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Weimar and Nazi Germany

The two German political regimes of the era from 1918 to 1945 - the Weimar Republic born out of the Great War and the Nazi dictatorship that destroyed it - exemplified and contributed directly to the reshaping of European (and non-European) life in the twentieth century. This research seminar for senior history majors and minors will examine some of the approaches scholars have taken to understanding social, intellectual, cultural, and political aspects of life under these two governments as well as their effects on our understanding and experience of the "modern" world.

You in Historical Context

In this 300-level seminar we will study narratives that blend personal stories with historical events in various times and places. We'll also examine local, national, and global events and other historical aspects of the recent era in which students have lived. Each student will develop a multi-media research project to create a narrative of her/his/their own experiences, opportunities, and challenges in historical context. Pre-Requisite: One 100- or 200-level HIST course Fulfills HU Distribution.

Introduction to Peace Studies

Are humans inherently violent? Is war inevitable? How do people in different societies respond to conflict? Is it 
possible or even desirable to eliminate all conflict in human interactions? What is meant by"peace"— is it simply the absence of violence? What is necessary for establishing and maintaining a peaceful community or society? How are animals and the environment relevant to peace for humans?  Does inner peace relate to outer peace?

Cold War Politics, Society and Culture

This course, required for the major and the minor in history, is designed to offer students an opportunity to learn about and practice the tools of the historian’s craft while examining a particular topic in detail. The main focus is the “history of the history” of the particular topic, also known as historiography. While topics vary, the course proceeds in seminar fashion and entails extensive reading and writingassignments. Fulfills HU requirement. Prerequisite: a 100 or 200-level history course.

African Life Stories

This course uses the stories of people's lives - memoirs, biographies, and oral histories - to study the history of the African continent. Some historians assume that the only "legitimate' sources for historical knowledge are archival documents. In contrast, this course insists that history is fundamentally a craft of story tellers. Through this lens, we will study the craft of writing a life story in the African context. What's in a life? What does it mean to record and narrate the story of someone else's life?

Modern Asia

This course examines the Asian region from 1650 to the present. We discuss the creation, dismantling, and continuing remnants of colonialism, World Wars I and II in the Asian context, the Cold War, the Korean and Vietnam Wars, and recent economic development. The course begins with an overview of Asian geography, culture, and history. It is designed to introduce students to major events and issues of modern Asia and also to improve students’ skills in critical reading, writing, use of primary and secondary sources, and oral communication.

Modern China

This course covers three revolutions in modern Chinese history: 1) the rise of the Communist Party; 2) the Cultural Revolution of 1966-1976, using memoirs of Chinese who lived through that decade; 3) the “economic revolution” of the 1980s and 1990s in the context of the Pacific Rim region. Fulfills HU requirement. Also offered through Asian Studies and Peace Studies.