Areas of Study:
Europe
World
North America
Other
Courses in European History:
1101 The West and the World from Feudalism to Globalism/one unit
Fall/Winter, Monday/Wednesday/Friday, 9:05 to 9:55
Ken Dewar
This is a course in the history of European--or "Western"--civilization from the early Middle Ages to the twentieth century. It focuses particularly on Europe's relations with the rest of the world: how Europe has affected other cultures and civilizations by trade, conquest, travel, and communication, and in turn been affected by them; how Europeans have conceived of the world over time and how the idea of "the West" has evolved; and the role Europe has played in the making of the modern world system.
In the first term, topics will include the emergence of Western Christendom in relation to Islam and Byzantine civilization, the Florentine Renaissance and the revival of humanism, the Protestant Reformation and the expansion of European power overseas (what has been called the beginning of the "European Age" in world history), and the rise of a rationalist and scientific world view in seventeenth and eighteenth-century western Europe. The term will conclude with the "dual revolutions" – French and Industrial – which together laid the foundations of a new and more far-reaching European expansionism. Second term topics will include the emergence of new ideologies and the rise of nationalism, the "new imperialism" of the late nineteenth century, the impact of war and revolution on Europe’s place in the world in the twentieth century, and the rise of globalism in recent times.
The course has two main objectives: to introduce students to the discipline of history, and to provide a historical framework for further study in other disciplines and programs.
2200 History of Greece/half unit
Fall Tuesday/Thursday, 3:05 to 4:20
David Campbell
A survey of the history of Greece including the Minoan-Mycenaean civilizations, the development of political institutions including democracy, the Persian Wars, Periclean Athens, the rise of Macedon and the achievement of Alexander the Great.
2201 History of Rome/half unit
Winter Tuesday/Thursday, 3:05 to 4:20
David Campbell
A survey of the history of Rome including the Etruscans, the unification of the Italian peninsula, the conquest of the Mediterranean, Julius Caesar and the Roman revolution, the Augustan principate, the life and times of the emperors, the rise of the Christian church and the fall of Rome.
2204 Europe in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries/one unit
Fall/Winter Monday/Wednesday 12:30 to 1:45
Jennifer Grabove
An examination of the political, social, and cultural developments among the major European powers in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Topics may include the Enlightenment, the French Revolution, the Napoleonic era, the age of Revolutions, and the formation of nation-states.
2207 Social History of European Women from the Reformation to the Modern Day/half unit
Winter Tuesday/Thursday, 12:05 to 1:20
Leslie Baker
This course provides an overview of the history of European women from the eighteenth century to the twentieth century. We will explore the changing lives, identities, opportunities, and political activism of European women throughout this period and consider the different ways in which they experienced family life, work, politics, culture, religion, sexuality, and war. We will also examine changes in understandings of women’s nature, women’s roles in society, women’s rights, and relations between women and men.
(This course is also listed as a women-emphasis course).
2281 History of Childhood: The European Experience/half unit
Section 1, Winter, Tuesday/Thursday, 3:05 to 4:20
Section 20, Winter, Contact the Department of Distance Learning and Continuing Education
Jennifer Grabove
An examination of the changing attitude toward children in western civilization: the evolution of family relationships, the concept of childhood, the development of educational thought. Such problems as infanticide, child labour, penal practices, dependency and children’s rights legislation are also considered.
3305 Gender in Historical Perspective: Childhood, Family and Private Life in Early Modern Europe/half unit
Fall Tuesday/Thursday, 12:05 to 1:20
Jennifer Grabove
This course examines the cultural and social history of the family, children, and private life in early modern Europe. We will study a wide range of primary sources to gain insight into various aspects of the lives and experiences of both “ordinary people” and members of the elites in the period 1400-1789: birth and childhood, apprenticeship and education, courtship and marriage, work and property, religious beliefs and practices, networks and communities, and old age. We will also consider historians’ recent investigations of “private life” in early modern Europe: the changing meanings of privacy throughout this period; the central role of religious experience and intense religious devotion, both individual and communal; the transformations brought about by printing and literacy in understandings of self and intimacy; and the reconfiguration of social relations through new notions of manners and “civility,” “taste ” and friendship, new forms of housing, and new ways of organizing public and private space. Throughout the course we will pay particular attention to the ways in which gender both shaped people’s lives and intersected with other categories of social and cultural differentiation such as class, age, occupation, and religion.
(This course is also listed as a women-emphasis course).
3312 Centuries of change: The French Revolution and Napoleon/half unit
Winter Tuesday/Thursday 9:05 to 10:20
Adriana Benzaquén
In this course we will study one of the most important periods in modern European history: the years of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic regime. The events that took place in France between 1789 and 1815 had a profound impact on the rest of Europe and much of the world, at the time and in subsequent generations. To make sense of the revolutionary events we will examine them in detail as they were experienced and described by the historical actors themselves and interpreted by later historians. First we will investigate the origins of the Revolution by considering the tensions existing in France during the “old regime.” Then we will review the political, economic, social, and cultural changes of the revolutionary decade (1789-1799). Finally, we will explore the contributions, achievements and failures of Napoleon Bonaparte as First Consul and Emperor. At the end of the course we will assess the legacy of the Revolution and Napoleon and ascertain the extent to which they transformed France, Europe and the world.
3385 Selected Topics in Twentieth-Century History: A Twentieth Century of Turmoil/half unit
Fall Monday, 4:30 to 7:00
Michael Collins
This course is designed to introduce, analyze and discuss some of the main themes, ideologies and topics in British, European and, where it impinges, relevant International history. The span covered is the ‘short’ 20th century period, 1914 to the 1990s.
Courses in World History:
2260 Cultural Encounters in the Modern World/one unit
Fall/Winter Monday/Wednesday, 11:05 to 12:20
Jonathan Roberts
An exploration of interactions between people from different regions of the world from the fifteenth century to the Second World War. The course is based on the study of the journals and memoirs of historical figures such as Ibn Battuta, Christopher Columbus, Samuel de Champlain, Olaudah Equiano, Sara Baartman, Captain Cook and Lawrence of Arabia. Students will be asked to think about the meanings of modernity, culture and civilization in the context of historical cultural encounters.
2265 Introduction to African Civilizations/half unit
Fall Tuesday/Thursday, 12:05 to 1:20
Jonathan Roberts
This is a multidisciplinary course on human experiences in Africa and the African Diaspora. It will include discussions about African culture, society, economies and politics from a continental and global perspective. Students will learn about African history, literature, drumming and dancing, and art from a critical perspective that asks if there are ideas or concepts that essentially African in origin.
3361 Selected Topics in World History: Modernity in Africa/half unit
Winter Monday/Wednesday 3:05 to 4:20
Jonathan Roberts
“I don’t want to miss a good chance of getting on’t want to miss a good chance of getting us a slice of this magnificent African cake.” King Leopold II (1876)
Over the winter of 1885-1886, the major powers of Europe met in Berlin to carve up the African continent into colonies and spheres of influence, initiating new and oppressive forms of colonialism. This event came to be known as the “Scramble for Africa” and it is now a turning point in Western narratives that emphasize a legacy of European exploitation of the continent. In this course students will be asked to challenge this conventional narrative of modern Africa and conceptualize a history of modernity from an African perspective.
4480 (01) History Seminar - Religions in African History/half unit
Winter Tuesday 4:30 to 7:00
Jonathan Roberts
Over the past 5000 years, the people of the African continent have had many rich and diverse ways of understanding the spiritual world. This course will look at themes of divinity on the continent that can be found through the study of archaeological evidence, historical linguistics, oral traditions, and sacred texts. Some topics include the pantheons of Sub-Saharan Africa, the Jews of Ancient Ethiopia, the shrines and spirits of Old Mali, and the spread of Islam and Christianity. The goal of the course is to highlight the “this-worldly” concerns of African religious practices, as well as the role of the moral economy within African culture. The course will conclude with a discussion of the modern religions of the African Diaspora, such as voodoo, Rastafarianism, Muslim brotherhoods, and Pentecostal Christian fellowships.
Prerequisite: Written permission from the Chair of the Department of History.
Courses in North American History:
1120 Canada/one unit
Fall/Winter Monday/Wednesday 11:05 to 12:20
Corey Slumkoski (Fall)/Janet Guildford (Winter)
This is an introductory survey of Canadian history, from the contact period to the present day. Lectures are designed to acquaint students with major issues and problems in Canadian history, range widely in theme and content, and delve into economic, social, political, and cultural history. Major issues covered in the first term are the confrontation between Native and non-Native cultures, the relationship of the colonies to the empires of France and Great Britain, the growth of colonial identities and self-government, and confederation and the early nation-building process. The second term focuses primarily on the attempt to adapt the federal system to meet competing demands of region and nation, French and English, rich and poor, as well as the external demands of the international arena.
(This course is also listed under Canadian Studies).
2218 Canadian-American Relations: Continental Nations/half unit
Section 01 Fall Tuesday/Thursday 9:05 to 10:20
Section 20 Fall Contact the Department of Distance Learning and Continuing Education
Reginald Stuart
This course combines Political Studies and History to explain the evolution of cultural, social, economic, and political themes to current times. We look at Prime Minister-President relations, North America’s mass entertainment system, Free Trade, and eternal issues such as Softwood Lumber. We consider how the constitutional and political structure and domestic systems of each country influence the relationship and illustrate that continental nations have waltzed with each other in the post-September 11, 2001, climate. Students will explore contemporary affairs and historical events through various assignments.
(This course is also listed under Canadian Studies and cross-listed as POLS 2218).
2222 Canadian Women in Historical Perspective/half unit
Fall, Monday/Wednesday, 12:30 to 1:45
Janet Guildford
This course offers a broad survey of the history of women in Canada from the early contact period to the present day. Themes include women’s paid and unpaid work, the changing status of women in law and in the wider society, and changing attitudes toward women’s bodies. Women’s activism–especially the first and second waves of feminism–will be an especially important theme. Finally, the diverse experiences of Canadian women over time will be investigated.
(This course is also listed under Canadian Studies and as a women-emphasis course).
2230 History of the Maritime Provinces to Confederation/half unit
Section 01 Fall Monday/Wednesday, 3:05 to 4:20
Section 02 Fall Tuesday/Thursday, 10:30 to 11:45
Corey Slumkoski
This is a survey of the history of the Maritime region from the contact period down to Confederation in 1867. Attention focuses initially on the first contact between Europeans and Native peoples, thereafter on the strategic importance of the area for the rival empires of France, Great Britain, and the United States of America, and the consequent effect this had on economic, social, and political change in the region. Students are asked to explore how, within this general imperial and regional context, individuals struggled to wrest a living from sea, land, and forest, and, in the process, establish distinctive communities. Themes pursued include Native and non-Native interaction, the pattern and pace of European immigration (with particular emphasis on the expulsion of the Acadians), the bases of unity and diversity within the region, and provincial attempts to reach some measure of economic prosperity, social cohesion, political maturity, and cultural sophistication. This course culminates with an examination of the impulses that led the region to participate in Confederation.
(This course is also listed under Canadian Studies).
2231 History of the Maritime Provinces since Confederation/half unit
Section 01 Winter, Monday/Wednesday 3:05 to 4:20
Janet Guildford
A survey of the history of the Maritime provinces since Confederation, this course focuses on the integration of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island into the Canadian nation. Themes include the region’s persistent economic problems, the failure of industrialization in the Maritimes, and the ups and downs of primary industries such as the fishery. The social and cultural history of the region will also be addressed, with an emphasis on the diverse experiences of Maritimers.
(This course is also listed under Canadian Studies).
2231 History of the Maritime Provinces since Confederation/half unit
Section 02 Winter Tuesday/Thursday 10:30 to 11:45
Section 20 Winter Contact the Department of Distance Learning and Continuing Education
Michael Earle
This course provides a survey of the history of the Maritime provinces since Confederation. It focuses on the integration of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island into the Canadian nation, and their subsequent political, economic, social, and cultural development.
(This course is also listed under Canadian Studies).
2234 Women's History: The American Experience/half unit
Winter Tuesday/Thursday 10:30 to 11:45
Frances Early
This course will examine the historical experiences of women in U.S. society in the modern era. Discrete topics will stress women as historical actors, notably in social change movements. The personal as well as public aspects of women’s lives in contrasting historical circumstances will be explored. A survey text will provide a narrative account of U.S. women’s history in modern times, and two collections of primary documents--one a text, the other a CD-ROM--will help students appreciate the diversity of women’s experiences through a variety of mediums including texts, photographs, and film clips.
(This course is also listed as a women-emphasis course).
2235 United States to 1877/half unit
Fall Tuesday/Thursday 1:30 to 2:45
Reg Stuart
This course begins with the expansion of Europeans across the Atlantic in the Age of Discovery and the planning of colonies along the eastern coasts and waterways of North America. Call this the pre-USA era of American history. Many of these English colonies joined in a successful struggle for independence from British rule. Cultural, social, economic, political, military, and diplomatic themes weave together after 1783 as the United States became a sovereign actor. Two major themes dominate U.S. history thereafter: national expansion and sectionalism that spawned the Civil War. The course deals through readings and discussions with the principal themes of U.S. history such as immigration, domestic political evolution, slavery and the South, and the Civil War and Reconstruction era.
2236 United States from 1877/half unit
Section 01, Winter, Tuesday/Thursday, 1:30 to 2:45
Section 20, Winter, Contact the Department o Distance Learning and Continuing Education
Frances Early
An introduction to the economic, social, political, and intellectual history of the United States from 1877 to the present. Topics include the emergence of monopoly capitalism, reform movements, the Jazz Age, the Depression and the New Deal, and American foreign policy in the twentieth century.
3325 Selected Topics in the History of Atlantic Canada: Maritime Workers and Unions/half unit
Section 01 Winter Tuesday/Thursday, 1:30 to 2:45
Section 20 Winter Contact the Department of Distance Learning and Continuing Education
Michael Earle
This is a course on trade union history, but an attempt will be made throughout to relate this topic to the economic, social, and political history of the Maritimes and of Canada. The course will deal with the history of the Maritime trade union movement from the mid-19th Century to the present, dealing with the transformations of the unions throughout this period, and the local unions' relations with national and international unions. While the main concentration will be on the labour history of Nova Scotia, some reference will be made to developments elsewhere in Atlantic Canada. Particular attention will be given to the history of unions of great regional importance, such as those of the coal miners. In addition, other aspects of labour history will be touched on, such as the role of women in unions, the relationship of unions to politics and to the state, and the condition of unorganized as well as unionized workers in the region.
(This course is also listed under Canadian Studies).
3326 Selected Topics in the History of Atlantic Canada: Diverse Origins of Nova Scotia since 1755/half unit
Section 01 Fall Monday/Wednesday 3:05 to 4:20
Janet Guildford
This course explores the diverse origins of the peoples who have lived in Nova Scotia since 1755 and the relationships among the ethnic, regional, and religious communities that have shaped the province’s history, institutions, and culture since then. The first part of the course traces the impact of the deportation on First Nations and Acadian people, and the arrival of new immigrants from what would become the United States, from Africa, from Europe, and later from other parts of the world. The second part of the course addresses the question: What is Nova Scotian culture? The format of the course will include lectures, student presentations, and class discussions. Students will be encouraged to use primary documents.
(This course is also listed under Canadian Studies)
3326 Selected Topics in the History of Atlantic Canada: Underdevelopment and the Regional Response/half unit
Section 02 Winter Monday 4:30 to 7:00
Corey Slumkoski
The underdevelopment of the Maritime Provinces is a long-running theme in Canadian history. Through a combination of lectures, readings and discussion sessions, students will examine the root causes of regional underdevelopment, the various federal and provincial programs designed to counter underdevelopment, and the intersection of underdevelopment and regionalism. Topics to be covered include the National Policy, the Maritime Rights Movement, the Antigonish Movement, and the Bricklin.
(This course is also listed under Canadian Studies)
3329 Modern Canada/half unit
Winter Tuesday/Thursday 12:05 to 1:20
Corey Slumkoski
Particular emphasis will be placed on the vagaries of the concept of the Canadian nation in response to the aspirations of Quebec, regional tensions, charter groups, and globalization.
(This course is also listed under Canadian Studies).
3337 Revolution, Reform, Reaction: Protest Movements in the United States/half unit
Fall Tuesday/Thursday 10:30 to 11:45
Frances Early
Utilizing both primary and secondary sources, this course will examine the major protest movements that arose in response to conditions in post-World War II America. Topics include the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements, the New Left, the Anti-War Movement, the Counterculture, and the Women's Liberation Movement. Evaluation will be based on an in-class document test, a chronology assignment, a film review, and a final exam.
(This course is also listed under Peace and Conflict Studies).
4481 (01) History Seminar: North America/half unit
Fall, Thursday, 4:30 to 7:00
Janet Guildford
The focus of this seminar is women’s work, both paid and unpaid, in 19th and 20th century Canada. The concept of women’s work is defined very broadly and will encompass productive and unproductive labour as well as women’s roles as volunteer community builders and activists. The seminar is intended to familiarize students with the historiography of women’s work and the major debates in the field. Students will also have the opportunity to do primary research for their seminar papers.
Prerequisite: written permission from the Chair of the Department of History
4481 (02) History Seminar: North America: Sport and Leisure in Canada/half unit
Winter, Thursday, 4:30 to 7:00
Corey Slumkoski
Leisure and recreation time is an important component of contemporary society. Through a series of weekly seminars students will examine the historical construction of leisure time in Canada and see how leisure has been experienced differently based upon location, race, gender, religion and class. While the focus of the class is sport and leisure in Canada, special attention will be paid to leisure in the Atlantic Provinces.
Prerequisite: written permission from the Chair of the Department of History
Other:
3390 Historiography/half unit
Section 01, Fall Wednesday, 4:30 to 7:00
Section 02, Winter Wednesday, 4:30 to 7:00
Kenneth Dewar
This course will examine history as a particular way of understanding the past and making it meaningful to the present. Weekly readings will consider such questions as what constitutes history, the nature of historical explanation, the relationship of history to other disciplines, and the uses of historical study. Attention will also be paid to the question of how the discipline has changed over time. These general and theoretical questions will be discussed in the context of modern historiographical practice, as exemplified in three major works: Garrett Mattingly's The Armada, Fernand Braudel's The Mediterranean and the Mediterranean World in the Age of Philip II, and Natalie Zemon Davis's The Return of Martin Guerre. The course will be conducted as a seminar.
Prerequisite: Written permission of the Chair of the Department of History.
3391 Historical Methodology/half unit
Section 01, Fall Wednesday, 4:30 to 7:00
Section 02, Winter Wednesday, 4:30 to 7:00
Frances Early
This seminar course for history majors examines contemporary approaches to history on a variety of topics and focuses on the conceptual frameworks and practical problems associated with historical research and analysis. Course readings will be diverse, and evaluation will be based on a range of assignments that are designed to sharpen and deepen the critical intellectual skills required of students who are engaged in the practice of historical research and writing.
Prerequisite: Written permission of the Chair of the Department of History