History

This course examines and analyzes conspiracy theories that have had a major impact upon politics and society in Europe, the United States, and the world from 1890 to the present. Through readings of secondary sources, the course assesses how historians have approached, assessed, and contextualized such conspiracy narratives. Through readings of primary sources, the course analyzes why individuals spread conspiracy theories. What goals are they pursuing? With whom are they arguing, and whom or what do they seek to discredit? How has the spread of individual conspiracy theories affected politics, culture, and society?

This course examines Chinese traditional culture. Topics include origin and context, social background, historical influence, core elements, and future developments.

This course examines the changing use made of the concept of time in economic theory and in UK economic policy-making from the 1930s. The policy areas covered include exchange rates, trade, labor markets, human capital, the distribution of income and wealth, housing, social security, health, the ownership and structure of utility industries, public investment, transport, and taxation.

This course focuses on the history of South Africa from 1948 and the institutionalization of Apartheid onward. It covers the National Party leaders as well as African National Congress leaders on the way to the fall of Apartheid. It discusses the various ways people fought against the regime as well as the lasting effects of Apartheid on South Africa today.

How did the Maya civilization collapse? Why did the bubonic plague kill over one third of 14th century European population? How long can current rates of global population be continued? This course introduces the fascinating field of environmental history, focusing on the tensions between economic growth, resource scarcity, and environmental degradation in the distant past as well as in present-day societies. The course pays ample attention to the transition from pre-industrial to industrial modes of production and the environmental consequences thereof - the making of the Anthropocene. We draw analogies from the collapse of ancient civilizations to contemporary environmental problems, such as global warming and mineral resource depletion. The course also specifically addresses the various strategies that historical civilizations have developed in order to survive climate change, deforestation, soil erosion or other ecological threats to human livelihood. Finally, the course addresses the emergence of present-day environmental consciousness in the wake of modern urbanization, industrialization and unprecedented demographic growth.