Fall Courses
2013 Fall Semester
Below is the list of Undergraduate courses offered by the History Department for Fall 2013. Dowload as a PDF Extensive course listings can also be found on the Enrollment Services Homepage.
- 79-104 Global Histories
Lecture 1 Global Histories: Innovation and Social Change
Lecture 2 Global Histories: Genocide and Warfare
Lecture 3 Global Histories: Cultures in Contact
People throughout the world are caught up in multiple processes that cross national boundaries, link distant regions, and in many cases, encompass the planet as a whole. These transnational, transregional, and planetary processes are the latest incarnations of interactions that have been developing for a long time. If you want to understand the world today and where it might be heading, it’s crucial not only to think globally but also to relate current global processes to comparable processes in the past.
This course offers you several options for expanding on the skills you need to think globally through the medium of history. As their descriptions indicate, the differently titled lectures vary in their subject matter and the particular pathways they provide for exploring global processes. However, they all involve a mix of lectures and recitations; they have similar amounts of reading; and they all use essay-writing as the primary medium of assessment. Most importantly, they all strive to help you: (1) identify and assess the varied ways that scholars interpret global interactions as they unfold through time; (2) bring together insights from diverse fields in the humanities and social sciences to illuminate the development of global connections, differences, and divisions; (3) read, listen, discuss, take notes, and craft written arguments supported by different kinds of evidence; and, above all, (4) use explorations in global histories to engage the workings of the world today and in the future. See the H&SS General Education Website “First Year Experience” for descriptions of specific sections: http://www.hss.cmu.edu/gened/.
- 79-104/1 Global Histories: Innovation and Social Change
| Instructor |
Units |
Lecture 1, MW 12:30-1:20 |
| N. Slate |
9 units |
Recitations on Fridays |
If you wanted to change the world, how would you do it? In this interdisciplinary course, we will examine the history of efforts to create sustainable social change. We will focus on “social innovation,” broadly defined to include any creative effort to advance human progress. We will probe the successes and failures of social innovators who transformed the world. Key figures will include Mahatma Gandhi, Andrew Carnegie, Albert Einstein, Rosa Parks, and Rachel Carson. By learning from these social innovators, we will explore the relationship between individual innovators and large-scale economic, political, and cultural change. The world has become increasingly interconnected. To succeed in the twenty-first century, future innovators must be able to think and act across multiple borders. In order to examine the global impact of social innovation, we will track the movement of ideas and actions across time, social movements, and national borders.
- 79-104/2 Global Histories: Genocide and Warfare
| Instructor |
Units |
Lecture 2, MW 1:30-2:20 |
| R. Law |
9 units |
Recitations on Fridays |
Today, halting genocides and curbing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction rank amongst the top priorities in international relations. This understanding of world affairs, however, did not always hold true. In fact, if anything, in the last few centuries various individuals and regimes channeled much effort into the invention and development of new ideological, organizational, and technological means for mass murder or waging war. How and why did modern societies become so competent in inflicting death and destruction on fellow humans? What has been and can be done to prevent similar occurrences from happening again? This Global Histories course will answer these questions by analyzing the causes of and responses to past incidents resulting in mass deaths or tools for armed conflicts. Through lectures, discussion, primary sources, scholarly works, and assignments, the course will examine events within the European “discovery” of the New World, 19th-century imperialism, the World Wars (with emphasis on the Holocaust and the atomic bombing of Japan), and the post-1945 world. By the end of the course, students will come to appreciate the historical significance of unintended consequences and the ambiguity of human progress.
- 79-104/3 Global Histories: Cultures in Contact
| Instructor |
Units |
Lecture 3, MW 12:30-1:20 |
| N. Kats |
9 units |
Recitations- Fridays V, 9:30-10:20 |
This course surveys major changes and developments in the world by the beginning of the 21st century. It explains how the world became what it is now, including why by this point in history, global influences loom larger then ever before. Global issues became very important even within the United States, because it is becoming increasingly a nation of people of different heritages from around the world. The course raises some classical issues of historical interpretation, allowing students to sharpen their understanding of how to interpret change and historical causation, and providing a rich field for comparative analysis. In our global world, knowledge of world history promotes better understanding among people of different heritages, cultures and traditions.
- 79-157 Freshman Seminar: Feast & Famine: Food Supplies and Food Crises in Past and Present
| Instructor |
Units |
Lecture |
| K. Lynch |
9 units |
TR 1:30-2:50 |
This course studies problems of food supplies, food shortages, and famine in the context of social, economic, family, and population systems. We use studies by historians, sociologists, demographers and economists to explore the topic. We use the historical record to show how population systems in East and West functioned to keep resources and needs in balance, and how they often failed. We explore theoretical models that shed light on how and why famines occur, including Malthus’s theory of population and, more recently, Amartya Sen's theory of food entitlements. We examine several case studies of famine closely, including the Irish famine of the mid-nineteenth century and the Bengal famine of 1943-44 to understand their causes and consequences. In order to understand how different societies addressed food shortages and famine, we also look at the work of government agencies, charitable institutions, and NGOs [non-governmental agencies] in mitigating famine's effects. The course uses scholarly studies as well as primary sources such as eyewitness accounts, journalists' accounts and government reports to evoke the human experience of famine. Coursework includes assigned readings and discussion, oral reports, and responses to reading assignments. Students will also have the opportunity to carry out individual research projects.
- 79-197 Making Sense of Stories
Anthropologists have considered the value and the challenge of interpreting personal testimonies, narratives, interviews, and conversations from a variety of perspectives. With cultural anthropology as our core discipline, the course will examine a diverse literature that depends on what people say—in oral and written testimonies, in elicited remarks and spontaneous outbursts, in carefully prepared witnessing and in found documents. We will also compare “words” with actions—including performance, ritual, and other ways in which individuals express an interpretation of circumstances and of culture. Course materials include texts (books and articles), films, and electronic media from various places. Requirements: students will be expected to read carefully, discuss actively, and write short critical papers.
- 79-221 The Development and Democracy in Latin America
| Instructor |
Units |
Lecture |
| K. Faulk |
9 units |
MWF 11:30-12:20 |
This course will use readings, discussion, film, and music to explore development and democracy in Latin America. Beginning with the Mexican Revolution and ending with Hugo Chávez's on-going "Bolivarian Revolution" in Venezuela, we will approach development and democracy as historically contested concepts that gave rise to a diverse range of practices and institutions. Specific regions and topics covered include export economies in South America; immigration, industrialization, and populism in Argentina; socialism, dictatorship, and democratization in Chile; and indigenous people and drug wars in the Andes. This course is open to all students.
- 79-229 Origins of the Arab-Israeli Conflict, 1880-1948
| Instructor |
Units |
Lecture |
| L. Eisenberg |
9 units |
Section A-MW 12:00-1:20, Section B-MW 1:30-2:50 |
[Note students who previously took 79-352, The Arab-Israeli Condition, may not enroll in either 79-229 or 79-230]
This course considers the historical origins and development of the contemporary Arab-Israeli conflict, beginning with the decline of the Ottoman Empire and the rise of Arab nationalism and Zionism in the late 19th century and emphasizing the period of the British Mandate over Palestine (1920-1948). Students will move beyond the textbooks to explore primary source documents, maps, media, biographies and historical testimony. For five weeks in the middle of the semester, students will immerse themselves in an extended role-playing exercise, “The Struggle for Palestine, 1936,” an elaborate simulation game linked to Barnard College’s “Reacting to the Past” program. Students portraying British examiners, specific Arab and Zionist characters and various journalists will recreate the activities of the 1936 Royal Commission which came to Palestine to investigate the causes of an Arab rebellion and Arab-Jewish strife. This historical reenactment experience constitutes an exciting pedagogical experiment and the opportunity for delving deeper into the topic material than regular coursework allows. All the role-playing will take place during regular class time, but students should be aware that they will need to devote considerable outside time for preparation and research. Outstanding attendance is also a requirement. Regular classroom activity resumes at the end of the five weeks. The goal of the course is for students to develop a nuanced understanding of the varying goals and priorities of all the actors in Mandate Palestine. Running throughout the course is the question, was peace ever possible?
- 79-235 Caribbean Cultures
This course will examine the cultures and societies of the Caribbean focusing on their colonial past, their current positioning in the world, their social structure, cultural patterns and current transnationalism. Using social history, film and music we will explore the topics of race, class, family, gender, religion, national identity and underdevelopment. Comparative research projects will provide concrete instances of the differences and similarities between the Anglo-Caribbean, Franco-Caribbean, and Hispanic Caribbean. This course is open to all students.
- 79-240 Development of American Culture
| Instructor |
Units |
Lecture |
| M. David |
9 units |
MWF 12:30-1:20 |
This is an introductory survey of American history from colonial times to the present. The course focuses on cultural analysis instead of the more traditional emphasis on presidents, wars, and memorizing facts or timelines. The major theme of the course is the changing meaning of freedom over three centuries. Required readings include novels, memoirs, historical documents, and a study of the concept of freedom. There is no textbook; background facts and events are covered in lectures to provide students with context needed to think about and understand America's cultural history. Assignments include exams and essays. This course is open to all students.
- 79-244 Women in American History
| Instructor |
Units |
Lecture |
| L. Tetrault |
9 units |
TR 3:00-4:20 |
This course examines U.S. history through the eyes of women and gender. It begins in the colonial era (1600s) and runs chronologically to the present. It covers topics such as witchcraft, the story of Pocahontas, women's work, motherhood, slavery, and much more. We will look at the lives of individual women, as well as trends among women, paying attention to questions of race and class. At the same time, we will explore changing concepts of gender, meaning ideas about what women are or should be. Finally, the course asks: how different does American history look when we factor in women and gender?
- 79-247 The Civil War Era, 1848-1877
| Instructor |
Units |
Lecture |
| M. Gallen |
9 units |
MWF 10:30-11:20 |
This course examines America’s pivotal middle period, a period of rising sectional tensions, bloody civil war, slavery’s end, and protracted debates about the promise and limits of equality. The first third of the class traces the causes of the war, the middle third dwells on the devastating war itself, and the final third explores the aftermath of the war, when Americans clashed over how to reunite and over what the meaning of freedom for four million emancipated slaves ought to be. Sometimes known as “America’s unfinished revolution,” the Civil War continues to resonate in American society today, and the course concludes by considering current questions such as flying the confederate flag, slave reparations, and others.
- 79-248 U.S. History, 1877—1945
| Instructor |
Units |
Lecture |
| C. Hagan |
9 units |
TR 12:00-1:20 |
This court charts the development of modern, post-Reconstruction America, from the Gilded Age through World War II. We will examine the impact of significant economic and social changes (industrialization, immigration, and urbanization; the rise of big business and labor; Depression and war) on the political, intellectual, scientific, legal, and cultural landscapes of the nation as it moved through periods of prosperity, upheaval, and conflict from the late 19th century through the mid-20th. This course will also take a closer look at the role of national reform movements, women’s group advocacy, higher education, and changing gender norms in the emergence of public policy, particularly in the areas of child and maternal welfare, public health, and criminal justice.
- 79-251 India/America: Democracy, Diversity, Development
| Instructor |
Units |
Lecture |
| N. Slate |
9 units |
MW 3:00-4:20 |
India and the United States, two of the world’s largest democracies, have long been interconnected—culturally, economically, and politically. From yoga and bhangra to outsourcing and nuclear politics, Indo-American relations have become increasingly important to both countries. This course will focus on connections between the United States and India in the twentieth century. Specific topics will include the Indian American struggle to gain American citizenship; American involvement in the Indian independence movement; the influence of Gandhian nonviolent civil disobedience on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the American civil rights movement; Indo-American relations during the Cold War; American economic aid to India; outsourcing and other recent economic linkages; the history of Indian students in the United States; and cultural connections including food, dress, music, dance, and Bollywood/Hollywood.
- 79-252 Recent U.S. History, 1945-Present
| Instructor |
Units |
Lecture |
| R. Pryor |
9 units |
MW 3:00-4:20 |
This course will explore the social cultural and political history of America since World War II. Topics include: the dawn of the nuclear age, the cold war, the Korean and Vietnam wars, the civil rights movement, the women’s movement, counter culture, the energy crisis of the 1970s, the rise of environmentalism, the turn toward conservatism in the 1980s. We will use music, film, television, and literature as evidence of cultural change in American society during the past 50 years.
- 79-254 The Jewish Diaspora in Latin America
| Instructor |
Units |
Lecture |
| M. Friedman |
9 units |
TR 12:00-1:20 |
This course explores the history of the Jewish presence in Latin America and the relevance of the Latin American experience in shaping Jewish identity. We will survey the presence of Jews in Latin America from the time of the conquest to the present. Among the topics we will consider are: the Inquisition and crypto-Jews in Latin America; Jewish immigration in early nineteenth-century Latin America; relationships between Jews and non-Jews including other minority groups such as Arabs; relations between Ashkenazic and Sephardic Jews; Jewish cultural life and political activism in the context of the rise of modern-nation states, revolutions, military dictatorships and violence; antisemitism; and the influence of contemporary politics in Latin America on Jewish life.
- 79-255 Irish History
| Instructor |
Units |
Lecture |
| J. Roszman |
9 units |
MWF 10:30-11:20 |
This course surveys Irish history from the earliest human settlements until the present day, with emphasis on the period since the sixteenth century. Our main objective is to understand the sources of conflict in modern Ireland. In order to do that, however, we look at a number of topics such as the role of religion in Irish society; the causes of population growth, movement and decline; changing forms of protest; and the formation of rival myths of the Irish past and its meaning. This course is open to all students.
- 79-265 Russian History: From the First to the Last Tsar
| Instructor |
Units |
Lecture |
| C. Storella |
9 units |
TR 9:00-10:20 |
This course covers the broad sweep of Russian history from the founding of Kievan Rus’ in the tenth century, through the era of medieval Muscovy, and the two centuries of Imperial Russia. Through primary documents, historical writings, literature and film, we will explore the major topics and themes of Russian history including: the impact of the Mongol conquest and domination of the Rus’ lands by the heirs of Chingis Khan; the binding together of the Rus’ princedoms into a central state under the supremacy of the princes of Muscovy; the Russian state’s collapse and near disappearance at the beginning of the seventeenth century; the subsequent Russian territorial expansion; the enserfment of the Russian peasantry; Peter the Great’s revolutionary transformation of state and society along western lines; the emergence of Imperial Russia as a great world power; the birth of the Russian intelligentsia; the development of the revolutionary movement; and, finally, the economic, political and social crises of Late-Imperial Russia. This course is open to all students.
- 79-271 Russian Studies Topics A1, A2 Mini
| Instructor |
Units |
Lecture |
| N. Kats |
6 units |
TR 10:30-11:50 |
A1- Literary Culture of the 19th Century Russia
The purpose of the course is to give students an introduction to the cultural environment of the Imperial Russia through the works of major 19th century Russian writers. We will read and analyze some masterpieces of Russian fiction, including works of Pushkin, Lermontov, Gogol, Turgenev, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, and Chekhov. Emphasis will be made on how these brilliant classics reflected turbulent history of the 19th century Russia.
A2- Literary Culture of the 20th Century Russia
This mini-course focuses on Russian prose and poetry of the early 20th century. Readings will include the “proletarian” writings of Maxim Gorky, “symbolism” of Alexander Blok, “futurism” and “modernism” of Vladimir Mayakovsky, as well as works of some other authors. We will discuss issues important to the 20th century Russian Cultural History such as the role of intelligentsia in Russian Revolution, the content and method of Russian decadence, symbolism, and modernism, as well as imprisonment, liberation, and exile that became so important for many writers and poets.
- 79-281 Introduction to Religion
| Instructor |
Units |
Lecture |
| TBA |
9 units |
TR 9:00-10:20 |
The objective of this course is to introduce students to the variety of intellectual disciplines by which religions can be studied and some of the topical concerns of Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Topics to be covered in the course include: What is religion? Religious studies vis-à-vis historical, anthropological, sociological, and psychological approaches to religion; the sacred/holy; myth, symbol; society and the sacred; deity; cosmogony, religious anthropology, theodicy; ethics, eschatology and secular humanism in the modern age. This course is open to all students.
- 79-292 China Inside Out: Going Global, 19th to 21st Centuries
| Instructor |
Units |
Lecture |
| D. Sutton |
9 units |
TR 10:30-11:50 |
Our usual conception of globalization foregrounds the contemporary West and on large-scale commercial structures and patterns. This course looks at how the local has "gone global" in China over a period of several centuries, focusing on how ordinary as well as elite Chinese have engaged with western-derived practices, symbols and ideologies, and transformed them for their own use. Besides considering the socio-economic impact of (19th century) opium smoking and (late 20th century) McDonald's, our sources examine efforts to "sinify" Christianity and Marxism in China, at local repercussions of the Cold War in the Taiwan straits, at the indigenization of environmental attitudes, and at the sense of Chineseness (Chinese transnationality) among people living outside China.
- 79-295 Race Relations in the Atlantic World
This course is an analysis of the dynamics of race relations in the Atlantic world through the intersections of race, gender and social class. We will explore the socio-historical and present interactions of “the races” and the construction of racial identity in a variety of circumstances and cultures. We will also use film, music, literature, and concrete examples from world events to examine the asymmetrical power relations that have developed between populations living in close proximity. An important aspect of the course will be the deconstruction of whiteness, blackness, otherness, and the norm in the context of group interaction and the distribution of power. The focus of this class will be on specific examples from North America, the Caribbean, and Latin America.
- 79-297 Dilemmas and Controversies in Anthropology
| Instructor |
Units |
Lecture |
| K. Faulk |
9 units |
MWF 9:30-10:20 |
Anthropology is poised at the intersection of art and science. Like scientists, anthropologists collect and analyze data, but it is data gained through relationships -- relationships forged with and by historically situated human beings in all their social and emotional complexity. In this course we will explore the practical and ethical dilemmas anthropologists confront in the field and in their writing. We will also investigate the nature of anthropological knowledge and investigate key controversies that have arisen in the discipline. Students are encouraged to think deeply and analytically about anthropology's strengths and limitations. Classroom debates will be a core component of the course. This course is open to all students.
- 79-299 Trafficking Persons: Children in a Global Context
| Instructor |
Units |
Lecture |
| J. Schachter |
9 units |
TR 10:30-11:50 |
Many items circulate around the world, including persons. This course will examine the movement of children from one place to another. From child soldiers to sex workers, from adoptees to laborers, children form part of a global circulation that has complex personal, practical, and political consequences. We will take an anthropological and a historical perspective, comparing the various ways in which children circulate, the changes over time, and the impact of both cultural values and human rights policies on these movements. We will analyze the role of nation-states, international organizations, and NGO’s, along with the decisions individuals make about the well being of a child. Course material includes: anthropological studies, historical accounts, memoirs, and film.
- 79-300 History of American Public Policy
| Instructor |
Units |
Lecture |
| J. Aronson |
9 units |
TR 3:00-4:20 |
This course will describe and analyze aspects of the development of public policy in the United States from the colonial era to the present, with a focus on the post-Civil War era. For the purposes of this course, public policy will be defined as the making of rules and laws and their implementation by government: 1) in response to the failure of private actors (i.e., markets) to reach desirable outcomes; 2) to regulate markets to influence their outcomes; or 3) in an attempt to achieve a particular normative vision of what society ought to be like. This course assumes that the public policy landscape is complex but still comprehensible given the proper set of analytical frameworks and appropriate historical background. Particular emphasis will be placed on: changing views about the authority of the government to intervene in economic and social issues; the best way to balance individual and collective interests; and the variability within society of the life courses of individuals. Topics to be covered include: immigration, health care and health insurance, and drug policy.
- 79-309 20th Century China Through Film
| Instructor |
Units |
Lecture |
| D. Sutton |
9 units |
Tuesdays 6:30-7:50pm and Thursdays 6:30-9:20pm |
This course is about both film and history. It is not a detailed history of film, but rather introduces some issues of modern Chinese history and examines how that history is treated in film, mostly Chinese film, of the past twenty years. We have selected some well-made films exploring some key issues of 20th century history, including several of Zhang Yimou's works, documentaries made in the U.S. with Chinese assistance, and works by leading Taiwanese and Chinese American directors. In a few cases themes will be illustrated in excerpts. The readings consist of topical articles and book chapters, tied together by a general history of the period. The twice-a-week evening sessions are alternately for film viewing and discussions. Frequent short assignments, some of them collaborative, will explore the social context and methodology of the films, developing critical skills in writing, observation, film, and historical imagination.
- 79-314 The Politics and Culture of Memory
| Instructor |
Units |
Lecture |
| E. Grama |
9 units |
TR 3:00-4:20 |
What is the relationship between an individual person and collective memories? How do societies “remember”? Could in fact an individual form a memory isolated from any social and cultural framework? What is the relationship between remembering and the writing of history? This course proposes an interdisciplinary approach to the relationship between memory and history, as it is reflected by the cultural and historical analyses of 20th century Europe, as well as by broader historiographical and conceptual debates at a global scale.
The first part will first address some of the most important theoretical concerns about the relationship between memory-making and history-writing. The second part of the course will focus on the relationship between history and memory in 20th century Europe. We will approach the relationship between history and memory by exploring how memory itself began to matter in 20th century Europe; how different groups have started to mobilize their remembrances of the past for political and economic ends; and how individual testimonies, as innovative forms of expression, have challenged history writing as a genre, as well as made conceptually powerful topics such as the body, experience, trauma, and nostalgia.
- 79-316 Trajectories in Photography: Prehistory to 1945
| Instructor |
Units |
Lecture |
| L. Hsu |
9 units |
Mondays, 6:30-9:20 PM |
This course explores how photography influenced and was shaped by social and political changes in the 19th and early 20th centuries. We will investigate photography in its modern and modernist constructions, with special attention to both continuities and ruptures between the pre-modern and the modern.
Specific topics will include: the nature of pictures and precedents in picture-making, from cave paintings through 20th-century experiments in photography; photography's role in the rationalization of geographies and peoples; the promises of photography as a new technology alongside electricity and the motion picture; the position of photography in relation to fine art; publications, mass media and propaganda; social photography, documentary photography and activist photography; and vernacular photography and photography's popular uses. The course draws from various disciplinary perspectives including art history, anthropology, history, and science and technology studies.
The course will include instructor lecture, student presentations, and guest lecturers. Class discussion will be an integral aspect of the class.
- 79-321 The Rise of the Modern Nation State
| Instructor |
Units |
Lecture |
| A. Funk |
9 units |
TR 9:00-10:20 |
For two centuries Europe and America shaped a global order. Economic, social, and political interdependences between states always existed. But these interdependencies did not limit their power to shape the ‘world of nation states.’ Today, however, at the beginning of the 21st century, the capacities of sovereign states, to exert power and pursue their policies unilaterally, come up against the limits posed by rapidly increasing independencies. Global financial markets, global migration, climate change, and global information networks stand for this development. For some historians and political scientists the loss of boundary control indicates the erosion of the traditional concept of the sovereign nation state. Other scholars insist on the sovereign nation state as the indispensible pillar of any future global order. We will approach this debate about the future of the sovereign nation states by first looking back on its rise in the 18th and 19th centuries. In a second step we will use the knowledge we gained in the history section and examine the different state concepts of scholars who argue for new forms of (international) governance, and those who seek to reassert the authority and capacity of nation states to decide their policies on their own.
- 79-323 Family, Gender, and Sexuality in European History, 500-1800
| Instructor |
Units |
Lecture |
| A. Creasman |
9 units |
TR 10:30-11:50 |
The medieval and early modern periods witnessed a transformation in the cultural and social understandings of gender. During this period, the mutable sexual categories of the pre-modern world evolved into the definitions of masculinity and femininity recognizable today. This course examines these changes in the understanding of gender and the family in Europe in the medieval and early modern periods, drawing upon readings in gender history, marriage and the family, and the history of sexuality. We will explore the ideal of Christian marriage and family and examine how the "ideal" compared to the reality on such issues as marriage practices, family, gender roles, and sexuality. We will also explore the fashioning of female and masculine gender norms and the construction of the male and female sense of self over time. In the process, we will examine the larger historiographical issue of the use of gender as a tool of historical analysis.
- 79-324 Picasso and the Twentieth Century Art
| Instructor |
Units |
Lecture |
| E. Balas |
9 units |
TR 6:30-7:50pm |
The greatest artist of the twentieth century, Picasso, invented or participated in most of the major styles of modern art. His artistic genius and visual inventiveness will be explored from 1894 (age 13) to his death in 1973 (age 92), against the background of eight decades of modern art. The focus of the investigation will not be limited to psychological and iconographic factors, but will be discussed in the historical and artistic context of his time.
- 79-329 Health and the Environment in US History
| Instructor |
Units |
Lecture |
| B. Reinhardt |
9 units |
TR 12:00-1:20 |
This course will reexamine US history by exploring the real and perceived connections between human health and environments. We will cover a wide range of topics, including: "virgin soil epidemics," westward migration, urbanization, the development of transnational scientific medicine, pollution, global disease eradication efforts, environmental health justice movements, and more. Through reading, discussion, and analysis of primary sources and interpretive texts, we will learn how (or whether) focusing on health and the environment can help us tell better -- that is, more accurate, more interesting, and more relevant -- stories about the American past, particularly in an international context.
- 79-331 Body Politics: Women and Health in America
| Instructor |
Units |
Lecture |
| L. Tetrault |
9 units |
TR 1:30-2:50 |
Women's bodies have been the sites of long-standing, and sometimes deadly, political battles. This course takes a topical approach to the history of American women's health in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries in order to understand why women's bodies have been such heated sites of struggle. It covers topics such as the history of contraception, abortion, menstruation, sexuality, female anatomy, rape, domestic abuse, menopause, pregnancy, and childbirth. It explores how American culture has constructed these issues over time, while also examining women's organizing around them. This course is open to all students.
- 79-339/A2 Juvenile Delinquency Through Film (1930-1950)
| Instructor |
Units |
Lecture |
| C. Hagan |
6 units |
MW 3:00-4:20 |
This course is not open to students who have previously taken 79-305 or 79-306.
How have American films portrayed juvenile delinquency and the juvenile justice system? What does filmmakers’ portrayal of juvenile delinquency tell us about American culture and society? Do films vividly capture or badly distort the "realities" of crime and the operations of the justice system? This mini-course uses feature films (to be viewed in advance of class) from the early 20th century, as well as several popular and scholarly readings from the same time period, to explore these issues. The course will be run as a colloquium, with students playing leadership roles in launching and guiding class discussions. There will be both a mid-term and a final exam. Two classes will be reserved for viewing and discussion of student-selected films.
- 79-357 History of Black American Music
| Instructor |
Units |
Lecture |
| K. Keeling |
6 units |
Section A, MW 1:30-2:20, Section B, MW 2:30-3:20 |
Come and explore the rich musical heritage of Black America. This course will survey the music of Black America beginning with the African legacy and continuing through the music of the Twentieth Century. Class sessions will involve discussions, listening, viewing of films, and reports by students on topics of individual interest. Discussions will involve, historical, cultural and political perspective, as well as the music and composers themselves. Lecturing will be at a minimum. Innovative testing in quiz show format will be used. No prerequisites required. Open to upper level undergraduate students.
- 79-359 Sustainable Innovations: Ideas, Policies and Technologies to Make a Better Planet
| Instructor |
Units |
Lecture |
| Z. Falck |
9 units |
MWF 9:30-10:20 |
Life on the big ball is not at all what it used to be, nor at all what it will be. The instability and deterioration of past societies that resulted from miscomprehending and misusing natural and human resources will be briefly surveyed. Throughout most of the semester, we will discuss the origins, implementation, effects, and prospects of intellectual, regulatory, and technological inventions for greening the blue marble. We will read widely in fields useful for navigating Spaceship Earth – agricultural science, earth and planetary sciences, ecology, economics, engineering, environmental law, and regional planning, among others. This course is open to all students.
- 79-360 Historical Evidence and Interpretation
| Instructor |
Units |
Lecture |
| L. Eisenberg |
12 units |
MW 9:00-10:20 |
Historical Evidence and Interpretation acquaints students with how historians practice their craft in interpreting events from the past. The emphasis is on learning to supplement standard secondary accounts of an event with primary sources such as memoirs, government documents, speeches, literary sources, news accounts, music, maps, and images. The goal is for students to develop a familiarity with the skills required to identify a research topic, find and work with many kinds of sources, create a strong thesis statement, design a persuasive paper, and produce a properly formatted and well-written research paper. Please note that coursework is appropriate for a 12 unit course.
- 79-374 American Environmental History: Critical Issues
| Instructor |
Units |
Lecture |
| R. Hutchings |
9 units |
MWF 1:30-2:20 |
This course explores critical issues in the history of the American environment during the last three centuries. Among the specific topics to be covered are changing attitudes toward nature; forms of rural and urban development and environmental effects; the impacts of technology and industrialism; the conservation and environmental movements; and environmental problems and prospects today.
- 79-377 Food, Culture, and Power: A History of Eating
| Instructor |
Units |
Lecture |
| J. Soluri |
9 units |
TR 1:30-2:50 |
This course will take participants on excursions into the histories and cultures of foodways around the world. During the first third of the semester, we will read a range of historical and anthropological perspectives on the production and consumption of food. The remainder of the course will be organized around individual student research projects. The major learning objective of this course is to give students experience writing an original research paper. Students will be expected to define a research question, assemble a bibliography of sources, write —and revise —a 20 page paper and do an oral presentation based on their research. This course partially fulfills the Theoretical and Topical Core course requirement for Global Studies majors.
- 79-395 The Arts in Pittsburgh
| Instructor |
Units |
Lecture |
| N. Kats |
9 units |
Thursdays 6:30-9:20 PM |
This course will examine the arts in Pittsburgh, both historically and in the present. We will focus especially on art exhibits and musical events scheduled by the city's museums and concert halls during the semester. The "curriculum" will derive from the artistic presentations themselves, which will provide a springboard for reading assignments, seminar discussions, and research papers in the history of music and art. We will also examine the historical development of cultural institutions in Pittsburgh. The History Department will pay for students' admission to all museums and studios. However, students will be charged a supplemental fee of a minimum of $225 to help subsidize the considerable expense of purchasing tickets for concerts and performances by the Pittsburgh Symphony, Pittsburgh Opera, Chamber Music Society, and Renaissance and Baroque Society. Attendance at all art exhibits and musical events is required. Prerequisite: Availability to attend art exhibits on several Fridays and Saturdays, and to attend musical events on several Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings.
- 79-400 Advanced Seminar in Global Studies
| Instructor |
Units |
Lecture |
| P. Eiss |
12 units |
MW 1:30-2:50 |
This research seminar is the capstone course for Global Studies majors. The course is designed to give you a chance to define and carry out a research project of personal interest. The first few weeks of the course will be devoted to developing a research topic and locating sources. We will then work on how to interpret and synthesize sources into a coherent and compelling thesis or argument before you begin drafting your paper. Your research may be based on in-depth reading of a body of scholarly work, field notes from ethnographic observations, archival research, analysis of literary or visual media, or some combination of these sources. Incorporation of some non-English language sources is strongly encouraged where possible. Independent work, self-initiative, participation in discussion, and peer-evaluations are required. There are several interim deadlines that will be strictly enforced in order to ensure successful completion of the course. Prerequisites: 79-275 and Theoretical and Topical Core must be complete or concurrently enrolled.
- 79-420 Advanced Studies in History
The purpose of this one-semester research seminar is to help you conceptualize, design, organize, and execute a substantial historical research project -- 5,000 to 7,000 words in length, excluding bibliography -- that will embody and extend the knowledge and skill set you have been developing as an undergraduate History major at Carnegie Mellon. The identification and collection of relevant primary source data, and the positioning of your project within a relevant historiography, are integral parts of this intellectual task.
Along the way, we will strive to hone your written and oral presentation skills, deepen your command of research methodologies and strategies, and sharpen your abilities as a constructive critic of others’ research. The seminar seeks to develop these intellectual skills through a combination of in-class, student-led discussions of your research-in-progress, and regular individual consultations with me.
- 79-427 Russia’s Demons
| Instructor |
Units |
Lecture |
| C. Castellano |
9 units |
TR 12:00-1:20 |
Demons and devils, ghosts and goblins, witches and werewolves: Russian literature, art and music and are riddled with them. Where have they come from and why have they stayed? Under what conditions has Russian life conjured them, and what has their power been for creating conditions of their own? This course aims to find out by peering into the netherworld of demonic fantasy by the light of Russian social history from the nineteenth century to the current day. The core of the course is comprised of readings drawn from the literature of Pushkin, Lermontov, Gogol, Dostoevsky, Bely, Lunacharksy, Bulgakov and Zamyatin. Additional attention is paid to Vrubel's painting and Prokofiev's music, among others. Prerequisite: All work is conducted in English, three hours per week, for 9 units, for which there are no prerequisites. Under the course number 82-397, an additional 3 units can be awarded for work conducted in Russian during one additional hourly meeting per week; for the additional credits, 82-292 or permission of the Instructor is required.
- 79-449 Ethics, History and Public policy Project Course
| Instructor |
Units |
Lecture |
| J. Soluri |
12 units |
TR 10:30-11:50 |
The Ethics, History and Public Policy Project Course is required for the Ethics, History and Public Policy major and is taken in the fall semester of the senior year. In this capstone course, Ethics, History and Public Policy majors carry out a collaborative research project which examines a compelling current policy issue which can be illuminated with historical research and philosophical and policy analysis. Based both on archival research and on contemporary policy analysis, the students develop an original research report and presentation for a client organization in the community.
- 79-506 Global Studies Internship
| Instructor |
Units |
Lecture |
| J. Soluri |
9 units |
TBA |
This course provides Global Studies majors with a chance to explore global connections in Pittsburgh. Majors, working in close consultation with the Global Studies director and advisor, may receive credit for a volunteer experience with a non-governmental organization (usually in Pittsburgh) whose mission has a global reach. This could include an organization that supports projects in other countries, works with immigrants in the Pittsburgh area, or participates in international policy making/governance. We strongly encourage students to seek out opportunities that require use of a second language. Students will be required to maintain journals, write a final critical reflection on how the internship connects to academic work, and share their experience with other Global Studies majors. Global Studies advisor and director will assist students with matching their interests to local organizations and identifying an on-site supervisor available to collaborate in the ongoing and final evaluation of the student’s work. Prerequisite: Students must be Global Studies majors and obtain prior permission for the proposed internship from the Global Studies advisor.
Home