Cultural Critique Via Kurt Vonnegut
This section explores ways to critique contemporary U.S. culture. We will read and discuss a portion of the voluminous and masterful work of Kurt Vonnegut, primarily focusing on some of his novels. We will examine Vonnegut’s use of fiction as criticism. This will aid students in the creation of their expository projects. Each class member will select a significant problem in the United States they want to explore with their research.
Works by Kurt Vonnegut
Novels authored by Kurt Vonnegut may be found in the General Stacks at PS 3572 .O5
Suggested Search Strings
Here are some example searches on your class topic in the library catalog. To conduct your own searches, go to the library homepage.
Some specific events that figure in Vonnegut's works:
Featured Books
Click on this link to search for books and articles on your topic. Type keywords relating to your topic in the box under "Search Everything."
Check out these books in print and/or online for further reading on your topic.
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Artificial Whiteness: Politics and Ideology in Artificial Intelligence
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ISBN: 9780231551076Publication Date: 2020 -
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Contemporary American Trauma Narratives
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Call Number: eBookISBN: 9780748694082Publication Date: 2014 -
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Ethical Governance of Artificial Intelligence in the Public Sector
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Call Number: eBookISBN: 9781000434323Publication Date: 2021 -
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Kurt Vonnegut's Crusade, or, How a Postmodern Harlequin Preached a New Kind of Humanism
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Call Number: eBookISBN: 9781423756132Publication Date: 2006 -
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Shipwreck and Island Motifs in Literature and the Arts
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Call Number: eBookISBN: 9789004298750Publication Date: 2015 -
Gather Background Information
Use broad reference materials to find out background information about your topic. This will help you narrow your future searches and will also provide keywords that will help you find the most relevant sources. Credo is a good place to start for that first step in research.
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Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
Credo Reference provides access to a large number of encyclopedias, dictionaries, thesauri and other reference books. Subjects covered include art, biography, history, literature, music, religion, and science and technology.
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Kurt VonnegutProvides articles and a mind map about Kurt Vonnegut on Credo.
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Opposing Viewpoints In Context This link opens in a new window
Opposing Viewpoints In Context is a rich resource for debaters and includes pro/con viewpoints, reference articles, interactive maps, infographics, and more. A category on the National Debate Topic provides quick and easy access to content on frequently studied and discussed issues. Periodical content covers current events, news and commentary, economics, environmental issues, political science, and more.
Recommended Reference eBooks
Try these sources for background information and a brief overview of key ideas related to your chosen topic.
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Major Sociocultural Trends Shaping the Contemporary World
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Call Number: eBookISBN: 9781631577888Publication Date: 2017 -
Opinions Throughout History: Robotics and Artificial Intelligence
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Call Number: eBookISBN: 9781642654813Publication Date: 2020
Databases
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Academic Search Complete This link opens in a new window
Multi-disciplinary full-text database, with more than 8,500 full-text periodicals, including more than 7,300 peer-reviewed journals. Includes searchable PDF content going back as far as 1887.
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JSTOR This link opens in a new window
Provides articles from 1,900+ scholarly journals in the arts, humanities, and sciences and around 5,000 ebooks. Coverage dates for journals are from the very first issue of each journal (the nineteenth or early twentieth centuries for many) and continues to 2 – 5 years prior to the current year (moving wall).
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PsycArticles This link opens in a new window
PsycARTICLES®, from the American Psychological Association (APA), is a definitive source of full text, peer-reviewed scholarly and scientific articles in psychology. It contains more than 153,000 articles from nearly 80 journals published by the American Psychological Association (APA), its imprint the Educational Publishing Foundation (EPF), and from allied organizations including the Canadian Psychological Association and the Hogrefe Publishing Group. It includes all journal articles, book reviews, letters to the editor, and errata from each journal. Coverage spans 1894 to the present and nearly all APA journals go back to Volume 1, Issue 1.
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Psychology & Behavioral Sciences Collection This link opens in a new window
A comprehensive database covering topics in emotional and behavioral characteristics, psychiatry & psychology, mental processes, anthropology, and observational & experimental methods. This is the world’s largest full text psychology database offering full text coverage for over 560 journals.
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PsycINFO This link opens in a new window
American Psychological Association’s (APA) renowned resource for abstracts of scholarly journal articles, book chapters, books, and dissertations, is the largest resource devoted to peer-reviewed literature in behavioral science and mental health. It contains over 2.5 million citations and summaries dating as far back as the early 1800s. Journal coverage, which spans from 1887 to present, includes international material selected from more than 2,400 periodicals in more than 27 languages.
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Sociological Collection This link opens in a new window
Access to more than 500 full text journals, including nearly 500 peer-reviewed titles. Sociological Collection offers information in all areas of sociology, including social behavior, human tendencies, interaction, relationships, community development, culture and social structure.
Scholarly Articles
Some scholarly articles that relate to your assignment are below.
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Capital As Artificial IntelligenceCanavan, Gerry. “Capital As Artificial Intelligence.” Journal of American Studies, vol. 49, no. 4, 2015, pp. 685–709. JSTOR.
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The Economy of Desire in Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-FiveLouis, Ansu. "The Economy of Desire in Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five." Symploke, vol. 26, no. 1-2, 2018, pp. 191-205. JSTOR.
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The End of Work or Overworked? Self-Service, Prosumer Capitalism, and ‘Irrational WorkAndrews, Christopher. “The End of Work or Overworked? Self-Service, Prosumer Capitalism, and ‘Irrational Work.’” Sociological Inquiry, vol. 88, no. 4, 2018, pp. 649–672, https://doi.org/10.1111/soin.12223.
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Kurt Vonnegut: The Representative Post-World War II American WriterMorse, Donald E, “Kurt Vonnegut: The Representative Post-World War II American Writer." Hungarian Journal of English and American Studies, vol. 21, no. 1, 2015, pp. 195-210, JSTOR.
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The Revolutionary Horizons of Labor and Automation: Blue Collar and Player PianoWolf-Meyer, Matthew J. “The Revolutionary Horizons of Labor and Automation: Blue Collar and Player Piano.” Theory for the World to Come: Speculative Fiction and Apocalyptic Anthropology, University of Minnesota Press, 2019, pp. 41–50. JSTOR, https://doi.o
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Vonnegut, Darwin, and the Tragical Satirical Arc of Human History in the Novel GalapagosRobinson, David E. “Vonnegut, Darwin, and the Tragical Satirical Arc of Human History in the Novel Galapagos.” Koers, vol. 85, no. 1, 2020, pp. 1–11. Proquest.
Library Session Materials
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Session 1 SlidesResources, Narrowing Topics, and Search Strategies
News & Magazines
Log into your Transy Google account in a Chrome browser for full-text access to articles.
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Atlantic MonthlyScroll to the second half of the page to browse issues.
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New YorkerScroll to the second half of the page to browse issues.
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The New York TimesActivate your free digital pass
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Wall Street JournalActivate your free digital pass
Citation Information
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"MLA Formatting and Style Guide." The Purdue OWL, Purdue U Writing Lab, 2022This resource, updated to reflect the MLA Handbook (9th ed.), offers examples for the general format of MLA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the Works Cited page.
