Assignments

Unit 3 Overview 
The Camelot Years: Creation of a National Culture
The 1960s was a decade of relative financial stability that spawned the age of consumerism as Americans began to accumulate material goods. In this unit, you will explore how the attitude towards money and goods shifted during the 1960s to set the stage for the economic power in the hands of a few at the expense of many. Considering economics as a social construct and looking at the power that is created from economics as a social construct lays the foundation for understanding other events during this decade, such as the civil rights movement that you will study in upcoming units. The economics discipline is foundational to your learning in this unit

Review the Internet Public Library social science website via the Extra! Extra! tab. This site will help you understand the language used in the concepts and constructs of the theories you will read. 
Reading 1: Harrison & Dye – 15-37; 86-93
Reading 2: Farber – Chapters 2 and 3
•	"Bank Execs Vow to Work with Obama on Recovery Plan" 
•	High cost of Government Aid 
•	Government and Business 
Key Terms 
These terms relate specifically to your reading this week. 
Key Concepts: Economic Systems 
These terms will help you gain greater understanding of the material this week. 

1 Kaplan University College of Arts and Sciences SS310 Exploring the 1960s COURSE # 
 Unit 3 Key Terms 
These terms relate specifically to your reading this week 
Capitalism – an economic system characterized by the private ownership of the means of production, market competition, and the pursuit of profits. 
Counterculture – a group whose values, beliefs, and related behaviors place its members in opposition to the broader culture 
Cultural leveling – the process by which cultures become similar to one another; refers especially to the process by which U.S. culture is being exported and diffused into other nations. 
Cultural relativism – not judging a culture, but trying to understand it on its own terms 
Culture – the language, beliefs, values, norms, behaviors, and even material objects that are passed from one generation to the next 
Economy - a system of producing and distributing goods and services 
Ethnocentrism – the use of one’s own culture as a yardstick for judging the ways of other individuals or societies, generally leading to a negative evaluation of their values, norms, and behaviors. 
Globalization – the growing interconnections among nations due to the expansion of capitalism 
Globalization of capitalism – capitalism (investing to make profits within a rational system) becoming the globe’s dominant economic system 
Material culture – the material objects that distinguish a group of people, such as their art, buildings, weapons, utensils, machines, hairstyles, clothing and jewelry 
Non-material culture – (also called symbolic culture) a group’s way of thinking (including its beliefs, values, and other assumptions about the world and doing (its common patterns of behavior, including language and other forms of interaction) 
Norms – expectations, or rules of behavior, that reflect and enforce values 
Sanctions –2 Kaplan University College of Arts and Sciences SS310 Exploring the 1960s COURSE # 
Positive sanction - a reward or positive reaction for following norms, ranging from a smile to a prize. 
Negative sanction - an expression of disapproval for breaking a norm ranging from a mild, informal reaction such as a frown to a formal reaction such as a prison sentence or an execution 
Subculture – the values and related behaviors of a group that distinguish its members from the larger culture; a world within a world. 
Values – the standards by which people define what is desirable or undesirable, good or bad, beautiful or ugly

 Unit 3 Key Concepts 
ECOMONIC SYSTEMS 
Capitalism – an economic system characterized by the private ownership of the means of production, market competition, and the pursuit of profits. 
Convergence Theory – the view that as capitalist and socialist economic systems each adopt features of the other, a hybrid (or mixed) economic system will emerge 
Democratic socialism – a hybrid economic system in which capitalism is mixed with state ownership 
Multinational corporations – companies that operate across national boundaries; also called transnational corporations 
Laissez-faire capitalism - unrestrained manufacture and trade (literally “hands off” capitalism) 
Socialism – an economic system characterized by the public ownership of the means of production, central planning, and the distribution of goods without a profit motive 
Welfare (or state) capitalism – an economic system in which individuals own the means of production but the state regulates many economic activities for the welfare of the population

Unit Outcomes 
•	Explain shifts in economic trends 
•	Analyze patterns of identity using social science concepts 
Course Outcomes Practiced In This Unit 
•	SS310-1: Describe how key historical events define an era.

What do you have to do in this unit?
•	View Timeline 
•	Complete Assigned Reading 
•	Review Key Concepts and Terms 
•	Review Web Resources 
•	Post to Discussion Board 
40 points 
•	Attend Seminar 
•	Please see the Extra! Extra! tab for the Web Resources for this Unit. 

With each passing year, the world becomes smaller as we become more connected to the “global village.” What occurs elsewhere has a direct impact on our lives, and, increasingly, our welfare is tied to that of people in other nations. Globalization is one of the most significant events in world history, and it can be defined as the breaking down of national boundaries because of advances in communication, trade and travel, and the globalization of capitalism; it is becoming the globe’s dominant economic system. 
Many feel that globalization is synonymous with “Americanization.” In other words, since the 60s, the western way of life has rapidly spread across the globe. There is not a city in the world now where you cannot find a McDonalds, Pizza Hut, KFC, and, of course, blue jeans. 
After completing your reading, viewing the video lessons, and familiarizing yourself with the terms and concepts for this unit, be prepared to discuss the impact of the global spread of capitalism and the American way of life. If we are indeed becoming a “global village” with western beliefs, values, norms, and such, what place is there for other nations’ beliefs, customs, traditions, and such? Will these eventually become extinct? 
Be prepared to discuss specific examples. For instance, in many Spanish speaking countries, the tradition of the bullfight has strong ethnic meaning. In many Islamic countries, women are subservient. These are very profound ideologies in these nations. Is there a place for such traditions, customs, and beliefs that go directly against American values in this new global village? 
Although seminar in this course is not graded, it is highly beneficial for you to participate. In seminar, your instructor will go into the concepts and assignments in more detail and answer questions that you may have. You will also benefit from the interaction with your classmates.

Review Presentation