2024-2025 Catalog

CRES 24001. Colonizations I: Colonialism, Enslavement and Resistance in the Atlantic World. 100 Units.

This quarter examines the making of the Atlantic world in the aftermath of European colonial expansion. Focusing on the Caribbean, North and South America, and western Africa, we cover the dynamics of invasion, representation of otherness, enslavement, colonial economies and societies, as well as resistance and revolution.

Instructor(s): Staff     Terms Offered: Autumn Spring Winter
Note(s): This sequence meets the general education requirement in civilization studies. This course is offered every year. These courses can be taken in any sequence.
Equivalent Course(s): RDIN 24001, SOSC 24001, ANTH 24001, HIST 18301

CRES 24002. Colonizations II: Imperial Expansion, Anti-Imperialism, and Nation in Asia. 100 Units.

This quarter covers the histories of modern European and Japanese colonialism in South and East Asia and the Pacific. Themes examined include the logics and dynamics of imperial expansion and rule; Orientalist discourses; uprisings and anti-imperial movements; the rise of nationalisms; and paths to decolonization in the region.

Instructor(s): Staff     Terms Offered: Autumn Spring Winter
Note(s): This sequence meets the general education requirement in civilization studies. These courses can be taken in any sequence.
Equivalent Course(s): SALC 24002, RDIN 24002, SOSC 24002, ANTH 24002, HIST 18302

CRES 24003. Colonizations III: Decolonization, Revolution, Freedom. 100 Units.

The third quarter considers the processes and consequences of decolonization both in newly independent nations and former colonial powers. Through an engagement with postcolonial studies, we explore the problematics of freedom and sovereignty; anti-colonial movements, thinking and struggles; nation-making and nationalism; and the enduring legacies of colonialism.

Instructor(s): Staff     Terms Offered: Autumn Spring Winter
Note(s): This sequence meets the general education requirement in civilization studies. These courses can be taken in any sequence.
Equivalent Course(s): RDIN 24003, ANTH 24003, HIST 18303, SALC 20702, SOSC 24003

EALC 15411. East Asian Civilization I, Ancient Period-1600. 100 Units.

This course examines the politics, society, and culture of East Asia from ancient times until c. 1600. Our focus will be on examining key historical moments and intellectual, social, and cultural trends with an emphasis on the region as a whole. Students will read and discuss culturally significant texts and be introduced to various approaches to analyzing them.

Instructor(s): K. Pomeranz     Terms Offered: Autumn
Prerequisite(s): HIST 15411-15412-15413 meets the general education requirement in civilization studies via three civilization courses. HIST 15411-15412, HIST 15411-15413, or HIST 15412-15413 meets the general education requirement in civilization studies via two civilization courses.
Equivalent Course(s): HIST 15411, SOSC 25411

EALC 15412. East Asian Civilization II, 1600-1895. 100 Units.

The second quarter of the East Asian civilization sequence covering what are now China, Japan, and Korea from roughly 1600 to 1895. Major themes include demographic and economic change; the social and cultural effects of widespread but uneven commercialization; state formation, rebellion, and political change; migration, urbanization, and territorial expansion; changes in family and gender roles; changes in the "natural" environment, particularly as related to agricultural expansion; changes in religion, ideology, and relationships between "elite" and "popular" culture; and increasingly consequential encounters with Western Europeans, Russians, and Americans, especially in the nineteenth century. The course aims to treat East Asia as a single interacting region, rather than as three (or more) sharply separated proto-nations; however, it will also call attention to the enormous diversity both among and within China, Japan, and Korea, treating those differences as constantly evolving and as something to be explained rather than assumed.

Instructor(s): S. Burns & K. Pomeranz     Terms Offered: Winter
Prerequisite(s): HIST 15411-15412-15413 meets the general education requirement in civilization studies via three civilization courses. HIST 15411-15412, HIST 15411-15413, or HIST 15412-15413 meets the general education requirement in civilization studies via two civilization courses.
Equivalent Course(s): HIST 15412, SOSC 25412

EALC 15413. East Asian Civilization III, 1895-Present. 100 Units.

The third quarter of the East Asian civilization sequence covers the emerging nation-states of China, Korea, and Japan in the context of Western and Japanese imperialism and the rise of an interconnected global economy. Our themes include industrialization and urbanization, state strengthening and nation-building, the rise of social movements and mass politics, the impact of Japanese colonialism on the homeland and the colonies, East Asia in the context of US-Soviet rivalry, and the return of the region to the center of the global economy in the postwar years. Similar to the first and second quarters, we will look at East Asia as an integrated region, connected by trade and cultural exchange even when divided into opposing blocs during the Cold War. As much as possible, we will look beyond nation-states and their policies at underlying trends shared by the three East Asian nations, such as demographic change, changes in gender roles, and the rise of consumer culture.

Instructor(s): Y. Dong & J. Eyferth     Terms Offered: Spring
Prerequisite(s): HIST 15411-15412-15413 meets the general education requirement in civilization studies via three civilization courses. HIST 15411-15412, HIST 15411-15413, or HIST 15412-15413 meets the general education requirement in civilization studies via two civilization courses.
Equivalent Course(s): SOSC 25413, HIST 15413

GNSE 15002. Gender and Sexuality in World Civilizations I. 100 Units.

The first quarter of the GNSE Civ sequence offers a historical examination of bodies, sex, and gender. Through a series of readings that include historical primary sources and examples of cultural production from antiquity to the present, we will investigate how bodies across a variety of cultures become sexed and gendered. In particular, we will ask how the very categories of sex and gender not only produce social meaning from bodies and their anatomical differences but may also be complicit in acts violence, oppression, and colonization. Thematically we will pay attention to the emergence and critique of the distinction between sex and gender; resistances to the gender binary; the relationship between gender, power, and authority; feminism and critiques of Western feminism; the category of woman as an object of scientific knowledge; and the flourishing of and violence against trans life. Finally, while we will be dealing with historical accounts in this course, the aim is to understand how the regulation of bodies in the past has informed and may challenge our understanding of the diversity of embodied experience in the present.

Instructor(s): Staff     Terms Offered: Autumn
Note(s): This sequence meets the general education requirement in civilization studies. This course is not available for First Year Preregistration.

GNSE 15003. Gender and Sexuality in World Civilizations II. 100 Units.

The second half of the civ sequence will extend our earlier interrogation of bodies, sex, and gender into an examination of sexualities and socialities. Through an encounter with theoretical texts, literature, and art, we will investigate a series of important critiques of biopower, or statist strategies for regulating bodies and controlling populations. These interventions include critiques of nationalism, colonialism, capitalism, and heteronormativity, all of which, as we will see, contribute to our understanding of sexuality. Throughout the course, feminist and queer critique will fundamentally frame our analyses of power, desire, and sexuality.

Instructor(s): Staff     Terms Offered: Winter
Prerequisite(s): GNSE 15002
Note(s): This sequence meets the general education requirement in civilization studies.

HIST 10101. Introduction to African Civilization I. 100 Units.

Part one considers literary, oral, linguistic, and material sources to investigate African societies and states from the early Iron Age through the emergence of the Atlantic World. Case studies include: the empires of Ghana and Mali, the Swahili Coast, Great Zimbabwe, Nok of Nigeria, and medieval Ethiopia. We also consider religious and spiritual transformation, including Islam in Africa, as well as the origins and effects of European contact, and the emergence of the transatlantic trade in enslaved human beings. Students examine these times and places through primary sources (such as cultural artifacts, visual representations, myths, and memoirs) which illuminate African perspectives on these different places and times. Assignments: oral presentations, document analyses, essays, and team projects.

Instructor(s): Staff     Terms Offered: Autumn
Equivalent Course(s): CRES 20701, SOSC 20101, MDVL 10101, ANTH 20701

HIST 10102. Introduction to African Civilization II. 100 Units.

This course examines the transformations of African societies in the long nineteenth century. At the beginning of the era, European economic and political presence was mainly coastal, but by the end, nearly the entire continent was colonized. This course examines how and why this process occurred, highlighting the struggles of African societies to manage internal reforms and external political, military, and economic pressures. Students examine these processes through various primary sources (such as visual and material sources, cultural artifacts, and personal accounts) that highlight African perspectives on these processes.

Instructor(s): Staff     Terms Offered: Winter
Equivalent Course(s): CRES 20802, SOSC 20202, ANTH 20702

HIST 10103. Introduction to African Civilization III. 100 Units.

African Civilization III examines Africa and the African diaspora in the modern era. Topics may include the end of colonialism and decolonization, the legacies of slavery and its racial logics, identity and cultural expression, theories of personhood, gender and sexuality, migration, governance, and language. Readings vary widely, including primary sources by African and diasporic authors, social theory, and works of art and literature - written, spoken, and performed.

Instructor(s): S. Fury Childs Daly and A. Olugbuyiro     Terms Offered: Spring
Prerequisite(s): This sequence meets the general education requirement in civilization studies.
Note(s): Taking these courses in sequence is recommended but not required.
Equivalent Course(s): SOSC 20203, ANTH 20703, CRES 20303

HIST 13001. History of European Civilization I. 100 Units.

The first part of the sequence examines the period from approximately 500 to 1700 in European history. It challenges students to question two-dimensional, rigid narratives about the fall of Rome, the Dark Ages, the Renaissance and Reformation, and the early Enlightenment by reading historical sources with empathy and attention to their authors' own perspectives. For example, we explore the entanglement of the political, economic, and religious by reading a chronicle written by a monk; we examine gender relations and daily life by reading men's and women's personal letters; and we investigate the earliest contacts between Europeans and the peoples of the Americas by reading eyewitness accounts of their interactions. In the process of recovering the lived experiences of medieval and early modern Europeans, the course engages with the sophisticated societies and cultures of premodern Europe, which many subsequent generations post-1700 would come to label backwards and uncivilized.

Instructor(s): Staff     Terms Offered: Autumn Winter
Prerequisite(s): Students must take a minimum of two quarters of European Civilization to fulfill the general education requirement.
Note(s): The two-quarter sequence may also be supplemented by a third quarter, in which students will have the opportunity to explore in greater depth a particular topic in the history of European civilization.
Equivalent Course(s): SOSC 28001

HIST 13002. History of European Civilization II. 100 Units.

The second part of the sequence examines the period from approximately 1700 to the present in European history. Major topics include the Enlightenment, the French Revolution, industrialization, the world wars, and the European Union. This course challenges students to do more than simply define conceptual terms like imperialism, nationalism, liberalism, capitalism, and communism. We situate these and other grand narratives in new ideas of progress, new technologies and forms of knowledge production, and the material transformations of everyday life. Changes in media (newspapers, radio, films, etc.) and the rise of mass production and consumption in these centuries were both the cause and effect of many of the events we will be discussing. Sources include nineteenth-century novels, eyewitness accounts to revolution and the Holocaust, and speeches and manifestos of the political and cultural avant-garde. Throughout the course, we will continuously examine the paradoxes that have shaped modern Europe: its resilience and fragility, its great experiments in liberty and tragic acts of violence.

Instructor(s): Staff     Terms Offered: Spring Winter
Prerequisite(s): HIST 13001
Note(s): The two-quarter sequence may also be supplemented by a third quarter, in which students will have the opportunity to explore in greater depth a particular topic in the history of European civilization.
Equivalent Course(s): SOSC 28002

HIST 13003. History of European Civilization III. 100 Units.

Students who plan to complete a three-quarter sequence register for HIST 13003 in Spring Quarter after completing HIST 13001-13002. In the third part of the History of European Civilization sequence, students will have the opportunity to explore in greater depth a particular aspect of European history. This course will provide an overview of early modern European colonialism, from the Spanish conquest of the New World to the Haitian Revolution. Using exclusively primary documents, we will examine debates in sixteenth century Spain over the treatment of indigenous populations, the mutual formation of property and dispossession in the British American colonies, the transatlantic slave trade and the expansion of plantation economies in the Caribbean, the development of ideas about race and culture in the eighteenth century, and resistance to colonialism at the end of the eighteenth century.

Instructor(s): Staff     Terms Offered: Spring
Prerequisite(s): For the 3-qtr sequence register for HIST 13003 after completing HIST 13001-13002. Only HIST 13001-13002 complete the 2-qtr sequence.
Note(s): Students may not combine HIST 13003 with one other quarter of European Civilization to fulfill the general education requirement. Spring 23 topic: TBD
Equivalent Course(s): SOSC 28003

HIST 13100. History of Western Civilization I. 100 Units.

This first course of the History of Western Civilization sequence focuses on the history of classical civilization, beginning with the world of Homer and ending with the world of St. Augustine. Key topics covered through discussions of texts include the development of the Greek Polis and the Peloponnesian War; the Roman Republic and Empire; and the development of Christianity in the Roman Empire.

Instructor(s): K. Weintraub, Autumn; J. Boyer, Summer     Terms Offered: Autumn Summer
Prerequisite(s): These courses must be taken in sequence.
Equivalent Course(s): SOSC 28110

HIST 13200. History of Western Civilization II. 100 Units.

This second course of the History of Western Civilization sequence explores major themes in the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and the Reformation. Key topics explored through discussions of texts include the development of monasticism; the structures of manorialism and feudalism; the consolidation of the papacy and the Holy Roman Empire; and the challenges to these structures seen in the ideas of the humanists and reformers.

Instructor(s): K. Weintraub, Winter, Summer     Terms Offered: Summer Winter
Prerequisite(s): These courses must be taken in sequence.
Equivalent Course(s): SOSC 28210

HIST 13300. History of Western Civilization III. 100 Units.

This third course of the History of Western Civilization undertakes a detailed study of the French Revolution and charts the rise of liberal, anti-liberal, and post-liberal states and societies in nineteenth- and twentieth-century European history. The sequence closes with an appraisal of the condition of European politics, culture, and society at the end of the twentieth century.

Instructor(s): K. Weintraub, Spring; D. Koehler, Summer     Terms Offered: Spring Summer
Prerequisite(s): These courses must be taken in sequence.
Equivalent Course(s): SOSC 28310

HIST 13500. America In World Civilization I. 100 Units.

America in World Civilization I examines foundational texts and moments in American culture, society, and politics, from early European incursions into the New World through the early republic of the United States, roughly 1500-1800. We will examine encounters between Native Americans and representatives of imperial powers (Spain, France, and England) as well as the rise of African slavery in North America before 1700. We will consider the development of Anglo-American society and government in the eighteenth century, focusing especially on the causes and consequences of the American Revolution.

Instructor(s): Staff     Terms Offered: Autumn
Prerequisite(s): HIST 13600-13700 (II and III) meet the general education requirement in civilization studies via two civilization courses. Students who take HIST 13500 (I) must also take HIST 13600-13700 to meet the general education requirement via three civilization courses.
Equivalent Course(s): SOSC 28500

HIST 13600. America in World Civilization II. 100 Units.

The nineteenth-century quarter of America in World Civilization explores the confrontation of democracy with inequality. This course focuses on themes and problems that include empire and indigenous-US relations; slavery, antislavery, the Civil War, and emancipation; reform and revivalism; women's rights; and the development of industrial capitalism, consumer culture, and urbanism.

Instructor(s): Staff     Terms Offered: Summer Winter
Prerequisite(s): HIST 13600-13700 (II and III) meet the general education requirement in civilization studies via two civilization courses. Students who take HIST 13500 (I) must also take HIST 13600-13700 to meet the general education requirement via three civilization courses.
Equivalent Course(s): SOSC 28600

HIST 13700. America in World Civilization III. 100 Units.

The third quarter America in World Civilization focuses on multiple definitions of Americanism in a period characterized by empire, transnational formations, and America's role in the world. We explore the construction of social order in a multicultural society; culture in the shadow of war; the politics of race, ethnicity, and gender; the rise and fall of new social movements on the left and the right; the emergence of the carceral state and militarization of civil space; and the role of climate change and the apocalyptic in shaping imagined futures.

Instructor(s): Staff     Terms Offered: Spring Summer
Prerequisite(s): HIST 13600-13700 (II and III) meet the general education requirement in civilization studies via two civilization courses. Students who take HIST 13500 (I) must also take HIST 13600-13700 to meet the general education requirement via three civilization courses.
Equivalent Course(s): SOSC 28700

HIST 13900. Introduction to Russian Civilization I. 100 Units.

The first quarter covers the ninth century to the 1870s; the second quarter continues on through the post-Soviet period. Working closely with a variety of primary sources-from oral legends to film and music, from political treatises to literary masterpieces-we will track the evolution of Russian civilization over the centuries and through radically different political regimes. Topics to be discussed include the influence of Byzantine, Mongol-Tataric, and Western culture in Russian civilization; forces of change and continuity in political, intellectual and cultural life; the relationship between center and periphery; systems of social and political legitimization; and symbols and practices of collective identity.

Instructor(s): Staff     Terms Offered: Autumn
Note(s): Taking these courses in sequence is recommended but not required.
Equivalent Course(s): SOSC 24000, REES 26011

HIST 14000. Introduction to Russian Civilization II. 100 Units.

The second quarter continues on through the post-Soviet period. Working closely with a variety of primary sources-from oral legends to film and music, from political treatises to literary masterpieces-we will track the evolution of Russian civilization over the centuries and through radically different political regimes. Topics to be discussed include the influence of Byzantine, Mongol-Tataric, and Western culture in Russian civilization; forces of change and continuity in political, intellectual and cultural life; the relationship between center and periphery; systems of social and political legitimization; and symbols and practices of collective identity.

Instructor(s): E. Gilburd & Staff     Terms Offered: Winter
Note(s): Taking these courses in sequence is recommended but not required.
Equivalent Course(s): SOSC 24100, REES 26012

HIST 14100. Introduction to Russian Civilization III. 100 Units.

When taken following Introduction to Russian Civilization I and II, Introduction to Russian Civilization III meets the general education requirement in Humanities, Civilization Studies, and the Arts. The course is thematic and will vary from year to year. Spring 24 theme: This course tracks how the radical anti-government philosophy of anarchism influenced major cultural figures and texts as well as revolutionary movements in the Russian Empire, Soviet Union, and post-Soviet Russia. Against the authoritarianism associated with Russia, anarchism provided an enticing (or terrifying!) political alternative--particularly for writers, artists and revolutionaries. We read texts by Dostoevsky, Tolstoy and others, look at major works of art influenced by anarchist ideas, and learn about grassroots movements in the Russian Revolutions, Civil War, Soviet cultural underground and, eventually, Perestroika. We follow waves of immigration the United States and Europe and observe how governments across the world shaped their policies on immigration and free speech in response to the menace of anarchists and other revolutionaries from Eastern Europe. Finally, we look at how contemporary art and social movements today explore radical politics. Assignment options will include creative projects and student-led research.

Instructor(s): A. Aizman     Terms Offered: Spring
Note(s): Students who wish to take this course for Civilization Studies Core credit must also take Russ Civ I and II.
Equivalent Course(s): SOSC 24200, REES 26015

HIST 16700. Ancient Mediterranean World I: Greece. 100 Units.

This course surveys the social, economic, and political history of Greece from prehistory to the Hellenistic period. The main topics considered include the development of the institutions of the Greek city-state, the Persian Wars and the rivalry of Athens and Sparta, the social and economic consequences of the Peloponnesian War, and the eclipse and defeat of the city-states by the Macedonians.

Instructor(s): J. Hall     Terms Offered: Autumn
Prerequisite(s): This sequence meets the general education requirement in civilization studies.
Equivalent Course(s): CLCV 20700, SOSC 27710

HIST 16800. Ancient Mediterranean World II: Rome. 100 Units.

Part II surveys the social, economic, and political history of Rome, from its prehistoric beginnings in the twelfth century BCE to the end of the Severan dynasty in 235 CE. Throughout, the focus will be upon the dynamism and adaptability of Roman society, as it moved from a monarchy to a republic to an empire. The course will also cover the questions of social organization (free and unfree people, foreigners), gender relations, religion, and specific forms of the way of life of the Romans. It will be based both on lectures and on discussions of textual or archaeological documents in smaller discussion groups.

Instructor(s): C. Ando     Terms Offered: Winter
Prerequisite(s): This sequence meets the general education requirement in civilization studies.
Equivalent Course(s): CLCV 20800, SOSC 16800

HIST 16900. Ancient Mediterranean World III: Late Antiquity. 100 Units.

Part III examines late antiquity, a period of paradox. The later Roman emperors established the most intensive, pervasive state structures of the ancient Mediterranean, yet yielded their northern and western territories to Goths, Huns, Vandals, and, ultimately, their Middle Eastern core to the Arab Muslims. Imperial Christianity united the populations of the Roman Mediterranean in the service of one God, but simultaneously divided them into competing sectarian factions. A novel culture of Christian asceticism coexisted with the consolidation of an aristocratic ruling class notable for its insatiable appetite for gold. The course will address these apparent contradictions while charting the profound transformations of the cultures, societies, economies, and political orders of the Mediterranean from the conversion of Constantine to the rise of Islam.

Instructor(s): R. Payne     Terms Offered: Spring
Prerequisite(s): This sequence meets the general education requirement in civilization studies.
Equivalent Course(s): CLCV 20900, MDVL 16900, SOSC 27910

HIST 17521. Energy in World Civilizations I. 100 Units.

This two-quarter course explores the historical roots of climate change and other global environmental problems with a special attention to how energy use shapes human societies over time. Part I covers energy systems across the world from prehistory to the end of the nineteenth century.

Instructor(s): Staff     Terms Offered: Autumn Winter
Prerequisite(s): Parts I and II should be taken in sequence. This sequence meets the general education requirement in civilization studies.
Equivalent Course(s): HIPS 17521, CEGU 27521, SOSC 27521, ENST 27521

HIST 17522. Energy in World Civilizations II. 100 Units.

This two-quarter course explores the historical roots of climate change and other global environmental problems with a special attention to how energy use shapes human societies over time. Part II covers energy systems across the world from the early twentieth century to the present, examining themes such as the uneven globalization of energy-intensive lifestyles, the changing geopolitics of energy, and possible futures beyond fossil-fuel dependence.

Instructor(s): Staff     Terms Offered: Spring Winter
Prerequisite(s): Parts I and II should be taken in sequence. This sequence meets the general education requirement in civilization studies.
Equivalent Course(s): HIPS 17522, SOSC 27522, CEGU 27522, ENST 27522

HMRT 10100. Human Rights in World Civilizations I. 100 Units.

The first quarter begins with a set of conceptual problems and optics designed to introduce students to the critical study of human rights, opening up questions of the universal, human dignity, and the political along with the practices of witness and testimony. It is followed by two thematic clusters. "Anti-Slavery, Humanitarianism, and Rights" focuses on the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries to historicize notions of dignity, sympathy, and witness. "Declarations as a Human Rights Genre" examines revolutionary eighteenth-century rights declarations in France, the United States, and Haiti against the aspirations of the 1948 UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Instructor(s): B. Laurence, A. Wang, Staff     Terms Offered: Autumn
Note(s): This sequence meets the general education requirement in civilization studies. These courses must be taken in sequence.
Equivalent Course(s): SOSC 24900

HMRT 10200. Human Rights in World Civilizations II. 100 Units.

Four thematic clusters structure the second quarter. "Migration, Minorities, and Refugees" examines minority rights, the evolution of legal norms around refugees, and human trafficking. "Late Twentieth Century Human Rights Talk" explores the contestations between rights claims in the political-civil and socio-economic spheres, calls for sexual rights, and cultural representations of human rights abuses. "Global Justice" considers forms of international criminal law, transitional justice, and distributive justice. "Indigenous Rights as Human Rights" takes up the relatively new domain of the rights of indigenous peoples and how they relate to contemporary human rights practice.

Instructor(s): B. Laurence, A. Wang, N. Gonzalez, Staff     Terms Offered: Winter
Prerequisite(s): SOSC 24900
Note(s): This sequence meets the general education requirement in civilization studies. These courses must be taken in sequence; students must have taken SOSC 24900 to enroll in this course.
Equivalent Course(s): SOSC 24901

LACS 16100. Introduction to Latin American Civilization I. 100 Units.

Autumn Quarter examines the origins of civilizations in Latin America with a focus on the political, social, and cultural features of the major pre-Columbian civilizations of the Maya, Inca, and Aztec. The quarter concludes with an analysis of the Spanish and Portuguese conquest, and the construction of colonial societies in Latin America. The courses in this sequence may be taken in any order.

Instructor(s): Kourí; Newman; Borges; Brittenham     Terms Offered: Autumn
Equivalent Course(s): SOSC 26100, ANTH 23101, HIST 36101, LACS 34600, RDIN 16100, HIST 16101, CRES 16101

LACS 16200. Introduction to Latin American Civilization II. 100 Units.

Winter Quarter addresses the evolution of colonial societies, the wars of independence, and the emergence of Latin American nation-states in the changing international context of the nineteenth century.

Instructor(s): Winter: Hicks; Schwartz-Francisco; Tenorio Autumn: Borges     Terms Offered: Winter
Equivalent Course(s): CRES 16102, HIST 36102, LACS 34700, HIST 16102, ANTH 23102, PPHA 39770, SOSC 26200, RDIN 16200

LACS 16300. Introduction to Latin American Civilization III. 100 Units.

Spring Quarter focuses on the twentieth century, with special emphasis on the challenges of economic, political, and social development in the region.

Instructor(s): Fischer; Saramago; Schwartz-Francisco     Terms Offered: Spring
Equivalent Course(s): HIST 36103, ANTH 23103, CRES 16103, SOSC 26300, HIST 16103, LACS 34800, PPHA 39780

MUSI 12100. Music In Western Civilization I: To 1750. 100 Units.

This course, part of the Social Sciences Civ core, looks at musics in different moments of Euro-American history and the social contexts in which they originated, with some comparative views on other world traditions. It aims to give students a better understanding of the social contexts of European music over this period; aids for the basic sound structures of pieces from these different moments; and convincing writing in response to prompts based on source readings or music pieces. Our first quarter (MUS 12100 etc.) spans roughly the period between Charlemagne's coronation as Holy Roman Emperor (800 CE) and the dissolution of the Empire (1806) with the triumph of Napoleon across Western Europe.

Instructor(s): R. Kendrick     Terms Offered: Autumn
Note(s): Prior music course or ability to read music not required. Students must confirm enrollment by attending one of the first two sessions of class. This two-quarter sequence meets the general education requirement in civilization studies; it does not meet the general education requirement in the arts. Please note that MUSI 12100-12200 will not be offered on campus in 2023-24. The sequence will be offered in Paris through Study Abroad in Autumn 2023. Information about the Paris offering is available here: https://study-abroad.uchicago.edu/paris-music-western-civilization. Students who have not taken MUSI 12100 should be aware that the course will not be offered on campus until Autumn 2024.
Equivalent Course(s): HIST 12700, SOSC 21100

MUSI 12200. Music In Western Civ II. 100 Units.

This course, part of the Social Sciences Civ core, looks at musics in different moments of Euro-American history and the social contexts in which they originated, with some comparative views on other world traditions. It aims to give students a better understanding of the social contexts of European music over this period; aids for the basic sound structures of pieces from these different moments; and convincing writing in response to prompts based on source readings or music pieces. Our second quarter (MUS 12200 etc.) runs from the beginning of European Romanticism around 1800 to the turn of the 21st century.

Terms Offered: Winter
Note(s): Prior music course or ability to read music not required. Students must confirm enrollment by attending one of the first two sessions of class. This two-quarter sequence meets the general education requirement in civilization studies; it does not meet the general education requirement in the arts. Please note that MUSI 12100-12200 will not be offered on campus in 2023-24. The sequence will be offered in Paris through Study Abroad in Autumn 2023. Information about the Paris offering is available here: https://study-abroad.uchicago.edu/paris-music-western-civilization. Students who have not taken MUSI 12100 should be aware that the course will not be offered on campus until Autumn 2024.
Equivalent Course(s): SOSC 21200, HIST 12800

NEHC 20001. Ancient Near Eastern History and Society I: Egypt. 100 Units.

This course surveys the political, social, and economic history of ancient Egypt from pre-dynastic times (ca. 3400 B.C.) until the advent of Islam in the seventh century of our era.

Instructor(s): Brian Muhs, Robert Ritner     Terms Offered: Autumn
Equivalent Course(s): NEHC 30001, SOSC 20001

NEHC 20002. Ancient Near Eastern History and Society II. 100 Units.

This course offers an overview of the history of Mesopotamia from its origins down to the Achaemenid and Hellenistic periods, when Mesopotamia became part of larger empires. Weeks 1 to 5, preceding mid-term exam, cover the periods ranging from the late Chalcolithic down to the end of the Middle Bronze age (late fifth to mid-second millennia BCE). Weeks 6 to 10 study the developments of the Late Bronze and Iron Ages, from the period of the archives of El-Amarna in the fourteenth century BCE down to the time of Alexander the Great in the late fourth century BCE.

Instructor(s): Hervé Reculeau     Terms Offered: Winter
Prerequisite(s): Taking these courses in sequence is not required. This sequence meets the general education requirement in civilization studies.
Equivalent Course(s): NEHC 30002, SOSC 20002

NEHC 20003. Ancient Near Eastern History and Society III. 100 Units.

This course introduces students to the history of ancient Anatolia and its neighbors from the first historical texts around 2000 BCE, with a short detour through prehistory and the appearance of Proto-Indo-European culture, to the arrival of Alexander the Great. Some of the famous ancient Near Eastern civilizations that we encounter include the Assyrians, Hittites, Phrygians, Lydians, Persians, and Israelites. We will focus on the information provided by inscriptions - especially political and socioeconomic history - as well as the relevant archaeological and art historical records. No prior knowledge of Anatolian or Near Eastern history is required.

Instructor(s): Petra Goedegebuure     Terms Offered: Spring
Equivalent Course(s): SOSC 20003, NEHC 30003

NEHC 20004. Ancient Near Eastern Thought and Literature I: Mesopotamian Literature. 100 Units.

This course gives an overview of the richness of Mesopotamian Literature (modern Iraq) written in the 3rd-1st millennium BC. We will read myths and epics written on clay tablets in the Sumerian and Akkadian language in English translation and discuss content and style, but also the religious, cultural and historic implications. Particular focus will be on the development of stories over time, the historical context of the literature and mythological figures. The texts treated cover not only the famous Epic of Gilgamesh, but also various legends of Sumerian and Akkadian kings, stories about Creation and World Order, and destruction. The topics covered range from the quest for immortality, epic heroes and monsters, sexuality and love.

Instructor(s): Susanne Paulus     Terms Offered: Autumn
Note(s): Taking these courses in sequence is not required. This sequence meets the general education requirement in civilization studies.
Equivalent Course(s): SOSC 20004

NEHC 20005. Ancient Near Eastern Thought & Literature II: Anatolian Lit. 100 Units.

The goal of this class is to get an overview of Hittite literature, as "defined" by the Hittites themselves, in the wider historical-cultural context of the Ancient Near East. Some of the most important questions we can ask ourselves in reading ancient texts are: why were they written down, why were they kept, for whom were they intended, and what do the answers to these questions (apart from the primary content of the texts themselves) tell us about - in our case - Hittite society?

Instructor(s): Petra Goedegebuure     Terms Offered: Spring
Note(s): Taking these courses in sequence is not required. This sequence meets the general education requirement in civilization studies.
Equivalent Course(s): SOSC 20005

NEHC 20006. Ancient Near Eastern Thought & Literature III: Ancient Egyptian Literature. 100 Units.

This course employs English translations of ancient Egyptian literary texts to explore the genres, conventions and techniques of ancient Egyptian literature. Discussions of texts examine how the ancient Egyptians conceptualized and constructed their equivalent of literature, as well as the fuzzy boundaries and subtle interplay between autobiography, history, myth and fiction.

Instructor(s): Margret Geoga     Terms Offered: Winter
Equivalent Course(s): SOSC 20006

NEHC 20416. Semitic Languages, Cultures, and Civilizations I. 100 Units.

This course looks at the attestations of Semitic, the development of the language family and its individual languages, the connection of language spread and political expansions with the development of empires and nation states (which can lead to the development of different language strata), the interplay of linguistic innovation and archaism in connection with innovative centers and peripheries, and the connection and development of language and writing.

Terms Offered: TBD
Equivalent Course(s): NEHC 30416, SOSC 20416, HIST 15702

NEHC 20417. Semitic Languages, Cultures, and Civilizations II. 100 Units.

This course explores various peoples of the ancient Near East from the third through the first millennium BC. The shared characteristic of those peoples is their use of Semitic languages. The focus is on major cultural traditions that later become of interest for the modern Middle East and for the Western world. This course provides a background to understand contemporary problems in a historical context. This includes a close examination and discussion of representative ancient sources, as well as readings in modern scholarship to help us think of interpretative frameworks and questions. Ancient sources include literary, historical, and legal documents. Texts in English.

Terms Offered: TBD
Note(s): Not open to first-year students
Equivalent Course(s): SOSC 20417, NEHC 30417, HIST 15703

NEHC 20418. Semitic Languages, Cultures, and Civilizations III. 100 Units.

The course studies how various groups in the Middle East imagined the ancient Semitic heritage of the region. We examine how Semitic languages (in particular, Arabic and Hebrew) came to be regarded as the national markers of the peoples of the Middle East. We likewise explore the ways in which archeologists, historians, novelists, and artists emphasized the connectivity between past and present, and the channels through which their new ideas were transmitted. The class thus highlights phenomena like nationalism, reform, and literary and print capitalism (in both Hebrew and Arabic) as experienced in the Middle East.

Terms Offered: TBD
Note(s): Not open to first-year students
Equivalent Course(s): SOSC 20418, HIST 15704, NEHC 30418, JWSC 21100

NEHC 20501. Islamic History and Society I: The Rise of Islam and the Caliphate. 100 Units.

This course covers the period from ca. 600 to 1100, including the rise and spread of Islam, the Islamic empire under the Umayyad and Abbasid caliphs, and the emergence of regional Islamic states from Afghanistan and eastern Iran to North Africa and Spain.

Instructor(s): Ahmed El Shamsy     Terms Offered: Autumn
Equivalent Course(s): RLST 20501, SOSC 20501, NEHC 30501, HIST 25704, MDVL 20501, ISLM 30500, CMES 30501, HIST 35704

NEHC 20502. Islamic History and Society II: The Middle Period. 100 Units.

This course covers the period from ca. 1100 to 1750, including the arrival of the Steppe Peoples (Turks and Mongols), the Mongol successor states, and the Mamluks of Egypt and Syria. We also study the foundation of the great Islamic regional empires of the Ottomans, Safavids, and Moghuls.

Instructor(s): J. Woods     Terms Offered: Winter
Prerequisite(s): Not open to first-year students
Equivalent Course(s): CMES 30502, MDVL 20502, HIST 25804, NEHC 30502, HIST 35804, SOSC 20502, ISLM 30600

NEHC 20503. Islamic History and Society III:The Modern Middle East. 100 Units.

This course covers the period from ca. 1750 to the present, focusing on Western military, economic, and ideological encroachment; the impact of such ideas as nationalism and liberalism; efforts at reform in the Islamic states; the emergence of the "modern" Middle East after World War I; the struggle for liberation from Western colonial and imperial control; the Middle Eastern states in the cold war era; and local and regional conflicts.

Instructor(s): Holly Shissler     Terms Offered: Spring
Prerequisite(s): Not open to first-year students
Note(s): This course does not apply to the medieval studies major or minor.
Equivalent Course(s): NEHC 30503, HIST 35904, SOSC 20503, HIST 25904

NEHC 20601. Islamic Thought and Literature I. 100 Units.

This sequence explores the thought and literature of the Islamic world from the coming of Islam in the seventh century C.E. through the development and spread of its civilization in the medieval period and into the modern world. Including historical framework to establish chronology and geography, the course focuses on key aspects of Islamic intellectual history: scripture, law, theology, philosophy, literature, mysticism, political thought, historical writing, and archaeology. In addition to lectures and secondary background readings, students read and discuss samples of key primary texts, with a view to exploring Islamic civilization in the direct voices of the people who participated in creating it. All readings are in English translation. No prior background in the subject is required. This course sequence meets the general education requirement in civilization studies.

Instructor(s): Flowers, Adam     Terms Offered: Autumn
Equivalent Course(s): RLST 20401, MDVL 20601, SOSC 22000, HIST 25610

NEHC 20602. Islamic Thought and Literature II. 100 Units.

This course covers the period from ca. 950 to 1700, surveying works of literature, theology, philosophy, sufism, politics, history, etc., written in Arabic, Persian and Turkish, as well as the art, architecture and music of the Islamicate traditions. Through primary texts, secondary sources and lectures, we will trace the cultural, social, religious, political and institutional evolution through the period of the Fatimids, the Crusades, the Mongol invasions, and the "gunpowder empires" (Ottomans, Safavids, Mughals).

Instructor(s): Adam Flower - Firas Alkhateeb     Terms Offered: Winter
Note(s): Taking these courses in sequence is recommended but not required. This sequence meets the general education requirement in civilization studies.
Equivalent Course(s): HIST 25615, SOSC 22100, RLST 20402, MDVL 20602

NEHC 20603. Islamic Thought and Literature III. 100 Units.

This course covers the period from ca. 1700 to the present. It explores Muslim intellectuals' engagement with tradition and modernity in the realms of religion, politics, literature, and law. We discuss debates concerning the role of religion in a modern society, perceptions of Europe and European influence, the challenges of maintain religious and cultural authenticity, and Muslim views of nation-states and nationalism in the Middle East. We also give consideration to the modern developments of transnational jihadism and the Arab Spring. This course sequence meets the general education requirement in civilization studies.

Instructor(s): Holly Shissler - Tobias Scheunchen     Terms Offered: Spring
Equivalent Course(s): SOSC 22200, HIST 25616, RLST 20403

SALC 20100. Introduction to the Civilizations of South Asia I. 100 Units.

The first quarter focuses on Islam in South Asia, Hindu-Muslim interaction, Mughal political and literary traditions, and South Asia's early encounters with Europe.

Instructor(s): Muzaffar Alam     Terms Offered: Winter
Equivalent Course(s): SOSC 23000, MDVL 20100, ANTH 24101, HIST 10800, SALC 30100

SALC 20200. Introduction to the Civilizations of South Asia II. 100 Units.

The second quarter analyzes the colonial period (i.e., reform movements, the rise of nationalism, communalism, caste, and other identity movements) up to the independence and partition of India.

Instructor(s): Dipesh Chakrabarty     Terms Offered: Spring
Prerequisite(s): SALC 20100,ANTH 24101,HIST 10800,SASC 20000,SOSC 23000
Equivalent Course(s): HIST 10900, SOSC 23100, ANTH 24102