History

The course explores the history and culture of France through a multidisciplinary analysis of literary, historical, and audiovisual texts. By examining key works by historians and writers from different periods, students will gain insight into the socio-historical contexts that shape literary creation and historical discourse. The course develops students’ ability to critically analyze texts, conduct independent research, and communicate effectively in French, while fostering a reflective and critical approach to works of art and cultural production.

This course introduces students to the history of Europe in the early modern period. It also explores the history of early modern Europe from global perspectives, looking at connections with non-European peoples and polities, and examining what happened when very different cultures came into contact with each other. It compares changes and continuities in different parts of Europe, in a period marked by the disintegration of Western Christendom and the emergence of nation states. Chronologically, the main focus is on the 15th to 17th centuries, a period which saw changes of profound significance for the long-term development of Europe and the wider world, changes which continue to shape the landscape, institutions, and culture of our world today. Assuming no prior knowledge, this course provides an overview of the key political, social, economic, environmental, religious and intellectual developments of the early modern period. 

The current uncertain times are marked by political upheavals, rapid technological change, and ecological loss and crisis. Yet, this perception of uncertainty is not unique to the present. How have people made sense of the unknown in the past? How have they tried to predict, control, or survive uncertain futures? This seminar explores how individuals, communities, and institutions have historically responded to uncertainty, in North America and beyond. Seminar topics therefore include religious beliefs and prophecies, narratives of destiny and utopia, science and statistics, social planning, bureaucracy and record-keeping, violence and exclusion, art, sports, as well as turns to history itself. Furthermore, the class discusses how historians themselves deal with uncertainty in their work: from gaps in the archives and collective memory, to epistemological questions, biases in historical research, and contested interpretations of the past. Through these themes, students are introduced to the foundational skills of studying history: how to ask critical questions, develop an argument, read primary and secondary sources, and how to write (about) history. A field trip to a local archive offers practical insights into what it means to work as a historian, and the uncertainties that come with it.

In the high and late middle ages, monarchs and urban governments across Europe enacted laws dictating what people could wear, what hairstyles they could have, what they could eat, what types of hawks they could hunt with, as well as creating a range of other restrictions on visual display. This course examines why. What was the purpose of these ‘sumptuary’ laws (as historians have named them)? What conditions led to their enactment? How did they differ across time and space? What types of people were regulated and who was allowed to dress as they pleased? Through weekly seminars, students interrogate these questions of the original sources and select a subset of sumptuary law to examine in their essay.

This course presents a broad picture of political and cultural situation, including the Russo-Chinese contacts in the 17th-19th centuries. It covers the Kievan Rus, the period of division, culture of the period of Mongol dependency, culture of independent Moscow state; the beginning of secular culture in the 17th century; reforms of Peter I, Westernization of Russian culture in the 18th century; the golden age of aristocratic culture at the end of the 18th century; new trends and schools in Russian culture at the beginning of the 20th century.

This course takes Chinese history as its main axis and introduces the development and characteristics of Chinese culture within the broader context of world and East Asian history. The lectures provide an overview of key historical events and major concepts across different dynasties, helping build a comprehensive understanding of China’s historical framework. In addition, the course examines topics such as social organization, political institutions, religious customs, philosophical thought, and artistic and literary achievements. It provides a well-rounded understanding of China’s historical transformations and its significant cultural accomplishments in context.

What is Zionism and in what context did it emerge as an ideology? Who promoted and who opposed it within Jewish communities before the creation of the State of Israel? What are the political, diplomatic, religious and cultural dimensions of Zionism? Is a study of the plurality of Zionism and its internal conflicts possible? Do Antisemitism and Anti-Zionism have anything in common? What happened to Zionism after the creation of Israel? What does it mean to label oneself a Zionist or Anti-Zionist in 1917, 1948 or 1967? What approaches and strategies did Palestinians adopt regarding Zionism? This course is at the intersection of history and political science. It addresses these impassioned and complex questions by reading and discussing primary documents (manifestos, leaflets, diaries, international declarations) and secondary sources each week.