John Worsencroft
Louisiana Tech University
John Worsencroft is an assistant professor of history at Louisiana Tech University and as a scholar he researches and writes about twentieth century America through the interlocking themes of policy, gender, war, the military, and society. His writing has appeared in American Quarterly, The Washington Post, and the Journal of Policy History. He teaches courses on the military, war, and American society; youth, sexuality, and gender; women’s history; the history of food; world history; and recent U.S. history. As a researcher, he writes curriculum in the fields of cyber security, foreign policy, nuclear deterrence, and the Cold War for audiences ranging from K-12 students to active duty military officers. His book project, “A Family Affair: Military Service in America,” is a history of family policies in the Army and Marine Corps, exploring how military institutions and policies shape rights, obligations, and the meaning of citizenship in the United States. He has an MA in history from the University of Utah and a PhD in history from Temple University. Before academia, he served from 2000-2006 as an infantryman in the United States Marine Corps, and he is a combat veteran of the Iraq War.
Syllabi
War and American Society
Undergraduate
The primary objective of this course is to investigate the historical relationship between war and American society from (roughly) the Civil War to the present—although we will spend the majority of our time studying the 20th century. The topics and themes of this course will focus on the intersections of war with the social, political, cultural, and economic engines of American life. Therefore, it will not be a comprehensive history of the United States, nor will it be a traditional military history course that focuses on battles, campaigns, or changes to military technology, strategy, or tactics.
Instead, in this class we will explore several interlocking questions:
1. How has war contributed to Americans’ sense of themselves as a nation and a people?
2. How has war shaped American politics and government since the end of the Civil War?
3. How has war shaped opportunities for men and women, even in times of relative peace?
4. In what ways has war been a proving ground for “Americanness”?
This class will also develop several academic skills that have broad applications in everyday life. You will analyze primary sources and make clear arguments backed by evidence through writing assignments and oral communication. You will sharpen your critical thinking skills by making sense of conflicting and competing narratives of the past and present. You will also learn how to conduct research on historical topics in order to strengthen your information literacy skills.
Graduate
This is a graduate-level reading seminar on the history of the relationship between war and American society from (roughly) the Civil War to the present. We will focus on the intersections of war and the social, political, cultural, and economic engines of American life. This is a course that will focus on historiography (the study of how and why historical methods, concepts, and interpretations change over time) and how the public commemorates/memorializes war. This will not be a traditional military history course that focuses on battles, campaigns, or changes to military technology, strategy, or tactics.