Saint Louis University
Course Descriptions
Fall 2009 (201010)
Undergraduate Course Offerings……Page 2
Graduate Course Offerings………….Page 9
Tentative Future Offerings…….……Page 11
Undergraduate Courses
Lower Division
Fall 2009
HIST 111: Origins of the Modern World to 1500.
A developmental and conceptual approach to Europe as the confluence of classical and oriental civilizations. The course will cover ancient civilizations of the Mediterranean and the Near East: Greece, Rome, Islam, Byzantium, and Germanic tribal society: the contributions of each to the European Middle Ages, Renaissance, European Expansion, Scientific Revolution, and Reformation.
Section:
01 Dr. Mark Ruff MW 11:00-11:50 Discussion Section Required (HIST 101-112)
02 Dr. James Hitchcock MW 12:00-12:50 Discussion Section Required (HIST 201-212)
03 Dr. Jennifer Popiel MW 10:00-10:50 Discussion Section Required (HIST 301-312)
05 Dr. Steve Schoenig MWF 1:10-2:00
06 Mr. Vince Ryan TR 12:45-2:00
07 Dr. Hayrettin Yucesoy TR 9:30-10:45
HIST 111: Origins of the Modern World to 1500: SLU Inquiry (Freshmen & Sophomores Only)
This is a survey of global history tracing the formation of the modern world from the origins of human societies through the 16th century. We will proceed chronologically and thematically, exploring political, economic, social, religious and intellectual change over time. We will study early urbanization and empire; the origin and spread of world religious traditions; the diffusion of scientific knowledge across diverse cultures and societies. As we discuss the human past we will also consider how historians have dealt with history over the centuries. This course aims at widening our knowledge not only historically but also geographically so that we appreciate the globe not as a series of disconnected structures but as interrelated and interdependent polities and cultures.
Section:
04 Dr. Hal Parker MW 2:10-3:25
HIST 112: Origins of the Modern World Since 1500
A developmental and conceptual approach emphasizing increasing awareness of and contact with the rest of the world. The course will cover transatlantic encounters, the Protestant and Catholic Reformations, the Scientific Revolution, Absolutism, the Enlightenment, the Industrial Revolution, Modernism, and imperialism.
Section
01 Mr. Walker Cosgrove TR 2:15-3:30
02 Mr. David Parnell TR 11:00-12:15
03 Ms. Elizabeth Sherman MWF 10:00-10:50
05 Mr. Adam Hoose MWF 9:00-9:50
06 Mr. Ben Troxell MWF 11:00-11:50
07 Dr. Nathaniel Millett MWF 2:10-3:00
08 Dr. George Ndege TR 12:45-2:00
HIST 112: Origins of the Modern World since 1500: SLU Inquiry (Freshman & Sophomores Only)
Section:
04 Dr. Patrick O’Banion TR 9:30-10:45
HR 241: Origins of the Modern World to 1500 (Honor students only)
This course surveys the major forces which have shaped our world from the origins of humanity to about 1500. It includes religion, politics, and culture, as well as social and economic developments. Emphasis is placed on those elements which, for better or worse, have made Western Civilization the dominant force in the modern world. After a brief look at prehistory and the transition to agriculture, we consider the first two organized civilizations-Mesopotamia and Egypt. Next a reading and analysis of the books of Genesis and Exodus provide insight into the world view of the ancient Hebrews, a basis for both Christianity and Islam and which has continued to shape our world until today. More time is spent on the ancient Greeks, including reading three tragedies to illuminate what also has been a continuing influence. Rome built upon the Greek heritage, contributed new concepts of law and government, and also dominated the Mediterranean basin and far beyond it. Christianity, growing out of Judaism, introduced a radical new concept of humanity into the Greco-Roman world. Our course then considers the new synthesis of Christianity, pagan Rome, and the values of the German barbarians in Western Europe. We look at the different forms Christianity took in the eastern half of the old Roman Empire and their impact on Russia and other countries in Eastern Europe, as well as Islam--the non-Western faith which has had the greatest impact on the West. In the period of the high middle ages we see the impact of a religious value system, the emergence of modern nation states, and the continuing dynamism of Western Europe. We conclude with the Renaissance challenge to the medieval synthesis and the beginning of the so-called modern era. This also is the time that Europe begins the exploration and conquest of much of the rest of the world.
Format Limited to 20 honors students. Class participation is an integral part of the course. Short textbook and outside readings. Short papers on the outside readings. Three essay exams in the course of the semester plus a cumulative essay final.
Section:
01 Dr. Daniel Schlafly MWF 9:00-9:50
HR 242: Origins of the Modern World since 1600 (Honor students only)
However one might view the process of the European creation of a global system in the modern age, world cultures have been transformed, probably irrevocably so, by their contact with the West. This course will provide, mostly through literature, a cultural history of those transformations since 1500. In addition to the textbook, this course will provide a balance of western and non-western readings. Students will be expected to come to class prepared for discussion and to write four papers of 2000-2500 words each over the course of the semester. There will be no midterm or final exams.
Section
01 Dr. Philip Gavitt TR 2:15-3:30
HIST 260: US History to 1865:
This course covers American history from the period of contact through the Civil War. Topics include the collision of European, African, and Native American cultures in the age of contact and settlement; colonial British North America; the American Revolution and the Constitution; geographic expansion and social, economic, and cultural change in the Jacksonian era; slavery and the sectional conflict, and the Civil War.
Section:
01 Mr. Richard Venn TR 12:45-2:00
02 Ms. Amy Wallhermfechtel MWF 9:00-9:50
03 Ms. Amy Wallhermfechtel MWF 12:00-12:50
HIST 261: History of the United States Since 1865
This course will survey the major historical development in American history as the United States emerged as a major world power. The course will examine such issues as the shift from a rural agrarian to an urban industrial nation, the shifting view of the role of government in society and the economy, and the evolution of foreign policy from nineteenth century isolation to world super power in the years after World War II. The format of the course will be lecture and discussion.
Section:
01 Dr. T. Michael Ruddy TR 11:00-12:15
02 Mr. Ben Troxell MWF 12:00-12:50
HIST 270: China and Japan to 1600
This course is an introduction to the histories of China and Japan from ancient times to the early seventeenth century. We will focus mainly on over-arching themes and long-term developments rather than on specific figures, events, and chronological details. Readings are designed to introduce students to sections of important works and to provide a sense of the culture and society of the periods examined. This course fulfills the Cultural Diversity requirement and has no prerequisites.
Section:
01 Dr. John Carroll TR 9:30-10:45
Undergraduate Courses
Upper Division
Fall 2009
HIST 301: Roman Republic
The history and culture of ancient Rome, beginning with the origins of the city and its people, followed by an examination of the Etruscan takeover and the origins of the Roman Republic. The course will then review the growth and development of Republican Rome, the wars with Carthage and the establishment of Roman dominance in the Mediterranean, and finally the political, military, and social factors which led to the fall of the Republic and the rise to prominence of Julius Caesar and Augustus.
Section:
01 Dr. Neil Hackett MWF 11:00-11:50
HIST 303: Byzantine Empire
The course will survey the history of the Byzantine (Eastern Roman) Empire from about AD 285 to 1461 in lectures and discussions. Readings will include St. Athanasius' Life of St. Anthony, Procopius' Secret History, the epic poem Digenes Acrites, Michael Psellus' memoirs, and Geoffrey de Villehardouin's Conquest of Constantinople. There will be a midterm exam, a final exam, and a research paper of about 10 pages.
Section:
01 Dr. Warren Treadgold TR 2:15-3:30
HIST 304: The Middle Ages
The period of history from 400-1000, the not so ‘Dark Ages’, is of fundamental importance for
understanding the later development of European society and the wider world. By careful use of primary
and secondary sources, we examine here the changes and continuity from the fall of the Roman Empire
in the West until the first European revolution. Here we have barbarian invasions, saintly scholars and
monks, heroic popes, do-nothing and do-everything kings, brilliant Byzantines, the rise of Islam,
Vikings! It is the world of Vandals and Visigoths, of Justinian and Theodora, of Saint Benedict, Gregory
the Great and Bede, of Charlemagne, of Charles the Bald and Wilfred the Hairy, of Abbasids and
Umayyads, of the discovery of America (yes). And it is great fun!!
Section:
01 Dr. Steve Schoenig MWF 2:10-3:00
HIST 311: Age of Absolutism
This course will provide a broad survey of the most important events, individuals, and ideas in European history from 1648 to 1789. Discussion and readings will focus on the two most important themes of the ancien regime: the development of modern scientific and philosophical thought as well as the rise of political absolutism. We will focus on the theory and practice of royal absolutism, including the economic, social, and diplomatic components, as well as the challenges to these ideas in constitutional countries. We will investigate changing European ideas in science and philosophy during the Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment. We will conclude with a discussion of the political and social crises that lead to the French Revolution.
Section:
01 Dr. Jennifer Popiel MW 2:10-3:25
HIST 316: Eastern Europe
Survey of the lands and peoples between Germany and Russia, from the Baltic to the Black Seas from the fall of Rome in the West until the present. Emphasizes those religious, cultural, political, and economic elements which have shaped Eastern Europe today, including the impact of such outside entities as the Byzantine, Ottoman, German, Habsburg, and Russian Empires. Special attention is paid to the role of Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia and to the changes in the region since the fall of Communism. Textbooks plus some outside readings. Short reports on the outside readings. Essay mid-term and cumulative final exams. One long (10-15 typed pp.) or two short (5-8 typed pp.) research papers. Counts towards the European requirement for a history major or minor, towards a major in International Studies, and as an honors course. Requirement for the Certificate in Russian and East European Studies.
Section:
01 Dr. Daniel Schlafly MWF 10:00-10:50
HIST 318: Modern Latin America
Modern Latin American History’ will examine both the shared and differing experiences of the Spanish and Portuguese speaking nations of Central and South America as well as the Caribbean during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. We will examine the social, cultural, economic, political, and military history of Latin America while adopting local, national, international, and comparative perspectives. Special attention will be paid to issues of race, gender, and class. By the end of term you should have a deep understanding of the historical forces that have shaped modern Latin America.
Section:
01 Dr. Nathaniel Millett MWF 1:10-2:00
HIST 319: Mexico
This course will examine over 300 years of Mesoamerican (Mexico) history, from its pre Columbian birth through its Spanish colonial heritage, focusing on the history, society, culture and economics of this vast nation to our south, and may even include discussion of current matters that have their roots in Mexico's colonial past. Interesting, informative and dynamic - the class will be a mixture of lecture and discussion, and will include quizzes, exams and a final research presentation. Readings will include both primary and secondary materials, from where the research topics can be garnered.
Section:
01 Dr. Terri Fahrney MWF 12:00-12:50
HIST 374: British Empire
Survey of British Empire from late eighteenth century to end of the twentieth century. Topics include: cultural and material foundations of empire: collaboration and resistance; dynamics of race, gender, and class; role of art and literature, new national and local identities; decolonization and independence; and contemporary legacies of empire.
Section:
01 Dr. John Carroll TR 11:00-12:15
HIST 393: Islam and the Mediterranean
Islam and the Mediterranean examine the role of Islam in the Mediterranean region from the seventh through the sixteenth centuries. The Mediterranean today was largely shaped by encounters and exchanges in the cross-cultural context of Muslim and Christian polities. This complex cross-cultural experience, which included both conflict and cooperation, was encouraged by geographical proximity, economic needs, and realities of social life, theological competitions, and cultural and political parallels. While the traditional wisdom offers a picture of an enduring conflict between Christendom and Islamdom, this course will explore the major aspects of conflict, cooperation, and commonality between them and address historiographical positions based on theological pre-commitments and assumptions about western exceptionalism. Reqs.: Quizzes, exams, short paper.
Section:
01 Dr. Hayrettin Yucesoy TR 11:00-12:15
HIST 393: History of African Americans in Mass Media
This course will examine the relationship between African Americans and various mass media in the United States. We will focus on the development of mass media in the context of US race relations; the construction of enduring stereotypes; the political and economic imperatives of mass media; and African American resistance to representations produced by and circulating in dominant culture. This course will historically and critically examine the images of African Americans in American Print Media, Film, Television, Advertisements and Music. We will discuss the impact of those images on American society through multiple readings, the viewing of films and television and the active listening of various music genres. This course should help students understand and apply the concept of media literacy while also understanding the importance of mass media in popular culture and society today.
Section:
02 Dr. Katrina Thompson TR 11:00-12:15
HIST 393: North American Environmental History
What makes natural disasters “natural”? Why do so many people feel at peace in the woods? Who supplies the meat for hamburgers? These questions and others will drive Environmental History of the U.S. The course surveys the environmental history of what is now the United States from the fifteenth century to the present. Students will learn not only about changes in the American environment, but also much about the ideological and political development of conservation, preservation, and environmentalism in the United States; the role of natural resources in American economic and geographic expansion; transformations in the American landscape since the 1400s; and the ways in which some segments of the American population have benefited from the control of nature at the expense of other groups. By its very nature, environmental history is an interdisciplinary field. Throughout the semester, the class will therefore approach the topic via ecological science, history, geography, art history, literature and other lenses, for each of these disciplines provide valuable tools for making sense of the past, present, and future of the American environment. The goal of the course will be to integrate these various insights to form a coherent yet nuanced understanding of relationships between people and nature over time. Course lectures and readings will present multiple interpretations of these relationships.