Course Catalog

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EARLY ISLAMIC HISTORY (HI2011)

This course offers an introduction to the first century and a half of Islamic society, 600-700 AD. It builds on knowledge of ways of writing about the past which students have acquired in earlier courses. The focus of the course is the rise and development of the religion of Islam and the key events and figures in the process. They will read extracts by those who wrote history in the early Islamic centuries – and those who have approached early Islam and is history in the global North, notably since he nineteenth century.

THE HISTORICAL FOUNDATIONS OF LAW (HI2020)

This course is designed to introduce students to the historical foundations of legal thought and to cultivate literacy in legal reasoning. The course provides an essential resource for our future global citizens by exploring key legal texts, histories and cases and familiarizing students with the historical origins of key contemporary legal issues.

INTRO. TO HISTORY, LAW & SOCIETY (HI2030)

What role does law play in shaping society? How have courts shaped society, both domestically and internationally? What strategies have people taken to resist unjust laws? Students engage in weekly moot courts that survey gripping historical and contemporary cases, including fugitive slave laws, the death penalty and criminal justice, hate speech, transgender rights, and issues relating to immigration, including asylum and deportation. Readings come from history, literature, sociology, and legal opinions. By the end of this course, students will be able to apply critical approaches to the law to contemporary issues; perform a mock trial, from start to finish; and write persuasive and analytically rigorous papers that demonstrate interdisciplinary thinking.

STATE, SOCIETY AND POLITICAL ECONOMY OF THE ME (HI2035)

This course covers the religious, cultural and linguistic diversities in the Middle East and North Africa. It exposes students to and familiarizes them with the origin of these diversities and traces its impact and influence on the modern Middle East. The Islamic identity of the region, its signifier, from the eyes of those outside the region is closely examined. The second part of the course turns to the rich linguistic and cultural diversities of the region, their origin, particularities, and their contributions to the identities of different groups. The role of linguistic diversity as both a unifying and a divisive force will be examined, and the region’s homogeneity and heterogeneity and the socio-political implications of cultural institutions are further explored through its literature, painting, calligraphy, food cultures and customs of dress.

ENCOUNTERS BETWEEN THE MIDDLE EAST AND THE WEST (HI2040)

The “Middle East” and the “West” (as two political/cultural entities) have been involved in a long history of conflicts, concurrence, hegemony, and fascination. The course will explore the different aspects of the contemporary Middle East/West relation, and will explain its origins and historical evolution.

AMERICAN CIVILIZATION: ORIGINS TO 1877 (HI2041)

Discusses the history of the British colonies in North America and the United States in terms of economic development and social and cultural evolution. Contrasts the emergence of a unique American civilization with the internal debate over opposing conceptions that deteriorated into sectional strife. Themes include the genesis of a peculiarly American mentality, race relations, economic development, and social conflict.

AMERICAN CIVILIZATION: 1865 TO PRESENT (HI2042)

Discusses the growth of the United States as an urban, industrialized society and a global power. Themes include patterns and problems of immigration, the ending of the frontier, the emergence of labor and social movements, and cultural evolution. Examines how the rise of the US as a dominant world power in the 20th century has influenced social and political life there.

INTRODUCTORY METHODS WORKSHOP (HI2090)

This sophomore seminar for History, HLS, and Middle East Pluralities Majors will introduce students to classic works of history and historical sociology while familiarizing them with varied theoretical approaches to historical research. After surveying early interdisciplinary work by the French Annales school, this course will explore archives and the politics of memory; examine the role of the imagination in shaping experiences of community; investigate historical change wrought by non-elite groups; and introduce students to critical approaches to global history.

TOPICS IN HISTORY (HI2910)

Topics vary by semester