History

Alfred Hitchcock is one of the most acclaimed and influential of all filmmakers, and this course employs the methods of the “new film history” to explore the director's work and the debates surrounding it. The course investigates the production and reception of key films, considers aspects of visual style and technique, and examines the representation of nation, class, gender, sexuality, and politics within specific historical contexts. Hitchcock's critical reputation and his influence on contemporary filmmakers are also considered. Students model a holistic approach to film analysis with reference to both textual and contextual factors through the deconstruction, decoding, and interpretation of filmic imagery, sound, dialogue, and story.

This course considers the formation of modern Mexico in the 19th and 20th centuries with attention to the analogies, differences, and interrelations with the rest of Latin America. The course focuses on the construction of the nation state and the rise of capitalism; it continues this analysis while exploring the role of social movements to shape these developments. Particular topics include indigenous peoples and modernization, cultural currents and nationality, modernity and industrial utopia, development and stabilization, democracy, student movements, new social issues, the feminist movement, neoliberalism, socio-economic projects and structural adjustment.

The class draws on literacy, painting, cinema, and other artistic sources to examine the political and social past of France from the French Revolution to the present. By the end of the course, students have gained a familiarity with France that allows them to appreciate the richness and depth of its history.

During the Arab springs, Algeria gave the impression of remaining impervious to regional dynamics. Algerians however claimed they recognized in the Tunisian and Egyptian revolts, democratization, rise of Islamism, and later threat of the return of dictatorship, their own experiences. An outlier to current events in the Maghreb, and perhaps a precursor, Algeria is an excellent case study for students to acquire a deeper historical understanding of the region. Based on texts, images, and film sources, and with constant comparison to other Maghribi countries, this course begins with the enthusiasm of independence in 1962, Third Worldism, and socialist utopia, and then moves on to the collapse of the Eastern Bloc, the rise of Djihadi Islam, and the first of its kind civil war between the army and the armed Islamists in the 1990, and its aftermath.

The aim of the course is to introduce students to the exciting inter-disciplinary study of contemporary Africa. The course will engage with African societies by examining the history, politics, economy, anthropology and culture of the continent and will explicitly draw on a range of disciplinary approaches. By taking this course students will gain knowledge of contemporary Africa and will be sensitized to the diverse experiences of continuity and change on the continent and how Africa is situated and understood by different actors within global debates on topical issues. Africa in the Contemporary World will appeal to students from a diverse range of courses that touch on issues related to contemporary Africa. It will also be appealing to students who wish to go to Africa to pursue work or study. For students who wish to continue to study Africa in more depth, the course will expose students to a range of disciplines and research processes relevant to the study of contemporary Africa. Africa is also a focus for students interested in questions of international development and globalization and the course will address and provide a context for a deeper engagement with these topics. The lectures will cover two related topics each week and will be delivered by lecturers from the Centre of African Studies as well as lecturers from across the school who will bring expertise on specific topics for this introductory course. Tutorials will provide the opportunity for students to discuss and develop their own ideas and form an independent response to the readings and lectures. The tutors will assist in clarifying key concepts and will assist students in developing a critical analysis of the material. The tutors will also provide feedback on presentations and support the peer feedback sessions on essay plans. Students will be encouraged to attend extra-curricular events run by the Centre of African Studies and the School such as film screenings and seminar series as well as University talks on topics related to Africa. Students will also be encouraged to read a number of contemporary African novels. Indicative Themes: Africa and the long duree Colonialism and post-colonialism Liberation struggles and nationalism Citizenship, ethnicity and identity Social movements and democratization Law and governance Conflict and civil war Poverty and economic change Aid, debt and trade The informal economy China in Africa Migration Land and the environment Food security and climate change Population dynamics Health and disease Religion, gender and the family Popular culture Cities Is Africa Rising? For Whom?

This course focuses on how Africans experienced the Atlantic trade and how they challenged the oppressive systems under which they were forced to labor. It provides a broadly chronological introduction to the ways in which Africans became slaves, the Middle Passage, and the establishment of plantations in the New World. It makes use of slave narratives, photographs, and abolitionist tracts to examine the origins, form, and structure of the Atlantic trade from a global perspective.

The course provides an overview over some of the most important aspects of Nazi Germany – covering political, cultural, social, and military history. The course provides insights into one of the darkest, most disturbing and most formative periods of modern European history. The course pays particular attention to different and conflicting interpretations of how the Third Reich came into being and why Hitler's dictatorship proved to be one of the most murderous in history. Particular attention is paid to racial thinking, the Holocaust and the question of European collaboration with the Nazis. The course improves students' capacity to engage with historical interpretations and different methodological approaches.