The History Department congratulates Professor Michael Fisher who is one of three faculty members at Oberlin that received the College's Teaching Excellence Awards. Each of the distinguished teachers represents Oberlin's commitment to excellence and innovation in teaching. Professor Pablo Mitchell whose book Coyote Nation has been awarded the 2007 Ray Allen Billington Prize by the Organization of American Historians. The Billington Prize honors "the best book in American frontier history, defined broadly so as to include the pioneer periods of all geographical areas and comparisons between American frontiers and others."

Faculty Spring Office hours

History Course Offerings, Fall 2008

Introductory Courses

HIST 101 – Medieval/Early Modern European
3 Hours
3SS
This introductory course surveys the formation of Europe from the end of imperial Rome to the rise of territorial states in the early modern period, using both primary sources and modern historical texts. Topics include: early medieval Christianization, feudalism, conflicts between Church and Empire, the Crusades, the growth of cities and states, commerce and trade, colonialism, late-medieval cultural renaissances and popular piety, the Hundred Years' War, Protestant and Catholic Reformations and the Scientific Revolution. Enrollment Limit: 30 per section
Staff
Section 1: MWF 10:00 – 10:50 am
Section 1: MWF 01:30 – 02:20 pm

 

HIST 103 – American History to 1877
3 Hours
3SS CD
Central issues in the development of American society, culture, and politics from the eve of European colonization through the close of Reconstruction. Emphasis on modes of historical analysis and important scholarly controversies. Topics include: 17th century cultural encounters; origins of American slavery and racism; dynamics of nation-building; the growth of capitalism and democracy in the early republic; race, class, and gender in the antebellum North and South; causes and consequences of the Civil War. Lecture/discussion format. Enrollment Limit: 35
Mr. Kornblith
MWF 11:00 – 11:50 a.m.

 

HIST 105 – Chinese Civilization
3 Hours
3SS CD WP
An introduction to the history of China from the archaeological origins of Chinese civilization to the period of the mature imperial state in the 17th century. The diverse origins of China's civilization are stressed as topics in political, social, and economic history are explored, as well as developments in religion and thought, language and literature, and art. This course is the normal introduction to further study of Chinese history and culture and, in particular, provides a valuable context for themes treated in Modern China. Enrollment Limit: 50 Same as EAST 121
Mr. Jacobson
MWF 10:00 – 10:50 am

 

 

HIST 107 – Russian History I
3 Hours
3SS CD WP
An introductory survey of Russian history from earliest times to the mid-19th c. Beginning with an overview of the Kievan Rus and the Mongol overlordship, we will explore the diverse influences of the steppe, Orthodox Christianity, and 'the west'  on the nature of the Muscovite and Imperial Russian state,  the relationship between state and society, the formation of national and imperial identities, and dominant cultural values. Enrollment Limit: 50
Ms. Hogan
MWF 10:00 – 10:50 am

 

HIST 121 – History of the Middle East and North Africa, from the Rise of Islam to 1800
3 Hours
3SS CD
This introductory course surveys the history of Islamic states, societies and cultures from the formation of Islam to the beginnings of the Ottoman Empire. The course moves between primary texts and secondary readings to cover topics including: the life of Prophet Muhammad; Qur'an, Hadith and Shari'a; religious and political sectarianism and rebellion; Sunni and Shi'I governments; Islamic philosophy, siences, and literature; Muslim women; religious minorities; and enounters between Muslims and the West.
Ms. Abul-Magd
MWF 01:30 – 02:20 pm

 

HIST 131 – Jewish History Biblical Antiquity to 1492
3 Hours
3SS CD WP
Survey of Jewish history from biblical antiquity through the medieval period in the Middle East, Christian and Islamic realms. Topics include: biblical society, ideas, and literature; Jewish society under Hellenistic and Roman rule in Judea; Jewish sects of the Second Temple period, including early Christianity; emergence and development of rabbinic Judaism; Jewish attitudes toward non-Jews and State authorities and toward loss of sovereignty and exile;  Christianity and Islam and the Jews; community and family; theological and popular Jew-hatred and Jewish responses during the Crusades and expulsions. Enrollment Limit: 40; Same as JWST 131
Ms. Magnus
TR 09:30 – 10:50 am

 

HIST 159 – Japan – Earliest Times to 1868
3 Hours
3SS CD
This course examines the origins of Japanese civilization and surveys the classical, medieval, and early modern periods. From the emergence of a court-centered state through the rise and fall of a warrior-dominated society, Japan's pre-modern history is explored by focusing on political, social, cultural and intellectual developments. Early interactions with Asia and the West will be considered as a means of questioning the 'opening' of Japan in the mid-nineteenth century. Enrollment Limit: 50; Same as EAST 131
Ms. O'Dwyer
MWF 01:30 – 02:20 pm

 

HIST 162 – Cultures and Peoples of Ancient India
3 Hours
3SS CD
Cultures and Peoples of Ancient India. Surveys the development of South Asian civilization from its origins to the beginings of the European conquest (c. 2500 BCE-1700 CE). This course has as its fundamental concerns the several competing social, religious, and political institutions within Indian civilization including those of the aboriginal, Vedic-Hindu, Buddhist, and Islamic traditions. We explore the interactions among linguistic, gender, ethnic, religious, “caste,” and class identities.  Enrollment Limit: 50
Mr. Fisher
MWF 11:00 – 11:50 am

 

HIST 180 – Global Environmental History
3 Hours
3SS CD
This course explores the ways that humans have shaped the environment and that the environment has shaped human history from ancient times to the present. Each week will focus on one question with relevance to contemporary environmental issues. including: religion and ecology, the environmental impact of imperialism, the origins of environmentalism, and population pressure, among others. Enrollment Limit: 40
Mr. White
TR 11:00 – 12:15 pm

 

HIST 214 – Economic History of the Modern Middle East and North Africa
3 Hours
3SS
This course examines the economic history of countries in the MENA region, including Egypt Turkey, Algeria, Iran, Ira, and Saudi Arabia from the nineteenth century to the present. It follows their experiences of "great transformation: of the world. We look at how societies in this region became peripheries of European economies under colonialism, and subsequently, how they experienced socialist regimes, managed their oil, and are now living through market economy reforms.  Enrollment Limit: 30
Ms. Abul-Magd
TR 03:00 – 04:15 pm

 

HIST 222 – Modern Germany and Eastern Europe, 1848-1989
3 Hours
3SS CD WP
How should a community constitute itself politically? What does it mean to be a citizen? What is the relationship between the state and the nation? These questions were at issue throughout modern Central European history. We will examine the various answers offered to this question over this period: from nationalists to social democrats to Nazis and Communists. To contextualize these issues further, we will integrate theories of nationality, ethnicity, and identity into our empirical readings. Enrollment Limit: 35
Ms. Sammartino
TR 09:35 – 10:50 am

HIST 253 – The Shaping of Contemporary America
3 Hours
3SS
An analysis of political, social, and cultural issues in United States history since 1960. The course will emphasize the shifting dynamics of American politics, with attention to foreign policy and to various liberation movements in dialogue with the political process. Since 2008 is an unusually fluid presidential election year, the course will pay particular attention to presidential elections and voting patterns from 1960 to the present. Enrollment Limit: 30
Mr. Koppes
TR 11:00 – 12:15 pm

 

HIST 257 – Westward Bound: The West in American History
3 Hours
3SS CD
The American West occupies a special place in American history. This course will survey major events in Western history, from the journey of Cabeza de Vaca and the Pueblo Revolt, to the Gold Rush and the Mexican American War, to World War II, the rise of the urban West, and 1960's political mobilization from Tierra Amarilla to Orange County to the Castro. Themes will include: the West as geographic region, the West as place of cultural mixing, and the West of desire and fantasy. Enrollment Limit: 50
Ms. Lee
MWF 09:00 – 09:50 am

 

HIST 260 – Asian American History
3 Hours
3SS CD
This course is an introduction to the history of peoples of Asian ancestry in the United States and the construction of an Asian American collectivity. Major themes will include the place of Asian Americans in the American imagination, migrations, labor, communities, and responses to social and legal discrimination. The categories of race, ethnicity, gender, class and sexuality will figure prominently as we explore similarities and differences among Asian American experiences. Enrollment Limit: 40: Same as CAST 260
Ms. Lee
MW 02:30 – 03:45 pm

 

HIST 263 – American Civil War and Reconstruction
4 Hours
4SS CD WP
A critical examination of the causes, course, and consequences of the Civil War. Topics include slavery and the development of the sectional crisis; abolitionism, antislavery politics, and the emergence of the Republican Party; secession; the military experience; the meaning of emancipation; and the dilemmas of Reconstruction Emphasis on primary sources and recent scholarship in social and political history. Lectures, online and in-class discussions, videos. Recommended Preparation: HIST 103 or its equivalent. Enrollment Limit: 30
Mr. Kornblith
MW 02:30 – 03:20pm
F 02:30 – 04:20 pm

 

HIST 270 Latina/Latino Survey
3 Hours
3SS CD WP
What historical forces have brought together diverse groups including Chicanos from Los Angeles, Cubans from Miami, and Dominicans and Puerto Ricans from New York City? From the 16th century to the present, we map the varied terrains of Latina/o history. Major themes include: conquest and resistance, immigration, work, and the creation of racial and sexual differences within and between Latino/a communities. We survey Latina/o writers from Cabeza de Vaca to Jose Marti to Gloria Anzaldua. Enrollment Limit: 40
Mr. Mitchell
MWF 10:00 – 11:00 am

HIST 273 Globalization & Capitalism
4 Hours
4SS
This class will explore world economic history from Columbus to the present with a focus on rising global interconnectedness, on the one hand, and widening global inequalities, on the other. We will address issues such as the rise of Western economic hegemony, the role of colonies and environmental factors in economic development, the making of global markets, and whether globalization is something old or new. Some background in economics preferred but not essential. Enrollment Limit: 25
Mr. White
MW 3:00 - 4:20 pm

HIST 283 Environmental Histories of South Asia
3 Hours
3SS CD WP
This course explores crucial material, socio-political, and cultural relationships between the diverse peoples of South Asia and their ecosystems, from the pre-colonial period down to the present. We focus on a series of integrated issues including "forest as frontier and/or home," "shaping and using the land," and "meanings and control of water." Students will write short position papers and a substantial research paper on a relevant topic of her/his individual interest. Enrollment Limit: 35
Mr. Fisher
TR 09:00 – 10:50 am

 

HIST 284 Tokyo: History and the City, 1600-2000
3 Hours
3SS CD
This course charts the history of one of the world's first metropolises From shogunal capital in the early seventeenth century to global commerce center in the twenty-first, Edo/Tokyo will be examined from political, economic, social, and cultural angles to question familiar assumptions about the course and nature of modernity. Enrollment Limit: 25
Ms. O'Dwyer
TR 11:00 – 12:15 am

 

HIST 293 Dirty Wars and Democracy
3 Hours
3SS CD WP
In this study of the military dictatorships of Chile, Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay in the 1970s and 1980s, we will examine why these regimes arose, the nature and methods of the dictatorial state, resistance movements, and the dictators demise. The course will also focus on the search for truth and justice under post-dictatorial governments. Students will engage a variety of cross-disciplinary methodologies. Lecture and discussion format. Enrollment Limit: 40
Mr. Volk
TR 09:35 – 10:50 a.m.

 

HIST 310 Marx and Marxism
3 Hours
3SS WP
This seminar examines one of the most important modern thinkers and his intellectual legacy. After spending a few weeks on an intensive analysis of Marx's own work, we will explore later 20th century interpretations of Marxism. Throughout this course, we will be concerned with the evolution of such concepts as class, ideology, political engagement, and capitalism. We will also investigate the relationship between Communist politics and the philosophical work of Marxists in the 20th century.  Enrollment Limit: 12
Ms. Sammartino
T 07:00 – 09:00 pm

 

HIST 328 Mixed Blood
3 Hours
3SS CD WP
From the coyote and the half-breed to the "tragic" mulatto, people of mixed ethnic and racial heritage occupy a conflicted and controversial place in American history. This course will hart the histories of people of mixed heritage from the colonial period to the present, exploring the relationship between the historical experiences of mixed heritage and broader trends in American history including slavery imperialism, legal transformation, can changing cultural patterns. We will also consider current social theories of hybridity and mestizaje. Enrollment Limit: 15
Mr. Mitchell
W 02:30 – 04:20 pm

HIST 339 Motion Picture Censorship
3 Hours
3SS
For a century American movies have operted within controversial systems that have defined the boundaries of cinematic expression. Whether censored by state and municipal governments, contained within Hollywood’s Production Code Administration, or rated by today’s industry ratings agency, moviemakers have maneuvered at the boundaries of cultural expression and economic ambition. After considering new theoretical approaches to the question of censorship in various media, the colloquium explores the impulses behind various drives foer censorship, filmmakers’ responses, and censorship systems’ ambiguous and shifting results.  Several landmark films will be screened.  Enrollment Limit: 12
Mr. Koppes
W 7:00 - 9:00 pm

 

HIST 353 Transnational History in Northeast Asia
3 Hours
3SS CD
This course explores the history of China's Northeast ('Manchuria') as a site for challenging the boundaries imposed by histories of the nation-state. The histories of Japan, the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia will be interwoven to examine the region's transformation from sparsely populated Manchu homeland, to staging ground for Japanese imperialism, to scene of Mao Zedong's triumph over the Nationalists in the Chinese Civil War of 1945-49. Enrollment Limit: 12
Ms. O'Dwyer
T 01:00 – 02:50 pm

 

HIST 361 Mexican Revolution: Birth, Life, Death
3 Hours
3SS CD WP
The Mexican Revolution is widely studied and thoroughly disputed. This seminar engages the argument by exploring the bloody origins, institutionalization, and (perhaps) demise of the Revolution. Whether or not the Revolution happened, it did produce a rich historiography, as well as epic cultural artifacts. Our analysis of the Revolution will follow the chronology of its historiographic and cultural products. Classes will be organized and discussions led by students. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 15
Mr. Volk
T 07:00 – 09:00 pm

 

HIST 379 Stalinism
3 Hours
3SS CD WP
This course explores in depth the origins and nature of Stalinism and focuses in particular on recent historiographical approaches to the study to Stalinism. Among the topics to be explored are everyday life under Stalin, the literature of personal experience, and the impact of the 2nd World War on Soviet society. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 12
Ms Hogan
F 02:30 – 04:20 pm

 

History Course Offerings, Spring 2009

HIST 102 Modern European History
3 Hours
3SS
This intoductory course surveys the histories of the peoples of Europe from the Old Regime to the present. Students are introduced to the methods of studying history as well as the subject matter proper. Particular topics include: the decline of the society of orders, the French Revoltion and its aftershocks through the 19th century liberalism, socialism, imperialism, fascism and the rise and fall of the Cold War. Enrollment Limit: 60
Ms. Sammartino
MWF 10:00 - 10:50 am

 

HIST 104 American History, 1877 to the Present: Major Problems of Interpretation
3 Hours
3SS CD WR
This course will explore American politics, society, and culture from the post-Civil War era to the present. We will focus on changes in power relations in American society produced by social and political movements. We will also examine the construction and contestation of gender, race, ethnic, and class. This course will emphasize the use of primary sources, different modes of historical analysis and interpretation, and scholarly controversies. Enrollment Limit: 45
Mr. Koppes, Ms. Lee, Mr. Mitchell
MWF 11:00 - 11:50 am

 

HIST 106 Modern China
3Hours
3SS CD
This history of China from the founding of the Manchu Qing (Ch'ing) dynasty in 1644 takes a China-centered perspective. Along with political and institutional developments, long-term changes in the society and economy of China are stressed and the indigenous bases for those changes are explored so that China's 20th century revolutionary upheaval will be seen to be more than a 'response to the Western impact' or an 'emergence into modernity.' Enrollment Limit: 50
Mr. Kelley
MWF 11:00 - 11:50 am

 

HIST 108 Russian History II
3 Hours
3SS CD WR
Beginning with the reform era in mid-19th century, this course examines the processes that led to the revolutions of 1917 and the consolidation of Soviet power; the formaion and nature of the Stalinist system; the Soviet experience of World War II and the origins of the Cold War; post-Stalin efforts at reform and factors which led to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991; the course ends with a brief consideration of the Yeltsin and Putin regimes. Enrollment Limit: 50
Ms. Hogan
MWF 10:00 - 10:50 am

 

HIST 122 Modern History of the Middle East and North Africa, 1800 to Present
3 Hours
3SS CD
This introductory course follows the intellectual, political, economic and social transformations in the region from 1800 to the present. It examines themes including the relation between the British and French colonizers and their colonized societies, the formation of modern 'nation-states,' national identities and wars of liberation, Arab nationalism and socialism, ethnic and sectarian conflicts the Arab Israeli conflict; Gulf politics and economy, feminist thought and activism, and the emergence of political Islam. Enrollment Limit: 35
Ms. Abul-Magd
MWF 1:30 - 2:20 pm

 

HIST 132 Jewish History form the Spanish Expulsion to the Present
3 Hours
3SS CD WR
Survey of Jewish history, 1492-present, studying Jewish modernity in Europe, the United States, and Middle East. Topics include the demise of traditional society and emerging modernity in the experience of Marranos, mystics, messiahs, secular Jews; the struggle for legal equality, economic betterment and social acceptance; family and community; acculturation, assimilation and cultural revival; modern Jew-hatred and Jewish responses; Zionism; Jewish socialism; the Shoah; founding of Israel. Enrollment Limit: 40
Ms. Magnus
TR 9:30 - 10:50 am

 

HIST 160 Modern Japan
3 Hours
3SS CD
This course surveys Japan's modern transformation from the Jeiji Restoration of 1868 to the present. It examines how political, social, and economic modernization were simultaneous projects while considering their impact on the lives of citizens at home and imperial subjects abroad. We focus on how economic volatility, popular struggles for representative democracy, war, and colonization represent aspects of Japan's twentieth century experience as well as widely shared dilemmas of modernity. Enrollment Limit: 50
Ms. O'Dwyer
MWF 1:30 - 2:20 pm

 

HIST 163 Modern South Asia: From British Imperialism to the Present
3-4 Hours
3-4SS CD
Introduction to South Asian civilization from the European conquest through the colonial period to post-colonial nationhood. Discusses developements within Indian and British-Indian society concerning religion, gender, 'caste,' and class. Using largely indigenous (primary) sources, we explore issues of British imperialism, nationalism, and anti-colonial political mobilization. We conclude with an assessment of the current conditions in South Asia. Enrollment Limit: 50
Mr. Fisher
TR 9:00 - 10:50 pm

 

HIST 181 Animals in History
3 Hours
3SS
This course looks at the role of animals in human society from prehistory to the present, including both environmental and cultural issues. We cover topics such as how animals were domesticated, the ecological impact of keeping large animals, animal breeding, and vegetarianism. Enrollment Limit: 40
Mr. White
TR 11:00-12:15 pm

 

HIST 237 Women in Jewish Society Antiquity to Modernity
3 Hours
3SS CD WR
Topics in Jewish women's history from antiquity to the 20th century, examining 'normative' constructions of women's roles, idealized constructions of Jewish maleness and femaleness, and realities of gendered behavior. Using rabbinic and communal materials, women's letters, memoirs and rituals, explores family and power relations between women and men; women's economic functions and power; women, men and religion; transformation of roles in modernity; gendered responses to persecution; feminism. Enrollment Limit: 25
Ms. Magnus
TR 1:00-2:50 pm

 

HIST 244 The United States in the Second World War
3 Hours
3SS
World War II is perhaps the most important event in twentieth-century American history. The war had a profound effect on American society, the economy, and America's global status. This course examines the ways in which WWII influenced and transformed America through a study of military, social, cultural, and political history. Topics include the combat experience; politics and technological developments; the war's impact on gender, race, and sexual relations; propaganda and censorship; and popular culture. Enrollment Limit: 35
Ms. Romano
TR 11:00-12:15 pm

 

HIST 246 American Orientalism
3 Hours
3SS CD
Asking how ideas about "Orientals" shaped articulations of American identity, this course examines the cultural and intellectual history of American Orientalism beginning in the late 1700s. We focus on domestic discourse and Asians and Asian Americans in the U.S. Topics include: writings about Chinese "coolies" after the Civil War; inscription of abnormal sexuality on Asian bodies during America's modernization; ColdWar origins of the Model Minority; return of the 'Yellow Peril' in contemporary life. Enrollment Limit:
Ms. Lee
TR 3:00-4:20 pm

 

HIST 265 American Sexualities
3 Hours
3SS CD WR
This course will examine the creation, maintenance, and reproduction of sexual practices and social formations, and stretching through the modernization of sex. Major topics will include: marriage, changing gender roles, the intersection of sexuality with race and ethnicity, commercialized sex, reproduction, same sex sexual practices, contraception, sexual violence, heterosexism, danger, desire and pleasure. Enrollment Limit: 25
Mr. Mitchell
MWF 10:00-10:50 am

 

HIST 268 Oberlin History as American History
3-4 Hours
3-4SS CD
This course explores episodes in the history of the city of Oberlin as a multicultural community within the larger context of American history. Topics include abolition, race relations and civil rights, temperance, religion, women's rights, civic improvement, and community leaders. The course also introduces the sources and methods available to construct Oberlin's history. Students collaborate on local history projects with community partners. Enrollment Limit: 25
Ms. Lasser
TR 9:00-10:50 am

 

HIST 287 Japan's Empire, 1895-1945
3 Hours
3SS CD
This course examines the political, social, and economic development of Japan's empire, with attention to the dynamic exhange between metropolitan center and colonial periphery. Analysis of individual colonies and spheres of influence will emphasize both the diversity of imperial structures of rule and competing rationales for empire that complicated the coherence of the project as a whole. Additional topics include: comparative colonialism, 'imperial democracy', education, women's roles, resistance and postwar repatriation. Enrollment Limit: 25
Ms. O'Dwyer
TR 3:00 - 4:15 pm

 

HIST 298 Russia in Central Asia
3 Hours
3SS CD
A survey of the relationship between core Russian lands and the cultures and polities of Central Asia, beginning with early interactions of sedentary and nomadic peoples on the Eurasian steppe. Topics include: the rise of Islamic states in the region, their Perso-Islamic cultural and religious traditions and Turko-Mongolian political practices; the question of 'decline' of Central Asian khanates; colonization and conquest; imperial policies toward the steppe and Muslim peoples; the Soviet transformation of Central Asia. Enrollment Limit: 25
Ms. Hogan
MWF 1:30-2:20 pm

 

HIST 307 Seminar: Jewish Memoirs & Memory
3-4 Hours
3-4SS CD WR
Explores cultivation of memory in Jewish tradition and the emergence of a genre of writing about the self in a culture that emphasizes the collectivity. Readings about memory and writing and selected memoirs from early Jewish modernity to the present, looking at motivation for writing; intended and actual audience; the role of gender and class in memory and writing; the relationship between personal and collective identity and experience; and memoirs as sources of Jewish history. Note: prior study of Jewish history (HIST 131 or 132 or equivalent) recommended. Consent of Instructor Required. Enrollment Limit 12
Ms. Magnus
M 2:30-4:20 pm

 

HIST 323 Liberty and Power, Democracy and Slavery in Jacksonian America
4 Hours
4SS CD WR
An exploration of the cultural dynamics, social relations, economic forces, and political structures that shaped the lives of ordinary Americans-African American, Euro-American and Native American; male and female; rich middling, and poor; urban and rural; northern and southern, eastern and western; native-born and immigrant-between approximately 1820 and 1850. After reading Alexis de Tocqueville's classic analysis of Jacksonian democracy, we will focus on recent case studies and current scholarly controversies. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 14
Mr. Kornblith
TR 1:00-2:50 pm

 

HIST 327 Borderlands
3-4 Hours
3-4SS CD WR
The American Southwest, roughly the United States-Mexico border area from Texas to California, is a political economic, and cultural crossroads. We will investigate interactions between Native Americans and Spanish colonists beginning in the 16th century, emerging United States economic and political control during the 19th century, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, land dispossession, the Mexican Revolution, immigration, civil rights, and 20th century demography. We also discuss borderlands as a literary and symbolic concept. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 12
Mr. Mitchell
W 2:30-4:20 pm

 

HIST 332 Historical Memory in US
4 Hours
4SS
This seminar examines the ways American history is presented in monuments, films, museums, theme parks, products, and commemorations. We look at how representations of the past influence the construction of identity and shape political arguments about contemporary issues. through study of diverse topics from the Alamo to civil rights, memorials, students analyze how public representations of the past can become contested sites of political and racial struggle. Enrollment Limit: 15
Ms. Romano
M 2:30-4:20 pm

 

HIST 333 The Cold War
3 Hours
3SS
Why the Cold War came about and what it means are the subjects of this colloquium. Emphasizing clashing historiographical interpretations, the course focuses on the period from the end of World War II to 1960. In addidion to traditional great power policy issues, the course addresses ambiguities of the "cultural" Cold War and the paradoxes of race (domestically and internationally) and the Cold War. Enrollment Limit: 12
Mr. Koppes
MW 1:30-2:20 pm

 

HIST 342 Race, Gender and American Social Movements
3 Hours
3SS CD
We consider theories of social movements and take comparative approach to the study of the black freedom struggle, the Asian American movement, and Latino movement, among others. We also discuss struggles that cross (and complicate) ethnic and racial identity such as feminism, gay rights, and third world liberation. Enrollment Limit: 12
Ms. Lee
TR 9:30-10:50 am

 

HIST 345 Social Movements in China, Late Imperial Times to the Present
3-4 Hours
3-4SS CD WR
Social movements from the Qing Dynasty to the present will be analyzed using social science theories about social movements, while interrogating them in the Chinese context. Cases may include: the White Lotus Rebellion, the Taiping Revolt, the Boxer Uprising, the Communist-led Revolution, strike waves of the 1930's and 1957, the Cultural Revolution, the 1989 protests, and the Falungong protests of 1999-2000. Students will write a theoretically-informed research paper on a social movement of their choice. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 15
Mr. Kelley
M 2:30-4:20 pm

 

HIST 352 The City in Japanese History
3 Hours
3SS CD WR
This course examines physical and cultural aspects of Japanese cities over time. Ancient cities were based on the Chinese imperial model. In medieval times an emerging market economy led to the proliferation of urban sites and the beginnings of a distinctive urban culture. Castle towns predominated during the Tokugawa period, complete with a thriving bourgeois culture. In modern times Japan became an industrialized society whose intellectual and social character was grounded in an urban base. Consent of the instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 15
Ms. Gay
W 2:30-4:20 pm

 

HIST 357 Non-Violent Opposition to British Imperialism: M. Gandhi
3 Hours
3SS CD WR
This colloquium concentrates on, but is not limited to, the life of Mohandas Gandhi. Parallel to our study of Gandhi's life in India, England, and South Africa, we analyze indigenous Indian and European notions about issues like non-violent activism and moral and secular law. Students, through research papers, compare and contrast M. Gandhi's conception and practice of non-violence with the strategies of other nationalists or social reformers. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 15
Mr. Fisher
W 2:30-4:20 pm

 

HIST 381 Colonial and Post-Colonial States in the Middle East and North Africa
3 Hours
3SS CD
Through monographs, fiction, documentaries and movies, this course examines issues of state, social and cultural formations in the region during colonial and post-colonial periods. Looking at states such Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Sudan, Algeria, Morocco, Iran and Turkey, we study issues of modernity and capitalism, national identities, nation and gender, rise and fall of Arab nationalism and socialism, democratiztion and economic liberalization, societies of 'oil' Islamic movements, and finally, globalization. Enrollment Limit: 12
Ms. Abul-Magd
TR 1:00-2:50 pm

 

HIST 382 Climate Change and Disaster in World History
4 Hours
4SS
Using both scientific and historical evidence, this seminar examines case studies of climate-related disasters around the world from ancient and modern times. We will look at why some societies collapsed in the face of natural climate changes and how others persevered, and considered whether historical examples hold any relevance as we confront global warming today. Enrollment Limit: 12
Mr. White
MW 2:30-4:20 pm