Spring 2010 Course Descriptions
History
Courses
HI 200 The Making of Our Contemporary World (3 credits)
This course is designed to provide a broad conceptual grasp of the modern world by examining the major developments and events of the past century. Two world wars, a cold war, decolonization and ethnic conflicts have made the 20th century one of the most tumultuous in world history. The growth of the global economy has produced fundamental changes in lifestyles and in the types of issues that confront us. Rapid urbanization, the changing roles of women, the communications revolution and the spread of consumer societies have created conditions unknown to earlier generations. But not all cultures have created conditions unknown to earlier generations. Not all have benefited equally, and this has created tensions between the "haves" and "have nots." The world's different societies share the globe uneasily, but know they must coexist. The challenge is to make that happen. I
HI 202 Archaeology and Ancient Civilizations (3 credits)
Treats archaeological excavation and dating techniques. Traces the nature of civilizations, reasons for their rise and decline, human creativity and cultural migrations. Studies primary civilization areas of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Indus Valley, Crete, Mycenae, Anatolia, China, Celtic Europe, and Pre-Columbian America. Surveys selected literature of the Sumerians, Akkadians, Egyptians, Hebrews, Hittites and Minoans.
HI 236 History of Ireland: From St. Patrick to "The Troubles" (3 credits)
This course traces the history of Ireland from the days of St. Patrick to today's "troubles" in Northern Ireland. It will consider the experience of the Irish people, their lives, religion and political plight as they struggled for independence, stability and respect. It will also focus upon the rich and lively culture they created over the centuries and their impact on the larger world community. I
HI 261 Latin America (1800-present) (3 credits)
Introduces the major currents of Latin American history from 1492 to the 20th century. Topics will include the Iberian and Amerindian background, the social and economic structures of the colonial period, slavery and race relations, the Wars of Independence, the continuing legacy of the colonial period, the integration of Latin America into the world economy, 20th- century revolutions, and the history of U.S. relations with Latin America. I
HI 264 History of China: Before Confucius, After Mao (formerly HI 270) (3 credits)
Introduces the civilization of China. Examines the intellectual, political, social and economic patterns of the civilization. Discusses the roles of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. Traces the growth of Chinese culture, including thought, art and life, dynastic cycles, inner Asian barbarians, and Confucian civilization at its height. Examines the coming of the West and the traumatic consequences of that encounter for China. Traces the struggle to resist, adapt and respond to the Western challenge. Emphasizes the revolutionary nature of the entire process for China. Examines the 20th-century blend of traditional Chinese and modern Western techniques that have combined to create contemporary China. I
HI 265 History of Japan: Samurai and Salarymen (formerly HI 272) (3 credits)
Introduces the civilization of Japan. Examines the intellectual, political, social and economic patterns of the civilization. Discusses the warrior society of early Japan and its response to Chinese culture. Traces the development of a distinctive Japanese civilization in early Heian society, the resurgence of the warriors, and the development of feudalism. Examines Japanese aesthetics and the influence of zen in noh plays, gardens and paintings. Discusses the long civil war and the reasons for closing the country in the early 17th century. Examines the growth of pre-modern society and economy during the long Tokugawa era. Treats the coming of the West and Japan's sprint to modernize during the Meiji period, the decisions that led to the China and Pacific wars, the American Occupation, and the growth of a dynamic global economy in contemporary Japan. I
HI 266 Middle East: Islamic and Contemporary (formerly HI 284) (3 credits)
Studies geography and peoples of the Middle East today. Examines Muhammad's teachings, Arab conquests, formation of Islamic civilization, dominions of the Turks and Mongols, Latin Crusades, Ottoman Empire and Safavid Iran. World War I and European mandates, emergence of modern Turkey and Egypt, Israel's birth and struggle for existence, plight of the Palestinian refugees, Arab conservatism versus socialism, and other issues are explored. I
HI 267 The Past and Present in Africa (formerly HI 291) (3 credits)
Examines a variety of African cultures as background for understanding recent African history. Introduces the basic institutions of African societies and the ways in which these resemble or differ from those of the West. Historical topics include slavery and the slave trade, colonial conquest and rule, African religions, Islam and Christianity, the rise of nationalism, independence, and the crisis in southern Africa. I
HI 280 The Caribbean: Past, Present, Futures (3 credits)
This course will build an understanding of the insular Caribbean using traditional historical sources as well as fiction, film, and the Internet. The focus will be on the societies of the Greater Antilles-Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Jamaica-although the smaller islands will also be considered. About two-thirds of the semester will highlight historical events that have shaped the modern Caribbean-slavery, the plantation system, the transition to free labor, independence movements and relations with the United States, to name a few. The last month of the course will examine current trends, including democratization, the growth of tourism, free trade zones, drug trafficking, and migration, as well as attempts at regional integration. Those discussions will help us forecast what the future of a small, poor, underdeveloped region like the Caribbean might be. I
HI 303 Pre-Columbian America (3 credits)
Surveys material evidence for the first Americans, Clovis-Folsom hunters, origins of agriculture, and development of cultures and civilizations in North, Middle, and South America. Includes evidence for trans-oceanic contacts prior to Columbus. Studies various tribes maintaining traditional lifestyles into early modern times.
HI 305 Arts and Society (formerly HI 217) (3 credits)
Presents the formal aspects of creative works by man, including the terminology and techniques by which the great periods have been categorized. Developmental aspects of the visual arts (painting, sculpture, architecture) and of music are emphasized, including some chronology and stylistics. Direct experience with the lively arts constitutes a basic part of the course.
HI 306 War and Society (formerly HI 218) (3 credits)
War has had a decisive impact on past civilizations and is a preoccupation in our own. It explores a community's hopes, pretenses, and fears; its social structure and level of technology; and its sense of honor and capacity for sacrifice. The course examines the place and practice of war in five different settings; the medieval west, 17th century England and the English Civil war, 18th century France and the French revolutionary army, Western Europe and World War I, and America in the nuclear age. A variety of books, films and other materials are used to present a vivis and thoughtful account of each culture and its involvements with war. I
HI 307 Through Children's Eyes: Crises of the Twentieth Century (3 credits)
This course examines selected crises in twentieth century history through literary, film and other recorded or remembered experiences of children. Emphasizing primarily the history of Europe, it also discusses other areas of the world deeply influenced by European ideas, imperialism and economic domination. I
HI 308 Drugs Trades in World History (3 credits)
Drugs trades - licit and illicit - are often controversial. By examining the histories of trade in drugs - both small, easily transported and large bulk commodities - this course aims to explore the long history of the global economy and its relevance to contemporary problems of 'globalization.'
HI 314 History of the World Economy (3 credits)
Traces the history of a world economy from its formation in the pre-industrial era to the present, showing how trade and colonial interests have influenced modern history. Focuses on the competition for world markets and the struggle for empires. Also considers the impact of this struggle on foreign relations and the quality of life in industrial nations. I
HI 323 The Medieval West (3 credits)
Covers approximately 1,000 years of Western history from the decline of the Roman Empire to the beginnings of the Italian Renaissance. Includes topics such as early Christianity, Germanic invasions, Byzantine and Islamic cultural influences, Carolingians, feudalism and manorialism, Vikings, church-state controversies, monasticism, Romanesque and Gothic architecture, Crusades, growth of towns and universities, Scholasticism, the Black Death, and everyday life.
HI 326 Age of Enlightenment (3 credits)
Embraces the scientific and philosophic revolutions of 17th- and 18th-century Europe, from the Age of Genius, with its roots in the Baroque, to the Romantic reaction at the end of the 18th century. Emphasizes the works of the writers and thinkers who shaped so much of the structure of modern thought, and their impact on their own age as well as ours. Includes the political and social history of the major movements in Europe. I
HI 327 Age of Revolution (3 credits)
Examines the development of political ideas and attitudes as they manifested themselves in the revolutions of Western Europe during the 17th and 18th centuries. Topics include such fundamental concepts as liberalism, constitutionalism, nationalism and democracy as they were shaped and modified in the world of action from the Puritan Revolution in England to the Napoleonic era. I
HI 328 The Romantic Age (3 credits)
Extends from the Napoleonic period to the early 20th century. Includes such topics as French hegemony, continental blockage, and the fall of the Empire; English sea power and her colonial strength; Eastern European strength and tsarist Russia; revolutions of the mid-century; American Civil War; Industrial Revolution; liberalism and the growth of socialist ideology; and the Romantic movements. I
HI 329 Twentieth-Century Europe (3 credits)
Covers the first World War and its background, and cracks in Western domination of world affairs. Goes on to the boom of the 1920s and the economic crisis of the 1930s; the Russian Revolution and establishment of communism under Lenin, Stalin, Krushchev and contemporary Russian effects; World War II; the Cold War; Western losses in world politics; and 20th-century cultural growth and fragmentation. I
HI 330 Women, Work and Family in European Perspective (formerly HI 210) (3 credits)
Provides a historical overview of women in European history from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. It asks: 1) What work did women do or what were they expected to do? 2) What roles did women play within family structures? 3) What relationships existed between women's family and work lives? and 4) What ideas existed about women and what ideas did women have about themselves, their work, their roles? D I
HI 331 Modern British History (3 credits)
This survey of modern British history begins with the origins of British nationalism in the 18th century and concludes with an analysis of the problems of contemporary Britain. Themes will include the interplay between society and institutions, persistence and change, as well as an examination of internal and external factors which contributed to Britain¿s 19th century ascendancy and 20th century decline. I
HI 334 The Soviet Union and After (3 credits)
Introduces the main currents of Soviet history from the Bolshevik Revolution to the present. Treats social and cultural factors and their interrelation with politics, Stalinism, World War II, growth and expansion of the Soviet bloc, and the post-Stalin era. Discusses the breakup of the Soviet Union and the development of the successor states. I
HI 340 Colonial America (1400-1750) (formerly HI 253) (3 credits)
Analyzes the processes by which European states discovered, explored and colonized the Western Hemisphere. The political, economic and cultural expansion of Europe, the development of intercolonial rivalries and a comparison of imperial systems are some areas of inquiry.
HI 342 The Revolutionary Generation in the United States (1750-1815) (formerly HI 254) (3 credits)
Studies intensively the causes, course and result of the War for Independence. Examines the formation of the national state.
HI 343 Modern United States History (1920-present) (formerly HI 256) (3 credits)
Includes such matters as immigration, the World Wars, the New Deal and welfare capitalism, nuclear diplomacy and presidential power.
HI 344 Constitutional History of the United States (3 credits)
Focuses on America at the time of the break with England. Looks at Constitutional documents - their sources and their inclusions. Includes the development of Constitutional aspects of order in the United States as the country grew from an agrarian and simple commercial republic to an urban and industrialized world power, and from a homogeneous to a widely diversified people.
HI 346 Economic History of the United States (formerly HI 259) (3 credits)
Makes a historical analysis of forces that define economic developoment. Considers concentration on economic theories and principles since the Renaissance and the adoption of capitalistic forms in early America. Pictures 19th-century applications in industry and the 20th century, especially contemporary developments.
HI 347 Work and the American Worker (formerly HI 260) (3 credits)
This course looks at the history of work and the American worker from, roughly, the late 19th century to the present. It considers such issues as shifting styles of work, i.e., the evolution and meaning of the assembly line, scientific management, and the re-engineered workplace of today. It also examines the changing nature of working-class life and community among native-born and immigrant workers, women, and racial minorities. It explores the evolution of organized labor movements in the U.S. and their relationships to government and politics. This leads us into discussion of the role of law and government in workers' lives through the state response to strikes, government support or opposition to unionization, and anticommunism. D
HI 348 History of American Technology (formerly HI 251) (3 credits)
Examines the relationship of the American people to their tools and machines, broadly understood, from colonial times to the present. It considers factors that encourage and discourage innovation. It pays particular attention to shifts in the organization of production, the military's connection to technological change, and the increasing importance of science-based technology in American society.
HI 349 History of Modern U.S. Foreign Policy, 1945-Present (3 credits)
Examining the drama of the Cold War, the policies that defined it, and the resulting search for a post-Cold War approach to world relations, HI 249 analyzes the twists and turns of recent U.S. foreign affairs. Meant to hone one's powers of analysis, this course is especially valuable to students with interests in international business and the general "global mission" of Bentley University.
HI 350 Serfs, Slaves and Sojourners: The Minority Experience in the United States (3 credits)
Examines the historical experiences of minorities in the United States. Looks specifically at Mexican-American, Afro-American, Native American and Asian American peoples. Discusses their experiences in the development of the United States and their contributions to contemporary American society and culture. Focuses on major figures, events, presidential actions and legislative fiats that have impacted the American experiences of these minority groups. The diverse nature of contemporary American society will be examined and discussed. D
HI 351 The American Religious Experience (3 credits)
This course explores the role of religion in American life from the colonial settlements of the early 17th century to the present.
HI 352 The American Mind (3 credits)
This course explores some of the more significant issues in modern American thought. Major topics to be addressed include: sex and gender, race and ethnicity, foreign policy and national economic policy.
HI 353 20th Century US Economic History (3 credits)
This course examines the history of economic development in the United States since the 1890s. It considers the emergence of mass production and consumption, changes in the organization of business, changes in the role of government, the impact of depression and war on the economy, globalization and the impact of international economic activity, and gender and race as they relate to the economy. Other topics may include (but are not limited to) agriculture, labor, the environment, health, education, and technology in the economy.
HI 354 The New Nation (3 credits)
This course will focus on the monumental changes that took place in the first half of the nineteenth century, as well as the Civil War that tore the nation apart. Topics such as the emergence of democratic politics, western expansionism, Indian removal, the rise of industrial capitalism, slavery, the birth of a women's rights movement, and Abraham Lincoln's political career will all be studied intensively. Students should come away from the course with a sophisticated understanding of how the social, political and economic institutions that define our own world began and developed over time.
HI 356 The United States: From Nation to Empire (1865-1920) (3 credits)
Focuses on the history of the United States in the "Gilded Age" and "Progressive Era" periods. Begins with an overview of Reconstruction in the South and ends with and account of World War I. Along the way, topics for discussion will include immigration, urbanization, business, art, religion, literature, technology, organized labor, machine politics, women's suffrage, the Populist movement, the status of African-Americans, the displacement of Native Americans in the West, range wars in the West, and the Spanish-American War.
HI 357 America and Its Arts (3 credits)
An introduction to the arts of America (painting, sculpture, decorative arts, architecture, photography, prints and print advertising) as they relate to the unfolding of American history from the time of the American Revolution to the present.
HI 380 Modern East Asia (formerly HI 275) (3 credits)
Considers East Asia's response to Western penetraton from 1840 to the present. Includes collapse of traditional cultures in China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam, and the building of new societies in these areas; rise and fall of Japan as an imperial power; nationalist and communist revolutions in China; decolonization and nationalism in East Asia; and the Cold War (Korea and Vietnam) and its aftermath. I
HI 381 The Civil War (formerly HI 355) (3 credits)
The PBS series The Civil War made television history, attracting a record number of viewers. It not only demonstrated the superb quality of this documentary presentation but also pointed to Americans' abiding preoccupation, one might even say "love affair," with this segment of their past. The Civil War stands at the very center of that past. The problems and issues of that day are the problems and issues of our own; the clash of views continues unabated. This course examines that clash and the ways it has been presented in literature, motion pictures, and, most recently, TV.
HI 382 World War I (formerly HI 235) (3 credits)
This course traces the origins, progress and comsequences of World War I. Consideration is given to politics, diplomacy and military developments. Original films of the fighting are included, as welll as slides of the battlefields and monuments as they now appear. Major consideration is given to the literature inspired by the war. I
HI 383 World War II (formerly HI 329) (3 credits)
Deals with the rise of fascism and international tensions that led to World War II, the conflict itself in its many campaigns, and the results of the war on our present environment. Particular attention is devoted to the role of the leading military, political and diplomatic personalities of the period and their impact on the main events. Full use is made of film, and guest lecturers who experienced the war in various capacities visit the class. I
HI 385 The Vietnam War (3 credits)
Examines the roots of the conflict in both America and Vietnam, and puts the conflict in the context of the Cold War and of the anti-colonial movement. Discusses the role of Ho Chi Minh and his associates in leading the Vietnamese nationalist revolution; briefly deals with the anti-French War and the division of Vietnam. Examines the reasons for the American military intervention and its consequences. Discusses the military and political strategies used by both sides. Argues that Tet 1968 was the turning point. Watches the slow unraveling of American political consensus and growing disenchantment with the war. Examines Nixon's handling of the war and the fruits of those decisions, including Vietnamization of the war, the bombing of Cambodia, and the increasing distrust of government at home. Looks at the American withdrawal, the weaknesses of the Saigon regime, and the final offensive that destroyed it. Heavy use will be made of the PBS video series, The Vietnam War. I
HI 386 Modern Germany (3 credits)
Explores the rise of Prussia as a significant power in the 18th- and 19th-century Europe. Consideration of Prussia's role in the unification of the Germanies; the imposition of Prussian values and methods on the newly created state will also be included. Emphasis is placed on German's part in the World Wars. Examination of the two Germanies after 1945 and reunification serves as a focus for the last third of the course. An interdisciplinary approach to the subject matter features prominently. I
HI 388 Europe Since 1945 (formerly HI 230) (3 credits)
This course explores and analyzes post-World War II reconstruction, decolonization, the growth and development of consumer economies, contrasts in familial and societal roles of women, European economic integration and continuing sources of conflict. I
HI 391 Selected Topics in American History (3 credits)
Explores a specific topic, location, period, or theme in U.S. history, such as cultural/social, political, economic, and intellectual history.
HI 392 Selected Topics in European History (3 credits)
Explores a specific topic, location, period, or theme in European history, such as cultural/social, political, economic, and intellectual history. I
HI 393 Selected Topics in Asian History (3 credits)
Explores a specific topic, location, period, or theme in Asian history, such as cultural/social , political, economic, and intellectual history. I
HI 394 Selected Topics in Latin American/Caribbean History (3 credits)
Explores a specific topic, location, period, or theme in Latin American/Caribbean history, including cultural/social, political, economic, and intellectual history. I
HI 395 Selected Topics in World History (3 credits)
Explores a specific topic, location, period, or theme in World History. I
HI 401 Directed Study in History (3 credits)
Prerequisite(s): Department chairperson's permission
Presents opportunity for superior students to engage in specialized study. (Allows repetition for credit.)
HI 402 Seminar in History (3 credits)
Prerequisite(s): Department chairperson's permission
Note: Not offered regularly. Check with department chair for availability.
Gives opportunity to small groups for study of selected topics. (Allows repetition for credit.)
HI 421 Internship in History (3 credits)
Prerequisite(s): Junior-level standing, 3.0 cumulative average, and permission of liberal arts internship coordinator
An internship provides the student with an opportunity to gain on-the-job experience and apply principles and issues raised in the academic discipline to a work environment. The student is required to attend pre-internship workshops sponsored by the Center for Career Services, meet regularly with a faculty adviser, and develop a final paper or special project.
