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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.

Early Asian Civilizations

An introduction to the history of Asia to 1800 CE. The course focuses on several themes, all turning around how cultures and societies evolve and develop in interaction with each other. We explore cultural encounters through trade, war and diplomacy, personal encounters between individuals of different cultures and the processes of cultural diffusion, and pay attention to geography and the critical use of primary documents. Also offered through Asian Studies and Peace Studies. Fulfills HU and DIV13 requirements.

Origins of American Foreign Policy

Since its creation, the United States has been connected with the wider world through trade, immigration, territorial expansion, diplomacy, and war. This course examines the roots and characteristics of American foreign policy and foreign relations from colonial times through the nineteenth century, while giving attention to how domestic politics, public opinion, society, and culture responded to and shaped government policies and international relations.