This course analyzes the "cultural construction" of war in 20th century America by focusing primarily on World War II and the Vietnam War. How have Americans attempted to come to terms with the wars they have fought? How have Americans' cultural understandings shaped the wars they have waged? How have Americans used various cultural forms (film, music, photography, etc.) to support a war effort or to protest against it? We pay special attention to the place of the military in American society, to notions of patriotism and citizenship, to constructions of gender, race, and sexuality, and to the roles of government, media, technology, and public opinion.