Courses

Courses stress the development of ideas, cultures, and institutions, not merely the accumulation of data about particular events. Students study some topics and methods intensively to learn how to use and evaluate primary sources. Instructors assign extensive reading to familiarize students with various kinds of historical writing. Students are expected to participate in class discussions, and most courses emphasize critical writing rather than examinations.

History students may also be interested in historically-oriented courses in related fields such as History of Art 212 - Medieval Architecture or Growth & Structure of Cities 180 - Introduction to Historic Preservation.

This page displays the schedule of Bryn Mawr courses in this department for this academic year. It also displays descriptions of courses offered by the department during the last four academic years.

For information about courses offered by other Bryn Mawr departments and programs or about courses offered by Haverford and Swarthmore Colleges, please consult the Course Guides page.

For information about the Academic Calendar, including the dates of first and second quarter courses, please visit the College's master calendar.

Spring 2012

COURSE TITLE SCHEDULE/
UNITS
MEETING TYPE TIMES/DAYS LOCATION INSTRUCTOR(S)
HIST B129-001 The Religious Conquest of the Americas Semester / 1 Lecture: 1:00 PM- 2:30 PM MW Thomas Hall 118 Gallup-Diaz,I.
HIST B156-001 The Long 1960's Semester / 1 Lecture: 2:15 PM- 3:45 PM TTH Carpenter Library 25 Ullman,S.
HIST B200-001 The Atlantic World 1492-1800 Semester / 1 Lecture: 2:15 PM- 3:45 PM TTH Taylor Hall G Gallup-Diaz,I.
HIST B208-001 The Roman Empire Semester / 1 Lecture: 12:00 PM- 1:00 PM MWF Carpenter Library 13 Scott,R.
HIST B212-001 Pirates, Travelers, and Natural Historians: 1492-1750 Semester / 1 Lecture: 11:15 AM-12:45 PM TTH Carpenter Library 25 Gallup-Diaz,I.
HIST B222-001 France and Algeria since 1830 Semester / 1 LEC: 1:00 PM- 2:30 PM MW Bettws Y Coed 239 Prakash,A.
HIST B224-001 High Middle Ages Semester / 1 Lecture: 9:45 AM-11:15 AM TTH Taylor Hall G Truitt,E.
HIST B237-001 Themes in Modern African History: Urbanization in Africa Semester / 1 LEC: 2:15 PM- 3:45 PM TTH Dalton Hall 1 Ngalamulume,K.
HIST B242-001 American Politics and Society: 1945 to the Present Semester / 1 Lecture: 11:15 AM-12:45 PM TTH Thomas Hall 110 Ullman,S.
HIST B244-001 Great Empires of the Ancient Near East Semester / 1 Lecture: 12:45 PM- 2:15 PM TTH Carpenter Library 21 AtaƧ,M.
HIST B257-001 British Empire I: Capitalism and Slavery: Capitalism and Slavery Semester / 1 LEC: 9:45 AM-11:15 AM TTH Thomas Hall 116 Kale,M.
HIST B260-001 Human Rights in China Semester / 1 Lecture: 2:30 PM- 4:00 PM MW Thomas Hall 116 Wu,Y.
HIST B267-001 History of Philadelphia: 1682 to Present Semester / 1 Lecture: 1:00 PM- 4:00 PM M Carpenter Library 25 Shore,E.
HIST B273-001 Topics in Judaic Studies: Medieval and Early Modern Jewish History Semester / 1 LEC: 1:00 PM- 2:30 PM MW Thomas Hall 116 Albert,A.
HIST B278-001 American Environmental History Semester / 1 Lecture: 11:15 AM-12:45 PM TTH Taylor Hall E Stroud,E.
HIST B303-001 Topics in American History: Civil War & Memory Semester / 1 LEC: 1:00 PM- 4:00 PM W Carpenter Library 17 Ullman,S.
HIST B319-001 Topics in Modern European History: Surveillance in European History Semester / 1 LEC: 1:00 PM- 3:30 PM TH Dalton Hall 212E Prakash,A.
HIST B325-001 Topics in Social History: Women's Higher Education in 19th and 20th Century Semester / 1
HIST B326-001 Topics in Chinese History and Culture: History of Chinese Religions Semester / 1 LEC: 7:00 PM-10:00 PM M Dalton Hall 6 Wu,Y.
HIST B337-001 Topics in African History: Humanitarianism in Africa: History and Politics Semester / 1 LEC: 1:00 PM- 3:30 PM F Carpenter Library 15 Ngalamulume,K.
HIST B349-001 Topics in Comparative History: The Civilizing Mission Semester / 1 LEC: 2:00 PM- 4:00 PM T Thomas Hall 118 Kale,M.
HIST B368-001 Topics in Medieval History: The Dark Arts: Medieval Magic Semester / 1 LEC: 1:00 PM- 4:00 PM M Dalton Hall 212A Truitt,E.
HIST B395-001 Exploring History Semester / 1 Lecture: 1:00 PM- 4:00 PM F Dalton Hall 1 Kale,M., Prakash,A.
HIST B425-001 Praxis III: Independent Study Semester / 1 Dept. staff, TBA

Fall 2012

COURSE TITLE SCHEDULE/
UNITS
MEETING TYPE TIMES/DAYS LOCATION INSTRUCTOR(S)
HIST B127-001 Indigenous Leaders 1492-1750 Semester / 1 Lecture: 10:00 AM-11:30 AM MW Thomas Hall 102 Gallup-Diaz,I.
HIST B131-001 Chinese Civilization Semester / 1 Lecture: 1:00 PM- 2:30 PM MW Dalton Hall 1 Kwa,S.
HIST B205-001 Greek History Semester / 1 Lecture: 2:30 PM- 4:00 PM MW Thomas Hall 224 Edmonds,R.
HIST B214-001 The Historical Roots of Women in Genetics and Embryology Semester / 1 Lecture: 11:00 AM-12:00 PM MWF Park 227 Davis,G.
HIST B215-001 Europe and the Other: Immigrants and Minorities in Europe Semester / 1 Lecture: 2:15 PM- 3:45 PM TTH Dalton Hall 25 Prakash,A.
HIST B223-001 The Early Medieval World Semester / 1 Lecture: 9:45 AM-11:15 AM TTH Thomas Hall 104 Truitt,E.
HIST B226-001 Topics in 20th Century European History: Europe 1900 to Present Semester / 1 Lecture: 9:45 AM-11:15 AM TTH Thomas Hall 116 Prakash,A.
HIST B243-001 Atlantic Cultures: Maroon Societies/Free Black Societies Semester / 1 LEC: 11:30 AM- 1:00 PM MW Thomas Hall 102 Gallup-Diaz,I.
HIST B247-001 Topics In German Cultural Studies Semester / 1 Lecture: 2:30 PM- 4:00 PM MW Dalton Hall 10 Dept. staff, TBA
HIST B251-001 Topics: Growth & Spatial Organization of the City: 20th C. US Urban History Semester / 1 Lecture: 12:45 PM- 2:15 PM TTH Taylor Hall F Stroud,E.
HIST B258-001 British Empire: Imagining Indias Semester / 1 Lecture: 1:00 PM- 2:30 PM MW Dalton Hall 10 Kale,M.
HIST B283-001 Introduction to the Politics of the Modern Middle East and North Africa Semester / 1 Lecture: 1:00 PM- 2:30 PM MW Taylor Hall E Harrold,D.
HIST B284-001 Movies and America: The Past Lives Forever Semester / 1 LEC: 12:45 PM- 2:15 PM TTH Carpenter Library 21 Ullman,S.
Film: 7:00 PM-10:00 PM T Thomas Hall 224
HIST B303-001 Topics in American History: Cold War Political Culture Semester / 1 LEC: 1:00 PM- 4:00 PM M Carpenter Library 13 Ullman,S.
HIST B319-001 Topics in Modern European History: Decolonization Politics/Culture Semester / 1 Lecture: 12:00 PM- 2:00 PM W Dalton Hall 212E Prakash,A.
HIST B323-001 Memoria y Guerra Civil Semester / 1 Lecture: 12:00 PM- 2:00 PM W Dalton Hall 6 Song,H.
HIST B325-001 Topics in Social History: Bryn Mawr:Women's Higher Education in 18th &19th C Semester / 1 LEC: 10:00 AM-11:30 AM MW Redmond,J.
HIST B326-001 Topics in Chinese History and Culture Semester / 1 Lecture: 1:00 PM- 3:30 PM F Dalton Hall 1 Kwa,S.
HIST B355-001 Topics in the History of London Semester / 1 Lecture: 2:00 PM- 4:00 PM W Carpenter Library 15 Cast,D.
HIST B398-001 Senior Thesis Semester / 1 Discussion: 12:00 PM- 2:00 PM F Carpenter Library 25 Dept. staff, TBA
HIST B425-001 Praxis III: Independent Study Semester / 1 Dept. staff, TBA

Spring 2013

COURSE TITLE SCHEDULE/
UNITS
MEETING TYPE TIMES/DAYS LOCATION INSTRUCTOR(S)
HIST B101-001 The Historical Imagination Semester / 1 Lecture: 9:45 AM-11:15 AM TTH Carpenter Library 25 Kale,M.
HIST B102-001 Introduction to African Civilizations Semester / 1 Lecture: 11:15 AM-12:45 PM TTH Thomas Hall 116 Ngalamulume,K.
HIST B207-001 Early Rome and the Early Republic Semester / 1 Lecture: 1:00 PM- 2:00 PM MWF Thomas Hall 111 Scott,R.
HIST B220-001 Topics in Modern Chinese Literature Semester / 1 Lecture: 12:45 PM- 2:15 PM TTH Dalton Hall 10 Kwa,S.
HIST B224-001 High Middle Ages Semester / 1 Lecture: 1:00 PM- 2:30 PM MW Thomas Hall 116 Truitt,E.
HIST B229-001 Europe 1914 - 1945 Semester / 1 Lecture: 11:15 AM-12:45 PM TTH Taylor Hall D Prakash,A.
HIST B231-001 Medicine, Magic and Miracles in the Middle Ages Semester / 1 Lecture: 2:15 PM- 3:45 PM TTH Thomas Hall 118 Truitt,E.
HIST B246-001 Medievalisms Semester / 1 LEC: 2:30 PM- 4:00 PM MW Taylor Hall G Taylor,J., Truitt,E.
HIST B274-001 Focus: Topics in Modern US History: Leisure and Society: Tourism & Class First Half / 0.5 LEC: 1:00 PM- 2:30 PM MW Carpenter Library 15 Ullman,S.
HIST B274-002 Focus: Topics in Modern US History: Leisure and Society: Baseball & Class Second Half / 0.5 LEC: 1:00 PM- 2:30 PM MW Carpenter Library 15 Ullman,S.
HIST B278-001 American Environmental History Semester / 1 Lecture: 11:15 AM-12:45 PM TTH Taylor Hall G Stroud,E.
HIST B286-001 Themes in British Empire: Birth of Nations, Nationalism and Decolonization Semester / 1 LEC: 12:45 PM- 2:15 PM TTH Taylor Hall B Kale,M.
HIST B303-001 Topics in American History: History of Advertising: Post Civil War to 1920's Semester / 1 LEC: 1:00 PM- 4:00 PM M Taylor Hall C Shore,E.
HIST B311-001 Topics in Medieval Art Semester / 1 Lecture: 2:00 PM- 4:00 PM TH Carpenter Library 15 Walker,A.
HIST B318-001 Topics in Modern European History: Migration Semester / 1 Lecture: 1:00 PM- 3:30 PM W Dalton Hall 6 Prakash,A.
HIST B325-001 Topics in Social History: Sexuality in America Semester / 1 LEC: 1:00 PM- 4:00 PM T Carpenter Library 13 Ullman,S.
HIST B336-001 Social and Cultural History of Medicine in Africa Semester / 1 Lecture: 7:00 PM-10:00 PM T Thomas Hall 116 Ngalamulume,K.
HIST B357-001 Topics in British Empire:: Screening Empire, Projecting Home Semester / 1 LEC: 1:00 PM- 3:30 PM W Thomas Hall 129 Kale,M.
HIST B383-001 Two Hundred Years of Islamic Reform, Radicalism and Revolution Semester / 1 Lecture: 1:00 PM- 4:00 PM M Dalton Hall 212A Harrold,D.
HIST B395-001 Exploring History Semester / 1 Lecture: 1:00 PM- 4:00 PM F Thomas Hall 116 Ngalamulume,K., Prakash,A.

Fall 2010 Tri-Co Course Guide Listings

Spring 2011 Tri-Co Course Guide Listings

Course Descriptions

2012-13 Catalog Data

HIST B101 The Historical Imagination Spring 2013 Explores some of the ways people have thought about, represented, and used the past across time and space. Introduces students to modern historical practices and debates through examination and discussion of texts and archives that range from scholarly monographs and documents to monuments, oral traditions, and other media. Division I or Division III Critical Interpretation (CI)

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HIST B102 Introduction to African Civilizations Spring 2013 The course is designed to introduce students to the history of African and African Diaspora societies, cultures, and political economies. We will discuss the origins, state formation, external contacts, and the structural transformations and continuities of African societies and cultures in the context of the slave trade, colonial rule, capitalist exploitation, urbanization, and westernization, as well as contemporary struggles over authority, autonomy, identity and access to resources. Case studies will be drawn from across the continent. Division I: Social Science Critical Interpretation (CI) Inquiry into the Past (IP) Counts toward Africana Studies

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HIST B118 Comparative Media Revolutions Not offered 2012-13 A comparison of technology and "media revolutions" and social change through exploring the historiography of the printing press, radio and the internet. What historical explanations are given for the development of these technologies? What kind of agency is ascribed to them? Are media inherently revolutionary, or can they be tools for stabilization and consolidation as well? Division I or Division III Inquiry into the Past (IP)

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HIST B127 Indigenous Leaders 1492-1750 Fall 2012 Studies the experiences of indigenous men and women who exercised local authority in the systems established by European colonizers. In return for places in the colonial administrations, these leaders performed a range of tasks. At the same time they served as imperial officials, they exercised "traditional" forms of authority within their communities, often free of European presence. These figures provide a lens through which early modern colonialism is studied. Division I or Division III Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC) Counts toward Latin Amer/Latino/Iberian Peoples & Cultures Counts toward Peace and Conflict Studies

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HIST B128 Crusade, Conversion and Conquest Not offered 2012-13 A thematic focus course exploring the nature of Christian religious expansion and conflict in the medieval period. Based around primary sources with some background readings, topics include: early medieval Christianity and conversion; the Crusades and development of the doctrines of "just war" and "holy war"; the rise of military order such as the Templars and the Teutonic Kings; and later medieval attempts to convert and colonize Eastern Europe. Division I or Division III Critical Interpretation (CI) Inquiry into the Past (IP)

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HIST B129 The Religious Conquest of the Americas Not offered 2012-13 The course examines the complex aspects of the European missionization of indigenous people, and explores how two traditions of religious thought/practice came into conflict. Rather than a transposition of Christianity from Europe to the Americas, something new was created in the contested colonial space. Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC)

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HIST B131 Chinese Civilization Fall 2012 A broad chronological survey of Chinese culture and society from the Bronze Age to the present, with special reference to such topics as belief, family, language, the arts and sociopolitical organization. Readings include primary sources in English translation and secondary studies. Division I or Division III Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC) Inquiry into the Past (IP) Cross-listed as EAST B131

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HIST B156 The Long 1960's Not offered 2012-13 The 1960s has had a powerful effect on recent US History. But what was it exactly? How long did it last? And what do we really mean when we say "The Sixties?" This term has become so potent and loaded for so many people from all sides of the political spectrum that it's almost impossible to separate fact from fiction; myth from memory. We are all the inheritors of this intense period in American history but our inheritance is neither simple nor entirely clear. Our task this semester is to try to pull apart the meaning as well as the legend and attempt to figure out what "The Sixties" is (and what it isn't) and try to assess its long term impact on American society. Division I or Division III Critical Interpretation (CI) Inquiry into the Past (IP)

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HIST B200 The Atlantic World 1492-1800 Not offered 2012-13 The aim of this course is to provide an understanding of the way in which peoples, goods, and ideas from Africa, Europe. and the Americas came together to form an interconnected Atlantic World system. The course is designed to chart the manner in which an integrated system was created in the Americas in the early modern period, rather than to treat the history of the Atlantic World as nothing more than an expanded version of North American, Caribbean, or Latin American history. Division I or Division III Inquiry into the Past (IP) Cross-listed as ANTH B200 Counts toward Africana Studies Counts toward Latin Amer/Latino/Iberian Peoples & Cultures Counts toward International Studies Major

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HIST B205 Greek History Fall 2012 A study of Greece down to the end of the Peloponnesian War (404 B.C.E.), with a focus on constitutional changes from monarchy through aristocracy and tyranny to democracy in various parts of the Greek world. Emphasis on learning to interpret ancient sources, including historians (especially Herodotus and Thucydides),inscriptions, and archaeological and numismatic materials. Particular attention is paid to Greek contacts with the Near East; constitutional developments in various Greek-speaking states; Athenian and Spartan foreign policies; and the "unwritten history" of non-elites. Division III: Humanities Cross-listed as CSTS B205

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HIST B207 Early Rome and the Early Republic Spring 2013 The history of Rome from its origins to the end of the Republic with special emphasis on the rise of Rome in Italy, the Hellenistic world, and the evolution of the Roman state. Ancient sources, literary and archaeological, are emphasized. Division III: Humanities Cross-listed as CSTS B207

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HIST B208 The Roman Empire Not offered 2012-13 Imperial history from the principate of Augustus to the House of Constantine with focus on the evolution of Roman culture and society as presented in the surviving ancient evidence, both literary and archaeological. Division I or Division III Inquiry into the Past (IP) Cross-listed as CSTS B208

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HIST B211 Medieval World Not offered 2012-13 Italy in the High and Late Middle Ages examines cultural developments in the Italian peninsula through an intensive examination of translated primary sources of various genres-narrative chronicles, diaries, legal opinions, saints' lives etc--as well as paintings, frescoes and other examples of visual material culture. Division I or Division III

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HIST B212 Pirates, Travelers, and Natural Historians: 1492-1750 Not offered 2012-13 In the early modern period, conquistadors, missionaries, travelers, pirates, and natural historians wrote interesting texts in which they tried to integrate the New World into their existing frameworks of knowledge. This intellectual endeavor was an adjunct to the physical conquest of American space, and provides a framework though which we will explore the processes of imperial competition, state formation, and indigenous and African resistance to colonialism. Division I or Division III Inquiry into the Past (IP) Counts toward Environmental Studies

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HIST B214 The Historical Roots of Women in Genetics and Embryology Fall 2012 This course provides a general history of genetics and embryology from the late 19th to the mid-20th century with a focus on the role that women scientists and technicians played in the development of these sub-disciplines. We will look at the lives of well known and lesser-known individuals, asking how factors such as their educational experiences and mentor relationships influenced the roles these women played in the scientific enterprise. We will also examine specific scientific contributions in historical context, requiring a review of core concepts in genetics and developmental biology. One facet of the course will be to look at the Bryn Mawr Biology Department from the founding of the College into the mid-20th century. Division II: Natural Science Inquiry into the Past (IP) Scientific Investigation (SI) Cross-listed as BIOL B214 Counts toward Gender and Sexuality Studies

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HIST B215 Europe and the Other: Immigrants and Minorities in Europe Fall 2012 This course will introduce students to questions of socio-cultural and political belonging and the production of social marginality in Europe in the 19th and 20th centuries. Topics of study include religious and ethnic minorities in Britain, France, and Germany, colonial and postcolonial migration and the politics of culture, and the question of undocumented peoples. Division III: Humanities Inquiry into the Past (IP)

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HIST B216 Post Communist Transitions in Eastern Europe Not offered 2012-13 This comparison of pre- and post-communist social formations in Eastern Europe in specific nation-states considers how social changes influenced spheres of life, such as family, morality, religion, economic institutions and nationalism. The course will take an interdisciplinary perspective, drawing from literature of social sciences, especially anthropology. Prerequisite: an introductory social science course, or permission of the instructor. Division I: Social Science Cross-listed as ANTH B226

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HIST B220 Topics in Modern Chinese Literature Spring 2013 This a topics course. This course explores modern China from the early 20th century to the present through its literature, art and films, reading them as commentaries of their own time. Topics vary. Division III: Humanities Cross-listed as EAST B225 Cross-listed as HART B225

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HIST B222 France and Algeria since 1830 Not offered 2012-13 This course will trace the intertwined history of France and Algeria by analyzing the beginnings of the French presence in Algeria, colonization and resistance, citizenship and race, the Algerian War, and decolonization. Prerequisite: One 100-level history course. Inquiry into the Past (IP) Cross-listed as ANTH B222 Cross-listed as FREN B222 Counts toward Middle East Studies

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HIST B223 The Early Medieval World Fall 2012 The first of a two-course sequence introducing medieval European history. The chronological span of this course is from the early 4th century and the Christianization of the Roman Empire to the early 10th century and the disintegration of the Carolingian Empire. Division I or Division III Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC) Inquiry into the Past (IP) Cross-listed as CSTS B223

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HIST B224 High Middle Ages Spring 2013 This course will cover the second half of the European Middle Ages, often called the High and Late Middle Ages, from roughly 1000-1400. The course has a general chronological framework, and is based on important themes of medieval history. These include feudalism and the feudal economy; the social transformation of the millennium; monastic reform; the rise of the papacy; trade, exchange, and exploration; urbanism and the growth of towns. Division I or Division III Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC) Inquiry into the Past (IP) Cross-listed as CSTS B224

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HIST B225 Europe in the 19th Century Not offered 2012-13 The 19th century was a period of intense change in Europe. Some of the questions this class considers are: the relationship between empire, plantation-style agriculture and industrialization; the development of transportations and communication networks; multinational companies, a mass press, film, and tourism as early markers of globalization. Division III: Humanities Inquiry into the Past (IP)

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HIST B226 Topics in 20th Century European History
Section 001 (Fall 2012): Europe 1900 to Present
Section 001 (Fall 2011): Modern European Identities Fall 2012 What is Europe? How do we define who or what is European? The answer takes different forms depending upon the historical period and geographical location in which one asks the question. This course is an introduction to European history since 1900 and will concentrate on some of the major factors affecting the construction of modern European identities. Topics will include the causes and consequences of WWI, the emergence of fascism in the interwar years, WWII, decolonization, Americanization and cultural politics, the fall of communism, and European integration.
Current topic description: This course will survey Europe from 1900 to the present Topics of study include WWI, fascism, Bolshevism, WWII, the Cold War, decolonization and European integration.
Division I or Division III Inquiry into the Past (IP)

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HIST B229 Europe 1914 - 1945 Spring 2013 Between 1914 and 1945 over sixty million people were killed across Europe and the wider world by warfare. How can we make sense of this mass death? What were the historical conditions that made such an outcome possible? This course attempts to answer these questions by studying the causes, prosecution, and effects of WWI and WWII. Topics of study will include the political inheritance of the nineteenth century, the birth of Bolshevism and fascism, the rise and demise of the League of Nations, Nazi Europe, the Holocaust, and the origins of the Cold War. Division I or Division III Inquiry into the Past (IP)

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HIST B230 Europe since 1945 Not offered 2012-13 What are the legacies of Europe's troubled past? How do they affect Europe and Europeans today? This overview looks at the devastation and fragmentation of the post-war period; the social and political implication of the growth of the 1950's and 1960's; the stagnation, turmoil and uncertainty of the 1970's and 1980's; and the promised and tensions renewed by the integration movements since the 1990's. Division I or Division III Inquiry into the Past (IP)

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HIST B231 Medicine, Magic and Miracles in the Middle Ages Spring 2013 An exploration of the history of health and disease, healing and medical practice in the medieval period, emphasizing Dar as-Islam and the Latin Christian West. Using methods from intellectual cultural and social history, themes include: theories of health and disease; varieties of medical practice; rationalities of various practices; views of the body and disease; medical practitioners. No previous course work in medieval history is required. This course is a writing intensive (W) course. Division I or Division III Critical Interpretation (CI) Inquiry into the Past (IP) Cross-listed as ARCH B231 Cross-listed as CSTS B231

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HIST B235 Africa to 1800 Not offered 2012-13 The course explores the formation and development of African societies, with a special focus on the key processes of hominisation, agricultural revolution, metalworking, the formation of states, the connection of West Africa to the world economy, and the impact of European colonial rule on African societies in the 19th and 20th centuries. Counts toward Africana Studies. Division I or Division III Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC) Inquiry into the Past (IP) Counts toward Africana Studies

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HIST B237 Themes in Modern African History
Section 001 (Spring 2012): Urbanization in Africa Not offered 2012-13 The course examines the cultural, environmental, economic, political, and social factors that contributed to the expansion and transformation of preindustrial cities, colonial cities, and cities today. We will examine various themes, such as the relationship between cities and societies; migration and social change; urban space, health problems, city life, and women. Division I: Social Science Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC) Inquiry into the Past (IP) Cross-listed as CITY B237 Counts toward Africana Studies

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HIST B241 American Politics and Society: 1890-1945
Section 001 (Fall 2011): United States, 1890 - 1945 Not offered 2012-13 This course examines the first half of the twentieth century in depth. While the twentieth century has often been called the American Century (usually by Americans), this century can truthfully be looked to as the moment when American influence and power, for good and ill, came to be felt on a national and global scale. While much of this "bigfoot" quality is associated with the post WWII period (see you in the spring), one cannot understand the America of today - in the early 21st century - without looking at the earlier period. This course looks closely at the political, social, and cultural developments that helped shape America in these pivotal years. Division III: Humanities Inquiry into the Past (IP)

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HIST B242 American Politics and Society: 1945 to the Present Not offered 2012-13 How did we get here? This course looks at the amazing transformation of America in the years 1945 to today . From a country devastated by economic crisis and wedded to isolationism prior to WW II, America became an unchallenged international powerhouse. Massive grass roots resistance forced the United States to abandon racial apartheid, open opportunities to women, and reinvent its very definition as it incorporated immigrants from around the globe. And in the same period, American music and film broke free from their staid moorings and permanently altered global culture. We will explore the political, social, and cultural factors that created recent American history. Division I or Division III Inquiry into the Past (IP)

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HIST B243 Atlantic Cultures
Section 001 (Fall 2012): Maroon Societies/Free Black Societies Fall 2012 This is a topics course. Course content varies.
Current topic description: The course explores the process of self-emancipation by slaves in the early modern Atlantic World. What was the nature of the communities that free blacks forged? What were their relationships to the empires from which they had freed themselves? How was race constructed in the early modern period? Did conceptions of race change over time?
Division I or Division III Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC) Inquiry into the Past (IP) Counts toward Africana Studies

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HIST B244 Great Empires of the Ancient Near East Not offered 2012-13 A survey of the history, material culture, political and religious ideologies of, and interactions among, the five great empires of the ancient Near East of the second and first millennia B.C.E.: New Kingdom Egypt, the Hittite Empire in Anatolia, the Assyrian and Babylonian Empires in Mesopotamia, and the Persian Empire in Iran. Division III: Humanities Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC) Inquiry into the Past (IP) Cross-listed as ARCH B244 Cross-listed as CITY B244

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HIST B246 Medievalisms Spring 2013 This course assesses how the "Middle Ages" has been and continues to be constructed as a period of history, an object of inquiry, and a category of analysis. It considers how the past is formulated and called upon to conduct the ideological and cultural work of the present, and it reads historical documents and literary texts in dialogue with one another. Division III: Humanities Inquiry into the Past (IP) Cross-listed as ENGL B246

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HIST B247 Topics In German Cultural Studies Fall 2012 This is a topic course. Course content varies. Division I or Division III Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC) Critical Interpretation (CI) Cross-listed as GERM B223 Cross-listed as COML B223

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HIST B251 Topics: Growth & Spatial Organization of the City
Section 001 (Fall 2012): 20th C. US Urban History Fall 2012 An introduction to growth & spatial organization of cities. Topics vary.
Current topic description: This course explores factors that have shaped the form and evolution of Cities. In Fall 2012 it will focus on the recent history of U.S. cities as both physical spaces and social entities. How have the definitions, political roles, and social perceptions of U.S. cities changed since 1900? And how have those shifts, along with changes in transportation, communication, construction, and other technologies affected both the people and places that comprise U.S. cities?
Division III: Humanities Inquiry into the Past (IP) Cross-listed as CITY B250 Counts toward Environmental Studies

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HIST B257 British Empire I: Capitalism and Slavery
Section 001 (Spring 2012): Capitalism and Slavery Not offered 2012-13 Focusing on the Atlantic slave trade and the slave plantation mode of production, this course explores English colonization, and the emergence and the decline of British Empire in the Americas and Caribbean from the 17th through the late 20th centuries. It tracks some of the intersecting and overlapping routes--and roots--connecting histories and politics within and between these "new" world locations. It also tracks the further and proliferating links between developments in these regions and the histories and politics of regions in the "old" world, from the north Atlantic to the South China sea. Division I or Division III Cross-listed as CITY B257

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HIST B258 British Empire: Imagining Indias Fall 2012 This course considers ideas about and experiences of "modern" India, i.e., India during the colonial and post-Independence periods (roughly 1757-present). While "India" and "Indian history" along with "British empire" and "British history" will be the ostensible objects of our consideration and discussions, the course proposes that their imagination and meanings are continually mediated by a wide variety of institutions, agents, and analytical categories (nation, religion, class, race, gender, to name a few examples). The course uses primary sources, scholarly analyses, and cultural productions to explore the political economies of knowledge, representation, and power in the production of modernity. Division III: Humanities Critical Interpretation (CI) Inquiry into the Past (IP)

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HIST B260 Human Rights in China Not offered 2012-13 This course will examine China's human rights issues from a historical perspective. The topics include diverse persepctives on human rights, historical background, civil rights, religious practice, justice system, education, as well as the problems concerning some social groups such as migrant laberers, women, ethnic minorities and peasants. Division I: Social Science Cross-listed as EAST B264

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HIST B261 Palestine and Israeli Society Not offered 2012-13 Division I: Social Science Cross-listed as ANTH B261 Cross-listed as GNST B261 Cross-listed as HEBR B261 Counts toward Middle East Studies Counts toward Peace and Conflict Studies

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HIST B262 The Chinese Revolution Not offered 2012-13 Places the causes and consequences of the 20th century revolutions in historical perspective, by examining its late-imperial antecedents and tracing how the revolution has (and has not) transformed China, including the lives of such key revolutionary supporters as the peasantry, women, and intellectuals. Division I: Social Science Cross-listed as EAST B263

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HIST B264 Passages from India: 1800-Present Not offered 2012-13 This course explores the histories and effects of migration from the Indian subcontinent to far-flung destinations across the globe. It starts with the circular migrations of traders, merchants, and pilgrims in the medieval period from the Indian subcontinent to points east (in southeast Asia) and west (eastern Africa). However, the focus of the course is on modern migrations from the subcontinent, from the indentured labor migrations of the British colonial period (to Africa, the Caribbean, and the South Pacific) to the post-Independence emigrations from the new nations of the subcontinent to Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United States. Division I or Division III Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC) Inquiry into the Past (IP)

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HIST B267 History of Philadelphia: 1682 to Present Not offered 2012-13 This course will focus on the intersection of the sense of Philadelphia as it is popularly understood and the Philadelphia that we can reconstruct individually and together using scholarly books and articles, documentary and popular films and novels, visual evidence, and visits to the chief repositories of the city's history. We will analyze the relationship between the official representations of Philadelphia and their sources and we will create our own history of the city. Preference given to junior and senior Growth and Structure of Cities and History majors, and those students who were previously lotteried out of the course. Division I: Social Science Inquiry into the Past (IP) Cross-listed as CITY B267

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HIST B273 Topics in Judaic Studies
Section 001 (Spring 2012): Medieval and Early Modern Jewish History Not offered 2012-13 What happened in Jewish history between antiquity and the modern era, between composing the Talmud and receiving citizenship in European nations? As we try to understand how Jews got from there to here, this seminar will explore the diverse and sometimes astonishing forms of Jewish life in the medieval and early modern periods (approximately 1000-1800), with special focus on the evolution of Jewish relations with the majority culture. Topics will include the golden age of Jewry in Muslim Spain, the development of European anti-Jewish policies and persecutions, Jewish self-government, and cosmopolitanism, as well as many of the philosophers, mystics and would-be messiahs who sparked religious movements and change in the course of these tumultuous centuries. Cross-listed as HEBR B271 Counts toward Middle East Studies

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HIST B274 Focus: Topics in Modern US History
Section 001 (Spring 2013): Leisure and Society: Tourism & Class
Section 002 (Spring 2013): Leisure and Society: Baseball & Class Spring 2013 This is a topics course in 20th century America social history. Topics vary by half semester
Current topic description: This quarter we will look at the ways in which tourism both marks and constructs social class. Sample topics include the economy of tourism, specific tourist destinations, and travel narratives. You can take either focus course separately. They are not linked and you are not required to take both. They are independent courses. Offered first quarter.
Current topic description: This quarter the focus will be on the intersection of race, class and leisure in the history of 20th century American baseball. You can take either focus course separately. They are not linked and you are not required to take both. They are independent courses. Offered second quarter.
Division I: Social Science Inquiry into the Past (IP) Counts toward Praxis Program

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HIST B276 Islam in Europe Not offered 2012-13 This course will focus on recent immigration of Muslims in Europe. Anthropological theories will be helpful for understanding various issues such as the colonization and production of ethnicity, problems of identity concerning different generations and gender. Politics from the points of view of the nation-state will be important. Prerequisite: One course in Anthropology or instructor's permission. Division I: Social Science Cross-listed as ANTH B276 Counts toward Middle East Studies

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HIST B278 American Environmental History Spring 2013 This course explores major themes of American environmental history, examining changes in the American landscape, development of ideas about nature and the history of environmental activism. Students will study definitions of nature, environment, and environmental history while investigating interactions between Americans and their physical worlds. Division I: Social Science Inquiry into the Past (IP) Cross-listed as CITY B278 Counts toward Environmental Studies

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HIST B283 Introduction to the Politics of the Modern Middle East and North Africa Fall 2012 This course is a multidisciplinary approach to understanding the politics of the region, using works of history, political science, political economy, film, and fiction as well as primary sources. The course will concern itself with three broad areas: the legacy of colonialism and the importance of international forces; the role of Islam in politics; and the political and social effects of particular economic conditions, policies, and practices. Division I: Social Science Cross-listed as POLS B283 Cross-listed as HEBR B283 Counts toward Middle East Studies

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HIST B284 Movies and America
Section 001 (Fall 2012): The Past Lives Forever Fall 2012 Movies are one of the most important means by which Americans come to know - or think they know--their own history. This class examines the complex cultural relationship between film and American historical self fashioning. Division I or Division III Critical Interpretation (CI) Inquiry into the Past (IP) Counts toward Gender and Sexuality Studies Counts toward Film Studies

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HIST B286 Themes in British Empire
Section 001 (Spring 2013): Birth of Nations, Nationalism and Decolonization Spring 2013 This is a Themes course, covering various "themes" in the study of the British Empire.
Current topic description: This course explores the politics and genealogies on nationalist movements in the Indian subcontinent from the late 19th century through the establishment of sovereign nations from 1947-72, considering the implications and legacies of empire, nationalism and anti-colonialism for the nations and peoples of the subcontinent from Independence through the present.
Division I or Division III Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC) Inquiry into the Past (IP) Cross-listed as CITY B286 Cross-listed as POLS B286

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HIST B287 Immigration in the U.S. Not offered 2012-13 How we understand the history of immigration to the territory now known as the United States has been transformed by recent explorations of the notion of "whiteness." This course will be framed by the ways in which this powerful lens for interpretation has helped to recast the meaning of ethnicity as we focus on individual immigrant groups and the context which they both entered and created from the 17th century to the present. The first half of the semester will concentrate largely on the "century of immigration," from the early 19th through the early 20th century. Together, we will shape the second half of the course, deciding on the topics we will investigate and upon which 20th century groups we will focus. Division I or Division III Inquiry into the Past (IP) Counts toward Latin Amer/Latino/Iberian Peoples & Cultures

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HIST B288 The Political Economy of the Middle East and North Africa Not offered 2012-13 Division I: Social Science Cross-listed as POLS B288 Counts toward Middle East Studies

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HIST B292 Women in Britain since 1750 Not offered 2012-13 Focusing on contemporary and historical narratives, this course explores the ongoing production, circulation and refraction of discourses on gender and nation as well as race, empire and modernity since the mid-18th century. Texts will incorporate visual material as well as literary evidence and culture and consider the crystallization of the discipline of history itself. Division III: Humanities Critical Interpretation (CI) Inquiry into the Past (IP) Counts toward Gender and Sexuality Studies

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HIST B303 Topics in American History
Section 001 (Spring 2012): Civil War & Memory
Section 001 (Fall 2012): Cold War Political Culture
Section 001 (Spring 2013): History of Advertising: Post Civil War to 1920's Fall 2012, Spring 2013 This is a topics course. Course content varies. Recent topics have included medicine, advertising, and history of sexuality.
Current topic description: In the twenty years following World War II, Americans were faced with unexpected fears and anxieties. Despite the emergence of American as a superpower, Americans became deeply paranoid and insecure. Most famous as the era of McCarthy persecutions, Cold War political culture also produced the Civil Rights Movement, debates over the role of the individual and the state, critiques of conformity, and challenges to social status quo through personal politics and cultural revolutions in multiple arenas. This course will focus on the ways in which Cold War political culture offered a fundamentally new - and profoundly influential - paradigm for modern American life.
Division I or Division III Counts toward Africana Studies

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HIST B311 Topics in Medieval Art
Section 001 (Fall 2011): Sacred Spaces of Islam Spring 2013 This is a topics course. Topics vary.
Current topic description: Kings, Caliphs, and Emperor: Images of Authority in the Era of the Crusades
Division III: Humanities Cross-listed as HART B311 Cross-listed as CITY B312 Counts toward Middle East Studies

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HIST B313 Religion in Modern Europe -- Enlightenment to Present Not offered 2012-13 Until recently, historians agreed with Nietzsche's 19th century pronouncement that "God is dead," viewing post-Enlightenment history as one of increasing secularism. This course re-examines that conclusion, looking both at recent historical research and at primary source documents like the Darwin's Descent of Man or "l'affaire du foulard" in France. If religion remained important in modern Europe, why is Nietzsche's verdict so widely accepted? The class has a substantial writing component. Division I or Division III

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HIST B318 Topics in Modern European History
Section 001 (Fall 2011): Greater France
Section 001 (Spring 2013): Migration Spring 2013 This is a topics course. Topics vary.
Current topic description: This course will study global migration patterns, identification and migratory control regimes, and border construction in the modern era.
Division I or Division III

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HIST B319 Topics in Modern European History
Section 001 (Fall 2012): Decolonization Politics/Culture
Section 001 (Spring 2012): Surveillance in European History Fall 2012 This is a topics course. Course content varies.
Current topic description: Has Europe decolonized? In the realm of formal politics, the answer is, of course, affirmative. This course, however, will assume a broader definition of politics that encompasses power structures, large and small, that contour everyday life. With primary focus on France and Britain, students will explore the weight of the history of colonialism on the political and cultural life of these European societies. Topics include the international politics of decolonization, colonial/postcolonial migrant communities, and literature and theory concerning decolonization.
Division I or Division III

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HIST B323 Memoria y Guerra Civil Fall 2012 A look into the Spanish Civil War and its wide-ranging international significance as both the military and ideological testing ground for World War II. This course examines the endurance of myths related to this conflict and the cultural memory it has produced along with the current negotiations of the past that is taking place in democratic Spain. Prerequisites: SPAN 200/202 and another 200-level course in Spanish. Division III: Humanities Critical Interpretation (CI) Cross-listed as SPAN B323

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HIST B325 Topics in Social History
Section 001 (Fall 2012): Bryn Mawr:Women's Higher Education in 18th &19th C
Section 001 (Spring 2013): Sexuality in America
Section 001 (Spring 2012): Women's Higher Education in 19th and 20th Century
Section 003 (Fall 2011): Queering History Fall 2012, Spring 2013 This a topics course that explores various themes in American social history. Course content varies.
Current topic description: This course will examine the history of women's education in the 19th and 20th centuries, focusing on the context of the history of women's higher education in the US and globally. Thecourse will explore the cultural, social, and political conditions that influenced the founding of Bryn Mawr and will compare and contrast this to other colleges, such as the Seven Sisters and the British universities that so influenced M. Carey Thomas in her ideal of an exemplary women's college. The aim of this course is to provide an understanding of the history of women's higher education, the political struggles encountered by the pioneers in women's educational reform, and to reflect on the differences between women's colleges in their establishment and their subsequent histories. We will discuss the arguments surrounding single-sex vs. co-educational institutions and reflect on the place of women's colleges in society. Our task in this course will be to gain a deep historical understanding of the issues that will challenge students to think about the history of their institution and the legacy created through the campaign for women's higher education over the last two centuries. Students will have the opportunity, if they wish, to create digital versions of their work to appear on The Albert M. Greenfield Digital Center for the History of Women's Education site, to contribute to a forthcoming exhibit and conference on this topic in Spring 2013, and to use original source materials from the Bryn Mawr College collections to create innovative work on to contribute to our knowledge of the legacy of women's education.
Current topic description: see notes to Registrar
Division I or Division III Cross-listed as CITY B325 Counts toward Gender and Sexuality Studies

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HIST B326 Topics in Chinese History and Culture
Section 001 (Spring 2012): History of Chinese Religions Fall 2012 This is a topics course. Course content varies. Division III: Humanities Cross-listed as EAST B325

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HIST B336 Social and Cultural History of Medicine in Africa
Section 001 (Fall 2011): Social & Cultural History of Medicine Spring 2013 The course will focus on the issues of public health history, social and cultural history of disease as well as the issues of the history of medicine. We will explore various themes, such as the indigenous theories of disease and therapies; disease, imperialism and medicine; medical pluralism in contemporary Africa; the emerging diseases, medical education, women in medicine, and differential access to health care. We will also explore the questions regarding the sources of African history and their quality. Division I: Social Science Counts toward Africana Studies

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HIST B337 Topics in African History
Section 001 (Spring 2012): Humanitarianism in Africa: History and Politics Not offered 2012-13 This is a topics course. Topics vary. Enrollment limited to 15 students. Division I: Social Science Counts toward Africana Studies

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HIST B345 Advanced Topics in Environment and Society Not offered 2012-13 This course will examine the meaning of "nature" and "environment" and how we understand our own relationship to it. We explore the social factors that shape how people define nature as variously savage or bountiful, a site of danger or entertainment, toxic or unspoiled, a force that controls human fates or a resource for humans to manipulate. Division I: Social Science Cross-listed as CITY B345 Counts toward Environmental Studies

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HIST B349 Topics in Comparative History
Section 001 (Spring 2012): The Civilizing Mission Not offered 2012-13 This is a topics course. Topics vary. Division I or Division III Counts toward Africana Studies

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HIST B352 China's Environment Not offered 2012-13 This seminar explores China's environmental issues from a historical perspective. It begins by considering a range of analytical approaches , and then explores three general periods in China's environmental changes, imperial times, Mao's socialist experiments during the first thirty years of the People's Republic, and the post-Mao reforms. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing. Division I: Social Science Cross-listed as EAST B352 Counts toward Environmental Studies

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HIST B355 Topics in the History of London Fall 2012 Selected topics of social, literary, and architectural concern in the history of London, emphasizing London since the 18th century. Cross-listed as HART B355

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HIST B357 Topics in British Empire:
Section 001 (Spring 2013): Screening Empire, Projecting Home Spring 2013 This is a topics course. Topics vary.
Current topic description: Focusing on themes of displacement and transplantation, this course will examine films by and about men and women circulating (voluntarily or otherwise) through the British empire and the nations that supplanted it to consider the impacts of empire (at "home" and "away") on articulations of modern identities (national, sub-national and other).
Division I or Division III

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HIST B364 Magical Mechanisms Not offered 2012-13 A reading and research seminar focused on different examples of artificial life in medieval cultures. Primary sources will be from a variety of genres, and secondary sources will include significant theoretical works in art history, critical theory and science studies. Prerequisite: at least one course in medieval studies, or the permission of the instructor Division I or Division III Cross-listed as CSTS B364

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HIST B368 Topics in Medieval History
Section 001 (Spring 2012): The Dark Arts: Medieval Magic Not offered 2012-13 This is a topics course. Topics vary. Division III: Humanities Cross-listed as CSTS B368

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HIST B371 Topics in Atlantic History: The Early Modern Pirate in Fact and Fiction Not offered 2012-13 This course will explore piracy in the Americas in the period 1550-1750. We will investigate the historical reality of pirates and what they did, and the manner in which pirates have entered the popular imagination through fiction and films. Pirates have been depicted as lovable rogues, anti-establishment rebels, and enlightened multiculturalists who were skilled in dealing with the indigenous and African peoples of the Americas. The course will examine the facts and the fictions surrounding these important historical actors. Counts toward Latin Amer/Latino/Iberian Peoples & Cultures

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HIST B382 Religious Fundamentalism in the Global Era Not offered 2012-13 Through a comparison of Jewish, Islamic, Christian and Hindu political movements, the course seeks to investigate the religious turn in national and transnational contexts. We will also seek to find commonalities and differences in religious movements, and religious regimes, while considering the aspects of globalization which usher in new kinds of transnational affiliation. Prerequisite: An introductory course in Anthropology, Political Science or History or permission of the instructor. Division I or Division III Cross-listed as ANTH B382 Cross-listed as POLS B382 Counts toward Middle East Studies Counts toward Peace and Conflict Studies

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HIST B383 Two Hundred Years of Islamic Reform, Radicalism and Revolution Spring 2013 This course will examine the transformation of Islamic politics in the past two hundred years, emphasizing historical accounts, comparative analysis of developments in different parts of the Islamic world. Topics covered include the rationalist Salafy movement; the so-called conservative movements (Sanussi of Libya, the Mahdi in the Sudan, and the Wahhabi movement in Arabia); the Caliphate movement; contemporary debates over Islamic constitutions; among others. The course is not restricted to the Middle East or Arab world. Prerequisites: a course on Islam and modern European history, or an earlier course on the Modern Middle East or 19th-century India, or permission of instructor. Division I: Social Science Cross-listed as POLS B383

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HIST B387 Immigration in the United States Not offered 2012-13 Incorporates the current immigration debate in examining the historical causes and consequences of migration. Addresses the perceived benefit and cost of immigration at the national and local levels. Explores the economic, social, cultural and political impact immigrants have on the United States over time. Close attention given to examining the ways immigrants negotiated the pressures of their new surroundings while shaping and redefining American conceptions of national identity and citizenship. Division I or Division III Counts toward Latin Amer/Latino/Iberian Peoples & Cultures

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HIST B395 Exploring History Spring 2013 An intensive introduction to theory and interpretation in history, through the discussion of exemplary historiographical debates and analyses selected by the instructor.

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HIST B398 Senior Thesis Students research and write a thesis on a topic of their choice. Enrollment is limited to senior history majors. Division I or Division III

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HIST B403 Supervised Work Optional independent study, which requires permission of the instructor and the major adviser.

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HIST B425 Praxis III: Independent Study Part of the Transforming Legacy of Oil 360
Current topic description: Part of the Transforming Legacy of Oil 360, the focus of this course will be on the history of oil and oil related activities in Pennsylvania, as well as on the steps necessary to organize a conference at Bryn Mawr College on January 18 and 19, 2013. Students must also register for ECON 213, Taming the Modern Corporation, and CITY 377, The Global Architecture of Oil. To be considered for this course, students must preregister and submit this questionnaire. https://brynmawr.wufoo.com/forms/transforming-legacy-of-oil-360ee/ by midnight on Thursday, April 5. Incomplete or late submissions cannot be considered.
Counts toward Praxis Program

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