Fall 2008 Course Descriptions
200-400 Level
SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE! Always check the University online schedule for the latest changes.
HIS
203 - History of Africa to 1870
80190
MW 3:30-4:45
Colleen Kriger
What is civilization? This course
examines the variety of African civilizations throughout the continent, from
ancient times up to the 19th century, and how closer study of African history
has prompted scholars to revise the way "civilization" is defined. We
will focus on ancient civilizations in Africa, the empires and city-states of
the Islamic period, and the rise of trade with Europe, especially the Atlantic
slave trade and its effects on African societies.
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HIS 211 - United States History to 1865General survey of American history from colonization through the Civil War. 211-01 through 04 Phyllis Hunter
211-05 through 08 Watson Jennison
211-10 Susannah Link Online 211-11 Laurinda de Beck TR 8:00-8:50 |
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HIS 212 - United States History since 1865General survey of American history from Reconstruction to the present. 212-01 through 04 Charles Bolton
212-05 through 08 Lisa Levenstein
212-09 Thomas Jackson TR 2:00-2:15 212-10 Paige Meszaros TR 3:30-4:45 |
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HIS 215-01 - Civilizations of Asia
80211
TR 12:30-1:45
Jamie Anderson
This course is an introduction to the pre-modern history of Asia. We will focus on the following Asian countries: China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. Most students in the West may only be familiar with these nations in the context of the traumatic episodes of war and violence and revolution that swept the region throughout the twentieth century. However, these countries are heirs to long histories of cultural brilliance and diversity. In this class we will first explore how the history of this region has shaped the common bonds that bring this part of the world together as a whole. Secondly, we will consider how the literary traditions of these various societies depict the social and political conditions from which modern Asian nations would later emerge.
HIS 218 - The World of the Twentieth Century
This class will examine global issues in the contemporary world, focusing mainly on the post-World War II period, from the dropping of atomic bombs on Japan in August 1945, to the complex, high-tech, evolving world of today. We will view this history from the point of view of those living it, including students in the class themselves. Everyone has an "historical consciousness," an understanding of the way the world became what it is today, and the main purpose of this class is to introduce students to alternative ways of interpreting history by weighing the merits of differing points of view.
218-01 through 04 Jeff Jones
The lecture portion of this class meets on Wednesdays and Fridays at 9:00-9:50. Smaller discussion groups meet on Mondays at either 8:00-8:50, 9:00-9:50 or 10:00-10:50.
80212 218-01 - WF 9-9:50, M 8-8:50
80213 218-02 - WF 9-9:50, M 9-9:50
80214 218-03 - WF 9-9:50, M 9-9:50
80215 218-04 - WF 9-9:50, M 10-10:50
218-05 Kevin Greene TR 3:30-4:45
82383
HIS 221 - Medieval Legacy
This course explores the rich legacy of Medieval Europe. The Middle Ages lasted from the collapse of the Roman Empire in the west (around 500 AD) until the so-called Renaissance (14th to 16th centuries AD). This is an enormous time span, and I have no intention of trying to cover every event and every aspect of the Middle Ages. Rather, we will focus on several themes examined over three sub-periods of the Middle Ages. We begin with the ancestors of the Middle Ages: the civilization of Rome, its Christian overlay, and the arrival of the Germanic tribes. From there we will look in turn at the Early (c.500-950), Central (c.950-1250) and Late Middle Ages (c.1250-1500). Within each of these mini-periods we will examine several of the following themes: the nature and effectiveness of government (primarily kingship), the role of Christian belief and Christian institutions in shaping medieval life, the shape of everyday life, and the capacity of women to exercise power.
The process of our trip through the Middle Ages, however, will not merely be one of mastering names and dates (although you certainly must do a fair amount of memorization). Indeed, a major purpose of the class is to demonstrate to you the methods by which historians approach the past. Thus we will be interested in learning about the nature of the sources available to us, and, above all, in learning how to interpret them. Interpretation, after all, is the keystone of the historian�s craft, and it will be one of our purposes in this course to subject all of the material at our disposal to careful prodding, questioning, and criticism.
221-01 through -04 Richard Barton
The lecture portion of this class meets on Wednesdays and Fridays at 12:00-12:50. Smaller discussion groups meet on Mondays at either 12:00-12:50 or 1:00-1:50.
80216 221-01 - WF 12-12:50, M 12-12:50
80217 221-02 - WF 12-12:50, M 12-12:50
80218 221-03 - WF 12-12:50, M 1-1:50
80219 221-04 - WF 12-12:50, M 1-1:50
221-05 Anne Barton MWF 9:00-9:50
(Writing Intensive Section)
80220
HIS 222 - Europe 1400-1789
222-01 Frank T. Melton TR 11:00-12:15
80221
222-02 Frank T. Melton TR 2:00-3:15
80222
Survey of major socio-economic, political, and cultural trends in Europe from the Renaissance to the French Revolution.
HIS 223 - Modern Europe
223-01 Joseph Ross MW 3:30-4:45
80223
223-02 Joseph Ross MW 2:00-3:15
80224
A survey of the political, social and cultural history of Europe from the time of the French Revolution to the present. Emphasis will be placed on the political culture and the emergence of the great ideological systems of the West (e.g., liberalism, conservatism, socialism, communism, nationalism, and fascism). Crosslisted with IGS.
HIS 240 - Latin America: National Period
240-01 Mary Floyd Online
80582
In this introductory survey of the history of Latin America from the late eighteenth century to the early twenty-first century, we will explore the political dynamics, social transformations, and the economic evolution of Latin America. We will also attempt to keep track of three themes as they unfold over the two centuries: economic change, the evolution of democracy, and revolutionary movements. This course meets the following requirements: CNW, GHP, GMO, GN, NW.
HIS 301 - Race and Slavery
80376
MW 2:00-3:15
Watson Jennison
An examination of the African-American experience from ancient to modern times, including precolonial Africa, the Atlantic slave trade, slavery in the Americas with special emphasis on the United States before the Civil War.
HIS 310 - Daughters of Eve
80226
MW 3:30-4:45
Anne Barton
This course offers an introduction to the experience of women in the Middle Ages through close examination of writings by and about women. In so doing we will be less concerned with the more traditional elements of medieval history and more interested in how such elements came to shape women's lives and opportunities. One of the central themes will be the importance of gender as a category of cultural difference; with this in mind we will spend a fair amount of time considering the ways in which medieval society defined femininity, appropriate female behavior, and the female body, as well as the ways in which those definitions and understandings changed over time.
HIS 311 - Darwin and the Theory of Evolution
80227
TR 2:00-3:15
Ken Caneva
Writing and Research Intensive
Study of the background, genesis, and the reception of Darwin's theory in its scientific and social context as the basis for an examination of the nature and scope of scientific explanations.
HIS 315 - Witchcraft and Magic in European History
80228
MWF 11:00-11:50
Jodi Bilinkoff
Examination of witchcraft beliefs and persecution as a way of studying the social history of Europe before industrialization. Emphasizes the "Witch Craze" of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
HIS 321 - Latin America and the United States
84335
TR 3:30-4:45
Antonio de la Cova
Analyzes the political, economic and diplomatic relations between Latin America and the United States. Emphasis on "Manifest Destiny," the Spanish-Cuban-American War, the Panama Canal, the Good Neighbor Policy, the Alliance for Progress, and NAFTA.
HIS 328 - US Women's History to 1865
80230
MW 2:00-3:15
Phyllis Hunter
This course seeks to introduce students to women's experiences in the past as a vital component of the making of the United States. In addition, we will explore the history (historiography) of the study of women. Students will read and analyze both primary accounts -- letters, diaries, slave narratives, and novels -- and recent secondary studies that use methods of social history and gender analysis to reconstruct our understanding of American history. During the semester, we will have both lectures, class discussions, and class presentations including a final group project.
HIS 338 - Civil War, Reconstruction, and Reunion
82076
TR 9:30-10:45
Mark Elliott
American history from the end of the Mexican War to the Bryan campaign, centering on the slavery controversy, Civil War and Reconstruction, industrialization, urbanization, and agrarian problems.
HIS 340 - The United States Since World War II
80231
TR 9:30-10:45
Thomas Jackson
Speaking and Research Intensive
Selected social, political, and international trends and events: Cold War and Vietnam; conservatism from McCarthy to Reagan; black freedom, radicalism and the Great Society; feminism; mass immigration and multicultural America.
HIS 342 - U.S. Women and their Bodies
80232
MW 2:00-3:15
Lisa Levenstein
This course examines the history of U.S. women and their bodies. Topics that we will explore include sexuality, nutrition, menstruation, birth control, abortion, HIV/AIDS, breast cancer, heart disease, domestic violence, and menopause. We will look at how women�s experiences of their bodies have changed over time and differed according to race, class, region, and sexual preference. We will also explore how and why women�s bodies have become sites of political struggle and resistance. Crosslisted with WGS.
HIS 347 - History of North Carolina
347-01 Laurinda deBeck TR 9:30-10:45
(Writing Intensive Section)
80233
347-02 Laurinda deBeck MWF 10:00-10:50 80234
347-03 Christine Flood MWF 9:00-9:50 (Speaking Intensive Section)
80235
This is a survey course. It spans more than 400 years of state history - from colonization to the present. It is American history with the spotlight on North Carolina. Objectives of the course include an examination of:
- when, how, and why North Carolina developed as it did.
- How its actions and reactions were similar or different from the other states.
- How the development of its economic, social, and political structure determines present-day North Carolina with special emphasis on such topics as: a) the economy b) politics c) race relations.
HIS 348 - The World at War, 1914-1918
82385
TR 11:00-12:15
Paul Mazgaj
Few events in the history of the western world have had as profound an impact on political institutions, society, and culture as the �Great War.� This course will begin with and examination of pre-1914 European society and attempt to analyze the stress zones--diplomatic, political, and cultural--that brought Europe to war in 1914. Next we will turn our attention to the course of the war, focusing not only on the battlefields, but also on the domestic mobilization of the enormous human and material resources that were required to fight such a war. Finally, we will attempt to evaluate the impact of the war. This impact extended beyond the peace treaties--which ratified the breakup of empires and reconfigured European power relations--to world historic events such as the Russian Revolution, the rise of Fascism, and the misfired attempt to bring a new order to the Middle East. A consideration of the impact of the war will also include an evaluation of the cultural legacy of the war and the various ways in which the war has been remembered.
HIS 354 - Roman Republic, 754 BC-44 BC
80297
MWF 9:00-9:50
Stephen Ruzicka
Study of the social and political forces that led to Rome's conquest of the Mediterranean World - and of the transformation which world conquest wrought on Rome itself. Topics covered include: the Roman Constitution and politics, the Roman conquest of Italy and then of the whole Mediterranean, and the decline of the Republic. (Same as CCI 354)
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HIS 373-01 - English History to 1660
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HIS 381 - The Near and Middle East
80238
T 6:00-8:50
April Najjaj
This course considers the history of the Middle East broadly defined (from Morocco to Iran). We begin with an introduction to Islam and then proceed from 19th Century colonialism to the modern day. Using a topical rather than chronological approach, the course includes discussions of nationalism and Islamic "fundamentalism," the Arab-Israeli conflict, the struggles for natural resources, the civil war in Lebanon, the Islamic Revolution in Iran, and the continuing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. We conclude with consideration of 20th Century Middle Eastern society and culture, including themes in literature, art, and architecture, and contemporary social issues, such as the status of women and of human rights. Student readings and discussion are emphasized.
HIS 382-01 - Crime and Punishment in 18th Century England
84374
TR 9:30-10:45
Richard Gorden
This course seeks to introduce students to the history of crime and punishment in 18th Century England. Using both primary and secondary sources, students will examine the transformation of English society based on the changing views of crime, punishment and attitudes of offense and individual rights.
HIS 384-01 - Modern Transformation of China 1800-present
82384
TR 3:30-4:45
Jamie Anderson
How is Modern China really �modern�? What do we mean by this term? Can we understand the modern history of China, if we only focus on the Chinese response to the arrival of Western powers in the region? This course will examine the political, intellectual and social development of China since ca. 1800. Attention will be given to traditional Chinese culture and society, peasant revolutions, the May Fourth Movement, the rise of nationalism and communism, and domestic developments since the 1949 founding of the People�s Republic of China. Comparing and analyzing a variety of primary source materials, we will write our own history of China and in the end develop our skill to observe societies with different origins than our own.
HIS 390 - History Internship
Field learning experience in public or applied history. Academic supervision provided by job supervisor. Assigned reading and written reports. May be repeated. Prerequisite: Consent of Department Head.
HIS 391-01 - Honors Seminar in History: The Atlantic World
84268
T 3:30-6:20
Linda Rupert
Written Permission Only
This advanced seminar, required for the honors distinction in history, introduces students to important approaches and perspectives in the historical profession, in a forum which promotes collegiality and discussion. This year�s theme focuses on the Atlantic World, one of the newest and fastest-growing fields in our discipline. The course introduces a transnational approach to history and provides an overview of the basic narrative of Atlantic history�the development of European empires, the creation of American colonies, and the emergence of trans-imperial networks, in the early modern period (roughly 1400-1800). We will also discuss variety of approaches and themes which historians have employed, and considers some of the challenges involved in a comparative, cross-cultural approach.
HIS 401, 402 - Independent Study
HIS 493 - Honors Work
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