Culture and Revolution: Russia's 20th Century — Literature

HIST 296 001
3 credits
Dr. Kondoyanidi
Mondays & Thursdays
11:20 AM - 12:35 PM

Since the eighteenth century, the idea of revolutionary social change has been a central element in the Russian understanding of history, in what may be called the historical and cultural mythology of Russia. This course explores how Russian authors viewed revolutionary epochs. Students read literary works by Fyodor Dostoevsky, Anton Chekhov, Maxim Gorky, Ivan Bunin, Mikhail Bulgakov, Vasily Grossman, Boris Pasternak, and Alexander Solzhenitsyn, among other Russian writers. Although these writings engage the mythology of revolutionary change, Russian writers do not describe these transitional moments as triumphant or glorious; instead, they portray the new social worlds as bizarre, ruthless, painful, and confused fusions of the past and future.

Antisemitism in American

HIST 344 001
3 credits
Dr. Sperling
Tuesdays & Fridays
12:55 PM - 2:10 PM

This course traces the long history of antisemitism in America and the myriad ways it has shaped American Jewish experiences. Subjects include barriers such as immigration and hiring quotas, violence committed by gangs and Nazi sympathizers, and the religious and cultural negotiations Jews made to 'fit in' as Americans.

Crosslist: JWST-396-001.

Gangs and Guilds in the Middle East

HIST 396 001
3 credits
Dr. Partovi
Mondays and Thursdays
2:30 PM - 3:45 PM

This course considers the history of urban male associations in the Middle East from the early Islamic period to modern times. Course materials and class discussions examine how gangs and guilds have both organized and disrupted public life in the region, including contemporary manifestations like the Mahdi Army and Islamic State.

The Viking World

HIST 412 001
3 credits
Dr. Giandrea
Tuesdays and Fridays
2:30 PM - 3:45 PM

The course of European history was changed forever when the Vikings began to take an interest in their neighbors. What began as a series of small but devastating raids in the late eighth century soon mushroomed into a mass movement of Scandinavians to Ireland, Britain, France, and beyond, forever altering the landscapes of these kingdoms. To their victims they were heathen pirates who killed without regard for age, gender, or status. But the Vikings also impacted Europe in more positive ways, opening up long-distance trade routes and encouraging urban development, among other things. This course takes a broad view of the Viking world by considering the evidence for the Vikings themselves as well as their impact abroad. Students use material evidence (i.e., archaeology) and primary sources to better understand Viking society and religion, technology, ways of warfare and influence across time and space.

Crosslist: HIST-612-001.