think of particular activities?
I will ask to see your listening journal three times during the course (after Lesson 3, after Lesson 8, and on the last day of class). The first time you turn in your journal, I will look at it briefly and give you informal feedback on your progress. This is intended to give you an idea of what I expect and an opportunity to improve. The second two times you turn in your journal will be for a formal grade. Please submit your journal to me as a Word document via Blackboard's “Assignments” section.
In order to enjoy problem-free listening to this course's listening assignments, make sure that you have Real Player installed on your computer. Windows Media Player may or may not play the files. If it does not, you can download Real Player for free here. If you encounter any difficulties, please e-mail me information on the files that cause problems, the browser that you are using, and the version of the player that you are using.
Discussion Forum Participation
The discussion forum is on the Blackboard site. See Course Mechanics for information on accessing Blackboard.
Why discussion? Studies show that learning is more comprehensive and lasting when done in an interactive setting. In our case, this setting is the discussion forum. The discussion forum will be the place where your thoughts regarding the material will be of use to your classmates—where other students may answer your questions and then debate the answers. This course depends on your participation. As individuals, you will draw different lessons from the readings, from my lesson notes, and from your discussion forums. You will invent interesting and memorable ways to think through and remember what we are learning. The entire class will benefit from your thoughts.
At two interim points during the semester (after Lessons 4 and 9), I will give you an approximate assessment of your discussion forum participation. These assessments will not be formally factored into your grade; rather they are intended to let you know how you are doing and give you an opportunity to improve. Your discussion grade will be based on the following criteria:
- You must participate three times each lesson on at least three separate days to receive a grade for that week. At least one of those times, you must start your own substantial thread (a thread is a question or comment that begins a new line of discussion that is unrelated to previously posted messages). Your postings must indicate that you have engaged with the content and with your classmates. This will ensure that the discussion forum remains interactive and that it is not inundated with contributions at the last minute. You may post on the forum until midnight on the last date given for the lesson.
- You cannot make up for absences on the discussion forum by posting after the lesson has ended.
- In your postings, use specific quotations and illustrations from the readings (show that you've done the reading). Give page number citations so the rest of the class can find where you got your ideas and quotations.
Definition of participation: Participation will be judged on quality as much as quantity. Participating in the discussion forum means that you are engaging thoughtfully and courteously every week. It is acceptable to disagree with your classmates and me, but do so respectfully.
Definition of engagement: To engage means you must offer your own comments and insights and respond thoughtfully to others as well. To engage does not mean that you just agree with someone without putting any thought into it. It means to respond in a meaningful way—to make what you say valuable to the class. The discussion forum doesn't quite replace the easy give-and-take of the classroom setting, but it can get close to it.
I encourage you to post more than the minimum three postings. One of the benefits of the discussions is that you can begin posting before you finish reading, as questions or comments occur to you. Not all your postings must be somber and thoughtful. Sometimes, you might just ask a question and explain why you think it is important or note something that stood out to you, and try to articulate why it stood out to you and why. Assume we will benefit from your reactions to the course material.
It's your discussion forum: The discussion forum is your forum, your space to air your thoughts and ideas. I will respond to questions and comments on your discussion forum once or twice during each lesson. I will offer a summary of the discussion and its most important points at the end of the lesson.
Discussion forum starter questions: Each lesson contains discussion forum starter questions. These are for you to use to get your ideas flowing or simply to get the conversation rolling. Usually you will not be required to use these questions.
You will write two formal essays in this course that will count as your midterm and final exams. See the Course Schedule for dates. Use only the materials assigned in this course in crafting your papers (in other words, no outside sources are required). If your response papers or contributions to the discussion forum will help support your argument, then by all means integrate this work into your papers and cite it. Be certain to cite all your sources (and the page numbers) for quotes, information, and ideas.
I strongly encourage you to visit the UNC Writing Center’s Web site for excellent advice on all aspects of preparing, writing, and polishing your papers. In particular, you may want to take advantage of their “handouts” on argument, thesis statements, introductions, and paragraph development. They also offer a great handout that specifically addresses writing history.
Length and citation requirements: I assign length requirements by the number of words (1,500) because of the multiple ways of formatting a paper that are now available to anyone with a word processor. The easiest way to check the number of words in your paper in Microsoft Word is to click “Tools” and then “Word Count.” Do not count references in your word count. The midterm exam will be an essay of 1,500 words. The final exam will consist of two essays of 1,000 words each.
How to turn in your exam papers: Put your name and the word count at the top of your paper, and save it as a Word document. If you do not have Word, save your paper as a Rich Text Format (.rtf) file. Submit your paper in the “Assignments” section in Blackboard. Make sure to hit “Send File,” not just “Add File” so that Blackboard makes it available to me. “Adding” the file just saves it to your page and you will be the only one who can access it. (See Course Mechanics for information on accessing Blackboard.)
When you submit your work to me, always keep a personal copy. Please entitle your file as follows: [your name] [the assignment, such as “quiz”]. I will use the “Track Changes” feature of Word to comment on your work and return it to you as an attachment.
Late exam paper policy: Exam papers are due by midnight on the date noted on the Course Schedule. You will lose up to a full letter grade for every 24-hour period for which your exam paper is late. I will accept exam papers submitted earlier than the due date.
Most weeks you will be required to write a one-page response paper in which you respond to the reading and my lesson notes. The grades on these response papers will be averaged to create a grade that will count as 17.5 percent of your final grade. I expect these response papers to be thoughtful and thought-provoking, but they do not need to be as polished and formal as your midterm and final exam papers. You will turn in your response papers via the “Assignments” section of Blackboard.
Honor Code
Remember that as a student of UNC-Chapel Hill, you are bound by the University's Honor Code, which states that “It shall be the responsibility of every student at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to obey and support the enforcement of the Honor Code, which prohibits lying, cheating, or stealing when these actions involve academic processes or University students or academic personnel acting in an official capacity.” An especially serious Honor Code violation is plagiarism. If you are uncertain about what is considered plagiarism, please read the Writing Center's handout on plagiarism or talk to your course instructor.
Course Mechanics
Blackboard
Some of your class components (discussion forums, exams, and the class listserv) are accessed through a software package called Blackboard, and you will need to log into Blackboard using a unique identifier known as your UNC Onyen (Only Name You'll Ever Need) and Onyen password.
If you do not already have a UNC Onyen, go to the Onyen Web site and follow the instructions for creating an Onyen. If you have an Onyen but have forgotten it (or the password), you will find help on the Onyen Web site.
Use your Onyen to log in to Blackboard, then click on the “HIST 125 CCO” link. You will see navigation buttons on the left taking you to the Discussion Forums.
If you experience problems accessing Blackboard, this is what you should do:
- If you do not already have a UNC Onyen, go to the Onyen Web site and follow the instructions for creating an Onyen.
- If you have an Onyen but have forgotten it (or the password), go to the Onyen Web site.
- If you have your Onyen but can't log in to Blackboard, contact Janice Durham at the Friday Center.
- If you can log in to Blackboard but can't find this course listed, contact Janice Durham at the Friday Center.
- If you can't locate a forum in Blackboard, contact the instructional designer at the Friday Center.
- If you have technical problems while using Blackboard, contact Blackboard Help (use the Help button in Blackboard, or call 919-962-HELP).
Library Services and Resources (including e-reserves)
Students enrolled in Carolina Courses Online have access to the UNC Library System. Visit Distance Education Library Services to access a wide array of online services and resources including e-reserves, online databases, online journals, online books, and live help with research and library access.
Most online resources require you to log in with your Onyen and password. If you have any trouble finding the resource that you need or logging in to a resource, you can contact the library through the contact information at Distance Education Library Services. You can chat live about your problem, or send an e-mail to request assistance.
All communication from your instructor will go to your UNC Onyen e-mail address (the one that appears when you post to the discussion forum). Off-campus users can access their UNC e-mail using Webmail. You can have your e-mail forwarded to a different e-mail address by clicking “Forward e-mail” at the Onyen Web site.
We strongly recommend that you use your UNC e-mail account for all e-mails regarding your course. Hotmail users should be aware that Hotmail will block messages sent from within Blackboard because Blackboard uses “blind carbon copy” to protect privacy. If you forward your mail to a commercial e-mail service provider (yahoo.com or msn.com, for example), messages from your instructor, Friday Center staff, or other students may be delayed because these service providers sometimes place temporary blocks on messages originating from universities.
It is extremely important for you to save copies of any work you send to your instructor via e-mail. If your instructor doesn't receive your work, you must have a copy of the e-mail with the attached file, indicating the date sent, to prove that you submitted the assignment on time. It is your responsibility to maintain copies of your sent e-mails, as there is no way to guarantee that any e-mail message will be delivered.
Please check your e-mail software to see how it manages sent and saved messages. Some software automatically deletes messages one month after they have been sent; others only save messages if they are filed in folders; others save messages received but not those sent. You may need to send yourself a copy of your e-mailed assignment at the same time you send it to your instructor, or you may need to print a copy of the e-mail message and any attachments to keep in your paper files. No matter how your system works, make sure you know how to save a copy of all work that you submit to your instructor and that you save the copy for several months beyond the end of the course.
Other Questions
Contact your instructor with questions regarding the content of the course and your progress. (There is an e-mail link at the top of every lesson page.) Please include “HIST 125” in the subject line of your e-mail.
Contact the instructional designer at the Friday Center about problems with this Web site, including bad links.
If you have any logistical questions as you work through the course (enrollment, Onyen, credits, withdrawal, and so on), contact the Student Services staff at the Friday Center for Continuing Education (phone 919-962-1134 or 800-862-5669).
Course Schedule
Contacting Your Instructor
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me by e-mail.
NOTE: Please e-mail me during the first week of class with the following information:
- Confirm that you have read and that you understand all of the information about the course included in this home page (Introduction, Web Resources, Discussion Forum Participation, Required Texts and Sources, General Suggestions, Online Library Resources, Grading, Exams, Honor Code).
- Provide me with the following information about yourself:
- your name
- your phone number
- your e-mail address
- your mailing address
- an indication of whether you are working toward a degree; if so, your year
- your major/minor
- your particular musical interests.