Detailed Information
The Vietnam War Through a Lens...
This course will focus on the history of the Vietnam War from an American perspective. It will examine the major events in the conflict and consider how these events have been portrayed on film. As well as looking at the course of the war it will also analyse the soldier’s experience in Vietnam, the anti-war movement and the life of the returning veteran. It will aim to critically assess how film has conveyed the history of the conflict. The course aims to give a comprehensive understanding of the history of the Vietnam War while comparing and contrasting the history with the popular understanding of the conflict which has been propagated by the more than 400 films relating to the subject. The course does not presuppose knowledge of either the conflict or the films relating to it.
Belfield
8 Mondays 7.00pm – 9.00pm
Jan 29, Feb 5, 12, 19, 26, March 5, 12, 26
(No Class March 19 – bank holiday)
Dr Sarah Feehan earned her PhD from UCD. Her thesis was on the Heath government and proposed arms sales to South Africa. She has previously taught courses on American foreign policy and a history of the American presidency. Her research interests include American politics and foreign policy, Britain’s foreign policy and Britain and the Commonwealth.
- Understanding Vietnam: how our understanding of the Vietnam War has been developed
- The reality of Vietnam I: conflict in Vietnam 1953-1963
- The reality of Vietnam II: conflict in Vietnam 1964-1975
- ‘The Grunt’: life of the solider in Vietnam
- Vietnam at Home I: The Anti-war movement
- Vietnam at Home II: The returning veteran
- Vietnam’s lasting legacy
At the end of this course students should be able to outline major events in the Vietnam War. They should be able to analyse and evaluate American involvement in the conflict. Students should be able to critically discuss topics such as the soldier’s experience in Vietnam, the anti-war movement and the experience of the returning veteran. They should be able to detail how Hollywood movies have depicted various aspects of the war and critically evaluate these films in relation to the history of the conflict.
Readings for this course will mainly be from electronic resources.
A reading list will be provided at the beginning of the course.