Childhood in America
Childhood in America In this course we will explore “childhood” as an evolving social and cultural construct. Beginning by acknowledging great diversity in the lived experience of childhood (shaped by race, gender, geography, religion, ability/disability), we will examine representations of childhood and experiences of children from the early nineteenth century to the present. Together we will explore classic works of literature such as Alcott’s Little Women, Twain’s Huck Finn, and Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, in conversation with historical documents and visual and material artifacts (illustrations, painting, toys, and films). Throughout, we will consider how understanding conceptions of childhood illuminate American social and cultural history more broadly.
Childhood in America In this course we will explore “childhood” as an evolving social and cultural construct. Beginning by acknowledging great diversity in the lived experience of childhood (shaped by race, gender, geography, religion, ability/disability), we will examine representations of childhood and experiences of children from the early nineteenth century to the present. Together we will explore classic works of literature such as Alcott’s Little Women, Twain’s Huck Finn, and Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, in conversation with historical documents and visual and material artifacts (illustr …Read more
I loved this class, mostly because of Deb Evans. She’s a great person and clearly cares about her students. She can be a little scattered, so it sometimes takes a bit of effort to keep track of what’s due and when, but it never caused real problems. The workload is very manageable. The projects were the highlight for me, including one on building toys like LEGO and Lincoln Logs and a project on Dr. Seuss and WWII. A good pick if you want an interesting course that won’t take over your semester.
I loved this class, mostly because of Deb Evans. She’s a great person and clearly cares about her students. She can be a little scattered, so it sometimes takes a bit of effort to keep track of what’s due and when, but it never caused real problems. The workload is very manageable. The projects were the highlight for me, including on …Read more
Prof Evans is very engaging and uses both pictures and facts to relay history, themes, and cultural ideas. There's a lot of reading and a reading response every week, but it's all very manageable. She also pushed back our midterm, so she's accommodating.
Professor Evans is an amazing person and is clearly very passionate about the subject material. That being said, I found the class to be a bit repetitive. I took this class for the LIT credit and have to say it definitely earned its tag. There is constant reading and a reading response due each week. Other than that the class is pretty straightforward, just be ready to do a good amount of reading for each class
Professor Evans is an amazing person and is clearly very passionate about the subject material. That being said, I found the class to be a bit repetitive. I took this class for the LIT credit and have to say it definitely earned its tag. There is constant reading and a reading response due each week. Other than that the class is pret …Read more
Deb Evans is a fantastic teacher and although this was a daunting course description, the class was manageable and enjoyable. I would definitly take a class with her again and would reccomend this course.
Deb Evans is very kind, engaging, and passionate about her work. Her class was engaging. Lots of assigned readings but you don't necessarily need to do them all to participate and feel ready for class.