Spring 2006 Course Descriptions
200-400 Level
HIS 204 - History of Africa since 1870
204-01 TR 9:30-10:45 (Writing and Speaking Intensive)
When, how, and why did European nations colonize the African continent? And, an equally important question, What is the legacy of European colonialism in Africa today? This course examines major themes in recent African history, and discusses theoretical debates in the history of Africa during the colonial period and since.
Topics to be covered include: the imposition of colonial rule and wars of resistance; styles of colonial rule; theories of underdevelopment and the effects of colonial policies; Pan-Africanism, nationalism, and independence movements; the creation of apartheid; decolonization; and issues facing independent Africa such as neo-colonialism and the dismantling of apartheid. These themes will be studied with reference to the regions of west, east, central, and southern Africa.
HIS 211 - United States History to 1865
General survey of American history from colonization through the Civil War.
211-01 Jeffrey Kerr-Ritchie MWF 12:00-12:50
211-02 Laurinda deBeck TR 11:00-12:15
211-81 Susannah Link Online
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HIS 212 - United States History since 1865General survey of American history from Reconstruction to the present. 212-01 Chuck Bolton MWF 12:00-12:50 |
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HIS 216 - Civilizations of Asia
MW 2:00-3:15
Jamie Anderson
Is Modern East Asia really �modern�? What do we mean by this term? Can we understand the modern history of the region, if we focus exclusively on the Asian response to the arrival of Western powers in the region? This course will examine political change, specifically the emergence of anti-colonial nationalist and communist movements, as well as related intellectual and social developments in East Asia since ca. 1800.
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HIS 218 - The World of the Twentieth CenturyMWF 9:00-9:50 Major developments which shaped the contemporary world, with emphasis on two world wars, Russian and Chinese revolutions, emergence of a third world of new nations, and impact of modernization and mass culture since 1939. |
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HIS 220 - The Ancient World
MWF 11:00-11:50
Stephen Ruzicka
Early civilizations: Near Eastern, Egyptian, Greek, and Roman to Reign of Constantine. (Same as CCI 220)
HIS 221 - Medieval Legacy
TR 9:30-10:45
Anne C. Barton
Writing Intensive
Survey of Western European history from the end of the Roman Empire to the fifteenth century exploring such varied aspects of the medieval experience as pilgrimage, crusade, peasant life, the emergence of nation states, and the rise of the university.
HIS 222 - Europe 1400-1789
222-01 Frank T. Melton TR 11:00-12:15
222-02 Frank T. Melton TR 2:00-3:15
Survey of major socio-economic, political,and cultural trends in Europe from the Renaissance to the French Revolution.
HIS 223 - Modern Europe
223-01 Kaarin Michaelsen TR 11:00-12:15
223-02 Michael Kennedy
MWF 10:00-10:50
223-03 Meri Ellen Lynott
MWF 9:00-9:50
223-04 Eve Duffy
TR 11:00-12:15 Writing Intensive Section
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).
HIS 240 - Latin America: National Period
240-01 Mary Floyd
TR 8:00-9:15
240-02 Mary Floyd TR 9:30-10:45
Both Sections are Writing Intensive
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. Both sections of this course are offered as writing intensive for Spring 2006.
HIS 251 - History of Western Science: A Survey
TR 9:30-10:45
Ken Caneva
This course examines some of the major episodes in the historical development of Western science through the Scientific Revolution, which marked the effective founding of the modern scientific worldview. Primary attention will be devoted to developments in physics, cosmology, and astronomy as the fields most determinative of the character of Western science. Some of the principal questions we'll be looking at are: (1) How did people's conceptions of the structure of the cosmos and the nature of the material world change from antiquity to the Scientific Revolution? (2) What kinds of questions did scientists try to answer? What did they rule out of bounds? How did "science" come to be defined? (3) How was science shaped through its relationship to religious traditions?
HIS 301 - Race and Slavery
TR 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 315 - Witchcraft and Magic in European History
MWF 1:00-1:50
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 320 - Central American History
TR 12:30-1:45
Mary Floyd
The political structure and economies of the Central American republics from independence in 1821 to the beginning of the twenty-first century and the possibilities of a Central American Free Trade Association.. Emphasis on political competition of "a nation divided" under the strain of social and economic inequality, United States scrutiny, and the dynamics of agrarian cultures. Although this course carries a lecture designation, discussion and student participation are integral to its success.
HIS 326 - Using Photographs as Historical Evidence
MWF 12:00-12:50
Lisa Tolbert
Writing and Research Intensive
This course takes a case study approach to evaluating the content and history of photographs as historical evidence. We will begin with compelling images of the American Civil War, one of the earliest wars ever to be photographed. The second case study will explore several different conventions of portrait photography. Finally, we will evaluate the history of social documentary from the turn of the twentieth century through the Great Depression. Overall, we will strive to go beyond the use of photographs as mere illustrations to understand the richer meanings of their visual content as primary source evidence that must be critically evaluated in historical context. You will put these methods and perspectives into practice by developing a term paper that uses a particular type of photograph as primary source evidence (rather than as simple illustration) for your thesis.
HIS 329 - Women in American History, Part II
MWF 10:00-10:50
Christine Flood
A history of women in the U.S. since the Civil War. Topics include roles, status, image, family, work, and racial and class differences in experience.
HIS 347 - History of North Carolina
347-01 MWF 12:00-12:50
347-02 MWF 10:00-10:50
Laurinda deBeck
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 359 - Sexuality in Historical Perspective
TR 11:00-12:15
Cheryl Logan
The course will examine changing categories of sex and gender from the mid nineteenth century to the homosexual and women�s right movements of the 1960s. We will focus on the emergence of nineteenth century sexual science, the impact of war and industrialization on changing notions of masculinity and femininity, Freud and bisexuality, and the often-perceived threat to society from sexual variations. Sample readings: An American Obsession: Science, Medicine and Homosexuality in Modern Society, Terry, 1999, and Trials of Masculinity: Policing Sexual Boundaries, 1870-1930. A. McLaren, 1997.
HIS 369 - History of Spain
MWF 11:00-11:50
Jodi Bilinkoff
Writing and Research Intensive
In the period between 1450 and 1700 a previously poor and isolated region of Europe emerged as a dominant political, military and cultural force. In this, its "Golden Age," Spain conquered and colonized the largest empire since the days of the Romans, dominated much of Europe, declared itself the leader of the Catholic faith, and dazzled the world with its accomplishments in art, music, literature and spiritual expression. It also grappled with intense problems of poverty, urban sprawl, racism, religious intolerance and seemingly endless wars, on both sides of the Atlantic. In this course we examine primary texts (in English translation) from the Hispanic world in the Age of Empire, and listen to the voices of people caught up in the triumphs and struggles of this complex and fascinating society.
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HIS 373-01 - English History to 1660MWF 10:00-10:50 From 55 BC to the restoration of Charles II in 1660, this course surveys all the major developments- Roman, Britain, the Anglo-Saxons, Normans, and Medieval England, the Reformation and the Puritan Revolution. Within each period the main political, intellectual, religious, social, and economic themes are examined. |
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HIS 376 - German History, 1914-1945
TR 9:30-10:45
Karl Schleunes
German social and political structures and their functioning during World War I, Weimar Republic, and Third Reich with attendant emphasis on cultural and intellectual themes. The years 1914-1945 were extremely difficult ones for Germany and are often referred to as the era of "the great German crisis." The experience of World War I shaped cultural, political, economic and social developments for the next decades. The resentments created by Germany's defeat in 1918 created the setting in which Hitler and the Nazi party emerged as the largest political force in the early 1930s. A major portion of the course is devoted to examining the Nazi attempt to restructure the world along racist lines in a Third Reich.
HIS 381 - The Near and Middle East
381-01 Ann P. Saab R 6:00-8:50
This course deals with the history of the Israel and the Muslim Middle East in the twentieth century. After a background of events before and during the two world wars, we will examine a series of continuing controversial issues, such as the Arab-Israeli conflict, the revolution in Iran, and the use of oil. Student reading and discussion will be emphasized.
HIS 382 - Silks and Spices: A History of the Silk Road in China
MWF 10:00-10:50
Jamie Anderson
Following the prosperous Silk Road of the Northwest and the thriving spice trade of the South China Sea regions, Imperial Chinese courts remained engaged in international exchanges of goods and ideas since ancient times. This course will examine the intersection of trade and tribute in patterns of foreign relations China conducted with its neighbors through the arrival of European powers in the 16th century. Material trade, and the socio-cultural exchanges accompanying it, will serve as the central theme in this course. While remaining �China-focused,� we will also explore the ways in which the various peoples have existed in the region for over two thousand years, fighting during much of this time for both political autonomy and cultural self-identity. Some of the secondary topics we will explore include the fluid, border-less nature of the frontier between South China and northern Southeast Asia, a study of Late Imperial China�s �Southern Silk Road,� China's tribute relations with various southern maritime kingdoms, and a broad study of pre-modern Chinese frontier management throughout the empire. Through a critical reading of recent scholarship on related topics, we will determine for ourselves the impact that global trade patterns had on the historical development of this very important region of the world.
HIS 389 - West Africa during the Atlantic Slave Trade
TR 2:00-3:15
Colleen Kriger
Examines how trade between European and African countries developed into a trans-Atlantic slave trade. Focus on origins of slaves and effects of slave trade on Africa, ca. 1450-1850.
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 392 - The Holocaust: History and Meaning
TR 2:00-3:15
Karl Schleunes
This course examines the history of the Nazi Holocaust during World War II and explores the variety of understandings and meanings -- historical, political, intellectual, artistic, and theological -- that have been proposed as possible explanations for how such a horror was possible. The Holocaust raises questions about the nature of good and evil, the nature of human beings, and the powers of the divine. No event of the 20th century has so shocked and unnerved the human consciousness.
The immediate focus of the course is upon the Nazi efforts to exterminate the Jewish people in its entirety, although other victims -- Roma and Sinti (Gypsies), mentally and physically handicapped, homosexuals, and the Polish intelligentsia -- are likewise defined as being "unworthy of life."
The course begins with a lengthy examination of the history of anti-Jewish sentiment in Western culture and its transformation during the 19th into a central component of European racism. From there it explores the political and social circumstances that in 1933 brought the Nazis to power and examines their efforts to establish what they believed would be a racially-pure world in which those they deemed to be inferior ceased to exist.
HIS 401, 402 - Independent Study
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