FALL 2006
History 342.01 "Stalinism."
This seminar will concentrate upon the major historiographical divide over Stalinist Russia and evaluate the evidentiary bases that sustain these interpretations. Traditional historiography of this era has concentrated upon the "totalitarian" model, and has depended upon official documents, as well as the memoirs and public statements of major figures and йmigrйs. More recent interpretations have sought to complicate the story, and give voice to more ordinary historical actors-as preserved in the archives of the secret police, in private diaries, and in the collections of unprinted denunciations and letters to the editors of Soviet publications and Soviet leaders. Through scrupulous reading of some major representatives of these views, as well as through careful consideration of representative examples of the various sources, participants in the seminar will develop a better understanding of the historiographical issues and the way that these issues inform historical research. The first part of the seminar will depend upon our common reading, but students will also select a project of their own on which to work the entire semester, culminating in a written paper and oral presentation to the seminar. Prerequisite: History 242 or its equivalent. 4 credits. Mr. Kaiser
SPRING 2007
History 323.01 "The Art of Biography."
This seminar will explore the complex blend of objective and subjective elements which necessarily comprise the writing of biography. Using American biographies as our texts, we will examine problems related to sources, including the use of interviews, correspondence, diaries, the popular press, legal records, and, of course, autobiographies. In addition, we will trace trends in the theoretical literature, considering how shifts from psychoanalytic theory to post-structuralist and feminist theory have influenced both writers' and readers' approaches to biography. Students in this seminar will be asked to consider questions of ethics and literary style, as well as questions of logic and veracity, as they examine both the theory and the practice of biography. There will be an opportunity to experiment with the writing of biography. There will also be the opportunity to employ current theories of biography in writing a historiographical critique of the existing biographical literature on selected American subjects. Prerequisites: History 112 and one 200-level course in American history. 4 credits. Ms. Brown
History 329.01 "Latin America and the United States."
As the saying goes, Latin America lies too far from God and too close to the United States. This proximity has affected Latin American economics, demographics, culture, and politics. The seminar will begin with common readings. This year those common readings will focus on US attempts-both official and unoffical-to democratize and modernize the region. Students will then write a research paper using primary documents. These papers could focus on any one of a number of issues that were central to US-Latin American relations such as hemispheric security, economic affairs, democracy, and socialism. A reading knowledge of Spanish or Portuguese is helpful but not required. Prerequisite: History 201, 202, or 204. 4 credits. Mr. Silva
History 331.01 "The Family in Europe."
The focus of this seminar will be the European family between the Middle Ages and the birth of the modern era in Europe (approx. 1450-1800). We will examine the factors that contributed to the development of modern family structures as well as evaluate the regulation of family life, the roles within families and the relationship between ideology and practice during the periods of the Renaissance, the Reformation and the Enlightenment. Prerequisite: HIS 233, 234, 241, or HUM 140, or permission of instructor. 4 credits. Mr. Spohnholz
History 339.01 "The Holocaust: Interpretation, Memory, and Representation."
This seminar will examine the origins and execution of the Nazi genocide during the Second World War, as well as realities for and responses of European Jews. We will explore the scholarly debates about the actions and motivations of perpetrators, victims and bystanders in various European countries. The course will also turn to key issues in the memorialization and representation of the Holocaust after 1945 and focus on the "texture of memory" of Holocaust memorials and museums in Germany, Israel, and the United States. Prerequisite: HIS 238, 239, or permission of the instructor. 4 credits. Mr. Pegelow Kaplan
History 375.01 "Mao Zedong (1893-1976): Portraits of the Chairman."
This seminar will examine the various stages of the life of Mao: his childhood, his rise to prominence in the revolution, and his roles first as Chairman of the Communist Party and later as the undisputed ruler of the People's Republic. Themes for this course will include Mao's family life and his struggles against rivals both inside and outside of the Party; this course will also consider his thoughts on peasant organizations, guerrilla warfare, intellectuals and elites, literature and art, mass will and energy, and the continuing revolution. As well, the course will analyze changing depictions of Mao both by himself and by other individuals of differing political persuasions. Readings will include Mao's early autobiographical account, selected biographies published in the West over the past decades, and portions of Mao's speeches and writings relevant to our themes. Prerequisite: 4-cedits in East Asian History. Mr. Hsieh.
