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Recommended Liberal Learning Courses for the History Major
Course Number | Class Number (PAWS) | Course Name | Professor | Days | Times | Pre-Modern? | Region | Liberal Learning |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
HIS100-01 | 82195 | Greek and Roman Society | Dr. Arthur Jones | Monday/Wednesday | 5:30pm-6:50pm | Yes | N/A | SCHP |
HIS108-01 | 82196 | Late Antiquity | Dr. Dobrinka Chiekova | Monday/Thursday | 12:30pm-1:50pm | Yes | N/A | SCHP |
HIS111-01 | 82197 | Rome and Barbarians | Dr. Celia Chazelle | Tuesday/Friday | 2:00pm-3:20pm | Yes | N/A | SCHP |
HIS130-01 | 82198 | Key Moments in Soviet History Through Film | Dr. Roman Kovalev | Tuesday/Friday | 11:00am-12:20pm | No | N/A | Global, SCHP |
HIS130-02 | 82199 | Key Moments in Soviet History Through Film | Dr. Roman Kovalev | Tuesday/Friday | 3:30pm-4:50pm | No | N/A | Global, SCHP |
HIS165-01 | 82200 | The Vietnam War | Dr. Michael Zvalaren | Tuesday/Thursday | 5:30pm-6:50pm | No | N/A | SCHP |
HIS165-02 | 82201 | Disease and Health in US History | Dr. Simon Finger | Tuesday/Friday | 9:30am-10:50am | No | N/A | SCHP |
HIS165-03 | 82202 | Disease and Health in US History | Dr. Simon Finger | Tuesday/Friday | 11:00am-12:20pm | No | N/A | SCHP |
HIS165-04 | 82203 | Gender and the Body in US History | Dr. Timothy Holliday | Thursday | 5:30pm-8:20pm | No | N/A | SCHP |
HIS165-05 | 82204 | America and the Holocaust | Dr. Barbara Krasner | Monday/Thursday | 9:30am-10:50am | No | N/A | SCHP |
HIS165-06 | 82205 | American Constitutional History | Dr. Marc Lifland | Wednesday | 5:30pm-8:20pm | No | N/A | SCHP |
HIS177-01 | 82206 | 20th Century US History | Dr. Michael Zvalaren | Tuesday/Thursday | 7:00pm-8:20pm | No | N/A | SCHP |
HIS179-01 | 82207 | African American History to 1865 | Dr. Grant Stanton | Monday/Thursday | 2:00pm-3:20pm | No | N/A | Race and Ethnicity, SCHP |
HIS180-01 | 82208 | African American History 1865-Present | Dr. Christopher Fisher | Tuesday/Friday | 11:00am-12:20pm | No | N/A | Race and Ethnicity, SCHP |
HIS180-02 | 82209 | African American History 1865-Present | Dr. Christopher Fisher | Tuesday/Friday | 2:00pm-3:20pm | No | N/A | Race and Ethnicity, SCHP |
HIS187-01 | 82210 | Memory and WW2 | Dr. Joseph Campo | Monday/Thursday | 11:00am-12:20pm | No | N/A | SCHP |
HIS189-01 | 82211 | World History from the Margins | Dr. Satyasikha Chakraborty | Monday/Thursday | 2:00pm-3:20pm | No | N/A | Gender, Global, SCHP |
HIS210-01 | 82215 | The Craft of History | Dr. Robert McGreevey | Monday | 2:00pm-4:50pm | No | N/A | Global, SCHP |
HIS210-02 | 82216 | The Craft of History | Dr. Robert McGreevey | Thursday | 2:00pm-4:50pm | No | N/A | Global, SCHP |
HIS210-03 | 82217 | The Craft of History | Dr. Jodi Weinstein | Monday/Thursday | 12:30pm-1:50pm | No | N/A | Global, SCHP |
HIS220-01 | 82218 | Herodotus: The Father of History | Dr. Dobrinka Chiekova | Monday/Thursday | 9:30am-10:50am | Yes | N/A | SCHP |
HIS230-01 | 82219 | Imperialism and Colonialism 1500-Present | Dr. Satyasikha Chakraborty | Monday/Thursday | 3:30pm-4:50pm | No | N/A | SCHP |
HIS300-01 | 82220 | Rome and the Early Medieval West | Dr. Celia Chazelle | Tuesday/Friday | 11:00am-12:20pm | Yes | Europe | SCHP |
HIS303-01 | 82221 | History of the Roman Republic | Dr. Arthur Jones | Monday/Wednesday | 7:00pm-8:20pm | Yes | Europe | SCHP |
HIS304-01 | 82224 | History of the Roman Empire | Dr. Dina Boero | Tuesday/Friday | 2:00pm-3:20pm | Yes | Europe | Global, SCHP |
HIS324-01 | 82223 | Women in Eastern Europe 1848-Present | Dr. Cynthia Paces | Monday/Thursday | 11:00am-12:20pm | No | Europe | Gender, SCHP |
HIS325-01 | 82225 | Modern Germany | Dr. Joseph Campo | Monday/Thursday | 9:30am-10:50am | No | Europe | Global, SCHP |
HIS336-01 | 82386 | Late Imperial China | Dr. Jodi Weinstein | Monday/Thursday | 2:00pm-3:20pm | No | East Asia | SCHP |
HIS351-01 | 82227 | Ancient and Medieval Africa | Dr. Matthew Bender | Monday/Thursday | 11:00am-12:20pm | Yes | Africa | Race and Ethnicity, Global, SCHP |
HIS366-01 | 82330 | Origins of the US Constitution | Dr. Jeffrey Brindle | Tuesday | 5:30pm-8:20pm | No | United States | None |
HIS370-01 | 82228 | The US in World History | Dr. Christopher Fisher | Tuesday/Friday | 9:30am-10:50am | No | United States | Global, SCHP |
HIS460-01 | 82230 | History in Hollywood Film | Dr. Celia Chazelle | Tuesday | 5:30pm-8:20pm | No | United States | SCHP |
HIS460-02 | 82231 | Urban History | Dr. Robert McGreevey | Monday/Thursday | 11:00am-12:20pm | No | United States | SCHP |
HIS461-01 | 82232 | Women Writing War | Dr. Cynthia Paces | Thursday | 2:00pm-4:50pm | No | Europe | SCHP |
HIS461-02 | 82233 | Magic, Paganism, and Witchcraft in Early Modern Europe | Dr. Roman Kovalev | Tuesday/Friday | 2:00pm-3:20pm | No | Europe | SCHP |
HIS464-01 | 82234 | Happiness and the History of Emotion | Dr. Qin Shao | Wednesday | 5:30pm-8:20pm | No | World | SCHP |
HIS498-01 | 82235 | Senior Honors Capstone Seminar | Dr. Dina Boero | Tuesday | 3:30pm-6:20pm | No | N/A | SCHP |
HIS499-01 | 82237 | Senior Capstone Seminar | Dr. Qin Shao | Tuesday | 3:30pm-6:20pm | No | N/A | SCHP |
HIS499-02 | 82238 | Senior Capstone Seminar | Dr. Matthew Bender | Monday | 2:00pm-4:50pm | No | N/A | SCHP |
History Course Descriptions
HIS100-01 Greek and Roman Society- Arthur Jones
“What have [the Romans] ever given us in return?” is the question posed by the People’s Front of Judaea in Monty Python’s Life of Brian. As enumerated by the responses given in the scene, we see that the Romans have influenced many aspects of culture around the Mediterranean in the ancient world as well as in our society today. This course will explore the Romans in their own words and those of their contemporaries around the Mediterranean. Through their writings we will trace the growth of Rome from village to empire (c. 800 BCE to 300 CE) and examine their ideas on the military, gender and sexuality, ethnicity, government, religion, entertainment, and life in a bustling metropolis.
HIS130-01 and -02 Key Moments in Soviet History Through Film- Dr. Roman Kovalev
The course will examine a number of major themes of Soviet history through screening films and placing them in their historical context. To achieve these aims, students will screen films, attend lectures, as well as read select books and articles dedicated to various larger themes of the topic and discuss them in class. No knowledge of Russian is required, although students with Russian-language expertise can opt to take the course for LAC credit.
HIS165-01 The Vietnam War- Michael Zvalaren
This course will cover the Vietnam War from 1945 to 1975, beginning with the French occupation following World War Two and concluding with the final phase in 1975 and the war’s aftermath in the American consciousness. The reading material will cover a broad spectrum, from autobiography to journalism to fiction. Particular attention will be paid to the socioeconomic status of the soldiers, the political climate in the United States during the era, and the cultural texts produced about the war. This course will seek to enhance the understanding and appreciation of students for one of the more contentious moments in American history.
HIS165-02 and-03 Disease and Health in American History- Simon Finger
This course will explore changing American understandings of what it means to be healthy or sick, and how the quest to promote healthiness and avoid disease shaped American history and culture from the colonial era to the 21st century. Using a variety of sources and an interdisciplinary approach, we will examine the relationship of health and environment, disease outbreaks and the responses to them, and battles over health policy. Topics will include the role of disease in American aboriginal depopulation, the catastrophic outbreaks of Yellow Fever and Cholera in the Early Republic, the doctor-patient relationship, the role of medicine in sustaining slavery, movements for dietary and health reform, the effects of urbanization on American health, debates over quarantine and immigration policy, and the role of the media in spreading information and misinformation about preserving health.
HIS165-04- The Body in American History- Timothy Holliday
What does it mean to say that the body has a history? This course examines the history of the human body in America from the seventeenth century to the present (and future). Through a combination of primary and secondary literature, the course highlights several prominent themes in that history, including: the racialization, sexualization, and gendering of bodies; the scrutiny of bodies; the definition of “perfect” bodies; the cultural significance of bodies; and, above all, the lived experience of embodiment.
HIS165-05- America and the Holocaust- Barbara Krasner
In this course, we examine the roles of various branches of the American government, including Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his advisors, Congress, the State Department, and other Cabinet secretaries, and their understanding of what was happening to the Jewish population of Europe. Students will analyze the impact of public opinion, the press, religious groups, and private agencies on governmental policies related to rescue. Particular emphasis will be placed on the American Jewish community’s reaction to the tragedy, and the factors influencing that reaction.
HIS165-06- American Constitutional History- Marc Lifland
HIS187-01 Memory and World War Two- Joseph Campo
This course is designed to give students an appreciation for how the history of the Second World War unfolded and to explore how different groups of peoples at different periods after 1945 have contested the memories of those events. It pays particular attention to three themes: those wars and experiences that history seemingly forgot, crucial/controversial developments that have competing interpretations, and how even after the war was “over,” it has been (and still is) very much a central part in many people’s lives. Its main objective is to get students to comprehend that this was indeed a world war, that is, it had an impact on the entire globe.
HIS220-01 and Herodotus: The Father of History- Dobrinka Chiekova
This course will explore the ancient world through the eyes of Herodotus, traveller, explorer, and collector of stories. He is known as “Father of History” and the word historia appears in the first sentence of his work. But Herodotus is also dismissed sometimes as “Father of Lies” who mixes up reality and fiction. We will ponder which of these titles describes him better. We will learn about the ancient Greeks, Persians, Egyptians, Scythians and other ancient peoples, about their environment and customs, the ways they interacted with each other, went to war with each other, and, as Herodotus himself says, “accomplished great and marvelous deeds.”
HIS230-01- Imperialism and Colonialism 1500-Present- Satyasikha Chakraborty
How did empire-building, colonialism, trans-oceanic trade and migrations transform the world into the globalized space we inhabit today? How have notions of the world itself changed in the last six centuries? This course offers a broad historical foundation of the modern world from the late 1400s, while trying to curtail Eurocentric assumptions from the narrative of world history and the history of empires. We will begin by exploring the powerful Islamic gunpowder empires such as the Ottomans, Safavids, and Mughals, and their struggles with rising European powers hungry for colonial expansion. What made European colonialism and global hegemony eventually possible, and how did various local cultures respond? Spanish, Portuguese, French, Dutch, and British imperialists not only imposed European norms and systems on the new territories they colonized, but also adapted to American, African and Asian forms of science and governance, and forged domestic ties with local people. This hierarchical cultural interaction not only changed the political, economic and knowledge structures of non-Western societies, but in the process also transformed Europe.
In this course, we will look at the crucial role played by ideologies of race, gender, class, religion, sexuality and morality in sustaining imperialism and colonialism. How were these ideologies naturalized by colonial science? Both Western and non-Western imperialism were legitimized through cultural products which permeated the everyday lives of ordinary people. We will explore how imperialism led to the world wars and how colonized people were dragged into the wars. We will look at anti-colonial nationalist struggles that led to decolonization, as well as transnational collaborations against Western imperialism and neo-colonialism. This course will not only enable us to understand imperial motives and methods, but also how ordinary people experienced empire. Finally, this course will help us think over the relationship between imperial history and memory – why certain events/individuals are remembered and memorialized, while others are forgotten.
HIS300-01 Rome and the Early Medieval West- Celia Chazelle
Continuities and change among institutions and peoples in Europe, the Mediterranean regions, and western Eurasia between c. 200 and c. 900 CE (AD). We will pay particular attention to the transformations of social institutions, cultures, and ethnic identities during this vibrant period of contacts between Rome, indigenous populations, and new groups that moved in and around these areas.
HIS460-01- History and Hollywood Film- Celia Chazelle
This readings seminar will explore a range of historical themes and issues through discussion and analysis of a selection of older and modern films, and related textual sources. The choice of movies is TBD.
HIS460-02- American Urban History- Robert McGreevey
HIS461-01 Women Writing War- Cynthia Paces
War is often considered a male domain. Yet, women also shape the experiences and memories of war as soldiers, nurses, workers, mothers, lovers, perpetrators, and victims. This course examines European women’s writings from the First and Second World Wars to uncover the complex relationship of gender and war. We will read memoirs as well as historical and theoretical works, and each student will have the opportunity to conduct original research.
HIS461-02 Magic, Witchcraft, and Paganism in Early Modern Europe- Roman Kovalev
This course shall explore popular culture of Europe during its first continental crisis: the rise of capitalism, the Reformation, the Age of Reason, the Scientific Revolution, and the advent of Absolutism (1500-1700). Means and way of battling and subduing the vast majority of the nonconformist population of Europe by its elites was through seeking and finding magic, witchcraft, and paganism amongst them, some of which was real, other not. This course shall explore all these topics through an examination and study of primary written documents, secondary literature, and visual sources.
HIS464-01 Happiness and the History of Emotion- Qin Shao
What is happiness? What is an emotion? This reading seminar focuses on this hot emerging new topic in history that has captivated human being for centuries. Based on primary and second literature, the seminar studies the role emotions have played in social change and also provides perspectives on happiness in personal life.