AMST 201 Class Notes

Technology Anxiety

The fear and unease caused by the rapid advancements in technology, leading to concerns about the future and societal impacts; lack of technology leads to anxieties

Great Depression

A severe worldwide economic depression that took place in the 1930s, causing high unemployment rates and financial hardships for many.

Economic Collapse Response: Austerity

A government policy involving cutting back on expenses, often leading to reduced public spending and potential unhappiness among the population.

Economic Collapse Response: Stimulus

An economic strategy where the government spends money during a depression to stimulate economic growth, often through loans and investments.

Manhattan Project

A secret project during the 1930s-1940s that aimed to build the world's first atomic bomb, involving a large team of scientists led by Einstein

Atomic Bomb Debate

The ethical and strategic discussion surrounding the decision to drop the atomic bomb, weighing the consequences of killing many people against the goal of ending the war quickly and Americans stop Island Hopping.

Cold War

The period of political tension and rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union, characterized by ideological conflict, nuclear arms race, and proxy wars.

McCarthyism

The practice of making accusations of subversion or treason without proper regard for evidence, often associated with Senator Joseph McCarthy's anti-communist campaign in the 1950s. (consequence towards those who are different: gay men, lesbian women, women who work outside)

Deviant Youth: Juvenile Delinquency (third greatest concern)

Criminal behavior committed by young people; teenagers in 1957 committed 54% of all burglaries (67% auto thefts, 9% aggravated assaults, 4% murders)

Second Wave Feminism

The feminist movement that emerged in the early 1960s, focusing on issues of gender equality, reproductive rights, and women's liberation, challenging traditional gender roles and societal expectations.

Feminine Mystique

Betty Friedan's book published in 1963 that criticized the societal expectations placed on women to find fulfillment solely through child-rearing and being a homemaker.

Second Wave Feminism: wave analogy

The feminist progress doesn’t come in a straight line

Liberal Feminism

Betty Friedan's perspective advocating for gender equality through the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) and emphasizing the importance of women's rights in American society.

Cultural Feminism

Helen Gurley Brown's approach promoting women's independence, self-sufficiency, and fulfillment outside traditional roles through staying single and pursuing personal passions.

Argue Against Second Wave of Feminism (Conservative Feminism)

Phyllis Schlafly's controversial stance against the ERA, arguing that women already have privileges and rights that could be lost if full equality is pursued; feminist argue that it will give women access to serve in workforces like academies

Race and Feminism

Frances Beal's critique of liberal white feminism for overlooking the unique struggles and perspectives of African American women in society.

Lesbian Feminism

A movement within feminism advocating for the rights and recognition of lesbian women, often facing challenges and exclusion within the broader feminist movement.

Gun Culture in America

An overview of American gun ownership statistics, including demographics of gun owners, reasons for gun ownership, and attitudes towards gun control measures. (most were male, white, married, and used for gun show sales)

Gun Regulation in Massachusetts Colony (1630-1650)

Laws restricting gun use for fun, prohibiting loaded weapons in populated areas, regulating weapon size and capacity, requiring gun registry, no sale of gunpowder outside Massachusetts (fear of enemy owning guns), and limiting access to heavier arms.

Second Amendment (Constitution)

Protects the right of the people to keep and bear arms, emphasizing the importance of a well-regulated militia for the security of a free state. (James Madison - Federalist 46: states have subordinate power to rise up with militias or national guard; Federalist 29: every citizen should be mandatory be part of a military

Anti-Gun Laws in Dodge City (1878)

Prohibition of gun ownership and carrying firearms to reduce violence and ensure safety in the community; promote gun control for safety, security, and the people

Slave Codes and Black Codes

Laws restricting free people of color from owning or carrying firearms, reflecting racial biases and fears of uprisings.

Liberal Feminist Movement in the 1990s

Advocacy for women's rights, career opportunities, and equality in society, addressing issues like welfare, abortion, and sexual harassment.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Definition

AI is a tool of human intelligence in the physical world, with historical advancements, biases, and impacts on labor, environment, and inequality.

AI Training Data Importance

The significance of labeled data for training AI systems, highlighting biases and the need for extensive datasets for accurate predictions.

China's AI Advantages

State-directed investment in AI and Quantum Computing, leveraging data and privacy laws for unprecedented training sets, potentially leading to military and economic advantages.

Transgender History

Stories of individuals like Thomas(ine) Hall, Frances Thompson, and Christine Jorgenson, highlighting struggles, visibility, and discrimination faced by transgender individuals.

Transgender Discrimination

Current issues include employment discrimination, medical disparities, bullying rates in middle/high school, and debates on sports participation for transgender students.

Patchwork solutions (as of 2022)

Refers to the current inconsistent strategies in addressing issues related to gender, sex, and sexuality.

Job discrimination

The unfair treatment of individuals in the workplace based on characteristics such as race, religion, or sex, which is prohibited by the Civil Rights Act at the federal level.

Violation of sexual difference

Occurs when individuals are discriminated against or treated unfairly due to their gender identity or sexual orientation.

Gender and sex and sexuality anxieties

The significant concerns and fears experienced by many Americans regarding gender identity, sex, and sexual orientation (belief that is disrupts family and work life).

Harms children (bathrooms, sports, “grooming”)

Refers to the negative impacts on children resulting from discriminatory practices related to gender identity and sexual orientation, such as restrictions in using bathrooms or participating in sports.

Yearning to literally control bodies

Describes the desire or attempt to exert direct control over individuals' bodies, particularly in the context of gender identity and sexuality.

Great Recession of 2010

Employment rate was 10% and Americans were unable to find work causing panic; US government ensures this doesn’t happen again so money is safe because it is ensured by the government

World War II

Was a global war that involved many countries and resulted in significant destruction and loss of life; one side was the free world (democratic) and the other side was willing to pursue idealism and fascism; US is protected by “distance” of oceans

Side of Idealism and Facism

Nazi Germany needs access to resources for his people and wants to control all of Eastern Europe; Italy wasn’t to recreate the Roman Empire and most of Africa; Japan needs resources

Main threat to Japan is the United States during World War II

During the Pearl Harbor, the United States loses many ships and leads to declaration of war against Japan

European War Over (1945)

Japanese told Americans they would never surrender; so Americans pursue plan of “Island Hopping”: jumping island to island until reaching Japan to conquer it

Cons of Island Hopping from Americans

slow, tiring, costly of Americans

After the Manhattan Project (1945)

Americans completed the project of how to split an atom for the atomic bomb

Result of Atomic Bomb Debate

Truman decides to drop the bomb to end the war on Hiroshima; Second atomic Bomb n Nagasaki, Japan where Japan signs surrender documents and the war ends

Aftermath of Atomic Bombing

Caused 30 million Russian lives and 400,000 American deaths

Felix Morley (winning journalist)

Gives a speech after atomic bombs were dropping; says it was an achievement of American inventiveness and showed scientific skill; Americans are terrified other individuals will get reach of the bomb or create their own

Louis Stolin (scientist)

Explains how the atomic bomb led to victims dying of radiation that affects the blood forming tissues in the bone marrow and leads to infection, then death

US Public: 1947 Polls in Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

State how it should be kept by the United States; yet Americans begin to worry other nations would use the atomic bomb on them, Soviets get atomic bomb after 4 years

William Faulker (Nobel prize winner in literature)

“when will I be blown up?”; world is afraid of the atomic bomb

Soviet Union gets atomic weapons 4 years after getting bombed

United States creates hydrogen bomb and create idea of fusion bomb (taking two atoms and smashing them together creating a bigger reaction), but the Soviet steals this idea 1 year later

Solution to American anxieties of the Atomic Bomb

Tell people they can survive (defend one’s home) by building fallout houses or underground shelter; later became a government policy, although it wasn’t funded by the government; white individuals who lived in the suburbs had higher survival rates

Does Solution for Atomic Bomb work for Americans

No, the government already knew the idea won’t work but wanted them to feel a sense of security; symbol of bomb explosion was put on everything in pop culture

Nuclear Bomb in Las Vegas for testing

Nuclear bomb testings happened every 2 weeks; ensured Americans won’t be killed because of their timing of dropping the bombs every 2 weeks

Effect on Humans from Nuclear Bomb

Blisters on skin, scalp and skin on fire, killed by disease (bone cancer)

Radiation Compensation Act after Bombs

Family received $50,000 for every person in their family that passed away (not enough)

United States fight communism (1940s-1950s) with the help of Karl Max and Federick Engels

Communism = no private property; property is owned by government and more equality between the community

Capitalism

System of privately owned good (trade); believed to be unfair to mass majority of people because only few had a lot of money while others struggled with a little bit of money (gap between poor and rich)

Soviet Union is communist economy and US doesn’t want to go to war with them

Facsists (capitalist economy still run by central political party); hate communists, Adolf Hitler was anti-communist, so to make sure communism doesn’t spread he promises Soviet Union to evade France, but he couldn’t invade England, so he turns and invades the Soviet Union (Operation Barbarossa)

End of Second World War

Europe is in crisis; everyone wants peace; implementation of Marshall Plan and NATO

Marshall Plan (after second world war)

Gives democratic governments in Europe after the Second World War money to help rebuild their economies, bridges, roads, etc.

NATO (UK, France, Italy) after Second World War

alliance says that if any country is attacked by any other state, all countries have to go to war with the country that attacked

American Public embraced anti-communism in 1950s

People are in a midst of media that is telling them to be afraid of the Soviet Union and communist living; FBI starts funding TV programs and movies that are anti-communist, trying to convince Americans that communism is bad (US should remain capitalists and democratic)

Red Scare

Periods of anti-communist hysteria in the United States, characterized by fear of communist infiltration in society, government, and media during the early 20th century.

Changes that occurred due to Red Scare of communists

Led to many states setting loyalty oath for anyone who wants to work for the government; country starts publicly showing their religion “a christian nation”; “In God we Trust” declared national motto, nation starts thinking of having Christian heritage

Summary: Anxieties during the Cold War

Rise of communism (Soviet Union had access to create nuclear weapons); atomic bomb/nuke killed many people by radiation and destroying lands; rise of christianity: congress adds “under God” to pledge of allegiance and “in god we trust” on dollar bills

Definition of “teenagers” by 1950s

Focus on adolescence: considered to be a teenager post puberty, but don’t know ramifications of adulthood

Teenager Acts during the 1950s

Do not picture themselves as the same people as their parents; consume things and are influenced by social media, manufactures, and ads targeting teenagers

How did teenagers in the 1950s make money and what did they spend it on?

Had jobs at fast food joints, women babysat, allowances (covenant between parents and children; if they behave well, they will get money)

Teenage Culture during 1950s

Postwar prosperity: GI Bill 1944 stated men serving in the US Army, air forces, loan interest bill, subsidies (award for military service)

Postwar Baby Boom (1945-1960s)

80 million baby boomers; changed ideas of education: some kids didn’t go to school because they needed to work for family, increase in high school attendance

The New Consumer: Teenage Life

Teenage males interested in cars; Popular OC spots for teenagers: drive ins, skate ranch, Santa Ana stadium, food spots, prom in HS; 60% regularly dated in HS, now it is 30%

How far is proper (1955) in terms of dating

“only kiss” - 11%; “light pecking” - 10%; “petting” - 18%; “anything they want - 60%; can date on school nights - 53%

School consolidation

Combine two schools and make them one; said to get education better, however mixing different races for the first time

Comic Books in America

Seduction of the Innocent, 1954: says comic books are destroying teenage minds, sexualizing them (to have sex easier, including homosexuality), and encourage violence (crime+horror)

Comic Book Industry

huge comic book industry led to Comics Code Authority (1954): policemen, government officials, and respected institutions shall never be disrespected; can’t use “horror” or “terror” in the title; all characters should be dressed reasonably

Betty Friedan view on Women 1950s

Speaks about how many women who are housewives in America feel lack of fulfillment in their daily lives; says that popular and societal culture tell women they can only find fulfillment being a wife to their husbands and mothers to their children (causes anxieties among women) - at an event in 1957, encourages women to pursue other passions that make them fulfilled outside their home (work or find employment)

Helen Gurly Brown (feminist)

Writer of “Sex of the single girl”: encourages women to fight the feminine mystique by getting a college education, career, and not be married; much happier with many men than just one (dissatisfied with marriage but encourages it later on; don’t stay single forever)

Betty Friedman: feminism can liberate both sexes

Women can be coworkers with men, have sexual, romantic, and professional relationships with men; promote no gender norms by bringing true human sexual liberation of all humanity

Focus on First Wave of Feminism (19th century - 1920s)

interested in the political rights of women: Suffrage right to vote (19th amendment)

Focus on Second Wave of Feminism

Breaking down cultural barriers and cultural rights for women: women should be respected in all institutions including college, business, medical; recognizing their worth + challenging laws and norms of society to prohibit discrimination of women

Patriarchy om 1950s for Women

Women are admitted to attend colleges, women can serve on juries and all states, can receive own credit card without their husbands signature (but were given pink cards), women are animated into military Academy, spousal rape is criminalized in all states, sex discrimination elimated

Ms.Magazines

Showed how women have many responsibilities, and perhaps more than men; to further show how one’s marriage status did not matter (1960s)

Feminism Anxiety in America

Inspired feminist to do something to change their lifestyle; division on priorities: Betty Friedman (liberal feminism: women to be equal citizens, Helen Brown (sex positive feminism/cultural feminism: stay single), Phyllis Schlafly (conservative feminism: women are already privileged, no need to be equal or pass ERA)

19th Century Immigration: Northern and Western Europe (Antebellum Nativism)

Irish: left for economic reasons, famine, and opportunity because they lived on small farms and had little to eat - going to the US, men wanted to make money in the cities (factories, manual labor) and women (80%) in domestic service (nannies, maids); German: skilled workers who want to live away from people as middle-class

19th Century Immigration: Asia (Chinese Exclusion Act 1882)

During Gold Rush, occupations of miners (didn’t work well), garment factories, railroads, farming, restaurants, laundries; Chinese Exclusion Act suspended Chinese Immigration for ten years and declared them ineligible for naturalization

19th Century Immigration: Central, Eastern, and Southern Europe (Literacy Test, National Quotas, “Asiatic Barred Zone”)

Italians: lack of access on working way up of economic ladder, aim to send money back home for family but later go back to Italy; Italians who stayed made more money; Jewish Americans: come in groups of families and enter US to be a part of the US/politics, especially in New York

Nativism

Immigrants are racially “inferior” leading to corrupted politics, raising religious anxieties and crime and substance abuse (alcohol)

Bracero Program 1942

Mexican immigrants are allowed to live in farms in Texas, New Mexico, and California (huge labor demand) - most come in the 1980s

Connecticut (1643) Gun Control

Not allowed to have guns in public areas, but at least one adult male can carry a gun into church or public meetings for protection

South Carolina (1743) Gun Control

Citizens must own guns to safeguard against “insurrections and other wicked attempts” of Negroes and other Slaves (worried about slaves and Negroes owning guns and taking over white masters

Gun Advertising Changes (1900s)

Promoting safe gun (can be around child due to safety lock), to kill something for hunting, shoot to defend yourself, trains youngsters, men should learn to use rifle, women armed for self protection too

Felic Schwartz’s 1989 article

Explains how women feel pressured to climb the economic ladder, argues that women’s place is to be in the home (“mommy track”: primary caregivers of their children)

Comprehensive Child Development Act 1971: society is raising children

Poorest Americans do not have to pay in childcare, created childcare after school programs with dental, medical insurance covered

Abortion 1970s

Supreme Court rules abortion is a constitutional right for women

Roe v. Wade on Abortion Rights

You can never ban women on abortion in the 1st trimester of pregnancy, restrictions on abortion on second three months (second trimester), third trimester, abortion is banned

Planned Parenthood 1992 vs Casey

Pennsylvania law restrictions: 24 hour wait, if under 18 you need parental consent, informed consent, spousal consent if married (no longer legal)

Sharon Bottoms 1996 Case (Lesbian women/mom)

Has a son, Tyler, at the age of 18; husband was no help, Tyler was partially raised by his grandma, Sharon decides she is no longer interested in men and is accused of being a criminal for this reason - can now only visit son 2 days a week, son cannot live in her home, and is forbidden from meeting Sharon’s current. or future romantic female partners

Harassment - Case of Anita Hill and Clarence Thomas

Anita works for government Department of Education for Clarence Thomas; states he talked about pornography, repeatedly asks Anita to go out publicly, but he denied everything at hearing and all white men judges “didn’t understand the issue of sexual harassment” at place

AI History

Tangible advances in “intelligent” digital tools have been made; AI effect: something that is found to be used a lot more and common isn’t seen to be AI anymore (google search)

AI accelerates inequality and issues in Capitalism

AI is a tool, but is very expensive, replaces other tools, and replaces human jobs, requires massive amounts of capital to start

AI consumes the Environment

Raw materials are removed; manufacturing: hardware needs to be made, factories built and run, transportation of materials, building of waste; energy use: 20% of global energy could be used for computers

Transgender: Thomas(ine) Hall

Accused of fornication: leads to numerous strip searches, punishment of wearing both sex clothing in Jamestown