Assignment
Answer ONE of the following questions in a concise but well-developed essay that incorporates evidence from the assigned readings on Titanium, The Battle for Christmas, and lectures. YOU MUST USE THE BATTLE FOR CHRISTMAS. FAILURE TO DO SO WILL RESULT IN AN AUTOMATIC C. Remember, however, that this essay should not exclusively focus on Christmas. You need to make connections to materials from other readings and lectures.
You will be graded on how well you engage with the question and how clearly you explain your argument. There is no set "correct" answer to these questions. You have to look at the materials I have provided you with and create your own answer. These are very big questions that you could spend a lifetime answering. You should make an argument and choose two to four key examples from the lectures/readings to justify your point. The main point here is to encourage you to start connecting disparate forms of pop culture together so be sure to use material from multiple days.
For citations to written documents, use the following format: (Author Name, Page #). There is no need to cite materials from my lectures.
In the following question set, the first (in bold) question is the main one you must answer. The remaining questions are designed to help you answer the question in a logical manner. They should be addressed.
1. How and why did conflicts over social classencourage the emergence of modern popular culture in the urban, industrializing north? How did the rise of cities and industrial capitalism create tensions over social class? How did those tensions shape the development of new forms of culture in the mid-19th century? How did popular culture attempt to use race to mediate class tensions? Ultimately, was popular culture effective at mediating the class conflicts of industrializing America?
2. How did the tension between the desire for America to be a "New Israel" and the desire for America to be a "New Canaan" shape the development of popular culture? How and whydid elite Americans try to use popular culture (including Christmas) to create a more orderly society? How and why did less powerful Americans use popular culture to resist elite efforts to control them? Was popular culture more effective as a means of control or resistance?