History Department

Recently Taught Courses


Courses taught during Fall 2009

HIST 252 Asian Civilizations (3):  Postma, MWF 10
A survey of the major civilizations of monsoon Asia, ranging from the Indian Subcontinent through Indochina and Indonesia to China and Japan.  focus will be on the key political, social, and cultural developments of the major peoples from their beginnings to the present.  Of special interest will be how they influenced each other and how they interacted with Western Civilization in the modern period.  The course is required for all Citizenship Education Secondary Education students.   (Counts for World Elective).

HIST 337 The United States: Revolution to Republic 1763-1815 (3): Fedrick, 12:30 TT
Analysis of the American revolution and the establishment of the American Republic. Special attention and emphasis will be given to the influence of Anglo-American ideas and institutions, the British imperial policies and colonial reaction, Revolutionary ideology, the social and political consequences of the Revolution. Also treated will be government in the Confederation period as well as the establishment of the Constitution, the ideological conflicts and factionalism in the Washington, Adams, Jefferson administrations including foreign policy and the impact of the Anglo-French conflict in the period.  (Counts for American Elective).  Link to syllabus.

HIST 381 The Modern Middle East (3):  Curran, 2 MW
An introduction into a world quite different from western civilization but of immense historical and contemporary significance. Special emphasis is given the role of oil in focusing the interests of the two superpowers on an area of crucial economic and political significance. Chronological concern is with the recent past in which Arab expectations and power impact upon the world as a whole. (Counts for World Elective).

HIST 470 Special Topics: Victorian Culture & Customs (3):  Mares, MWF 1
The Victorian Period, dating from the late 1830s until 1901, is a period characterized as tenaciously proper, if not stuffy.  This course will examine Victorian social and moral norms on both sides of the Atlantic, comparing myth to reality.  We'll study some of the main obsessions of the period: sex, drugs, crime, and poverty. (Counts for European or American Elective).

HIST 479 Knights & Castles (3):  Pavlac, 9:30 TT
The mounted warriors of the Middle Ages and their fortified residences inspire awe, romance, and power even today.  Students will learn how knights became a major element in European warfare; how they lived and fought; how they created a governing class and an elite social rank; how they fashioned an ideology of chivalry in art and literature; and finally, how they declined.    (Counts for European Elective).

Courses taught during Spring 2009

HIST 258 Pennsylvania Survey (3):  Zbiek, TT 11
An overview of the geography, history, politics, economics, and culture of Pennsylvania.  In addition, contemporary issues within the Commonwealth will be examined.  The course is required for all Citizenship Education Secondary Education students.   (Counts for American Elective).

HIST 261 Research & Methods (3):  Pavlac, MWF 11
An overview of the basic skills and methods needed for the study of history. Topics will include library and archival research, historical writing, historiography and interpretation, use of the computer and quantitative analysis in history, and the professional opportunities for the history major. Students will complete a supervised research paper that will be considered the Sophomore-Junior Project. This course is normally taken in the second semester of the sophomore year and is required of all History majors.  Link to tentative syllabus.

HIST 339  The United States since 1945: Fedrick, MWF 12
Simply stated, it is the study of how men and women created the United States of America in the second half of the 20th Century - the American Century.
We will examine the pursuit of peace around the world in which the United States secured for itself an unparalleled position in the world at the bargaining table and on the battlefront including armed conflict in Korea, in Vietnam, in the Middle East, and in several other areas of the globe and developed the world's largest military-industrial-scientific complex.
"Guns and Butter?"
was and is often the underlying question of the economic debates of this period which were framed in such terms as the Fair Deal, the Great Society, Reaganomics, and the Contract With America. Since 1945 the U.S. has witnessed phenomenal national and international growth of American business and corporate entities as well the increase of the middle class and those below the poverty line.
Our study will attempt to probe those major economic issues as well as the Civil Rights movement which challenged the age-old shibboleths of "separate but equal". We will listen to the voices of feminists, gays and lesbians, young people, and many new immigrants who required reexamination of long accepted standards of exclusion. Presidential assassination, impeachment, and resignation offer significant opportunities to examine the character of political leadership since 1945.
Study of the U.S. Since 1945 compels study of the powerful impact of the communication and information revolution and how television and Hollywood have altered our playtime. Art, music, entertainment, sport, and recreation provide additional and unique cultural history focal points.
(Counts for American Elective).

HIST 365 Latin America (3): Scarboro, MWF 9
This class centers on Latin American interaction with and transformation of notions of modernity. The conquest of the hemisphere by European empires in the 15th century unleashed a cascade of revolutions in the economic, cultural and political worlds and worldviews of both colonizers and colonized. In this class we will investigate how these transformations resolved themselves in colonialism and its resistance; the growth of nationalism; negotiations about the “good society” in the newly emerging “nation-states” of Latin America; the creation and costs of economic modernization; and the region’s role in the Cold War. (Counts for Non-Western and Area Studies).

HIST 387 World War II: Stevens, TT 9:30
A multidimensional survey of the Second World War.  The course will examine the major stratgic choices which confronted the Axis and Allies 1939-1945 and the campaigns that followed;  the unique Anglo-American alliance; relations with Soviet Russia and China; and the major wartime conferences.  Topics of special interest will include American war mobilization, economic warfare; the role of women on the home front, the film and propaganda war, the strategic bombing controversy, and the atomic bomb decision.  (Counts for American, European, or Non-Western Elective).

CARP 412 section I:  M 10
The purposes of this course are to assist you in clarifying your career objectives and to help you become adept at the job search process. You will be involved in career testing and job exploration exercises which will assist you in assessing your personality traits, your abilities and interests, determining your direction and focusing your energies on your placement after college. You will develop an effective resume, engage in writing various forms of written correspondence to be sent to employers and learn how to effectively use the Internet and other resources to identify and explore potential employers. Insights into the process of interviewing will be presented, with an emphasis on executive presence, the process of handling difficult interview questions, and suggestions on taking the interview to the next stage of the job search. You will be instructed on how to organize an effective job search, use networking to your advantage, and the essentials of attending a job fair. You will also become familiar with graduate and professional school application procedures. The course is only open to juniors and seniors in the History department.

Courses taught during Fall 2008

HIST/GEOG 211 Introduction to Geography:  Zbiek

HIST 260 American Political History (3):  Fedrick
A survey of the historical development of the American political system from the Federalist Era to the current day. The course will examine growth of the major American political parties as well as third party movements. Primary focus will include political party philosophies and programs, ideas and forces which shaped the political system, men and women who served as party leaders, and significant state and national elections. (Crosslisted as PS 260. Counts for American Elective).

HIST 363 Russia in Historical Perspective (3):  Curran
A study of the crucial developments and highlights in the evolution of the Russian state from the Kievan period to the present. Emphasis will be on the roles of ideology, geography, environment and history in forming, shaping and maintaining authoritarian government. The study of the contemporary period, especially that dealing with the creation, establishment and disintegration of the Soviet state, will receive intensive examination. (Counts for European or Non-western/World Elective).

HIST 371 International Politics (3):  Stevens
Selected aspects of international politics at three major levels of analysis; the international political system; the major actors in the system; the principal forms of interaction between actors in the system. Among topics are the balance of power; collective security; foreign policy decision-making; environmental factors; diplomacy, bargaining and war; arms control; role of non-national actors like the multinational corporation and the United Nations. Case study illustrations will be utilized. (Cross-listed as PS 371 and IB 371. Counts for Non-western/World Elective).

HIST 380 The Colonial World (3): Scarboro
Colonialism and its resistance is the subject of this course.  We will investigate the processes (political, military, economic, cultural and ideological) that enabled the western powers to hold sway over much of the world in the modern era and the manner in which colonized people resisted, transformed and found solaces in this domination.  Special attention will be paid to the British and French colonial projects of the 19th and 20th centuries.  (Counts for European or Non-western/World Elective).

HIST 415 Senior Seminar:  Fedrick

HIST 444 The Witch Hunts: Pavlac
From the fifteenth to the eighteenth the centuries, many Europeans developed a heightened concern with the phenomenon of witchcraft, seeing a new sect hostile to humanity.  The end of the Middle Ages and the religious Reformation increased the intensity of the "Witch Craze."  Finally, the Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment brought an end to the hunt for powers that did not empirically exist.  Through reading and discussion of primary and secondary sources, you will learn how these Europeans defined and treated their alleged witches, within the context of other economic, social, and cultural relationships. Included in this study will be the examination of new technologies and methods of rule in the rise of the modern state, and the roles of class and gender in focusing hostility on certain people, especially women. (Cross listed as WMST 444 and HNRS.  Counts for European Elective).

Courses taught during Spring 2008

HIST/GEOG 211 Introduction to Geography:  Zbiek,

HIST 258 Pennsylvania Survey (3):  Zbiek

HIST 261 Research & Methods (3):  Scarboro

HIST 343 The American Presidency: Fedrick
In this course we will attempt an analysis of the significant developments in the evolution of the Presidency using a study of the administrations of a select group of American Presidents. Emphasis will be on an examination of the leadership roles each exercised in shaping the character of the office as well as a focus on the primary political, economic, and cultural forces of the respective historical periods. Washington, Jefferson, Jackson, Lincoln and the major twentieth century Presidents will be the primary subjects of the course; however, they will not be the only subjects of our study. (Counts as American Elective). Link to syllabus.

HIST 383 China (3):  Curran
A survey of the unique characteristics of civilization and institutions of China as they evolved, and their relevance in the contemporary era. Internal patterns influencing China's response to Western impact as well as the collapse of traditional China through the Nationalist phase to Communism will be considered. Mao Zedong and contemporary China will be analyzed. (Counts as Non-Western/World Elective).

HIST 488 Eastern Europe: Scarboro
A survey of how Eastern European nations have been created and defined in interaction with Western Civilization, empire building, and world wars.  (Counts as Western Elective).

Courses taught during Fall 2007

HIST/GEOG 211 Introduction to Geography:  Zbiek

HIST 339  The United States since 1945: Fedrick

HIST 358 American Cultural Geography (3):  Zbiek
A topical examination of the relationship between geography and cultural development in the United States. Topics to be studied include folk, popular and vernacular cultures; settlement patterns; regionalism; linguistics; race and ethnicity; religion; socioeconomic status; and forces of unity and diversity. The students will also become familiar with the methods and process of geographic study. (Counts as American Elective)

HIST 381 The Modern Middle East (3):  Curran

HIST 385 Japan: Stevens
A survey of the unique characteristics of civilization and institutions of Japan as they evolved, and their relevance in the contemporary era. Westernization, the first non-Western model of parliamentary development, and the rise of Japan to world power will be analyzed. The impact of the occupation, and the socio-political problems of a hybrid culture and industrial giant will be considered.  (Counts as Non-Western/World Elective).

HIST 415 Senior Seminar:  Fedrick

HIST 477 Cold War Cultures: Scarboro
This course explores the cold war as a global phenomenon.  Special attention will be paid to the predicament of post war Europe which emerged from the rubble of the war with its old institutions discredited, economies shattered and found itself caught between the competing interests of two new superpowers.  We will trace the Cold War’s development through movies, architecture, visual art and novels and through competing visions of the “good life” manifested in consumer culture and leisure: vacations, housing, washing machines, automobiles and televisions.  (Counts as European Elective).

Courses taught during Spring 2007

HIST/GEOG 211 Introduction to Geography:  Zbiek

HIST 261 Research & Methods (3):  Pavlac

HIST 303 History of America's Major Wars:  Curran
This course is a systematic examination of the major wars engaged in by the United States, analyzing how and why we entered, what we accomplished, and what were the consequences of our involvement.  The Vietnam conflict will receive intensive scrutiny and emphasis, particularly the decision-making process.  (Counts for American).

HIST 360 American Public Rhetoric: Fedrick
The course will examine the "visions and voices" of women and men in American history. While the spoken word – sermon, speech, oration, eulogy, - will be the principal focus of the study, selected printed prose and poetry – where appropriate – will be included in the course as well. Focus will be given to significant periods of American history and the major political, social, and cultural crosscurrents of those periods. Students will study the structures and substance of major selections of American rhetoric as well as examine the historical context of these selections. Selections will be used as appropriate in whole or abbreviated format. Students will use PRIMARY SOURCES as the exclusive materials of study in the course and, where possible, appropriate audio and/or visual records will be used to assist in the study.  (Counts for American).

HIST 387 World War II: Stevens

HIST 477 Murder and Monarchy: Shakespeare's British History:  Pavlac and Lloyd TTh 8
This course introduces students to the works of Shakespeare through plays he wrote about the history of the British Isles. Team taught from both historical and literary perspectives, students will read plays as both dramatic interpretations of history and enduring works of theatre. Beginning with an examination of the age in which Shakespeare lived and his own life, study will then shift to a chronological review of several plays about British monarchs in the context of actual historical events. The success and failures of his characters use of war, murder, and power will illuminate Shakespeare's efforts as a dramatist, polemicist, and interpreter of the human condition. Students will better understand medieval and renaissance British history and discover Shakespeare's significance within and beyond his age. Counts either for a European History or a English Major Literary Figures course.
Cross-listed as ENGL 382.  Counts either as European or English Major Literary Figure course.  (Counts for European).

Courses taught during Fall 2006

HIST/GEOG 211 Introduction to Geography:  Zbiek, MWF 10 

GEOG 252 World Cultural and Economic Geography:  Zbiek, MWF 9
A basic survey of the physical and human geography on worldwide scope. Topics include geographic concepts; the physical geography and climate; the human interaction with the environment; and the nature and development of cultureThis course is required for all Elementary Education majors.  It does not count toward the History Major.  

HIST 255 History through Selected Biography (3):  Scarboro MWF 10

HIST 260 American Political History (3):  Fedrick

HIST 363 Russia in Historical Perspective (3):  Curran

HIST 371 International Politics (3):  Stevens

HIST 415 Senior Seminar (3):  Fedrick

Courses taught during Spring 2006

HIST/GEOG 211 Introduction to Geography:  Zbiek 

GEOG 252 World Cultural and Economic Geography:  Zbiek

HIST 258 Pennsylvania Survey (3):  Zbiek

HIST 261 Research & Methods (3):  Pavlac

HIST 337 The United States: Revolution to Republic 1763-1815 (3): Fedrick

HIST 374 Greece and Rome: 500 B.C. - A.D. 500 (3): Pavlac
War, slaughter, order, peace.  This course will examine empire building, empire-maintaining and empire-collapsing in the cultures of Classical Greece and Rome.  The rise of empire will cover the Delian League, the Macedonia success of Alexander the Great, Rome's expansion through the Punic Wars, and so many more.  The maintenance of empire will review issues of commerce, justice, citizenship, taxation, and cultural conflict.  The fall of empires will include the the Peloponnesian Wars, and the crises and collapse of the Western half of the Roman Empire.  Readings will be drawn from the historians and humanists of antiquity. (Counts as European Elective).
Link to syllabus.

HIST 381 The Modern Middle East (3):  Curran

HIST 425 Social and Historical Analysis: Women in Sport:  Ish
From a historical perspective I would like to connect the emergence of women playing sport and what attitudes and societal norms during the different time periods. I have a special interest in how changing role of higher education played a role in the growth of women's athletics starting with the establishment of women's colleges.    (Counts as American Elective).

Courses taught during Fall 2005

HIST/GEOG 211 Introduction to Geography:  Zbiek 

HIST/GEOG 252 World Cultural and Economic Geography:  Zbiek

HIST 265 American Social History: Fry
A topical examination of the development of American attitudes and institutions. This is the history of the common people and the topics include the frontier, religion and ethnicity, racism and slavery, agriculture and urbanization.

HIST 331 American Business and Labor in Historical Perspective: Curran
An analysis of the development of American business from Colonial society to the present. In particular, the course will examine, from the perspective of historical continuity, the interaction of economic development with social and political factors.

HIST 373 Women in Western Civilization: Pavlac
Daughters and dowagers, moms and mistresses, queens and queers, witches and workers, bundled with sex and science. Women and their past achievements are often largely absent from the history books, although they have accounted for about half of the human race. This course surveys the historical and cultural roles of women from the beginnings of humanity through classical, medieval, and early modern European history up to the beginning of the 20th Century. As we analyze both representative individuals and general trends, topics will include theories of women’s history, legal rights and their influence on political participations, economic contributions, gender roles in family and community institutions, cultural constructions, and religious vocations.  Syllabus.

HIST 385 Japan: Stevens

HIST 415 Senior Seminar:  Fedrick

Courses taught during Spring 2005

HIST/GEOG 252 World Cultural and Economic Geography:  Zbiek

HIST 258 Pennsylvania Survey (3):  Zbiek

HIST 261 Research and Methodology (3):  Pavlac

HIST 303 History of America's Major Wars:  Curran

HIST 339  The United States since 1945: Fedrick

HIST 425 World War II: Stevens

Click here for current courses.  


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