The 1930s were a turbulent decade, shaped by the Great Derpression and the administration's attempts to ease people's imediate suffering and restart the economy; the so-called New Deal presented a significant intervention into American economic and social structure, and - by way of programs such as the Federal Writers' Project or the Federal Theatre Project - it had an important impact on American culture. At the same time, activists and politicized writers and artists sought to counter the situation in their own ways and sought to reshape the fabric not only of American cultural production but redefine the meanings of the social.
In this class - which as an Übung supplements the seminar Social Critique in American Literature of the 1930s - we will look at the way in which writers, artists, and activists responded to the crisis which, for many - particularly African Americans and rural white Americans -, presented an excacerbation of their already precarious social and economic situation. We will look at photography, film, and different types of texts, focusing on the one hand on the New Deal measures concerning the cultural sector, and on the other hand on transnational Black culture and networks.
This class will be taught in a hybrid format, meaning that we will seek to integrate on-site meetings in smaller groups and digital formats, both synchronous and asynchronous. The practice of such a mixed format will very much depend on pandemic-related regulations and students’ individual comfort level with on-site formats.
Students are asked to please get a copy of Eric Rauchway's The Great Depression and the New Deal. A Very Short Introduction (2008). All other texts and materials will be provided on Digicampus.
Anmelderegeln
Diese Veranstaltung gehört zum Anmeldeset "Beschränkte Teilnehmendenanzahl: Ü Reading the Social in 1930s American Literature and Culture".
Folgende Regeln gelten für die Anmeldung:
Die Anmeldung ist möglich von 06.09.2021, 08:00 bis 11.10.2021, 18:00.
Es wird eine festgelegte Anzahl von Plätzen in den Veranstaltungen verteilt.
Die Plätze in den betreffenden Veranstaltungen wurden am 13.10.2021 um 18:00 verteilt. Weitere Plätze werden evtl. über Wartelisten zur Verfügung gestellt.
