AIP 317 Cold War Cultural Diplomacy (IP, UP)
How does a nation win a war without military action? As containment came to dominate post-war American foreign policy, perception and propaganda played an important, if not the most important, role in fending off the Soviets and protecting the American Way of Life. This course will introduce students to major battles of the Cultural Cold War; amongst them the activities of Voice of America, Texan pianist Van Cliburn, the exchange of the New York City Ballet and the Bolshoi, and the international tours of artists Martha Graham, Dizzy Gillespie, and the musical Porgy and Bess. Particular attention will be paid to issues of cultural hierarchy, government support of the arts, conceptions of the “American” or “Soviet,” the role of consumer culture, and the relationship between the Cold War and civil rights.