History
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The Department of History fosters enthusiasm for the study of history through a focus on encounters and exploration, ideas and identities. Our emphasis on encounters addresses the interplay of religious, political and cultural differences across time and place. We use innovative, interdisciplinary approaches to encourage the exploration of issues, controversies, and themes rather than chronological periods. By examining the development of ideas and identities, we draw upon the past to illuminate the conflicts and challenges of modern life.
History at Goldsmiths promotes intellectual curiosity and independent critical thinking. We offer flexible and challenging programmes of study at undergraduate level featuring carefully developed teaching invigorated by current research. The geographical range of our courses includes Asia, Africa, Eastern and Western Europe,and the Middle East.
Most of our Year 2 and 3 courses run in alternate years, and their availability depends on staff commitments.
| Undergraduate Year | Description |
|---|---|
|
Year 1 |
a course for which you do not need any previous experience |
| Year 2 |
assumes that you have had some experience |
| Year 3 |
assumes a specialist knowledge of the |
Year 2 and 3: full units
HT52059A/HT53059A
Italy Since 1870
(4 credits, Autumn; 4 credits, Spring; 8 credits, Autumn and Spring; ) 6 credits [Spring and Summer]
Covers the political, social and, to a lesser extent, economic history of Italy from unification to the present. The manner in which unification occurred – primarily by war and diplomacy rather than through popular insurgency – shaped the course of the nation state’s subsequent history. This history was marked by a wide gap between the masses and the political elite, so an emphasis will be placed on popular movements and the subaltern classes. The variety of political regimes that ruled Italy over this period dictates a broadly chronological treatment. However, topics such as Church/State relations, the changing role of women and the enduring influence of the Mafia will be investigated in a more thematic fashion.
Italy Since 1870
(4 credits, Autumn; 4 credits, Spring; 8 credits, Autumn and Spring; ) 6 credits [Spring and Summer]
Covers the political, social and, to a lesser extent, economic history of Italy from unification to the present. The manner in which unification occurred – primarily by war and diplomacy rather than through popular insurgency – shaped the course of the nation state’s subsequent history. This history was marked by a wide gap between the masses and the political elite, so an emphasis will be placed on popular movements and the subaltern classes. The variety of political regimes that ruled Italy over this period dictates a broadly chronological treatment. However, topics such as Church/State relations, the changing role of women and the enduring influence of the Mafia will be investigated in a more thematic fashion.
HT52061A/HT53061A
The Crusades
(4 credits, Autumn; 4 credits, Spring; 8 credits, Autumn and Spring; ) 6 credits [Spring and Summer]
In this course you will study the cultural, religious and military conflicts between Christian Western Europe and the Islamic world of the middle ages. You will look at primary sources from the European and the Arabic tradition to analyse how and why these conflicts were so significant in the middle ages, and you will discuss how each ‘side’ in this longstanding conflict viewed its opponents. You will also look at the modern historiography of the crusades, to see how historians in the modern world have dealt with such concepts as holy war, justification of violence, and religious persecution.
The Crusades
(4 credits, Autumn; 4 credits, Spring; 8 credits, Autumn and Spring; ) 6 credits [Spring and Summer]
In this course you will study the cultural, religious and military conflicts between Christian Western Europe and the Islamic world of the middle ages. You will look at primary sources from the European and the Arabic tradition to analyse how and why these conflicts were so significant in the middle ages, and you will discuss how each ‘side’ in this longstanding conflict viewed its opponents. You will also look at the modern historiography of the crusades, to see how historians in the modern world have dealt with such concepts as holy war, justification of violence, and religious persecution.
HT52076A/HT53076A
Health, Healing and Illness in Africa
(4 credits, Autumn; 4 credits, Spring; 8 credits, Autumn and Spring; ) 6 credits [Spring and Summer]
The primary purpose of this course is to explore the complex social, cultural and political history of Africa through the prism of illness and healing. From investigating colonial attempts at preventing malaria and sleeping sickness to exploring the social and economic impact of the current HIV/AIDS epidemic, this course uses case studies from Africa in order to highlight various aspects of the history of infectious diseases and of health in African society. The focus of this course is not on disease itself but rather on how disease and health were understood and managed, and how these reveal the history of a place and a people.
Health, Healing and Illness in Africa
(4 credits, Autumn; 4 credits, Spring; 8 credits, Autumn and Spring; ) 6 credits [Spring and Summer]
The primary purpose of this course is to explore the complex social, cultural and political history of Africa through the prism of illness and healing. From investigating colonial attempts at preventing malaria and sleeping sickness to exploring the social and economic impact of the current HIV/AIDS epidemic, this course uses case studies from Africa in order to highlight various aspects of the history of infectious diseases and of health in African society. The focus of this course is not on disease itself but rather on how disease and health were understood and managed, and how these reveal the history of a place and a people.
HT52079A/HT53079A
Heresy, the Occult and the Millennium in Early Modern Europe
(4 credits, Autumn; 4 credits, Spring; 8 credits, Autumn and Spring; ) 6 credits [Spring and Summer]
The course examines collective and individual thoughts ordinarily considered to be outside the parameters of the doctrines of the established church from 1500 to 1750. Subjects include: the Bible, Apocrypha and extra canonical texts; the Apocalypse; Prophecy; Heresy and Blasphemy; Judaism and Islam; Witchcraft; the theology of the ancients; Magic; Astrology; Alchemy; Angels; Numerology; Hermetism, Gnosticism and Neoplatonism; Kabbalah; Christian mysticism. You consider the conceptual and ideological relationships between belief and authority, between heterodoxy and orthodoxy, and between social power and cultural change. You also look at the central issues of how historians have understood and interpreted religion and religious change.
Heresy, the Occult and the Millennium in Early Modern Europe
(4 credits, Autumn; 4 credits, Spring; 8 credits, Autumn and Spring; ) 6 credits [Spring and Summer]
The course examines collective and individual thoughts ordinarily considered to be outside the parameters of the doctrines of the established church from 1500 to 1750. Subjects include: the Bible, Apocrypha and extra canonical texts; the Apocalypse; Prophecy; Heresy and Blasphemy; Judaism and Islam; Witchcraft; the theology of the ancients; Magic; Astrology; Alchemy; Angels; Numerology; Hermetism, Gnosticism and Neoplatonism; Kabbalah; Christian mysticism. You consider the conceptual and ideological relationships between belief and authority, between heterodoxy and orthodoxy, and between social power and cultural change. You also look at the central issues of how historians have understood and interpreted religion and religious change.
HT52098A/HT53098A
France since 1870: Fascism, Communism and Democracy
(4 credits, Autumn; 4 credits, Spring; 8 credits, Autumn and Spring; ) 6 credits [Spring and Summer]
Covers the political, social and to a lesser extent, economic history of France from 1870 to the present. Throughout this period, French politics and society have been characterised by deep divisions originating from the clash between revolutionaries and counter-revolutionaries in the 1790s. You will examine the extent to which these divisions reflected the gulf between the towns and the countryside. In the 20th century the older divisions were overlaid by those between a more class-based right and left, which in the wake of the First World War and the Russian revolution, often took the form of Fascism and Communism. These movements will be given particular attention.
France since 1870: Fascism, Communism and Democracy
(4 credits, Autumn; 4 credits, Spring; 8 credits, Autumn and Spring; ) 6 credits [Spring and Summer]
Covers the political, social and to a lesser extent, economic history of France from 1870 to the present. Throughout this period, French politics and society have been characterised by deep divisions originating from the clash between revolutionaries and counter-revolutionaries in the 1790s. You will examine the extent to which these divisions reflected the gulf between the towns and the countryside. In the 20th century the older divisions were overlaid by those between a more class-based right and left, which in the wake of the First World War and the Russian revolution, often took the form of Fascism and Communism. These movements will be given particular attention.
HT52099A/HT53099A
Germany since 1870: Nationalism versus Democracy
(4 credits, Autumn; 4 credits, Spring; 8 credits, Autumn and Spring; ) 6 credits [Spring and Summer]
Covers the political, social and to a lesser extent, economic history of Germany from 1870. You pay particular attention to the Weimar Republic, the German Revolution of 1918, the Social Democratic and Communist parties between 1918 and 1933, and the extent to which division on the left paved the way for Hitler. You investigate the Nazi state and the relative importance of the party, state bureaucracy, the armed forces, big business, the SS, and Hitler himself in determining the policies of the Third Reich. You evaluate the impact of defeat in the Second World War, and the outbreak of the Cold War and the extent to which the Federal Republic and the GDR were moulded by external factors.
Germany since 1870: Nationalism versus Democracy
(4 credits, Autumn; 4 credits, Spring; 8 credits, Autumn and Spring; ) 6 credits [Spring and Summer]
Covers the political, social and to a lesser extent, economic history of Germany from 1870. You pay particular attention to the Weimar Republic, the German Revolution of 1918, the Social Democratic and Communist parties between 1918 and 1933, and the extent to which division on the left paved the way for Hitler. You investigate the Nazi state and the relative importance of the party, state bureaucracy, the armed forces, big business, the SS, and Hitler himself in determining the policies of the Third Reich. You evaluate the impact of defeat in the Second World War, and the outbreak of the Cold War and the extent to which the Federal Republic and the GDR were moulded by external factors.
HT52101A/HT53101A
Yugoslavia: History and Disintegration
(4 credits, Autumn; 4 credits, Spring; 8 credits, Autumn and Spring; ) 6 credits [Spring and Summer]
This course examines the history of Yugoslavia and former Yugoslav peoples and places the recent wars in a historical context. You will be introduced to the background of the medieval history of the region and the legacy of the medieval states. You will investigate the emergence of South Slav nationalisms in the 19th century including the Yugoslav Idea; the First World War and creation of Yugoslavia; political and cultural history of the interwar Yugoslav kingdom; occupation, resistance and collaboration in the Second World War; communist takeover; Tito-Stalin conflict of 1948; Yugoslav road to socialism; dissent and opposition; cultural developments during socialism; political and economic crisis of the 1980s; disintegration and wars of the 1990s; international intervention. Throughout the course, you will be encouraged to think about the centrality of images and artefacts to the making of history and develop critical approaches to past and present.
Yugoslavia: History and Disintegration
(4 credits, Autumn; 4 credits, Spring; 8 credits, Autumn and Spring; ) 6 credits [Spring and Summer]
This course examines the history of Yugoslavia and former Yugoslav peoples and places the recent wars in a historical context. You will be introduced to the background of the medieval history of the region and the legacy of the medieval states. You will investigate the emergence of South Slav nationalisms in the 19th century including the Yugoslav Idea; the First World War and creation of Yugoslavia; political and cultural history of the interwar Yugoslav kingdom; occupation, resistance and collaboration in the Second World War; communist takeover; Tito-Stalin conflict of 1948; Yugoslav road to socialism; dissent and opposition; cultural developments during socialism; political and economic crisis of the 1980s; disintegration and wars of the 1990s; international intervention. Throughout the course, you will be encouraged to think about the centrality of images and artefacts to the making of history and develop critical approaches to past and present.
HT52102A/HT53102A
Mediterranean Encounters: Venice and the Ottoman Empire
(4 credits, Autumn; 4 credits, Spring; 8 credits, Autumn and Spring; ) 6 credits [Spring and Summer]
Examines the connected history of the two most powerful states in the early modern Eastern Mediterranean, the Venetian and the Ottoman Empires, from the fall of Constantinople in 1453 to the occupation of Venice by Napoleon in 1797. You will focus on the Republic of Venice and the complex web of its economic, political and cultural relations with the Ottomans. Through a range of textual and visual sources, you explore a variety of topics: the Venetian-Ottoman wars; the circulation of people, goods and ideas; cultural and artistic transaction; religious coexistence and antagonism; the formation of pre-modern identities; the genealogies of orientalism.
Mediterranean Encounters: Venice and the Ottoman Empire
(4 credits, Autumn; 4 credits, Spring; 8 credits, Autumn and Spring; ) 6 credits [Spring and Summer]
Examines the connected history of the two most powerful states in the early modern Eastern Mediterranean, the Venetian and the Ottoman Empires, from the fall of Constantinople in 1453 to the occupation of Venice by Napoleon in 1797. You will focus on the Republic of Venice and the complex web of its economic, political and cultural relations with the Ottomans. Through a range of textual and visual sources, you explore a variety of topics: the Venetian-Ottoman wars; the circulation of people, goods and ideas; cultural and artistic transaction; religious coexistence and antagonism; the formation of pre-modern identities; the genealogies of orientalism.
HT52103A/HT53103A
Modern South Asia, 1857-Present
(4 credits, Autumn; 4 credits, Spring; 8 credits, Autumn and Spring; ) 6 credits [Spring and Summer]
This course focuses on a small but significant period in the history of South Asia: the history of colonialism on the subcontinent and the subsequent creation of three independent nation-states: India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. You will have the opportunity to engage in some of the historigraphic literature and assess the contentious debates concerning periodisation, religious and cultural identities and the nature of nationalism in a colonial and post-colonial context. You will address questions regarding the political economy of the colonial state, ideologies of colonial governance, and the social and cultural histories of the governed.
Modern South Asia, 1857-Present
(4 credits, Autumn; 4 credits, Spring; 8 credits, Autumn and Spring; ) 6 credits [Spring and Summer]
This course focuses on a small but significant period in the history of South Asia: the history of colonialism on the subcontinent and the subsequent creation of three independent nation-states: India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. You will have the opportunity to engage in some of the historigraphic literature and assess the contentious debates concerning periodisation, religious and cultural identities and the nature of nationalism in a colonial and post-colonial context. You will address questions regarding the political economy of the colonial state, ideologies of colonial governance, and the social and cultural histories of the governed.
HT52104B/HT53104B
Medieval Islamic Empires
(4 credits, Autumn; 4 credits, Spring; 8 credits, Autumn and Spring; ) 6 credits [Spring and Summer]
This course examines the history of Islam as it spread across Arabia to Persia and India in the east, through the Levant to the outskirts of Vienna in the north and through North Africa to Spain in the west. You begin by exploring the high point of Islamic expansion under the Umayyad and Abbasid empires and then focus on the period of transition and fragmentation that followed. Topics include the proliferation of different sects and branches of Islam as well as a survey of the major dynasties including Safavid Persia; Mughal India; Al-Andalus and Spain and the Ottoman Empire. Finally, we consider the contribution of Islamic thought and philosophy to the modern world.
Medieval Islamic Empires
(4 credits, Autumn; 4 credits, Spring; 8 credits, Autumn and Spring; ) 6 credits [Spring and Summer]
This course examines the history of Islam as it spread across Arabia to Persia and India in the east, through the Levant to the outskirts of Vienna in the north and through North Africa to Spain in the west. You begin by exploring the high point of Islamic expansion under the Umayyad and Abbasid empires and then focus on the period of transition and fragmentation that followed. Topics include the proliferation of different sects and branches of Islam as well as a survey of the major dynasties including Safavid Persia; Mughal India; Al-Andalus and Spain and the Ottoman Empire. Finally, we consider the contribution of Islamic thought and philosophy to the modern world.
HT52106A/HT53106A
Nationalism, Democracy and Dictatorship in 20th Century Eastern Europe
(4 credits, Autumn; 4 credits, Spring; 8 credits, Autumn and Spring; ) 6 credits [Spring and Summer]
Introduces some of the main debates about the origins of nations and nationalism in the 19th century in Eastern Europe. You discuss the meanings and definitions of Eastern Europe and study the main developments in the 20th century: the First World War and post-war settlements; the emergence of ‘New Europe’ in the 1920s; failure of democracy and rise of dictatorships in the interwar period; occupation, resistance and collaboration in the Second World War; the Holocaust; Communist takeovers in the aftermath of the war; Tito-Soviet split; Hungarian revolution; Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia; Solidarity; Perestroika and Glasnost; revolutions of 1989 and fall of communism; disintegration and war in Yugoslavia; political, economic and social transition; EU enlargement.
Nationalism, Democracy and Dictatorship in 20th Century Eastern Europe
(4 credits, Autumn; 4 credits, Spring; 8 credits, Autumn and Spring; ) 6 credits [Spring and Summer]
Introduces some of the main debates about the origins of nations and nationalism in the 19th century in Eastern Europe. You discuss the meanings and definitions of Eastern Europe and study the main developments in the 20th century: the First World War and post-war settlements; the emergence of ‘New Europe’ in the 1920s; failure of democracy and rise of dictatorships in the interwar period; occupation, resistance and collaboration in the Second World War; the Holocaust; Communist takeovers in the aftermath of the war; Tito-Soviet split; Hungarian revolution; Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia; Solidarity; Perestroika and Glasnost; revolutions of 1989 and fall of communism; disintegration and war in Yugoslavia; political, economic and social transition; EU enlargement.
HT52109A/HT53109A
Visual and Material Culture in Early Modern Europe
(4 credits, Autumn; 4 credits, Spring; 2 credits, Summer; 8 credits, Autumn and Spring; )
This course examines the visual and material culture of Europe between 1450 and 1700. It investigates the role of images and artefacts in art and in daily life focusing on the complex ways in which they acquired meanings from their producers and consumers. Considering paintings and architecture along with tapestries, prints, everyday furnishings, clothing and food, the course explores visual and material objects in the context in which they were created, and looks at the social relationships between their makers, sponsors and users. The course offers an introduction to the theories and methods of visual and material culture, and addresses a wide range of issues including the marketplace and the birth of consumer culture; religion, politics.
Visual and Material Culture in Early Modern Europe
(4 credits, Autumn; 4 credits, Spring; 2 credits, Summer; 8 credits, Autumn and Spring; )
This course examines the visual and material culture of Europe between 1450 and 1700. It investigates the role of images and artefacts in art and in daily life focusing on the complex ways in which they acquired meanings from their producers and consumers. Considering paintings and architecture along with tapestries, prints, everyday furnishings, clothing and food, the course explores visual and material objects in the context in which they were created, and looks at the social relationships between their makers, sponsors and users. The course offers an introduction to the theories and methods of visual and material culture, and addresses a wide range of issues including the marketplace and the birth of consumer culture; religion, politics.
Code to be confirmed
Medieval Monsters: Foreigners and Other Oddities in the Medieval Imagination
(4 credits, Autumn; 4 credits, Spring; 8 credits, Autumn and Spring; ) 6 credits [Spring and Summer]
In this course you will study the development of a European identity in the middle ages, and the way that identity was constructed in opposition to a variety of ‘others’, internal and external. You will explore the relations between western Christian Europe and outsiders including Vikings, Magyars, Arabs and Turks, as well as mythical outsiders, using a variety of historical and fictional sources, including visual materials. You will be encouraged to visit Galleries and museums in London as an important contribution to your research.
Medieval Monsters: Foreigners and Other Oddities in the Medieval Imagination
(4 credits, Autumn; 4 credits, Spring; 8 credits, Autumn and Spring; ) 6 credits [Spring and Summer]
In this course you will study the development of a European identity in the middle ages, and the way that identity was constructed in opposition to a variety of ‘others’, internal and external. You will explore the relations between western Christian Europe and outsiders including Vikings, Magyars, Arabs and Turks, as well as mythical outsiders, using a variety of historical and fictional sources, including visual materials. You will be encouraged to visit Galleries and museums in London as an important contribution to your research.
HT52082A/HT53082A
Imagining Africa: Ideology, Identity and Text in Africa and the Diaspora
(4 credits, Autumn; or 4 credits, Spring; )
This course considers how ideas of Africa (its people, environment, history) were expressed through the writings of both prominent and lesser-known figures in Africa and the diaspora. Through examination of texts – ranging from slave narratives to autobiographies, speeches, essays and novels – you explore how those ideas took shape within their particular historical and regional contexts. You also consider how particular forms of writing lent themselves to particular expressions of identity, race and place.
Imagining Africa: Ideology, Identity and Text in Africa and the Diaspora
(4 credits, Autumn; or 4 credits, Spring; )
This course considers how ideas of Africa (its people, environment, history) were expressed through the writings of both prominent and lesser-known figures in Africa and the diaspora. Through examination of texts – ranging from slave narratives to autobiographies, speeches, essays and novels – you explore how those ideas took shape within their particular historical and regional contexts. You also consider how particular forms of writing lent themselves to particular expressions of identity, race and place.
HT52083A/HT53083A
A Social & Political History of Twentieth Century South Africa
(4 credits, Autumn; or 4 credits, Spring; )
This course examines key social, economic and political developments in the history of 20th century South Africa. Beginning with an analysis of the mining industry at the turn of the 20th century, this course traces the evolution of the labour migrant system, the development of racial segregation and its eventual transformation into the system known as apartheid, the rise of Afrikaner and African nationalism, and the eventual collapse of apartheid in 1994. You will also consider the transition to democracy, and assess the challenges and triumphs of the ‘new South Africa’. You examine the transformation of South African society in the context of its political history, focusing on the role of urbanization, changing gender roles and household structures, the effect of apartheid on race and identity, and the relationship between religion, resistance and the state.
A Social & Political History of Twentieth Century South Africa
(4 credits, Autumn; or 4 credits, Spring; )
This course examines key social, economic and political developments in the history of 20th century South Africa. Beginning with an analysis of the mining industry at the turn of the 20th century, this course traces the evolution of the labour migrant system, the development of racial segregation and its eventual transformation into the system known as apartheid, the rise of Afrikaner and African nationalism, and the eventual collapse of apartheid in 1994. You will also consider the transition to democracy, and assess the challenges and triumphs of the ‘new South Africa’. You examine the transformation of South African society in the context of its political history, focusing on the role of urbanization, changing gender roles and household structures, the effect of apartheid on race and identity, and the relationship between religion, resistance and the state.
HT52087A/HT53087A
Early Modern European Philosophy
(4 credits, Autumn; or 4 credits, Spring; )
The course examines a rich period of philosophic thought in European history through the work of the ideas and arguments of these philosophers and see how they engaged with the important debates of their day. In addition, students will gain an awareness of how early modern European philosophy is both a continuation and a departure from earlier schools of thought, as well as of how modern scholars have engaged with these important texts.
Early Modern European Philosophy
(4 credits, Autumn; or 4 credits, Spring; )
The course examines a rich period of philosophic thought in European history through the work of the ideas and arguments of these philosophers and see how they engaged with the important debates of their day. In addition, students will gain an awareness of how early modern European philosophy is both a continuation and a departure from earlier schools of thought, as well as of how modern scholars have engaged with these important texts.
HT52089A/HT53089A
London’s History Through Literature
(4 credits, Autumn; or 4 credits, Spring; )
The course examines London’s history through the work of writers who have lived in London, who have written about the city, or who have used London as the background or setting for their work. As well as secondary literature on the city’s develop-ment, there will be a range of primary texts from Shakespeare to Orwell. By the end of term, students will have a good knowledge of London’s history, and appreciation of the works of a number of important writers, a sense of different historical periods, and a knowledge of the variety of locations that go to make up the textual map of London.
London’s History Through Literature
(4 credits, Autumn; or 4 credits, Spring; )
The course examines London’s history through the work of writers who have lived in London, who have written about the city, or who have used London as the background or setting for their work. As well as secondary literature on the city’s develop-ment, there will be a range of primary texts from Shakespeare to Orwell. By the end of term, students will have a good knowledge of London’s history, and appreciation of the works of a number of important writers, a sense of different historical periods, and a knowledge of the variety of locations that go to make up the textual map of London.
HT52100B/HT53100B
Gender in Text and History 18th-19th Centuries
(4 credits, Autumn; or 4 credits, Spring; )
An introduction to some of the major developments in thinking about gender and the construction of masculinities and femininities between the late-eighteenth and late-nineteenth centuries. We will examine predominantly British literary texts and historical documents, written by men and women, placing them in their specific cultural contexts and considering different forms of writing as historical evidence.
Gender in Text and History 18th-19th Centuries
(4 credits, Autumn; or 4 credits, Spring; )
An introduction to some of the major developments in thinking about gender and the construction of masculinities and femininities between the late-eighteenth and late-nineteenth centuries. We will examine predominantly British literary texts and historical documents, written by men and women, placing them in their specific cultural contexts and considering different forms of writing as historical evidence.
HT52114A/B/HT53114A/B Autumn (A) and Spring (B)
London History
(4 credits, Autumn; 4 credits, Spring; 2 credits, Summer; ) 6 credits [Spring and Summer]
Provides an introduction to the cultural and social history of London. Through the exploration of primary and secondary source material, along with offsite visits, you will gain an understanding of the development of the historiography of the city. By focusing upon contemporary understandings of London through the interrogation of contemporary writings and documents, you will be able to assess the relationship between these and current perceptions of the urban environment. A key aspect is the idea of simultaneity: that past and present London and Londoners develop, grow and are built on top and alongside each other. You will gain an understanding of this idea through the exploration of the city with site-specific visits.
[Taught to Study Abroad students only]
London History
(4 credits, Autumn; 4 credits, Spring; 2 credits, Summer; ) 6 credits [Spring and Summer]
Provides an introduction to the cultural and social history of London. Through the exploration of primary and secondary source material, along with offsite visits, you will gain an understanding of the development of the historiography of the city. By focusing upon contemporary understandings of London through the interrogation of contemporary writings and documents, you will be able to assess the relationship between these and current perceptions of the urban environment. A key aspect is the idea of simultaneity: that past and present London and Londoners develop, grow and are built on top and alongside each other. You will gain an understanding of this idea through the exploration of the city with site-specific visits.
[Taught to Study Abroad students only]
HT52117A/HT53117A
Aspects of Modern South Asia
(4 credits, Autumn; or 4 credits, Spring; )
This course provides an overview of the history of formal colonial rule in India, from the time of the revolt of 1857 to the transfer of power and the establishment of the two independent states of India and Pakistan in 1947. Some key topics include responses to colonial rule, including religious revivalism; rise of communalism; the emergence of radical politics in the 1930s and its impact on the freedom movement; the Quit India Movement and Partition. We will address questions regarding the political economy of the colonial state, ideologies of colonial governance, and the social and cultural histories of the governed.
Aspects of Modern South Asia
(4 credits, Autumn; or 4 credits, Spring; )
This course provides an overview of the history of formal colonial rule in India, from the time of the revolt of 1857 to the transfer of power and the establishment of the two independent states of India and Pakistan in 1947. Some key topics include responses to colonial rule, including religious revivalism; rise of communalism; the emergence of radical politics in the 1930s and its impact on the freedom movement; the Quit India Movement and Partition. We will address questions regarding the political economy of the colonial state, ideologies of colonial governance, and the social and cultural histories of the governed.
HT52118A/HT53118A
The Birth and Rebirth of Yugoslavia, 1918-1948
(4 credits, Autumn; or 4 credits, Spring; )
Examines history of Yugoslavia between its unification in 1918 and its re-emergence as an independent state following the Second World War and the Tito-Stalin split. It begins by providing a background to the medieval history of the region. Other main topics include: emergence of South Slav nationalisms in the nineteenth century; the Balkan Wars, the First World War and creation of Yugoslavia as the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes; the international recognition at the Paris Peace Conference; political and cultural history of the interwar Yugoslav kingdom; the Croatian Question; occupation, resistance and collaboration in the Second World War; communist takeover; Tito-Stalin conflict of 1948.
The Birth and Rebirth of Yugoslavia, 1918-1948
(4 credits, Autumn; or 4 credits, Spring; )
Examines history of Yugoslavia between its unification in 1918 and its re-emergence as an independent state following the Second World War and the Tito-Stalin split. It begins by providing a background to the medieval history of the region. Other main topics include: emergence of South Slav nationalisms in the nineteenth century; the Balkan Wars, the First World War and creation of Yugoslavia as the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes; the international recognition at the Paris Peace Conference; political and cultural history of the interwar Yugoslav kingdom; the Croatian Question; occupation, resistance and collaboration in the Second World War; communist takeover; Tito-Stalin conflict of 1948.
Code to be confirmed
Health and Empire: Disease, Medicine and Race in Colonial Africa
(4 credits, Autumn; or 4 credits, Spring; )
This course is primarily concerned with the colonial period, from the late 19th to mid-20th centuries. You will look at indigenous perceptions of illness as a way of examining African society in historical perspective, in particular the relationship between belief systems and health. You will consider 18th- and 19th-century traveller and missionary accounts of disease in order to understand how Europeans first perceived Africa. You will look at colonial attempts at disease control as a window onto larger colonial efforts to segregate and control the populace. You will examine how Western biomedicine intersected, and sometimes clashed with, African healing practices as a way of uncovering emerging models of cultural adaptation and political change.
Health and Empire: Disease, Medicine and Race in Colonial Africa
(4 credits, Autumn; or 4 credits, Spring; )
This course is primarily concerned with the colonial period, from the late 19th to mid-20th centuries. You will look at indigenous perceptions of illness as a way of examining African society in historical perspective, in particular the relationship between belief systems and health. You will consider 18th- and 19th-century traveller and missionary accounts of disease in order to understand how Europeans first perceived Africa. You will look at colonial attempts at disease control as a window onto larger colonial efforts to segregate and control the populace. You will examine how Western biomedicine intersected, and sometimes clashed with, African healing practices as a way of uncovering emerging models of cultural adaptation and political change.
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