History 100 Course Descriptions (AY 2013-2014) |
The Cold War: History vs. Hollywood:
After World War II, the US and USSR led the world in a global standoff that was sometimes quiet, sometimes bloody, but always tense. The Cold War dominated American foreign policy for over four decades, and it also impacted the American psyche, as seen through popular films of the era. This course will look at the Cold War from both historical and pop culture perspectives. We will examine the difference between the historical Cold War and Hollywood's portrayals of it, as well as the various viewpoints from both sides of the conflict.
European Lives:
In early modern Europe, less than 15% of the population owned most of the property and wealth. An even smaller percentage of people made most of the big decisions regarding religion, politics, and society. Traditional political history reflects this focus on "big men" and "big events" and depicts the rest of the people as merely reacting to dictates passed down to them from on high. In this course we will explore how most people lived their lives, how they were affected byb actions taken at the centers of power, and how they in turn had a profound impact on the way decisions were ultimately manifested in everyday life.
The History of Food:
In this course we will study the history of food from the beginnings of agriculture in the ancient world to more contemporary developments, such as locavorism and the Food Network. We will examine the ways in which attitudes toward food have changed over time, both in the United States and more globally, and students will discuss some of the ethical and political issues involving food. We will also consider the ways in which an individual’s cultural heritage impacts their feelings about food, including inclinations and taboos.
Modern Iraq:
History of Iraq since 1920, with an emphasis on the 1990s, the 2003 U.S. invasion, and recent events. This offering of HIST 100 fulfills the "Non-Western" Cross-Area Requirement.
Nationalism:
Nation states have not always existed, so how did they come to be? In this course we will explore nationalist movements in Europe and North America, from the American Revolution to the present, looking carefully at the roles that ethnic identification, religion, and language have played in the formation of the modern nation state.
Revolutionary Europe:
TBA
Westward the Course of Empire," North America, 1763-1863:
In 1763 the British expelled the French from the North American interior. British colonists took proud part in this triumphant imperial moment; yet, in successful rebellion against that same great Empire, they soon created a new nation with its own unimaginably vast western empire. In this class, we will follow the course of America’s "Empire of liberty" to a moment when the Union itself (largely over the issue of the western expansion of slavery) was torn asunder—even as the trans-continental imperial vision became reality. We will take a panoramic view of America’s western history, as interpreted by historians and as cherished, regretted, or reviled in the American imagination. We will consider and re-consider the central American themes of liberty, (frontier) democracy, and slavery.
History 101 Course Descriptions (AY 2013-2014) |
The Age of Nationalism:
TBA
China - Ancient to Modern (J-Term travel course):
An Introduction to History with a focus on China’s efforts to modernize in the 19th & 20th Centuries. The travel experience will allow us to see, hear, smell and taste Chinese society as it is today, while we read about and discuss China’s historical struggle. This offering of HIST 101 fulfills the "Non-Western" and “experiential–travel” Cross-Area Requirements.
European Revolutions:
The centuries between 1600 and 2000 were punctuated by major revolutions in Western Europe. Changes in the way men and women approached God, each other, their governments, and work triggered social upheaval and war, as well as violent optimism and despair. In this course, we will examine four major European revolutions: the English Civil Wars/Revolution, the French Revolution, the Industrial Revolution, and the Russian Revolution. Additionally we will study the so-called “Age of Revolutions.”
The Modern World since 1815:
This course analyzes the development of our modern global community, beginning with the ideological struggles in the early nineteenth century. Themes and topics covered in this world history course include: late nineteenth-century imperial and racial ideologies, rise of nationalism, roots and causes of the two World Wars, industrialization, decolonization and "third world" nationalism, the Cold War and its legacies, globalism, and the rise of terrorism.
The Sixties:
Study of revolutionary changes in American life during the 1960s. Topics include rock music, new art & cinema, campus unrest, interest in eastern religions, civil rights & black power, emergence of feminism and environmentalism, as well as the Vietnam war and the hippie counterculture.
World War II:
This course investigates the causes and consequences of the Second World War. In addition to offering a comprehensive military history of the war, the course explores the legacy of the First World War, the crisis of European Liberalism and the rise of Fascism and National Socialism, international politics during the 1920s and 1930s, the outbreak of war in Asia and Europe, the entry of the United States into the war, the Holocaust, and the contours of the post-war world.